The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-25
RETURNS TO BILLINGS FROM
EUROPEAN TRIP.
ENJOYED HIS VACATION
Was Accompanied by Father Day
of Helena - Principal
Places Visited.

morning, after a visit to Europe cover
ing a period of nearly eve months.
Father Van, as he is generally known,
is looking in better health than he has
for years, there being no doubt but
that the trip proved a very beneficial
one to him. When he left here last
spring on his vacation he was much
in need Of rest, his work having worn
greatly upon him. He has f1eshed up
considerable, which shows that he was
we'll treated while abroad. Father
Van C~larenbeck was accompanied
home by Rev. Father Victor Day, with
whom he travelled over Europe.
The Gazette reporter called upon
Father Van at the priests home yes
terday afternoon and was warmly
greeted by the reverend gentleman,
who is glad to be once again among
his church people and many friends.
1t is hardly necessary to say that
Father Van enjoyed his vacation and
especially the trip through Europe,
for his every reference to them was
made with extreme pleasure.
Father Van Clarenbeck set foot on
European soil at Rotterdam, Holland,
where he was met by two of his BROTH
ers. Accompanied by them he i'm
mediately proceeded to the southern
part of the kingdom, where his mother
resides, whom he had not seen for al
most eight years. When he walked
into her presence she did not recognize
him. Although his mother is nearly
IS years of age she is enjoying splen-
did health. After a visit of several
weeks with his mother and at several
points near her home, he went to
Antwerp, Belgium, where he was met
by Father Day of Helena, the two hav-
ing previously arranged to meet there
and edo" the different parts of
Europe. Brussels was the next place
visited. They then proceeded to
Lucerne, Switzerland, the scenery of
which republic the reverend gentle
man thinks excels that of any country.
Milan, Italy, was the next point of
interest at which they stopped and
from there they went to Rome. Six
days were spent in this most interest
ing Of all cities, and although they
were piloted about by two competent
guides, not one-fourth of the interest
ing points were visited. Although
the two priests did not secure a pri-
vate audience with Pope Leo XIII
they were privileged to see him in a
public audience in St. Peters church
which was attended by about SO, 900
people. These public audiences are
held twice each year, and IN order to
univ, olro;k%oroo - Sc ,,o1occorr RS ca
cure a ticket granting the permission.
Although the priests were loath to
leave Rome they were compelled to
hurry Oh as they wished to visit
Oberammergau, in Upper Bavaria,
where the celebrated Passion Play was
in progress. Oberammergau is a small
village of possibly 800 people, and
of this number nearly 700 take part in
the play.
The Passion Play, or dramatic rep
resentation of the sufferings of Christ,
is not a survival Of a medieval myst-
cry or miracle-play, but took it rise
from a vow made by the inhabitants of
Oberammergau in 1888, with the hope
Of staying a plague then raging. The
original text and arrangements were
probably made by the monks of Ettal,
a monastery a little higher up the val
ley, but they were carefully re-
modelled by the parish priest at the
beginning of the nineteenth century,
when the Oberammergau play obtained
exemption from the general suppress
sion of such performances by the Ba-
varian government. The music was
composed by Rochus Dedler, school
master of the parish in 1914. The
performances begin on Sunday and
each lasts about nine hours, beginning
at 8 O'Clock a. M, with an hours in
Permission at OOH They take place
in a large open-air theatre holding
about 5000 or 5000 persons. Each
scene from the history of Christ is
prefaced by a tableau of typical i'm
port from the Old Testament. The
proceeds of the performances are de-
voted to the good of the community,
after betrayal of the costs and pay
ment of a small remuneration to the
actors. The villagers regard the Pas
sion Play as a solemn act of religious
worship, and the performances are
characterized by the greatest rev
erence. The principal parts are usual
~ hereditary in certain families, and
are assigned, with regard to moral
character as we'll as dramatic ability.
It is considered a disgrace not to be
allowed to take part in the play, and
the part of Christ is looked upon at
one of the greatest Of earthly honors.
In the years intervening between the
representation, as it is only given
every ten years, the villagers are care
fully drilled in dramatic performances
by their pastor, and most witnesses
agree in rating very highly the results
nrodncAd nv the combined %reliQiouf