The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-12-19
HOLY SfPUlCHRE
fr. Art Writes Vivid Description
of the Noted Shrine
HE SAW IT HIMSELF
Structure Around Which Cluster the
Homes and Desires of the Entire
Christian World

I'r. Arzt this week writes of the
church OF The Holy Sepulchre at Jer-
usa.em, a topic of great interest to
Christendom. His letter is as fol-
lows:
The church of the Holy Sepulchre
has long history reaching back to
tho early years of the fourth century.
Il was originally built during the
years A. d. 327-3336 on grand and
extentive plan by the emperor Con-
stsntine. with the assistance of Mar
carinthe bishop of Jersusalem. At
the time Bishop Eusebius of Caesa-
rea, who was present at the conse-
Grafton, gives a somewhat complete
description of it in his "Vita Eustant-
ipii", lib. III: 1882. But as many
changes have been made in it since
then this description is not SO very
clear to us; but it shows plainly
that the church consisted of two chief
parts, the Anastasis Or the Round
Church, with the Holy Sepulchre in Its
center, and the Basilica called the
Martyrion, which was a large square
building.
The church as it EXISTS today COM
prises the traditional Calvary and
sepulchre under one roof, but 1t oc-
cupies only the smaller part OF the
original enclosure built by Constan-
tine.
The ruins of the ancient con-
struction are found round about i'll the
wretched buildings which surround
the present church. The presen'
church is a patchwork without order
or beauty. 1t is hard to tell just
what pieces were taken from the ruins
OF the church built by Constantine,
Int one can easily see that the church
as it stands is in many parts COM
posed of pieces taken from older ruins
and inartistically put together.
At different times it has been de-
stroyed by fire and the hand OF van
daIs The last work OF reparatlon
WAS done in 1868, when by agreement
hetween Turkey, Russia and France,
:, new dome was erected over the
rrtunda. no longer of wood Dut VI
IRON. The church is III urgent need
OF restoration.
From whatever quarter of the city
we NAV come we must make our way
TO the square, or court III front vi
the church. as the ony entrance Is
situated here. But there are TWO
ways of entrance to the square, the
one from the east on level ground
which passes the socks or markets.
where the German ErlOeser kirche
(Church of the Savlor) has recently
been built; the other from the west,
with a fall of eight metres, ii rapid
descent by steps in the lower parts.
AS we come to the level ground we
see on the left pillar attached to a
building, and further on the base
ments of other pillars, the remains
of a former arcade. To the right is
the Greek convent of Gethsemane, and
opposite. On the north side OF the
square. is the frontage or facade OF
the church. The court is square, aver
ages 26 yards long by IS yards wide,
and is bounded on the east by the
Greek convent of Abraham, the Ar
nenian chapel of st. James, and the
Coptic chapel of the Archangel Mich
aeI; on the west by the three Greek
churches of Mar-Yacob of Mary and
OF the forty Martyrs.
The steps to the east lead up to
the Latin chapel of st. Mary's Agony,
and were formerly on another ascent
to Calvary which is now blocked up.
Passing through the door (Which is