THE CHURCHES OF THE CATACOMBS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 13

THE CHURCHES OF THE CATACOMBS.

.CORRIDORS Of.CpAyES. .. . ; '■•-. '• •' WITH' THE 'BONES OF- EARLY- • < .-'.' ; .';; : ;cHRisTUNs;-;- r , : ;.' 1 ' "'■■'■ .• ~_ , '.. ;;,';./'. ./ •••T]iG.C'liurtlies'\of the• Cutapombs lie about IV in Its im;si.'l(!,thb ; H'all-j of •Roliie.i.'l'iic catarqiiioVbciirathUhV ChrnUii cf-:lSt..'. Agnes, pro said l<i;|K , '-bWitr;'iUisi;i , Vi'(l .'tlia.n any of the others.,,. '•'■'■, ./ !{ir/:7*/.''//'//V r '' '■.;' ~'■. • To visit i Uiciii,,vou, go .first: i(ito tlio'-Cliiirch - of< St; A'yics.- .Fo'rty.-sUps ,!f.ad .down, tp;t!iis' 'I'liurtii. Once;(i.n;' Usevipurtli-'cGntur.vj-.'its iiiioi-"■ \\ as, leVil" i'witll'vtlio'i Tca'd.«'.''-Accumiila-riot'is .of; >liitaiid the 'iVa-uri'-l- p'r'der'.of ■ things have inise-.t t'.ici ib'u j. sincc. : ;' '■■'">' "-?_;' '-■■■"<;■;•

