Trent had recommended to the solicitude of the Roman Pontiffs. One will be surprised to hear that huge folio volumes have been written on the subject, and still, in spite of all the talent and application which have been bestowed on it, the reformation adopted is not one which presented no inconvenience, but that which presented the least inconveniences; such is the difficulty of reconciling the motions of those two bodies, the sun and moon.

In order to understand the part which the sun and moon have in the ecclesiastical calendar, the reader must recollect that the festival of Easter, which at all times has been considered by Christians as the chief solemnity of the year, is to be kept in the spring, and at about the time of the full moon, because such was the time at which the Jews kept their passover, as is found in the Old Testament; such too were the circumstances in which our Saviour accomplished the mysteries commemorated at Eas

ter.

Now the spring depends on the motion of the sun, and that season begins when that luminary enters the equator, or in other words, is precisely half way between its greatest height in summer, and its least height in winter. The council of Nice, held in 325, after having consulted the astronomers of Alexandria, who enjoyed then the highest reputation for knowledge of this kind, regulated that the twenty-first day of March would be considered in ecclesiastical reckoning as the beginning of the spring, so that the first full moon on or after the 21st of March, would be the paschal or Easter-moon, and that the Christians should celebrate that festival, not on the day itself of the full moon as the Jews do, but on the following Sunday. It must now appear evident that the festival of Easter depends on the motion of the sun, that of the moon, and also on the day of the week. We will now explain the various words used in reference to these motions.

The golden number is a period or cycle of nineteen years, after which the sun and moon have, with regard to each other, the same position nearly. For instance, if the moon be full in any year the 25th day of March, it will be full again on the same day

after the lapse of nineteen years, the moon having then performed two hundred and thirty-five revolutions; for two hundred and thirty-five lunar months make nearly nineteen years. This period of nineteen years was known by the Greeks; and such was the enthusiasm with which the discovery of this coincidence was received, that the Athenians ordered it to be engraved in letters of gold in the temple of Minerva, a circumstance to which the golden number owes its appellation. If this period were perfectly accurate, nothing more would have been required for the perfection of the calendar; having ascertained, once for all, the day of the full moon for nineteen consecutive years, these days would be the days of the full moon during the whole course of ages; and nothing then could be easier than to assign the Easter day on any year. But unfortunately this period of nineteen years is inaccurate by about one hour and a half; or, in other words, if at the present hour and minute the sun and moon occupy a certain position with regard to each other, say, are in a line with one another, a circumstance which produces eclipses of the sun, in precisely nineteen years the sun and moon will not be altogether in the same position, but be distant from one another by one hour and a half, that is, the moon will have progressed to this distance beyond the point where the two bodies were nineteen years before. This imperfection of the cycle of the golden numbers, called also lunar cycle, had caused an error of four days between the age of the moon as determined by observation, and its age as determined by the cycle at the time of the reformation of the calendar. The impossibility of avoiding the like errors for future ages by means of the lunar cycle, induced a learned astronomer, whose aid the Pope had asked, to contrive another cycle, which will for ever give the age of the moon on any day, not with absolute accuracy, for this could not be done, but with as few irregularities as possible. This new cycle, which required a great many combinations and very profound researches, is called the cycle of the epact.

The epact is the age of the moon at the

beginning of the year; for instance, in the present year, 1843, the epact is nothing, and is marked *. This, then, shows that the moon was new on the 1st of January of the present year: next year the epact will be 11, that is, the moon will be eleven days old on the 1st of January, 1844: these eleven days show that twelve lunar months do not make the twelve ordinary months, and fall short of it by eleven days. On the following year the epact will be twice 11, or 22, that is, the moon will be twentytwo days old at the beginning of 1845. Knowing the epact of any year, it is easy to find the time of the new moon, and, by adding fourteen days, that of the full moon : by counting the first full moon falling on or after the 21st of March, we find the Easter full moon, and the following Sunday is Easter day. For instance, in the present year the moon was new on the 1st of January, therefore it was new again on the 31st, new again on the 1st of March, new again on the 31st of March: this latter is the Easter moon, because it is the first that becomes full after the 21st of March. If we count fourteen days from the 31st of March, we will come to the 14th of April, which was the day of the full moon, and this year it was Good Friday, and therefore the following Sunday was Easter Sunday, the 16th. The days as determined above are the ecclesiastical new moons, that is, new moons as determined by the regulations of the Church. These new moons in the present instance differ very little from the new moons as determined by astronomers; still there is some difference, for astronomers give the new moon in March on the 30th, 7 h., and not on the 31st. The difference here is not very considerable, but in other instances it may amount to two days: still these cannot be a serious objection against the ecclesiastical cycle of the epact; for, on adopting another plan, greater inconveniences would have arisen. (See Delimbre's Astr. p. 645.)

