The Irish standard., 1899-10-14
altar Of black marble his brethren will
say the last sad rites over their own

say tiS last Sdu TlteS over their own
dead prior to removal to the catacombs
Continuing through duplication OF
the catacomb passages travcrsed before
and ascending staircase beneath the
southern foundations of the great cdi-
tlce, | was shown on two sides OF
broad chamber horizontal bars sur
mounted by circles. These, l was told,
had been so placed to denote the foun-
datlon limits OF the outer structure OF
the house at Nazareth wherein the Vir-
gin Mary was born and reared, where
in she received the Annunciation and
wherein she lived during the childhood
OF Christ. Her modest domicile had
originally consisted OF one single room
OF brick, built against a natural cave
OF solid rock and connected Herewith
by an opening While thus explaining
the friar led me further to the entrance
OF what he called 'the Grotto OF Naza-
reth.' Here was to be seen an exact
counterpart OF the inner cave structure
OF the holy house as it appears to-day,
with its outer chapel erected upon the
site OF the old fore part OF brick. Ira
ditlon states that certain angels, know
ing that the destruction of the brick
editlcc was threatened by the Turks,
bore it away to Dalmatia in 1901, and
across the Adriatic to Lorcto in 1904.
Passing to the open chapel space,
which contained two affairs, and then
down into the cave or grotto part Of
the house, l was shown another elab
orate shrine such as in Nazareth is be-
licved to mark the very spot where the
Archangel declared to Mary that she
would become the mother OF the Savior.
Then, to the left, was shown a repro
duction of the upper portion of the
broken granite column which still
hangs from the roof OF the original
house as relic OF the greed of the
African Mogrebins, who, i'll 1893, broke
it in two while searching for supposed
hidden treasures. The space containing
these relics was used as the living-room
OF Joseph and Mary. Its outlines are
straight and regular, but doorway to
the right opens into all irregular space,
deeper into the cave, whose ceiling car
rics out the original marks where it was
once repaired by masonry. This back
space is supposed to have been the
workshop OF Joseph.
Ascending now to the main body OF
the church, the guiding frar led me to
a low doorway leading to dark vault
beneath high altar, facing the space
for the congregation. | was now to
see an exact reproduction oi the Holy
Scpulchcr, where Christ was cntombcd.
Before entering | was told TO imagine
that the great interior OF tho church
was the garden before the original
tomb. Passing the low door we reach
ed the outer OF two rooms composing
this sacred burial place. This was prob
ably IL feet on either side. On a CEN
tral pedestal rcposcd Il fac -similc OF
the stone given the same relative posi-
tion in Jerusalem and rcvcrcd as frag-
mcllt OF that upon which the angel sat,
before the inner tomb, when announc-
ing the resurrection.
still lower door 10 the rear led to
a smaller chamber, an exact rcproduc-
ton OF the Holy Scpulchcr proper,
where the body OF Christ is believed to
have actually rested. The stone had
guarded this inner entrance, and il was
before it, in the outer room, that the
soldiers had stacked their shields and
played at dice.
Entering this doorway to the inner
tomb, my right hand could touch the
low rectangular bench OF stone, covered
by marble slab, believed to have con-
taincd the cmbalmcd remains OF the
Savior. Upon this marble slab l was
shown a fac-simile of mark made in
the original 20 simulate crack and
skillfully executed by the Franciscan
iriars OF two hundred years ago as a
rusc to dissuade the greedy Turks from
stealing the stone. A foot or more
above the marble stood the counterpart
OF wooden shelf erected in the orig
inal sepuclcr for the performance OF
masses. Even the countcrparts OF the
iorty-onc brass hanging lamps forever
kept burning in the old tomb were here
in place, but not lighted
According to his statement all OF the
friars at the monastery must rise daily
at 4:3o and engage in an hours medi-
tation. At $50 follow choir recital.
prayer and mass until 7, when they dis
perse, students going to their studies,
full-ncdged iriars to their various cr-
rands, lay brothers to their shops or
other labors All of this consumes a
greater part OF the forenoon. At II all
return to prayer and meditation until
noon, when dinner is eaten. Prayers
directly follow the midday meal, and
after this devotion there is a return to
the various duties until S, when chant
ing OF the afternoon Offices is continued
until supper at 7. After the evening
meal three quarters of an hour is al
lowed for recreation, such as walking in
the cloistcr or about the garden. Fol-
lowing this brief recess, prayers occupy
the time until $3.50. Then every friar