New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-25
Midnight Christmas Ser
vices Held in Catholic
Churches Here.
FIRST CELEBRATED
IN CITY SINCE 1900
Communion Offered by 100000
in Plea That War May
End Soon.

s,d women, at one minute after mid
,;gbt this morning, in the celebrating
- the birth Of the Prince of Peace,
.,ot mart in masses offered in every
cs.bolic church in Manhattan and The
grorx for a speedy ending Of the Eu-
ropean war.
From the imposing st. Patrick's
Cathedral, on Fifth Avenue, down to
,hs smallest of the city's churches, a
,olf million people received Holy Com
,rrion and offered the sacrament TO
cd that the efforts Of Pope Benedict
% hiring about peace might De crowned
with success.
Il was the first time in fifteen years
that midnight mass has been offered
!, this country. Appalled, by the
daughter Of the thousands of soldiers
and the little success that was meeting
N. efforts Of the Pope, Cardinal Far
lev applied and received permission
from Rome 70 hold the mass in order
that the prayers for peace might be
continued.
In the downtown section there ap-
reared scenes more common at the
weekday noon hour than at midnight.
From New Jersey towns people poured
INTO the city on trains, and the cars
on the various bridges carrying people
from all parts of Brooklyn and Queens
r.sembled the rush hour crush.
Downtown Churches Crowded.
The downtown churches, long since
robbed Of the congregation that made
them the strong institution they were,
by the changing of the makeup of the
population in which they are located,
we're ablaze with the glory Of old.
St. Roses, on Cannon Street; ST.
Mary's. on Grand Street; st. Theresa's,
% henry Street; St. James's, on James
street; old st. Peters, on Barclay
street; ST. Andrews, on Duane Street;
TRANSPORTATION, on Mott Street, and,
last but the most imposing, old st.
Pstriek's Cathedral, on Mulberry Street,
we're crowded with those who remember
the time when IN the East side and
downtown sections tenements were In
the minority.
From ali sections of the city they
esme-came TO pray for world peace.
Down in old st. PatrIck's the ven
cradle Monsignor j. r. Kearney greeted
his old and present pensioners. Fifty
Christmas masses he has sung In the
ud church.
nd hr1l Ia y
the decorations in the edltce. Within
the sanctuary the beautiful marble
altar was banked in flowers, through
whIch there peeped hundred or more
hgnled candles. To the side was the
reproduction Of the birthplace OF
Christ. There in the msnger was
placed a figure Of an infant.
Ngr Kesrney appeared in the door
bnck OF the altar. Grouped about him
we're his assistants, Fathers Epifanio
and kacacci, and nifty altar boys, all
carrying candlesucks.
One hundred boys and girls in the
choir broke forth IN holy Night" the
ancient hymn now being sung by the
Bavarian soldiers.
Mgr Kearneys voice broke as after
piciurlng the peacefulness OF the scene
IS depicted at the side OF the altar
ne tod Of the world-Smashing, man
destroying war.
Horrors of War Told.
And so It was in every church.
nests would first talk OF the coming
q the SAVIOUR only TO revert 10 the
horrors Of the war
Up on the upper East and West
sides the demands for admission were
20 great that the doors had 70 be
closed. Up at the new Church Of St.
Jssn BaptIste 1900 people crowded
into the edifce, and to accommodate
the overflow solemn high mass was
sung in the basement OF the church,
Ia the chapel
The Dominican Fathers, on Sixty
ssysnth Street, near Third Avenue,
were badly hampered, on account Of
beng compelled TO use temporary
s1ifce, while their new church. on
lexington Avenue, is being built.
Eleven hundred people sat or stood
about the church attending the mass
and listening 70 the stirring appeal
,or world peace made by the Rev. ".
J. Ripple, o. p, Of Louisville. the su
| psriOr Of the Southern missions Of the
l Dominican Order
nj SAINTS IN Larlerns tne niue SpdN-
hh church Of Our Lady OF Hope, near
Riverside Drive, the Pauhst Fathers +,
| on Fifty-niHth Street, all were over
crowded Down in Father Drumgoole's
/ oe mission. on Lafayette Street, 400
boys attended the mass sung By Father
fitzpatrick, the chaplain, and 100
others made up the choir.
| Four thousand people crowded into
:, Patr!ck's Cathedral on Fifth Ave
Are. Mgr. Lavelle sang the mass, with
Father Murphy, Of ST. Joseph's Semi
nary, a. deacon; the Rev. Father
AAenny IS sgbdeacon, and the Rev.
Father ByTne. master Of ceremonies.
| The Cathedral double quartet and
ne boys choir sang, with string or
! ira and the organ. Father Byrne
yieacned short sermon. in which he
4 ipoke Of the hopes Of the whole Catho-
e world In the successful outcome Of
ne ropes peace movement
b. X T PITTS pAISES