The age-herald., 1902-03-31
Streets Thronged With Crowds Getting First Taste of
 Spring
SERVICES AT CHURCHES
Special Sermons and Splendid Musi- cal Programmes at St. PauPs, Church of Advent, St. Mary's
 and Many Other Churches

| and spring but Easter Sundays are usually bright and dry. Indeed so fine Is our Easter weather that one who re- calls past seasons comes to expect sun shine on the recurrence of this Joyous festival almost as a matter of course.
 While the sky was clear all day long the air was cool enough to be braeing, even at noon. Women with new hats and gowns reveled in the beauty of the morning, and the churches were filled with well-dressed congregations Never before perhaps was there such general turning out in Birmingham, and before perhaps were flowers seen in such profu- sion.
 The Catholic and Episcopal churches were the chief centers of attraction, be- cause on Easter these churches not only present exceptionally brilliant musical programmes, but the decorations about the atars are always elaborate and the sermons delivered from the pulpits are as rule above the average of the year MEMORIAL WINDOW.
 A feature of St. Mary s-on-the- High lands was the rich window recently plac- ed over the altar as a memorial to the late rector Dr. o. P. Fitzsimons, and a feature at the Church of the Advent was the new altar with iis ornate rere- dos Quite a number of rich and costly memorial windows may be seen in BIT mingham, but no altar has been erected l in this part of the country so large or anything like so artistic as that at the l Advent.
 High mass at St Pauls was over little before 12 o'clock and the throng or people that moved along Third avenue produced raricolored effect, and when the servces at the Church of the Advent and at other churches were ended all the streets in the city presented scenes or uncommon animation. Every woman Of fashion wore flowers and every woman looked her best.
 l ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC.
 There were three masses at St. Paul's 1 and two at the Church of Our Lady or Sorrows. The attendance at both of these churches was larger than on any previous Easter At the first mass at St. Paufs notwithstanding the early hour-half past ] six-the congregation was as large as 1t usually is at high mass. The Rev. Father OReilly was at the altar. The second mass was at o'clock and several hun drod persons were In attendance. The Rev. Father Sweeny was the officiating l priest The last mass was at 10:30 o'clock and the celebrsnt was the Rev. Father Mennes.
 St Paurs seats comfortably about HOO people but Father O'Reilly estimates that the congregation at the half past len mass number 1500 Chairs were pac- l cd in the aisles and in the spaces around the sanctuary and in the back part Of the 1 church and every chair was occupied. In addition to the men and women who had seats fully two hundred persons stood during the entire service. Not less than three hundred people were turned away.
 The altar was tastily dressed wltn flowers and palms and many candles, tall and mall, were lighted. The Rev Fa- ther O'Reilly preached an eloquent and original sermon on the Risen Lord
 The music, under the direction of MT. l B. Guckenberger, was of the highest l festival order. Haydns Imperial mass was rendered in full by choir of nearly l forty voices supported by a select or chestra. of which MT. John Calman was concert meister This choir has sung l Gounod's St. Cecelia mass and other | large works in grand style, but the best work it has ever done was on yester- day The two big figures were sung with as much clearness and spirit as If they had been easy. In the opinion or many critics Haydn never wrote many works
 
 mass It teens with gems. One of the loveiest things in 1t is the "Qui Tollis' bass solo in the Gloria with solo vio- lin accompaniment, and the ''Et Incarna- tus Est" written in the old string quar- tette style, was one of the most beautiful ly classic numbers
 For an offertory piece Mrs. B. Gucken- berger sang "Salve Maria" by Merca- danta After the mass the choir sang the Te Deum.
 CHURCH OF THE ADVENT.
 Services at the Church of the Advent were well attended yesterday. The East CT decorations of the church and the special musical program contributed l towards making the services interesting. The Rev John G. Murray preached an eloquent sermon. choosing for his text a clause from verse one, chapter three of St. Pauls Epistle to the Gellissians: ''If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those l things which are above"
 Mir Murray began by saying that the l resurrection of Christ was the unmis- | takable fulfillment of aforetime recorded prophecy, and he showed that not only reason but Revelation teaches us that as Christ lived, died and rose again from the dead that we who must also die and be consigned to dust shall thereafter also rise to a new life of eternal day. MT. Murray also spoke of the hallowed asso- citations of the innocent love and unselfish sacrifice of Easter day and of Christs' pure life Of this he said
 Tn the bright light of His imm aculate purity, the fact of the divinity of Jesus Christ, Whose resurrection we commem- crate today, shines with the undmned and imperishable lustre of the eternal sun Evil eye is blinded in its presence and dark motive Is penetrated and sinis- ter thought exposed by the search of its rays. Suspicious breath casts no film of shadow upon it, and even in the dark est ages of the world, calumn nys thought never found tongue or pen to be the vehi- cle of slanderous insinuation or word against 1t. Among believers and unbeliev- ers-and no less among the latter than the former-Jesus of Nazereth occupies the throne of pre-eminence among all men who have ever lived, by virtue of the fact that before God and the Father and in the presence of earth and brethren He was ever pure and undefiled."
 CT. MARY's ON THE HIGHLANDS.
 At St. Mary s-on-the- Highlands a large congregation was present at the Easter morning service. The church was appro- priately decorated for the occasion and the music was specially selected and we'll sung by a choir of boys and girls.
 The Rev. J. w. Canty Johnson chose as his text the third and fourth verses of (continued on Sixth Pase)