The evening times., 1897-02-03
Thousands OfThroats Blessed in
the Churches This Morning.
INTENDED FOR CHILDREN
A Picturesque Scene in the Sunday
and Girls on Their Way to School.
Babies That Cried and Babies
That Laughed.

son, which had been laCerated by thorn
The ceremony took place after the sew
eral masses, which began at o'clocl
this morning, the last benediction to tai
place at 7:30 O'Clock this evening The
act of blessing, while very simple is pretty
and suggestive. After the ma IS the people
throng up to the altar rail, where they
kneel. The priests, provided with plaque
in which two lighted candles are fixed at a
wide angle, approach the supplicant for the
blessing, place the plaque under the chin
the candles touching the cheeks, and invoke
the blessing of st. Blaise on the pilgrim.
| Nothing could have been more interesting
this morning than the special service for
the school children and especially at the
Church of st. Aloysius' in the parish OF
which there are so many thousand children
of the Catholic faith. The mass preceding
the blessing of the threats OF these little
pilgrims was said shortly after o'clock
in the sunday-school room Of the church.
the priests who performed the ceremony
being Fathers Conway and McGinty.
The children flocked in the mOstinformal
fashion. Most OF them were on their way
to school, and came in loaded with books,
states, and cans and packages of lunch.
y
on the left. Most Of the children were big
enough to attend this ceremony by hem
selves, but here and there in me congrega-
| tion were a few ladies with babies in arms,
| who came to take advantage ofthe special
| occasion for bigger children. After mass
| all tie boys moved up on the left and the
| girls on the right. and in bevies Of fifteen
| or twenty kneit devOutly at the altar
| rails.
| A great many of the children were so
| small that they were evidently making a
| clandesUIne study of the candles on both
| sides Of their faces and wondering what
| it was about. But they were all very quiet
and dgnified and serious, and they certain
| ly presented a very charming, in truth an
| exquisite, picture these pretty little pill
| grims, in platoons, i'll the dimly lighted
| church, each face in turn receiving the gold
en- glow of the candles of blessing. Some Of
| the tots held on TO their books and other
school equipment while they knclt.
The girls, always more devout looking
than anybody else, were also Of all ages,
probably from one year up to fifteen. 1t
was cold morning, and they were bun
died up in wraps, scaTfs, handkercbiefs
about the throatS and ears, auI lots ofthem,
besides their own troubles, were conveys to
great, wide-eyed little sisters. who also
came along to be blessed. All this made
very pretty study, even from the secular
standpoint, as numbers Of the girls had
very sweet faces, which were none the less
lovely for being inclOsed in the frame
work OF the plaq lie and giittcrinG candle
lights.
After the blessing the children all scam
pered away to school and for them the day
was over Although this was a special
blessing hour for the children there were
many presenting themselves who were not
children. Even during the ceremony for
the children one good old colored soul
marched up and knelt down between two
little girls, who, IL they had their minds
off St Blaise must have been tickled to
death by this strange new school child.
a lady had evidently taken great pains
TO dress up an infant in snowy bib and
tucker and things, including a cap out OF
which only two peaceful blue eyes twinkled
Alas, as soon as baby's head got between
the candles, he or she, probably she, began
to protest with very protestful kick and |
scream. And there were other blessed and |
being blessed babies, who did this same |
thing, when 1t came their turn to be good /
in church for mamma.
Some of the art students at the CorCoran |
art gallery ought to have been al the side
door this morning when particularly in
teresting group was coming in. 1t was
a rather pretty child of about twelve years
of age Her Tbead was covered with a scarf,
against which nestled close the head of
baby, whose arms were twined round the
10 /
haired sleeping sister in arms, the girl was
conducting two younger sisters, about
four and five years Of age The larger
girl wore blue spectacles, and was about
as happy with her rosy faced precious bur
den and clinging sisters, as if she were
going with them TO a dead sure thing on
O Christmas tree. A gentleman, struck
by the effective group, asked her for her
name. MY names Birdie Babbington, said
this pretty little maid, "and we're all
going to have our throats blessed
Probably 1900 children attended this
ceremony at this one church
this morning.
Other benedictions took place at noon
today Two others will be held at 4 p m.
and 7:30 p. m.
Like all other ceremonies of the Catho-
lie church, this, from the religious stand
point, is equally impressive, touching and
solemn and beautiful The origin of the
custom may be given briefly:
St. Blaise was an Armenian, born at
Sebaste, and was of high and wealthy pa
He had attained to the bishopric
in Armenia, then Roman province, when
one of the periodical prosecutions by the |
Romans began. In his retirement he is
said to have been supplied with food by |
wild animals in the mountains of Armenia.
The servants of AgTicolaUs, the Roman
governor Of Armenia, discovered st. Blaise
near Mount Argeus and he was seized.
On his way to prison he healed sick per-
sons. He continued his miracles in prison, |
One of those cured was the only son of q
widow, ''who had a fiShbone in such a
position in his throat that it was imposSi
BILE to extricate it. The throat was great
~ swollen and he was neutrality-suspicious.
pain. The saint raised his eyes toward
heaven and made the sign Of the cross upon
this suffering throat. Without experienc-
ing any further pain, the boy was immedi-
ately relieved of the bone, the swelling
and he went joyfully away.
1t is in consequence of this miracle that
to this day st. Blaise is invoked in such
accidents, and especially in cases of sore
throat. ST. Blaise was sentenced to be |
Irowned. Before undergoing this martyr
dom, he walked upon the water. He died
A, d. 316.
There were 1,742 twins and 27 triplets |
ecorded as having been born in Massachu-
etts last year.