The herald., 1896-04-04
GOOD FRIDAY CEREMONIES.
SOLEMN SERVICES HELD IN THE VARIOUS
II CHURCHES OF THE CITY.
The elimination Of Lent solemnized at the
Cathedra 81 With Three Services-Noon-day
Medltatlons at st. uI's-Lutherans also
Celebrate the Day

Good Friday was solemnly observed in
the Roman Catholic, Episcopalian and in
the German, Swedish and English Lutheran
churches of the city yesterday either by
typica! morning and evening services with
specia! hours of prayer or by continua-
ton of solemnizations throughout the day.
At the cathedral the Mass of the Pre-
sanctifled was celebrated at 8 o'clock with
Bishop Montgomery officiating. The Pas
sion of Our Lord was sung by the three
priests. Fathers NooDan, Cote and De Cum
ming. The closing procession took place
from the repository to the main altar.
AT 3 o'clock the devotions of the stations
OF the cross were observed. At 80, after
the matios of Tenebrae were sung by the
bishops and priests in the sanctuary.
Father Fitzgerald preached on the Passion.
He took for his themo ut is Consum-
mated" He introduced the subject by
showing how any story of human sorrow
was paramount to any story of human tri-
umph. He also illustrated how the suffer-
ings OF Jesus Christ surpassed any ordinary
human suffering. He dwelt at length on
the agonies Jesus Christ endured on Geth-
sion touchingly commented upon was
the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas,
one on whom he had conferred such favors
and lavished SO much love. The practical
lesson deduced from this was that even on
the threshold of death the heart of Jesus
est enemies. Proceeding with the scenes
Of the passing. Father Fitzgerald brought
effectively before the people the great
suffering of Jesus and Mary, when they met
and were forced to be parted on the sor-
rowful road to Calvary. The crucif1xion
was touchinely given in its simplicity and
the appeal to sinners to come to Jesus who
died for them was urged on the grounds
that with Mary the sinless stood Mary the
sinner to share equally the last dying look
of the dear Savior.
At St. Paul's Episcopal church, on South
Olive street, special season of meditation
for the day was observed from L o'clock
TO II. 1t was opened with the regular
morning prayer service. Appropriate
psalms for Good Friday were read with the
Itany and the Suffrages. Special petitions
were made for the sick and all those in
church's prerogative for this season. music
was dispensed with, except during the
offertory. During this interval Miss Marti-
nez sang There Is Green Hill Far Away.
From IL o'clock to 3 a penitential serv-
ice WAS held in commemoration of the
three hours Of agony of our Lord, Jesus
Christ. In the intermissions of solemn
word chantings of praise by the congrega-
tion the rector, DR.. Gray, made brief sug-
gestions for meditation representative of
the seven words of the Redeemer-forgive-
ness, the promise to the penitent thief,
the cry of loneliness, the cry of thirst, the
sentence of completion and the commen-
dation of his spirit. In the morning the
preparatory services of the celebration of
the holy communion were held, led by the
rector.
At the English Lutheran church the OBJ
seTvances throughout the Passion conclud-
ed with solemn and impressive Good
Friday service last evening, interspersed
with appropriate singing by the congrega-
tion bearing on the sufferings and death
of Christ.
Matthew 27 :51-"And behold the veil of
the temple We rent in twain, from the top
10 the bottom" He said the grand traRe-
dy in the worlds redemption was
now ended; The plan for mans saliva
, tion was nearing it's completion; the work
of Christ was done. With his expiring
breath he had exclaimed, ''It is finished"
Finished also was the system of Jewish
sacrifices. The old covenant was soon to
give place to the new; the former sealed
by the blood of bulls and of goats. and the
latter by the sacrifice of Christ. That law
which had hung for centuries as a veil be-
fore the people was now taken away and
newer and freer way opened unto the wor-
shippers of God. That law, with the ac-
cumulated traditions that had grown up
around it by the accretion of centuries, had
long enough veiled the knowledge of God
from the minds of men. In Jesus new
and living way opened unto us whereby
we may come to God, crying Abba. Father.
Concluding, he said: "What comfort,
what joy is ours that no longer a veil of
separation hides mankind from the plying
love of an anxious Father. With boldne ss
we should come to the throne of grace,
that we may find mercy and help in every
time Of need. All hindrances from the
closest approach to God are now taken
away forever" The services were con-
cluded with preparatory service for the
Easter communion.