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YOUR

HOME
A Church In Miniature





YOUR HOME, A CHURCH

IN MINIATURE

“The Christian must make his home

holy . . . The Christian home must realize

the Christian ideal”—Bishops’ Statement

on Secularism, 1948.

FAMILY LIFE BUREAU

National Catholic Welfare Conference

1312 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Washington, D. C.



Nihil Obstat:

VERY REV. MSGR. T. E. DILLON

Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:

JOHN FRANCIS NOLL, D.D.

Bishop of Fort Wayne



INTRODUCTION

A rapidly developing interest in the restoration of family religious

practices has led to a pressing demand for such booklets as this one.

We trust it will do much to help promote this very worthy cause.

Your Home, A Church in Miniature should serve as interesting

reading for individuals in the family circle, and it should prove useful

to study groups aiming at preparing themselves to meet the threat of

the secularization of the home today.

The publication consists for the most part of contributions made

at various family life conferences, sponsored over the past five or six

years by the Family Life Bureau of the National Catholic Welfare

Conference.

Rev. Edgar Schmiedeler, O.S.B., Ph.D.

Director, Family Life Bureau, N.C.W.C.



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/yourhomechurchinOOunse



CONTENTS

I. Your Home, A Church in Miniature
Rev. Edgar Schmiedeler, O.S.B • 7

II. Family Devotions for the Liturgical Year

Rev. Alphonse Westhoff 22

III. Family Religious Customs of Various Nationalities

a. Family Religious Customs Among German People

Mrs. W. F. Rohman 28

b. Living Holy Week with Christ

Maria Augusta Trapp 32

c. Mexican Family Customs in Our Catholic Southwest

Rev. Theodore J. Radtke 37

d. Slovaks and Family Religious Customs

Ann Michna 45

e. Polish Family Religious Customs

Rev. Valerian J. Rykowski and

Mrs. Frances Kaczmarek 5i

f. Irish Family Religious Customs

Dermond Sheehan 54

g. Italian Family Religious Customs

Mrs. Anna Guerriero 57

h. Religious Practices in the Portuguese Home

Rev. Luiz G. F. Mendosa 60

i. Religious Customs Among the French of Louisiana

Rev. J. Albert Le Blanc 63

j. Religious Family Customs of the Russian Germans in

Ellis County, Kansas

Sister Mary Eloise Johannes, C.S.J., Ph.D 68





I

Your Home, A Church in Miniature
Rev. Edgar Schmiedeler, O.S.B., Ph.D.

DEFERRING several years ago
x

to marriage and the family, in

their statement on “The Christian

in Action,” the Bishops of the

United States noted the need for

professing the Christian truths of

stability and sanctity of the mar-

riage bond and for keeping clearly

in mind the true purpose of mar-

riage as constituted by Almighty

God. But they did more. This

alone, they said, was not sufficient.

“The Christian,” they added, “must

make his home holy— the Christian

home must realize the Christian

ideal.”

There is a great challenge in

these words for us today. Refer-

ring to family life generally in

this country, we must admit that

•secularism has made very exten-

sive headway. As the Bishops

pointed out in their* statement, we

have today, for the first time, an

experiment in secularizing the

home. They would willingly ad-

mit, of course, that we have many

very excellent Christian homes in

our midst. But at the same time

it cannot be questioned that there

are also great numbers that have

been invaded by the secular spirit,

that have become more or less in-

different to religion and the things

of religion.

The antidote is, of course, re-

ligion within the family circle, the

spiritualizing of the home. It is,

therefore, of profound importance

that thpse who are founding a

family, and those who are living

a family life, strive zealously to

“make their homes holy,” to bring

to full flowering in their family

life “the Christian ideal.”

If there is anything the world

needs today, it is deeply religious

families. If there is anything our

own beloved country needs, cursed

as it is with a secularist spirit and

by what Pope Pius XI has called

in his encyclical on “Christian

Marriage” a “perverse morality,”

it is precisely, deeply religious

fathers, saintly mothers, holy chil-

dren and God-fearing families.

How is that need to be met?

How, specifically, can the anti-

dote of religion be applied? How,

in detail, can we spiritualize our

family life? These are precisely

the things we aim to give answers

to in this book.

The family, like the individual,

gets much spiritual aid from the

Church. She is the divinely con-

stituted, organized expression of

religion. It is to her that we

logically look with regard to re-

ligion. Through her sacraments,

through the Mass, through a

variety of devotions which she

fosters, she brings man into rela-

tion with God and channels out

to him the redemptive waters of

salvation. The Church, in other

words, constantly holds out help



8 .YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

to married couples, to fathers and

mothers, for the fulfillment of their

duties to God and man.

The Home, A Little Church

However, religion is not only a

matter for the Church. It* is also,

and very much so, a matter for the

home. And it is in this regard that

we are particularly interested here.

It has always had a place on the

home hearth. The old pagan

Romans, for instance, had as their

war-cry, “pro aris et focis” “for

our altars and our hearthstones.”

But particularly has religion had

a place in the Christian home.

Indeed, to such an extent has this

been true that from early Christian

times it has been looked upon as

a Church in miniature. Thus, we

find the term, “little Church,” ap-

plied to it by St. John Chrysostom

in one of the earliest centuries of

the Church’s existence.

St. Augustine, who lived but

shortly after, touched upon this

same idea when, in addressing » a

group of fathers of families in his

own Diocese of Hippo, he re-

ferred to them as bishops—“my

fellow bishops.”

Again St. Benedict, almost a

contemporary of both Saints

Chrysostom and Augustine, re-

ferred to the monastic homes of

his religious, as “the houses of

God.”

And so in other ways was this

view of the time expressed. The

father was looked upon in a sense

as a priest in the little church,

the home. Evidences of religion

were present within this sanctu-

ary. Religious devotions within it,

all the family members participat-

ing, were customary.

The history of the Middle Ages

—the “Ages of Faith,” as they are

called—shows the same picture of

the Christian home. Family re-

ligious practices and customs were

commonplace in the homes. They

were the expected thing. As a

result, there was little room for

secularism in the homes of the

time. Everywhere there was evi-

dence of God and of the things

of God.

And we may well add that, if

Catholics of our day wish to keep

the spirit of secularism from their

home, if they wish to make God

honored and respected therein,

they may well look again to those

old and tried religious customs of

the Christian families of the past,

and reintroduce them, with adap-

tations suited to the times, into

their own homes. There are many

possibilities for this. We shall ex-
amine some of them in the follow-

ing.

The Sacramentals

Let us look, first of all, in this

connection to the so-called “little

sacraments,” the sacramentals in-

stituted by the Church. These

should definitely find a place in

the family circle. Many of them

even have a direct bearing on fam-

ily life. A relatively simple but

highly . important means of union

between the altar and the home,

they are so many media for chan-

neling from the one great spiritual

reservoir, given into the Church’s

keeping by Christ, the living and



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 9

transforming waters of grace from

the Savior’s fountains.

A sacramental might be defined

as an object set apart and blessed

by the Church to excite good

thoughts, to increase devotion, and

thus to remit venial sin. “The

Catholic Encyclopedia Dictionary”

(p. 467) defines and explains the

term as follows:

It is “an action or object which

in its performance or use bears

some resemblance to a sacrament.

... If used in accordance with the

mind of the Church, sacramentals

are the means of receiving actual

grace to do good and avoid evil,

of protection of soul and body,

and the remission of venial sin.

These effects are entirely de-

pendent upon the mercy of God

who regards the prayers of the

Church and the good dispositions

of those who use them. They

therefore differ from the sacra-

ments both in operation and effect;

but they are an extension of the

sacramental principle of using

material objects to signify spir-

itual truths and processes, and

employing the unity of man, of

matter and spirit.”

The same volume distinguishes

six different classes of sacrament-

als, saying that “the largest class”

consists of blessings—“including

the consecration of Kings, the bles-

sing of abbots, churches, houses,

bells, etc., the blessings and use

of candles, palms and ashes, and

many other objects, medals, scapu-

lars, images, etc.”

We might add that the blessing
given by a priest is a sacramental.

The same is true of the blessings

we give ourselves as we make the

Sign of the Cross, with or without

holy water. So, too, is holy water

itself, used in so many blessings

of the Church, a sacramental.

Actually, there is a great multi-

plicity of sacramentals. Thus, there

are many blessings that might be

called agricultural sacramentals;

that is, they relate to farm and

field, to crops and livestock, to

the things of the countryside.

Again, there are others that might

be termed “industrial.” Such are,

for instance, blessings for an auto,

a dynamo, an airplane, a print-

ing press, a typewriter.

Then, too, many blessings are

for individuals. We shall refer to
some of these later. Many bles-

sings, whether for persons or

things, relate very definitely to

the home and family life. These

last mentioned can be made to

play a highly important part in

driving secularism from the home

hearth, in keeping God and the

things of God within the family

circle.

Hence, they are much in place

in that miniature church, the

home. Those who may be too

sophisticated to make use of them

are probably at least dangerously

near the brink of a secularized

family life.

We have no intention of giving
here a complete treatise on the

sacramentals. But we shall make

reference in the following to such

as pertain in some way to familv

life.



10 YOUR HOME, CHURCH IN MINIATURE

Holy Water

First of all, in speaking of bles-

sings and blessed articles, we may

well think of Holy water. This

blessed water is used for many

purposes and in conjunction with

many blessings. It should be on

hand in every Catholic home.

The formula the Church uses in

blessing it is a very fitting one.

It reads as if it were meant

specifically for home use. Here

are some of its words:

“Whatever it sprinkles in the

homes of the faithful, be it

cleansed and delivered from harm.

Let such homes enjoy a spirit of

goodness and an air of tranquility,

freed from baneful and hidden

snares. By the sprinkling of .this

water, may everything opposed to

the safety and repose of them that

dwell therein be banished, so that

they may possess the well-being

they seek in calling upon Thy Holy

Name, and be protected from all

evil.”

Holy water may be blessed by

the priest at any time. Very com-

monly, however, it is blessed be-

fore the principal Mass on Sunday

and is then used for the Asperges

that precedes that Mass. In many

churches it is kept in a large crock

or other vessel at the rear of the

church. From there the people

can take it in containers to their

homes.

At least one holy water font

should be in every home. There

will be a number of opportunities

to use it during the day. If used

regularly in the evening—for in-

stance, for the blessing of the

children before they retire—this

practice will be a consistent re-

minder to keep a supply on hand.

Another type of holy water is

Easter water. It is so called be-

cause of the fact that it is dis-

tributed to the people on Holy

Saturday, the day before Easter.

Part of the water is used for the

blessing of baptismal water, the

remainder is given to the parish-

ioners. It is used for various pur-

poses in the homes, but particu-

larly for the blessing of the Easter

food. In some places it is used for

the solemn blessing of the homes

of the parishioners by the priest on

Holy Saturday.

Besides the usual holy water,

Easter water and baptismal water,

there is still a fourth kind of holy

water. This is known as water of

consecration. It is used in the con-

secration of churches, altars and

altar stones. It is also called Greg-

orian water, after Pope Gregory

IX, who ordered its use.

The Dwelling Place

The family home or dwelling

place should be blessed. Where

that is done, there really should

not be such a difference between

cottage and castle, between hut

or mansion or palace. Any and all

of these will then be in a special

sense a “little church,” God's bles-

sing resting thereon.

The beautiful words of this par-

ticular blessing read, in part, as

follows: “that God may deign to

send his holy angel from heaven

to guard, cherish, protect, visit



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 11

and defend all who dwell in it.”

The blessing may be given at any

time.

There is also a blessing for a

new home. In giving it, the priest

prays God to give to those who

dwell therein “the abundance of

the dew of heaven, and food of

the fatness of the earth,” and that

He let “their desires and their

prayers find fulfillment in Thy

mercy.”

Mention has already been made

of the blessing of the home with

Easter water. There is still a fourth

blessing for it, namely, that of the

Three Kings, given at the feast of

Epiphany, or within its Octave.

Among certain nationalities this

blessing is still faithfully carried

out.

With chalk, especially blessed

for the occasion, the priest writes

the following legend at the top of

the door of the house: 19-C-M-B-

52. The three letters stand for the

three kings who were traditionally

known as Caspar, Melchoir, and

Baltassar. The numbers, of course,

indicate the year in which the

blessing was given. Incense is used

in this blessing, presumably in

remembrance of the incense of-

fered by the Three Kings.

In religious houses the legend

is written over the door of every

room. Like the other blessings of

homes, this one is meant to invoke

protection over the mind and body

of those who dwell within. In this

instance the priest prays:

“Bless, O Lord, Almighty God,
this home, that in it there may be

health, chastity, strength of vic-

tory, humility, goodness, and in-

dustry, a fullness of law and the

action of graces through God the

Father, and the Son, and the Holy

Ghost; and that this blessing may

remain on this home and on those

who frequent it. Through Christ

our Lord. Amen.”

It is unfortunate today, that

homes are often not blessed. This

may be accounted for in part by

our modern mobility and lack of

home ownership. But it is also due

in some measure to carelessness

and neglect on the part of the

faithful. It is probably also due

to the large size of many parishes

and the preoccupations of the

clergy, particularly at the time of

such feasts of the Church as

Epiphany and Easter.

Evidence of Religion

Sacred furnishings in the home,

evidences of religion on the walls

of the home, such as sacred pic-

tures, images, crucifixes, should

also be blessed. If these are bles-

sed, they are sacramentals.

The Church prays, in blessing

them, that “those that behold them

may be led to contemplate and

imitate the lives and holiness of

those depicted” and “that those

inspired by the pictures to honor

the saint in question, may by his

merits, obtain grace in this fife

and eternal glory in the next.”

It should be unnecessary to say

that pictures of the Holy Family,

the Sacred Heart and the Blessed

Virgin should be in every Catholic

home. Crucifixes, too, should adorn



12 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

the walls. Statuettes and a little

altar or shrine might also very fit-

tingly be placed in these churches

in miniature. Blessed candles and

blessed palms should be given a

place. We shall add a few words
further about these various sacra-

mentals.

The Crucifix: A blessed Crucifix
or representation of Christ on the

Cross should be found in a

prominent place in the home. It

is a most widely used sacramental.

It vividly expresses Christ’s love

for us. And certainly Christ’s death

upon the cross for us should by

all means be kept before our minds

in our daily lives within our homes.

Nothing will serve this purpose

so well as will a crucifix prom-

inently displayed in the home.

Sacred Pictures: As already

stated, there should be at least a

few sacred pictures in every home.

All the better if there are one or

more in every room. They are re-

minders of Our Lord, His Blessed

Mother, the Saints, and of religious

truths. They help to stir the soul,

to instill devotion, to keep away

distraction.

Blessed Candles: Candles that

have been blessed by the Church

should be available for use in

every home. They are age-old and

inspiring sacramentals, and can

be used for a variety of purposes

on the family hearth. They can

be used on the Blessed Virgin’s

May shrine and on the “throne”

of the Sacred Heart. They can be

used in time of sickness or storm.

They can also be used for gala

occasions, on
#
special feast days

and on religious anniversary cele-

brations in the home.

The candle is rich with mean-

ing. The wax represents the Body

of Christ; the wick represents His

Soul; the flame represents His

Divinity. A lighted candle also rep-
resents the Gospel of Christ. Again,

it stands for His Church, the pil-

lar and ground of truth. It is a

symbol of our faith.

Candles are blest by the

Church on the Feast of the Puri-

fication of the Blessed Virgin

Mary, often referred to as Candle-

mas Day. It is customary for Cath-

olics to have candles blest for their

home on that day.

At baptism the Church gives

the newly-baptized a candle as a

symbol of his faith. In the case of

the baptism of infants this candle

is held by the sponsor while the

minister of the sacrament pro-

nounces these solemn words:

“Receive this burning light so

as to keep thy baptism without

blame. Keep the commandments of

God, so that when our Lord shall

come to His Nuptials, thou mayest

meet Him together with all the

saints. .
.”

Among some peoples, the bap-

tismal candle is kept and later

made to serve as the First Com-

munion candle of the child, and

even later still as the bridal candle

and death candle of the individual.

Blessed vigil lights can also be

had for the home.

Blessed Palms: Palms are blest

by the Church on Palm Sunday.

They are afterward distributed to



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 13

the faithful. The purpose of this

treasured sacramental of the

Church is to remind us of the tri-

umphal entry of Our Lord into

Jerusalem which occurred shortly

before His Passion and Death. It

is customary to place the palms

that are taken home from church

over a crucifix or picture in the

home, or otherwise to display them

in the house. Their presence

should encourage us to triumph

over ourselves, over our tempta-

tions and wayward inclinations.

Home Altar or Shrine: Every

home-church should have at least

some little altar or shrine, a place

for the family to kneel and pray.

It should, of course, be blessed. It

need not be pretentious — per-
haps only a little table or a shelf

affixed to the wall. On it may

well be placed a crucifix and a

few candles; above it, a sacred

picture. A vigil light can be kept
available for use at least on

special occasions. Children, proper-

ly instructed, will consider it a

privilege to care for this little

domestic shrine.

Bridal Chamber: Speaking of

the blessing of the home and its

various appurtenances and relig-

ious ornaments, it should be well

to remind that the Church also has

a special blessing for the bridal

chamber. The words used in be-

stowing this blessing are beautiful

in their significance. They are a

plea to God “that they who share

it establish themselves in Thy

peace, conform themselves to Thy

Will and as the years increase,

may be enriched with fullness of

life and come finally to Thy

Heavenly Kingdom.”

It mffet be hoped that young

couples today are not too sophisti-

cated to request this blessing.

Where its influence resides, one

may rest assured that the unnat-

ural vices that have become so

prevalent in modern married life

will be denied all entrance. In

view of the conditions, of the

times, it would seem particularly

unfortunate that this blessing is

so universally neglected today. It

should be speedily brought into

use again.

Blessings for Family Members

There are many blessings con-

nected with marriage and family

life. Not a few of these are for

individual members of the family.

A blessing given an individual

by the Church or in the name of

the Church is a sacramental. It

is a ceremony which calls upon

God to give the party concerned,

either for the present or also for

the future, a right to divine pro-

tection or to the exercise of wor-

ship. It has a special power, not of

itself, but from the prayers of

God’s Church.

The Nuptial Blessing: One of

the greatest sacramentals of the

Church is the Nuptial or bridal

blessing. It has deep significance

and should become more cherished

with each remembrance during

the years that follow its reception.

This solemn blessing is for bride

and groom, but especially for the

former. The fact that it is incor-

porated into the Nuptial Mass



14 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

suggests its importance in the

eyes of the Church.

It consists of three mifoningful

prayers. Two of them are recited

as the priest halts the Mass for

that purpose immediately after

the Pater Noster. With the ex-

ception of the consecration of the

oils on Holy Thursday, no other

blessing is so intimately associated

with the Canon of the Mass. The

third prayer of the blessing is re-

cited over the couple just before

the last blessjng of the Mass.

The text of this blessing is read-

ily available today in the English

language. Hence we shall but

briefly indicate the content of the

three prayers here.

The first asks God’s help for

the two who have been united in

the institution of marriage which

God Himself has founded.

The second draws a detailed pic-

ture of what the life of a truly

Christian wife should be. For ex-

ample, it holds up for imitation

on her part such holy women as

Rachael, Rebecca, and Sarah.