The Dominical letter which is found in all calendars, placed at the beginning of most Catholic prayer-books, indicates the days of the year which will be Sundays.

In the present year it is A, and therefore all days of the month marked A will be Sundays throughout the year. In leap year there are two Dominical letters, one to be used as far as the 25th of February, the other serving for the remainder of the year. The necessity of using this double letter arises evidently from the addition of a day to February in those years.

The solar cycle is a period of twentyeight years, after which the dominical letters return to the same order. If there were no leap year, the dominical letters would recur in the same order after the lapse of seven years: as two are used in leap years, which return every four years, it will require four times seven in order that the same days of the week should return on the same days of the month in the same order. Hence he that would keep almanacs for twenty-eight years might in some measure dispense himself with buying new ones, at least for civil purposes and for immoveable festivals; for the moveable festivals do not return in that order. Again, the regularity of the solar cycle is interrupted by the suppression of a leap year at the beginning of a century.

The Roman indiction is another cycle or period of fifteen years, which forms a part of the eccclesiastical computation, but has no connection with the feast of Easter. This cycle was first employed by the Roman emperors, and has been kept by the Roman pontiffs in their bulls. The Roman indiction is 1 this year, or, in other words, the present year is the first one of a period of fifteen years, forming the aforesaid cycle. It would be easy to find how many such cycles there have been from the beginning of the Christian era.

The Julian period does not form a part of the ecclesiastical computation in chronology, but has been used by some as introducing a sort of regularity. It is a cycle of 7980 years, formed by multiplying together, 15, 28, and 19, that is, the cycle of indiction, the solar and the lunar cycle: the product is 7980, a number of years which is greater than that which the common opinion attributes to the world. The first year of the Christian era occurred on

the 4714th year of that period, which it shows to have commenced seven hundred and ten years before the creation of the world, according to a probable opinion. We are now in the 6556th of the same period.

The reformation of the calendar took place in 1582, at a time when minds were greatly preoccupied with ideas of reform. The Church is not, then, adverse to reform, and she is the first to adopt it in those matters which admit of and require reformation, such as human periods and cycles, which, received at one time as correct, have proved incorrect by the accumulation of errors arising from the accumulation of centuries: thus the Church has reformed the place of the seasons, and the times of the conjunctions of the sun and moon; but she cannot think of reforming the laws,

dogmas, and practices handed down to us by the apostles and by Christ himself. Such, however, were the subjects on which certain men at the same time exercised their zeal for reform. Time has shown the solidity of the two reformations: the reformation of the calendar has been admitted by all Protestant countries, whilst their pretended reformation, far from having made further progress, has been falling, and is still daily falling to pieces. The Greek Church is the only part of the civilized world which has not admitted the Gregorian reformation of the calendar: thus, according to the satirical but just remark of a judicious writer, they choose to the present day rather to be at variance with the sun, the moon, and the whole heavens, than to agree with the Roman pontiff.

FOREIGN.

From the Tablet.

ENGLAND.-Conversions.-A letter to a friend in Dublin, received a few days since, announces the conversion of another lady in York. It appears that she was much influenced by the conduct of Mrs. Wood. The new convert was also connected with theatrical pursuits.— Corres.

-On Sunday, seventeen persons at Taunton were admitted into communion with the Catholic Church; the whole of them had formerly been Protestants. A numerous congregation witnessed the interesting ceremony of their recognition as members of the Romish faith.Sherborne Journal.

Cheadle.-An old man, who had passed a great part of his life in dissolute habits, being seized with a fatal illness, requested the attendance of the Protestant rector to afford him such consolation as the awful circumstances of his condition necessarily demanded. The reverend gentleman accordingly waited upon him, but, instead of endeavoring to administer consolation to him, sternly reproached him with the iniquities of his past life, and told him he would assuredly go to hell. Upon this the old man, by the advice of a friend, called in the Rev. F. Fairfax, Catholic priest of Cheadle, who happily succeeded, VOL. II.-No. 5.

by dint of mild exhortation, and by reading the heart-melting devotions for the sick in the "Garden of the Soul," in receiving the penitent old man into the bosom of the true Church at the eleventh hour of life, and closed his eyes in that sweet peace of soul which, we fervently hope, will continue to all eternity. The poor old man begged, as a last and dying favor, that the Rev. F. Fairfax would follow his remains to the grave; which request so exasperated and annoyed the rector and curate, that, on the day of the funeral, they sent to the Protestant friends of the deceased convert a most insulting and uncharitable message, stating that the grave would be ready by a certain hour, but that they were determined not to bury the corpse. On this being made public, the novelty of such a proceedingand the horror of such a novelty to the people of Cheadle-caused a complete commotion in this otherwise dull town. The Catholic priest was immediately applied to, and solicited to inter the corpse, he having previously performed the funeral service over it in the house, according to the Catholic ritual. Taking with him, therefore, some blessed mould, he preceded the bier, which was attended by an immense concourse of people, and, on arriving at the grave, he repeated to himself, whilst the coffin was

40

being lowered into it, a fervent De Profundis for the repose of the departed soul, and sprinkled the blessed mould upon the coffin. The rector and curate were both present, escorted, it is said, by the constabulary and police of the town, for the purpose of arresting the Catholic priest if he dared to say a prayer aloud. But the humble and zealous pastor, having finished his secret prayer, bowed respectfully to the corpse, and retired peaceably to his home, overwhelmed with the benedictions and thanks of the immense multitude of spectators, who, at the same time, heaped execrations in no measured language on the heads of the Protestant ministers.-Corresp.

