The San Francisco call., 1898-02-04
INVOKE THE AID
 OF ST. BLAISE Ceremony of Blessing the Throat at St. 1gnatius
 Church. Hundreds of People Kneel to
 Receive the Coveted Rite. A Similar Service Observed at St Joseph's Church on Tenth Street.

Hundreds of Catholics from all parts of the city crowded St. Ignatius and St. Joseph churches yesterday to in yoke the blessing of St. Blaise as protection against the ailments and dis eases of the throat.
 From an early hour in the morning, and, in fact, immediately after the cele- bration of o'clock mass throngs of people began to crowd the churches and block the aisles leading to the altar rail. Old men leaning on their canes and supporting their tottering bodies to the sanctuary by means of this sup port, infants carried in the arms or their mothers, children with school books under their arms-all alike walt ed their turn to kneel before the altar to receive the coveted blessing.
 It was an impressive spectacle to see Father Varsi and the other priests Of the Society of Jesus who assisted Tn the ceremony at St. Ignatius Church passing in front of the altarrail, placing the two blessed candles one on each slde of the throat of each Suppllant ana pronouncing the words Of blessing which would be a protection and pre- ventive against disease.
 In Catholic countries 1t has ever been the custom, on the Feast of St. Blalse, for the faithful, together with their children, to present themselves at the altar rail in order to have the throat blessed The candles which are used on the occasion, are blessed on the feast of the saint.
 During the ceremony the priest says the following words: Through the in tercession of St. Blaise. may the Lord deliver thee from every ailment ot the throat. Amen' This is the formula prescribed by the Sacred Congregation of Rites in the decree of March 20, 1869.
 The following is the story of the marvellous cure St. Blaise worked upon the widows son, who was slowly dy- ing of strangulation from bone lodged in his throat, and this cure forms the basis of the present ceremony or ln- voking his blessing on the anniversary of the incident:
 est. Blaise was born at Sebaste in Armenia In early life he applied him. self to the study of medicine, but, lis- tening to the call of God, he gave up his profession and studied for the priesthood. The Bishop having died St. Blaise was appointed to succeed him. In the meanwhile Agricolaus. the Governor of Armenia, by order of the Emperor, LlclnluS, began peISeculloii against the Christians. At the earn est entreaty of his flock, the Bishop retired to the vicinity of Mount Ar geus, where for some time he hid him. self in a cave. One day, while the sol- diers of Agricolaus were following the chase, they discovered his hiding place and arrested him. The news spread quickly among his flock, and the people went out of the city to meet him. Among these was poor widow, whose only son was dying from the effects of a bone which had lodged in his throat. Frustrating herself on the ground, she implored him to save her sons life. Moved to pity by the mothers grief the saint placed his hands upon the childs head, praying to God as he pronounced the words of blessing over his throat. The boy was instantly cured.
 "On account of this miracle, as well as many other singular favors of the same kind which have been obtained through his intercession. St. Blaise has come to be the patron of those who suf- fer from ailments of the throat"
 Fully 15,000 people knelt to receive the blessing of the throat at St. Ignatius Church alone, to say nothing of the vast numbers who attended the cere- mony at St. Joseph's Church.