Evening star., 1923-09-30

More than $500 Jews, in nine syna-
gogues, render devotion to God In
Hebrew. Several hundred use Iid-
| dish.
Three thousand Greeks assemble in
two Greek orthodox temples to hear
mass sung in their native tongue.
Wooden walls of a little Syrian or
thodoX church echo the mass as it is
said in old Arabic.
In four Lutheran churches German
is preached to 1,40O souls. Swedish Is
used by two congregations, one Bap
tist, the other Lutheran. There is
Norwegian and Danish lutheran
church on New Jersey-avenue. Meth
odist and Baptist groups worship in
hItalian.
a modern Babel of confused tongues
1t seems as one lists them.
But enter one of Washing
toms twenty-one foreign-language
churches. Listen to words that are
strange. Witness forms that are ut
terly unfamiliar. Suddenly the per-
plexity of it all falls away. The dis
sonant tones become a harmonious
expression of old beliefs that con-
Germ living and dying. You must
keep Gods commandments" priests
sof all creeds chant.
Dividing the altar from the rest of
the Greek Orthodox Church at 9th
r. and C streets southwest is high par
tftion of cleaning white named an
..'ikonostasis." 1t is made brilliant
by many holy ikons, pictures OF the
saints which hang close.
These ikons are colored vividly.
One depicts st. George spearing the
dragon. Thap saint has a gold halo,
garnet and blue clothes. and pranc-
ing white charger. The dragon is
green. dripping red blood upon brown
soil. St. Georges face is frightened
by the glow from the red lamp hang-
ing above the ikon.
Through the central door in the
mkonostasis" appeared the priest. In
black wide cassock he stood, holding
high his book; more like life-siZe
ikon than a member of the world
outside the partition, he seemed.
He chanted in a deep voice. Re-
sponses came from men at reading
desks on each side of a pewless nave.
and strong as they intoned the serv-
ice. The desks were swung about to
bring now one book, now another,
before the readers eyes.
At one of the desks was little boy.
Just being taught to participate in the
reading. He responded Justify, espe-
cialiy after each pat of encourage
. ment from his proud father.
y u y X
HNE by one the congregation en-
" tered. obtained tall yellow cam
dies from a table in the rear, lighted
and placed them in the candelabra.
One lad brought his own candle,
giant wax shaft taller than its
bearer He went to the front of the
church and. assisted by his mother
and father, placed the candle in po-
sition before the holy ikon of st.
John the Baptist, the youths patron
saint. After lighting his tribute he
pressed his lips to the feet of the pic
tured saint and retired to the rear of
THE room.
Before taking places worshipers
passed by the beautifully carved
wooden canopy and base which holds
the picture of SITS. Constantine and
Helen, for whom the church is named.
4 mother, wearing a black veil, bent
to kiss the shrine Another touched
her baby's face to the picture and
with her free arm. lifted a second
child to kiss the sacred reproduction
of the church's patrons.
The men placed themselves incon-
.spicuously on the right or in the rear
of the room. The women went to
the left or climbed to the gallery.
The ceiling of the church is a sky
blue, with clouds, stars and six white
Greek crosses. High on the left wall
Tin large glass case, is Greece's blue
and white flag, woven from chains of
blue and white paper flowers. Next
to it is a tall cross, made of red, yell
low and white paper roses.
Below these emblems are three ele-
waited seats, reserved for the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia
or other state officials, when they at
tend service there Opposite these
seats, on the right side of the room,
is the throne for visiting archbishops
Suddenly the largest of the holy
'ikons, dedicated to Jesus Christ, was
drawn across the doorway before the
altar and the voice of the priest be-
came n far-away sound.
Presently the large ikon was rolled
back. The bIack-c1ad figure reap
peared, now resp1endent in a white
robe, stiff with gold embroidery and
adorned with purple girdle and cuffs
and a gold-fringed red velvet panel
falling from neck to feet. A purple
shield bearing a gold cross hung at
his side.
The priests entire attitude had
changed. A regal figure of old By
Zantium now faced the audience. He
raised the sacred gold-hinged Bible
and the congregation bowed He de-
I scended a step and passed down the
center of the church. Crossing them
selves, the worshipers left their
places and kissed the sacred book
and the hand which brought it to
them.
The priest walked slowly, turning
from side to side, so that none would
the black veil lifted her baby. The
priest lowered the book. so that the
second child might reach it. Little
I, girls in ptak dresses, men in blue
suits, the fr2it vender, the restaurant
keeper, the confectioner, the rich
Greek, dark men with long mustaches
all bent to kiss the sacred emblem.
The priest restored the Bible to the
altar and next appeared garbed even