Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-25
Thanksgiving Services in Many Of the
City Churches.
WORDS OF ADVICE AND WARNING
Pastors Touch on Questions of
National Policy.
ELABORATE DECORATIONS

prayer, the day was very generally OD-
served by the people of this city with APP
propriate religious services in their respec-
tive places of worship"
AS a rule all the churches in the city
were open for divine worship and attentive
and devout congregations were assembled.
While the services which were looked upon
as appropriate to the day varied in the
different churches, the central idea of all
was the returning thanks to God for the
blessings received during the year. In the
Catholic churches mass was said, while in
the Episcopal churches the service pre-
soribed in the prayer book was followed.
and al the services in the churches of both
denominations sermons were in a number
of instances delivered. In many of the
churches of all denominations especial at
tention was paid to the music, and pro-
grams of more or less elaborateneSs were
rendered. In some churches the decora-
lions were designed to typify the spirit of
the occasion, and fruits and vegetables
were used in adjoining the sacred places.
Sermons having special reference to the
day were delivered in most of the churches,
and topics of secular character were allud-
ed to If they were not the themes of the
entire discourse. 1t has always been Gus
tomary for ministers to give themselves
greater latitude in the range of subjects on
such occasions. and in many cases at the
services today the preachers had some
thing to say of a timely nature on current
topics of the day.
Military Mass.
At st. Aloysids' Catholic Church, on
North Capitol street, military mass was
celebrated this morning at 10 O'Clock, in the
presence of a large congregation. Arch
bishop Martinelli, the papal delegate, was
present.
A battalion of the Gonzaga Cadets, COM
posed of three companies, was present at
the celebration. and had position in front
of the altar. One Of the most remarkable
features Of the celebration was that the
cadets all through the services wore the
military CAP. In no other religious cere-
monial are men allowed to remain COW
cred during the celebration of mass AT
the conservation. arms were presented by
the cadets, forming most impressive spec
tacle.
The celebrant of the mass was Rev. Faith
er OConnell, ST.. of St. Aloysius: Rev. E.
burke, Sd, was deacon, and Rev. Mr.. Null
len. Sd. subdeacon. The celebration was
before the apostolic delegate, Archbishop
Martinelli. who appeared in cappa magma.
The deacons of honor to him were Rev.
Cornelius Gillespie. rector of the church,
and Rev. William lyman. rector of St. Mi
gals Manor, ST. Marys county. Nd
Rev. William OBrien Pardow, 81. de-
liveIed an eloquent sermon from the text.
Rev. vii. verse 12-"Benediction and glory
and thanksgiving to our God, forever and
ever
The speaker declared that the presence
of the archbishop was a proof of the CO.
operation and approval by the Catholic
Church of this national celebration of
Thanksgiving.
Thanks should not be given. he said. to
the things, but to the Deity. from whom all
things proceeded. Man, he declared. is
prone to be thankful toward his fellow
creatures. rather than to God. This sight
of the mass, with the solemn services, and
the large congregation in the church. was
only one phase of the eternal hymn of
thanksgiving for all time. Immediately
after the angel announced to the Blessed
Virgin the fact of the incarnation she be-
gan to glorify God, saying, 10, all nations
shall call me blessed" and so it has been
up to the present and will continue.
The music was fine and was by the regu-
lar choir of the church.
1t was announced that the celebration of
the mass would begin at 8 O'clock and in
consequence there was a large crowd of
persons assembled at the church, who had
to wait until AN hour later, when the serv-
ices began.
Choral Service.
A special choral service rendered
this morning at IL O'Clock at the First
Congregational Church, Rev. S. NJ. New
man. d. D., pastor. The choral service was
by the choir of the church; Dr. ]. W. Bisch-
off. organist.
There was a large congregation present
when the services began. In front of the
pulpit was sheaf of wheat with fruits
disposed about 1T, commemorative of the
day.
The choral service commenced with the
singing of America" by the choir and
consrega ton, after which the other pro-
gram followed. 1t was: Invocation; an
them. 20 Lord. How Manifold" Barnby:
contralto SOLO 1.-The Heavenly Song" Gray;
chorus. And the Glory of the Lord
n Il. I.,A%
tenor. THE Lord is My Light" Buck;
chorus. Thanks Be To God" Elijah
Mendeissohn; sermon by the pastor; offer
tory, anthem. "Grander Than Oceans
story, Costa; quartet, Come Unto Me-"
Gounod-Thayer; bass solo, within This
Sacred Dwelling" Mozart; ''Te Deum. in
L. Gounod; benediction; postlude.
Kew Dr. Newman preached a highly pa
triotic sermon He said that a nation must
be highly moral in all it's relations, and
this fact had been more strongly evidenced
In the past two years. Not only must one
nation have commercial relations with
another, but its moral ones should be even
stronger In this respect he referred TO
Armenia and Cuba. not as if suggesting any
line OF action 10 be pursued by statesmen
regarding them, but merely to show what
the lack of moral and Christian power
might bring about.
His address was short one.
DIR. Talmase's Sermon.
Thanksgiving services at the First Pres
byterian Church were largely attended this
morning, and hundreds were unable to OBJ
tain admittance to the edifice. The church
was uniquely decorated. The auditorium
was tastefully draped with the national
colors. while the altar was strewn with
the fruits of the field. Great sheaves of
wheat and shocks of corn with the big
yellow ears formed a pleasing background
to the profusion of pumpkins and other fall
vegetables.
These decorations were in accord with
a desire expressed by DIR. Talmage some
weeks ago. 1t was the practice that pre-
vailed in tie Brooklyn Tabernacle when he
was there. This desire was heard by Trus-
tee j. b. Morrey, who was at the time in
Nashville. Tenn. closing the exposition.
He Immediately set about to obtain some
of the exhibits from the agricultural ex-
hibit and forthwith shipped them to WASH
ington, where the ladies OF the church
arranged them
From a stand built Of grain DIR. Talmage
delivered the Thanksgiving sermon, which
was from text taken from Ezekiel, 10th
chapter. 18th verse: las for the wheels it
was cried out unto them in my hearing
o wheels. DIR. Talmage took as his
theme the triumph of machinery and re-
ferred to the great advancement made by
mechanics in the arts and sciences
In his ODenfnR PRAYER he said the rcn-