Again, it urges that she be adorned

with virtue; adhere to faith and

the commandments; be faithful to

her husband; fortified through

strong discipline, grave in demean-

or, modest and well taught in

heavenly lore. The words of the

entire prayer are in sharp contrast

to the ideals that stream into the

modern home through the voice of

the world about us today.

The third prayer of the nuptial

blessing is recited, as already

noted, just before the last bless-

ing of the Mass, or, in other words,

immediately following the Post-

communion. The Church chooses

this moment, when the sacred bond

of marriage has been sealed in the

Sacrifice of Christ, and when the

newlywed couple has been united

in the Communion of Christ’s

Body, to close her prayer with

maternal good wishes from the

same source with which she began

the wedding Mass, namely the

Book of Tobias.

“May the God of Abraham, the

God of Isaac, and the God of

Jacob,” she prays, be with you,

“and may He fulfill His blessings

in you, that you may see your

children’s children even to the

third and fourth generation, and

thereafter may have life everlast-

ing, by the grace of our Lord

Jesus Christ, Who with the Father

and the Holy Ghost liveth and

reigneth forever. Amen.”

After this prayer the priest

sprinkles the newly married couple

with holy water. Next, with head

bowed toward the altar, he recites

the usual prayer from the Ordinary

of the Mass that is known as the

Placeat. Following this, he turns

toward them, blesses the two, as

well as all who have been in at-

tendance at Mass, in the name of

the Holy Trinity.

This special nuptial blessing

suggests the high esteem in which

wedded life is held by the Church.

It is the Church’s solemn petition

to God that the union be holy and

richly blessed. Its origin reaches

back in one form or other to the

earliest Christian centuries. It

should be particularly meaningful



YQUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 15

today because of the low estate to

which marriage has fallen. The

Rev. Bernard Sause, for instance,

writes of it as follows in “Why

Catholic Marriage is Different”:

“In this blessing and in the les-

son it stresses, in wise and humble

submission and beautifully worded

prayer and sacrifice, the Catholic

is in calm possession of the one

answer for which others are search-

ing. He has the one counter-influ-

ence to a mentality far removed

from the sacred and only real

nature of Christian marriage. His

is a treasure thoroughly to be un-

derstood, appreciated, cherished.

Its significance is not for the

morning of the wedding, only to

make the Catholic ceremony dif-

ferent from that of others. It is to

regulate married life, to lift it to

a plane with heights that merely

human effort is incapable of scal-

ing.”

Blessings For Children

Expectant Mother and Child:

Very appealing to the Catholic

parent should be the different bles-

sings that center in the child, the

primary purpose of marriage.

There is really a whole group of

these blessings. Thus, there is, first

of all, the blessing of the mother

with child.

The Church prays, in giving it,

that “by the obstetric hand of Thy

mercy her infant may happily see

the light of day, and being reborn

in holy baptism forever seek Thy

ways and come to life everlasting.”

Then pouring forth the blessing

of the Church upon the mother

and the child who lives within her.

the words of the prayer become a

plea that God’s holy angels “may

preside to keep them in peace, and

that God’s blessing may be ever

present.”

Churching: Then there is the

blessing for the mother after child-

birth, the so-called “churching of

women.” In it the Church asks

God’s blessing upon the mother

who, as the prayer reads, “comes

rejoicing into His holy Temple to

make her thanksgiving.” The bless-

ing is customarily given the moth-

er on her first visit to the church

after the birth of her child. In

some countries this was, in earlier

times, made quite a gala occasion,

her neighbors accompanying the

mother to the church and rejoicing

with her.

There is an ordinary blessing for

children and a special one for sick

children. The little ones may be

blessed in the church or in the

home. In some churches a special

service, including the blessing of

children, is held for children on

Christmas day, or, more commonly,

on the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

For more than a decade a beau-

tiful custom of blessing children

has been observed in the Diocese

of Buffalo. There the bishop per-

sonally blesses every individual in-

fant that is brought to the church

at a time set aside specially for

the purpose. For some years the

blessing was only given at the

Cathedral, but more recently it has

also been given at six other centers

in the Diocese. (It is given every

year at the Cathedral and in alter-

nate years at the other centers.)



16 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

Cards containing a prayer of

dedication are handed the mothers

as they enter the church. The

mothers recite this prayer togeth-

er. Since some thousands of infants

are blessed the shortest form is

used; namely, the ordinary bless-

ing, not the special blessing of the

Church for infants.

Beautiful are the prayers of the

Church for the visitation of a sick

child in the home. The words,

pronounced by the priest, are as

follows:

“O God, to whom all things

grow, and by whom they are

strengthened when grown, stretch

forth Thy hand upon Thy servant

who is sick at a tender age: that

recovering the vigor of health, he

may arrive at the fulness of years,

and always give unto Thee a faith-

ful and grateful service all the days

of his life. Through our Lord. . .”

“O Father of mercies and God

of all consolation, who providing

in manifold tenderness for the good

of Thy creatures grantest the grace

of healing not only to the soul but

also to the body, deign to raise

this sick child from his bed of suf-

fering, and to restore him safe and

sound to Thy holy Church and to

his parents; so that all the days

of his prolonged life he may in-

crease in grace and wisdom before

Thee and men, serve Thee in jus-

tice and holiness, and give due

thanks to Thy mercy. Through

Christ. . .”

“O God, who in a wonderful or-

der appointest the ministries of

angels and of men, grant in Thy

mercy that they who ever stand

ministering to Thee in heaven may

also guard the life of this child up-

on earth. Through Christ. .
”

Placing his right hand on the

forehead of the child the priest

adds: “May Jesus, the Son of Mary,

the salvation and Lord of the

world, through the merits and in-

tercession of His apostles Peter

and Paul and of all His saints be

merciful to you and full of tender-

ness. Amen.”

Parents, too, may wish to read

these prayers over their sick chil-

dren.

The Parental Blessing

Of very long standing is the par-

ental blessing. First of all, there

is the first blessing given the new-

born babe by his father and moth-

er after birth. This consists of the

parents individually blessing the

infant three times with holy water

as they say these words: “May

the Almighty God, Father, Son and

Holy Ghost, bless you, my child,

for time and eternity, and may this

blessing remain forever with you.

Amen.”

Very properly is this blessing re-

peated by the parents after the

child’s spiritual rebirth in baptism.

The inspiring practice should also

be continued as they grow up un-

der their care. Thus parents should

bless their children when they re-

tire in the evening. They should

also bless them when they leave

the home, particularly to go on a

considerable journey.

Perhaps this practice, like so

many others, is more faithfully

kept up in religious communities—



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 17

religious families, we might well

call them than in Catholic

homes. There the superior custo-

marily sprinkles the members with

holy water, as he invokes God’s

blessing upon them the last thing

in the evening before they leave

the community chapel where they

had gathered for night prayers.

There, too, the individual member

kneels for the superior’s blessing

both upon leaving the community

and upon his return.

Unfortunately, like so many oth-

er fine family customs, this one is

often neglected today. To be sure,

the parental blessing is still found

in some homes. And, we are happy

to add, there is some evidence that

it is coming into its own again. It

should be a worthy activity to help

make it universal again.

A well known example from his-
tory, showing the observance of

this practice, is that of the recently

canonized St. Thomas More. The

custom had been observed in the

home of his childhood. He contin-

ued it as an adult. Even when he

held the position of Lord Chancel-

lor of England, the second highest

post in the kingdom, he still con-

tinued the practice of kneeling for

his father’s blessing each day be-

fore going to take up the duties

of his high office. It suggests,

among other things, how such a

practice, simple as it may seem in

itself, lends dignity to parenthood

and makes for mutual respect on

the part of parents and children.

To show that the practice of the

parental blessing is not totally un-

known among ourselves, the fol-

lowing example from one of the

dioceses of the middle west might

be mentioned.

The aged father of one of the

Monsignors of the diocese is visited

regularly by his son. When it

comes time to take his leave, the

Monsignor kneels for his father’s'

blessing. Then the father, in turn,

kneels for his son’s priestly bless-

ing. To the two there is nothing

unusual about this. The Monsignor

had been accustomed to receive

his father’s blessing regularly since

the earliest days of his childhood.

The simple blessing of one’s pas-

tor should also be mentioned. It is

appreciated by the faithful. It is

proper to request it frequently and

particularly so upon a visit by him

to the home.

Religious Family Customs

There are a large number of re-

ligious customs that have been ob-

served in Catholic homes of the

past. Some of these are still found

today. Where they are no longer

to be found, they could with but

little effort, be restored again. And

they should be restored. They are

admirably suited to the church in

miniature, the home.

Some of the customs referred to

relate to daily practices such as

prayers in common. Others relate

to the celebration of certain relig-

ious anniversaries or other mile-

stones in family life. Others, again,

relate to the observance of special

Feasts such as Christmas, Easter,

Corpus Christi; still others, to spec-

ial seasons of the church year, such

as Lent or Advent, or to certain



18 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

months of the calendar year, such

as May, the month of Mary; June,

the month of the Sacred Heart;

October, the month of the rosary;

November, the month of the poor

souls.

Many examples of these will be

found in the section of this publi-

cation, entitled, “Religious Family

Customs of Various National

Groups” and also some in the sec-

tion on “Family Devotions for the

Liturgical Year.” However, we

shall single out a few here for spec-

ial mention.

Enthronement of the Sacred

Heart: A religious practice that is
growing considerably in popularity

in this country today is the En-

thronement of the Sacred Heart. It

grew out of a promise made by

Christ to Margaret Mary Alocoque:

“I will bless every house in which

an image of My Heart shall be
exposed and honored.”

The idea of the Enthronement

is that “in the Chirstian home a

throne of love and veneration is

erected for the Sacred Heart of

Jesus, and that His sovereign

rights over the family be thereby

recognized.” The practice is an ex-

ternal recognition of the fact that

Christ is the real head of the

home. It is not merely a passing

act of consecration to the Sacred

Heart but a permanent state of de-

votion and love.

The Enthronement itself is a

simple procedure. A picture (or
image) of the Sacred Heart is se-

cured. On a chosen day, the pas-

tor is invited to the home to read

the Act of Consecration to the

Sacred Heart for the family and

to bless the picture and the home.

It is then “enthroned” in a promi-

nent place in the home. The names

of the members of the family, liv-

ing and deceased, are customarily

inscribed on a scroll and placed

with the picture. The Act of Con-

secration should be renewed by the

family members monthly, and on

special occasions.

Still other suitable practices

should be cultivated. These might

include, for instance, the obser-

vance of the First Friday of the

month, special Sacred Heart devo-

tions during the month of June

the month of the Sacred Heart

a holy hour in the home on Thurs-

day evenings or at some other con-

venient time during the week.*

Pope Leo XIII, during his pon-

tificate, had founded the Associa-

tion of the Holy Family. Its pur-

pose was to promote devotion to

the Holy Family in Catholic

homes. Once this Association was

well known in this country. Today

it has largely lapsed. However, it

is still quite active in some other

countries.

Family Prayer: Family prayer

is a most helpful religious practice

in the home. At some time during

the day, at least, the family mem-

bers should pray together. Among

the daily prayers that might be

^Information regarding the enthronement

is available at a considerable number of
centers in our larger cities. Among other
places that volunteer information are:

The National Center of the Enthronement,

4930 South Dakota Avenue N. E., Wash-
ington 17, D. C. ; Benedictine Convent of

Perpetual Adoration, Clyde, Missouri ; The

Family Life Bureau, N. C. W. C., 1312
Massachusetts Avenue N. W., Washing-

ton 5, D, C,



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 19

mentioned as particularly fitting

for family use are: the rosary and

litanies; meal prayers; morning

and evening prayers; the Angelus.

There is some evidence in recent

years that the practice of reciting

such official prayers of the Church

as Prime, Vespers, Compline by

family members is enjoying con-

siderable growth. Lay Oblates and

members of Third Orders may well

lead the way in further popular-

izing this excellent practice.

Religious Expressions: The rev-

erent use of the name of God and

of religious expressions in the home

is well deserving of special men-

tion and attention. It is a practice

that serves very well as an anti-

dote against a secularized family

life. Among the Italians, Poles,

Portuguese, Germans, Irish,

French, and others, one still finds

such expressions in use. They

should be made generally accepted

practice again. They can exert a

very profound influence over the

fives of the family members. The

following are among expressions

still heard today: “God willing”;

“The Lord reward you”; “Our

Lady, help me.”

It should be needless to say that

the Sign of the Cross should often

be made in the home. And not

only should it be made before and

after prayer, but also at the begin-

ning of any important task.

• Celebration In Home

Religious Milestones: Another

excellent family custom is the prac-

tice of having some little celebra-

tion in the home on the occasion

of such spiritual milestones in fam-

ily fife as the baptism, the first

Communion, or the Confirmation

of the children. Never should the

anniversaries of these as well as

of the wedding of the parents and

the patronal feasts of family mem-

bers be allowed to pass without at

least some notice. A little thought
will suggest ways in which a truly

spiritual tone can be given to such

celebrations on the part of the

family.

The following are at least some

possibilities: family group assist-

ance at Mass and Communion; re-

newal of the baptismal promises

on the part of the family members

on the occasion of the anniversary

of a baptism; renewal of the mar-

riage promises on the part of the

father and mother on their mar-

riage anniversary; gifts of religious

articles to the one whose anniver-

sary is celebrated; the singing of

appropriate hymns; special men-

tion in the family prayers said that

day.

Religious Articles: Mention has

been made in the foregoing of cer-

tain religious articles, such as sac-

red pictures, crucifixes, candles,

that should be in that church in

miniature, the home. A few oth-
ers, some for regular use and some

for special occasions, may well be

added here.

Thus, each member should have

his own prayerbook and rosary.

The older ones may well have a

missal. Young and old should have

blessed medals, scapulars, Sacred

Heart badges. A crib should be in
the home at Christmastide.

Incidentally, the husband and



20 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

wife may well bear in mind that

the wedding ring is a sacramental.

In the Diocese of Westminster,

England, for instance, a hundred

days indulgence may be gained by

a married couple who kiss the

blest ring and recite with contrite

heart the prayer: “Grant us, O
Lord, that loving Thee, we may

love each other and live according

to Thy holy law.”

Means of Renewal: Several

practices that have become fairly

common today are serving as ex-

cellent means for the renewal of

the spirit of the Christian family.

One is the recitation of the pledge

to Christian marriage.

This pledge consists of a series

of short statements covering the

fundamentals of Christian marriage

and family living. In reciting it the

individual recalls to mind the cor-

rect Catholic views and promises

of a manner of life in accord with

them. Needless to say, that, while

serving as a renewal, the pledge

also serves as an effective antidote

against the poisonous and destruc-

tive doctrines and practices regard-

ing marriage and family life that

are so rampant today.

Then there is the renewal of the

marriage promises on the part of

married people. It is customary

for religious to renew their vows

regularly. Why should not married
people do so? The renewal may

take place publicly or privately.

Many churches throughout the

country have the renewal publicly

on the occasion of the closing of

the sessions of the National Cath-

olic Conference on Family Life in

mid-Lent each year.

Still another excellent means of

renewal is the family retreat. This

is a short retreat that husband and

wife make together. It serves as a

means for recalling to their minds

the dignity of the sacramental

state of marriage in which they

are living and the duties they as-

sumed upon entering it. It may

well be made the occasion for

bringing to their attention such a

publication as this one and urging

them to make its content a vital

factor in their family life. It should

lead them to rededicate their mar-

ried lives, to renew their resolu-

tion to live in the full observance

of all that their sacred state ex-

pects of them. Religious make an

annual retreat. Why should not
married people do the same?

To mention just one more devo-

tion, one that is also in the nature

of a renewal and one in which a

number of the aforementioned

practices are combined; there is

the Family Holy Hour. This

“Hour” is held in church, and us-

ually with Exposition of the Bless-

ed Sacrament. Husband and wife,

and even the entire family group,

attend together. Among the feat-

ures of the devotions are the re-

newal of the marriage vows, the

recitation of the pledge to Chris-

tian marriage, the consecration of

the family to the Sacred Heart and

its dedication to the Holy Family.*

*Family Holy Hour booklets, and also sep-

arate leaflets containing forms for the

renewal of the marriage promises and for

the pledge to Christian Marriage are

available at the Family Life Bureau of

the National Catholic Welfare Conference,

1313 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W., Wash-

ington, 5, D. C.



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 21

Common In Christian Home

These various sacramentals,

these religious customs and sacred

articles were once commonly

found in the Christian home. Aidan

Cardinal Gasquet, O.S.B., des-

cribes them for us as found in

England in Pre-Reformation days.

“There was the constant recog-

nition of God’s sanctifying pres-

ence in the family,” he stated,

“and over and besides this there

were those common religious

practices of prayer and self-re-

straint and mutual encouragement

to virtue of which alas, the mod-

ern counterpart of the old English

home knows so little.” And he con-

cluded: “On the faith of those

simple and generally unlettered

people there was a bloom I

know of no other word to express

what I see which perished as

one of the results of the religious

revolution of the sixteenth century.”

In our own day and country,

these “common religious practices”

are still found in some homes. But,

there are others, and in consider-

able numbers, where they are tot-

ally neglected, and perhaps even

unknown. It should be our holy

ambition to restore them again, to

make them universally accepted

once more and carried into prac-

tice — to be sure, with suitable
adaptations that may be called for.

Their simplicity and their beauty

should make them appeal to all.

And the ominous clouds of secular-

ism of the day should make them

appear peculiarly a need. For se-

cularism, insofar as the home is

concerned, is the absence of those

practices on the family hearth. It

is actually the rejection in practice

of the truth expressed in the words

of the Psalmist: “Unless the Lord

build the house, they labor in vain

that build it.”



n

Family Devotions For The Liturgical Year

REV. ALPHONSE WESTHOFF

“THE term, “Liturgical Year,”

calls for definition. For that, I

quote from a paper delivered by

Monsignor Hellriegel at the Lit-

urgical Week held in Denver in

October, 1946:

“The liturgical year is a sacred

cycle of solemnities by which we

commemorate and celebrate an-

nually the ‘Work of Redemption
1’

wrought by the Man-God Jesus

Christ for the glory of God and the

sanctification of men of good will.”

(Proceedings, p. 95).

To this definition he added:

“The historical events, wrought by

Christ 1900 years ago are rendered

present, are brought into our

midst, to the end that, through

them, infinite honor, adoration and

thanksgiving may ascend upon the

Church.” (Ibid.)

Just a little more than a year

later, on Nov. 20, 1947, Our Holy

Father stated officially that very

same truth in the encyclical on the

Sacred Liturgy, Mediator Dei:

“The Liturgical Year devotedly

fostered and accomplished by the

Church is not a cold and lifeless

representation of the events of the

past, or a simple and bare record

of a former age. It is rather Christ

Himself Who is ever living in His
Church. Here He continues that

journey of immense mercy which

He lovingly began in His mortal

fife, going about doing good, with

the design of bringing men to
know His mysteries and in a way

live by them.” (Mediator Dei,

N.C.W.C. edition, p. 57.)

If the Church fives and breaths

in the cycle of the Liturgical Year,

it would seem to follow that the

Church in miniature, the Christian

family, should do the same.

