The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-01
Mrs. Sims Tells of Observ-
ance of Good Friday of
Penitente Sect

ALBUQUERQt' f. New Mexico. June
IA description of the Good Friday
rites of the Penitente sect ut Abiquiu.
New Mexico. is given by Mrs. Aida f
Sims of Albuquerque. who was an eye
witness of one of these obServanccs. 1t
was at this village that a party from Al
buquerque saw two men tied ~ crosses
this year for - minutes. as the climax
of the rites. Mrs. Sims's story started
with the arrival at the village.
The Inorada' or Penitente chapel,
was easily picked out nesting ON the
hillside" she said. We found women
lighting Is candles on a large triangle
of wood placed in front of the altar. We
could see that the images of the saints
and the cgure of Christ were draped in|
black.
"'Fhe women. and the girls knelt in
front. of the altar on a strip of canvas
stretched upon the dirt floor. and began
to sing. The men and boys who had
been lingering outside came troOping in
and knelt then three old men and one
woman walked round and round the tri-
angle. passing in front of the altar with
a gcnutipxior while the responsive chant
ing was going on.
We stepped outside: a faint plaintiyc
piping attracted my friend and she obs
served. That is the Penitentc nito or
flute. You will hear that wherever they
are
4 Bloody Sight.
THE next morning We heard the notes
of the pto again. Below me on trail
issuing from a canyon. wound a little
procession. headed by the 'pitreo. or
tiutP-player. who walked backward.
/ But the center figure caught and held
the gaze--a figure stripped TO the waist.
with blood-drenched trousers figure
that at each step struck itself with a
great whip that came away blood
stained.
! SLAP. slap. came the crack of the
lash. But tho penitent made no sound
His head was covered with great black
sack. Beside him boy walked. carry
ing a pail filed with salt water. into
= which the whip was dipped from time to
time.
, I'm front of him walked woman ear
4 rying a hymnal, and singing Il wailing
chant
/ The procession made its way to the
graveyard, where, walking over stones
and hriars. the believers Frustrated them
selves and kissed the cross.
The flagellent then made circuit of
the cemetery. and the procession returned
70 the morada over the stony path a
slow and tortuous journey consumed one
hour and 20 Minutes
In another procession seen the same
day by Mrs. Sims, one of the penitentes
/ shouldered a cross up the steep path to
i "Calyario, accompanied by hagelients.
Once the croSS-bearer stumbled and fell.
and his companions laid the great wooden
beam upon him so that he was pinned
10 the path beneath it.
| When the crest of the hill was reached.
the worShippers began making the re-
turn trip down the hill on their knees.
A Great Rumpus.
i Later in the day. Mrs. Sims attended
the services of las tineblaeS' in the
i chapel These services represent the
hours of darkness and chaos that followed
Immediately after the death of Jesus on
the cross The witness thus describes the
scene:
The babies were taken out. the door
and windows covered with blankets, the
candles of the wooden triangle gradually
extinguished. Just before the last light
: went out. a weird sound came through the
wall as though it were issuing from the
| bowels of the earth The brother in
charge of the rites conversed with the
, supposed lost soul
''rhen the last candlelight flickered out
lplumsing us into thick blackneSs In
lStantly the most deafening noise | had
ever heard broke loose at close quarters.
Chains ratified and clanked thunderouSly.
i, pitos mingled with wooden rattleS. The
sound of whips flashing flesh was heard
:" L changed my seat in the darkness. A
/, heavy chain fell on my foot.
The inferno ceased. and the candles
were reliehted There the Brother of
Light. which is another name for Peni-
: tente stood calm and unruftled. There
was not a chain in sight.