Evening star., 1900-12-25
CHRISTMAS CAROLS
HYMNS of Praise Arise From Thou
sands of Thankful Lips,
RELIGIOUS side OF THE HOLIDAY
Impressive Observances Conducted
in the Churches.
SERMONS AND SERVICES
SERMONS AND SER VIC E S

dining and feastinS and toaStns' ana III
dulging in good cheer and charity, the
Christian churches of the city, almost
without exception, prepared elaborate pro-
grams In commemOration of the birth of
Christ and to draw the attention of the
people to the higher significance of the
Christmas day.
Every year Christmas celebration seems
70 take wider scope and extend its realm.
but the church watches with jealous care
that her children shall lose part of the
complete realization of the meaning of this
great sacred feast. and thus it comes about
that the religious aspect of the day is con-
signify being brought into greater prom
inenCe.
Music and sermons, hymns of praise from
the elders and carols by the Sunday school
pupils marked the services of the day.
Most of the churches held more than one
service. and every denomination of the
Christian religion was represented in the
genera celebration.
The Catholics commenced at midnight
last night with solemn high mass in many
OF their churches. At ) o'clock this morn
ing another mass was given for those
who could not attend at midnight and
again at II O'Clock solemn high mass was
pronounced.
The Protestant churches began their serv-
ices early in the morning and held them at
different periods of the day. the children
receiving especial attention in many of he
churches. Holy communion was feature
of she service in some of the churches and
special musical programs were provided by
all.
At the Franciscan Monastery. near
Bro Gkland, devotional services of an IN
prassiVe character We're held. Midnight
mass was celebrated last night. followed
by the procession to the Cirotto of Nativity.
The elaborate decorations Of the grottO had
just been completed in time for this event
Services We're held also during today be-
ginning with solemn high mass at 9 o'clock
and do compline and benedction at 4.
st. Matthew's Catholic Church.
The devout congregation of st. Mat
thews Catholic Church, augmented by a
large number Of visitors to share in the
notable services, commemorated the ami
N.rsary of the Saviors natal day with song
and praise and votiYe Offering. Solemn high
mass was celebrated at II o'clock. with the
impressive ceremonies attaching to that of
tce, and magnificent choir and orchestra
lent choral features of the highest order
The church was beautifully decorated for
the occasion, the altar, banked with palms
and ferns and roses, forming a background
for the. soft glow of the candles which
were lighted during the stages of the cele-
bration of the mass. The acOlyteS and al
tar boys, In their symbolCal robes of white
= filled the space between the altar. where
stood the celebrants in their rich gowns of
Office and the rail back of which knelt the
worshiping congregation.
The celebrant of the solemn high mass
was Rev. Father Bart, assisted by Rev
Father Sterling, deacon, and Rev Father
Lee. subdeacOn. Rev. Father Sterling
preached the sermon taking for his text
the utterance of st. John. The Word is
made Flesh and dwelt among us" Father
Sterling eXpounded the mystery of divine
condescension in eloquent terms which
held the attention Of the congregation
throughout the sermon.
The choral and orchestral portion Of the
service was excellent. The choir was COM
posed as follows Sopranos-Mrs Edward
Schwartz. Mrs. Ed Fletcher. Mrs Walter
Wilmarth, Misses Pearl Evans. Margaret
and Katie Aylmer Marie Young Katie
Mullaly. Mabel Sinclair, Susie McDermott
Heline Martin. Grace Cramer. Lulu Lam
man. Mrs. Clough. Altos-Misses RATHER
ing, Catherine EIdred, katherine Barker
Frances Bishop. Misses Lambert and Julius
Sullivan. Ienurs-W. W. Gibson. Michael
Peters. T. H. Maxwell, +. H. OFarreI Ed
Schwartz and l.. Mills. Eassos-Charles
Goodchild, w. Silas Sheetz. Henry Statham
Arthur Giles, II. Whitney and Clough The
choir was assisted by Mrs. Kittie Berry,
Mrs Rosa Pennehaker and Mr. John No
Ian. Organist, Miss Jennie Glennan.
Adorned for FestaI Occasion.
ST. Johns never looked more beautiful
than It did this morning, with it's interior
dressed in festal attire for the celebration
OF the great feast day of the Christian
church. With hymns of praise and rejoic-
ing, sent up by the trained choir in which
the congregation Joined, and in an eloquent
sermon by the rector, the people of ST.
Johns Episcopal parish paid their tribute
TO the joyous occasion.
The altar and the walls of the galleries of
the church Were banked and festooned in
green and red, fir and fern and flowers
The congrega ti0ns were large at both ser
a r-f ar,ri...
consisted of holy communion, with PRAYER
and che midday service was morning pray
er. sermon and holy communion. The ser
vices were conducted by the rector of St.
Johns, the Rev. Alexander Mackay-Smith
ID, with his assistant minister Rev
Frank n. Bigelow, and Rev. Ernest NJ
Paddock.
In his sermon DIR. Mackay-Smth took his
text from ST. John. The Life was the
Light of Men" He depicted the life OF
Christ going forth TO the world in the terms
OF light. heat and power like the electric
forces of dynamo, and flowing from the
cradle of Christ in waves of pity, fortitude
and holiness
The Christmas music was rendered bv the
boy choir, under the direction of Mr.. H. II
Freeman, organist and chOirmaster At 3 ::,(
O'Clock the Sunday school held Christmas
carols and at 4:15 o'clock evening prayer
was said.
Church of the Covenant.
Services at the Church of the Covenant
: attended by a congregation of goodly num-
bers. The organ was played by Mr.. Harvey
Murray The music, in addition to congre-
gational singing. included solos by Mr. Rec
side and Mr.. McFall, appropriate 10 the day
An offering was made for the poor. Rev.
Dr. Hamlln preached brief discourse from
. the text And the Word became flesh, and
dwelt among us, full of grace and truth -
He said that these words had given rise TO
more varied interpretions than perhaps any
others in the Scriptures, and doubt the
very simplicity of the statement had much
to do with the diversity of views. The text
was a description of the Messiah, and some
of the confusion Of ideas in regard to ii
was due to the fact that the Word was
taken to be equivalent in meaning to the
Bible The latter, he said, contains many
words of God, but the book itself Is his
tory of Gods dealings with His people.
The Old Testament might be described a.
the word of God placed in such historic
setting as to make 1t a national literature
II Is the historic effect OF Jehovah to de-