The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-04
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HE8ysa## with the life of Christ They went
49, at all seasons but such as could
choose their time for this pilgrimage made it at
Easter, that they might participate in witness
the wonderful series of services which take place
at the actual of the death and resurrection
of the Savior. No who has attended the
services of holy week and Easter at the Church
OF the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem has ever
failed to be deeply impressed by the services
And yet bur comparatively few people know
that the unique services preparatory to and Gull
mfnating in Easter which take place in Jerusalem
are reproduced faithfully as circumstances
will permit in one spot in Iand-at the
Franciscan monastery the outskirts of Wash
ingtOn
The Franciscan order of friars has had charge
of the holy places of Palestine since early in the
thirteenth century. ST. Francis of Assist the
founder of the order, granted their custody
by the Mohammedans. In Washington a body of
devout monks has created establishment which
is memorial of all the holy shrines of Palestine
and reproduces the services taking place there
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, named after
the famous basilica in Jerusalem and its attached
monastery of Franciscan friars situated to
the northeast of Washington. three miles from the
United States treasury, regarded the center of
the city. The holy brothers were wise in their
selection of their site, when Is years ago
they chose the glorious wooded eminence
known Mount ST Sepulcher overlooking miles
upon miles of verdant Maryland side and
on the other the capital of the United States. 1t
is a gracious spot and fitting place for the re-
production of the most sacred places of earth.
In the great church. built upon Byzantine lines
restrained by the rule of simplicity of the ORDER
in the form of the fve-fOld cross, which was the
coat-of-arms of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem
assembled faithful reproductions of the holy
Shrnes of Palestine, each separate and distinct,
but all combined in q beautiful and harmonious
whole.
The chief feature of the church. as of the whole
establishment, is the holy sepulcher, which is an
exact reproduction of the original tomb preserved
in Jerusalem the holy of holes and sheltered
by the magnificent Church of Holy Sepulcher,
the mecca of all Christians 1t to preserve
the tomb of Christ that many of the crusaders
of old from various parts of the world laid down
their lives.
The holy sepulcher in the monastery church
here, in Jerusalem, consists of two apartments.
The outer apartment is called the Chapel of the
Angel, because the angel found seated here
the morning of the first Easter And the inner
chamber, which is the tomb. The chapel of the
angel is entered by low arched doorway, sur
mounted by large relief panel representing
Christ rising from the tomb. casket of stone
in the center of the chamber contains fragment
of stone from Jerusalem.
Through archway so low that must StOOp
far to enter 1t is the sepulcher of Christ. 1t is q
replica of the bare, rock-hewn cell. the tomb of
Joseph of Arimathea, in which Christ laid
after his crucfxiOn. In the original sepulcher
a slab of marble has been laid over the tomb to
cover 1t from Decorating hands. Here that slab
is reproduced. and its lies a figure of the
Christ, who, after the amounting of his body, lay
here in death from Good Friday until his resur-
rection Easter
Above the tomb Is a facsimile of the silver re-
lief panel of RaphaeTs Resurrection which
Cardinal Antonelli donated to the holy sepulcher.
In Jerusalem the soft lamps which dmly light the
sacred chamber of gold, silver and precious
stones Here the reproductions of simpler
materials. but produce the same effect upon the
hallowed spot.
1t is at the holy sepulcher that the holy eu-
charist is administered to the throngs who come
to this most sacred shrine Easter Sunday morn
Ing.
Above the holy sepulcher and reached by two
flights of marble steps is the altar of Thabor rep
where the TRANSPORTATION of Christ took place in
the presence of Moses and Elias.
To the left of the holy sepulcher, and the altar
of Thabor is the chapel of St Francis. The
"Sweet Saint of Assist is here represented in
the figure above the altar receiving the EN-
brace of our Lord, according to the conception
of Murlo. A relief panel either side of the
figure represents, the right, st. Francis bless
ing st. Louis, king of France, and ST. Elizabeth
queen of Hungary, and on the left his stigmad
zatiOn.
The altar of Calvary, set high above the main
entrance to the church. is replica OF. the Greel
altar at Jerusalem, which covers the place of thu
skull" where the Savior of the world gave VI
his life for mankind. Behind the altar is an i'm
uressive group of the crucifxiOn, consisting OF
the figure of the Cruciied, with the Virgin Mary
and ST. John either side. Beyond these figure: