The age-herald., 1900-02-26
LENTEN RULES READ ! AT ST. PAUL'S
 ..
QuinquageSima Sunday Fifty
 Days Before Easter
A DISTINGUISHED VOCALIST
Sang the Ave Maria" With Great Feel ing Father O'Reilly's Sermon Taken From the Narrative
 of the Blind Beggar

The services at St. Pauls Catholic church
 yesterday-Q y-Quinquagesima Sunday. fifty
 days before Easter and the Sunday before
 Lent-were very interesting. At both
 masses Father OReilly was the ceebrant,
 and read the Lenten rules to be observed
 this year in this diocese At the high mass
 Father O'Reilly delivered a practical and
 stirring sermon from the gospel of the day,
 Luke, 18th chapter, tEking for his especial
 text the narrative about the blind beggar
 who received his sight from Christ near
 Jericho. The preacher dwelt upon spiritual bhndneSs; upon the causes of spiritual blindness, and showed that it was immeas- urably worse than any physical blindness, as deplorable as the latter was. stating
 that the blindness of the body was only a question of time, while spiritual blindness would shut men out of heaven and would be felt throughout eternity.
 Emerson's mass was sung by the choir,
 and the music was beautifully rendered. For an offertory piece Edouard Waldersee von Berggrun, cousin of Campanar and man of distinguished lineage and con
 nections, sang Luiga Lucias Ave Maria"
 This artist Is a member of James Young's company of players, and as a baritone he is said to have a compass extending from E flat Qbasso) to A natural 0enor). He sang
 the Ave Maria" with great feeling, and particularly good was his mezzo- -voca
 work. In the dramatic passages his voice
 rang through the groined arches of the church, filling the spacious edifice with a
 volume of music that was almost over- towering.
 LenteD RuIes
 The rules for Lent are in accordance with
 the Apostolic Indult of August B. 1887, and read as follows:
 1-All the faithful who have completed their twenty-frst year, and who have not begun their sixteenth year, and who are not exempted from the obligation of fast ing by sickness, hard work or other well known reasons, are obliged to fast on all the days of Lent, except Sundays. 2-On those days but one meal is allowed which should not be taken before noon. 3-Custom allows a cup of coffee. tea, or thin chocolate, and a small piece of bread or cracker, to be taken in the morning and in the evening a collation. not exceeding the fourth part of an ordinary meal, is al lowed At this collation., butter, cheese milk eggs and all kinds of fruits, fish and yege- tables are allowed. When the principal meal cannot without grave Inconvenience be taken at noon, 1t is permissible to take the c6llaton in the morning and the dinner in the evening.
 4-Abstinence from the use of flesh meat is enjoened on all the Wednesdays and Fri days of Lent and on the Saturday of Elm ber Week and on Holy Saturday. 5-The use of lard is allowed in cooking. 6-Fish and flesh are not allowed at the 1 same meal, even on Sundays.
 Eggs, cheese, milk and butter may he l used every day, but abstinence from all | of tho-n ic ad NvG ri S-Persons exempted from the obligation | of fasting are not bound by the restriction ! of using meat but once a day on the days | in which the use of meat Is permitted by | dispensation.
 9-Children over seven years of age are l bound by the law of abstinence unless ex- | cused by sickness or other causes. | 10-The pascha time. in which all Cath | oIics who have come to the years of dis erection, are bound to receive Holy Commun- I ion worthily, extends from the first Sun I day of Lent till Trinity Sunday, inclusive. Children over years of age are bound | by the precept of annual confession. Pas- | tors and parents should see that the child ren comply with this duty.
 1.-The Holy season of Lent is a time | of prayer, of sorrow for sin, of seclusion l from the world and its amusements, and | of generous almsgiving
 | 12-By a special indult granted to the l bishops of the United States for ten years, | dating from March 15, 1895, working people. l who cannot easily observe the common law | of the church. are dispensed from the obli- l gation of abstinence on all days of the year. 1 except Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy | Week and Christmas Eve. This dispensa- | ton does not exempt from the additional | obligation of fasting, where such exists. 1 nor does it authorize the use of fish and | flesh at the same meal It includes, how 1 ever, not only the individual workmen in | whose favor 1t is granted, but all the mem- l bers of their families as we'll In return it l is expected that those who avail themselves | of this induIt will endeavor to enter into l tho spirit of the Holy season of Lent by | voluntary acts of modification, penance l and almsgiving A most praiseworthy cus- | tom is that of abstaining during Lent from | stimulants, in honor of the Sacred Thirst l of Our Divine Saviour.
 l Those who entertain any reasonable doubt l of their obligation to fast or abstain, ought l to apply to their pastor or confessor for l advice. EDWARD P. ALLEN, | 5as Bishop of Mobile. l Mobile, Ala. February 16 1900.