The morning call., 1894-02-08
THE CHURCHES MEMENTO MORT.

Remember. o man. that thou art dust
and unto dust thou shall return"
1t was with this solemn and awful re-
hinder ringing in their ears that the
people in the Catholic churches Of this
city knelt yesterday morning to partici-
pate in the penitential service of Ash
Wednesday. From the earliest ages of the
Christian church il has been the custom to
set apart certain times aud seasons for
special humility and penance. and the first
day of Lent, called Ash Wednesday on &C.
count of the ancient custom of sprinkliDg
the head with ashes in token Of sorrow or
repentance is always observed in the
Catholic and Episcopal churches as one of
the most important OF their seasons.
In the Catholic churches alone the use
ashes has survived as a "memento
mort" The ceremony even apart from
Its spiritual significance is one that would
impress the most careless beholder.
The Ash Wednesday service held yes
erday morning in st. Mary's Cathedral on
Van Ness avenue were peculiarly solemn.
1t was ideal Ash Wednesday weather, the
sky being as gray and cold as the ashes
themselves. Within the sacred edifce
there was only a dim religious light that
worshipers.
The priests in their somber vestments of
violet, the lenten color, alone stood out
against the whiteness of the high altar,
where few hickerlng tapers made the
prevailing gloominess more visible, Then
the sUlemn service opened, the ashes were
blessed. and Bishop Keane Of Washington.
ID. g.. pronouncing the awful reminder of
what has been the lot of mortal man since
the days OF Adam. Thou art dust and
unto dust thou shalt return" solemnly placed
them upon the hea of Archbishop Riordan
In his turn Bishop heane received the lesson
of humility and the reminder OF death; hen
the assistant cl rgy and the acolytes knelt TO
be branded with the ashes, after which the
people. tocking TO The altar rails, received tie
prophetic ashes upon their brows al Inc hands
OF the archbishop and the other clergy, while
the choir chanted the "Miserere."
The words OF the autiphons sang during the
receiving of the ashes were continual
prayer for penitence and humility. "Let us
amend for the better III those things In which
We have sinned through ignorance, lest sud
denly oVeriaken by the day of death we shall
seek for penltence md are not able 10 ind it,;
and above the voices OF the singers were heard
those of The priests soemny reiterating the
'memento, homo" to the throng OF worship
pers as they knelt al the altar rails, young and
old, iich aud poor, side by side without distinc-
ton OF rank. made equal in the solemn peniten-
tial service, as death, the great leveer, makes
all morIals equal in the last great sleep, of
which the ashes was the reminder ana the
symbol.
The ceremony took a considerable time on
account OF The largeness of the congregation.
As each line OF worshlpers left the sanctuary
rails they were succeeded by a fresh Ihrong.
Until the last person In the church had received
the mark of ashes, then, when the whole con-
glegation had returned TO their seats, the priest
pronounced the "Domiuu5 yOlbIseum'' and the
mass was proceeded with. Al the high mass OF
the day, which took place at O'clock, Rev. j..
Dorau was the celebTant, and the deacon of
honor was the Rev. George Montgomery.
Tie entire Latin branch of the Christian
church celebrated Ash Wednesday yesterday
throughout the world in the same manner, with
the exception of those few districts where The
AmbrOsan rites stlll prevail. ST. Am
broise was Archbishop of Milan, and
In his former diocese the rules which
he laid down for The guidance of his peo-
pie. are still respected With the consent OF the
Vatican One of these is that Lent begins on
the Friday after Ash Wednesday, and therefore
the inhabitants of LOmbardy can hold high
carnival until Thursday night. On Friday they
too Will perform the penltential services which
mark The beginning of the most solemn portion
OF the Christian year, when for forty days the
lesson of the transformers of human life and
the nerd of preparing for hereafter will be
especially Impressed upon mems minds.