Father and mother and children

will do so, first and above all, by

joining with their parish priests

and their fellow-parishioners, as

the mysteries of Christ are official-

ly celebrated and re-enacted in

their parish church. But they will

do so also by their family prac-

tices of devotion, binding closely

together the Altar and their home.

They will do so by an intelligent

and loving preparation for the

seasons and feasts of the year; and

they will do so by carrying into

their homes religious practices in

the spirit of these seasons and

feasts.

Were there no other reason for

this—and there are many—the very

fact that interesting variation is

introduced into family prayer-fife,

thus keeping it vigorous and vital,

would be justification enough. This

must not be interpreted in any way

as a repudiation of the daily fam-

ily Rosary; but, as a means of

adding also to that practice fresh

meaning, with the changing feasts

and seasons.



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 28

We wish to consider in the
following some forms of devotions

and religious practices in the home

which conform to the feasts and

seasons of the Church’s year. All

will not appeal to everybody; all

will not fit in equally well in every

home. But let each choose and use

those which are best in individual

circumstances.

Advent Season

Comes the season of Advent.

Parents and children will work

together in advance to prepare the

Advent wreath. It is not something

which should be bought, but

made, so that the personal element

will enter into it. It may be hung

from the ceiling or lie flat as the

center-piece on the family table.

Altar and Home Press, of Con-

ception, Mo., has a leaflet with a

blessing to be read by the father

before the first candle is lighted

on the eve of the First Sunday of

Advent. Let mother light the first

candle, then the children in order

of age the succeeding candles on

the following three Saturdays. The

collect of the appropriate Sunday

is said, and, if desired, other por-

tions of the Sunday Mass text may

be added.

With the coming of the Advent

Ember Days, the thoughts of par-

ents and children might well turn

to the task of helping to provide

for the poor at Christmas. Mother

and older daughters might use

some of their time on these days to

make clothing or similar articles

to be given away, while father an.d

the boys, who like to tinker, would

similarly use some of their time in

the production of simple toys. The

materials for all items might be

bought from what parents and

children have saved by means of

Advent self-denial in the matter of

entertainment or other luxuries.

Whether little or much results

from such a home project, there

would be little difficulty in finding

some family upon whom the gifts

may be bestowed at Christmas.

And there would be no harm,

surely, in having the father of the

family read the Church’s prayer

of blessing, the Benedictio ad

omnia, over them, before giving

them away.

Christmas

Christmas itself, of course, is so

rich in traditions of family prac-

tices, I need add only the insistent

reminder that the crib should be

of as much importance as the

Christmas tree; and the more par-

ents and children can put into

these things by the work of their

own hands, the better. Altar and

Home Press, referred to before,

has an inspiring Home Service for

Christmas, which helps to create

the true Christmas spirit in the

home.

In more churches than was

formerly the case, the Epiphany

blessings of the gifts of gold, in-

cense and myrrh, and the blessing

of chalk, are held. The chalk,

brought home by the children, is

used to inscribe the first letter of

the names of the Magi over the

main door of the house. This serves

as a reminder throughout the year



24 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

that, as the Epiphany blessing says

—the home should be the “shelter

of health, chastity, self-conquest,

humility, goodness, mildness,

obedience to the commandments,

and thanksgiving to God the

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

The feast of the Holy Family

calls for special attention. Besides

the assistance at Holy Mass and

the reception of Holy Communion

as a family group on that day

some parts of the Proper of the

feast-day Mass might well be used

for family readings and prayers.

There is the Epistle in Msgr.

Knox’s meaningful translation:

“You are God’s chosen people, holy

and well-beloved; the livery you

wear must be tender compassion,

kindness, humility, gentleness and

patience; you must bear with one

another’s faults, be generous to

each other . . The collect of the

feast is especially suitable for home

use.

When Candlemas comes, a suf-

ficient number of blessed candles

should be obtained, not to be put

away merely for possible use in

the eventuality of a sick-call by a

priest, but to be burned on that

day and on the other great feast-

days, Name days, anniversaries of

marriage and baptismal anniver-

saries.

Blessed candles are sacrament- .

als, and surely the efficacy of the

Church’s
.

prayer is not limited to

their use in the church edifice. In

our homes, too, we want to find

fulfilled what the Church asks for

in the candles’ blessing: “Let them

so provide us with outward light

that by Thy gift, the inward light

of Thy Spirit may not be wanting

to our minds.” (The Missal—Sheed

and Ward)

Before And During Lent

It is suggested by Mrs. Therese

Mueller in “Our Children’s Year

of Grace” that the three days be-

fore Ash Wednesday be signalized

in our homes by making them a

time of plenty in food and inno-

cent pleasure, so as to enjoy then,

in a special way, what is to be giv-

en up during the Forty Days of

tent.

She, too, is my source for the

idea of getting together the bless-

ed palm which has been in the

home for the past year and burning

it just as is done to provide the

ashes for Ash Wednesday in

church. The burning of the old

palm by the children can serve to

confirm their determination to re-

move from their lives the faults

and failings which are made the

subject of their Lenten resolutions.

It is not amiss to recall, even to

children’s minds, that we are dust,

and all of us shall return to it in

God’s good time.

A most appropriate prayer for

home on Shrove Tuesday evening

would be that which is used in

church after the bestowal of the

blessed ashes on Wednesday:

“Lord, give us grace to inaugurate

with holy fasting the defenses of

Christian warfare, so that we who

are to fight against spiritual wick-

edness, may be helped and

strengthened by self-denial.”



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 25

Preparation For Mass

Since daily Mass is a “must” for

all families who can make it dur-

ing Lent, some kind of preparation

of the Mass-text for the following

day is a most appropriate practice

for Lenten evenings. The St. An-

drew’s Daily Missal (E. M. Loh-

mann Co.) with its interpretations

of the texts, and Msgr. Hellriegel’s

“Vine and Branches” (Pio Decimo

Press) come to mind as aids in

this study.

Children will also be interested

in locating and marking the Sta-

tional Church for each day of Lent.

A map of these is provided in the

St. Andrew’s Missal and one on a

larger scale is available from the

Altar and Home Press at Concep-

tion.

From the latter publishers there

is also available an excellent book-

let entitled “Our New Life in

Christ” which contains a suggest-

ed form of devotions for home use

and a short commentary on the

Lenten Mass of each day. This

booklet has the further advantage

of carrying out the same plan for

all of Easter Week.

It is so common, and yet to be

regretted, that with the arrival of

Easter every religious practice that

has been part of our lives during

Lent ceases abruptly. The wonder-

ful Easter Octave is almost com-

pletely ignored. We act like the
man who plows and plants and

cultivates his fields all summer and

then neglects to gather and enjoy

the harvest in the Fall.

We should not fail, for instance,

to give back the Christian mean-

ing to the Easter egg. Most peo-

ple know that it is a symbol of the

Resurrection of Christ. Just as the

chick breaks the shell when it is

hatched and begins its life, so

Christ comes forth living from the

apparently lifeless tomb. Why not
then make it a definite point not

merely to color eggs for Easter, but

to decorate them with symbols of

Christ—the Xi-Rho, the Cross, the

banner of Christ’s Victory, etc.

Never must we forget that children

learn not merely from words of in-

struction but from what they see

and experience.

Here, too, is the place to men-

tion that the newly-blessed Easter

water should be obtained from the

parish church on Holy Saturday

and piously used during the Easter

season. And since Easter is tradi-

tionally the church’s great baptis-

mal day, if the children’s baptismal

candles have been received and

kept, they might well be lighted

and placed on the family table for

the principal meal of the day.

Then, too, all of the members can

together renew their baptismal

vows.

We might add that throughout
the Easter season a spirit of great

joy ought to be cultivated in the

family circle. Father and mother

must jointly devise ways and

means whereby the happiness of

family life is promoted. If the sea-

son is far enough advanced, it is a

time when the first Sunday outings

might be enjoyed with perhaps a

little interesting study of the plants

and flowers which, like Christ, are



26 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

coming forth with a new life. An

appreciation of the beauties of na-

ture is not the least efficacious

means of bringing children to a

greater love of nature’s Creator.

First Communion

Eastertide is usually the time

for First Holy Communion. When
this happy event occurs for a little

member of the family it should be

made an unforgettable day. Cath-

olic parents do not always remem-

ber what a vital part they have in

preparing their children for their

very first reception of the Divine

Food for their souls. Pastors and

Sisters can do only part of the job.

There is never a time when chil-

dren are better disposed to learn

and appreciate the truths of their

holy faith.

Family preparation must not be

limited to an excursion downtown

to buy new clothes. Daily, and

with more care as the holy day

approaches, father and mother

must repeat and renew with their

child what he is learning at school.

And, daily, the family must pray

together for the little member who

is preparing to be with them

henceforth at the Table of the

Lord; there, more than ever be-

fore, to become truly one with

them by union with Christ.

The Rogation Days which pre-

cede the feast of the Ascension pre-

sent another opportunity for fam-

ily observance. After joining in the

procession with fellow-parishioners

in the morning, the Church’s

prayer for that occasion, the Litany

of the Saints, might be repeated

at home in the evening.

While the petitions made to God

on these days are directed primar-

ily toward obtaining heavenly

blessings on the growing fruits of

the field, they need not be limited

to that, especially in our own days

when there is so much beyond our

own personal needs to pray for.

After the Ascension, family

prayers might well include the No-

vena in preparation for Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit once descended

into a little home in Nazareth and

the Son of God began to dwell

there in the womb of His Virgin

Mother. The same Holy Spirit is

needed, with His seven-fold gifts,

to bring holiness to all members of

the family, and to make Christ

dwell in Christian homes in the

midst of His own. Suitable prayers

will not be hard to find if one will

search through the Mass-texts of

the Vigil, the Feast and the Octave

of Pentecost.

Some greater emphasis might

well be placed on the feast itself

by an effort to decorate the home

or the family table with suitable

symbols, for instance, that of the

dove or the tongues of fire. The

grace of Confirmation might also

.
be renewed by all members of the

family who have been confirmed,

when they gather for their eve-

ning prayer. The rite of Confirma-

tion itself could readily be adapted

for that purpose.

Observance Of The Lord’s Day

We have covered very briefly

the principal feasts and seasons of



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 27

the Liturgical Year. But, this pre-

sentation would be more sadly in-

adequate than it is, if a word were

not added on the family obser-

vance of the Lord’s Day. The

writer’s own opinion is that we

must begin by bringing about a

change in our use of Saturday

night. If we can make of it, for all

members of the family, a night

“in” instead of the night “out,” a

great step will have been taken

towards the sanctification of the

Sunday. A half-hour spent in the

family circle reading and discus-

sing the Mass-text for the following

day would make the participation

of all in the Sunday Mass much

more of a living experience. Early

to bed on Saturday night will sure-

ly make for greater attention and

devotion before the Altar the next

day.

The Sunday itself should have

an air of joyous celebration about

it, not by excluding the recreation-

al element which is so much a part

of our American way of life, but by

elevating that, too, to a superna-

tural level.

One final suggestion: Family

prayers and devotions will be en-

riched immeasurably if they in-

clude family song. That is definite-

ly a lost art in our country, but it

can be revived.

Our parochial school children

know many hymns, and perhaps

if they were encouraged to sing

them at home, father and mother,

too, might find that they are fa-

miliar from their own school days.

The joyful heart expresses itself

naturally in song. And if religious

hymns contribute something to the

joy of home life they will con-

tribute something towards holiness

as well.

Perhaps it might well be repeat-

ed that all that has been suggest-

ed—and, truthfully, only the sur-

face has been scratched—will not

appeal to everyone; all will not fit

equally well in every home. But

there is no limit to the adaptations

that can be made. The effort to

live in the spirit of our Holy

Mother, the Church, the whole

year through, will help to make a

reality of the ideal that every

Catholic home should be the

Church of God in miniature. That

sincere and persevering effort will

contribute much to the goal of

making Catholic home life happy,

by making it holy. At home, just as

everywhere else, happiness and

holiness go hand in hand.



m
Family Religious Customs Among

German People

MRS. W. F. ROHMAN

U/HEN the invitation reached
me to speak to the National

Catholic Conference on Family

Life on the subject “Family Re-

ligious Customs among the Ger-

man People,” my first impulse was

to decline gratefully such an hon-

orable invitation. But then the

thought occurred to me that even

my small contribution should not

be withheld from this esteemed

assemb
T

y, but rather be added to

the greater efforts of others whose

one concern is that a rich Catholic

Family Life be restored, built on

the Church’s Year, its divine Sac-

rifice, its life-begetting Sacraments

and its sanctifying sacramentals.

I would love to go with you

through the entire Church’s Year

and point out its transforming in-

fluence on the Christian home in

German lands, an influence, so

permeating that it resulted in a

holy wedding of Altar and Home.

But, because we have not the time,

permit me to stress at least some

of ‘the more important Catholic

customs observed in the home dur-

ing the season' of Advent and

Christmas.

Advent
—

“Rorate Mass”

Advent has always been very

dear to the German peoples of

Austria, Switzerland and Germany:

the time of preparation for the

coming of the Lord, His coming in

the humility of a Child at Bethle-

hem, His coming in mystery by

grace from the Altar, and His com-

ing in majesty at the end of time.

Special efforts are made to par-

ticipate daily—from the first Sun-

day of Advent till Christmas—in

the so-called “Rorate Mass,” a Mass

celebrated early in the morning,

with great solemnity, during which

the faithful sing their treasured Ad-

vent hymns, particularly the “Tauet

Himmel den Gerechten” (Drop

down dew, O gracious heavens). It
is an edifying spectacle to see an

entire family, with lamps in their

hands, humming Advent hymns,

on their way to the “Rorate Mass.”

In many homes one will find the

“Advent wreath,” a wreath made

from pine branches, hung up hor-

izontally in the living room,

adorned with four candles—one for

each week—and with purple bands

descending from the wreath. The

round form of the wreath speaks

of the Church’s holy cycle; its

greens, of the divine freshness that

comes to us by living with the

Chudch’s feasts and fasts; the four

candles, of the four weeks of Ad-

vent; their light, of Christ the

Light who is also our Light, and

the purple bands, of the numerous



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 29

blessings which descend into our

hearts during these “way-prepar-

ing days” for the coming of the

Lord.

The Advent Candle

Another beautiful custom is to

set up in the home the so-called

“Advent Candle.” Into a candle-

stick, covered with white silk, is

put a large candle, to symbolize

our Immaculate Mother Mary from

whom came the Light of the

World. What an eloquent remind-

er of the mystery of the Incarna-

tion of the Son of God born from

the chaste womb of Mary, as this

candle burns on the family home-

altar while the family is at prayer

evening after evening of Advent.

On the first Sunday of Advent

the children must write their

Christmas letter—not to a Santa

Claus—but to the Christchild

('Christkind
),
who, accompanied by

His angels, will bring the Christ-

mas tree and all the good things

on it and under it.

In this letter—and the letter is

of great importance—the child

makes known his most secret wish-

es to the Divine Child, and also

the efforts he is going to make dur-

ing the season of Advent.

Before going to bed the letter

must be put on the window sill.

The first thought in the morning

is: “What happened to the letter,

is it gone?”

Good children’s letters are taken

away during the first night, as a

sign that the Divine Child is

pleased with them. Others—and

their number is usually bigger than

the ones whose letter disappeared

—may have to wait two, three or

more days, a sure sign that Jesus

is not altogether pleased with

them, that their spirit of penance,

of obedience, of work, of greater

purity and charity must first wax

stronger.

“Tomorrow, in the Rorate Mass,”

says mother, “you must ask Jesus

to put greater love for Him in

your heart and promise Him to be

a much better child.”

St. Barbara Twig

The excitement of the first Sun-

day of Advent has hardly died

down when the feast of the virgin-

martyr ‘Barbara, December 4th,

comes along, inviting every mem-

ber of the family to put his “St.

Barbara twig” (a cherry or peach

branch) into water, so that it may

sprout and yield blossoms on the

day “when Mary bore a Flower

bright, which opened in bleak

winter, all in a starlit night.” Na-

turally, the child whose twig has

the most blossoms is holy Mary’s

most favored “Twig.”

Two days later, December 6th,

comes the great friend of children,

St. Nicholas, whose visit to the

home is quite a momentous event,

because he is going to ask every

child about his Advent efforts, his

prayers, especially the daily “Ange-

lus” and his obedience.

The good children receive ap-

ples and nuts, the bad ones are

called on the carpet by “Krampus,”

the black fellow who accompanies

the Saint. “You must change your

lives, or else I will take you with

me,” Krampus tells them. With

joyous fear they readily promise



30 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

and, in the end, also get their

apples and nuts.

Although Krampus will do a

good bit of grunting and rattling

of his heavy chains he dare not,

by order of St. Nicholas, touch any

of the little ones, whose tearful

eyes and stammering promises

prove so eloquently their readi-

ness to amend their lives.

Christmas Preparations

After December the 15th inten-

sive preparations for Christmas be-

gin. From now on the children tip-

toe around the house, and usually

speak in a whisper. The Christmas

tree is decorated with cookies,

hard candies, chocolate wrapped

and frilled tissue paper, gilded

nuts and small apples, all hung on

red thread on the tree. Wax cand-

les, and colored paper chains, and

a large silver star at the top com-

plete the decorations.

Christmas would not be perfect

without the crib. Before the crib

is one large candle burning to re-

mind all that the “Holy Child, the

Light of the world, is with us.”

Around the crib we find candles,

one for every member of the fam-

ily, which are lighted from the one

large candle, for all “light” comes

from Him who is the “Light.” All

kneel in adoration and sing the “Si-

lent Night.”

St. John’s day, two days after

Christmas, brings new joy to the

home. After holy Mass the blessing

of the wine takes place “in honor

of St. John,” the Lord’s beloved

disciple. Before the evening meal

the father fills the loving-cup

which is passed from member to

member with the greeting; “Drink

the love of St. John, the Apostle.”

“And where charity is and love,

there is God.”

On New Year’s eve the family
members gather around the Christ-

mas tree to thank the Holy Child

for the blessings bestowed on their

hearts and home. Around nine

o’clock the father brings from the

nearby bakery a large “Pretzel”

and mother gets the coffee ready.

Before the family sits down to en-

joy the coffee and the Pretzel, di-

vided into as many parts as there

are members, the children thank

their parents for their kindness and

love during the past year and wish

them God’s blessing for the new

year about to begin.

On the feast of the Epiphany

each family receives in church a

piece of blessed chalk to write with

it the names of the three Magi,

Casper, Melchior and Balthasar

over the main door of the home,

inviting the “first fruits of the

Gentile world” to obtain for us the

blessing of the kings to whom they

offered gold, frankincense and

myrrh.

In some parts of Germany and

Austria the children carry bread,

eggs, salt and incense to church to

be blessed. Bread and eggs are

given to the poor, the salt is pre-

served as a reminder that every

member of the family must be “salt

of the earth, never to lose its

savor,” and with the incense the

whole house is filled with an odor

of sweetness, a symbol of that

sweetness of charity which must

bind together parents and children.



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 31

Candlemas Day

The whole family looks forward

to Candlemas day. Each member

takes with himself a candle to be

blessed before Holy Mass to burn

as the Christ-candle in the center

of the meal table on Sundays and

the greater feasts of the year, to be

lighted in days of sorrow, in

storms and sickness, and to be

placed on the family shrine, es-

pecially on the family “May-Altar,”

for the evening prayers.

