The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-09
TOOK THE BLACK VEIL
IMPRESSIVE RITES At ST. VINCENT
DE PAUL CONVENT.
vows OF ORDER OF MERCY
MADE BY SISTER MARY IGNATIUs.

Vhe Solemn Ceremony on the Morn
ing of the Feast of the Immacu-
late ConceptiOn-BishOp Kelley
Conducted the service and CeIe-
brates Mnss in the Convent Chapel.
sister Ignatius known in the
world a. Miss Isabel Walsh of Au-
EustH.
A very beautiful ceremony took place
yesterday morning at the Convent of
St. Vincent de Paul when Sister Mary
Ignatius made the solemn VOWS OF
Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, and
became a professed member of the
Order of the Sisters of Mercy.
The day was the Catholic feast of
the Immaculate Conception, and to
commemorate this festival, as well as
to honor the special religious event
to be celebrated within its walls, the
Convent chapel was prettily decorated.
The space surrounding the altar was
filled with palms, and upon the altar
itself, lighted by many candles, were
vases of white roses.
The service. which was con-
Quoted by Ri. Rev. Bishop
Kelley commenced at I O'Clock
when the Rt. Rev. Bishop and
his assistant, Father Hamilton, en-
tered from the sacristy and proceed
ed to the foot of the altar. At the
same moment, the choir, led by Mrs.
Hubner and Mrs. NJ. Ed. Wilson, be-
gan the hymn, "Veni, Creator Spiri-
tus," and a procession of fourteen
young girls, robed in pure white, en-
tered the body of the chapel from
the Convent door. and passed up the
main aisle. two and two. the leader
walking alone and carrying the Pro-
cessional Cross.
The Proceedings.
At the altar they separated and
passed down the side aisles to seats
reserved for them at the rear of those
set apart for the Sisters.
Following them came the postula nts,
and then the Sister of the Order, each
carrying a lighted candle, and wear
ing over the black habit the white
church cloak which is used on all
feast days. The novice entered last,
walking between the Mother Superior
and the Mother Assistant. She wore
the habit of the order, but, instead
of the black veil. the white veil that
is used during the two years probation
in the novitiate.
The Sisters, genuflecting. before the
altar, passed to the places at each
side of the choir in front of the Sane
fury the novice knelt alone in the
centre.
Blessed the Veil and Rings.
The Bishop, waited upon by three
acolytes, then began the initial rites
of the service, the blessing of the black
veil and the ring to be worn by the
novice when she had made her vows
and become a professed religious of
the Order. After this ceremony, per-
formed at the right-hand or epistle side
of the altar the Bishop descended the
altar steps and began Mass, the choir
singing the Kyrie Eleison.
The sermon was most aptly based
upon the parallels related in st. Mat
thew, comparing the kingdom of heav-
en- to a treasure hid in a field and to
a pearl of great price, which, when
a man found, he went and sold all that
he had and bought it, The Bishop
spoke most beautifully of the perfec-
ton of the religious life and of how it
made possible the attainment of spirit
ual ideals, not impossible. indeed, in
the life of the world, but difficult to
follow and seldom achieved He dwelt
especially upon the life of self-denial
to which the vows of the religious
bind her. and showed how necessary
is self-denial in the Christian view, to
follow the Divine example.
The NOvitinte's Obligation.
The formal questions of the cere-
monial were asked of the novice. as to
whether she fully understood the du-
ties and obligations upon which she
was about to enter and the Mass then
proceeded to the Communion. At the
offertory, "Suscipe Me. Domino" was
beautifully sung by Mrs. Hubner, and
after the Sanctus, Mrs. Wilson sang an
Ave Maria.
At the Communion, Sister Mary Ig-
natius, accompanied by the two at
tendant Sisters, assembled the altar
steps and before receiving, made, in a
clear voice, her formal profession of
the VOWS of Poverty, Chastity and Obe-
dience, and thus became member OF
the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. Each
OF the Sisters and the young girls at
tending then received, it being the
plous custom of the Order to offer
this general Communion for the Sis
ter whose novitiate is ended
Invested With the Veil,
At the close OF the Mass, Sister
Mary lgnatius again ascended to the
altar, and was formally invested by
the Bishop with the black veil and the
silver ring, after which she returned TO
her place and Frustrated herself be-
fore the altar while the ceremonial
was concluded the choir singing the
''Te Deum."
After the Bishop had left the chapel,
the newly protested religious, who
had previously arisen, passed down III
aisle between the two rows of Sisters,
and, bowling to each one, was welcomed
by her with the kiss of peace. given
upon both cheeks. In this lovely man
ner the impressive ceremonial was con-
cluded, and the procession passed
through the church into the Convent
In the same order in which it had en-
tered
Sister Mary Ignatius was known In
the world as Miss Isabel Walsh. She
is the daughter of Mr. John Walsh Of
Augusta, sister of NJ. p. Walsh. who
is connected with the PHILADELPHIA
Press, and niece of the late Patrick
Walsh, editor of the Augusta Chroni-
che.