HOLY WEEK SERVICES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15189, 9 April 1917, Page 7

HOLY WEEK SERVICES.

AT ST. MART’S CHURCH, The solemn service of Tenebrae, which forms a part of the ceremonial of the Catholic Church during Holy Week, was begun at St. Mary's on Wednesday night, at 7.30 p.m. A large congregation assembled to hear the Psalms that describe the suffering of our Lord recited, and to listen to the singing of the lamentations of Jercmias, that in powerful accents tell of the tragedy of the Cross. On Thursday morning, the Rev. Father O council was the Celebrant of the High Mass, assisted by the Eov. Fathers Qninn and O’Farrell, Father Vi band being Master of Ceremonies. Being the day on which the institution of the Blessed Eucharist is annually commemorated, a great many of the crowded congregation' received Holy Communion. After Mass, a procession of the school children and members of the various sodalities and societies was formed to do honour to thecblesscd sacrament, which was borne ton side altar. Here it rested until Friday morning, a constant stream of worshippers visiting the church all day, and relays of men keeping watch in prayer through, the silent hours of the night. On Thursday night the office of Lenebrae was again recited, and the Rev. Father Quinn preached an eloquent sermon on the institution of the blessed sacrament. * On Friday morning at 9 a.m. a Mass, called the prc-sanctified, was celebrated by the Rev. Father O’Farrell, after which took place the touching ceremony of the Adoration of the Cross. At night the Rosary took the place of the Tencbrae, and the Rev. bather O’Farrell gave a touching discourse on the death of our Lord, He narrated the various incidents of the Passion, which began in the Garden of Olives and ended on Mount Calvary, where nailed to a cross and placed between two thieves He expired after an agony of three hours. On Sunday morning Mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father O’Connell. The congregation filled the church to its fullest capacitv. The communicants crowded the altar rails in hundreds, and after the distribution of the “Bread that gives life everlasting” was finished, the celebrant .gave a short sermon on the words addressed by our Lord to His disciples when He appeared to them in the supper”room, “Peace be' to yon. There was a .solemn High Mass at 10.30, when Father Gilbert was the celebrant, and Fathers Quinn and o’Farrell, deacon and sub-deacon. Father O'Connell again occupied the pulpit. In the body of the church was a big detachment of khalci-clad Territorials from the Racecourse camp, and the choir; Mrs Spillane conducting, and Mr Kearuley prosidin"- at the organ, filled the church with ° harmony. In the 'evening there were Vespers as usual, and a procession of the Blessed Sacrament. The Rev Father Gilbert was the speaker, and taking the “Resurrection” as his theme, delivered a learned and eloquent discourse to a crowded and attentive audience. Solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament brought the week’s ceremonies to a close.