Imperial Valley press., 1928-12-24
THOUSANDS OF
CHRISTIANS GO
TO BETHLE HEM
"Holy City" Observance
OF Christmas Day Draws
Large Crowds.
Bv GERSHCN AGRONSKY
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent

BETHLEHEM, Dee. 24.--Over
the traditional spot whore the Christ
was born more than 1000 years ago,
the most solemn Mass in Christen
dom will be celebrated tonight in
the presence of pilgrims from all
parts of I'll" world.
Bishops of the Catholic church,
magnificently garmented for the
annual ceremonies, will read the
Christmas Mass beginning at mid
night in the Church of the Nativity,
the oldest Christian church in the
world, which was built by the Em
press Helene, mother of the Roman
Emperor Constantine.
Christian peasants from Pales-
tine will mingle with richly clad
European residents Of the country
and travellers WHO We're arriving
today by boat, in the pilgrimage
through the low hewn door into the
church.
\ marble manger has replaced the
straw-coHcrrd room of the first
Christmas morning. \ silver star
has been designed ON the floor to
represent the Star of the East
Thousands of candles throw Il soft
glow over the chamber.
The eyes Of all histians Of the
world again VIII bless the event that
happened long ago on the little spot
beneath these peoples feet.
Many were arriving today to take
part in the celebration The steam
Ell Empress of Australia, bringing
many Americans among the 400
passengers, was the first of innum-
cradle ships to dock at Haifa, the
nearest port. The road from IIatia
through Nazareth and ancient Sach-
en- to Jerusalem and Bethlehem was
crowded with pilgrim traffic all to-
day, many on foot like those natives
with whom Joseph and Mary came
on the order of the king to pay
taxes.
Many Sects Present
Splendid us it will be. Christmas
in Jerusalem would attain greater
grandeur if all Christians in Pales-
tine celebrated it at the same time.
OF about $4,000 Christians in the
country, there are probably not
more than 10000 in the Holy City,
and they belong to some l6 different
churches recognizing different cal
CndarS.
Among the sectS represented in
Palestine are the Greek Orthodox,
Roman Catholic, Greek Cniatc, An
glican, Gregorian Armenians, Uniate
Armenians, Jacobite, innate Jacob
ties, Copts, AbyssianS, Unite AbyS-
Sianians, Maronitcs, Chaldeans and
LutheranS. Those using the Latin
and Anglican calendars celebrate
Christmas tonight, and the remain
der l. days later.
Devotions tonight will begin in
the Latin church of st. Catherine,
which is closely bound with medieval
history. The nave will be in almost
complete darkness, but huge candle
labra, electrically wired in recent
years, will light the tranSept
4 screen will shut the eyes of the
people from the greater part of the
Mass only few Europeans standing
near the chanccl being able to
glimpse the ceremonial robing and
diSrobing of the patriarch, clothed
alternately in gold and scarlet.
After the services in the church of
st. Catherine, the robcd dignitarieS
of the church and senior British of,
ficialS with their families, will
form the procession to the Church
of the Nativity and the Manager
The humber worshippcrs, mean,
while, will crouch patiently in the
halfhght, waiting for the lowering
of the chandeliers and the joyous
ringing of bells proclaiming that a
new Christmas Day has dawned.