The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-09
1T MOUNT St. S[P|NCHRE
SPOTS IN THE CITY OF
WASHINGTON
BUILT ON OLD MoNAsTIC PLAN
One Chapel Recently Dedicated
Others Are Underground
History of the
Order.

Special Correspondence to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Aug. SLIT is not very
often that the most remarkable things in
a country are also the newest, yet this
is true OF the Mount Saint Sepulchre
chapel and monastery which stand upon
a tall hill beyond the little village of
Brookland near Washington, DC. 1t is the
only thing of its kind in the New World
and it is really college which has for
its object the educating of young men who
In time will go out to serve the holy
land in the order of St Francis called
so because it was the third order to be
founded, the two that preceded it being
the "Friafs Minor" and the Poor CI&r S. -
It was to be place to harbor young men
who rebelled against the egotism and
covetousness of the times and who
wished to lead life of Christian poverty
It was to be a direct remedy against
the evils of society which st. Francis be-
leved to be cupidity, materialism, lux
ury and indifference; and which his sue
cessors today believe with equal insist
ence. So he consulted the Holy See and,
as was not always the case, the church
understood and encouraged him in his
great and good undertaking.
The third order was first approved by
Honorious III, who was then pope, and
it was the subject of debate at TWO gen
eral councils, and over five hundred bulls
and briefs written by the pontiffs of
every century down to Leo XIII have
praised it and given it words of encour-
agement. In the year 1921 the order was
founded Many of the most beautiful de-
votions of the church have been brought
Into use by the Brothers of st. Francis
In the year 1852, st. Bonaventure who
was then general of the Franciscans,
commanded all the Friars at Pisa to as
senble at the sound of bell that should
sound every evening just before sunset
and recite three AYES in honor of the
mystery of the incarnation.
1.-THE ANGELUS."
Today this bell rings in every city Of
the Christian world and, known as the
"Angelus," it is the best understood and
most popular devotion of the church, The
sublime "Dles Irae,'' which is found In
the requiem for the dead, and the Sta
bat Mater" which is perhaps the most
beautiful of all the hymns sung in honor
of the holy mother, were both composed
by Franciscan Friars, the "Dies Irae, y
by Father Thomas de Celano, and the
''Stabat Mater" by Jacapore da Todi,
who was also a great Italian poet. OF
st Francis, Dante Eaysl "Such q life
would be much better sung in heaven"
On the wonderful bronze doors Of the
capitol is the image of Father Perez, who
celebrated the first mass offered up upon
The shores of the new world. And famous
old Father Hennepin, who was the first
white man to tramp over the country
through which flows the Mississippi, and
where now stand the vast cities of St
Paul and Minneapolis, was also a. Fran
cdscan F'riar. Every one who has visited
eouthern California knows Of the beauti-
Sul old Franciscan missions there. That
Is the history Of the third order of St.
Francis.
The monastery is built upon hill over
looking Brookland on one side and the
green hills of Maryland on the other, and
known as Mount Saint sepulcher. It is
Of yellow brick and can be seen a great
distance away. 1t Is said by those who
nave seen the church at the Holy Sep
nlcher at Jerusalem to be a fine imita-
ton, If you stand in front OF the door
OF the chapel, you can look over the roofs
pr the homes in Brookland and see the
buildings Of the Catholic University Of
america and the peach orchards on the
hill sides just beyond. No more beauti
tul or healthy spot could be found for 6
nome for men than this tall hin, sur
rounded, as it is, by woods and meadows
When you first see it in the distance, thu
monastery flashes in the sunlight a!
though 1t were built of brass, and tn,
gold cross on the huge yellow dom.
shows as bright as the reflector Of 6
heliograph.
BROTHERS MUST LABOR.
One cannot enter through the doors m
the chapel but must go to the side dool
and enter through a workshop where al
DID monk was at work on some WOOD
carving. He was quite white, and did
not seem to mind being disturbed In the
least. He asked us to sit down, and
BOUNDED gong which called a brother II
long black habit, who was to act al
our guide. 1t had been very hot outside
but in the chapel it was cool and damp
Our guide picked up a candle from 8
bench and lighted it, and then started
across the stone floor, his wooden sandals
beating strangely upon the tiles. The
Style of architecture is taken from the
ancient monuments, and has now become
the accepted type in Italy for religious
buildings. A flood Of soft golden light
Hlled the majestic chapel and a smell Of
incense and flowers seemed to mingle
with the light The whole is charact
Ized by great simplicity, but the detail:
are magnificent The architecture II
general is after the Byzantine style, while
in the details the architecture of the Ital
Ian renaissance has been in a large meas
0re followed. 1t is in the form of a Greel
Cross, and in the four corners are foul
Ghapels Each of these chapels is bull
In the FORM Of cross, so that the whole
forms large cross with four small
presses. This emblem is reproduced IL
Venetian mosaic In the pavement Of the
chapel, and it is the arms Of the Fran
eiscan Mission of the Holy Land A:
we came down the center aisle of thi:
Greek cross, the first thing that met GU,
eyes was the sanctuary which is the
point of attraction for which the whole
structure has been arranged Rows O,
columns and arches through which the
mellow light was flooding gave an artistic
effect to it all. AS we passed in from
Of the sanctuary, our guide fell down
Upon his knees and muttered a prayer
Getting upon his feet again, he led u:
through one of the apses at the ex
tremfty of one Of the transepts and
Town fight Of wide marble steps tina
leads to the
UNDERGROUND CHAPELs.
When we reached the bottom Of thi.
stairway, we found ourselves standing il
the Grotto Of Bethlehem. 1t is little
shrine within a semicircular niche. A
silver star is set in the marble floor. anC
Rround it is this inscription: "FIic de Wiz
zine Maria Jesus Christus natus est
it marks the spot where Christ was horn
Night and day forever and ever votive
lamps burn before this little altar which
is only plain marble slab with a relic
figure Of the Infant Jesus above it.
Etone bench stands here that our guild,
fold US is the bench upon which thu
Turkish sentinel sits, who Is wont to
guard the Grotto in the Holy Land. Blu
there was no Turkish sentinel upon thi:
bench, and our guide sat his candle down
upon 1t While he prayed before the shrine