Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-03-25
AS Holy Week Approaches the
Seasons Solemnities Are
Increased.
Chief Relics of the Crucifixion
Are Preserved In Various
CathedraIs.
SPIRIT OF CATHOLIC CHURCH

A week from tomorrow will be
Passion Sunday and commentaries
the beginning Of the more solemn
part of Lent. The images Of the cruel
fixion and other statues are veiled
In purple, so to remain until Good
Friday. The Judica psalm and the
Gloria Patria are omitted at the In
troit. The custom of yelling the
Images has descended from ancient
times, and is followed on account OF
the last words of the days gospel:
"And Jesus hid himself and left
the temple" Passion Sunday is a
preparation for Palm Sunday and the
other solemn days of Holy Week.
The whole of Lent is consecrated
to the commemoration of the suffer
lngs and death of Christ, our Divine
Redeemer, but the last two weeks
are so consecrated in a more par
ticular manner. During Passion
week Catholics are called upon to
mediate upon the agony OF our
Lord In the Garden OF Gethsemane ;
Of his betrayal by Judas; of his
scourging at the. pillar; OF his
crowning with thorns; of the car
riage of his cross; of his ignominous
death for the sins of men. To con-
form to the views Of holy mother
church during the last two weeks of
Lent faithful Catholics redouble their
devotions and fervor. The devout
member of the church humiliates
himself and chastises his appetites
at this season of the year in order
that he may suffer in some slight
respect as He suffered for our sakes.
1t is during Passion Week and
Holy Week that God pours out his
most precious graces to those who
enter into themselves and desire to
be united with Christ In spirit and
in holiness. 1t Is a common and
devout practice to follow the devo-
ton of the Way of the Cross during
the next two weeks. Enter any
Catholic church morning, noon or
evening and you win find the totter-
Ing man or woman of seventy or
eighty side by side with the children
Of ten or twelve moving from one
station to another and contemplat-
ing the sufferings of our Divine
Redeemer on his journey to death.
1t may be interesting to many to
learn that some of the chief relics of
the Passion OF our Saviour are pre-
served in various churches through
out the world. There is a compare
lively large piece of the holy cross
In the Santa Gerusalemme in Rome,
and another in the Cathedral of
Notre Dame in Paris, while a num-
ber of churches in different coun-
tries preesrve tiny bits as precious
relics. Here in Louisville there was
a small piece of the cross enshrined
in a reliquary at st. Johns church
during Father Bax's regime. On
Good Friday evenings he always ex-
posed II for the veneration Of the
faithful. The inscription OF the
cross-I. N. r. lis also in the
Basilica Santa Croce, in Geru-
salemme in Rome.
The crown of thorns is in the
Saint Chappelle at Paris. while
other churches in different countries
have several of the thorns. or the
three nails with which our Saviour
was nailed to the cross one is at
Monza, in the iron crown of the
ancient Lombard Kings. 1t is en-
closed In a cIrclet of gold. Another
OF the nails Is in the Cathedral OF
Notre Dame in Paris, while the third
is in the Capilla des Palacio Real at
Madrid, Spain.