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Show Feasts in January. NEW YEAR'S DAY was. also the feast of the circumcision, one of the principal days appointed by the Church for devotion by the faithful. faith-ful. Other feasts of the month are the Epiphany, 6; St. Veronica, 13; the Holy Name, 14; St. Anthony. 17; St. Peter's Chair, Rome, 18; St. Agnes', 21; Espousals of the Blessed Virgin, 23; Conversion of St. Paul, 25; St. Francis de Saies', 29. American prelates who will observe anniversaries during the month are Archbishop Katzer of Milwaukee, Mil-waukee, Bishops Northrop of Charleston, Charles-ton, Maes of Covington and Scannell of Omaha. The feast of the Epiphany, or little Christmas, as it is also known, was established es-tablished as a feast in the fourth century, cen-tury, and, according to some authorities, authori-ties, was made a separate feast in 813. It was, and still is, though not in this country, one of the most popular of the Christmas festivals. Formerly it was the custom to choose a twelfth king for the occasion. In France a courtier was made king for the day, and in Germany Ger-many the students of the universities used to choose one of the number for king. He was always the wittiest of the crowd. On the feast of St. Agnes, Jan. 21, a beautiful ceremony takes place in the ancient church outside the walls of Rome. It consists of the blessing of the lambs, two pretty w:hite ones being carried up to the altar by two .ecclesiastics, .ecclesi-astics, accompanied by torch and incense in-cense bearers. A hymn is sung in honor of St. Agnes, and the lambs are then conveyed to the Holy Father for a second blessing. They are then given to a convent of nuns who keep them until it is time to shear them. Out of their wool are made the palliums worn by archbishops. |