If a new member is expected in

the family, or if one expects to be

chosen for a godparent, an extra

large candle is presented for the

blessing. This candle is to become

the baptismal, first Communion,

bridal and deathcandle of the child

expected.

On the evening of this blessed

“day of light” every member of

the family lights his new candle for

the recitation of the joyful myster-

ies of the Rosary before the Crib.

After the Rosary, and when the

candles of the Christmas tree are

burnt out, the father cuts the

branches from the Christmas tree,

one for each child, and now the

children can enjoy the candy, nuts

and fruits of that lovely .tree that

brought so much happiness and

charm during the forty days of

Peace and Joy. Needless to say,

these good things taste so much

better because they come from the

tree which the Christchild had

brought to them.

And so I must close. It would

be a delightful task to speak of

the family customs in German

lands during the other seasons of

the year, Lent and Easter, the

Ascension and Pentecost, name-

days and baptismal days, Marydays

and Saintdays. But, may the few

examples of Advent and Christmas

suffice to point out the wealth we

have in our holy Faith to trans-

form our home and home-life.

There was a time when pagan

houses were turned into Christian

Homes. Today, there is danger

that Christian homes become pa-

gan houses. All of us have a sacred

duty to prevent such a catastrophe.

No new means need be invent-

ed. We have them in abundance
in the sacramental life of the

Church. The streams of life must

flow again from our parish altar

into our home and the Christian

home will flourish and blossom in-

to a new spiritual springtide, into

full, rich and joyous Christian life.

As the Church’s Ritual says,

there will abide in it “Health, pur-

ity, victory, strength, humility,

goodness, meekness, the fulfillment

of the law, and thanksgiving to

God the Father, the Son and the

Holy Ghost, and this blessing of

God will rest on our home and up-

on all who dwell therein. Through

Christ our Lord.”

So be it!



Living Holy Week With Christ*

(Examples of Austrian Family Customs)

MARIA AUGUSTA TRAPP

^^HEN we had left our home in
Austria as many voluntary

refugees back in 1938, we couldn’t

take much money or many valu-

ables with us. Soon we should dis-

cover, however, that the things

which could not be taken away

from us at the border—our faith

and all the rich heritage of an old

culture, like music and folk cus-

toms—were the very essentials

which made our family life such a

happy one. They were far beyond

money and what money can buy.

Therefore, when one day someone

pitied us: “Isn’t it terrible to be so

poor?” we answered, astonished:

“But we are not poor; we just don’t

have any money.”

In a way we didn’t so much be-

gin a new life; we just continued

going through the year of the

Church as we had been used to

doing in the old country. There

were a great many of the old cus-

toms which could be transplanted

to the new country. Of these I

want to tell you. This is the way

a refugee wants to pay for all the

hospitality and helpfulness he

found. “Gold and silver I have

not,” he says, “but what I have,

I give to you.” We know how much
happiness there is in celebrating

a great feast in the family circle

together, and so we want to have

*Our Sunday Visitor, March 18, 1951

our new friends share this happi-

ness with us.

I shall tell now how we celebrate

Holy Week in our new home, Cor

Unum, in Stowe, Vermont. These

age-old folk customs should not be

regarded so much as “Austrian,” or

“Polish,” or “Italian,” but rather as

“Catholic,” which means general

or universal. They are everybody’s

property.

On the day before Palm Sunday
we prepare, as we always did in

the old country, little bouquets

made of pussy willows and twigs

of spruce or fir, adding a few

palm leaves. Every little bouquet

is tied around a stick about three

feet long, decorated with gaily-

colored ribbons.

On Palm Sunday we take these
in to church and have them blessed

during the solemn blessing of the

palms. Upon our return home a

tiny bottle (usually saved from the

medicine chest) is filled with holy

water and tied to the bouquet.

On Palm Sunday afternoon the

whole family goes over the whole

property (we live on a large farm),

placing these blessed palms all over

the land. Every unit of meadow, of

pasture, of ploughland, orchard,

vegetable garden, the maple sugar

grove—they all get their own bless-

ing.



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 33

The little bouquets of blessed

twigs serve as a sacramental, keep-

ing away the influence of evil

spirits, averting the punishment of

weather tragedies such as floods,

hail storms, forest fires, and draw-

ing down from heaven God’s bles-

sings on the year’s crop.

The children in the house have

some extra fun on the morning of

Palm Sunday. On this one morning

of the year every one of them

wants to be out of bed first. Then

they congregate before the door of

the one member of the family who

happens to sleep longest and at

the top of their lungs they shout!

“Palm Ass, Palm Ass!” This priv-

ilege of the children to shout loud-

ly throughout the house on Palm

Sunday morning must go back to

those children on the first Palm

Sunday, who greeted their Lord

and Master with shouts and jubila-

tions as He came riding on the

back of an ass.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednes-

day of Holy Week are devoted to

spring cleaning in its most

thorough form. Carpets, sofas,

easy chairs, and mattresses are

carried out into the meadow in

front of the house and there the

winter’s dust is beaten out of them.

If there is some snow left on the

shady slope, the carpets are spread

out on the snow and vigorously

beaten. Then they, are carried, spic

and span, into the house, leaving

a black pattern on the snow. All

over the house the floors are fresh-

ly waxed, curtains are taken down

for cleaning, windows are washed.

Everybody helps, and the house

is buzzing with activity. On Wed-

nesday night everything has to be

back in its place, shiny and glossy.

On the last three days of Holy

Week, only the most necessary

chores are done. Throughout Cath-

olic countries they are considered

semi-holidays.

Holy Thursday

On Thursday morning all the

bells in church are rung during the

Gloria, after which they remain

silent until Saturday morning. The

children believe that they fly to

Rome to be blessed by the Holy

Father. Throughout Thursday and

Friday and Saturday morning the

job of summoning the faithful is

taken over by a wooden clapper.

And so it is in our house. The

bell-ringing for the meals or fam-

ily devotions is also substituted by

a hand clapper. It is handled by

the youngest member of the family,

who announces solemnly from door

to door with a terrific noise that

lunch is ready.

Holy Thursday has a menu all

its own. For the noon meal we

have the traditional spring herb

soup and afterward, spinach with

fried eggs. The evening finds the

family around the festive supper

table in Sunday clothes for a sol-

emn celebration.

At the father’s place are special-

ly made hot cross buns and a cup

of wine for every member of the

household. Making the sign of the

Cross over the first bun while

breaking it, he hands it, together

with a cup of wine, to the mother,

and then down the line to all the

others in the same way.

The family waits, standing, un-



34 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

til the father has blessed bread and

wine for every one. Then they sit

down and slowly eat and drink

“in His memory,” while the father

reads the Gospel of the Last Sup-

per.

After this, the Easter Lamb is

brought in. It should be barbecued

or roasted as a whole. The father,

carving it, serves it to the mem-

bers of his family. There should

not be anything left over. After-

wards, the members of the family

take turns going to church, where

the Blessed Sacrament is kept on

a special altar among flowers and

candles, not exposed, however, but

locked up in the tabernacle in

memory of that night in prison. So

we all take turns keeping Him

company.

Good Friday

Good Friday is a very quiet day.

There is very little to do in the

kitchen as fasting is observed ri-

gorously on this day. There is no

breakfast, and for lunch there

stands on the bare table, without

table cloth, only one pot with a

thick soup which everyone eats

standing up, in silence.

There is little noise around the

house. Talk is restricted to the bare

essentials as it would be if a dearly

beloved one were' lying dead in

the house. This is the day for the

spring cleaning in church or

chapel as the Blessed Sacrament

is not reserved. The tabernacle is

wide open, the candlesticks are

laid flat on the altar, the vigil

light has been extinguished. Then

the holy House of God empty and

desolate, vessels, chalices, cibor-

ium, monstrance, are polished.

Candlesticks are cleaned and fit-

ted with new candles, and every-

thing is gotten ready for the great-

est feast of the year.

As we are privileged to have

a chapel in our house, all this is

going on in our sacristy. The vigil

light before the picture of the Bles-

sed Mother in the living room is

also extinguished like the one in

the chapel. On Good Friday there

is no light in the house. From

twelve to three, the hours of Our

Lord’s suffering on the cross, all

activity around the house stops.

We sit together around a cross and
spend these hours in spiritual read-

ing, prayer, and the singing of

Lenten motets and hymns.

Holy Saturday

Early on Saturday morning the

• whole family joins the other peo-

ple in the village in front of the

church around the little pile of

wood, which is set afire by a spark

from a flint. Very solemnly this

new fire is blessed by the priest.

From it the triple candle is lit, and

the new light, carried in proces-

sion into the church is used for

lighting the Easter candle, the

vigil light, and all the other candles

throughout the church.

We have a couple of lanterns
with us to take home this holy

light. Zealously will the vigil light

be guarded throughout the year.

It should never be allowed to go

out until the next Good Friday. We
also take a few of the blessed

faggots home with us. They are

kept on a shelf in the kitchen.

When there is one of those heavy



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 35

thunder storms, such as we are

used to in the mountains during

the summer, one of these blessed

pieces of wood is put into the

kitchen stove as a protection

against lightning.

On Holy Saturday there is a

great activity around the house.

Chapel and house are decorated

with pussy willows and the first

greens and the first tender spring

flowers. From the kitchen come the

most tempting odors. There the

great Easter ham is boiling in a

big kettle, and the Easter bread,

made according to its own recipe

and braided in its old-fashioned

pattern, is baking in the oven.

On the stove there are various

pots with Easter egg paint, be-

tokening the greatest industry of

the day. In every corner an artist

of the family has opened his pri-

vate workshop. One has some acid

with which he etches the most in-

triguing patterns out of the blue,

green, and red eggs.

Another most artistically fastens

dried ferns and herbs around his

eggs, boiling them in paint after-

ward. When he finally takes off
their garlands, the shape of the

flowers and herbs is left white,

while the rest of the egg is colored.

That looks very pretty.

The real highbrow artists sit

with paint and brush, and under

their clever fingers appear pictures

of an Easter lamb, or the Blessed

Mother, or Our Risen Saviour, the

different patron saints of the fam-

ily, or a few bars of an Easter

hymn with plenty of alleluias.

Ever since coming home from

church in the morning with the

new Easter light from which the

lights in our house are lit, there is

a festive mood all over the place.

Day of Days

On Easter Sunday, according to

age-old custom, meat, bread, salt,

and eggs are blessed. Therefore,

the big Easter ham and the beau-

tiful Easter bread, a basket of

Easter eggs, and a little dish of

salt are placed on the Communion

rail. There is a special blessing for

just these essentials of human food

which the priest says over them be-

fore Holy Mass .begins.

Easter breakfast is a very special

occasion. The table is set different-

ly every year and always most

elaborately decorated. It is amaz-

ing how much love one can put

into such things, how much happi-

ness it spreads throughout the fam-

ily. We have, for instance, an iron
mold with which we bake an East-

er lamb. This presides over the

breakfast table. With red ribbons,

pussy willows and multicolored

Easter eggs, a large family table

can look breathtakingly beautiful.

Everyone finds his special East-

er eggs at his place. All are in a

mood for fun. An Easter egg with

a fitting cartoon referring to some

funny incident of the past weeks

can be a happy surprise. Then

there is a bowl with just plain

colored eggs. Everyone takes one

and asks: "Who wants to crack

with me?” It is an interesting game.

Grasping their Easter eggs firmly

with the small end protruding the

two “crackers” hit the eggs sharply

together, each one trying to crack



36 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

the shell on the others egg, but

not his own.

The highlight for the children

comes when the parents announce

that they think the Easter rabbit

has been around somewhere, and

why don’t they go and look? All

over the garden, or in rainy weath-

er, all over the house, are little

nests with eggs and small sur-

prises. The occasion is like a sec-

ond Christmas Eve for the little

Ones.

Of course, the family is dressed

in their feastday best, which is the

best of the best. When the mem-

bers meet for the noonday meal,

where the blessed ham and bread

and eggs and salt are waiting for

them, instead of saying grace, the

father intones, and the family re-

peats three times: "Alleluia, alle-

luia, alleluia!” This is kept up dur-

ing the whole Octava Privilegiata.

Everyone who tries it will see

how much warmth and happiness

these religious folk customs spread

throughout a family. They are the

liturgy of the home, and a great

help to make every family cor

unum et anima una—one heart and

one soul.



Mexican Family Customs In Our

Catholic Southwest

REV. THEODORE J. RADTKE

IN our southwestern states there

are more than 3,000,000 Cath-

olics of Mexican extraction. They

are citizens of the United States,

born and raised north of the

border.

The influence of Spain through

its missionaries is largely respon-

sible for the Catholicity of these

people; the Spanish culture still

pervades the atmosphere, particu-

larly through the medium of the

Spanish language. Spanish is spok-

en by the entire body of Catholics

of Mexican extraction in our south-

west. The majority of them, how-

ever, also speak in English.

It is going to be necessary for

me in the course of this paper to

use certain words and phrases of

the Spanish language because the

customs of our people in the south-

west are intelligible only in terms

of the Spanish language; there is

no suitable English equivalent.

The family customs which pre-

vail in our southwest are not the

customs of the southwest, but

rather the customs which form the

pattern of life in Mexico. It is well

to note that among our people in

the southwest, where the oppor-

tunities for religious education are

still meagre, religious traditions are

a powerful influence in safeguard-

ing their faith.

It is a very good thing for a

people largely uneducated, accord-

ing to the standards we uphold in

the United States, to have deep-

rooted traditions in family life.

These traditions were inculcated

by the early missionaries among

the Indian peoples of Mexico as

the means of indoctrinating them

in the truths of Catholicism. In

some cases, it may be true, the

traditions are linked with super-

stition; in others, they are purely

pagan rites coated over with a

religious and Catholic significance

by the early missionaries from

Spain hundreds of years ago.

The Sign Of The Cross

The Mexican child may be only

a few days old when the mother

takes its little hand and makes it

go through the movements on the

forehead, on the mouth, and on the

breast, required to perform the

persignarse. The mother forms the

child’s forefinger and thumb into

a cross for this ceremony; she is

very careful that the child do the

act correctly. With thumb and

forefinger crossed the hand touches

the forehead making the four

points of the cross there; the same

is done on the mouth and on the

breast.

The words which are said are

these: “For la senal de la Santa



38 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

Cruz, de neustros enemigos li-

branos Senor Dios Nuestro.” It

means, “By the sign of the Holy

Cross deliver us, Lord, from our

enemies.”

At this point the regular sign

of the Cross is made. The two

“signatures” are differentiated by

the terminology used. The first is

called the persignarse

;

the second,

santiguarse. The first means, sign-

ing yourself; the second, blessing

yourself.

These two signs of the cross are

used together, the one following

the other. At the conclusion with

thumb and forefinger still forming

a cross the child is taught to put

his hand to his lips and kiss the

cross thus formed. The custom is

habitual with all our people of

Mexican extraction in the south-

west. No Mexican would enter a

church, or even pass it by, without

the persignarse and santiguarse.

Baptism

The celebration of baptism is

prepared for from six months to

a year in advance. The celebration

at each baptism must be in grand

style. This requires the expenditure

of -a great deal of money, and the

sponsors customarily furnish the

celebration. This means they have

to save money over a long period

of time before they are ready for

the baptism. This is the reason

why many babies are not baptized

until they are one year, eighteen

months, and even two years old.

Oftentimes sponsors are selected

who live at a great distance. It

is not unusual for sponsors to travel

from Mexico City to Tucson,

Arizona for a baptism. There is

good reason for such extremes of

travel and expenditure. To be

selected as a sponsor is one of the

highest honors that can be be-

stowed upon a person.

Parents select the sponsors; it

is their personal choice and re-

sponsibility, and theirs alone. Be-

cause of the serious and lifelong

relationship that begins at baptism

between the person baptized and

his sponsors, great care is taken

by the parents in their selection.

The word, padrino, which desig-

nates the relationship between the

child and his sponsor, means “sec-

ond father.” Madrina then means

“second mother.” The relationship

of parents to the sponsors they

select is expressed by two very

endearing words: Compadre-com-

adre. There is no English equiva-

lent for these terms.

The sponsors are not necessarily

selected from the immediate fam-

ily. In fact, it is quite customary

to select friends of the family in-

stead, because the spiritual ties

engendered by the relationship of

sponsoring tends to bring these

two families into closer friendship.

In many instances where people

of Mexican descent have lost their

birth and baptismal records, priests

in the southwest have found the

people more accurate in remem-

bering the names of their padrinos

(their godparents) than their own

father and mother. This occurs

principally in those instances

where the child has lost his father

or mother at an early age, or in

the case where the child was



• YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 39

reared with relatives—not an un-

common occurrence.

The sponsors take the baby from

the home of the parents to the

church for the baptismal ceremony.

It is not customary for the parents

to go along. Later, after the bap-

tismal ceremony, the baby is re-

turned to the parents. In some

cases the sponsors will deliver a

formal speech as they transfer the

baby back to its parents.

The celebration on the day of

Baptism usually starts in the

morning and lasts all day and into

the night. Chocolate, cake, and

beer are the common food and

drink served on such an occasion.

In many parishes of the south-

west where the proportion of peo-

ple to priests is 8,000 to 1, it is

not uncommon to have 50 Bap-

tisms on a Sunday afternoon. This,

of course means that very little

attention can be paid to the ex-

amination of the sponsors given

for the purpose of determining

whether they are good and prac-

tical Catholics. Priests are neces-

sitated to allow sponsors to act

in that capacity without demand-

ing too great evidence of know-

ledge and practice of their Cath-

olic religion.

If the standards in many parts

of our United States were applied

to the people in our southwest,

many of the Mexican babies would

never be baptized. In most di-

oceses of the southwest, however,

the regulation is strictly upheld

banning sponsors who married out-

side the Church. Where sponsor-

ship means so much as it does in

Mexican tradition, this regulation

acts as a great deterrent. If all

other church regulations must be

overlooked, this one is never

passed over.

In strict Mexican tradition it

would be necessary to name the

infant after the Saint of the day

on which it was born. Where this

custom prevails the boy baby will

bear the name of a girl Saint, if

one happens to be born on the

feast of a female Saint.

However, in the Spanish lan-

guage almost all the names of the

Saints in the calendar .are applic-

able both in the masculine and the

feminine. Margaret would be Mar-

garita in the feminine and Mar-

garito in the masculine.

Infant Confirmation

In all Mexican territory it is

quite customary to have infants

confirmed while they are still in-

fants. This means any time after

their Baptism—in many cases even

on the same day.

On a Confirmation Sunday the

Baptisms in any given church

where there is a predominance of

Mexican people might be increased

three to five times. If the occasion

presents itself, all parefits want

their babies confirmed. In many in-

stances they will travel for many

miles to be at the church where

confirmation is being administered.

If the people five in a diocese

where infant confirmation is not

the custom, they will travel sev-

eral hundred miles to the neighbor-

ing diocese on a confirmation Sun-

day. Some dioceses in the south-



40 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE
'

west have begun to omit infant

Confirmation; others still retain it.

It is so traditional with the Mex-

ican people that it is almost im-

possible for them to understand

why it does not prevail every-

where.

