Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-06-10
Large Attendance at the Geth-
semani Celebration Last
Thursday.
Only One Survivor of the Orig
inal Founders of the Mon
astery.
BISHOP MCLOSKEY WAS MISSED

1t was fitting that the Abbot of Gethse-
mani postponed until June the celebra-
ton of the golden jubilee which should
have taken place in December. 1898, says
Edward Fitzpatrick in the Times. At
this time of the year the surroundings of
the abbey are most beautiful, made so by
nature.
The approach to the monastery is
through all avenue of stately elms, the
saplings of which were brought from
France fifty years ago. The avenue i
440 feet in length and eighty-six feet in
width, and the eighty.six trees, planted
in four rows, afford luxuriant shade for
those who walk to the lodge. Innumer-
able birds fill the trees and seem to make
welcome with their songs those who pass
the gate with the inscription over it.:
peace to all who enter" The good
monk who keeps the gate is stationed
there day and night, and according to
tie rules is directed to say to each one
who knocks for admission, "Deo
Gratias."
The great throng which pressed forward
to the abbey Thursday made it impossible
to give to each one this greeting. 1t
seemed that the whole population Of
Nelson county and a goodly portion of
Louisville turned out, and there was no
knocking at the door-everybody was
welcome. Even ladies we're prominent
in the festivities, but were not allowed to
go far beyond the lodge gate, where there
is a notice in a conspicuous place;
"Women are forbidden, under pain of
accommodation, to enter these gates. I"
However, they helped to entertain the
visitors in the. guest house and the gar
dens, where there are orange trees,
palms, plants and shrubs in profusion
From an ecclesiastical point of view
the celebration at Gethsemani was the
most elaborate ever held in Kentucky by
Catholics. The services proper were the
same that are held in Catholic churches
in Louisville on every Sunday and holy
day throughout the year, consisting of
high mass and vespers, except in this in
fcal. There was an absence of organ
music, the Gregorian choir being used
exclusively. This chant, introduced by
Pope Gregory the Great in the year 500,
has been cherished and cultivated by the
Trappists ever since their organization in
ll40. Its extreme simplicity and dis
similarity to secular music, or even to
that employed in the ordinary services of
the church, makes it we'll worth going a
long way to hear when sung by trained
voices such as are always to be found
among the Trappist monks.
His excellency, the Most Rev. S. Mar
tinelli, d. D., apostolic delegate to the
United States, was the celebrant at the
mass, assisted by Monsignors Gambon,
Bouchet and Zabler. of this city. The
church, a magnificent Gothic structure
l90x90 feet, was inadequate to hold the
vast throng, and the doors had to be
closed to many who were not Invited
The church has fourteen affairs. Bishops,
abbots, monsignors, each wearing the
peculiar vestments of their order, filled
the sanctuary. The visiting Bishops, alb
bots and priests, while within the altar
railing, worshiped like laymen.
The white-robed Abbot of Gethsemani,
Right Rev. Edmund NJ. Obrecht, was
the observed of all. The occasion seemed
to give him great pleasure. The sermon
at the mass was delivered by the Very
Rev. j. J. Dougherty, rector of the Mis-
sion of the Immaculate Virgin, New
York City. DIR. Dougherty is man of
distinguished address and is eloquent to
a high degree. His life has been de-
voted to retaining homeless boys in
New York City and he has seen much of
the world. His sermon was largely a
review of the work of the Trappists and
other similar bodies in the church. He
took for his text the exhortation: "If
you wish to be perfect, go sell what thou
hast, give to the poor and follow me-
1--WE have an example of this in the
aged brother selected to carry the rose
crownd cross in this great jubilee. Fifty
years ago he walked through the streets
of France a young Trappist, who in the
enthusiasm of his heart had given hini-
self to God. Today he carries that self
same cross which the noble Abbott Eu-
tropius bore in honor from the monastery
of France to our beloved country"
Father Dougherty said that the pres
ence of the highest authority of the
church, together with that of so many
distinguished prelates, was evidence that
it was not jubilee of the monastery
alone, and the presence of the vast throng
was evidence OF the popularity and es-
TEEN the monks of Gethsemani had won
in the past fifty years. The sermon was a