The times., 1897-05-31
CROWNED WITH FLOWERS
Beautiful May Day Services Of the
Catholic Church.
ChiIdren's Professions to the Sh rine
of the yirgin-Four Thousand
white-Robed Participants.

Nearly three thousand children OF the
Catholic Sunday schools of this city prayed
yesterday with all the fervor OF their
innocent hearts that the rain might noo
come down and spoil their many pro-
cessions, ard thoJgh threatening clouds
had been scurrying across the sky all
morning, the sun flashed o 1t in the after
noon with radiance that made the
little Oncs feel Inat heaven had heard
their prayers
The Catholic Church has dedicated the
month OF May TO the Virgin Mary May
devot.oIs are beid each evening during
the month, and as d closing act % love,
the Sunday -schco. children OF the majority
of the Catholic churches form themselves
into q procession, and with banners and
flowers march around the streets adjacent
to their church and then into it, when
the queen of the May, chosen from aInong
the scholars, Clowns the statue or the
Virgin with flowers and recites. in behalf
oc herself and the others, an act OF
conservation.
The rank of white-rooed children then
pass by the Virgins altar, leaving their
flowers at her feet and the service c.oses
with vespcrs and the benediction.
BY O'Clock yesterday people began to
gather around those churches in which
they were most interested, and by the
time each procession was ready to start
the pavements were blocked with specta-
tors all along the line OF march, the crowd
following the children into the church and
packing it to the doors
There were fully 500 girls and boys in
line at St AIoysius Church They formed
at the Convent OF Notre Dame, marched
down the middle of the street to the papal
legation, where they We're reviewed 10y
Mgr Martinelli, and returning, entered
the church. where vespers were celebrated
by Rev Father Mckinney, who also made
q short address.
The Queen OF the May was Miss Minnie
Campbell, student of Notre Dame, and
those carrying banners and impersonating
the cardinal vitues were: St Aloysius'
standard, Miss NJ. Juvenal; girls banner,
Miss L. Rempel; hammer of the cross, Miss
n Lynch; Holy Angel hammer, Miss b.
Healy %
The procession at St Patrick's Church
was equally beautiful and as large Rev
Father McGee said the vespers and made
an appropriate address. The procession
was headed by Father MCGEE and hand
of altar boys and following camein pictur-
esque order the day scholars and orphans
OF St Joseph's school, the Sunday-schOOl
girls and sodahties, wearing badges and
carrying bannerettes; twenty-fOur tiny
angels with crowns and wings; the Queen
OF the May, Miss Alice Simpson, attended
by her maids, the Misses MargaretKennedy,
Cecilia Richmond, Elsie Vibaud, Mabel
Markriter, May Madigan and May Clarke,
and the pages, Alfred Mudd and Frank
Parks.
The procession at st Peters was larger
still, there being nearly 700 children in
line After forming in the basement OF
the church they marched to Providence
Park, facing Providence Hospital, where
they were reviewed by the sisters and
every patient in the house who was able
to walk or be carried to the windows
The queen was Miss Annie Rogers, and
her attendant maids were the Misses Lo-
retta Jennings. Katie Curen. Reta Repetti
and Bertha MeKann- At the Conclusion OF
the crowning of the statue of the Virgin
and tie recitation OF the act OF cnnsecra-
ton, the children marched to the basement,
when they were served by the Sunday
school teachers with ice cream and cake
AT Holy E1nlty CHuTcn at ieast oNo CiLl-
dren were in the line of march, and when
the wMte-robed band, with flying pen
mons and flower-cro wned yeils, had made
the circuit Of the squareinclOsing the church
they entered the arched iron gates leading
into the rectory grounds and crowned the
statue of the Virgin on the lawn, while
hundreds Of Hen, women and children
watched the pretty ceremony from the side
walk
Ct Mary's German Catholic Church
turned out a beautifully dressed process
sion. though il made much smaller show
ing than the others. there being about 80
children in line. There Were also process
sions in honor of the Virgin at st. Steph-
ems Church andat St Paul's.