As in Baptism it is a great honor

to be chosen as a sponsor for Con-

firmation. However, the signifi-

cance and relationship of sponsor

to child is not so serious as at Bap-

tism. Sponsors give the child a

gift on this occasion; a religious

chain and medal is most often

presented.

First Holy Communion

First Holy Communion for the

Mexican child is the most im-

portant date of his childhood. For

the family "it is a day of great

celebration.

For this occasion also sponsors

are selected similar to those in

Baptism and Confirmation. How-

ever, the relationship engendered

is not a very strong one. The

sponsors select a gift, such as a

prayerbook and rosary, to give to

the first Communicant. The fam-

ily custom is the same as that

which prevails in other parts of

the United States.

There is a noteworthy attitude

assumed by the people with regard

to First Holy Communion, which

contrasts rather strikingly with

other sections of our country.

Because the First Communion

classes are large, the children re-

ceive only a minimum of instruc-

tion. Many parents consider that

the child having made his First

Communion is now completely a

Christian, understanding his faith

because he knows his prayers.

Oftentimes parents from the out-

lying ranches will bring their child

to the priest for First Holy Com-

munion saying that the child

knows its prayers. To their mind

this is enough.

People living on the ranches,

far from church facilities, have to

do the instructing of their own

children. Since the parents them-

selves have never received more

than the minimum necessary for

making their First Holy Commun-

ion, they consider their children

prepared so long as they have

taught the children the simple

prayers which they know.

Marriage

In strict Mexican custom the

girls are greatly restricted in court-

ship. Suitors would be required

to carry on their courtship at the

home of the girl’s parents. If the

young couple go out on a “date,”

it is necessary for the mother or an

older sister, or some one of the

girl’s family, to accompany the

young couple.

This strictly Mexican custom is

fast disappearing in the southwest.

Grandmothers and parents who are

of the strict Mexican tradition,

but now living in the United

States, will try to uphold the

Mexican custom. This meets with

little success and is resented by

the young American boys and

girls. It is fast becoming accepted

for Mexican boys and girls to pur-

sue their courtship in the same



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 41

manner, as is customary through-

out the United States.

The engagement may be an-

nounced at a private family party.

More often it is a private affair

whereby the boy presents an en-

gagement ring to the girl and the

date for the wedding is set.

Now the fun begins. The young

couple has to institute a search

for padrinos and madrinas—spon-

sors. In some weddings as high

as fifteen couples are used as spon-

sors (padrinos).

First, there is the couple re-

quired by law, the actual witnesses

of the wedding. Next, the padrinos

de arras—the sponsors of the coins;

then, the padrinos de lazo—the

sponsors of the cincture; next, the

padrinos de los cojines—the spon-

sors of the cushions; next, the

damas de honor—the maids of

honor; next, the flower girls. Of

course, each maid of honor and

each flower girl has a boy to walk

with her.

Sunday weddings prevail in

most parts; in many places, how-

ever, the people have been con-

verted to the United States custom

of Saturday weddings. The Sunday

wedding is the Mexican tradition.

This came about because most of

the people had only Sunday to take

off from their regular work.

Thirteen coins are used in this

ceremony. The coins are presented

by the bridegroom to his bride

while the priest indicates the

meaning of the rite by saying that

these coins are given as a sign

that this man is presenting to his

bride everything that he possesses

with the promise that he will use

it for her support. Las Arras (the

coins) are kept by the married

couple in a safe place for life as

an indication of wealth.

El Lazo is a cincture similar to

that worn by the priest at Mass.

The sponsors of the cincture place

the cincture over the bridal couple

after the Gospel of the Mass and

remove it after the. Communion

of the Mass. The meaning is very

plain: the binding tie of marriage.

Following the wedding* cere-

mony in the Church the families

and invited guests return to the

home or to a rented hall where it

is customary to serve chocolate

and cake. Without chocolate and

cake the wedding would not be

a wedding!

In some parts of the southwest

it is customary for the bride’s par-

ents to impart their personal bles-

sing 'to the bridal couple; follow-

ing this, the bridegroom’s parents

repeat the blessing over the couple.

After the Mass the bride usually

goes alone to the altar of the

Blessed Virgin in the church and

kneels there in prayer for some

moments before stepping forward

to place her bridal bouquet on

the altar. At times this bridal

bouquet is placed on the main

altar of the church.

Funerals

Funerals are conducted in the

ordinary manner of the Church

wherever possible. However, a

vast body of the people are poor—

they are laborers—and they often

request afternoon funerals. This



42 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

is done in order to give the men

the opportunity of assisting at the

funeral after their working hours.

It is expected that all the rela-

tives of the deceased person be on

hand and stay through the night

at the wake. Coffee arid cookies

are served for the ladies, and

drinks are available for the men.

The ceremony in the Church fol-

lows the ritual. However, since

these people are more demonstra-

tive and emotional than we, weep-

ing and sobbing will be heard

throughout the Mass and the

funeral service. This sobbing and

weeping continues to the grave-

side where it reaches a crescendo

when the body is lowered into the

grave. Many feel they must make

a demonstration of their love be-

fore the bystanders by attempting

to jump into the grave. There is

no real intention in the demonstra-

tion.

The wailing will stop immedi-

ately that the priest begins to in-

tone the prayers at the graveside.

After the coffin is lowered and

the cover has been put in place

the priest will throw the first

spadeful of dirt on it making the

sign of the cross with it as he does

so. Thereafter, all the bystanders

step forward to take a handful of

dirt, kiss it, and toss it upon the

coffin.

If the deceased person was in

any way prominent in the city,

it is proper for those who hold

positions of influence in the com-

munity to step forward and pro-

nounce a eulogy at the graveside.

Oftentimes these speeches become

lengthy.

The custom of making speeches

prevails on almost any occasion

of moment; at birthday parties,

weddings, baptisms, dedications,

civic occasions, holidays, etc.

Christmas

The drama of the Birth of

Christ, called Los Pastores, is a

semi-pagan custom. The early mis-

sionaries had to find a way of com-

bining the pagan rites of the In-

dians of Mexico with Christian

doctrine.

Los Pastores (the shepherds) is

enacted once a year at Christmas

time. It depicts the Incarnation.

The roles of St. Joseph, the Blessed

Virgin, the Infant, the three Kings,

a good and a bad angel, are played

by people selected from the com-

munity or neighborhood. When the

presentation takes place all the

people of the village or neighbor-

hood attend in shepherd attire.

Singing and dancing play a

great part in the drama. The songs,

especially, were introduced by the

missionaries for telling the story of

the birth of Christ. The people of

the village will gather in an open

field. Music is furnished for the

occasion and food is brought by

everyone. The songs of the drama

will tell of the birth of Christ, of

the coming of the shepherds, and

of the coming of the kings. There

is also introduced into the drama

a scene where the good angel

throws the bad angel out and

away from the manager. The entire

drama will last for about an hour.



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 43

After the presentation the peo-

ple will stay for some time, sing-

ing, dancing, and eating. Los Pas-

tores is played as close to Christ-

mas as possible, even on Christ-

mas day itself. It is found among

the people who are least educated.

Las Posadas (the inns) is a

Christmas novena which begins on

December 16. This custom is

eminently Mexican in origin. It

is strictly religious and it prevails

among the people who are better

instructed in the Faith. Las Po-

sadas was introduced in order to.

present in# a lively manner the

story of the birth of Christ.

Nine homes of families are

selected in advance for las posadas

(the inns). The families taking part

in las posadas join in procession

every evening during the novena.

They carry candles and stop at a

different home, each night. During

the procession they sing hymns

depicting the story of Mary and

Joseph traveling on their way with

the donkey looking for a place of

lodging.

When the procession arrives at

the designated home for that even-

ing, Mary and Joseph in their

songs will ask for a place for the

night. The song that is sung in

answer by the family there indi-

cates there is no lodging for them.

Each night of the novena Mary

and Joseph are sent away. But

before they go, the entire pro-

cession, singing, passes through all

the rooms of the home of that

evening.

At the home for the ninth even-

ing the family prepares the Christ-

mas crib with the manger and the

statue figures of Mary, Joseph, In-

fant, etc., similar to those we use

throughout the United States.

The novena of Las Posadas is

entirely Catholic in origin; it was

introduced by the people them-

selves in Mexico with the approval

of the clergy.

In many places refreshments

have been made a part of Las

Posadas at the nine homes visited

during the novena. Among the

rich, Las Posadas becomes a ver-

itable party where champagne,

wine, and all good foods are served

the participants.

Holy Week

The custom of preparing for

Holy Thursday by going to con-

fession on Spy Wednesday after-

noon or evening prevails among

the Mexicans in our southwest.

For Holy Thursday a special altar

called the Monumento is built in

the church and set aside for the

Holy Thursday adoration all day

and night. This altar is built on a

special platform, usually quite

high. It is magnificently decorated

with candles and flowers, so that

it literally represents a monument

to the Holy Eucharist.

In some places in Mexico there

is great rivalry between the par-

ishes in trying to outdo each other

in beauty in the decoration of this

memorial monument to the Holy

Eucharist.

On Holy Thursday the custom

prevails of going on pilgrimage

on foot to as many churches as

possible to visit the Blessed Sacra-



44 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

ment and offer prayers of adora-

tion. The adoration continues all

the night through.

Good Friday

On Good Friday after the Good

Friday Mass the monumento to

the Blessed Sacrament is torn

down and in its place is put a

representation of Calvary itself.

This includes a cross about 12

feet high with the body of Christ

on it. Statues representing St. John

and the Blessed Virgin, the Jews,

the High Priest, the soldiers, are

also placed in the scene on the

platform.

At twelve o’clock noon the

Three Hours start. Every fifteen

minutes during the three hours

a priest will mount the pulpit to

preach to the congregation. The

sermons are calculated to prepare

the minds and hearts of the people

for the three o’clock hour when

Christ is to die on the Cross.

Shortly before three o’clock the

altar boys will light up flashing

powder to simulate lightning,

noise will be made in the church

to simulate the earthquake.
•

After the priest has ended his

final sermon, he takes a ladder

and mounts the Cross to detach

the body of Christ. He takes it

down and places it in a position

on the platform for the people to

venerate.

All Souls Day

All Souls Day. in Mexican cus-

tom calls for a religious celebration

that requires preparation. For a

week in advance the people will

be making ready garlands and

wreaths and crosses of real or

paper flowers of every color under

the sun to be used in decorating

the graves of their deceased rela-

tives.

From early morning on All Souls

Day the people will trek to the

cemetery on foot, in cars, and in

buses. The majority of them will

spend the entire day at the ceme-

tery.

At a set hour of the afternoon

the parish priest goes out to the

cemetery for the recitation and

singing of the prayers of the ritual

at the graveside. Following this a

sermon is preached to the as-

sembled crowd. Then the priest

is flooded with requests to go

about the cemetery blessing the

individual graves of the dead.

For weeks following All Souls

Day the cemeteries in our south-

west are colorful with the hun-

dreds of garlands and wreaths and

crosses. During this period the

cemetery becomes a sight-seeing

stop for visitors to our cities.



Slovaks And Family Religious Customs

ANN MICHNA

"T“HE liturgy of the Church is not

an isolated thing divorced

from the daily life of the faith-

ful. Its purpose is not merely to

influence souls on Sunday morn-

ings,. or occasionally in the admin-

istration of the Sacraments. It

seeks rather to induce the children

of the Church to follow the in-

junction of Christ to “pray with-

out ceasing.” Therefore, it enters

the Catholic home itself. This

would seem quite in harmony with

the 126th Psalm, which reminds

us that “Unless the Lord build

the house, they labor in vain that

build it.”

Although domestic liturgy in

many an American home is al-

most unknown, we of Slovak des-

cent have enjoyed the inestimable

privilege of growing up in an at-

mosphere of pious practices and

symbolic ceremonies, inspired by

and encouraged by the Church.

This has given rise to the innum-

erable interesting and colorful

celebrations, to a variety of relig-

ious customs, still observed at least

in part by the majority of the Slov-

aks in America. •

Religious Expressions

Among the Slovaks everything

revolves about the liturgy — the
year, the seasons, the months and

days; work, rest, and play. For ex-

ample, because snow falls near the

feast of St. Martin, the people say:

“St. Martin comes riding on a

white horse.” Overcoats are always

stored away “before Pentecost.”

“Get out the featherbed on the

feast of St. Catherine.” “Do all

your planting before the feast of

St. John.” Such admonitions ex-

pressed in easily remembered

rhymes are passed down from par-

.ents to children.

In 1872, Father Andrew Rad-

linsky compiled a prayer-book,

“Nabozne Vylevy” arranged ac-

cording to the liturgical year,

which has since set the pattern

for the spiritual life among the

Slovak people. Any Slovak brought

up on the
“
Vylevy” will know his

faith thoroughly, be thoroughly

familiar with the Church calendar

and its seasons and feasts, live their

spirit, be on intimate terms with

Christ, His Holy Mother and the

Saints, and have on hand a prayer

for every occasion.

On entering a Slovak home, the

form of salutation is always,

“Praised be Jesus Christ,” to which

is answered, “Forever and ever.”

This salutation is also a “must”

on the street when it is a question

of meeting a priest or religious.

In the home the hand of the priest

and religious is always reverently

kissed along with the greeting. On

taking leave of a Slovak home, the

expression used is always, “Remain

with God,” to which is answered,

“And you with His Divine Son.”



46 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

Other pious expressions heard re-

peatedly in every Slovak home are:

“The Lord help you,” “The Lord

hear us.” Gratitude is always ex-

pressed by “The Lord reward you.”

Family evening prayers in the

Slovak home are said in common.

The Rosary is recited daily. If vis-

itors happen to call, they may eith-

er join in the devotion or wait

until it is terminated. There is daily

reading from the Holy Scriptures,

from the lives of the Saints, or from

“Nabozne Vylevy .” Every evening

before retiring the children receive

the blessing of their parents. Be-

fore leaving home to go to confes-

sion, the father, mother and chil-

dren ask each others' pardon for

any offenses they may have com-

mitted against each other by say-

ing: “Forgive me if I have offend-

ed you in any way.” This is an-

swered, “May God forgive you.”

Evidences of Religion

Crucifixes, statues, and sacred

pictures occupy the most promin-

ent place in the home for the ed-

ification of all. During the day, be-

fore each occupation, the parents

make the sign of the cross and ask

God’s help. The mother never be-

gins to slice a loaf of bread until

she has, with knife, signed it with

the sign of the cross. A piece of

bread dropped accidentally upon

the floor, must be immediately

picked up and kissed.

The family Bible contains a re-

cord of noteworthy occurrences,

such as births, deaths, anniversar-

ies, First Communions, Confirma-

tions and Marriages. Children in-

variably receive the name of the

saint on whose feast they were

born.

Volumes could be written on

these and other religious customs

and practices still observed by the

Slovaks in America. True, many of

them are slowly but surely going

out of use. However, others re-

main. This is particularly true of

those pertaining to the Christmas

and Easter Seasons. Let me des-

cribe these in some detail.

Days before Christmas, the fath-

er and mother collect the necessary

provisions for the family celebra-

tion of the Feast — nuts, raisins,

cottage cheese, honey, and poppy

seed. In Slovakia these items are

produced in season right at home

for most Slovaks are farmers.

Another important pre-Christ-

mas event is the distribution of the

Oblatky. Oblatky is the plural of

oblatka. The word has a close re-

semblance to “Oblation.” It is not a

Slovak word. It is derived from the

Latin, Oblatio, which is the name

given to the bread used for conse-

cration in the Mass. The large

oval-shaped wafers are usually

baked by the organist of the par-

ish who, by the way, holds a very

high place in the esteem of the

people of a Slovak parish. About a

week before Christmas, the organ-

ist goes from home to home dis-

tributing these oblatky, leaving in

each home as many as there are

members in the family.

Christmas Eve among the Slov-

aks is called Stedry Vecer, or “Gen-

erous Eve.” Indeed this is a very

appropriate name, for on this night



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 47

the most generous gift of God was

lavished upon us — He sent His
only Begotten Son to save us.

Christmas Eve Supper

On Christmas Eve the Slovaks

prepare a very elaborate supper.

They keep a rigid fast all day; in

fact, those of the old school eat

absolutely nothing all day until this

“Generous Supper,” as they call it.

At this supper, there is a special

menu that is adhered to with very

few deviations. As a rule, it con-

sists of a special soup made of sour

kraut brine and dried mushrooms,

cooked peas, turnips, and Ope-

kance, — a delicious dish made up
of tiny cakes or dumplings in a

sauce of poppy seed and honey.

Then there are the Kolace, or

Slovak pastry, nuts, and a sip of

wine for everybody.

Only the most urgent reason

would keep a member of the fam-

ily from being present at this sup-

per. Some travel hundreds of miles

from other cities and states just to

be present with the folks at this

supper. If the absence of one of

the members is absolutely unavoid-

able, a cover is set for him, and all

due remembrance is made to the

missing one.

The supper is usually held at a

late hour so that no one need be

late. The head of the family, usu-

ally the father, says a special grace.

Then a specially formulated Christ-

mas wish is recited which lays

stress on God’s blessing for the

family, on health, on success in all

labors, and peace and good will

among neighbors. The souls of the

faithful departed are then prayed

for, special mention being made of

members of the family who were

present the year before, but who

had gone to their eternal reward

since.

The first food eaten is the

Oblatky already described. It is to

remind us of the “Bread that came'

down from heaven” — Christ com-

ing as God and man. Usually, the

father serves the Oblatky. He takes

one wafer at a time, puts a little

honey on it, and hands it to each

member of the family. The adding

of the honey signifies the goodness

of God.

A very lovely custom is this: if

Slovaks know of a person who is

destitute or very poor and alone,

they invite him to the Christmas

Eve supper, and they treat him

with as much consideration and re-

spect as they do a member of the

family. If there are any servants in

the Household they also sit at the

family table for the evening.

Towards the end of the meal,

while still at the table, the family

may be aroused from their remin-

iscing by strains of music, and the

singing of Christmas Carols. This

announces the coming of the

Jaslickare, a group of young men

dressed as shepherds and angels.

One of them carries the “Bethle-

hem,” a representation of the stable

where our Saviour was born. They

very respectfully ask permission to

enter the house and when the per-

mission is given, they come in and

recall in song and verse the events

of the first Holy Night. After this

the family spends the evening in

singing Christmas Carols, until it is



48 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

time to go to Church for Midnight

Mass.

The Feast of Epiphany

The Christmas season for the

Slovaks ends on the feast of the

Epiphany. On that day the priest

visits each home, and with the

chalk he had blessed at Mass that

morning, inscribes on the door of

each home the initials of the Three

Kings, Gaspar, Melchior and Bal-

tazaar; and with the water he had

blessed on the same occasion,

blesses the home, reciting this

prayer:

“O Almighty God, bless this

home, so that in it there may be

health, chastity, victorious virtue,

humility, goodness and mildness,

the fullness of the law, and acts of

thanks to God the Father, Son, and

Holy Ghost, and may this blessing

remain upon this house, and upon

all who dwell in it.”

Last, but by far not the least, are

the beautiful and colorful customs

and practices of the Slovaks dur-

ing the Easter season. Sunday,

Monday and Tuesday before Ash

Wednesday are known as Fasiangy.

