The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-07
ghe q01iehia Aay SUNDAY gloremo Aprir T. 1901

| be Forgotten Dy even the most careless
observer.
'eThe next curfously interesting cere
monial was that of Maundy Thursday,
| as it is called. The ceremony of the
| washing of the feet takes place in the
| large court just outside Of the church
of the Holy Sepulchre, between it and The
Gethsenane monastery, which stands op-
| posite at a short distance. Thousands OF
| pilgrims were assembled in this court
| many Of them having been there from
| daybreak waiting to witness the cere-
| mony. In the center of the court, on the
| south side, stood a platform about seven
feethigh and some twenty by fifteen
feet in area. There were seats for twelve
ecclesiastics and throne for the Pa
| triarch
Before these chief personages made
their appearance. every point Of vantage
was filed with the eager multitude.
Wherever a human could stand, sit cling
or hang and see any part OF the cere-
monial there was that fervent worship
| per. Counting all that were on the neigh
| boring housetops, cIinging to the facade
| OF the church of the Sepulchre and stand
| ing in the court there must have been at
| least fifteen thousand or twenty thousand
| persons present. I did not merely guess
at the number. but by counting those
within a square of a few feet and estim-
ating the size Of the court 1 arrived at
| tolerably exact figures.
! At precisely 9 o'clock in the morning,
amid the wild clang Of bells, the process
| sion entered, with candle bearers and
! crusifler at their head. Then came the
Patriarch of the Greek church at Jerusa-
| lem, wearing his high tiara set with
precious stones and clad in almost re-
| gal vestments. The ecclesiastics in his
train were almost as gorgeously clad.
| Mounting the platform, the Patriarch
first took his seat on his throne until
all the ecclesiastics were seated. Then,
rising, he removed tiara, crown, cope, and
stole, and there stood clad in a lilac cas-
sock, with the cincture.
"Takingup the towel from one of the
attendants, he stopped AID washed one
foot of each of the twelve priests and
kissed it. when his hand was kissed by
each Of the twelve priests. After all of
the twelve, number reminiscent of the
| twelve apostles of Jesus time, had sub
mitted to the ceremony, the Patriarch
resumed his vest1nents and was again
seated upon his throne, whence he listen
ed to an appropriate sermon in the Greek
language preached by the archimandrite
1.-THE spectacle was most imposing, and
now the ecclesiastical procession was re-
formed and passed through the crowds
in the court and streets on its way back
to the monastry of Gethsemane. The
basin which held the water for the wash
ing of the feet was carried by the side of
the Patriarch as he advanced, and at
each step he dipped a boquet of flowers
into the water and sprinkled it far and
wide over the heads of the people. As
each person felt the drop of consecrated
water fall on his face he was quick to
spread it over his countenance, or as far
as it would moisten. Thus concluded the
impressive ceremonial, consecrated by
centuries of usage. running back for its
warrant to the great example of the
Founder of the faith.
Much, continued DR.. Mes, has been
written about the giving of the holy fire
in the church of the Holy sepulchre on
Easter, and many Protestants have de-
cried it as a play upon the superstitions
OF the people, but was told py members
of the Greek church that there was no
pretense of a miracle here; that every one
knows that the Patriarch has the light
ready, anditis merely symbolical of Je-
sus, the Light of the World.
ION Easter eve the church of the Sc
pulchre is a sight worth seeing. There
are thousands of pilgrims lying in all
kinds of positions about the floor. for it
is considered the duty of each pilgrim
to sleep at least one night in this church.
and those who can sleep there on the
night OF Good Friday deem themselves
especially fortunate. On the eve of Eas-
ter Sunday, however, there is not an inch
of speace to spare IN the whole build
ing, and those who wish to enter must
step over bodies of the sleeping devotees.
ION Easter morning the church was
packed until it seemed that the solid
stone walls must give way before the
pressure. We had the greatest difficulty
in making our way in. There stood a
group of Russian sailors near the Greek
chapel and Turkish troops about the Sc
pulchre itself The Greeks stand in con-
slant dread of the Russians, fearing that
they viii some day take possession of this
holiestof sanctuaries. and their only re-
course is to have the Turkish troops to
act both as body guard and police, and
keep a space clear for the passing Of the
priestly procession.
1.-THE ceremony begins in the Greek
chapel, which leads off from the main
corridor of the church proper. There was
an impressive procession of the Patriarch
of the Greek church and his priests and
his singers marching solemnly about the
chapel. Thence the procession made its
way into the church proper, and marched
around the cdlter shriEe. the sepulchre
itself. to the time of the psalms and
hymns sung by the priests and choisters
At last the Patriarch Invested himself Of
his gorgeous raiment and enters the
shrine of the seDulchre. on each side of
this shrine are two openings. something
like the portfolios of ship On one
side stands a Greek from Bethleham and
on the other stands an Armenian from
Bethlehem. with their followers. ready to
snatch the FIRE at the first possible in
slant.
There is the sound of the peculiar
changing, Earring bell of the church.
heard above all the other bells of the
neighboring chapels and churches which
are set ringing At last amid the silent
suspense and almost breathless waiting
of the worshippers. the Patriarch passes
a torch through the portfolios on either
side of the shrine, the Greek and Armcn-
ian Iight their torches in all haste and
their followers lift them on their shout