Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-23
HIGH CHURCH
Marks ERA
EPISCOPAL REQUIEM MASS IS
CELEBRATED
is OLD IN USAGE. BUT NEW IN
Los ANGELES
st. Matthias Congregation Witnesses
First Observance o. Ritual Form
Of Ceremony for the Soul Of
Departed Rector

The "high" movement in the EpIsco-
pal church in Los Angeles has caused
much attention of late by those inter-
ested in matters ecclesiastical, and the
the service last Friday morning at st.
Matthias church, a requiem mass for
| the soul Of the late Rev. Father Brann,
member of the Catholic club OF the
diocese Of Los Angeles, marked the first
| service of its kind ever held in any
Episcopal church in Los Angeles.
The Catholic club of the diocese, COM
posed of few of the clergy who have
very high" or ritualistic tendencies.
has introduced in several churches of
the diocese ritualistic services which
very much resemble, in fact are almost
copies of the services in use by the
Roman Catholic church.
| This Catholic movement in the Epis-
copal church dates back to the Oxford
movement in 1880 and has gained much
more prominence in England than in
this country. Going back to the pre-
Reformation days, the ritualistic serv-
| ice being introduced now is far from
new. IT is said that 1t has been In use
more than 1900 years. The local adj
| herents to this extreme development
of rituaiism say that they are the
Catholic bbdy designating the COM
monty called Catholic church as the
Roman church.
The Catholic body believes in the real
presence in the blessed sacrament, as
the Roman church does In the doc
| trine of ransubstantiation. For this
reason the members kneel on entering
and leaving and each time in passing
before the blessed sacrament. custom
that is not usually observed in the
| Episcopal church except in those desig-
mated as ''high."
| The little chapel of ST. Matthias, on
West Washington street, corner of Nor
mandie avenue, is a good exemplihca-
ton of the new ritualistic service being
reintroduced. 1t resembles any Epis-
copal church in its furnishings. with
the exception that high above the altar
rail is crucifix, with the crucified body
of Christ in ivory. Just before. this Is
an altar lamp, a tiny light In red
glass vessel. constantly burning
In the altar itself there Is slight
change, the tabernacle being intro
duced as in the Roman custom, On
either side of this for the requiem mass,
were three lighted candles, while be-
| low and at each end were single lighted
tapers. The altar cloth, usually plain.
was ornamented with very beautiful
lace. Above the tabernacle was the
usual metal cross.
The vestments used differ greatly
from those commonly seen in Episco-
pal churches. The celebrant's white
surplice has been heightened into an
alb, with long. tight fitting sleeves in
place of the flowing ones. This alb IS
held at the waist by sirdle The
chasuble of the Roman church Is used,
much the same as in that church. with
| the maniple on the left arm. The stole
| Is worn by ali the Episcopal clergy and
in addition to that berettas have been
introduced into the vestments OF the
officiating clergy.
The mass was sung in English, rather
q - loV n 0IfrlO
Roman church. The entire ritualistic
service, however, was carried out, the
celebrant communing instead OF the
usual celebration for the people. The
ritual Is somewhat changed from that
used by the Episcopal church, several
prayers being added
| Incense is also seemingly new 10 the
Episcopal church. but the reformers.
again going back to the days before
the Reformation, say that 1t is but
carrying out the old principles, and that
incense was freely used about the altar
! in the services.
Another innovation is the small part
the congregation takes in the service,
with the exception of standing and
kneeling. The usual responses have been
done away with and the singing Is en-
tirely by the choir.
| st. Matthias, the youngest of the
Episcopal churches in the diocese, and
the Cnurcn OF lue ASCtiiSioh VI looSi
| Heights, are the two 'high" churches
in the city. Until the extreme move
ment was started st. Johns church was
3nsidered high" but now that con-
Gre alton is quite on the medium line.
Sd paups pro~cathedral, the bishops
church. Is extremely conservative; In
faet auite 'Iow" in the parlance of
.hasa intorestrd in the different phases
ol rhlrOh w0i 10.
rr ahieh" m6vement has received
{ the members from - various churches
4 Who favor t bat comparatively
ve.g small pct 81 lie Episcopal COM
muniCauts.
By tn general eisrgy & "a vt looked
upon witt frVof, baf tnqse SD Hrested
are very entnusieatfe ifs WQrA.
With a few EeeHsFs t4e aaities Us
most identical W tat ef the NoMiitN'
church, and but TO- ne asH rt 'fleN
| of saints and the station cf the CROSS
stranger might almost eine Hin1set
| in a true Roman Catholic apfe3