Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-25
GROWING THE VIRGIN
Thousands of Children Oh
serve the Annual Custom.
MANY WATCH THE PARADES
Streets of the Parishes Filled With
Spectators.
COMMUNION FOR CHILDREN
PROFESSIONS Of Little Ones Dressed in
White, Carrying Flowers and
Singing Hymns.

Thousands oe children dressed in white
carrying flowers aud singing hymns
marched through the streets of the city
yesterday in the annual May professions
in honor of the Virgin Mary. The exer-
cises were held at 4 o'clock at ST Alloy
sius. ST. Patrick's, St Matthews ST
Marys. the Shrine of the Sacred Heart
St Augustines, ST. Teresas. Anacostia
Church of the Holy Trinity. Georgetown
At several churches also yesterday many
children made their first communion.
Fourteen hundred children took part
in the festival at St. Aloysius Church
The long line. headed by altar boys, cru
offers and acolytes in their robes,
marched from the GonZaga School up
North Capitol street to X street west to
I'd street. then down to I street to North
Capitol and to the church. There the cere-
mony of browning the Virgin was held
Marjorie McAlester was the May queen,
her maids of honor being Ella Myers
and Virginia Hunter.
Ceremonies at st. Patrick's.
The festival at St. Patricks was also
beautiful and impressive. the children
seeming to catch the spirit of the occa-
sion which has lived for centuries in all
parts of the world. The streets of the
parish were crowded with spectators, who
watched the $40 little girls and boys as
they marched from Carroll Hall in d cir
cuitous route to the church. The long
white line was headed by the altar boys,
" no wore their ceremonial robes. The
procession was in charge of Rev. DIR.
Russell. Rev. T. F.. McGuigan, Rev. w. j.
Carroll and Rev. j. r. Smyth. The statue
of the Virgin was then crowned by the
little folks. Miss Margaret Corcoran,
teacher in the Sunday school. had been
chosen as MAY queen, and she took for
her court: Stephen Fegan. crown bearer;
Frances Deeds. Dorothy Locraft, Agnes
Wright, train bearers. and the following
maids Of honor: Misses Mary Johansen
Anna Snsellwood. Rickie Johansen. Lille
Miller. Clara May Richenbach. Laura
Hancock. Marjorie Durham Dora Simp-
son. Catharine Hannah, Pauline lseman,
May Jacques. Clara Johnson. Edith
Brown. Cecilia Beckley. Nellie Connors,
Marie Osborne. Annie Lepley, Lillian Mill
ovich, Miss Gloetzner. Fonsa Fladung.
Helen Quinn and Eleanor Wilkinson.
Earlier in the day seventysx children
of st. Patrick's made their first COM
munion and 300 other children received
communion at the same time.
Best in Parish History.
At the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, al
though the procession was not so long as
in the larger parishes. the festival was
and the procession larger than ever be-
fore in the history of the parish. Miss
Ellery was May Queen and her court was
composed of Matthew Tighe. Holmead
Callan. Rose Saul. Kathleen Tighe. Cath
crime Simmons. Loretta Shea, Rita Raj
ferty. Helen Harvey. May Stott. Aretta
Ashburn. Marie Hackett. Anna Gallagher,
D..,,Ji tn IL pv,l LIor
Fifty children of this parish made their
first communion at the O'Clock service.
The music was furnished by the junior
choir under the direction Of the Domin-
lean Sisters of Sacred Heart Academy.
In Anaccstia and Georgetown.
st. Teresa Church, Anacostia. fur
nished 300 children for the May process
sion and the streets of the parish were
crowded with people who watched the
ceremonies. The girls in white with
wreaths of flowers. and the boys wearing
red sashes made a very pretty sight.
The procession. headed by acolytes in
white and red. bearing lighted candles.
marched through the streets and. after
GROWING the statue of the Virgin. lis
tened to a sermon by Rev. Father Regain.
Miss -Addie Wethen was May Queen. Her
court was composed of Miss Mabel Brau-
man. Agnes Wathen. Lillian Lawrence
Irene Misel. Bernice Knott. Mary Madi-
gan. Rosina Finitti. Estelle Latchford
The crown bearer was Helen Waller
Following their old custom, the children
of Trinity Church. Georgetown. walked
through their parish. passing the Convent
of the Visitation and Georgetown Cniver-
sity before entering the church. where
the ceremony OF browning the statue Of
the Virgin was performed.
At Other Churches.
At ST. Matthew'S Church Miss Geline
Macdonald of Holy Cross Academy was
the Queen of May.
At ST. .Anthony's Church. Brookland.
Miss Lillian Clarke was queen and crown
bearer. st. Mary's German Church gave
several hundred children for the day.
After the ceremony solemn vespers were
held
ST. .Augustine's parish he'd procession
of 400 children. Some Of the little ones
were not much taller than the long
stemmed flowers they carried. but their
solemn faces showed that they were in
tent on doing their best. Mary Cook was
chosen to crown the statue