The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-18
PALM SUNDAY,
 HOLY WEEK

1 Last Sunday was observed by all Catholic churches throughout the world, and in some Protestant church. es, as Palm Sunday, inaugurating
 the sacred period of Holy Week. A large proportion of the palms used
 in the decoration of American church es were shipped from Florida. The ' British West Indies sent a consider
 able quantity of palms to Canada.
 Many Anglican churches now use
 palms on the Sunday preceding Eas- ter and a few other Protestant church
 es have taken up the practice. 1 Palm Sunday is celebrated in com
 memoration of the entrance of Jesus | into Jerusalem. The whole commun-
 ity greeted him with, joyous applause.
 The roadway was strewn with branch
 es and the people waved palm branch
 es as they shouted words of blessing
 and praise. Jesus was proclaimed
 the Son of David, the King of the na-
 ton, and the Messiah. Ere a few | days had sped the same people were
 clamoring for the death of the Mes
 siah, and denouncing him as an i'm poster. s>3 1 Palm Sunday ushered in the pro.
 found mysteries of Holy Week, which
 was ancient1y called the great or l painful week, or week of sorrows. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings the office of the Tenebrae, | Cdarkness) is chanted. During the I service large candlestick supporting | fifteen lights arranged in the form Of a triangle, which denote Christ and
 the prophets who predicted his com ling. stands in the sanctuary. The Lights are one by one extinguished, un- til bnly the upper one remains, which | lis taken down and placed under the altar until the close of the office. and then brought back, symbolizing
 Christ's burial and resurrection.
 -Z.A IA HTr11 kltaxr
 Thursday. the instjtution of the Lords supper is comment orated, and in some places the priests wash the feet of twelve poor persons, in imitation of I the action performed by Jesus towards
 His apostles. The Pope performs this
 ceremony by washing the feet of his Eprtests. King Alfonso of Spain not
 only prestdes at the '.lavatorio," wash ling the pedal extremities of twelve
 of his very poor subjects, but he and the Queen afterwardSl cat as walters at a sumptuous banquet served to the fortunate dozen. Emperor Fran cis Joseph formerly displayed his l Christian humility by similar observ- ance, but of late years the office has been delegated to one of the arch dukes of the Hapsburg family. It may Ibe added that before the chosen twelve present their feet ofthe monarch for Il washing the court attendants have seen to it that they are as clean as
 soap and water can make them, and lthe 'sfoot-washing,'' as carried out at
 both the Madrid and Vienna courts, is a merely symbolic proceeding.
 1 4 The bells of Roman Catholic kchurches are not run nor instruments of music sounded from the Gloria
 in Excelsis'' in the mass of Thurs day until the same time on Saturday.
 There is no mass on Good Friday, and the altar is stripped of all it's orna- l ments. The ceremony of kissing the{ cross, called the adoration of the cross, is performed on this day. On l Saturday the services begin by the I blessing of fire and water, and of the l paschal candle, emblem of Jesus l Christ, which is lighted in token of his resurrection. It was on Saturday of Holy Week that the early church Administered baptism to catechumens,
 and parts of the service still relate | to this\ custom.
 countries of Europe distracted by war, l it is in Spain that the historic obser- vances of Holy Week will be most generally carried out this year. The ISpaniards, and their descendants in ICentral and South America, have all ways been strict observers of all the features of the Holy Week program.
 An interesting description of the Holy Week ceremonies in Madrid has been written by member of the royal
 family, the Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon, Duchess of Seville. etAs a Catholic country, Spain has kept many customs which think are admirab1e," says the royal authoress f"Palm Sunday began with the blessing
 of the palms. These were the branch
 es of palm trees varying in, length from about half a yard to three yards Some of them were plaited and car ried by little girls. Others were left
 n their natural shape long, thin and graceful, waving with the breeze or | the movements of the bearers.
 l Tt is the custom for godmothers
 every year to present their godsons 1 and god-daughters with palms. Those
 of the little girls are hung all over
 with sweetneats,L but the palms of
 the boys are simply adorned with a
 ribbon boy for they are treated as fu-
 ture men. The palms have been
 fastened to the balconies of houses
 to remain until the following year and then they are burned to make
 room for new ones
 s'On Palm Sunday the royal family
 attended high mass in state. The
 public was permitted to assist The | Queen and all the ladies accompanying
 her wore their court dresses and
 white mantillas. The King wore the
 uniform of aN general, with crosses i and sashes. All the grandees and dignitaries of the palace were in full
 dress, wearing their military<uniforms i 'Maunday Thursday began with a
 the principal altar was converted into
 CTS. After the mass the consecrated | hos .1T TT~iSaa