Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-05-08
BEAUTIF III SERVICE
Al ST. J0SEPH'S C4URC4 Sun
DAY NIGHT IN CELEB B7E~tcN
OF MAY DAY,
About 130 Boys ans Girls Pa@tjc,p7ted
in the Growing Of Statue of
Blessed Virgin
SERMON 9Y FATHER 2ERT4<E

The annual May Gay celebration -
the Catholic church by the SUNDAY
school children took place Sunday
/ night. about l&o bGys and girls partic-
e, ipating The procession wound its
| way through the aisIes of he church.
preceded by cross bearer and accom-
panied by dozen banners while the
itany of the blessed virgin VAS sung
IN unison Al its termination a poF
ton & the procession entered the
sanctuary. and having made The eif-
cut of the high altar, gave way For
tlla little heWer girls bearing the
crown and basket of flowers. \ heau-
titul tableau was then formed the
coronation hymn. Hail. N'irgiH Dear
esf Mary. was sung. and Young
Miss placed the crown cn the brow Of
the statue OF the Virgin Mary which
had been conveniently placed before
The high altar. Father Bertke gave a
.ief sermon on the meaning o. the
'
fhp service with heendic,ion.
This celebration is intended to take
the place Of the usual outdoor May
day festivity which generally eulmi-
mates in The crownine OF a young lady
as queen of May. The blessed virgin
is chosen in ceremonies Of this kind,
because il is an occasion wheu e&ii-
dren may give honor to their spiritual
'ncther which they might very "ea s2G.
is a pleasant sacrifice TO thp.n. si@ca
they regard the blessed vire'p as !
mother. first designated by the Sa
Iior, dying ON the cross with tie
words addressed to s., John, as proxy
fer the void and especially far the
youth: Sea-. behold thy mother:
secondly as ackn0w by the
apostles who seem not to have sepa-
! cated unt;l her death: and thirdly as
! attested by personal experience WHOM
/ lonely and fortorn in 0rDhanhood or
worldly distress they felt the sweet
influence Of her life entwiaing itself
in theirs, as children often find corn
/ fort in resting in times Of abandon
E, tnout and sorrow before the picture o.
thair earthly mother tc recall ler
words and ID imagine the ways that
she would comfort them
The Catholic church has found the
virgin over elrlg youth to be admira.
bic ~ account Of its purity simpiiC.
ity and cdud0r. The influence Of q
woman has moulded many q n.r''
life, when all the prea ching ia the
world could not have moved air.
it IS with the blessed virgin. She is
anty creature of God ana cau n9t
receive any divine honor Whatever
as there is an infinite distance be-
tween aer and her divine s2a. But as
Catholics believe that the soul cos
tinuas TO live On after the death 9f the
b0dy with all the knowledge and sym
pathy thai it cherished in this world
and as the prdverful intercessi)c o"
the virgin white on earth was always
at the service Of ary one, 50 they be
l;eve that her charity towards the pe9-
pie Of ttis earth is Sill living and &c.
cessible by virtue Of taat article q
faita in the "Apos.jes Greed" called
the "C0mmuni9r Of Saints" the od
and the young Of the charco are
therefore accustomed to see II peAy
Ct hor motheriy fntereessi9a T. TIE
very young the devosion u tra bless
ed virgin is one Of the NOS caarm-
ING methods Of appealing to taeir yir,
gin ha9rt, anl awakening tbeir NOS
ilveIy emotions.