The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-25
PALMS FOR MANY affairs.
ChriStS Entry Into Jerusalem Will Be
Celebrated
WITH SPECIAL CHURCH SERVICES.
How the Custom of commemorating the
Anniversary Has Grown-The Preach
ers at Home Places OF Worship and
the Subjects OF Their Disoourses.


Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
over 800 years ago, will be befttingly
commcmorated tomorrow In every
Roman Catholic, Protestant Episcopal
and Lutheran parish In the world. In
addition to this reference will be made
TO the occasion from many OF the pull
pits of other denominations which hold
to the great truths OF Christianity and
point morals from the life and works of
the Saviour
Tomorrow special services appr oprate
To the day will be held in many Of the
tiiy's churches.
N lille the Catholic churches make by
far the greater feature of the day than
rny other denomination having ritual
istic service there has arisen a tendency
amCug the latter, In recent years at
lensf, to paw more attention to the ami
yrysary This is particularly true OF the
Iii th ,hurch Episcopallans, who now NJ
most without exception use palms for
tn. occasion In decor iting the snnctu-
aries aud affairs instead OF he flowers
which wer. so largely utilized before.
As yet, however, the services OF the
fay with nigh churchinen stop short
with the decorations. Ia the Catholic
churches "A special servic. Il ordered for
tie day. The palms are blessed by the
wat r, inceused anu then distributed
among The parishioners In parricu larly
pi,us families the leaves or y ,rtions OF
leaves are retained until the following
Ash Wednesday.
Real Palms Now Used.
q II is interesting To note that in recen
years real palms only have been used in
the S, rvces of Palm Sunday. Until 1876
the churches in this portion of the coun-
Try and in the North aud West were
compelled through lack Of any thing bet
ter TO use in the ceremony Of the day
sJrigs OF hemlock, spruce, cedar, piae or
some other evergreen. The change was
brought about by an enJerprising New
Yorker, Thomas ID. Eaean, who has
made the subject study, and gives some
very interesting information reg trding
the use o. palms in church services. He
observed tnem in use first in this coun-
try in Charleston, >. c., and at once
concluded that IL IL was possible TO pro-
cure them in the South 1t was equally
possible To transport them North Tor use
IN the service commemoratory of the oc-
casIon when the Jewish multitude spread
them in Christ's path or waved them In
the air as he proceeded toward Jerusa-
lem.
The variety OF palm used in the SER
vices Is obtained from the palmetto trees
which grow IN greater or less abundance
on the sea islands of the coast of South
Carolina and along the streams in the
palmetto state, and in Georgia and Flor
ida. While not identical with those grow
ing in Palestine, tney are OF Ihe same
general variety and are such as are used
nt ST.. Peters at Rome, Notre Dame, in
Paris, aud st. Stephens. in Vienna. The
palms used in these catuedrals are OBJ
tanned at great expense from Asia Minor.
and are, la consequence, seen only at
high ceremonials.
In addition to the beautiful leaves in
their natural state aud those woven into
various delicate devices. the palms are
offered in variety of other forms, the
most interesting being Bible marks aud
representations or the implements Of the
sacred passion arranged for framing.
thousands Of these latter find their way
into pious Catholic households, aud mas
much as they are practically indestructi-
bic they remain for years TO remind the
inmates Of rhe passion season.