They are the days of merriment

prior to a long period of abstinence

from pleasure and food. On Mon-

day night, during Fasiangy, there

is a masquerade ball, a sort of

“Slovak Madri Gras.” It is said by

some, that the significance of this

is dispelling Winter’s gloom, and

welcoming oncoming Spring. If

the ice has already disappeared,

people sow seeds as early as the

middle of March.

The days of the Lenten Season

are observed by strict fasting and

abstinence. Pots and pans are boil-

ed out to remove any signs of lard.

Most of the Slovak people refrain

from eating meat during the whole

season. Some eat it only on Sun-

days. Dairy products, potatoes, and

food made of flour combined with

potatoes, or eggs, or both in dif-

ferent proportions, make up most

of their meals. Good Friday is a

day of the most rigid fasting. Here

again, those of the old school eat

nothing but dark bread, drink

black coffee, or just water.

As on the day before Christmas,

so also on the day before Easter,

Holy Saturday, every Slovak

household is a beehive of activity.

The lady of the house again bakes

Kolace or Slovak pastry, and a spe-

cial bread eaten only at this fest-

ive season, called the Faska. This

again is not a Slovak word. It is

from the Greek Pascha, and the

Hebrew Fesah, meaning “Pass-

over.” This bread is probably in

some way connected with the un-

leavened bread used in the ancient

Jewish custom of celebrating their

great and most joyous feast, the

feast of the Pasch, commemorating

the great national event of Israel’s

departure from Egypt, and at the

same time marking the beginning

of the harvest.

Busy Holy Saturday

Other foods which are prepared

on this occasion are Klobasy,

which are beef and pork sausages,

and smoked ham. Eggs are died in

red beet juice, and in colored water

obtained by boiling onion skins.



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 49

The eggs are decorated artistically

with Batik work, using wax with a

pin point to mark out the intricate

patterns. Sirek is made of eggs and

other ingredients, and pressed like

cheese. Horseradish is ground and

mixed with boiled, grated red

beets. Eggs are boiled separately

to be eaten with the ham.

In the afternoon, when the food

has been prepared for the next day,

the lady of the house places a col-

orfully woven basket on the table.

Into it she puts some lamb meat,

signifying the Lamb of God, a

small piece of home smoked and

home cured bacon, ham, klobasy,

boiled eggs, dyed and plain, the

Sirek, the Paska, some kolace, some

horseradish, and . a little salt. The

basket is then covered with a white

linen embroidered cloth, and taken

to the church where the priest

blesses it, using this player:

“Bless, O Lord, this creation
that it may be a means of salvation

to the human race, and grant that,

by the invocation of Thy Holy

Name, it may promote health of

body, and salvation of soul in those

who partake of it, through Christ

our Lord.” This food is then taken

home, and eaten as breakfast East-

er Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Holy Saturday night, in all

Slovak churches, there are very im-

pressive and joyful ceremonies,

called the Resurrection Services.

These consist of a solemn pro-

cession around the aisles of the

church, in which the priest, altar

boys, flower girls, and young men

and women take part. The proces-

sion is led by a man carrying a

statue of the Risen Christ, followed

by men carrying the paschal and

triple candles.

The procession is started by the

priest intoning the hymn “Jesus

Christ is risen from the dead!”

With the joyous ringing of bells,

and the triumphant sounding forth

of the church organ, the congre-

gation takes up the hymn, and

sings it throughout the whole pro-

cession.

On Easter Sunday, instead of

the usual salutation, “Praised be

Jesus Christ,” it is “Jesus Christ is

risen from the dead,” repeated

three times. And the answer, also

repeated three times, is “Indeed He

has risen.”

Quaint Custom

The Easter festivities, among the

Slovaks, are brought to a close

Easter Monday and Tuesday, with

a very quaint and interesting cus-

tom. On Monday the men and boys

spill water on the women and

girls, and then on Tuesday the or-

der is reversed, the women and

girls doing the same to the men

and boys.

This custom is carried out not

only in their own homes. After

they, have done it in their own

homes, they go out visiting relat-

ives and friends, doing the same

in these homes. Originally the

water was only poured on the

hands, but abuse crept in, and now

the person involved usually gets

more water on the head and face

than on the hands.



50 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

This is all taken in a good, cheer-

ful spirit, the women and girls

knowing that they will get their

chance to retaliate the next day

when they call on the men and

boys.

Various explanations are offered

for the custom. Some say it refers

to the incident of Pilate, washing

his hands before all as a sign of

protest before • passing final sen-

tence upon the Innocent Savior.

Others say that the soldiers, in an

attempt to disperse the multitude

which persisted in choosing Barab-

bas and clamoring for Our Lord’s

crucifixion, threw water at them.

Others again say that the wo-

men who came to anoint the body

of Jesus received the same treat-

ment when they insisted on seeing

Christ, after they had been told

by the soldiers He was not there,

and they were too slow to realize

just what had happened. Finally,

still others say that water was used

in an attempt to disperse the

people crowded in front of Pilate’s

home, after news of the resurrec-

tion had spread.



Polish Family Customs

REV. VALERIAN J. RYKOWSKI and
MRS. FRANCES KACZMAREK

“|~0 the Polish people there is no

part of the year that is more

sacred than Christmas. Christmas

is more than just a holiday for the

exchanging of gifts. It is a holiday

closely connected with family life

and it means Wigilia and the shar-

ing of the Oplatek (Wafer) with all

those that are near and dear to

them.

The day before Christmas, the

Polish housewives are busy prepar-

ing the meatless feast, which con-

sists of five to eleven dishes. The

number is always uneven to insure

good luck and health for the house-

hold during the coming year! It is

believed that the more dishes that

are served the greater the good for-

tune that will pome to the family.

Care is taken that the number of

guests at the Christmas Eve Feast

be even, for an uneven number

means death to one of those pres-

ent. A vacant place is always left
for an unexpected guest. No one

is ever turned away from any Po-

lish home on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve supper is not

served until the first star appears

in the sky. In many homes no food

is served during the whole day, so

the appearance of the first star is

eagerly awaited, especially by chil-

dren.

Hay is placed under the table

cloth in commemoration of the

“Manger of Bethlehem.” In some

homes sheaves of wheat are placed

in corners of the rooms; this is

supposed to assure a plentiful crop

for the coming year. The table is

decorated with traditional ever-

green and mistletoe. An attractively

dressed tree can be seen in one

corner of the room where the

guests gather to be entertained and

sing Christmas Carols. There is a

miniature manger in practically

every home. Gifts, especially for

the children, are distributed on

Christmas Eve.

Before supper the head of the

family says grace, then shares the

Christmas wafer with all, begin-

ning with the eldest and conclud-

ing with the youngest member.

The Oplatek or Christmas wafer is

a symbol of Christ and serves as

a reminder that in accepting Christ

one must love his neighbor. Hence,

in the sharing of the oplatek all

discussions, quarrels and misunder-

standings must cease—brotherly

love must reign.

No beggar, nor stranger can be

refused admittance to the home

because it may be Christ in dis-

guise.

Christmas Hymns

After the supper, the family

gathers in the living room, ex-

changes gifts and then sings vari-



52 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

ous Christmas hymns or Kolendy

until it is time for Midnight Mass.

At Midnight the traditional

Mass, called Pasterka (Shepherd’s

Mass), is celebrated. Christmas

Carols—Kolendy—are sung. Two of

the most popular carols are

Wzlobie Lezy (Away in a Manger)

and Przybiezeli >do Betlejem

Pasterze (Shepherds Hasten to

Bethlehem). The oldest Christmas

Carol dates back to 1624. The

two mentioned above were written

in the 17th century.

One custom that the children

eagerly await is the Manger

(Yaselka), a presentation of scenes

from the life of Christ. Gaily at-

tired minstrels march from house to

house singing Christmas Carols and

also put on Nativity shows.

There are many legends con-

nected with the Christmas holi-

days. The most popular one is

about the cattle speaking the hu-

man language on Christmas night;

however only one who is without

sin can hear and understand them.

No manual labor is performed

on Christmas Day. It is a day for

prayer and festivity and the gather-

ing of families, relatives, and

friends.

Aside from the strict observance

of fast and abstinence during Lent

and making the Way of the Cross
—there is a unique and exclusively

Polish devotion called the Gorzkle

Zale which means literally, “Bitter

Sorrows.” This devotion is divided

into three parts, consisting of

hymns or lamentations and medita-

tions on the Passion of Our Lord.

Lamentations Chanted

Although these lamentations can

be recited, their full beauty and

true value are to be found in the

traditional chant with the entire

congregation taking active part.

Only when this is accomplished

can the real value and effect upon

the soul be fully appreciated.

Without a doubt, were these de-

votions to be presented to the

American Catholics they would

most readily be accepted. (A

translation of the devotions with

the music notations can be had by

writing to the Marymount Publica-

tions, 6804 Lansing Avenue,

Cleveland 5, Ohio.)

On Good Friday, according to

the full liturgy of the Church, the

Crucifix is unveiled and presented

to the faithful for adoration. After

3 p.m. a replica of Christ’s body

is laid in a sepulchre and covered

with flowers. Groups of people

go from church to ghurch to wor-

ship at the tomb.

The special religious feature of

Holy Saturday is the blessing of

various foods, but especially the

egg and the lamb. The egg symbo-

lizes Christ in the tomb. At break-

fast on Easter Sunday the egg is

broken to represent Christ’s resur-

rection and then shared with every-

one to show the unity that exists

between Christ and His loved ones

The lamb, moulded of butter or

pastry, symbolizes the Lamb of

God and all partake of the lamb

with the full realization that with-

out the Lamb of God there could

be no salvation. Because of their



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 53

symbolic Significance the egg and

lamb are given the place of honor

—in the center of the table.

Easter is also a holiday connect-

ed with family life. On Easter Sun-

day the dining table is decorated

with garlands of periwinkle, bil-

berry leaves and cress. Before din-

ner the hostess partakes with her

guests of blessed eggs, and greet-

ings are exchanged. Easter eggs

are hard-boiled and painted in var-

ious patterns called pisanki. A

center-piece for the table is made

in the form of a lamb.

Corpus Christi is a great re-

ligious pageant of the year. Im-

pressive pageantry and devotions

are part of the Corpus Christi

processions.

There are two very ancient cus-

toms which still survive in War-

saw and Cracow. One is the cele-

bration of the Festival of Wreaths

on St. John’s Eve, June 24. An-

other is the Sea Festival which falls

on the eve of June 28. On June

29 the holiday spirit prevails in all

Poland and all homes are attrac-

tively decorated. (The hopes of the

entire Polish nation are centered

upon the sea.)

Such are at least some of the

outstanding religious customs that

are common among the Polish peo-

ple.

There is another custom which

is part of the everyday life of the

Polish people and that is the greet-

ing as one enters a home. Instead

of a “hello” one greets the occu-

pants with “Praise be to Jesus.”

The occupants reply by “Forever

and ever. Amen.”



Irish Family Religious Customs

DERMOND SHEEHAN

QURING their three hundred
years or more of religious per-

secution the Irish people were

robbed of the inspiration for home

observances that comes from the

solemn celebrations of the Church.

During that time also, and even

for four centuries before, econom-

ic and political persecution reduced

the Irish family to a life of never-

ending struggle for the barest ma-

terial necessities of life.

External religious observances

were, therefore, at a minimum. Yet

the spirit of religion and also of

family devotion burned always

brighter and brighter. Every Irish-

man today looks with grateful

wonder on the miracle of grace

worked by our ancestors in that

persecuted land.

Faith Is Necessary

In the story of Irish families

there is a strong reminder to us of

what our most important task is at

a Catholic conference on family

life. While we can thank God that

He has inspired us to work for the

welfare of the family through a

great effort to promote social jus-

tice and charity, we can never say

that economic security is the most

necessary thing for the family. The

one thing necessary is our Catholic

faith.

In Ireland family life flourished

when material conditions were

worse than one might imagine

could be endured by any people.

Yet there were always large and

devoted families. There was al-

ways perfect fidelity. The mater-

ial bonds were very weak indeed,

but the spiritual bonds were un-

breakable. The grace of God and

the examples of great saints had

put into the souls of our ancestors

a fear of God and a reverence for

all holy things that starvation and

the 'sword could never remove.

The external expressions of the

faith in an Irish home are seen best

in the sayings that characterize

every conversation. The simple ex-

pressions, “Thank God,” “With

God’s help,” and “God bless you,”

are continually on everybody’s lips.

On entering a home one always

says, “The blessing of God on you

all,” or “God save all here.”

Many of the sayings really lose

their flavor in being translated

from the Gaelic, but I will give a

few more examples.

When there are worries about

paying the debts, the expression

that is used is, “The help of Cod

is nearer than the door.” In pro-

viding for a large family the peo-

ple say, “God never created a

mouth that He did not provide it

with food.” On seeing the first

fruits of the season one would say,

“May God bless this year.” After

the people of a community would



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 55

finish the cooperative packing of

butter, the parting word to each

other is, “May God increase your

milk and butter.”

The simplest actions are made

an occasion of prayer. When the

lights are turned on there is the

appropriate prayer, “May God give

the light of Heaven to our souls.”

Abundance of Sayings

In a country so full of sorrow

there has always been an abund-

ance of sayings to express the resig-

nation to the will of God that is to

be found in a truly Catholic soul.

There was always, too, a sensi-

tiveness to the common sharing of

suffering. On hearing of a tragedy

one would say, “May God save

those who hear or tell of it.”

When leaving a home after a
visit one would usually say, “May

you have good news from God and

from over the sea.” That last

phrase is a reminder of something

that loomed large in every Irish

family, the leaving of Ireland by

so many sons and daughters be-

cause of the poor economic con-

ditions.

One privilege that the persecu-

tors unwittingly gained for the

Irish people was that the Holy

Sacrifice is frequently offered in

the homes. This was especially

true, of course, in the penal days.

After Catholic Emancipation many

of the landlords would not allow

churches to be built and so the

priests came to the homes. This

custom has been kept up since the

building of the churches, and as a

result, still have there the Stations

as they are called.

In each townland or neighbor-

hood in the rural parishes the priest

says Mass in one of the homes

twice a year, in Advent and at

Easter time. In some parts of Ire-

land it may be more often. Almost

all go to Confession and receive

Holy Communion at the Station.

After Mass breakfast is served and

matters of interest to the com-

munity are discussed by the priests

and the people.

Thanksgiving After Harvest

The preparations for the Station

involve a complete job of repair-

ing and cleaning in the house. Out

of respect for the priest the roads

leading to the house also are re-

paired. The Station in Advent has

come to have a special significance

as a thanksgiving after the harvest.

Christmas is the great family

feast in Ireland. All those who can

do so return home, and it is in-

deed a wonderful family reunion

for those who can gather around

the big turf fire. The Rosary on

that night is offered especially for

those who are in foreign countries.

Every home is given a thorough

cleaning for the Coming of the

Christ Child. The. farmyard and

driveways are included in the

cleaning-up. On Christmas Night—

or Christmas Eve as it is called in

this country—three large candles

are lighted in the living room and

three medium-sized candles in each

window. These are for the Divine

Infant, His Blessed Mother, and

St. Joseph. The door of every Irish



56 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

house is left unlocked on that

night so that the Holy Family can

enter.

There is scarcely any work done

until the day after Epiphany. This

is especially a time for visiting

relatives.

Devotion to one’s relatives is an

important part of Irish family life

and it has been transferred to our

life in the United States. We think
of the family not only in terms of

the father, mother, and children at

home, but alsP of the married

brothers and sisters, the uncles and

aunts and cousins and all the

varied relationships.

Thus there is a very salutary

sharing of joys and of trials and a

wide variety of normal recreation

provided within this larger family

group. The excellent moral and re-

ligious influence that results from

this shows itself in countless subtle

and unobtrusive ways.

Family Rosary A Must

No family in Ireland would

think of retiring without saying

the Rosary together. In many

homes the fifteen decades are said

on Saturday in thanksgiving for

the blessings of the week.

The “trimmings” or intentions

take as long to say as the Rosary

itself. These express prayers for the

honor and glory of God, for thanks-

giving, for members of the family

away from home, and especially

those beyond the ocean. Again,

there is a rememberance of rela-

tives, friends, and neighbors, of

travellers who are in distress. For

those who do us injury there is the

invocation, “May God direct them

in the way of salvation.” Every de-

parted relative and friend is men-

tioned. “The man who was killed

on the coach road” is not forgotten

even though the accident had hap-

pened a hundred years ago.

In a country like Ireland where

there was so much oppression,

many people were forced to beg.

But the Irish people never called

them beggars. They were known as

travellers, or as walking men and

walking women. They were wel-

come guests in every home and

were made comfortable for a

night’s lodging. The prayers of-

fered in return for this hospitality

brought many blessings to Irish

homes.

We may well end this little ac-
count on the note that the Irish

home is always open to Our Lord

and Our Lady and their poor ones.

A very ancient Gaelic poem ex-
pressed this spirit very well in the

following lines:

Oh King of Stars!

Whether my house be dark or

bright,

Never shall it be closed against

any one,

Lest’ Christ close His house

against me.

If there be a guest in your house

And you conceal anything from

him,

’Tis not the guest that will be

without it,

But Jesus, Mary’s Son.



Italian Family Religious Customs

MRS. ANNA GUERRIERO

"T“HE practices and customs I

shall refer to are those that our

parents and grandparents used to

observe when we were children.

We now find they are worthwhile
and that they can and should be

observed by us in our day.

Looking Towards Marriage

Preparations for the marriage

sacrament are seriously made and

there is a great deal of formality.

A young girl and boy are taught

very early to have regard for the

virtue of purity. The Madonna,

the embodiment as it were of this

virtue, stands for men and women

as their highest ideal. The women

that men are to marry are set up-

on a lofty pedestal and have to

meet the tests of thrift, of house-

keeping knowledge, and by the

facing of responsibilities. The par-

ents prepare the young people with

every possible safeguard by nego-

tiating preliminary contracts and

by holding many consultations.

The religious ceremony of the

marriage takes precedence over all

other arrangements. High Mass is

a “must” in many places. The par-

ish priest is invited to the.marriage

feast. The rate of successful mar-

riages runs high among the Italians.

Careful preparation and the im-

portant part played by religion can

be said to be the outstanding fac-

tors contributing to this.

The sacredness of the family is

an ideal to which all of us sub-

scribe very early in life. To the

Italian, “family” means not only

husband, wife and children, but

also grandparents, aunts, uncles,

cousins, and godparents.

The father is the head of the

family. A child rarely undertakes

any new venture without securing

the father’s blessing. The mother

rules the home only as she loves

and obeys her husband. Is not this

a true observance of the Fourth

Commandment and of the mar-

riage vows? Did not St. Paul write,

“Let women be subject to their

husbands as to the Lord, because

the husband is the head of the

wife as Christ is the head of the

Church.”

When calamities occur, the
strong family loyalty urges the

speedy marshalling of resources to

ease the sorrow and pain. The rela-

tives more or less cheerfully assume

the job of helping. Shall we not

call this acceptance of a situation,

the cause of which may be beyond

their comprehension, the religious

practice of resignation to God’s

will, as we hear the words, La

volonta di Dio—“It is God’s Will”

—given to comfort the stricken and

to give courage to the helpers. The

modern world, of course, might call

this a “fatalistic attitude.”



