The evening times., 1896-12-14
HIGH MASS ON A wARSHIP.
An Unusual Celebration on the Bal.
more at Honolulu

For the first time within the memory
OF the Oldest living naval officers the high
mass Of the Roman Catholic Church was
celebrated aboard n America n m an-of-war
early in January of this year. The
two Roman Catholic priests who serve
as chaplains of ships in the United States
Navy reclte the low mass on their vessels
every Sunday morning, as well as on tue
holy days OF obligation.
1hese masses are Ill general pretty well
attended by the enlisted men of all manners
cases, OF no religious belief at all The
officers not infrequently attend the masses
In body. one OF the first regulations
.'officers and men shall, whenever posi-.
bic, partiCipai : In the worship OF Almighty V
God aboard their ships.
While this regulation is not mandatory,
being simply Inserted in the form of u
Recommendation, officers and men are
much more sincere in their respect for and
observance of this clause. which is read
out on the quarterback by the executive
officer at every monthly muster, together
with short abstract of the Navy reguIa-
tons, than II attendance at religious SER
vices aboard ship were compulsory, as il
is in several of the worlds navieS.
The. high mass referred to was chanted
on the cruiser Baltimore while the ship
was anchored in the harbor of Honolulu
on the second Sunday of the first month
of this year.
The Baltlmore's chaplain was a young
Roman Catholic priest, scholar, an ath-
lete, and finished man generally, born
and educated in Maryland. he decided to
have high mass as special Thanksgiving
ceremony on the Sunday folio wing the Balti-
more's casting her anchor in the harbor
OF Honolulu.
This was as impressive n religious cere-
mony as any ever seen or heard in a great
cathedral. 1t was celebrated on the snIp's
wide n nd long berth deck. The carpenters
gang built an altar especially for the oc-
caslon. Some of tie men got shore
liberty and gathered the gorgeous tropical
wild flowers that bloom in the woodlands
around Honolulu. They then decorated the
altar. which. when its ornamentation WAS
completed, was a wonderful blaze of color
Two young apprentice boys served as
acolytes, habiied in cassocks and sur
plices.
The Baltimore was flagship. and the
music of the mass, which was one of Mo-
Zart's, was under the direction of the band
master, who utilized the services of his
fine string orchestra to render the music
effectively. But the real feature of the
music was the singing of some twent y-five
Roman Catholic priests, bearded men of
a monastic order with it's Hawaiian head
quarters in u monastry on the outskirts Of
Honolulu.
The chaplain had invited these priests to
assist him in the celebration. They Were
all trained singers with noble voices, like
the male voices heard in the Sistlne Chapel
small cabinet organ. The young chaplain
was fine baritone singer, VITO easily dis
counted all of the wardroom officers in
the singing of deep water and other songs
at the mess table. He sang the difficult
mass well, and the swelling answers to
his intonatlons by the choir OF priests were
beautiful and inspiring. Naval officers of
eXperience in every corner in the world
afterward declared that they had never
heard such music before.