A !nipnk^sh'oWstail I ..!;&'^ , shells,' stiou^ly','''of;V;tol)a'cw'^s^noke' I 'th]tcs; charge. ..flf'.you,.; ani}, J haiidihg:7oi»'. lighted -, tiijicis,''opens"a dpbr': aiid lleads,; ybU':into '■ ay-.iia-rro'iv:: the:';ca.'rth'j, about, throe; feet «ido. 'Ik',tltciV"retreats'builwardß, and 1 immedi.iicl;/begins a'Ji'ecilali- ' ■-' { ".->'' : , "-,':■■■■ '•:'•■'; >. 'First•,yoi}V3tstcii.d'i.ifpf'. a': fciyi.stopS.'' : ,Your' guide toils ycu ttio.ca'tiicbniljs'.iVcre.dug out of the /soft.' cartlfV.ffiUi.'vpjoliaxc's'-'yijU;. can 1 •. ..sec ' burnt grounds';,[oi\:tl|e'- early Christians.lfrom. ih<! n;ovuoht;'y'ou;ci»tpr•:tli'a• tUniicl -ypu/are . arrioiig'thc.!giw''ps~-ljW!«''nicheß.; in.Ulie '; walls .- thaV.rece'iy'd'Hhb •'bodies; .'• Tli'o''ijla'co '.isva ;:'ox-' temiin;; Jfrdni,' tli'c.. flbfl'r.-'jtb'. tlio- 'coiling;; 'while, . Minie arc cut, ; iii.,;tke.il6qr,.'atid;/ are.'•'covered with .marble slabs. ■ Maiiy; are.' yet unopened,. Some, half exposed; 'still\.contain'; the complete skeletons ,som« iiicroly a ..colkctionV.or- ! 'dcj , ny^;'^boncs—'tlio . eloquent remain's •. o£'.' the.' ioundors'/.of ■ our ' Faith.';.' bi'.ivflviiieiV, ;. women,■"■"arid ■''/children. M'aV.yUif.-if.^.^iiicliW/aiVytbo/little', tombs' of ' ;.15xlei.iorV.slabs|;;affixca ..by.'.benient,, roii'ih .ivblkniniiship most of Jtj'eoiitaiii' rudq ' .ivritingr, iirLaiiiij or hiohograir.s,;br emblems ofvs'oitio -sait. to •indicate' Iwlio' and .what, the-,.. persons'■'we're: 'v.'A : pickaxe'*' 'represents/,: a -.. .On a tinV'ledgo.ciitiii''tlio.earth a' couplo. of'.fMt.;,from' ,, yjo/,99^ ware .lamps ivliicli ipiicp' -had v burnpd\ beside : . ■ tJiD;bodi.rs..| -liorc •niid'-fliorotis'.cut.'.tJio. Cn?6B •, "and ■ Monogram; iliibn,.■ rcprtsfrntcdV Qlirist L ; arid 'niorO'oftcn!occiirs'/thO'.^Fisns's*'tho[ tiys-j . !tjc- Ghrist-signii'.Somo aidoyo. ,-. (the soul) flying. , ; these earnest 'people, sought' to give• iheii • pious-belief\ana'faithi'OxpressioiVA.;TJiey...'liiid ; not behind them, centn'rir's'-bf 'orthodoxy and heredity} they worb'thd pioneers, dwellers in . ] l, roadless' .'wilder'n!cssr' !; ,'.'lt. sc-elus'.'ihat'. tills u-ritiitpj- was the; first .'ro^reseiitatipnlof.that,... allegorical" ■paiiitirigji'.irfiipli.;."re'aqhed -its • olk niax iii the works of' Giqtfo/and'Raphael— though' hero. : wo'never' see, •thd:Ma<lohriaj' St. \ Joseph,'and• .Cliristpna -wo do| in,-tlie,tiUiEbcr-:, , pif.ccs of'. tho 'great''p'niilterst\ v v ::; 'i.i.i'i'!/_*;■ • , . The.tomb-passages- lead.•'to'littto cbapelsj'. perfect, rudo •,mb.d<>ls, ; '"'.qhly ."•»" 'few; : ' ; yardi.'. squarq, biit qui;"of ;th« eartli; in"tHo' fdnn'; qt:' . a cross. 'You stand here itf the! fii'st ,churche« . eTCr-fashi6nedi';':U^'der.^.hf. , Mta'r..placo l i,\rhich ' is'merely a circle in the•l):ick,ifaU/ i tho.bprio».. of- martyrs, were,-.laid .to/rest.* ;JjaJnpJ,:-''.pn '. „ little lediiosi gavo v lighJ'fb'r;th'e.Bcrviccß,.and their !siiioke'.':'iir'nvided. the! hallowed, inconso npbii■ which floated to 'beaveii'' C 'ill t lie tiitliful; .; Here,,': wlieii'^,; j«rsecutic(ns.. •, arose,: refuged.-the' Christians".' and 'the 6.a'mo , ' .iva!ls/biive.n)ng.\wiUi.oVies'..'bf ■mbttal.agony",,:, und. with'-the'('o-iH'oj'efits -of;' /tlio. Roman . vittellers;".' '.'t.'.-.ijsilit'-, lipff'the-■ fugitivesi;would •'■ .n.ayc..snia!l;^hope;; ; . the-ipessagis are,toq nar- V■ row.•'■'^•'•'■':\.r'.'r'^i/'v.,-.;"■"-.;','•,'- : -'-::".; : ''-. '■■'.■; : y"' --.- ■' After■'traversing.ptborj'pas.sages -liittchj the !■: siine- as,\those': yoit /liiivo ■■■) already l passed - r ,'s/iii:e,'that. x\\n ,at-rifeht angles;, all coritaiiiinj;/ along, tlieir.sidcs'rth^,bodies. of '■ early '-Christians,'; yon'i'; guide,. wlwv'lijls.'.beer, biisv. the..wliilo" pfliiitiijs}-'.'--out,'.' ■"interpreting■".-.-sig-,is; : .'iiiJicriptionsi;'.and;syrilbols,"at* lerigtfl. . opens.iaVdb'pr'.an/f .ybti/'fratll the St.'Agnei' agaiiil.by.uin'qtbcrpasSitgo.''' './'■'/''.