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE58

The Role of Godparents

No discussion of Italian religious

practice and family life would be

complete without an account of the

unusually high rank accorded the

godparents. The baptismal god-

parents are regarded higher than

blood relatives and the names

Compare and Comare are always

used in respect. Another godparent

is chosen for confirmation.

When a couple plans the details

of their marriage, they choose their

witnesses, best man and maid of

honor, with the greatest care, for

these two automatically become

the godparents of their first born.

They assume their spiritual parent-

hood obligations as binding.

First children are usually named

for their grandparents. There is

real significance in the practice of

naming a child. We find the beau-
tiful names of our Blessed Mother

handed down through generations,

i.e., Mary, Maria, Immaculata,

Grazia, Concetta, Carmela, Rosa-

rio, Assunta.

Such popular names as Joseph,

Anthony, Paul, Peter are repeated

over and over. It is not uncommon

to find Our Blessed Lady’s name,

Maria, attached to other names for

all members of a family.

The bonds of affection that

have kept Italian marriages to-

gether are formed after the mar-

riage rather than before, in the

making and maintaining of a home

and family. To the wife and moth-

er the task of rearing children,

cooking, housekeeping becomes a

labor of love. Even while preparing

loaves of bread, the housewife

makes the sign of the cross on each

loaf and blesses herself—a practice

which is an all-inclusive way of

saying grace.

The continual repetition of

ejaculations such as Madonna,

aiuta a me (Our Lady, help me)

during the day’s work is a common

practice, Grazie a Dio (Thanks be

to God) whenever something nice

happens or a danger is averted,

and Se Dio vuole, (If God Wills)

are heard over and over again. It

is said that the English expression,

dear me, is of Italian origin, from

the oft repeated ejaculation, Dio

mio—My God.

Religious Festivals

The Italians see to it that the

holydays lose none of their re-

ligious significance through adop-

tion of modern methods of cele-

brating and continue in ways sanc-

tioned by the usage of generations.

A church holyday, a youngster’s

First Communion, a marriage, a

baptism, confirmation, becomes an

occasion long to be remembered,

so sacred is the preparation.

A baby’s birth in the neighbor-

hood used to bring generous bask-

ets of provisions to the new moth-

er from all her neighbors as well

as help with the chores. This is a

religious practice of real love of

neighbor and charity which should

be revived and made more force-

ful in the face of today’s threat of

family limitation.

Christmas Eve means a real

welcome to II Bambino, a whole

family gathering around a Crib,



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 59

singing 11 Pastorale. The exchange

of gifts comes on the feast of

Epiphany.

The Feast of St. Joseph means

the gathering of the poor around

a festive table and the distribution

of St. Joseph bread.

Palm Sunday—wearing and dis-

tributing palm to those we may

have offended to bring about

peace.

Holy Thursday and Good Fri-

day—in the home country, visits to

the Seven Basilicas, the Vigil, si-

lence, recitation of the Seven Last

Words.

Holy Saturday — securing holy

water, making ready the home,

sprinkling holy water prayerfully

in each room.

Easter—use of the lamb—re-

minding us of the Paschal Lamb.

Feast day celebrations with

special Mass and processions

through the streets are occasions

of interceding with the saints for

favors or offering public thanks-

giving for favors received by lay-

ing of gifts at the Saints* feet dur-

ing the procession.

Anniversaries

A delightful practice is the use

of names’ days for celebrations and

exchanges of gifts instead of birth-

days.

The Italians remember friends

or relatives who have died by hav-

ing Masses offered for the repose

of the soul continuously for many

years after their death.

All the warmth of his emotions,

his love of color and beauty find

expression in the oft repeated prac-

tice of burning candles both in the

home and Church, giving places of

honor in his home to Christ on the

Crucifix, to the Madonna in her

shrine and to the patron saints,

having Masses said in petition and

thanksgiving, making personal sac-

rifices for Christ crucified, giving

the first fruits of the garden to the

parish priest and sisters and using

his talents making beautiful articles

for adorning the Altar.

Many of these practices, com-

mon to the Italians, stem from

Bible stories, taught by the priests

in many, many villages in Italy

where they have their origin. Since

they are translated into action in

different ways, it is almost impos-

sible to present all of them in their

many variations.

Such are some of our religious

practices, particularly as they re-

late to the family. We, as Italians,

may practice our religion in ways

that may seem strange and differ-

ent to some others. But they grew

out of our religious beliefs and are

to this day expressions of these

beliefs.



Religious Practices In The Portuguese Home
REV. LUIZ G. F. MENDOSA

J

UST a few introductory words

about Portugal and its people.

The profound religious spirit of

the Portuguese family is one of its

foremost and outstanding charac-

teristics. The historic background

of the Portuguese people character-

izes them as a genuinely Christian

nation. St. James and St. Paul

themselves spread the seed of

Christianity on the Iberian Penin-

sula, part of which was to become

the independent nation of Portu-

gal, 1100 years later. Early in the

fourth century, the first Plenary

Council held on the Iberian Penni-

sula, the Council of Elvira, estab-

lished the practical basic principles

of all phases of Christian life. The

defenders of the Faith on the

pennisula struggled for centuries

to keep intact and preserve these

principles from pagan invaders,

and it was upon them ,that, in the

course of time, the Portuguese

family was to be founded. In the

year 1140 Portugal became an in-

dependent nation. Its founder and

first monarch, Alfonso Henrique,

consecrated his country, his crown,

and his people to the Immaculate

Mother of God. A nation that was

Christian in origin, born amidst,

the struggles for the defense of the

Christian Faith, and placed for die

future under heavenly tutelage,

could not but give to the world

families that would be equally

Christian.

A Sacred Sanctuary

The Portuguese home has ever

remained faithful to its Christian

heritage. In this domestic church

and sacred sanctuary, all its mem-

bers in hierarchical subordination

render devotion to the unity and

mutual interests of the family. Not

only the lives of the individuals

who constitute the home, but the

very atmosphere of the home it-

self reflects its religious spirit. The

presence of sacred images, pictures

and other religious emblems con-

tribute highly to the creation of

such an environment. Only on very

rare occasions will one find a home

in which the crucifix is not ex-

hibited in a prominent place.

While such symbols are a positive

factor in developing the spirit of

Christianity that prevails in the

household, all demoralizing ele-

ments are strictly banned from the

home. Licentious or suggestive or-

namentation, for example, even

when only slighdy offensive, has

never found a place in the Por-

tuguese home.

Family prayer, in one form or

another, is no innovation to the

home life of the Portuguese people.

Their deep rooted and traditional

devotion to the Blessed Mother has

made the recitation of the rosary

a standard form of family evening

prayer. In almost every village and

town, the silence of eventide is



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 61

broken solely by the choral refrain

of families at prayer.

The historic events of the home

are frequently marked by family

Communion. Such events would

ordinarily be the First Communion,

confirmation, marriage, or death

of some member of the household.

On these occasions father, mother

and children oftentimes approach

the Communion rail together. In

some places the Pascal Communion

is received collectively by the en-

tire family.

The religious consciousness of

parents in the upbringing of their

children is quite manifest even

from the selecting of their baptis-

mal names. In this regard parents

have, as a rule, remained faithful

to the spirit of the Church, apply-

ing to their ^children names of

Catholic tradition. Out of devotion

to the Blessed Virgin, in many

families the name of "Mary” is

affixed to the name of all the girls.

Child Training

The mother is always the cen-

tral figure in the home. The role

of educator is regarded by her as

her own sacred duty. The first re-

ligious training of children and

their preparation for First Holy

Communion is generally the ex-

clusive work of the mother.

The entire training of children

in the home is built around a pro-

found respect for parental author-

ity. One of the most noble prac-

tices arising from this attitude is

the reconciliation of children with

their parents prior to receiving the

sacrament of Penance. This almost

heroic act of humility of a child

kneeling before its parents is a

beautiful interpretation of Chris-

tian Charity and a true compre-

hension of the forgiveness of sins.

Far reaching in its effects, this

noble act places before the mind

of both parent and child an un-

derstanding of the proper dignity

of each.

Another display of filial respect

and reverence for parental author-

ity is the custom of all children ask-

ing the blessing of their parents.

This is a universal custom amongst

the Portuguese families. A son or
daughter, regardless of age or con-

dition, always asks the blessing of

its parents when greeting them up-

on arrival or departure—a gesture

that is simple in form, yet ex-

tremely rich in significance. There

is nothing more beautiful than a

parent, at the asking of his child,

invoking from Almighty God bless-

ings upon his earthly charge.

With but slight variations, these

practices are essentially the same

wherever the Portuguese people

may be found. It should be noted

that in Portugal, as perhaps every-

where else in the world, religious

life in the home is much more in-

tense in rural areas than in the

city. The urban district provides

an atmosphere more favorable to

the spirit of secularism than to

good family life. Since, however,

76 per cent of the people of Por-

tugal live in rural areas the stand-

ards of Christian living have re-

mained quite constant within the

homes. Religious persecution and

decadence have no doubt exerted



62 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

their full influence upon the family,

but again in times of religious

renaissance the spirituality of the

home is greatly strengthened. The

apparitions of the Blessed Mother

at Fatima have brought about a

tremendous revival of Marian de-

votion in private life and in the

homes. Organized Catholic Action

in Portugal has, for the last two

decades, contributed highly to the

restoration of the ancient patriarch-

al family life, so seriously affected

by the Portuguese liberalist revo-

lution of 1911.

The Portuguese people away

from the fatherland, conservative

as are all Latin peoples, have

maintained in family life the prin-

ciples of their Christian ancestry.

The necessity of adaptation to for-

eign surroundings and the abnor-

malities of the present times, while

not altering the essential principles,

have admittedly detracted some-

what from the fidelity of obser-

vance of the ancestral religious

practices of the Portuguese home.

It might well be said that it has

been such practices that have made

the Portuguese family loyal to the

primary purpose of all families,

that of filling the heavens and the

earth with the vast multitude of

human souls. From a small country

of a few thousand square miles, the

Portuguese nation has grown to

the third colonial empire of the

world and the eighth in territorial

extension. Out of the Portuguese

family emerged the great St. An-

thony of Padua, the Queen St.

Elizabeth, a St. John of God, a

St. John Britto and over one hund-

red forty other saints of God

whom, to this day, the Church has

canonized or beatified.

Missionaries

Thousands of heroic children of

the Portuguese family, nutured and

bred amidst its spirit of true Chris-

tianity, have made of Portugal a

gigantic missioner of the Catholic

faith. To all five parts of the world

Portuguese missionaries have car-

ried the word of God and con-

veyed Christian civilization.

The world owes an enormous

debt, not only to the Portuguese

family, but to all good Christian

families. The practice of religion

within the home is a tremendous

source of influence for the whole

of society. Serving as a unifying

bond between all members of the

family, the practice of religion

makes the home a sound and solid

front, united through God. As a

builder of character, religious

practice in daily family life awak-

ens in the individual a sense of

duty toward God and toward his

fellow men, vivifies his apprecia-

tion of the moral values, enkindles

in his heart the fear and the love of

God. Through the individual, God

is made to be the dominating in-

fluence and Master of the home.

It takes many homes to make a

world. It will take many Christian

homes to win the world for Christ.



Religious Customs Among The

French Of Louisiana

REV. J. ALBERT LE BLANC

CINCE the coming of La Salle in

1682, Louisiana had become

French and it was destined to re-

main so. It became French in its

tastes, views, preferences and even

in religious matters. The stamp

of French influence has never been

removed to this day, even though

the government of the colony be-

came Spanish and later American.

The subdivisions of the State are

called Parishes instead of Counties.

They bear the name of the Church

in the locality; St. Mary, St. Lan-

dry, St. Martin, St. James, Assump-

tion, Ascension, etc. Half of the

population is Catholic. The south-

ern part, settled by the French, re-

tained its Catholic influence while

the northern part, occupied by the

Americans of English and Scot de-

scent, is mostly Protestant.

Sources Of Culture

The French population has two

sources of culture: the Creole and

the Acadian. The true Creoles

were the descendants of the inter-

marriage of French and Spanish.

No true Creole ever had col-

ored blood. They were the

elite of the population. Accus-

tomed to wealth and luxury, they

lived in the cities, built large plan-

tation homes, owned slaves to work

the large tracts of land or do the

household duties. Education of the

children was supplied by private

tutors. The family was the very

core of their life. Better educated

than the Acadians, they followed

the directives of the Church, mold-

ed their lives according to Her

teachings and kept faithfully the

religious practices and customs

brought over from their native

France.

The Acadians, cruelly uprooted

from the land they and their fore-

fathers had settled for over one

hundred and fifty years in Nova

Scotia because of their loyalty to

their religion and to their mother-

land, suffered exile under the

harshest treatment, and were scat-

tered unwanted among the Amer-

ican colonies. After much hard-

ship, more than four thousand of

them made their way to Louisiana

and settled in the interior, the un-

developed parts along the Bayous

that form a network throughout the

southern section of the State. They

remained in this back country, liv-

ing in peace and contentment, de-

veloping the land, adjusting them-

selves to new climate and new sur-

roundings. They prospered in spite

of the tremendous odds that were

against them, and that would have

weakened and discouraged others

of lesser character. Family life

was their treasured possession and

though they preserved the customs,



64 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

the language and the religious at-

mosphere of their life in Acadia,

some new customs and habits were

added. In Acadia, their lives cen-

tered around the Church and they

looked upon their priest as their

counselor, their guide, their shep-

herd in material as well as in spir-

itual matters. In the new land,

living in isolation with little com-

munication with urban centers, the

Acadians saw the missionaries only

periodically. With the growth of

the population, new lands develop-

ed, towns flourished, wealth and

prosperity brought about better

living conditions for them.

The French influence has suff-

ered little today, in spite of more

modern ways of mechanized labor

and better educational facilities.

We find among the French people
who speak nothing but the French

language, Spanish, German, Italian

and Irish names; for instance, O’-

Connor, Johnson, Miguez. The

distinction between Creole and

Acadian or Cajun is no longer

stressed. The passing of the Plan-

tation era and the Civil War have

greatly reduced the wealth and

prestige of the Creole families, so

that anyone speaking French may

be called indiscriminately Creole

or Cadien.

Religious Practices

Many religious customs among

the French in Louisiana may be

traced to the times of the first

settlers when Missionaries were

rarely seen. Most homes have a

shrine in the corner of the living

room of the house. A crucifix oc-

cupies the center; holy pictures

adorn the wall; holy water with

a blessed magnolia leaf and two

blessed candles are kept on a

shelf. Night prayers are said be-

fore this shrine with lighted can-

dles. Long before the second

World War, which increased the

practice, families in rural sections

gathered once a week to recite the

rosary, praying for good crops,

successful harvest, the sick and the

dead. People in the towns and

cities have adopted this practice

and all the families living in the

same block gather for the recitation

of the rosary at least once a week.

Holy water and blessed candles

are in much use. Candles are lit

and holy water is sprinkled dur-

ing storms. Every member of the

family wears a medal. In cases of

serious illness, children are prom-

ised to Saints by their mothers. If

St. Ann will intercede, the child

will be hers. Later when the child

recovers, she will carry the Saint’s

colors in shoulder straps or cords

until she is fully grown. Children

must faithfully attend the cate-

chetical instructions until they have

received the sacrament of confir-

mation. Unfortunately many par-

ents feel that the obligation toward

the religious education of their

children ceases on the day of con-

firmation.

Sickness brings families closer.

Neighboring families and relatives

will remain entire days and nights

by the bedside of the sick and

dying. The beads are recited at

certain intervals. In the second

part of the Hail Mary, special

words are substituted for the bene-



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 65

fit of the sick person. Instead of

the customary words “Priez pour

nous, pecheurs, maintenant et a

Vheure de notre mort,” they will

say “Priez pour lui(eUe), pecheur,

maintenant et a Vheure de sa mort;

pray for this sinner now and at

the hour of his death.”

Death and Burial

Death in the family is accepted

calmly and with resignation among

the more educated. But among the

uneducated in certain sections it is

made an occasion for the release of

pent-up emotions. Loud lamenta-

tions are expected. They are a

sign of deep affection for the de-

parted. Clocks are stopped at the

exact hour of death. Mirrors are

turned toward the wall or are cov-

ered. Water found in vases is

thrown out. Candles are lit and

kept burning during the Veille or

Wake.

The funeral takes place twenty-

four hours after the death of a

person. Mourning must be worn.

This ranges from full black to half

black and white or blue depending

on the degree of the individual’s

relationship and intimacy of friend-

ship. The immediate family goes

nowhere for a time. When they

do visit again, they go to places

at which no music is permitted.

Mourning lasts from one year to

three months, depending on the

degree of relationship. When

speaking about a departed member

of the family, the word “Defunt”

must always precede the name out

of respect. In the days when the

distance to the Church was too

great, and the scarcity of priests

was such that they could not take

care of outlying districts, the more

educated officiated at the funeral,

saying prayers for the deceased in

the home and at the cemetery. At

the burial some still have the cus-

tom of dropping a handful of earth

upon the lowered casket after the

Sign of the Cross has been made

over it.

Respect and devotion for the

dead is kept alive in the family

for many years. No matter how

poor a family may be, the anni-

versary Mass for the departed

member of the family is always

said. Pictures of the deceased

adorn the tombstones. These are

fixed on the the cross or inserted

in the shadow-boxes with small

statues, crucifixes or other holy ob-

jects. The boxes are peak-roofed,

and the front is covered with glass.

All Saints and All Souls

Possibly nowhere in America is

All Saints’ Day observed so strik-

ingly as it is among the Louisiana

French. For days preceding it,

each family will clean, whitewash

or paint the tombs, prepare arti-

ficial flowers, design wreaths and

place these on the tombs. Among

the financially better fixed, chrys-

anthemums and dahlias are used in

decorating the graves. Before the

expansion of the Church as we

have it today, family and neigh-

borhood cemeteries were common.

In our parish, St. Ann’s at Mamou,

La., we have six cemeteries besides

the Church cemetery. In the aft-

ernoon of All-Saints’ Day, the

blessing of the graves takes place.



66 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

A procession is held around the
cemetery. The priest is at the

head; the people follow. The beads

are recited while the blessing is

taking place. The ceremony ends

with a sermon and the singing of

the Libera. In some sections where

the priest cannot assist, candles are

lit at dusk, one for each member

deceased and an all night vigil is

held. Where out-door altars exist,

Mass is celebrated in the cemeter-

ies on All Souls Day.

Other days of the year, too, are

celebrated with zeal and devotion.

During Lent, no dancing is per-

mitted; family prayers are increas-

ed. No one must work in the field

on Good Friday. Many families

still fast till noon on Good Friday.

In the Shrimp fishing centers,

the big day of the year is the an-

nual blessing of the shrimp fleet.

Between two hundred and three

hundred boats or luggers take part

in this ceremony. The families at-

tend Mass and receive Commun-

ion; then, after Mass, each fam-

ily boards its boat and the pro-

cession begins. It is a singular

honor to lead the procession and

the family selected to do so will

treasure this honor for years to

come. From the flagship decorat-

ed with fluttering pennants, the

priest in full vestment blesses with

holy water each boat as it passes.

All members aboard must genu-

flect and make the Sign of the

Cross as he does so.

