The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-18
PLAY
DISCUSSED BY
DR.. BROONF|ELD
Large Audience Hears Local
Minister at Temple
Last Night.

vlvidly recalling impressive
scenes from the Passion Play the
Rev.. DR.. ]. G. Bloomfield. pastor
OF the M. P. Temple last evening
held his large congregation spell
bound for an hour. DR.. Broom
field SO impressed his hearers that
at times eyes were moist and
grief was displayed. The main
auditorium Of the church was fill
ed after which the overflow Sec
ton adjoining the main auditor
ium was turned open to the
church goers and was soon COM
fortably filed.
In opening DR.. Broomheld gave
the historic and geographical set
ting. OF the great Passion Play.
oberammergau is a town Of
Bavaria, Germany, in what Is
known as the Upper Bavaria dis
trict and is located in the foot hills
OF the Alps. It is in the valley OF
the Ammer and stxty-four miles
from Munich. The Passion Play
is rendered every ten years. The
next rendition will be in 1880,
eight years from now, this being
arranged so that the play may
again be given on the even tenth
year: 1t requires eight hours for
the play to be given according to
DR.. Broomtield. 1t begins in the
morning at s o'clock and con-
tinues until 10 o'clock. In the
afternoon 1t starts at 2 O'Clock
and continues until 6 O'Clock.
For three hundred years the ma,
tives Of 0berammergau, and only
natives of the town may partic.-
ptae in the Passion Play, have
rendered the play. From 1913
and 164S during the thirty years
when religious strife existed In
Germany the "black death plague
swept over Germany. Being isol-
ated by its natural surrounding
Of hills the Villagers no doubt
through the plague would never
reach them, but a workman from
the village who had been in other
parts anxious to again reach the
town came by night and within a
short time the plague broke out
and half Of the population OF the
little town, which he described rs
no larger than Barrackyllle. this
county. fell victims to the plague
At that time the village priest
gathered together the remnant oil
his flock and made a VOW to God
that II they be spared from the
plague that they would portray
the death and passion OF Jesus
Christ every ten years. This vow
was made in 1888. and 1t is said
that the play has been giveo
every ten years with mathematical
precision excepting twice when
war lnterruptde-1S70 when the
Franco-Prussian war was on and
in 1920 when the great World
War occurred.
3, DR.. Broomfield said he saw the
Passion Play twice, the first oc.
casion having been in 1910. Al
that time 225,0OO people saw the
play. He declared that before he
first went there he looked upon
the play as a sacrilege but the
play had not proceeded ter
minutes until he came to the con,
,clusion that 1t was one Of the
greatest religious experiences he
had ever had. The two occasions
on which he saw the Passion Play
were SO vastly different he de,
clared. In 1910 he saw the play
with the sun shining In all OF Its
glory'and the exhibition was on a
Sunday. This year the play was
witnessed on a Wednesday amid
a steady downpour in which the
assemblage we're covered under
umbrellas. The players proceed
to respond to their roles in the
downpour Of rain. The physical
condition-the falling rain-this
year added to the influence and
appeal Of the scenes witnessed
DR.. Broomfield declared.
In 1910 the outstanding char:
ter OF power to him was the men
who portrayed Judas, Iscaritt, An.
mas and the Christus. This year
he was most impressed a power
singer in the choir who although
an grand opera. singer, returned
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