The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-05
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES.
Blessing of the stations of the Cross
and Pulpit at the Cathedral.


To-day. Good Friday, the Catholic
Church commemmorates the Passion of
Christ. II is the most sad end solemn of
all the days of the year. The affairs are
stripped of all adornment and the offici-
atins cIergymen, on arriving in the sane
tuary, PROSTATE themselves before the al
tar. The candles on the altar are not
lighted; lessons from the Old Testament
are read and these are followed by the
solemn chant of the Passion according to
the evangelist st. John.
Then the church prays for all condi-
tons of men, for all the members of the
hierarchy, for the prosperity of Christian
peoples, for catechumens, heretcS, Jews
and Pagans. The genufiection made
before all the prayers for the above-men-
toned is omitted before that offered for
the Jews, and that ceremony is omitted
before the prayer said for them on ac-
count of the feigned obeisance with which
the Jews Knocked Jesus.
These prayers ended, the cross, which
up to this time had been covered with
purple since Passion Sunday, is now I'M
covered and exposed to view, and 1t is
kissed by both the clergy and the people.
This kissing of the cross of the crucifix
morning,
at the evening service. During the kiss
ing of the cross at the morning service
the improperia are chanted, each impro-
perium being followed by the Trisagion
in Greek and in Latin
Improperium is a barbarous word used
by Latin writers of a late age, meaning
"reproach," and these reproaches are ad-
dressed in a dramatic form by Christ to
the Jewish people. They begin upon the
in rnrlc IL hot ha,, 7
done to thee; wherein have 1 vexed thee?
Answer mel" etc.
The most striking and singular feature
of the Good Friday ritual is, perhaps, the
abstaining from the celebration of mass
on Good Friday, the day on which Christ
was offered as a bleeding victim for the
worlds sins The celebrant of the day
receives only at communion the host con-
secrated the day before which is borne
in procession from the altar of repose,
whittier it had been carried the day be-
fore. On this day there are no commun-
ions given, except in the case of sickness
The bishop will be the celebrant Rev
Father William Mayer will be the assist
ant priest. Fathers Mccarthy and Quin-
Ian will act as deacons of honor 10 the
Bishop. Fathers Boyd and Hennessey
will be deacon and assistant deacon of
the mass, and Rev. Father Kennedy mas
ter of ceremonies.
In the afternoon, at 3 o'clock, the ser
vice of the Way of the Cross will take
place. This is perhaps the most popular
devotion after that of the most Blessed
Sacrament, or real presence of Christ on
the Eucharist The stations of the cross
go to make up a series of images or pic
lures that represent different events in
the Passion of the Savior, each station
recalling some particular event. These
are fourteen in number and, as stated,
they have been donated by different men,
bers of the parish. Several brackets, very
artistic in design and workmanship,
were also the gift of generous members
of the parish, and a complete list of the
names of the donors will be inscribed on
marble tablets, placed in the walls of the
church.
The Tenabrae service will again be held
at o'clock tonight, and an attrac-
tion of the ceremony will be the chant
ing in unison of the Last Lamentation
by the eighteen altar boys trained by
Father Kennedy. The services are large
ly attended.
Good Friday services will be held to-
day in all of the Roman Catholic, Epis-
copal and Lutheran Churches. In st.
Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, the
only service will be celebration of the
stations of the cross, which will be held
at p. m.
AT Christ Church services will be held
at IL o'clock a. M, and again at p. m,
and services will be held at st. Johns
also at the same hours. At st. Paul's
Church services will be neid at 10 o'clock,
when there will be an address, the agony
service, from u to 3, and a night service
at S:15 O'Clock. Tomorrow afternoon
at 4 O'Clock Holy Baptism will be admin
istered.
At the Lutheran Church of the Assem-
sion services win be held at II o'clock
a. m. and also at S:15 p. M, when the
solemn passion history will be read by
the congregation. At st. -Pauls, too,
services will be he'd at IL a. m. and vt