The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-04-11
PARISH CHAPELs.
How They Have Multiplied in ireland
in Recent Years.

two chapels was Il proud parish, and
envied by it's neighbors; and indeed,
tits not so very much longer since the
mountain parish that boosted of one
chapel-properly so called-was a
prouder parish still, says Seumas Mac
Manus i'll the April number Of Dona-
hoes magazine. The Corig-an-Aif-
rOnn, Or MasS-rOck, which can be so
frequently pointed out all over the re-
mote parts Of the country, mark where,
in penal days, the stolen mass was said
under the canopy of heaven, whilst
sentinels posted on the hlltops around
guarded against Il surprise from the
king of England's Troops. 10 the Cor
ig-an-Aifriom succeeded the Scalan
or Mass-shed, the illustration of one
of whicll-the last one i'll Ireland, one
that went out Of use only Il few years
ago-is given. The Mass-shed, as
may be seen by the picture, was walled
on three sides, and thatched, on the
same principle as a c:rt-shed. The
fourth side was completely open. AT
the back was Il little four-paned WIN
dow, under which Il rude structure,
like a table, served the purpose Of
altar. The particular Scalan here
shown stood upon Il great bare hill
side over Inver bay, i'll the parish Of
Inver-my own parisll-in Western
Donegal. The Scalan itself afforded
protection for the priest and his clerk,
and for possibly Il score of people. The
congregation in gcneml-which con-
sisted of about Il thousand people
knelt down upon the grassy slope
outside, under the open heavens,
whether in sunshine or in shower,
wind, hail or snow. Ii the day was
wet, and the ground slushy, every
member of the congregation brought
with him, or her, either Il bit of flag,
or Il pad of hay or straw to llneel up
on; and there, be the weather what it
might, they llnelt during all of the
Mass, and stood during all of the SER
mon.
Half dozen years ago chapel was
erected here by the boys and girls Of
the parish who toilcd in the mines Of
Montana, or served in the kitchens Of
Boston and New York.
Nowadays, every country parish in
al. Al IS
them have two-very many of them
have three; Il few of them (aS this
parish of Inver OF which | Spcak) have
four chapels each; and when it is re-
membered that some of our parishes
are, in extent, ten miles long and five
broad, it will be seen that in such cases
four chapels are not any too many.
Notwithstanding the multiplication of
chapels of recent years, there are still
but few parishes i'm which hundreds of
people have not to travel three and
four and five miles, and in some eases
six, to attend divine worship three
and four and five and six miles, too,
tain. Yet, on any Sunday morning,
be it Indictment and tempcStuous as it
may, you will, if you are abroad and
far from Il chapel, meet not merely
the young and the strong, but Likewise
the aged and the hobbling, setting their
faces cllapelwards, apparently obliv-
t,,,. Il
strong is the sense of devotion in the
hearts Of our people that the obstacles
which prevent them attending Mass
on Sunday must needs be very great
indeed; and half dozen miles in a
storm of rain or SHOW are hardly
reckoned sufficient excuse.
The country chapel is usually II sim
pie oblong building, with slated roof,
high walls, and Gothic windows; q
door in one end, an altar ut the Op-
posite end, and perhaps little Sacristy
ahutting from the altarend Of the
clapel-though in some cases there is
no sacristy, and the priest robes and
The chapel is sometimes seated, but
for the most part it has Il bare floor,
either of wood, flag or of clay-the
people standing or kncrling all the
time. 1t is only within comparatively
recent years that the luxury Of seats
was introduced into our country chap
II. Mt al, cfO I,.
OH an elevated place, and looks very
big and bare, us there arc seldom any
trees surrounding it that|would relieve
the baroness Of the outline Either
there is one Sunday Mass in it. ut
10 o'clock or ut II, or there are two,
ut nine o'clock and twelve o'clock,
respectively. The number of Masses
in each chapel depends upon the num-
Der of chapcls in each parish, and the
number Of priests. Usually there are
two priests and three chapcls, and four
Sunday Masses. The congregation Mt
each Mass consists of anywhere from
eight hundred people to three times
lHul uuluDef. AZ ili MitSscS, cAcept
the nine o'clock Mass (where matters
are necessarily curtailcd) the order of
devotion is: prayers before Mass
Mass, Small Prayers Il. G., prayers fol
the relief of the souls in Purgatory
prayers for the dying; prayers for the
sick; prayers for the absent; prayers
for the conversion of England, etc.