The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-30
CEREMONIES FOR
THE NEW CENTURY
Most All the Churches viii Hold
Services.
MUSIC TO HAVE LARGE PART
Thing Aimed at Is Not a Temporary
Emotional Excitement. but Per-
manent Elevation OF Views.
Other Religious News.
MUSIC TO HAVE LARGE PART
CMritten for The Times.)


NEW YORK, Dec. 2s-An attempt
| made in several cities to unite different
! churches for ceremonies incident TO the
opening of new century almost without
execution failed. The cause does not
seem to have been sectarien prejudice,
hut simply that Christian opinion at this
end of this century does not appear to be
ripe for it. IN some cities municipal
functions interfered and took the place
of what might otherwise have bsen
| union religious ceremonies. 1t is fair to
say that three in four churches in all
| cities of the country will in some manner
observe next Monday and Tuesday. The
same conditions obtain in England and
Scotland but outside OF the Roman
Catholic Church, not so generally upon
the Continent CT Europe. In American
cities. own included, it will be chiefly
the individual church that will have the
celebration. In some cases the same
union plan that is observed at Thanks
giving will have effect But by far the
larger number of churches prefer to con-
slider the event a family one, where only
their own members gather
DIFFER BUT LITTLE.
The character of celebrations. in this
and other cities, do not much differ. For
the most part the service will begin at
800. Music will form prominent parts,
and thousands of singing organizations
are to be called in. Music publishers say
they have! enjoyed tremendous sales of
the standard music having words suitable
to the coca sion, these sales showing the
generally excellent public taste at this
historic time. Evangelical congregations
viii have the Lords Supper Immediately
= tIon
moments of the century in silent prayer.
Churches using rituals will, for the most
part, have the silent prayer, but will
postpone the celebration of the Holy
Communion to the following morning,
which in addition to being the first one
of a new year is the Feast of the Circum-
! cision. Nobody possessed of chime of
bells VIII let them remain silent, and
every famous chime in America has had
/ arranged for it a special musical pro-
gramme. Prominent ministers are in
great demand, and most of them will
| make. somewhere. a speech or two on
next Monday night.
PERMANENT ELEVATION.
The National Central Committee OF
what has decided 10 style itself the Tween
't:eth Century National Gospel Campaign.
the new movement with which the Moody
and Northfieil interests are identified will
| mail out to al ministers in America to
rea2il them just after New Years lay
a call in which emphasis is laid upon the
statement that the thing aimed at is not
| a Temporary emotional excitement, but a
, permanenr elevation of the views aims
and work of Christendom an effort that
! is 10 he put forth. not during the first few
! months Of the centuTy's opening year, but
! which is to be SO organized as to become
a permanent force in the nation. It's
week Of prayer Immediately p-ecedes the
F,vangelical Alliance week. and with diff
Iereur topics, and from present tnd'catians
its week will be more generally observed
than will the older one Barring Episco-
r.ljans and I.Gtherans. the movement has
behind it the foremost Christian leaders.
clerical and idv, in New England and the
, East. and the Central Committee claims
tllt leaders throughout the West and on
tn. Pacific Coast are coming into tia
undertaking daily Apart from the per-
manency of the campaign. the thing en-
Dl,asized in the call now going to min
isters is he educational character of the
moyerncnt-viz.: That present workers
must be better trained for bringing in
other workers, and 50 on. coupling knoWi-
edge uith what the call terms "conse
Grated zeal Local committees are said
, to be forming in several large centers.
THE JEsUITS.
.Jesrits divide the country into two prov
inces for administrative purposes. besides
some missions. the latter berg il charge.
not OF the provincais. but Of other Jesuit
organizations in Europe. The Rev. Ed
ward P,,rbrick. S. j.. does not retire from
the head OF the Eastern Province because
of old age, as has heen stated. but be-
cause all Jesuit officers are changed
! every three years. slve only the General
He was a parish priest in Farms, London,
before coming 10 America as a Provincial
and has returned TO his duties in that
citv. Since the occupation of Rome by
tne italian Government. the Jesuit head.
quarters for the world are at Fiesole. near
FLORENCE Jesuit buildings in Rome. in
Guiding the historic Colegio Romano. were
taken and are occupied by the Govern
mant. The Romano buildings. the finest
he,opsing to the society, are given over
TO the uses of public school Roman
catholic leaders here say that quite oo-
nosita to what one might expec, from a
society So conservative in its traditions.
the Jesuit adapts itself more to the Sit
natIon in America and consequently sue
Goods better than any other Of the Roman
Church organizations. The new Provincial