The Washington herald., 1911-05-07

basis than mere spiritual cooperation,
and a step beyond the various fedora
tions that have heretofore been entered
into. 1t Is in the direction Of the visible
church. as against simply the spiritual
one. The federation's programme
barred out the religious liberals, but the
new plan will do SO even more effectively.
The next move toward unity will con-
sist of meetings Of commissions. but
these will not be held before next win
ter. If then, or until a larger number
of commissions shalls have been named
By that time it is certain that Episcopal,
Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed
Baptist. Methodist and Disciples COM
missions will have been appointedS A
first aim, so the leaders say, Will be
personal acquaintance Of commission
members. After that. discussion will be
had. not Of unity plans. but Of methods
for calling the world conference that
shall bring to it the largest number OF
bodies. No efforts are to be spared 10
secure delegates from South Africa, aus
tralia, and even South American Pro-
testants. and, If possible. some recos-
milton or. maybe. part co-operation py
the Greek Catholic Church. 1t Is ad-
mitted that as yet little is expected from
the Roman Catholic Church. although an
invitation will be sent to it.
Pre.Pnnama Franciscan Celebra-
tfOns.
In the Julys from 1911 to 1914, In San
Diego, there will be held unique celebra-
tions linking missions in California In
early times with the Panama exposition
to be held in San Francisco from Janu-
ary to December, 1915. The celebrations
will be in charge of Franciscan monks,
a N.
ciscan, who established in 1863 at San
Diego the first of the Upper California
missions, sent there to do so by the vice.
roy of Mexico when Charles III ruled
Spain. The celebration this coming July
will open with pontifical high mass.
celebrated by Bishop Conaty at a great
floral altar in Balboa Park, and be fol-
lowed by a pageant Of the twenty-one
missions that line the way between San
Diego and San Francisco, the interval
between each mission being days jour
ney on foot. In the pageant the people
of each mission will be shown by living
characters costumed in seventeenth cen
tury period There will also he shown
pageant record of West Coast history
from the discovery Of the Pacific by Bal
boa in 1913 to the period Of American
occupation following the close Of the war
with Mexico in 1SiS. These cover, the con-
quest by CorteZ, the downfall of Monte
yuma and the AZtecS, and the COLOMBIA
tion of California.
In the succeeding Julys the Franciscan
celebrations at San Diego set forth Cath
olic history in Mexico and California. and
especially honor the name of ST. Francis
of Assist. The whole leads up to the
Panama exposition of 1915. There will be
shown in pageant and otherwise in 1912
the conquest of California by Commodore
Sloat, Gen. Fremont, and Commodore
Stockton; in 1913 the history Of the gold
en- age OF '49. and in 1914 modern Califor-
mia, its fruits and flowers and its indus
trial development. The Franciscans an
nounce that they will make the most of
the picturesque settings Of the ancient
periods. at the same time losing no op-
portunity to show the great part the
Catholic Church, first the Jesuits and
then the Franciscans. played In laying
Christian foundations in that country. 1t
was here at San Diego that civilization
began on the shore of what afterward
became the United States. Catholic clergy
Of the Coast have promised to take part
in the religious celebrations and Catholic
laity are entering heartily into the his
toric pageants and their preparation.