Marriage Customs

The reception of the Sacrament

of Matrimony is still linked with

old customs handed down by the

first settlers. In the early days,

when the marriage ceremony could

not be performed by the priest, the

consent was given before the par-

ents of the bride. Then a broom

was lifted a foot or so off the

ground, the man and woman

jumped over it together and they

were considered wed. This custom

was known as “Saut-ballet.” For-

merly there was much noise-mak-

ing, much shooting and shouting

as the bridal party went to and

from Church. Today there is the

sounding of auto klaxons and

horns. The reception for the bride

and groom must take place at the

bride’s home first, then at the

groom’s. Charivaris are sometimes

given to widows and widowers

who remarry. Tin pans are beat-

en; cowbells are rung. As much

noise as possible is made. The

newlyweds are supposed to treat

the celebrants to refreshments. If

they fail to do so, the charivari

may continue night after night.

The French people believe in

large families. It is less than two

hundred years since their expul-

sion from Acadia. Yet the Acadians

in Louisiana today number more

than 500,000. In large families,

names for baptism are selected for

uniformity regardless of whether

such names exist in any language.

If the names are not found among

the Saints, Saints’ names are added.

Thus one finds the following: Oc-

tave, Octavia, Olive, Oliver, Ohvia,

Ophelia, Onezime, Onezia. The

god-parents play an important role

in the family. The parrain and

the marraine or Nainane give ad-



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 67

vice to their god-child, take deep

interest in the teaching of the cate-

chism, send birthday presents ev-

ery year till the child is grown, and

give appropriate gifts for first

Communion and confirmation.

Catholic education is doing

much to overcome the ignorance

in which the people of Louisiana

long lived. Louisiana is mainly an

agricultural State. The rural peo-

ple, living in isolation, have been

self-sufficient, supplying their
wants and their needs from the

land they cultivated. Until recent

years access to the Church and

school was very difficult. Roads

hardly existed or were very infer-

ior. Pressing work on the farms

kept many children away from

school. Though the Faith was

deeply implanted, ignorance caus-

ed many to adopt, and stress as

important, certain practices that

are of little if any intrinsic value.

It has been rightly said that, just

as the French people adhere

strongly to their language and to

their family traditions, so too do

they remain steadfastly attached

to the Catholic Faith. Meigs O.

Frost has put the matter this way:

“Louisiana was French from

the beginning—French of blood

and tongue, of heart and cour-

age. And so fiercely in them

burned the fire of their heritage

that French they are today after

more than two centuries in

which the influence of other

races and of another speech

have beat against their thresh-

olds. French, but loyal Ameri-

cans.”



Religious Family Customs Of The

Russian Germans In Ellis County, Kansas

SISTER MARY ELOISE JOHANNES, C.S.J., Ph.D.

”THE Russian-German people

whose ancestors came to Ellis

County, Kansas, about seventy-

five years ago have a background

rich in folk lore that is in many

ways unique and interesting.

Theirs is a culture that is being

rapidly lost because of the impact

of the American way of life. If

one is fortunate enough to spend

some time with an occasional "old

settler” much that is valuable may

be gleaned from a conversation

about “old times.”

The five settlements—Catherine,

Herzog (Victoria), Munjor, Pfeifer,

and Schoenchen — made in Ellis
County in 1876 and 1877 were

founded by Catholics, descendants

of the Germans who had settled on

the farming region around the

Volga River about a century pre-

vious to their immigration to the

United States.

As a result of general dissatisfac-

tion, caused by compulsory mili-

tary training, which prevented

them from attending their relig-

ious duties during the six-year

period of training, the Catholics

among the colonists on the south-

ern plains of Russia began a gen-

eral migration. The United States

was chosen as a suitable location

in which to establish a colony.

Many of the Russian-German peo-

ple, desiring to farm rather than

to live in the city, went as far

west as Kansas and there selected

sites for their villages. Today, the

five original settlements are thriv-

ing villages which ha.ve helped to

people Hays, the county seat, the

largest city in Ellis County.

As Catholics, the chief concern

of the early settlers after providing

a shelter for their families was to

provide for religious services. At

this time, the nearest Catholic

church was located in Salina, Kan-

sas. Reverend Adolph Wibbert,

pastor in Salina, was the first

priest to visit the colonies in the

spring of 1876. In October of the

same year, Reverend Valentine

Sommereisen, first resident priest

in Ellis County, took up residence

in Hays and ministfered to the col-

onies until the Capuchin Fathers

took charge in May, 1878. In the

meantime, the people, not being

content with religious services con-

ducted by a priest who visited

them only about once a month,

planned practices of devotion

which they carried out with great-

est fidelity. Before any churches

were built, the people in each col-

ony erected a large wooden cross

and gathered about it on Sundays

and holidays for services conducted

by the Schulmeister (schoolmaster).



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 69

They recited the rosary and litan-

ies, and sang religious hymns.

As soon as possible each little

colony built a church which was

always, and still is, the central

point of community activities.

Church feasts were so closely in-

terwoven with social customs that

a discussion of one necessarily in-

cludes the other. For these peo-

ple, the home, the church, and the

school—three great bulwarks of so-

ciety-answered all their needs.

This correlation is constantly noted

in their various family customs

which so often begin at home, con-

tinue with church services, and

conclude in the home. Some of

the customs observed by the Rus-

sian Germans in celebrating the

feasts of the Church are retained

until the present day but many

have given way to the never-end-

ing cultural adjustment.

In reviewing religious and fam-

ily customs, at what more signifi-

cant time of year could we begin

than with the birth of our Lord?

Preparation is made for Christmas

during the four weeks of Advent

by abstinence from amusements,

and by the recitation of additional

prayers. The German custom in

connection with the Christ-Kind-

lein, the Christ Child, was popular

with the Russian Germans for

about fifty years after they went to

Ellis County, and is still retained

by some individual families. On

Christmas eve the children waited

for Christ-Kindlein who was to

bring them presents and good

things to eat. Finally, a bell was

heard tinkling at the door and a

lady dressed in white, with a blue

girdle and with veiled face, ap-

peared as the herald of the Christ-

Kindlein. She entered the room

with the greeting, “Gelobt sei Jesus

Christus” (praised be Jesus Christ).

She inquired for the youngest

child and asked him to say a

prayer. Then she inquired about

the conduct of the older children

and punished them if they had

misbehaved during the past year.

Finally, she threw nuts on the floor

and as the children scrambled for

them she disappeared, promising

to return the next year. This cus-

tom has been supplanted in great

part by the traditional American

Santa Claus.

After the children had seen the

herald of the Christ Child the

younger families, following a cus-

tom practiced in the family of the

Czar of Russia, met in groups in

the home of the parents or grand-

parents and settled any disagree-

ments which might have arisen

during the past year. Any debts

contracted between the different

members of the family were paid

by the father. With old grievances

forgotten and old debts paid, the

entire family went to Midnight

Mass.

The week between Christmas

and New Year’s Day carried a holi-
day air and New Year’s morning
found the children of each village

going to visit their relatives and

friends, the first visit usually be-

ing made to godparents. The cus-

tomary greeting is still, “Ich wuen-

sche Euch ein glueckseliges Neu-

jahr, langes Leben, Gesundheit,



70 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

Friede und Einigkeit, nach dem

Tode die ewige Glueckseligkeit”

(I wish you a happy New Year,
long life, health, peace and har-

mony, after death eternal happi-

ness). The children are rewarded

for their good wishes; formerly,

candy and cookies were the cus-

tomary treat, now, money is fre-

quently given.

Previously, the young men cele-

brated the New Year by shooting,
Neujahr anschiesen (shooting in the

New Year), before the houses of
their friends and relatives after

which they gave the above greet-

ing. They were given refresh-

ments and the girls pinned ribbons

to their coats. A young man’s pop-
ularity could' be judged by the

number of ribbons he had on his

coat. In some of the colonies, in

Catherine for one, a band com-

posed of brass instruments used to

march through the village streets

stopping first at the home of the

priest and then at the homes of

each family to greet them with

music. Today the Wuenscher

(well-wishers) are not confined to

the children and young men. The

men and women frequently visit

neighboring families, wish them a

happy New Year, and partake of
refreshments. The "well-wishing”

is kept up by the children until

the sixth of January.

On Shrove Tuesday, the day

before Ash Wednesday, the peo-

ple celebrated Fastnacht, similar to

March Gras, by card playing, danc-

ing, and recreations of a similar

nature. A sweet bread, Fastnacht
Kuchen, was served to guests who

called to visit the homes during

the evening. Graebbel, a kind of

fried pastry, made of flour and

eggs, rolled thin and cut in nar-

row strips and fried in deep lard,

was likewise served. During Lent

the people refrain, today as in the

past, from recreation and spend

more time attending church servic-

es. It is not at all unusual to see

practically the entire congregation

attending daily Mass.

It has always been the custom

on Palm Sunday to place pieces

of blessed palm in the barns as a

protection against fire and to bury

small pieces in the fields as pro-

tection from lightening and severe

storms.

During Holy Week, since no

church bells are rung from Mass

on Thursday until Mass on the

following Saturday, a unique meth-

od of announcing services was

used in the colonies. The altar

boys, Klepperer, went through the

villages several times a day, sing-

ing and striking clappers to an-

nounce to the people the Angelus

or the hour for services. After

Mass on Holy Saturday the Klep-

perer went from house to house

collecting eggs as pay for their

services. They walked through the

streets chanting,

Klepper, Klepper, Eier *raus

,

Wenn ihr mir kein

Eier gibt, so schlag

Ich euch ein Loch ins Haus.

(Clapper, Clapper,

Out with the eggs,

If you don’t give me any,

I will knock a hole in your

house.)



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 71

After the long Lenten season of

fasting, on Easter Sunday morning

it is customary in the villages to

take foods to the church to be

blessed, fancy cakes or breads,

eggs and fruits being chosen for

the occasion. These foods are

placed on the Communion rail or

on a convenient table and are

blessed by the priest. The signi-

ficance of this is that the delicacies

which the people have denied

themselves during Lent are given

back to them by the Church with

her blessing at Easter.

Another Easter custom, popular

with . the children, is that . of the

Easter Rabbit. This custom is

found in many cultures but the

Russian Germans have a few dis-

tinctive variations in connection

with it. On Holy Saturday even-

ing, the mother of the family ar-

ranges plates in a room which is

later locked, where the Easter

Rabbit is to place cookies, candy,

and Easter eggs for the children.

After Mass on Easter Sunday, the

children, led by their father, armed

with clubs and pepper shakers line

up in front of the locked door to

capture this “Santa Claus” Rabbit,

so as to have him provide them

with sweets through the year. Un-

fortunately, the good Rabbit is

never caught and, after the father

has explained its strategic escape,

the children enter the room ex-

claiming, “Der Has hat schon (ge-

legt”) (the rabbit has laid).

On Saturday before Pentecost

or on Pentecost, the young men of

the villages frequently planted a

tree, a Pfingstbaum, before the

homes of girls they liked. It was

considered an honor to have a

“Pentecost tree” planted before

one’s home but occasionally a

young man, in a spirit of fun,

planted a dry stick in the yard.

This custom is no longer in vogue.

Among the favorite forms of de-

votion common to the people in

Ellis County are processions.

These processions add dignity and

solemnity to a number of feasts

celebrated by the Russian Germans

and, although they have been mod-

ified considerably within the last

generation as to length and fre-

quency, they are still a distinctive

part of the culture of the people.

The 25th of April, the Rogation

days, and Corpus Christi were

three occasions for processions

from village to village or within

each village. As a rule, the mem-

bers of the church choir led, sing-

ing hymns, chanting litanies, or

saying the rosary, and the people

joined in the responses. On the

Rogation days after Mass the al-

tar boys, followed by the priest,

led the procession from the church

to the nearby fields. The priest

blessed the fields and asked God

to give a bountiful harvest to all

the farmers.

On Corpus Christi the prepara-

tions for the feast occupied several

days. Three conveniently located

homes were chosen and a tem-

porary altar erected on the porch

of each. Handmade wreaths and

garlands woven of garden flowers

made suitable decorations. After

the last Mass the priest, vested in

cope and humeral-veil, and carry-



72 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

mg the Blessed Sacrament exposed

in the monstrance, formed a pro-

cession headed by the altar boys,

carrying a processional cross and .

lighted candles, and followed by

the choir and the faithful. The

procession stopped at each altar,

the priest rested the monstrance

on the altar, and the choir sang

Latin hymns appropriate for Bene-

diction of the Blessed Sacrament.

The final Benediction was given

in the church.

On the occasion of a patronal

feast of the church in any of the

villages, the celebration was con-

siderably bigger than that of an or-

dinary Sunday. These feasts were

a holiday from school and from

farm labor. The day began with

Mass followed by picnic lunches

or by a dinner prepared and served

by the ladies of the parish. Today

the patronal feast of each parish is

kept as a holy day and a holiday;

often the bazaar and dinner fur-

nish diversion and a school play

gives entertainment.

Being rural minded the Russian

Germans have a particular regard

for seeds, flowers, and plants.

From time to time they have these

plants blessed with the prayer of

the Church. On August 15, the

feast of the Assumption of the

Blessed Mother, flowers and herbs

are blessed in the church. On the

eighth of September, the feast of

the Nativity of the Blessed Moth-

er, the blessing of seed wheat takes

place.

On the feast of All Souls’, No-

vember second, the priest and

people go in procession to the

cemetery and pray for the dead

buried there and for all the faith-

ful departed. The priest sprinkles

the graves with holy water and

the people frequently do likewise.

The family bond is very strong

among the people and they have

great love for children. Babies are

always baptized as soon as pos-

sible, usually on the second day

after birth. A “baptismal banquet”

is sometimes given upon the occas-

ion of the child’s baptism, espec-

ially if it is the first child in the

family. The god-parents are re-

spected by the children and high-

ly esteemed by the entire family.

They remember the child’s birth-

day with a gift. First Communion

days are celebrated with much de-

votion. The same is true of con-

firmation days.

Some of the most interesting cus-

toms, both social and religious in

character, center around courtship

and marriage. When a Russian-

German youth wished to marry, he

asked two of his friends to act as

Freiersmaenner, matrimonial ag-

ents, for him. With them the

young man went to the home of

his prospective bride where they

visited with the girl’s parents for

a short time and then the Freiers-

maenner presented the parents

with the request of their client.

This was a mere formality as the

matter was usually settled before

this time by the couple them-

selves. On the other hand, how-

ever, marriages were not planned

without asking the parents’ advice;

and it frequently happened that

the parents of the young couple



YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE 73

had already discussed the marriage

possibilities of their children.

As a rule the period of engage-

ment was not long. Formerly the

most popular season for marriages

was during the autumn months

after harvest; and it is still a fa-

vorite time despite the fact that

many marriages take place in June

and the summer months. In for-

mer days when both of the young

people were from the same village

the marriage was always performed

in the parish church of the groom.

On the second Sunday of the pub-

lication of the banns the young

couple separately would visit the

homes of their friends in the vil-

lage to invite the unmarried

members of the families to the

wedding festivities. On the Sun-

day of the last announcement it

was customary for two men, friends

of the bridal pair, to go through

the village with invitations known

as Noetigen or Einladen, asking

relatives and friends to the wed-

ding. The men carried canes and

as they went from house to house

someone in each home tied a rib-

bon to the cane as a mark of ac-

ceptance. The invitation was

usually in verse, sometimes im-

promptu. The following one was

popular in Schoenchen:

Wir kommen nicht hergeritten,

Wir kommen sicher geschritten;

Braut und Braeutigam, sie lassen

Euch bitten,

Sie lassen Euch laden insgemein,

Ihr sollt auch Hochzeitsgaeste

sein,

Zehn Gaens-die muessen dran,

Neunzehn Huehner und der alte

Hahn,

Die sind gefuettert und so fett

Wie ein altes Wagenbrett.

Dann kommt auch gleich die

Kathrin Woes,

Und kocht auch gleich die dick-

en Kloess;

Sie kocht sie nach Belieben

Und kocht auch gleich die roten

Rueben.

Poetz Blitz—Was faellt mir ein—

Ich hab’ ja vergessen den Brann-

twein.

Wenn Ihr Uns unser Stoecklein

ziert.

So sagen wir auch wo Ihr hinge-

hoert.

(We do not come on horse

astride

But lusty foot it side by side;

To speak to you for groom and

bride.

And beg of you without delay:

“Be with us on our wedding

day.”

Ten geese, they say, and many

a hen

In numbers round of nine and ten

Are fattened for the festive meal

And rounded like a wagon-

wheel.

Remember, too, good Aunt

Katrin

Will cook the dumplings thick

and lean

And serve them with the choic-

est meats

Together with the reddest beets.

The deuce! We nearly did for-
get-

Good brandy will be there, you

bet.

Now tie a ribbon on this cane



74 YOUR HOME, A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

And we’ll invite you all again).

On the wedding day, the groom

and his attendants walked to the

home of the bride. Upon reaching

the bride’s home, the young man

and his bride knelt on a white

cloth spread on the floor to receive

the blessing of the young lady’s

parents. The young couple and

their attendants returned to the

home of the groom’s father where

the bridal pair received the

blessing of the young man’s

parents. Then the entire group

walked to the church for the Nup-

tial High Mass which was attended

by all the friends and relatives of

the bridal couple. Today much of

the early festivity is omitted and

Freiersmaenner and Noetigen are

merely familiar terms among the

older people but the bride and

groom still ask the blessing of par-

ents and the Nuptial High Mass is

always performed.

Formerly the wedding feast was

held at the home of the groom.

The newly-married couple stood at

the door to receive the congratula-

tions of all. The common greeting

was, “Viel Glueck und Segen zum

Eliestand” (happiness and blessing

on your married state). The wed-

ding festivities, the Hochzeit, often

lasted two or three days but now

a one-day celebration is the most

common.

When a person dies in any of

the colonies it is customary to keep

the Totemvacht, the wake. If the

deceased is a man, the different

men’s organizations, such as the

Knights of Columbus, or the men

of the Third Order of St. Francis,

meet at the home and recite the

rosary each evening until the fu-

neral. If a woman dies, the wo-

men of the Altar Society, or the

Christian Mothers, do likewise.

The rosary is recited every hour

by different groups as long as the

body of the deceased remains in

the home. On the day of the

funeral, the priest, vested in a

black cope and accompanied by

the altar boys, goes to the home

where he blesses the corpse and

recites prayers for the dead. After

the Requiem Mass has been cele-

brated in church, the body is tak-

en to the cemetery. En route, the

people pray aloud together. Be-

fore leaving the cemetery, many

visit the graves of their deceased

relatives and friends. The de-

ceased are remembered by many

Masses; on the thirtieth day after

death and on the yearly anniversar-

ies Requiem High Masses are usu-

ally offered for the repose of their

souls.

And thus we have gone through

the year’s activities, showing how

closely the church and the home

complement each other. Much of

the success of the colonies, both

spiritual and temporal, is due to

the untiring zeal of the Capuchin

Fathers. Work among the common

people is a tradition with them

and in Ellis County they found a

fertile field for their labors. It was

under their guidance that church-

es were built and schools estab-

lished. Their untiring zeal has

been largely responsible for keep-

ing alive the strong Catholic faith

of the Russian-German people.