Evening star., 1926-04-04
Franciscans at Monastery
Have Impressive Services

e.
themselves disclaim any idea of beauty
in connection with the colonnade, and
declare lit is purely practical" The
town of Brookland is growing rapidly,
and doing so I'm the direction of Mount
St Sepulchre. with the result that
there is no longer any quiet or seclu-
sion in the church grounds. The
cloiSter incloSure is not intended to
frighten visitors away. II is in no
sense a mark of inhoSpitality. The
Wide-open approach had proved too
great a temptation to picnickers and
the curious. and the erection of the
cloiSter is to secure some measure of
privacy.
But the exterior aspect is all that is
changed this Easter The order of
services is traditional. and. so far as
possible, duplicates those which are
taking place at the same time in the
Holy Land. There, during Palm Sun
day, the last four days of Holy week.
and Easter Sunday the Sacred Liturgy
in all its splendor is carried out at the
Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Je-
rusalem. And so it is here in Wash
ington at the Holy Sepulchre of the
Franciscan Monastery.
The opening services of Holy week
began on Palm Sunday at 8 am. with
the blessing of the palms and solemn
high mass. At $50 compline and
solemn benediction took place.
The commemoration of the agony
was at pm. on Wednesday,. The
service was held in the Grotto of the
Agony a faithful copy of the Grotto
in the Garden of Gethsemane where
Christ suffered His bitter agony on
the eve of his crucifixion The shrine
in Jerusalem is practically unchanged
in appearance since the time of Christ
Services on Holy Thursday began
at 9 am. in the form of solemn high
mass. after which the blessed sacia-
ment was carried in procession around
the holy sepulcher, and then placed in
the tomb of Jesus, where 1t rested un-
disturbed until Good Friday morning:
The holy sepulcher is a reproduction
of our Lords tomb as it appears today
in Jerusalem, the chapel being built
around the rock from which the primi-
tive tomb was heWn. At pm. was
the touching. ceremony of. the Man
datum" or. washing of the feet. after
the manner of Christ. when he said.
II give you a new commandment that
YOU should do as l have done to you,
that you should wash each others
feet as I have washed yours" Twelve
apostles are chosen to perform the
sacred rite. At 4 pm. began the tene-
brae, which was. sung before the holy
sepulcher. Holy hour was at s
o'clock.
The most important ceremonies Of
all, of course. were on Good Friday.
The services on Calvary commenced
at am. with the singin. of the pas
sion, followed by the veneration of the
cross, the procession. and concluded
with the mass of the presanctified.
The consecrated host was brought
over from the holy sepulcher and Of
fered to the Divine Father on re-
production of the spot where Christ
died. The altar of Calvary Is a. replica
of the one which stands over the place
where the cross was set in the rock
of Calvary. AT the right, an opening
of the marble indicates the fissure in
the rock caused by the earthquake
at the time of Christs death. At 3
O'Clock in the afternoon the way of
the cross was made, everybody kneel-
ing in prayer at each station along the
whole way. The tenebrae was sung
at ( O'Clock. -, .s-,
At s o'clock in the evening the
funeral of Christ was represented in
all sadness and solemnity. Black
pontiticals and black vestments were
donned At the head of the process
sion walked Il Franciscan bearing a
lI"Ge cross decorated with shroud.
Behind him were two friars carrying
the lance and sponge, followed by two
others with the crown of thorns and
The nails, emblem of the passion and
death. TO the solemn chanting of the
"Vexilla Regis" the procession went
from shrine to- shrine. At every sta
tion a sermon was delivered in a diff
Gerent language, Italian, Greek, Polish,
English. French. Arabic and Spanish.
At Calvary the descent from the cross
was initiated in a most vivid and real
istic manner To the strains OF. Sta
bat Mater" the procession then moved
slowly down to the Stone of Unction.
There the body of Christ was anointed
with spices and perfumes while the
choir sang:
Jesus. as though Thyself vert here,
/ draw in trembling sorrom near,
And bending. Ger Thy form Divine,
kneel down to kiss those wounds of
Thine.'' |
The body was then carried to the
holy sepulcher. The doors were slow
ly opened. il was reverently carried
in and laid in the tomb.
The festivities of Holy Saturday be-
gan at s O'Clock in the morning. At
that time there was blessing of the
new fire and of the Easter candle,
chanting of the prophecies and of the
litany of the saints, followed by the
pontifical mass, which in olden times
was held during the night of Holy
Saturday until Easter Sunday morn.
ing. After that there was nothing fur
ther until the resurrection service at
s o'clock in the evening.
Easter Sunday is ushered in by
holy mass and communion in the
chapel of the holy sepulcher at 6, z
and 8 am. At 3 o'clock there is
solemn high mass. and at $3.50 com
pline and solemn benediction complete
the Holy week program.