Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-02-13
Regulations for the Observance
Of Lent.

l. Ash Wednesday falls on the 18th
day of February.
2. All the days of Lent are fast
days except the Sundays.
B. All persons who have completed
their twenty first year, unless legiti-
mately dispensed, are obliged to keep
the fast. Custom allows a cup of
coffee, tea or chocolate, with small
piece of bread to be taken in the morn
ing. In the evening u collation. not
exceeding the fourth part of an or
binary meal is allowed.
4. by dispensation. the use of flesh
meat is allowed at the principal meal
on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays, except the Saturday in En-
Der week and the Saturday in Holy
week.
5. The use of fish and flash meat is
not allowed at the same meal during
Lent.
6 All under twenty -one years of
age, those who are engaged in hard
work, the sick and convalescent and
persons who cannot fast without seri-
GUS Injury to health are exempt from
the fast. Persons excused from fast
ing on account of tender age, hard
labor or sickness, are not restricted to
use of flesh meat at only one meal on
the day on which it is allowed. Those
who entertain any reasonable doubt
about their obligation to fast or alb
stain ought to apply to their pastors
for advice or dispensation.
Z. The time for fulfilling the Pas
chal duty is extended in this diocese
from the first Sunday in Lent to Trim
ity Sunday.
In virtue of special faculties given
in letter of the Sacred Congregation
of Propaganda to the Ordinances of the
United States on the 18th day of
March, 1895, for ten years, | hereby
grant to all laborers in this Diocese
permission to eat meat at one meal on
days of abstinence.
From this permission, however, are
excluded all Fridays in the year. Ash
Wednesday, Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday of Holy Week and the Vigil
of Christmas. 1t should also be re
marked that on those days on which
the use of meat is thus allowed fish
and flesh cannot be eaten at the same
meal
This permission to eat meat on GER
tain days of abstinence extends not
only to the laborers thems elves but
also to their family, SO that every
member of their family participates in
the privilege of the indult.
Those who make use of this dispen.
satlon are earnestly exhorted to per-
form some other work of penance on
those days.
The best modification for Lent is to
abstain from the use of intoxic ating
drinks in honor of the Sacred Thirst
and Agony of our Lord on the Cross.
Because drunkenness is such wither-
ing scourge and counts its victims by
many thousands on ITS extirpatlon de-
ponds the blessings of health, the
happiness of homes and the salvation
of many souls.
Hence the choicest self-denial for
the Holy Season is to make in your
heart and to carry out in practice the
following promises:
]. TO abstain from all intoxicating
drinks during Lent.
2. To keep out of the saloon.
3. 10 say one Oar Father and three
Hail Marys every day for the
suppression of lntemperance.
Pastors will please read and explain
the above regulations to the faithful
before the beginning of Lent. This
holy season should be faithfully OBJ
served by Catholics and in order to
promote the spirit of penance and
prayer peculiar to the time, they
should be invited, whenever it is prac-
ticable, to attend in church the extra
devotional services which are earnest
ly recommended to be held at least
twice week. and which might consist
on Wednesdays of the recitation of a
part of the Rosary, practical nstruc-
tim and Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament; on Fridays the appropriate
exercise would be the Stations of the
Cross.
/ am very de 1irous that every priest
in the diocese will, as soon as possible.
have the Association of the Iropaga-
ton of the Faith regularly established
in his congregation, in conformity
with the circular sent to each one,
dated May 30, 1893. In those parishes
in which it has not yet been established
the collection for the Propagation of
the Faith will be taken up on the first
Sunday of Lent, as has been done in
former years. hope this collection
will be earnestly recommended on the
previous Sunday, and the amount sent
to Reverend Henry Maniett, of Stuart,
Iowa, who has been appointed Dioces-
an Director. For any information as
to the establishment of the Associa-
ton, please write to him. Those who
have not yet sent in their Seminary
collection will please do so without
unnecessary delay, 80 that the annual
report may be made out.
HENRY COsGROvE.
Bishop of Davenport.