CHURCH REJOICING

Evening Star, Issue 20253, 14 August 1929, Page 9

CHURCH REJOICING

IMPRESSIVE MEXICAN SCENES MEXICO CITY, July 25. Following on the vast spontaneous demonstrations which have been going on throughout Mexico during the weekend in gratitude for the settlement of the differences between church and State, Mexico’s new Primate, Archbishop Pascal Diaz, announced to-day that Catholic services throughout the land would be resumed on the Feast of St. Peter and Paul. At least 100,000 Roman Catholics knelt to take part in prayera of thanksgiving yesterday at the famous shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patroness, of Mexico. They came in trains, motor cars, and bullock carts in an unending procession. There were no seats or pews in the church, and all knelt. The high altar was a mass of-flowers and a blaze of lights, and from all parts of the Basilica came* the sound of portions of the Mass sung by male and female choirs, while in t obscure corners illiterate peasants followed the prayers read by lay workers. ; ; Hundreds of worshippers hurried to place lighted candles in front of the and these, when partly burned out, were removed periodically in largo boxes in order to permit those that followed. A number of priests were present, but none wore clerical garb nor was there any official celebrations of the services. The demonstration, which was one of the most remarkable in the history of the country, appeared to be a purely spontaneous one on the part of the laity.