| Show Romes Rome's Many Churches Are Thronged With Devout Worshipers SACRED RELICS EXHIBITED Italian Villages Stage Crucifixion Cruci Crud Scene By THOMAS B. B MORGAN United Press Staff Stall Correspondent ROME March 25 Good 25 Good Friday was solemnly celebrated today in the churches of Rome while villages and small towns held processions anc and pageants commemorating Christs Christ's death on the cross s. Local actors staged scene scene of the crucifixion in many villages of Sicily Near Rome at the village o of Anticoli Anticol Corrado the annual ceremony of carrying carrying car car- a coffin supposed to contain the body of Christ was repeated The celebration here was observed observer by the mass of or the processions inside various vanous churches to honor the relics o of the true cross and b by the singing of ot the Numerous old churches were opened for the only day in the year MANY VISIT ISIT CHURCHES It is the custom among Romans to visit as man many churches as possible on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Fri day Many 1 worshipers do not consider consider con sider they have done their dut duty without without with with- out visiting at least seven The Thc principal Good Friday ceremonies ceremonies cere core monies occurred at St. St Peters Peter's and the Basilica of St. St John wherein are respectively preserved z a alarce large larce piece of ot the true cross and what according to tradition arc the heads of ot Saints Peter and Paul The remains remains re re- re mains of some boards upon which the thelast thelast thelast last supper was served were vere displayed dis dis' displayed played to the faithful in St. St John Numerous Numerous foreign residents of Rome motored to Anticoli Corrado to to witness v c colorful lorI rf l ceremony Tn Jn which the coffin coflin was carried through the narrow village streets by peasants peasants peas peas- ants acting the parts of the faithful faithful faithful faith ful apostles The Virgin Mary porI portrayed portrayed por por- I by a devout mother of the village was comforted by other wo wo- vo- vo men PLAYS PART OF JUDAS wit half-wit ed the The v village pla played part of Judas Iscariot He was cuffed and abused by the villagers until he fled ned frightened but unharmed into the home of a friend Anticoli is a small unpretentious Oberammergau scene of the famous famous fa fa- fa Passion Play in Bavaria aria Parts in the annual ceremony ceremony here are arc kept in the same families for generations The actors used only lengths o of co col colored colored col- col ored cloths and shawls for ing inc The village is the source source o of most mosto o of Romes Rome's artists artists' models Thousands Make Visit To Cincinnati Shrine CINCINNATI 0 O. March 25 A iP-A windswept shrine of ot the figure of Christ crucified looking out over the Ohio river and Cincinnati was the goal today of thousands making their Good Friday pilgrimage Threat of or rain did not deter them themas as they slowly wended their way up upa a long steep flight o of steps to the drab little Church of the Immaculate Conception Conception Con Con- atop ML Mt Adams Priests of or the order led the first of the long day procession up the worn steps as midnight sounded from the city's clocks below Until dark they wait at the summit Origin of this solemn observance of Good Frida Friday is lost in the history of old Cincinnati All AU that is known is that the church its grimy facade broken only by the Christ cruc crucified was built buill in 1859 and that the annual pilgrimages began be gan shortly afterward Year by year the numbers increase Broadways Broadway's Gaiety Hushed on Good Friday NEW YORK March 25 ff JP iF Meditation tion on Christ crucified hushed Broadways Broadways Broadway's Broad Broadways ways way's gaiety toda today Temples of mirth became temples of or religion for Good Friday At the Palace theater vaudevilles vaudeville's pinnacle the Rev Dr Howard Chandler Chan dier Robbins spoke at services conducted conducted con con- ducted by bv the Greater New York Federation Federation Fed of f Churches Lutherans attended at it t. t tended three services at the Globe All AU over New York preachers dwelt dwelton on the seven last words o of Christ The Rev Dr Fulton J. J Sheen of Was Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington preached at St. St Patricks Patrick's cathedral cathedral ca ca- ca thedral and the Rev Re Milo H. H Gates dean of oC the Cathedral of St St. John the Divine conducted a three hour service service ser ser- vice there Trading was suspended in most financial and commodity markets but banks were open |
