The evening times., 1899-10-16
THE FORTY HOURS DEVOTION.
Continuation of the Roman Catholic
Church Ceremony.

The important and interesting Roman
Catholic service, the forty hours devotion
to the Eucharist, which has been going on
tion, the Dominican Convent, and the
Church of the Holy Trinity since yesterday
afternoon, will be concluded at 8 a. N.
tomorrow. The ceremonies yesterday were
very impressive. Mass was said in all the
churches at a. m. and other services with
professions and music took place later in
the day. There was no diminut.on in the
attendance this morning. The first mas;
was celebrated in all churches at a. m.
and the second at I a. m. A misso-pro-
pace was rendered at a. m. and confes-
sions were heard from IL a. m. until p
m. The same programme will be gone
through tomorrow.
The history of the forty hours devotion
is unique. The Roman Catholic Church has
adored the sacrament ever since it was in
stituted, but it is only in times compare
lively modern that the Eucharist has been
exposed for that purpose. The procession
of the sacrament on Corpus Christi was
probably introduced some time after the
institution of the feast under Pope John
XXI. The sacrament was probably not
y
the host was publicly shown on Corpus
Christi, and in the sixteenth century it
became common to expose the sacrament
at other times, on occasions of distress.
Generally the sacrament was exposed for
forty continuous hours. This devotion is
still familiar to Catholics throughout the
world as the usual forms of the more SOL
emn exposition of the host. The sacra
ment after high mass is placed in a
shrine above the altar in the remon-
STRANGE. Persons are appointed to relieve
each other night and day in watching be-
fore it. On the second day a mass, for
peace, is sung, and on the third the host
is again placed ON the tabernacle after a
high mass, that of deposition.
The first introduction of the devotion was
due to Father Joseph, Capuchin monk
of Milan. He arranged the forty hours
devotion in honor of the time Jesus Christ
spent in the tomb. In 1860, Pope Plus "
approved the custom of an association call
ed the "Confratenity of Prayer; or of
Death" They exposed the sacrament for
forty hours each month. In 1892, Pope
Clement VIII provided for the exposition
of the sacrament on the affairs of the
churches in Rome, for perpetual alteration.
The forty hours in one church were fol-
lowed by those in another, so that the
host was always exposed in some church
the whole year round. Earlier than this, in
1856, the Jesuits in Mucerata, exposed the
sacrament for forty hours in order to meet
the danger of disorders prevalent at that
time. ST. Charles adopted the devotion
for carnival with great zeal.
At present the forty hours devotion is
observed successiveiy by all the parishes
in the United States at least once every
year.
In the obstruction of Clement XI there
are numerous rules regarding the public
exposition of the sacrament 1t cannot
be conducted even in churches of regulars
without permission of the bishop or apos-
tolic indult. Twelve lights at least must
burn before the sacrament, and images
must be removed from the altar of expo
sition, and no mass can be celebrated
there as long as the host is exposed, ex-
cept the mass of deposition, and the bell
is not rung at the masses, which are said
during the exposition at the altar
To gain the indulgence of the forty
hours devotion, the sacraments of penance
and the Eucharist must be received. 1t is
not necessary to receive these sacraments
in the church where the devotion is being
celebrated. The receiving Of the sacra-
ment on the morning of the devotion full
fills this condition. At least one visit must
be made to the church during the expo
! sition. If possible, visit should be made
each day.