The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
GOOD FRIDAY IN NEW ORLEANS

|
Latin races live up to it is the first eight
verses or the third chapter Of Ecclesiastes.
beginning There is time for every pur-
pose" and holy week is "a time to veen
ana time to mourn" Nowhere in our
country is this more noticeable than in the
crescent City The quiet of Lent has sud
oehly succeeded the feversh gayety of car
HlVal week; the bright colors in dresses sive
pidce 10 darker and more solemn shades
"iNlie New orleans for this brief colorless
period pears a resemblance to other Ameri-
can cities. All through Lent the Wednes
| DAY and Friday services are well attended
the congregations constantly Increasing
until holy week brings religious fervor to a
climax. After the Sunday morning services
the large organs are closed, not to he re-
opened until Easter morning The choir
loIts are deserted, and for one week onIv
the solemn chanting of the priests will
sound through the gothic arches. Good Fri
day holds second place only to Easter. lend
! ing itself readily to the symbolism in wor-
| ship which the Catholic Church so assjd-
uously cuirivates. With the exception of ST.
Roch's all the churches are stripped of
| color. Heavy black cloth covers everv
image and conceals every bit of ornamental
ton about the altar. At midnight of HOLY
thursday all the candles are snuffed out
| and removed altogether or else draped with
| Grape. The great cathedrals stand dark and
| gloomy; ray of light quivers like a star
| in the gloom above the altar; it is the sin
| gle candle left burning before the image
| of the virgin.
| From early morning the streets are
| thronged with people making their annual
pilgrimage from church to church. for this
| pilgrimage carries an indulgence the length
and potency of which is controlled by the
number of churches visited. A figure of the
| Christ is exposed at each church, and the
| pilgrim stoops and kisses one of the wounds
| An acolyte is stationed beside the figure and
| wipes the place kissed with a cloth to avoid
| infection, all classes mingle freely. Most
of the devotees kiss the feet, and by even
ing the boy will be going through his task
so listlessly that matter which wound is
touched he mechanically wipes the feet. AS
mentioned, the only exception to the pre-
vailing gloom is a the shrine of st. Roch
| This is known technically as a mortuary
| chapel, and is in no sense a church.
being only open for prayer and
meditation. An occasional low mass on Sun
day and the masses for the repose of some
one of the many who are buried within it's
walls are the only times priest is present
1t is place of especial sanctity, however
and every Catholic visits st. Roch's at some
time during Good Friday On this day the
life-sized figure of the Christ is removed
from the sepulchre under the altar and
placed by the altar railing; two acolytes are
| seated, one at the head and the other at
the feet, the positions in which one
| of the gospel writer's mentions hav-
| ing seen the angels, the whole
| making, to Protestant minds, a horribly
| realistic scene. The shrine is so small and
| the throngS coming from all over the city
| are so great that although they are kept
| moving at an average rate of twenty-five
| every minute the crush is almost Suffocat-
| ing. AS it is impossible to permit any one
| to pause for even moments prayer, the
| benches in the shrine are used for horses
| on which are placed platforms with pins set
| into the wood on which to place candles.
| One buys candle at the lodge gate for one
| "quartee'-21a centS-says his prayer over
| the candle and then sticks the candle on q
/ peg, where it burns Sputteringly and in the
| burning sends the prayer heavenward. Two
| attendants are kept more than busy placing
| the candles as fast as the pegs become va
| can't There are five hundred places and
| this feature, added to the throng passing
| through the shrine-the only ventilation be-
! ing through the entrance and small panel
| door at the side of the altar, with these
| openings practically closed by reason of the
| crowds-makes the ten minutes seem an
| hour.
/ small image of the Christ, is q large copy
| of the "Ss. Peter at Rome. 1t stands at
| the right entrance, and while one can kiss
| the big toe of the statue any day in the
| year the number who bow before it this
| day doubtless equals a month of ordinary
| days. This church has a service prepared
| especially for them and blessed by the
| Pope 1t is an oratorio of the trial and
| crucifixion, based on the gospels, sung only
/ by priests and without accompaniment.
| The voices for the solo parts are care
| fully chosen, while the remaining priests
! and lay brothers sing the music written for
| 1.-The rabble," which, of course, is the ch0-
| rus The entire service is sung behind the
| altar, no one being seen. The solemn words
| echo through the darkened church, and as
! the shouts of the rabble break in on the
trial scene, the awful cry Cruelty Him!'
| gains a terrible impressiveness. Under the
| influence of the hour one imagines himself
! in 1.-The outer court" listening to the actual
occurrence. With short intermisslons. so
| that the church may be emptied and refilled
| with other worshipers, the service is chant
| ed from o'clock until high noon. at which
| hour the cathedral is closed and no one en-
| tiers the cathedral until Easter dawns. Then
! the doors swing open, the mighty organs
| sound their most triumphant music, ire
| choirs sing the victory Ger the grave
| lights burn everywhere, the affairs ana lM-
/ ages are covered with flowers, incense MIS-
| the air, and it is again "a time to iaugh ara
| time to dance" .r>-so>-