The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-06
PRIEST PERFORMS ANCIENT CEREMONY Palms Distributed to Catholics
 At Last Mass BISHOP ALIENS LETTER The Faithful Are Urged to Contribute to Fund for Support of cand-
 dates for the Priesthood.
 Vespers We'll Sung.
BISHOP ALIENS LETTER

 were attended by large congregations yesterday, which was Palm Sunday. Palms were blessed and distributed to the faithful, and a circular letter from the bishop was read. In those churches hav- Ing more than one mass the priest per- formed the ceremony of blessing the palms Just before the last mass.
 At St. Pauls the celebrant was the Rev. Father Kerrigan. The priest said that as the services were to be longer than usual the sermon would be dispensed with and in lieu Of it he gave instrue tion on the palms. in which he recited briefly the narrative of Christ's entry Into Jerusalem the Sunday before the crucihxion, and told of the ancient cus- tom of honoring personages by strewing branches in their way. Father Kerrigan concluded hls remarks by making a spir- itual application of the custom of plac- Ing the blessed palms in the hands of | the congregation.
 During the services Father Kerrigan read the following circular:
 For Support of Students.
 Rev. Dear Father:
 
 of the students of the diocese will be taken up on Easter Sunday.
 Please urge your faithful people to con- tribute generously to this worthy purpose. The interest of religion in the future will, in small degree. depend on our zeal in supplying the diocese with faithful and devoted clergy Students preparing for the priesthood must receive a thor ough training in science and literature as well as in sacred theology, and while acquiring these they must also fit them selves for the work of the ministry by a long and severe course of seminary dis cipline. This no doubt, entails great ex- pense, but one which the faithful cheer fully bear, because the priest Is of the people and for the people.
 The priest stands each day before the altar of God and offers sacrifice for the people. Without the priest there can be no sacrifice, no sacramental presence of our Divine Lord upon the altar. no absolution in the tribunal of penance, no unction to strengthen the sick and dying and to encourage them to go forth and meet their God with confidence. The priest, therefore is the channel through which Gods greatest graces come to the soul of man, and for this reason his sacred office has always been held in the high est esteem by all sincere Christians.
 Since the calling of the priest Is so sacred, his duties so noble, and his la- bors so fruitful in good for the people is 1t not a most praiseworthy act to con- l tribute towards the expenses of his sem | mary training? It Is very important that l the number of priests laboring in the missions of the diocese be augmented, but unless the seminary fund is increased, no advancing can be made, and not to ad- vance Is to recede.
 Parents should encourage their sons who have a love for the sanctuary to devote their lives to Gods service. While 1t is true that no one can take the honor and burden of the priesthood on himself un- less he Is called by God. even as Aaron was, yet parents can foster and strength en vocation by safeguarding the virtue of their child. Unfortunately, boys who are called to the sacred ministry often re- | ceive little encouragement from parents and sometimes even have grave obstacles | placed in their way The church in every | country labors constantly to raise LID a l native priesthood, and until she has &C., | complished this, she deems her work un- | stable. It Is therefore the duty of all to cooperate with Mother church in the work of fostering vacations and training candidates to the sacred ministry. "The 1 harvest, indeed" says Scripture, "ls great but the laborers are few; pray ye, there- fore, the Lord of the harvest that He send forth laborers into His harvest" Matt K. 3s
 Please read this letter at all the masses on Palm and Easter Sundays. and add 1 such words as your zeal and prudence l may dictate.
 Sincerely wishing you and your flock an abundant share in the Easter joys. I re- main, Rev. Dear Father, faithfully yours in Christ,
 EDw. P ALLEN, | BiShOp of Mohila J. W. SHAW,
 Secretary.
 Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the B. V l Mary April 8, 1903.
 After the mass the Rev. Father O'Rellly urged the congregation to contribute liberally next Sunday He said that since Bishop Allen had been in charge of the 1 diocese, the number of secular clergy in | Alabama had more than doubled. A fe1v years ago there were fewer than twenty seculars in this state Now the seculars number forty, seculars and religious doing either mission or parochial work number ing, all told, about sixty-five. This is a good increase" said Father o'Rellly, "but we should have at least 1bO priests in this diocese. They are needed"
 The music at high mass included Gounod's St. Cecilia "Messe solennelle," the "Stabat Mater" sung to a plain hymn tune. and "The Palms. rendered by MT l Bell.
 Vespers.
 At St. Paul's at 7:3O o'clock last night vespers were sung by the boys choir of twentyfour voices led by the Rev Father Kerrigan. The improvement in the sing ing has been remarkable from time to time and musicians who were present last evening said the boys were in partic- ularly fine form.
 The Rev. Father oDonnell delivered an instructive lecture on the mass. He began with resume of his preceding lecture, in which he explained the first and second parts of the mass. The body of his discourse last night was on the third part of the mass, from the offer tory to the end of the preface Father O'Donneil is an agreeable and forcefuI speaker and he was listened to with close attention
 The services were concluded with the benedctlon of the blessed sacrament.
 Holy week services at St. Pauls will be as follows: Tenebrae, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7;3O D. m; late mass on Maundy Thursday at 8 a. m, after which. the blessed sacrament will be carried in procession to the reposi- tory; mass of the presanctifed on Good l Satt datr at T.