Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-24
Easter in Holy Land
Draws More Pilgrims
To Establish Record
BY the Associated Press

Christians of the Old and New
World prepared today to celebrate
the Easter miracle of the risen
Christ in sunrise services, political
masses and pilgrimages to holy
places.
A record number of pilgrims at
tended services and visited shrines
In the drought parched Holy Land.
In world beset with anxiety,
prayers for peace dominated the
1851 Easter observances.
Churches-both Protestant and
Catholic-were crowded through
out the United States yesterday
for solemn Good Friday services.
Stock exchanges were closed in
most countries.
Shops were filled with last-min-
ute buyers Of Easter finery.
Ready for Easter Parade.
In New York-filled with an in
flux of visitors-a close watch was
kept on weather prospects for the
annual Fifth Avenue Easter pa
rade, which will be televised.
Francis Cardinal Spellman sent
an Easter message to the people
behind the iron curtain saying
that Americans would pray to-
morrow that the celebration of
Christ's resurrection would be
prophetic of your own delivery
from persecution and enslave-
ment."
A recording of the message was
made for the National Committee
for Free Europe and will be
beamed in several languages to
Eastern European nations by Ra-
do Free Europe.
In Jerusalem, before the door
of the darkened basilica of the
Holy Sepulchre. the Easter theme
of the rebirth of Christ was
enacted with the traditional
lighting of the new Easter fire."
Sparks struck from flint and steel
ignited wood and kindling in a
brazier which in turn will be used
to light ceremonial candles and
sanctuary lamps darkened over
. Good Friday.
Thousands Go to Calvary.
The Holy City, crowded with
pilgrims. ended it's traditional
Holy Week services of mourning
last night and prepared for the
joyous feast of the resurrection.
Pontifical high mass in the basilica
tomorrow morning will be attended
by diplomats in formal attire.
Thousands of Europeans and
many Americans made the Good
Friday journey in the footsteps of
Christ through the winding cob
blestoned streets of the old walled
city, the stored last journey to
Calvary.
The earliest observance along
Via Dolorosa was by group of
Anglicans who made the journey
at dawn.
Ali lodging houses and hotels
were filled in and around Jeru-
salem. Some pilgrims even slept
in hotel lobbies.
A warm spring sun shone in a
cleudless blue sky as the Holy
Lands drought-said to, be the
worst in 80 years-continued.
Fields and the Jordan hills were
deceptively green and fruit trees
were ablaze in pink and white
blossoms, although the authori-
ties state the entire area faces
the possibility of great hardship
because of a lack of rain during
the annual rainy season now
ending.
In Rome, for the first time since
the end of the 1850 Holy Year,
Pope Plus XII prepared to Holdi
a general audience in st. Peters
Basilica for some 5000 pilgrims
and tourists, most of whom came
from France. Others came from
the United States, Germany, !
Spain and other European coun-I
tries.
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek,
on Formosa, led Chinese Chris
tians in Good Friday prayers for
deliverance of the Chinese NAM
land from Communist DONNA
ton.