The Washington herald., 1908-07-27

The Festival OF the Portiuncula. cele-
/ brated annually on August 2 in all the
/ churches of the three orders instituted by
I St Francis OF Assist. VIII be observed
+ next Saturday and Sunday IN the Church
of Mount St. Sepulchre, adjoining the
+ Franciscan Monastery, BrookIand.
The Portiuncula IS In reality. as its
name signifies. a festival OF a peculiar
I kind. Il Is neither a saint nor a mys-
Z tery. but the name OF a small church
near Assist, IN Italy. made famous
throughout the world by means Of the
/ memorable and singular Indulgence which
I St. Francis gained for this Httle chapel
OF all the churches. St Francis loved
and venerated in particular this little
Z chapel Of Santa Maria OF the Angels.
/ commonly called PortiuncuIa-
This apparently insignificant church.
situated on the plEins Of the beautiful
! Valley Of Spoleto. a short distance from
! Assist. the saint made the first church OF
I his order. after having repaired Il from
. IFS dlaPidaJed condition and sanctifed It
I by his prayers. tears. and works OF PEN
/ ance-
Vision in Holy Place.
IN 1o21 St Francis had a vision in this
/ holy place Christ. accompanied by His
mother and a multitude OF angels. ap-
I peared on the altar and encourag ged him
[ TO ask favor for the salvation Of souls
( The saint. II is said. addressed the Lord
with great confidence. saying; Z. a poor
/ sinner. ask Of Thy Majesty this favor for
T the Christian people: That all who hav-
/ ing sincerely confessed. and devoutly visit
/ this church. may obtain a plenary induI-
zence~
St Francis obtained his petition. with
the Injunction. however. 10 repair TO the
! Vicar OF Christ. H0nOrius III. and in
the name OF the Lord, 10 ask this indul-
gence-
/ The saint. not yet knowing what day
of the year was 10 be chosen for the
gaining Of this Indulgence. prayed fifteen
months longer 20 obtain the necessary
I light from God
It was only in the year 1222 that Christ
against appeared 10 him. declaring II 10
he HIS divine VIII that tho said indulgence
was 10 last from the vespers Of the 1st
Of August until sunset OF the following
day.
For 6s5 years thousands OF pilgrims have
visited POrtiUncula every year on the 1st
of August 10 gain the indulgence. As the
little church OF chapel has not capacity
for even 10 persons. the visitors. in end
less procession, walk through the chapel.
praying and singing They enter a door
Al the lower end and leave by one at the
upper end Of the chapel This procession
through the church commences with yes
pers on the Ist Of August. az the moment
when the great bell OF the so-caIled Sagro
COnventO in Assist (Where now rests the
body Of st. Francis IS rung. and continues
throughout the whole night without in
termission and until sunset Of the follow
ing day
At present the cupOla Of the magnificent
dome towers above the chapel Of POrtiun-
cula, but even the great dome IS too small
for the immense number Of pilgrims who
go there on the day Of this famous in
dulgence.
Such is the origin Of the Indulgence Of
the PortiUncula- For more than a00 years
this Indulgence could not be gained in any
church save the chapel Of the POrtiunCula.
To prevent the many evils resulting
from long journeys, Pope Sixtus ". in
14S0 granted all cIoiStered nuns following
a rule Of St Francis the privilege to gain
this Indulgence in their own respective
chapels.
Privilege Is Extended.
The same privilege was soon after grant
I'd to the Brotherhood Of the First Order,
and also 10 the Tertiaries Finally Pope
Gregory XIV. IN a bull Of "splendor pa
ternae gloriae" Of July 4. 1922. extended
the indulgence TO all the churches OF the
three orders Of St Francis
Hence all Catholics OF the secular as
well as Of the religious state may gain
this Indulgence in said churches. as
though in the chapel Of the Portiuncula.
provided they conform 10 the prescribed
cOnditiOns-cOnfession and holy commu-
nion. and visit devoutly privileged church
during the time appointed for gaining the
Indulgence. L G.. from the first vespers.
about O'Clock in the afternoon Of the
day previous, until sunset on the festival
OF the dedication Of the Portiuncula, Au-
gust ?
Catholics from every part Of the Dis
trict and from parishes in nearby sec
tons Of the country visit the church of
the Franciscans. Mount St. Sepulcher. on
the heights Of BrOOkland, from to 3
p m on the eve Of the festival, and from
$50 a r. until p n. on the second day
OF August