The San Francisco call., 1910-03-20

NEW YORK, March 19.-Right Rev.
entitled to the rank of father of the
American Episcopate by virtue of the
| fact that he consecrated Archbishop
Carroll of Baltimore, who was the
first bishop of the United States. 1t is
desired to make the translation of his
body from the old Catholic chapel in
Bristol to the church of Downside
abbey in England the occasion for sup
plying a monument to commemorate
this historic fact. 1t is suggested that
the monument should take the form of
an altar tomb, to contain his body. to
stand at the right hand side of the
high altar in the abbey church.
Father Stroeble, who did such eff
Client work as missionary in Cuba, is
now engaged in similar work along the
Panama canal Not only have the
Catholics shown quick appreciation of
his work in their behalf. but Protestant
missionaries on the isthmus have in
vited him to use their Protestant
in the Catholic church at Colon and
twice in the Methodist church and once
at the Union church of Cristobal. He
states that everywhere he found most
attentive audiences among the non
Catholic canal laborers, and be believes
that if two or three missionaries from
the apostolic mission house in Wash
ington could be sent there for two or
three months they would reap great
spiritual harvest. especially among the
negroes. He says there would be no
difficulty in their obtaining the use of
the commission halls at the various
stations along the canal line.
This issue of the notes appears on
Palm Sunday, so called from the cere-
mony of blessing and distributing
palms in all the Catholic churches
throughout the world in memory of
Christs triumphal entry into Jerusa-
lem, when many of the Jews cut down
boughs and spread them in his way,
just six days before his crucifixion.
In cathedral churches the ceremony is
followed by procession of the clergy
and choir of levites, carrying palm
branches in their hands and singing
hymn of GLORY, Praise and Honor to
Christ
The note of triumph is short lived,
however, and is Immediately followed
by the plaintiye chanting of the
Passion" for Palm Sunday is also the
first day of Holy Week. which is de-
voted almost exclusively to commem-
Grating the great tragedy of the cruel
fixon. The ceremonies of Holy Week
are the most elaborate and dramatic of
the whole year, consisting of numerous
professions. blessings, scripturaI proph-
ecies, alteration and weird chants.
A favorite form of public and private
devotion on Good Friday is the way
of the cross" consisting of IA stations,
indicated by crosses and pictures
around the walls of the church COM
memorating the following episodes in
Christ's journey TO Calvary: /. Con-
demned to death by PLATE. >. Loaded
with the cross. 8. Christ falls the first
time under the cross l. He meets his
afflicted mother. 3. Helped by Simon
of Cyrene to carry the cross 6. Yer
onica wipes his face with her handker
chief. T. His second fall. 8. Meets
the women of Jerusalem. 0. His third
fall 10 He is stripped of his gar
ments. IL. He is nailed to the cross.
-. He dies on the cross. 8. He is
taken down from the cross. H. His
burial.
The original way of the cross is
still pointed out in Jerusalem. and the
devotion, which originated with the
Franciscans who are custodians of the
holy places in that city. is intended to
enable devout Christians to make
pilgrimage in spirit to the scenes of
Christs sufferings and death.
Just as we Americans preserve nu-
merous relics of Washington, the
Father of His Country, so Christians
have preserved q number of relics of
Christ. the founder of Christianity;
especially of his crucifxion. These are
exhibited in various churches during
holy week, particularly on Good Fri
day. Volumes have been. and might
be written OH their history and au-
thenticity, but bare mention of some
of them can be made here. The wood
of the true cross has been divided and
subdiyided until infinitesimal particles
of it may be found all over the world.
Six of the largest portions are pre-
served in Rome, Venice, Paris, Brus-
sells, Ghent and Ragusa, amounting in
the aggregate to 1888 cubic inches.
The seamless robe, woven by his
mother and for which the soldiers cast
lots, is preserved in the cathedral of
Treves, and the winding sheet at AK
la -Chapelle.
The crown Of thorns and one of the
nails are found in the cathedral of
Notre Dame. Paris, having been
brought from the orient by st. Louis.
The holy lance with which Longinus,
the centurion. opened Christs side, let
ting out blood ana water. is preserved
in Rome, having been given by Baja-
zet II to Pope Innocent VIII.
The veil or handkerchief. handed to
Our Lord by Veronica to wipe the blood
and sweat from his face and which he