Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-06
PAY HONOR TO
PATRON SAINT
FEAST OF ST. VIBlANA Is CELE-
BRATED HERE
VICAR GENERAL OF DIOCESE
BREACHES SERMON
Abbot Visitor to Monastery in PaIes-
tine Also Addresses Congre.
cation at the cathe-
dral

The feast of st. Vibiana, virgin and
martyr, titular of the cathedral of St.
Vibiana and patroness of the diocese
of Monterey and Los Angeles, was cele-
brated yesterday morning at the cathe-
dral with solemn high mass and SER
mon by Rt. Rev. Mgr. Harnett, vicar
general of the diocese.
High above the white marble altar
the waxen statue of the saint, contain
ing the relics found in the catacombs,
was disclosed to view in it's glass and
golden casket. The shrine was sur
rounded with electric lights, and in the
background a starry dome lent Dit
of color to the shrine.
The affairs were decorated with deep
pink roses, emblematic of the martyred
virgin. The priests were robed in red
vestments, signifying that the, saint
whose feast was celebrated shed her
blood for the cause of Christianity.
Monsignor Harnett preached brief
sermon, speaking on the feast OF the
day. He said:
Remains Found in 1854
To-day we celebrate the feast of the
titular saint, and not only the titular
of this cathedral, but the patroness of
the diocese. AS most of you are aware
the earthly remains of st. Vibiana rest
over the main altar here. These were
discovered in 1854 in the cemetery of
st. Sixtus, and on the marble slab We're
engraved these words: TO the immac
ulate and pure soul of Vibiana, virgin
and martyr ArchaeologistS declare
that st. Vibiana was not only martyr
but that she also was virgin. We
are under her protection, and we should
have confidence and pray to her to
obtain from God graces for us.
1--WE are apt to look on saints as
possessing different natures from those
of our own, and as having eXtraordin-
ary grace We are not astonished at
their lives This is a mistake. We
should look on them as persons like
ourselves, with temptations from within
and without. When we look at their
lives, full of the grace of God we are
able to see how they fought the good
fight.
"They were human as we are, and
we come to the conclusion that what
they accomplish it is possible for us to
do. Their lives stimulate us to follow
in their steps.
Benedictine Monk Speaks
at trust you will look on our saint as
one who gained victory through the
grace of God. Her victory should help
us to overcome temptations.
when you come to the church re-
member that her remains are in our
church. Salute her, after you salute
Jesus Christ in the sacrament, and ask
her to pray for you and to use her
kind offices for you"
Following the short sermon of the
monsignor, Rt. Rev. d. Benoit Garia-
dor, abbot visitor of the monastery of
st. Benedict, Mount of olives, Jerusa-
lem, who has charge of a seminary for
the instruction Of native Syrian priests,
addressed the congregation on the work
being done by the Benedictines in the
Holy Land He said in part:
There is no other country in the
world on which God lavished so many
gifts as Palestine, which was one day
the most fertile country promised to
his children as the land flowing with
milk and honey. Now, when traveller
visits Palestine, he is struck by the
sight of the barren country.
Mohammedans in Control
"While the country is not now one
of great beauty it records the mysteries
of the redemption. There the Messiah
longed for for centuries, was born. Our
Savior chose his apostles, who were
sent to preach to all the world, from
AMONG her people. Our Lord suffered
his passion and established the sacra-
ment of the last supper, died on the
cross and ascended to heaven from
there.
''Most of the important sanctuaries
of the Holy Land today are in the
hands of the Mohammedans, and Cath
olics have to pay money to the Mo-
hammedans to enter these churches.
''It was the thought of those sane
tuaries profaned by the Mohammedans
which touched the Christian hearts of
the eleventh century, and which gave
rise to those military expeditions known
in history as the crusades.
"Our monastery is situated on the
Mount of olives. from which our Lord
ascended into heaven. Every time
Christ went to Jerusalem he went to
the Mount of Olives to pray. There he
taught his disciples that divine prayer
Our Father and at the bottom of the
n ount began his passion.
"There we have the privilege of liv-
in,. We are working in the native land
of our Lord, which he loved, and we
are training young men to become
priests to continue his divine work and
the work of the apOstleS in Palestine :"