River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-04-13

ST SEH2NCHIH<
hat only a very limited number of people have
ver witnessed the significant program here car
red out and that, indeed, the great majority of
The public is unaware even of the unique char
acter Of the services at this mecca for worship
Grs serves perhaps, to add interest to the place
and the event
Mount st. Sepulchre is located at Brookland
In the District of Columbia and is the seat of the
most important church and the most famous
monastery reared in the New World by the
franciscan brothers. However, it should be
phasized just here that the casual Easter visitor
to this retreat at Easter-tide need not be Cath
bic yet adherent of any church to
appreciate the solemnity and marvellous beauty
Of the services which take up the greater portion
Of this the most momentous day on the church
calendar.
The most important architectural feature of
the church at Mount st. Sepulchre, and from
which the church and monastery takes its name,
is the location in the sanctuary Of exact dupli-
cate Of the Holy Sepulchre which has been
produced exactly as it exists In Jerusalem This
In itself would lend interest to the Easter serv-
Ices held in such setting but intensifying the
meaning Of the religious program for all the spec
tators is the circumstance that the services
an exact duplicate to the smallest detail of the
services which being held under similar
pices and at the corresponding hour at the last
resting place of the Savior in Jerusalem. 1t is
as though the congregation at Brookland were
suddenly transported to the Holy Land for an
hour or a day.
To appreciate the novelty of all that transpires
at Easter at Mount st. Sepulchre it is neces-
sary to know something of the history of this
institution The Franciscan brothers have
number of monasteries houses
of the order located in various parts of the
United States, but the community in the Dis
trict of Columbia is in a class by itself in that
1t is in effect the American branch office" Of
tho Franciscan friars who laborng in
Palestine. For, of course, the FranciScans
a brotherhood whose work is Of worldwide
scope and of the most important branches
of this work is found in their function of
keepers of the holy places" For more than
seven hundred years the Francscans have
been in possession of almost all of those
places in the Holy Land. which most dear
to all adherents of the Christian faith-such
places the spot where Jesus born In
Bethlehem and the Holy Sepulchre in Jeru-
salem-and this order of monks has made of
it a labor of love to restore and preserve
these sacredly historic localities.
large share of all the funds with which
this work is carried on comes from America
and most of the Franciscans who now
serving actively as keepers of the holy
places" have been educated for their task in
the United States-at this selfsame nstitu-
ton at Mount ST. Sepuchre. Officially this
community is designated the Chapel and Col
lege of the Holy Land and the thirty monks
who make up the community are known as
the Fathers of the Holy Land. Not only IS
this college for the education of the young
members of the order who are to go guides
and missionaries to the Holy Land, but it is
also the headquarters and business office OF
the Commissariat of the Holy Land. This
latter is legally organized corporation which
is authorized by law to receive requests and
donations of all kinds made for the purpose
OF commemorative and restorative work at
the holy places in Palestine. countrywide
organization of laymen known as the Cru
sade for the Holy Land" is ever active in the
cause and the funds raised by the Crusaders"
or by means of the collection taken once a
year in all Catholic churches sent to
Mount ST. Sepulchre for transmission to
Palestine.
With such an inspiration it is, of course,