The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-03
SERVICES AT CATHEDRAL.
Interesting and Elaborate Ceremon-
les During Holy Week.

Holy Week is the time when Christ's
death and burial are concentrated. Il
is called by ancient writers the great
week. the week of forgiveness. and the
custom of keeping it dates back, doubt
less, to apostolic times.
The ceremonies to be observed in the
Catholic Church will commence tonight
at s O'Clock with the service of Tenebrae
This service will be repeated on Thurs
day and Friday nights at the same hour.
This service of Tenebrae consists of the
chanting of the Psalms, of mathis and
of lauds of the divine office. The lessons
that are chanted are the lamentations of
Jeremias. The doxology, Gloria Patri,"
said always at the end of the Psalms,
is omitted in this Office as a sign of sor-
row.
In the beginning of the office. thirteen
lighted candles are arranged on a TRAN
gular candelabrum At the end of every
Psalm, one of these candles is extin-
guished, till only a single candle remains
on the top of the triangle. During the
chanting of the Benedictus, this candle
is removed from candlestick and hidden
from view, behind the altar. This light
typifes Christ as the light of the world.
Its removal from the sight of all, recalls
the death and burial of Christ in the tomb
and its replacement, a. the end of the
service to its former place on the candel-
abrum represents the resurrection of
Christ.
All the priests of the Catholic churches
in the city will be present at these cere-
monies in the Cathedral. The sanctuary
boys choir will. assist also. The last la
mentation on Good Friday night. RE
member, o Lord will be chanted from
beginning to end by eighteen altar boys.
The mass in the Cathedral on Holy
Thursday, which is the day on which the
institution of the Holy Eucharist is DOM
memorated, will be begun at 8 o'clock.
This is why the vestment used at this
mass are of white and gold. In the cele-
bration thereof there are, however, signs
proper to Holy Week. viz: The bells
and organ that rung out at the Gloria
are afterwards silent till the mass on
Holy Saturday, anticipating the resurrec-
ton. is sung. The kiss of peace is also
omitted.
After mass the Blessed Sacrament is
borne in procession to the repository pre-
pared for it. No amount of labor. or
time, or money is spared in the decora-
tons lavished upon this temporary tab
ernacle for the Lord of Hosts" often
called the altar of repose. Some writers
have spoken of this procession of the
blessed sacrament on holy thursday IN
connection with Christs journey to the
Mount of Olives after the last supper.
The other affairs in the church are
stripped of all their adornments. That
is to remind all Christians of the way in
which their master was stripped of his
garments.
1t is on Holy Thursday, during the cele-
bration of mass, that the Holy Oils used
in the comforting of the sacraments of
combinations. holy orders and extreme
JUNCTION are consecrated. The Ri. Rev.
B. ]. Kelley will be the celebrant; the
other officers of the mass will be as fol-
lows: Assistant Priest Rev. John s. Nc
Carthy Deacons of honor Rev. Father
Quinlan and Rev. william Mayer; Dea-
con Rev. Eugene Boyd; Sub-Deacon Rev.
Joseph Hennessey Master of ceremonies,
Rev. Robert F. Kennedy.