St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-03-09
Holy Week In Italy.


December meeting OF the ST. ohnsbury
Woman's Club and appeared in the
Chicago Saturday Evening Herald OF
Feb &c. 1t was written during her
visit to Florence last April.
The sipht-seer in Italy is made aware
of the fact that Easter is approaching
before he wishes 10 be, when he goes INTO
The church, S two weeks before Good FRI
dav. and discovers that all the pictures,
the statues everything which was oil
interest TO him. is closely yelled, and that
he must wait fortnight or else go with
out seeing the famous paintings whlch
line the walls OF the old fIorentIne ca,
thedrals. He is also orclbly reminded OF
the season when. each morning, ne IS
aroused from his slumber at O'Clock by
the bells, which seem to use all their
Catholic energy to get him out OF bed.
On Palm Sunday. however, Holy Week
began in earnest here in Florence. Every.
one on the streets seemed to be armed
with an olive branch, while the small
children OF tne city were out in iull orce,
each carving small stick, wound about
with bright colored papers with winch
they let off their animal spirits Ivy beat
ing upon the church doors-in memory 1t
is said, of Christ's having been fiayed.
Although there are meetings at all
hours during the week, the first one OF
interest comes on Thursday morning,
when. in the larger cathedrals there is
music-somet hing unusual for the Italy
of today has little money to spend IN
paving singers in churches. Santa An
nuncata. the wealthiest sanctuary IN
Florence, was packed 10 the doors, tor Ill
addition to the glorious music. was the
ceremony of the feet. washing. Connected
with this church is tounnlings hospital,
and twelve OF these little orphans are
chosen 10 march in solemn array to the
chapel adjacent, where the archbishop
must wash their feet in token OF his hui
milty and readiness to do as the Saviour
did. The little urchns were clad in white
robes with white masks over their faces.
so that they reminded one of sheet and
pillo w.case masquerade or All hallow cen
party, as they marched along wit their
candles in their hands and chanting be-
hind the priests, in their gorgeous robes of
purple and gold. In the little chapel they
mounted platform and sat down, six
on each side. They were then ordered to
remove their masks and their right shoe
and sticking. The archbishop was slow
in arriving, however, and it required
more than the combined labor oI two
priests to make the little wretches be-
have. They amused themselves by twist
ing their masks into horns and tickling
or treading on the bare ieet OF their
neighbors. The youngster who was in
the process OF scratching his ear with his
toe for the amusement of the public, re-
ceived a good box on that organ instead
bv the priest. who could administer dis
ciplne as well as chant. But when the
much bedecked archbishop arrived. and
pronouncing words of blessing, bent his
stiff and stately figure to kiss each of
the little bare ieet, when he poured three
drops OF water on each and laid a towel
on top 10 absorb the moisture, there w as
silence in he chapel. The liveliest child
was awe struck. 1t may be well to note
here that the children are scrubbed as
clean as soap will make them before they
are brought 10 the ceremony; otherwise,
the archbishop might not be so humble.
Each orphan was then presented with a
huge loaf OF bread as token that the
church looks after the poor and helpless,
who in this case, divided their time be-
tween eating their gift and pelting their
neighbours with it. Italian boys are very
much like those in America.
In the afternoon, every Christian is
supposed to visit seven churches and
pray before the affairs, all of which are
decorated with flowers, candles, and
queer kind OF moss, which, grown in the
dark, produces long. white stems that
shine like silver, the leaves. at each tip.
being microscopic or getting lost. 1t
looks like white grass. or fine sbavings
and shines. with a silky luster 1t is
grown especially Tor this occasion and
forms chief feature in the decoration.
What seemed strange to me in these
adornments, was that in this city OF
flowers, where roses can be bought for
two cents a dozen, the blossoms were
almost all artificial. Paper flowers were
tied onto small shrubs in such way as to
make them resemble gorgeous Christmas
trees to which the people bowed down.
and never so much as looked at the rose
bushes and oleander trees laden with
blossoms, which were growing outside.
In one little chapel was an image OF
Christ before which people were kneeling
and kissing the drops of blood viii, h
oozed from the side. Mothers lifted
their young children that they might
touch this figure and then cross them
selves with their tiny hands. In the
background was an artificial garden in
which were statues Of the Madonna, the
Magdalen and the two thieves on the
cross. Beside each was placed verse in
Latin, such as To-day Thou Shalt be
With Me in Paradise" etc.
On Good Friday in Santa Maria No
vella, comes the Miserere. As en,ened
the church it was so dark that could
scarcely see before me, but simply stooc
and listened to the mournul drge. A.
my eyes became more accustomed to thu
blackness. however, could distinguish
at one end Vi the church, where the alta al
had been, what appeared to be noun
tain with a crucihx at the top. wa
told that this was Mount Calvary, thai
this was the period when Christ wa.
suffering on the cross and the world wa,
in darkness-hence the darkcned churcl
and the music which told OF pain, sar
row AMI agony. At His eet were tn,
Madonna. the Magdalen and one or two
saints. The people stood by in silence
which was broken only b. the sob o
some woman. At last the music grew
less mournlul, and suddenly the openin,
ot an upper window let IN food of ligh
upon the body Of the Saviour and the re
and blue gown OF the Madonna, who's
waxen lace was beginning to melt wit