BIG CHURCH CONGRESS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 173, 23 June 1926, Page 11

BIG CHURCH CONGRESS

PREPARATIONS IN CHICAGO. GORGEOUS CATHOLIC PAGEANT. GLITTERING JEWELS AND GEMS SAN FRANCISCO, May 5. Altars of onyx and marble; chalices of gold, encrusted with diamonds: rosaries of rubies, sapphires and pearls, strung on chains of gold; crucifixes of hand-carved ivory; veils and vestments embroidered on cloth of gold and silver—these are arriving daily at Chicago, to bo distributed among places of worship for use by the million or so delegates to tho International Eucharistic Congress opening there on Sunday, Juno 20, and comprising five days of Roman Catholic pageantry, the most colourful ever attempted by a Christian sect. >' Virtually every ceremony known to Catholics and practised in their churches will bo re-enacted, with tho aid of jewels and gems from all parts of the world. For tho first time in history, tho spears of Papal guards and tho swords of Papal knights will flash and glitter in American sunlight. Midnight mass on Juno 19 will usher in tho congress, whose formal opening will take place on the next day, Sunday, at noon, with a reception for the Apostolic Delegate, Cardinal Bonzano. The first gorgeous pageant will he held on Monday morning. Out in tho open, on Soldiers’ Field, 62,000 school children will lilt their voices in tho ancient mass of tho angels, composed by St. Dunstan in tho tenth century. Next day, in the same place, 6000 nuns, all pilgrims to the congress, will join with 4000 feminine voices from tho churches of Chicago in singing the Rosa Mystica mass. In tho evening, Soldiers’ Field and the stadium will bo turned over to several hundred thousand men for services under tho auspices of the Society of the Holy Name. Wednesday has been designated as higher education day. Every Catholic school, college and university in the world will bo represented in the series of processions, reunions and masses that will mark this celebration.

On Thursday, tho Eucharistic procession to Mundelein, the headquarters of Catholicism in the United States, will take place. Every delegate will be expected to take part iu this grand finale, with its jewelled canopies and banners, rich vestments and colourful uniforms. Added to these will be the scarlet, blue and yellow of the Swiss Guards, and the plumage and brilliance of tho knights of St. Gregory, St. Sylvester and tho Holy Sepulchre. Contrasting with this glitter will bo the sombre line of the cowled monks, the brown of the Trappists and Cnpuchins and the white of tho Dominicans.

The Papal colours, white and gold, will decorate five bridges crossing the Lake of St. Mary, in which a flotilla of boats, also gay with colours, will carry the choirs of numorous convents. Tho Apostolic Delegate, in a specially constructed ostensorium, will carry the holy eucliarist in the procession under one of the jewelled canopies. After tho benediction, when the procession reaches its destination, Cardinal Bonzano will lead the multitude in the Divine praises, beginning with “Blessed Be God.”

Chicago is making elaborate plans to care for its million or more guests. One railroad will operate a train every two minutes. Parking space has been provided at Mundelein for 80,000 motor-cars.