The San Francisco call., 1896-08-03
THE PORT|UNCULA
INDULGENCE,
A Sermon by the Reverend
Father Caraher on
Its Origin.
ITS NATURE EXPLAINED.
That Little Church of st. Mary
of the Angels in Umbria,
Italy.
HOW TO GAIN THE INDULGENCE
A Franciscan Church Must Be Visited
and There Must Be Confes.
sion and Communion.

The Rev. Father Thomas Caraher,
rector of st, Francis Church on Vallejo
street, preached a sermon last night on
the origin and nature of the Portiuncula
Indulgence to large congregation that
paid close attention to what was ex-
planned.
In delivering the exordium the reverend
father said: "The reason that the epistle
and gospel are read in many churches to-
day is because to-day we comm emorate
the dedication or conservation to God of
the little church of st. Mary of the
Angels in Umbria, Italy, commonly
called the Church of the Portiuncula. But
it is not so much the dedication OF that
little church that we commemorate to-day
as the notable event with which it is so in
timately associated-the publication OF the
Portiuncula Indulgence. 1t was the pub
lication of that indulgence that attracted
so many thousands from various parts OF
Italy to the church of st. Mary OF the
Angels on the 1st OF August, 1923, and it is
the commemoration of that event and de-
sire 10 gain that indulgence that attract so
many to-day within the walls of Francis
can churches throughout the world"
AS to the origin he said the word Por-
tiuncula is Latin word, signifying a small
part or portion and was originally applied
to a small plat of ground in Umpra, on
which chapel was built in the middle of
the fifth century by four pious pilgrims
from Jerusalem, VINO named it after our
lady of the valley of Joshaphat; afterward
it received the name OF ''our Lady of the
Angels" because angels frequently
hovered over it singing the praises OF their
heavenly queen.
tsTs d 4. e -
dict in the sixth century and his order
held it down to the beginning of the thir-
teenth century, when they presented it TO
st. Francis. As the SAINT was one night
praying in his cell for the conversion of
sinners, with a crucihx in his hand and
human skull at his feet he heard an angel
say to him, To the chapel, Francis, to the
chapel On entering the chapel he beheld
the Savior with his blessed mother and q
number of angels over the altar surrounded
with brilliant heavenly light.
addressing Francis the Savior said to
him that he well knew the zeal that he
and his companions had displayed for the
conversion OF sinners and the salvation of
souls; that he had set him up as light
for the nations and as 8 supper. for his
church, and that he would grant him any
request be should make. The saint re-
quested plenary indulgence or the full
remission of the temporal punishment
due to sin to all who having confessed
their sins should visit once the Church Of
the Portiuncula.
'The Savior granted the indulgence
prayed for on condition that it should be
/ confirmed by his vicar on earth, the sov-
ereign pontiff. The following morning
the saint repaired to Rerugia, where
| Honorius III was sojourning and on hear
| ing the facts related the vicar of Christ
confirmed the indulgence and granted it
for one natural day in perpetuitY, or for
ever.''
| The rector then detailed the work of the
saint and said that the feast of ST. Peter s
| chains was selected as the natural day, or
! from o'clock on the first day of August
until sundown cf the second. This indul.
| gence, he said, was afterward extended to
| all the churches of the three orders of st.
Francis. 1t was also extended by Papal
/ indult to many other churches throughout
/ the world, and even TO every cay in the
year for the church of the Portiuncula.
ITO gain the indulgence" said the rec
! tor, confession, communion and a visit
| to Franciscan church are necessary, but
| it is not necessary to fast or give aims,
| as in the case of a jubilee. The confession
| can be made on the I'd of August, or on
| either OF the two previous days: the COM
munion can be made on either the lst
| or I'd of August, but the visit must be
made between O'CLOCK in the afternoon
of the 1st OF August and sunset of the fol-
lowing day. Confession and communion
can be made in any church, but the visit
must be made to some Franciscan church,
and accomp panied by some prayers at
option for the holy fathers intention