The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-23
TO BRING RAIN
BY PRAYING
Archbishop eIennon Sends Out Letter
To Priests and People Of the
St. Louis Arch
diocese.
DROUGHT IS SERIOUS
"Ad Petenden PIuvian" Prayer to Be
Given for Five Days and
Added to Regular
Services.

ST. LOUIS, June 23.-Touched by
the stories of suffering from drought
in the country districts, Archbishop
John j. Glennon yesterday afternoon
promulgated an official letter, asking
priests and people to pray for rain,
the prayers to be offered in every
parish throughout the ST. Louis arch
diocese, which includes all Of eastern
Missouri. The letter was read at the.
annual priests retreat at Kenrick!
Seminary, which closes today 1t will
become effective at once A special
prayer Is in the Catholic rubric for
such emergencies, and this petition, i
entitled "Ad Petendem Pluviam is
the one to be offered The archbish-
ops letter is as follows:
To the Reverend Clergy of the Arch.
diocese:
Reverend Dear Father-You are
hereby directed to include in your holy
mass the prayer, "Ad Petendem Pluv-
iam' as often as the rubrics permit,
and to invite the faithful attending to
recite with you the Our Father and
Hail, Mary after mass, for the same
intention. These prayers may be re-
cited until July 10. 1911
Given at ST. Louis, this twenty-sec-
| ond day of June, 1911.
JOHN j. GLENNON,
Archbishop of st. Louis.
The. time limit set upon the prayers
1 for rain Is just five days before the
archbishop will depart for his Europ-
can trip. 1t is understood that, aside
from the picture of existing conditions
I which the newspapers are presenting
daily, the archbishop had several con-
versations with country priests now at
the retreat, by which he was particu-
larly impressed with the seriousness
! of the hot dry weather's effect on food
i supplies, and the consequent suffer
ing of all classes, particularly the
poor, who depend upon their gardens,
or who. living in cities, are forced to
pay the high prices caused by the
drought
The days when the rubric does not
permit the adding of any special
prayers to the mass. and when, there
fore, the "Ad Petendem Pluviam' can
not be said in mass, are days which
come under the category of feasts OF
the higher class. Today, being the
feast of the Sacred Heart and tomor-
!. row the feast of ST. John the Baptist,
,. are such feast days, and are exempt.
But on these days the priest and peo-
; pie will offer after mass the prayer for
rain. Sunday the "Ad Petendem Pluv-
: lam" will be included in the mass.
Reports received in ST Louis in
dicate a general drying up of the pas
lures and growing crops throughout a
, large territory adjacent to the city
The same trouble is said to be pre-,
valent in most of the southwestern
d states. and also in the east The
terrific heat of May and early June has
neutralized the effects of such rain as
has fallen. and the outlook for corn
e POTATOES and other garden truck and
y of fruit of nearly all kinds has moi
e been so poor in the st. Louis distrlc
e at this season for years, commission
o men say. Unless continued rain:
u come soon. the situation will become
% desperate, they say
p The fruit conditions are especially
e disheartening. With every prospect Q
q heavy crop of nearly all kinds 0
fruit. the hot, dry weather has cause'
u practical famine. the green frui
Ia and berries shriveling up and droI
y ping to the ground The blackberr
s. harvest, which should now be at 1t
le height, amounts to nothing althous
IN prospects a few weeks ago We're fin'
,r- =