The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-18
Monastery Dedicated BY Franciscan
FriarS at Washington.
PRESERVATION OF RELICS
REPRODUCTION OF THE saw
IoR's TOMB.
Object of This Branch of the Order
Is to Preserve the Sacred Relics
of the Life of Christ-Perfect Re
production of the Stable at
Bethlehem.

Washington. Sept. Hone of the
most remarkable religious institutions
In the country, the monastery and coll
lege of the Holyland, established by the
franciscan Friars of the Holyland, was
dedicated today with imposing cere-
monies, In which Cardinal Gibbons,
Monslgnor Martinell, Bishop Blenk of
Forto Rico, Monsignor Stephan, head
Monslgnor Sbaretti, auditor of the pa
pal delegation in Washington, and
many other prominent figures of the
Catholic church participated. During
the afternoon f1ag-raising gave a ma
tlonal and patriotic phase to this ex-
tensive undertaking. The institution is
situated near the Catholic university
on an eninence command a view Of the
beautiful university grounds.
A special branch of the Franciscan
order for centuries has devoted it's en-
tire attention to the preservation and
protection of the tomb Of the Savior,
the stables of Bethlehem and other sa-
cred relics of the life of Christ As
many Americans are joining the pill
grimages to the holy relics it has been
deemed advisable to establish in this
country a college which will prepare
those who will carry forward the work
of preservation. To this end a. COM
missiariat of the Holylands to the
United States was located in New York
in 1880 and out of this has grown the
magnificent structure dedicated today,
with its subterranean reproductions of
the stable at Bethlehem, the home of
the holy family at Nazareth, the holy
sepulchre and other monuments of
Palestine.
These have been executed under the
direction of the foremost ecclesiastical
architect Of Rome, Senior Lionari, who
visited Bethlehem, Nazareth and other
sacred spots, making measurements
and taking note of stone and structure
in order to make faithful counterpart
of the precious relics. The work has
proceeded with the special favor of
the pope.
Sepulcher of Christ.
One of the grottos represents the in
ner and outer sepulcher of Christ, and
a piece of the actual stone of the sep
ulcher was brought from Palestine by
special dispensation. AT another of the
subterranean shrines the remains of
st. Benedigas will be deposited. They
are being brought here by one of the
friars of the order and will find final
resting place in glass catafalque, af-
ter the manner adopted in Europe to
permit the observation of holy relics
The reproduction of the stable of
Bethlehem is perfect in every detail,
with the small manger in which the
Christ child was born and the deface-
ment which modern vandalism has
wrought.
In the reproduction of the holy sep
ulcher, both the outer sepulcher, where
the angel sat, and the inner. sepulcher,
from which the angel rolled back the
stone. are shown. The inner tomb
shows the great marble slab placed
there to keep the Turks from desecrat-
ing the tomb, and the slab bears even
the irregular crack of the original.
The main work of the friars is car
ried on in the monastery, a space sep
arated from the shrines and chapel and
devoted entirely to the members of the
community On the lower floor are
.cobbler shops, tailor shops, laundries,
etc. conducted by the friars, who make
everything needed for their simple
manner of living The upper part of
the building is used for living quarters,
each member of the community having
a. cell with the plainest and simplest
furnishings. 1t is considered the most
austere of the active orders.
Church of the Monastery.
The church connected with the mon
astery is a massive structure in the
shape OF a 1lNe-lOlQ CTOSS, WIN many
affairs and chapels. The European
method has been adopted in the interior
of the church. so that those who come
to worship will stand or kneei, as there
are no seats. The interior is SO vast
that it is expected to celebrate mass
at several affairs simultaneously and
the devotion of the sacrament will be
practically continuous up to midday.
The exercises began today with SOL
emn dedication at 10 o'clock this morn
ing. Cardinal Gibbons conducted the
ceremony There was a procession of
several hundred members of the clergy,
religious students and friars. At 1890
pontifical high mass was celebrated by
Most Rev S. Martelli, the apostolic del
egate to the United States. The sermon
was preached by the Very Rev. I: f.
Kearney, provincial Of the Dominican
order of Columbus, o. At O'Clock SOL
emn pontifical vespers were celebrated
in the AIverne chapel. At o'clock the
patriotic exercises closed the days cere-
mpny.
The institution begins it work with
about fifty friars in attendance, most
of them from this country, although a
few come direct from the Holyiand.