The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-18
c COLUMBUS COLLEGE
STUDENTS CELEBRATE BISHOPS
DAY, MARCH Up SENT
MIRACLE PLAY, "A5RAHAM AND
ISAAC"
(Communicated.)


Bishops Day was held at Columbus
College, Chamberlain, S. D., on March
Z, 1915. The feast of ST. Thomas OF
Aquin is doubly dear to the College
students as it is the feast of the great
Angelic Doctor, the patron of Chris.
tian Schools, and also the feast OF
the Right Reverend Thomas O'Gor
man, Bishop of Sioux Falls, the
esteemed founder of Columbus Col.
lege.
The day was begun with the celebra-
ton of High Mass in the Chapel of
the Sacred Heart by Rev. M. M. Len,
nartz, G. S. ", at which the entire
student body received Holy Com,
munion for the intentions of the Right
Reverend Bishop.
The evening programme was a
departure from the ordinary and was
rendered by the Sophomore class of
the college and the Senior class of
the Academy, under the direction OF
their Moderator, Rev. J. A. Williams,
Professor in the Seminary.
The principal feature of the pro-
gramme was the enactment of the
Medieval Mystery Play entitled,
Abraham and Isaac" or 1.-THE Sacri-
flee of Isaac" which was given in st.
Paul at the Municipal Celebration of
Christmas and which was Transcribed
by Mr.. David Hume of Cambridge,
Mass, and staged under his personal
supervision on that occasion.
The play was staged in the College
Theatre which was Hastily draped
with the combined colors of the two
classes namely Purple and Cold
and Green and White" The
setting was a mountain scene and
the drama was produced before an
altar of stones. The role of Abra-
ham was taken by Mr.. J. M. Cook
whose whole-souled rendition of the
various emotions which surged through
the breast of the obedient father
gave to the play that intense feeling
necessary for the forciful action
which the production required. Mr..
w. J. Garland enacted the role OF
the son and the childish confidence,
filial devotion, the unbounded faith,
of the son were forcibly brought out
in his superb rendition of Isaac's part
The actors we're gowned in the cos.
tunes of the ages of the Patriarchs
which added much to enhance the
scene. To preserve the religious
atmosphere requisite for the produc
ton of the play, chorus of eight
Monks dressed in the beautiful garh
of Dominican Friars rendered con
cert of sacred music after which the
play was given.
In order that the play be better
understood it may be well to give here
brief appreciation of this most
classical of Medieval Plays, espe
cially since a recent issue of amer
ica' states that only 1879 out of the
immense deluge of dramatic produc
tions can be viewed without detriment
to the welfare of our souls.
Like all great movements OF
welfare Of man the religious dramas
of the medieval ages had theil
incipiency in the Catholic Church
From the ninth and tenth centurie:
until the modern age, the Church
to teach more forcibly the beauty Of
her precepts and the grandeur of hel
ritual, fostered the presentation o.
simple dramatic enactments in hel
sanctuaFies, thus utilizing every means
in order that all the faculties of mar
be more easily and more effectively
Influenced to appreciate the depend
ence of man upon the Creator ant
more forcibly to understand the i'm
mensity of His Providence. In the be
ginning the principal roles we're enact
ed by clericS and later by seculars.
The most important miracle or mys
terry play was the elaboration of the
biblical narration found in the Bool
of Genesis, in which God tested the
obedience of Abraham, and through
this obedience became the father o.
the Chosen People, the progenitor Of
the Redeemer of the world; Abraham:
sacrifice being but the foreshadowins
of the Sacrifice of Calvary.
The Bronze edition of Abraham ant
Isaac" which belongs to that distinc
tive period of English literature known
as the Chester cycle is perhaps the
best of the several productions of the
same theme. No doubt, it was thu
work of some monk who produced ou
of the touching scene from Genesis