The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-09
ORTHODOX GREEKS
 OBSERVE CHRISTMAS
Interesting md Impressive Ceremony at Little South Side Edifice Where
 Birmingham Greeks Worship

odox Greek of Birmingham. According to the Greek calendar retained In use by the Graeco-Russian church, the feast of the nativity is celebrated two weeks after the Christmas of the Gregorian call endar in use by the western Christian na- | tions.
 The festival was accordingly observed Saturday with elaborate services at the Greek church In Birmingham. corner Ave nue c and Nineteenth street. A great number of the Greeks of the district at | tended the service, and the little edifice | on the Southside was filled to overflow | ing The service consisted of the liturgy 1 of the orthodox Greek church, corre-
 sponding with the solemn high mass of | the Roman Catholics It lasted for over
 three hours The Rev Canelos of the
 local church was the celebrant, and the
 elaborate ritual was carried out in full | detail.
 Those who have never visited the local | Greek church have missed the chance l of witnessing an impressive and noval ceremony While there is distinct an alogy between the services of the Greek church and the church of Rome the for | mer differs much in many particulars. A
 striking difference to the observing. out Slider is the fact that all the men a6end- ing the service stand during the entire service. Seats are found only on the
 right side of the room, and these are oc- cupied only by children and women, and I by the latter only when they feel fla | tigued.
 | A unique feature is the taking of the collection or offering. As each church | member enters the door he procures a small waxen taper, and as if in compen- sation deposits his contribution on the plate. He then lights his taper and places | 1t in one of the large candelabra with
 which the church is furnished, after which he kisses three miniature likenesses of the Savior and the Virgin and takes | his stand on the side of the church al- | lotted to the men. With the women the ceremony is the same
 The Greek church administers holy com munion to the laity in both kinds-under the species of bread and wine. While no instrumental music Is In use for purposes of accompaniment, the
 
 music. The members of the choir occupy stations at either side of the church near the altar.
 The Greek Catholic church of Brming ham is a thriving institution Its mem bcrship represents the best class of Greek merchants and business men, but 20O0 Greek Catholics who reside in Jefferson county attend the services at various times during the year.
 | ing just as essential to our development as the engineering of the rich stores from | the breast of mother earth. Fourth Monument And now this community has set to | the task of building its fourth monument.
 Death has taken toll from all classes, but
 this community builds this monument to
 Luman Handley, preacher, making the
 second monument 1t has builAto that
 class. Surely there must be some deep
 seated reason why this community so
 honors this great calling.
 Let no one say that this Is priest
 ridden community. There Is so much | conservative and independent thought in
 each church that it tends to temper the
 heat of the minister, be he over-xealous.
 and to cause him to recast his thoughts
 before acting. But there are few who
 have not excuses ready and waiting for
 him who is over-zealous in the work of | the Master. r-.
 "One might attempt to estimate what
 forces make up \ man. until he comes
 to calculate the ever-recurrent loving
 thoughts and acts of the mother: then the
 mind would fall back on itself in trying
 to give number or breadth to her love. And so, If we should attempt to form
 some estimate of this goodly man. whose
 hours and days, and years, and life have
 been spent with loving thoughts of his
 fellow man, chrystalized into acts for
 them we confess that no words properly
 portray 1t.
 "He loved his fellow man, he worked
 for him. and this community honors it.
 self in honoring him with an enduring monument"