The San Francisco call., 1897-08-16
FEAST OF THE
ASSUMPTION
Catholic Churches of the
City Hold Services to
Honor the Virgin Mary.
Devotions at st. Mary's Cathe-
dral Conducted With Special
Solemnity.
Archbishop Riordan breaches Ser
mon on the Blessed Mother of
Jesus.

The feast of the Assumption OF the
Blessed Virgin was cele brated at all of the
Catholic churches of the City yesterday.
As st. Mary's Cathedral is dedicated to
the Virgin Mary the services there were
of special soiemnity.
Solemn high mass was sung at 1880 in
the morning, Rev. P. c. Yorke acting "a
celebrant. Assisting him were Rev. j. B.
Hannigan as deacon and Rev. Philip
O'Ryan as sub deacon. Rev. z. A. Multi
gan was master of ceren onies; Most Rev.
2. w. Riordan occupied the throne and
assisted at the mass.
The Arch bishop preached a sermon on
the assumption of the Blessed Virgin into
heaven. He explained the meaning of
the assum ptior. Mary the mother of
Jesus, after her death, was assumed into
heaven.
''She did not await the general resur-
rection, nor was her body ST bjec ted to the
corruption Of the grave" said the speaker.
1T was taken into heaven by her Divine
Son. Though this truth was not defined
by council OF the church or by the su-
preme pontIff, still it was the universal
belief that it came down from the apos-
Ties. Tney handed ii down to the infant
church and the great fathers of the early
centuries have vouched for its truth. 1t
was never defined by the church because
there was no necessity for defining it.
Truths are only defined by the church
when rebelllous people rise up to deny
them.
The Arch bishop then went on to explain
the devotion Of the church to the mother
of God. Continuing he said 1t was founded
on scripture and on her relations with the
Go of ha hn inn tinY, 0F
the Il ernal Word is the central truth OF
Christianity. In order TO make repara-
ton for sin the second person of the
blessed trinity came down and became
man. He was born of virgin. He did
not take an apparent body, as some of the
angels did; he did not overshadow n ex-
listing man. The divine and human ma
lures were united in one person, just as
our soul and body form one personality.
Jesus Christ then was divine and Mary
was his mother. This is why the Catholic
church sty les her Mother Of Coda title
applied to her in the fifth century by the
Council of Ephesus. People who attack
the church because OF itsdevotion to Mary
should remem ber this.
Therefor. IS Mary TO be honored In
the sacred scripture she is always found
her during his five early years. as the
evangelist says. Ii Jesus was subject to
her on earth surely we should honor her
and ne does not cease to honor her in
heaven"
A special programme of music was rem
dered under the direction of the organist,
Professor R. J. Harrison. The "Kyrie''
and "Gioria" from Beethoven's mass in
&c" and the "Credo," "Sanctus," 'Bsne-
dictus" and "Agnus Del" from Mozart's
twelfth mass were the selections sung. At
the offertory a. Werner rendered Garca's
ave Maria" This was given with a
violin obligato. The chorus was COM
posed OF Miss K. Black, Mrs. A. E. Sachse,
sopranos; Miss Julia Sullivan, Mrs. J. w.
Harrison, altos; A. Werner, Frederic
Bruggl, S. j, Sandy and Lucien Vannod,
bassos. A large chorus of mixed voices
assisted IN the singing