Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-20
THIS V

THIS was undoubtedly the frs
i Christian church III Britain Tag
anus and DirEviaEls are said 10 have
found the old church standing in
4. d. $50 and Joseph at his long rest
in hts grave near the south angie 1f
the little oratpry. They added stone
chapel which they called s. Pete
and Paul. and il j. after that fra
church of Britain 7liat the Nafiora
Cathedral! al Washington is named
IS. Peter and Paul
Over on "N- ca r.--AU IIiN.' where
Joseph planted lis rhorn-,he hill is
still so termed 70 this day--the sa0rei
tree was hiossomiIG twice yearly y
feeling Of awe was felt f"r the tree
and il was supposed to possess mirac-
ulous powers Of healing
1t was even thought that if one
could hut touch the holy thorn ali
evil Of disease or MIND would all from
him. SO pilgrimages We're made In II.
especially 1T Christmas time, and a
Yuletide, l.43, the London Evening
Post reported that a vast c0rCoIrs"
gathered to view the thorn blossom
ing.
The thorn came to America in this
fashion: Stanley Austin. son uf the
then poet laureate OF England. ana
owner OF the ruins OF Glastonbury
Abbey, in 1900 gave 4 slip from its
celebrated thorn to the late Right
Rev. Henry Yates Satteriee, first
Bishop OF Washington.
Bishop Satterlee brought the slin
home and planted il IN the cathedral
close OF Washington. near the Choir
School for Boys, now called st Adams
School Its careful nurture and eX-
pert advice from the Department ot
Agriculture made the slip grow into
the hardy tree 1t - at present.
In December 1918 it blossomed al
Christmas for the first time Several
times since, notably in 1898. il has car
ried out it's ancient hiosSoning i'll tes-
timony OF the birth OF Christ, and the
cathedral authorities are hopeful thar
it Will blossom again this year. Re
Gently it sent out some new shoots, as
if preparing for this great event. II
is thought 10y some horticu!turists
that after the tree has become thor
oughly acclimated TO this country il
may begin it's regular dual blossominC
again.
There is pretty ceremony OBJ
served at the home Of the Glastonbury
thorn in England. When Il member
of the r":gring house Of England
visits it. royalty receives a blossom
from the tree Numerous cases are
tIltu III Tl4lISIl ulStSl VI ' iS4 LIZ r
princes who have been presented with
the sacred bloom. In accordance with
this custom during the visit of III"
present Prince of Wales. in Novem-
Der, 1919 he was invited to inspect
the Washii .s'Cn Glastonbury thorn
in the cathedral close. He was de-
lighted with the continuation Of the
ancient tradition in the new land, and
accepted with much apprecia ton
silver box containing a blossom from
the Washington holy thorn.
In further appreciation of the Incl
dent he planted a young oak tree III
the cathedral close. which bears his
name and the date of it's planting.
Every Christina slide thousands of
visitors make pious pilgrimages to
Mount St. Alban to inspect the holy
thorn and to marvel over the arCh-
tectural and structural beauty of the
Bethlehem Chapel. There Is every
reason to believe that the throngS Will
be even greater this year, with the re-
awakened interest in the Christmas
story brought about by the conflicts
between the fundamentalists and
modernists.