The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-04-14

Has any one ever spent a season in
Italy without succumbing to the charm
Of the land and the people-the smil-
ing, blossoming land and the people.
with their contradictory, contrasting
qualities?
The friendliness and naivete with
which they cheat you disarm your re-
sentment-their seeming candor is so
much more convincing than their cold
calculation. It is difficult to take Italy
seriously, sa beautiful is just the act
of living made by the wonderful art
and thesexquisite scenery and the dolce
far niente climate. says the New York
Herald.
The stately procession of ceremonials
OF the Roman Catholic church is as
never ending pageant. Too many, alas,
look upon it as only that, but if the be-
wildered Protestant once understands
that every little Office or action of
priest or attendant is q symbol of some
event in the life of Christ or in the his
tory of the Church, many features of
the ritual cease to appear simply spec
tacular. The smallest feature in these
services has a history, and the same
is true Of the customs Of the people.
the Christian church. Each town or
village has ceremonies peculiar to it,
self.
In Rome, the Mecca of all good Cath
oiics, during the week preceding Holy
Week, bands of pilgrims and peasants,
clad in quaint costumes and carrying
long slaves, flock into the city and
are seen at all the services. During
Holy Week the most beautiful music
Of the whole ecclesiastical year is
heard in the churches. Marion Craw-
ford has written most interesting ac-
count Of the music given in st. Peters
under the direction of the Maestro
Mustafa. The choir of the Sixtine
Chapel, which is paid by the Pope, al
ways sings behind a lattice and with
out accompaniment. The effect is very
beautiful. There are only male voices.
They sing the music from manuscript
at s.lht. The maestro never allows the
music to be published, and the sing
ers see it only while they are singing
at the services. In the choir chapel
is an organ two hundred years old. It's
pitch is two tones lower than that of
the modern organ, and all the music
is written for it. A mechanic is in
constant attendance for repairs, should
it break down during a service.
Throughout Holy Week all the shops
are decorated. The pizzicheria, or
gsocers' shops, are unique. Sausages
are strung together, large and small,
and arranged in fanciful designs. Eggs
are stained many bright colors and are
piled up in pyramids or arranged in
scallops and serve as a frieze, while
in the rear Of the shop is an illumin-
ated picture of the Madonna.
Palm Sunday is usually considered
the first day of Holy Week, though
strictly speaking it is not within that
limit. But special services begin on
that day. After mass and the blessing
of the palms there is a procession OF
the priests, their attendants and the
oov~sr7 no1r <,1n
chanting as they march. 1t typifies
the triumphal entry of Christ into
Jerusalem. The palms mean victory.
After this day there is nothing spec
ial until Wednesday, when the first
Tenebrae service is held, repeated on
Thursday and Friday. At the begin.
ming of this service there is placed on
the altar q triangular candelabrum, in
which are fifteen candles Of unbleached
wax. On the high altar are six candles
Of the same wax. At mathis all are
lighted. At the end Of each psalm one
Of these candles. taking the outer one
first on one side and then the other is
extinguished until only one lighted one
is left at the apex. At the Benedctus
the candles on the high altar are ex-
tinguished. At this point the clerk in
attendance takes the one lighted can
die and hides it. The extinguished
candles typify the darkness over the
world when Christ was crucified. The