The Washington herald., 1908-03-01
CHAPEL ON WHEELS
Catholic Church Interested
in New Gospel Car,
ST. ANTHONY" COST $4,000
Bishop Hennessey, of Wichita,
Among Those Making First Trip.
Aroused in Breasts of Many I'm
Remote PIaces-Car Hauled Free.

New York. Feb. 29-It will be news 20
many readers to learn that the Catholic
Church Extension Society Of America-ol
whose board of governors Archbishop
Quigley, Of Chicago. is chairman-has
lately put in the missionary field a chapel
car. commonly called The Church on
Wheels"
The car. which is named st Anthony. "
cost $4,000. and was the gift of A. Petry.
OF New York II is a model OF eceIesI-
astical railroad architecture. and is beau
/ tifuliy furnished with an altar a taber-
naele, silt crucifix. and tall cdndlesticks.
a chancel, organ. holy water font sta
tons Of the cross and a confessional-in
word. everything that goes 70 make UP
thoroughly equipped Catholic church.
The object Of st. Anthonys chapel car
is 20 carry the Gospel and the consoia-
tions Of religion to the sparsely settled
communities and outlying districts OF
civilization, where there is no church.
and the missionary has seldom or never
/ penetrated. The first occupants OF the
car on its initial trip were Bishop Hen
nessey. Of Wichita; Rev. T. A McKer-
nan, c. c. Hennessey, and the porter.
who was also the cook
Car Hauled Free.
The railroads haul the car free: and. as
its coming is always heralded IN advance,
its arrival Is welcomed by scores OF back
.woodsmen, farmers. and frontlersmen
from all the country for miles around
Children were baptized, adults confirm
ed, confessions heard. and catechism
taught. The bishop generally said mass
at z. and Father McKernan sang high
mass at g. when the bishop preached: and
Nespers were chanted in the evening The
delight Of the poor people many Of whom
had not been inside OF church for years.
knew no bounds; and in five places out
Of eight visited by the chapel car on It's
first trip funds were subscribed. lots pur-
chased. and steps taken for the erection
Of a permanent church. In several cases
non-Catholics WED with their Catholic
neighbors in the nberality Of their sub
scriptions 90 the building fund
Makes Several Trips.
The chapel car has made several trips
since then. and so great has Ibeen the
success OF It's mission that Il Is ruuored
that two more chapel cars VIII soon fol-
low in the wake O. st Anthony"
This IS a form OF modernism that has
won the approval Of Plus Y. who. IN a
letter to Archbishop QugIey. warmly in-
dOrses the Catholic Church Extension So
ciety, and grants special spiritual privi-
legcs 20 all who aid its efforts in any
way The official organ OF the society Is
beautifully Illustrated and ably edited
monthly magazine called Extension.
which is growing by leaps and bounds.
800 priests having recently secured laC00
new subscribers 10 IL in fifteen DAYS. The
spirit of home missions among Catholics
has received great impetus. and no one
can read the wonderful accounts OF the
work being accomplished without becoms
ing deeply interested.
Meaning of Lent.
BY the word Lent Is understood the fast
Of forty days preceding Easter. kept
(after the example OF Moses. Elias. and
Christ HIMSELF IN order to prepare the
faithful for the great festival OF Easter.
The Greek and Latin names for Ghe fast.
''TessarakOste" and "Quadrasesiula. % In
dicate the number % days The Italian
Quaresima and the French Careme come
and the Dutch Vasten denote the fast.
while our own word. Lent. from the
Anglo-SaXon Lencten, means spring: l. e..
spring fast.
While the Scriptures make no mention
Of Lent. Tertullian and IrenaeuS, Of the
second century, furnish proofs that Lent.
In the general sense of a fast preceding
Easter. has been known almost from
apostolic times. From the early part OF
the fourth century onward however.
there are many references TO Lent as a
period OF about forty day sS-StIIl in this
century. ard the next one also. the dura-
tiop OF Lent varied considerably in differ
ent churches SOZOmen, writer Of the
nth century. says that all Africa. Egypt.
Palestine. and the Westerns generally.
kept Lent for six weeks; the church OF
Constantinople and the neighboring PROV
inces for seven. The practice Of the
Roman Church and Of most Latins, how
ever. was 10 fast six weeks. exclusive OF
Sundays. making thirty-siX days.
Adds Four Days.
At last the Latin church added the four
days before the first Sunday in Lent to
the fast, thus bringing it into conformity
with the forty-day fast Of Moses. Elias.
and Christ. This new discipline is recog-
niZed by the Council Of Meaux. 4. d. S4e.
Lent was a season in which the faithful
begged Gods mercy for themselves. and
were therefore expected TO show mercy to
others. The imperial laws forbade GRIM
inal processes, the church recOuciled peni-
tents the emperors released prisoners.
masters pardoned their slaves, and enc
mics became friends. It was season of
mourning, hence the church has always
strongly discountenanced festivities of all
kinds during Lent.
In our times Lent begins with Ash
Wednesday March ! this year., which
derives its name from the ceremony OF
administering ashes TO the faithful in
token OF penance. The ashes are obtained
from burning the palms Of the previous
Palm Sunday. At first they were admin
istered only to public penitents." who
We're brought before the bishop, and then
excluded from the church. as Adam was
banished from Paradise. with this ad-
mOnttiOn: DO penance. that thou mayest
have eternal life" Gradually the rite
was extended TO all the faithful and to-
day, in every Catholic church in the
world where there is a priest to perform
the ceremony all the faithful, including
men. women. and children. are sprinkled
With ashes, accompanied with the solemn
warning: Remember. man, that thou art
dust, and unto dust thou shalt return"