The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-02

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ing events, and personages from the
Old and the New Testament; the First
Parents Fall, the Patriarchs, the
Prophets, John the Baptist, Herod's
Court, the Saviour's Entrance into
Jerusalem, etc. Then there are floats
with tableaux wants Of the Nativity,
the Alteration of the Magi, the Flight
into Egypt, of Jesus teaching the
Doctors Of the Law, and of other
Biblical events. The series is closed
with the scene of Our Lord carrying
the Cross. He is helped by Simon of
lCyrene, for the occasion a, sturdy
Flemish peasant, who, to make sure
of accomplishing properly his part in
the religious cortege. is as likely as
not. and quite unconscious of the
tanachronism, to count the beads, of his
Rosary.
The end is not yet; for here comes
cohort of Roman warriors mounting
stalwart Flemish steeds. The horse
men are brawny men from the coun-
try, ill at ease in their multi-colored
lrig-out. A, clangor of irons and chains,
the guardsmen's heavy thumps with
antique halberds upon the paved
streets, the measured rat-a-tat of muf-
fed drums, achieve the realism OF
shifting panorama heralding the APP
proach of the two thieves clad in
somber garb and shouldering heavy
crosses. Following the Good Thief,
there is long line, stretching as far
almost as the eye can see, of gowned
and masked figures, each one carrying
his or her cross; for women as well
as men take part in this penitential
march. The women wear a coarse,
black, hooded gown and the men
dark brown. AS they step along, they
repeat: gym kruis wei dragon, is God
hehaaen:" ITO carry ones cross
cheerfully, is pleasing to God"
In and between the different living
groups there are also statues, and
floats with clusters of statues, sculp-
tured ages ago, primitive of form and
expression: Jesus scourged at the Pill
lar, and in front of Him soldier with
loutstretched tongue; st. Peters de-
NAL; Jesus before Plate, etc. The
statues are carried, the floats dragged,
by penitents in mask and cloak.
Among them are members Of the fore.
most families of the city and of the
lneighhoring towns.
| At intervals along the line of
march, a penitent's mask has dropped
and his hood fallen back upon the
shoulders and you are startled to see
a stubble-bearded face, cropped-hair
head and stern rigid eyes that recall
1.-THE faces You saw upon canvas in the
museums of Antwerp, Bruges and
Client; and you may find yourself. won
Idering if they are the descendants OF
men whom the Flemish primitives, a
Memling or Matsys, used as models
for their paintings.
/ 1t is all exceedingly impressive and
the crowds that line the sidewalks
look on in unbroken silence, at times
even with bated breath, at the pas
sage of the group of the Nativity es.
corted by Angels singing the glad
alleluia Of mans redemption or of the
group commemorative of Jesus tri-
umphant Entry into Jerusalem, which
bursts forth in an exultant hosanna
to the Blessed One who cometh in
the Name of the Lord" The words
| OF the songs and the dialogues more
or less modernized, date from the
year 1896. Both songs and dialogues
are clearly heard and understood as
they are waited along the course of
the meandering procession to the
thousands of pious onlookers and lis
teners.
Stirred by the sentiments expressed
they fall upon their knees to a man
EAan the long rows of cross bearers
and impersonators have, passed and
the priest carrying the Sacred Host
treads along under rich baldachin
or gold brocade. Reverential awe
holds the multitude adoring 'the God
with u.s. The noise now is of tinkling
bells, and of clinking censers, whence
ascends the sweet perfume of incense.
figure of the prayers ascending from
the hearts of thousands kneeling to
the Lord OF Hosts treading among His
Own.
The tramp of the gendarmes' horses
following the dais rouses from the
plous reverie, recalls to the reality
that the procession is no more; that
once again the command issued by
} Baldwin Bras-de-Fer in the year $40
has been fulfilled and that you are in.
yited to enjoy with the Flemish
burghers the kermess which is the
traditional complement of the re.