The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-23
EEsrIvAL.oF THE AaIIsAoL.Es.

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 Many Belgian cities and towns have quaint religious and patriotic festi- vals peculiar to themselves, and one of the most important of these is the Festival of the Miracles, which is held in Brussels every July and continues for fifteen days Last Sunday was the date for the beginning of the cele- bration. which always com mences on the first Sunday following the thir- teenth of July. The public processie on of the Holy Sacrament of the Miracles the principal feature of the feast, oc- CUTS always on the first Sunday. Pub lie interest in this unique religious rite has been dwindIug of late years, however, and it is quite possible that owing to the German occupation of the Belgian capital the observance will be on a very small. scale this year
 No other country has so many To- cal feasts as Belg1um. and nearly all are based on interesting legends. The origin of the Festival of the Miracles dates back to the fourteenth century. Accordipg to the legend, in the year 369 there dwe1t in Enghein a wealthy Jew named Jonathan, a bit- ter foe of Christianity. For purposes Of proclamation, he sought to get pos session of some saored waters, and to attain this object he enlisted the ser vices of one Jean de I1orva5u a. Jew " AtO s41V@7O III EI9E13S5lS, ana W11O had renounced the religion of his fath- CTS. Jonathan offered a rich reward if Jeansco11ld procure for him the con- secra4ed wafers. and the latter, being tpcors undertook to ebiige him.
 The Hebrew decided to steal the leFfnA9n Brussels. One dark night Inc Ezned access to the church bfaDc1sgh a window and carried away sizyith slrsszr1a the pix containing the con secp4eex8 waters. He turned these lover foSIonaEhan and received the re-
 pard< Shortiy after this event Jona-
 E1eia1 sgWags assassinated in the grounds EDf his sNnansion. but the identity Of his dezaEss remained a mystery.
 1&4en %onathan died, according to En6fteBszad, his widow turned over the 3ptx Fand *fae walters to a, congregation Eof HabreNs. in Brussels. They agreed lupon Q paan for profanfne the waters kand praposed to carry out the plan ten Good Friday, 1870. When they had&am5axrEbled in their synagogt1e on 5thataday. they spread the sixteen con Esecraated vEafers on. an altar, and calling down curses upon Christians, stab9edatR he sacfed objects with their dagearG Much to their anazement- as the modern reader may well be- lIeveg-tha wafers spouted forth
 Shorrifieds by the supposed Tn1nEcaas Wene anxious to dispose of the hoayewafers This would seem to besan easy task, but for some reason the Hebrews hired a Jewish woman named Catherine to carry the Wafers to Cologne. She did so, but upon herS return to Brussels was overcome with renorse, and revealed all she knew of the matter to the rector of the church of St. Cath crime The Hebrews who were alleged to have been Involved in the plot to offer in dignittes to the holy wafers were sstrafghtway arrested and thrown into prison, and their property was con fiscated. At their trial all were con- victed, and sentenced to death by being burned alive
 On May 22s 1870. the sentence was carried out and the Jews were con signed to the flames. Such was the Christian mercy of that period that thousands of people gathered about the pyres and were greatly edified by the groans and cries of the victims.
 By what was alleged to have been a miracle, three of the sacred waters were restored to the clergy of St. zudu1i There they became objects tof the pious veneration Of all the in habitauts of Brussels. In 1929 a ter rible epidemic was raging in Brus- bels. and the people, in despair held Mas