The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-16
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
MEDIAEvAL EUROPE RECALLED BY
A RELIGIOUS PROCESSION.

u
Monastery of Mount st. sepulcher.
The C1oisters and Monks Cells.
The Inscription Above Each Door.
Ex-senator Carter of Montana De-
scribed as ga Sadder and Wiser
Mantle Has Learned n Lesson in
Bee Culture-Congressm Living
ston's Father Nearly 100 Years Old
Cracks Nuts with His Teeth-Other
Matters of General Interest.
Washington. June 14-The other day
summer morning ride on the trolley cars
near the pretty subuxb of Washington
called Brool<land, were astonished to see
A long line of cowled monks winding
slowly through the daisied fields, chant
ing as they went and scattering flowers
from baskets slung over their shoulders.
1t looked exactly like the pictures of re-
igious professions in medieval Europe.
or those that occur to-day in the heart of
South America, rather than anything
which could transpire in the broad day
light of the twentieth century, almost
The bcholder rubbed his eyes and won
dered II he were dreaming; then he re-
membered that out BroolSland way is 10
Gated the new Franciscan Monastery,
known as Mount st. Sepulehre; and then
most of the passengers left the cars your
scribe among the number), and fastened
across the fields after the monks, to zee
what would happen next.
1t was the annual celebration OF the
feast of Corpus Christi, with procession
and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
In the fields and woods, to typify the out
ward influence of Christ upon man and
the world. The monks of St. Sepulchre
were assisted by the Marist Fathers, and
many good Catholics from Washington,
and the sacrament was exposed for ador-
alton upon four different affairs. Far
from being pilgrimage of sorrow-as the
writer has seen 1t in other countries.
where the figure of the crucified Christ
is borne in the midst on bier-this was
made one of brightness and gladness.
Flowers were poisoning in the path of
the Sacrament as II was carried from
altar to altar. The brothers scattered
loses, peonies and carnations; acolytes
chanted, swung their perfumed censers
and chimed their little bells, and at in
tervals the deep base of the Monks took
up the strain and the big bell of the
Monastery changed an accompaniment.
The black cassocks of the priests from
the Marist Seminary were thiclxly sprin-
killed. among the course brown robes of the
Franciscans. The leader carried a tall
silver crucifix. Under the richly embroid-
cred baldachin, the corner STATS of which
were upheld by priests walked Father
William, the celebrant, bearing the mon
STRANGE and the Blessed Sacrement. Be
fore him two acolytes walked backwards,
weaving a wool of incense about the
host. &c. scattering flowers and singing
all the way, the procession moved slow
ly through the summer fields, to a grove
of magnificent trees back of the monas-
terry, in which two temporary affairs.
draped with lowered and old-embroider-
ed silks and fringed with leafy boughs,
had been erected. Protected from the
breeze by silken draperies, a hundred
tapers glimmered among the branches At
each altar the procession halted, the
host was exposed for alteration, and spe-
cial chants were rendered. At Alverno
chapel, before the statue of ST. Francis
in ecstacy. the services were more elab-
crate; and then the procession wendell
its way back among the daisies and over
the scattered roses. to the monastery
chapel, singing the "Benedictus" and
"magnihcat" 1t was a most impressive
scene and inspired even the hereto with
desire to fall upon his knees and wor-
ship the Great Unknown-the Giver of
life-the Creator of summer-the
Spirit OF religion, and all the gods there
be. Why is 1T that so-called progressive
President Diaz has forbidden this, and
all other religious professions in Mexico;
why IS Chile which aspires to be con-
sfdered the Yankee nation Of South
America, trying to do the same thing?
The Franciscan monastery of Mount
st. SepuIchre is comparatively new in
stttutfon in the District of Columbia, and
has excited great deal OF curiosity
which, so far, remains ungratified Being
situated in an out-of-the-way place, not
easily accessible except by carriage, and,
of course, closed to women, its sacred Sc
crets have not yet been divulged. The
few struggling representatives OF the pub
Tic who have ventured to knock at IT'S
doors. have been Hospitality received by
the Monks and shown all over the church
and through the sIbterranean passages
repres emitting the Catacombs at Rome and
the shrines of the Holy Land; and are
then smilingly bowed out, without hav-
ing had a glimpse of the abode OF the
Monks, In the grounds at the rear of the
monastery. II is amusing to watch the