Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1905-12-16
Roman, Greek and Armenian
Catholics Observe Christ
mas Annually.
Three Masses Celebrated by the
Patriarch of Jerusalem
During Night.
PICTURESQUE GROUPS IN CHURCH

AS long as the world lasts Bethlehem
will maintain a great interest for all
Christians. 1t was the birthplace of
Christ, and there is hardly day in the
year that pilgrimages are not made to
that Holy City. Looking across the
hills to the northeast one gees long,
irregular depression-the valley of the
Jordan. Directly east is the Dead Sea
and the mountains of Moab. On the
west is the valley of Sharon looking
toward the Mediterranean, and on the
south stretches the land of Hebron and
the hills of Palestine.
Bethlehem has three Christmases-
the Catholics celebrate on December 25,
Twelve days later is the celebration of
the Greek church, and twelve days after
the Greeks the Armenian Catholics cell
citrate. Each of these churches bring
immense pilgrimages to Bethlehem.
Jews, Gentiles and Mohammedans are in
evidence in each of these pilgrimages.
The Roman Catholic pilgrimage begins
at the same hour every ysar, 2 O'Clock in
the afternoon. The procession leaves
jerusalem at that hour, passing through
the celebrated Jaffa gate, down through
the valley of Hinnom and stretching
over the southern hills. From Jerusa-
lem to Bethlehem is seven miles. Over
this road went Joseph and Mary, the
Blessed Virgin, little over nineteen
centuries ago, to find only cave for
shelter and birthplace for the Messiah.
Bethlehem is a city of 5000 inhab-
itsnts. Its buildings, as a rule, are
stone and many of them are monas.
teries.
The Roman Catholic pilgrimage is
headed by the Latin Patriarch, who rep
resents our Holy Father the Pope. He
is attended by Archbishops, Bishops and
priests. AS the pilgrims approach,
another but smaller cavslcade leaves
Bethlehem, and the two professions
meet about O'Clock and together jour
ney to the little city. Through the
streets the pilgrims proceed slowly and
solemnly to the church. A rich carpet
is spread on the square in front for the
Patriarch and his assistants. Acolytes
bring vestments from the church and the
Patriarch vests himself in purple and
ermine. The altar boys begin the Christ
mas chant and the procession enters the
church.
AS it grows dark the people begin to
Ell 4t,o ot,.ot, The ,,.a, 90 ~, ono cida
aud the women on the other. Nuns of
various orders are mixed in among the
women of Bethlehem. The bright and
flowing robes of these Oriental women
make quite contrast to the sombre hues
of the nuns.
At 8 O'Clock the first Christmas mass
begins. When it is finished few leave
the church, so visibly are they i'm
pressed. Shortly before midnight the
Patriarch begins the second mass, and
when the clock strikes twelve he pulls
aside little curtain and reveals the fig
ure of the Infant Saviour. At that SOL
emn moment the tongues of people of
every nation join in singing "Gloria in
Excelsis Dec, ct in terra pax!" During
the mass a second figure of the Infant
Redeemer in the manger is brought in
and exhibited to the faithful. The third
mass is concluded about O'Clock in the
morning. At this time the general cell
ebration is over, but then the various re-
ligious orders begin their respective
rites.
In the gray dawn of early morning the
Patriarch returns to Jerusalem and the
shepherds return to their Aocks and the
to wherever their next stop calls
them. Many of the pilgrims are loath
to leave the Holy Land so soon. They
nearly always visit a cave close to Beth
lehem where Joseph and Mary hid the
Infant Saviour from the wrath of Herod
while they we're en- route to Egypt.
Other pilgrims will visit Jericho. Many
indeed are they who visit Nazareth, the
home of the Holy Family and the city
where Our Blessed Mother, after the
death of her Divine Son, kept the solemn
vigil OF Christmas alone until she was
called to keep it with Him in heaven.