Evening star., 1926-11-23
CARMEL|TESPLAN
HONOR TOPATRON
St. John of the Cross viii Be
Remembered at Novitiate
Tomorrow.

one or the big days in the history
OF the barefooted friars in the Carme
lite order, particularly since their es
tablishment in Washington. will be
observed tomorrow with the celebra
ton Of the feast day of St. John OF
the Cross.
This occasion has been observed
each year at the novitate house, 15S
Rhode Island avenue northeast, but
this year is Of particular moment, be.
cause 1t is the centenary of the
saints canonization and also because
he was made this year a doctor Of the
church-one Of the rareSt honorS ever
paid by the Vatican.
Separate From CanonizatiOn.
This honor, it was explained by
Father Victory at the novitiate house,
seldom is heard of, because it is SO
seldom conferred. In the case of St.
John of the Cross, the doctorate first
was proposed by Leo XIII, more thap
20 years ago, and has been the sub
Ject of debate ever since. 1t is based
entirely upon ecclesiastical learning
thus being entirely distinct from
canonization, which is based purely
upon considerations of character.
Tomorrow solemn high mass will
by Rev. Edward l.. Buckley, pastor Of
st. Mathews Church, with priests
from the various institutions at Cath
olic University and from local
churches participating. Members of
The order will participate in white
nantles and hoods and there will be
chanting by choir Of 16.
Founders of Order.
sc. John Of the Cross. Father Vic
tory explained, was the co-founder
with ST. Theresa Of the Carmelite or
der. and probably went further in the
line Of austerity Of life and self-morti-
tication than any Of the other saints.
He restored the order to the mos
rigid austerities Of the earlier days
Of Christianity. and this rule which
he set up still is preserved in all
its rigor by the members In Wash
ington. The Carmelites in Washing
ton, said Father Victory, "are still
living in the twelfth century," bound
by far stricter rules than any Of the
other Catholic orders represented here,
and using instruments Of Self-mortlh-
cation" Among the facts recorded of
st. John Of the Cross, he said, was
that these instruments had to be cut
away from his flesh when he died.
st. John of the Cross, he explained.
was a Spanish priest who lived In the
fifteenth century. At that time the
Carmelites, one of the earliest of the
Christian orders, came out of the des
crt In the Holy Land, where they had
lived as hermits. utterly out OF con-
TACT with the world, and established
themselves in Spain.
Miracles Are Recorded.
The original Mount Carmel. where
the nucleus of the order was formed
OF these anchorites by St. Albert, still
is one Of the sacred spots in Palestine.
The first rigors of the order were miti-
gated upon their settlement in Spain
by Pope Eugene ~.
St. John of the Cross restored the
order to what 1t had been before this
mitigation. working in common with
st. Theresa. He was, said Father Vic
tory, one Of the greatest Of all the
mystical scholars produced by the
Catholic Church and numerous mir
acles have been recorded concerning
his life-among them that of being
elevated in his chair when he sat in
contemplation.
The feast day will be observed in all
I he houses of the order in the United
States. In the celebration of
the mass Father Buckley will be as
sisted by Rev. Dennis keenan,. rector
of ST. Vincent de Paul Church. and
Rev. Frank A. Schneeweiss, rector of
the Church Of Our Lady Of Perpetual
Help. The Very Rev. Felix M. Kirsch.
o. NJ. c., will deliver the sermon.