REMARKABLE PAGEANT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19384, 20 July 1926, Page 15

REMARKABLE PAGEANT.

PROCESSION OF CATHOLICS. PAPAL LEGATE'S WELCOME. CEREMONY IN NEW YORK. New York witnessed a remarkable demonstration of faith on June 13,. when 300,000 persons stood in the streets near St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral as John Cardinal Bonzano, Papal Legate to the Eucharistic Congress at Chicago, rode in processional to receive the archdiocesan welcome from Patrick Cardinal Hayes. Fifth Avenue, the scene of many parades, has, says the New York Times, never held so colourful, so moving a picture as when the Catholics of that city, some dropping to their knees, reverenced the personal representative of Pius XI. As the scarlet-clad Legate passed he bestowed a blessing, and as his hand was raised the devout spectators bowed their heads. Ten thousand soldiers, cadets and members of Catholic organisations paraded with the Legate. Eight members of the Sacred College, their vivid robes surrounded by the purple, the red, the brown, the white of high prelates, reviewed the processional from the east terrace of St. Patrick's. Later tho Cardinals joined the marchers and walked in a shorter processional that escorted Cardinal Bonzano to his throne to the left of the altar in the cathedral. This second procession called forth all of tho ceremonial pomp and churchly pageantry. Archbishops, and Bishops, the monsignori of varied ranks, from many nations, walked through the street in all the splendid habiliment of their high offices. A Medley of Colour. Page boys in velvet suits, edged with ermine—suits that were sky blue, red, yellow, pink—walked with the eight Cardinals, their small hands joined in prayer. Cross-bearers, attended, by youths carrying lighted candles, led elderly priors and provincials from the religious orders, the simple severity of their monks' robes furnishing striking to the silk and satin of the high ecclesiastics. Student priests from Dunwoodie, serious of mien as they moved forward in their white surplices, were in the parade, as were altar boys, from tiny lads in miniature red cassocks to tall youths soon to leave the role of acolyte. Long lines

of black uniformed and plumed Knights of Columbus and bemedalled Knights » of St. Gregory, forming a special guard of honour to the Legate, went by in the medley of shade and hue. The procession of the Cardinals, escorting the Papal envoy into the church, moved without music and in a virtual silence, the onlookers being spellbound by the majesty of the spectacle. As the marching clerics turned into Fifth Avenue the notes of Adeste Fideiis began, the hymn being continued until the princes of the Church had been enthroned facing the Legate in the sanctuary. When Cardinal Bonzano turned toward the great oaken doors four priests raised a canopy over him and held it there until he reached the door. There Mgr. Michael J. Lavelle, rector of St. Patrick's, in accordance with church practice, welcomed him in Latin to the church. Ceremonial Lasts Three Hours.

The ceremonial lasted nearly three Jiours. During that, time the throng in the streets , held their posts. Madison Avenue from Forty-sixth Street to Fiftyseventh Street and Fifth Avenue for the same distance was packed from building line to kerb. Tho crowd overflowed into the side streets and extended half-way down the block from the avenues. Windows in the Ritz-Carlton, the Roosevelt and in residences along the line of march held thousands of others. Five hundred policemen, from ail branches of the department, held the crowd in chsck. ' Half of the police force was concentrated at the cathedral itself, where Chief-Inspector William J. Lahey, in charge of the arrangements, estimated that 75,000 persons were jammed in a space of four blocks and 300,000 over the whole route.

The procession was scheduled to start at 2 p.m., but four hours before that time the vanguard of the crowd began to assemble. Men and women who attended the early masses at St. Patrick's formed the early arrivals. They took up the most advantageous posts and prepared to hold them. By noon there were so many waiting on the sidewalks at the church that 30 additional policemen were ordered on duty to reinforce the 20 already there. At 12.30 p.m. the first of the 5000 children from the parochial schools began to arrive in charge of nuns and Christian Brothers. Every graduating class in the 118 Catholic schools in the archdiocese was represented. The childish carried the papal colours of yellow and white and many wore sashes giving the names of their schools. Meanwhile the lines of ticket-holders awaiting admittance to the catnedral lengthened. More than 7000 admittance cards were distributed throughout the parishes of the archdiocese and at least 5000 persons, disappointed when they failed to obtain a card, sought to persuade ushers and policemen to permit them to enter. Meanwhile the interior of the great church had been roped oft' and the north and south aisles had been closed. The main altar and the sanctuary were heaped with flowers—yellow and white blossoms, the Vatican colours, predominating. From the organ loft a huge American flag was suspended with two smaller papal emblems. Welcome to the Legate. The service in tne cathedral included a speech of welcome by Cardinal Hayes. He expressed the city's pride in the visit, of the Legate, and said that the great outpouring of the faithful was symbolic of Catholic unity. Mr. Martin Conboy president of the Catholic Club, expressed the welcome and the respect of the Bonzano, in reply, said that he had received a "royal reception. He praised the zeal of Cardinal Hayes and his work for Catholic charities, and paid tribute to the late Cardinal Farley, whose requiem he celebrated. Saying that he had come to America on a special mission for the Pope, the Legate added that Ivew York's welcome convinced him that his mission would be a success. Front pews were occupied by'the diplomatic repreBcntatives of the countries from which the eight cardinals came—Austria, Hungary, Italy and the Irish Free State.