New Work.-The venerable and learned Dr. Fletcher is engaged, it is said, upon a new work, in which the validity of Anglican orders will be fully, and we have no doubt, fairly discussed.Ibid.

IRELAND.-St. Patrick's Day.—It is impossible to say too much in praise of the manner in which the festival of Ireland's apostle was observed in Dublin on the 17th of March. Although occurring in the holy season of Lent, it has always brought joy and gladness to the heart of millions, as the anniversary of our deliverance from superstition and idolatry. Owing, however, to barbarous laws and unchristian customs, it was too long desecrated by riotousness and drunken revelry, to the disgrace of our nature as men, and our character as Christians! Thanks to the Eternal, and under him praise to the apostle of our day, piety and peace, temperance and love have succeeded the contrary vices. Whether we look to fairs or markets, to our houses of worship, or places of recreation, prudence, order, and sobriety now prevail. In the morning of St. Patrick's day we find our churches filled with old and young, devoutly assisting at the most holy sacrifice, and attentively listening to their respective pastors delivering the words of eternal life. In the midday we see them in their various processions, enjoying the benefit of air and exercise; and in the evening we view them again in the sacred temples listening to the panegyric of their illustrious patron and apostle. In the city of Dublin, where perhaps fifty thousand congregated in the band-procession, I did not see one single individual intemperate, much less intoxicated. In past years it would not be easy to count the numbers of persons who would be found guilty of violating public and private peace on a similar occasion. The Temperance Societies of Dublin, Kells, Trim, Drogheda, and various other parts of the kingdom had grand soirées in the evening of St. Patrick's day attended by thousands.-Correspondent.

SCOTLAND.-Dundee.-The manufacturing town of Dundee contains (says the Cork Examiner) 65,000 inhabitants. The number of Catholics now in that large community amounts to 10,000. Twenty-five years ago the number of Catholics in Dundee was only 25. This increase is chiefly to be attributed to Irishmen, who, expatriated from their own country by poverty or bad laws, propagate religion and the Irish name all over the world. This numerous congregation includes also several Scottish families and converts. To meet the religious necessities of this large flock, which every day is adding to its numbers, the pastors were obliged to erect a large church for their accommodation, by which they have become involved in debt. The vicar apostolic of eastern Scotland, Dr. Carruthers, has therefore deputed the Rev. John Gillon, an Irishman, but attached to the Dundee mission, to receive, from the faithful in Ireland, donations and subscriptions in aid of the religious instruction of their countrymen in Dundee.

FRANCE.-Propagation of the Faith.-It is a most cheering reflection to every sincere Catholic, anxious for the promotion of the faith, to think on the success which has crowned the thrice hallowed work of this association. The gross receipts by the central committee in France, for the year ending March, 1843, have exceeded three millions of francs, or above £120,000; being about £10,000 more than the receipts of the preceding year, ending March, 1842. Correspondent.

-The commissary of police of the Faubourg St. Martin has removed the seals from the French Catholic church directed by the Abbé Chatel, on the assurance of the abbé that he would never again attempt to exercise his worship in that district.

-

The bishop of Amatha (in partibus) had arrived at Toulon, where he was to embark in the frigate Uranie for the Marquesas islands. Nine Sœurs de Vincent de Paul had sailed for the Sandwich islands to instruct the children of the natives.

NEWFOUNDLAND.-The rage for ascendancy (says the Newfoundland Indicator) is observable in every thing around us; and in every thing around us we find something as if-mark, we do not say it is intended-but looking, for the very life, as if intended to insult the religion of the people. Look at the very terms of the official invitation addressed to the clergymen to attend the governor on the occasion of the opening of the session of the 1 gislature on Monday next! There we have it, not only given that we have

an

"Established Church" in Newfoundland, but we are actually told officially that the Catholics of Newfoundland are but a congregationthe Presbyterians only a congregation - the Methodists only a congregation; but a handful of Episcopalian Protestants are "A CHURCH!" These may be the official opinions, but we must say that this parade of these offensive opinions would be in wisdom avoided; their exhibition is ill-judged, ill-advised, imprudent, impolitic, and vexatious!

JAMAICA.-The following information regarding the progress of Catholicity in Jamaica, we gather from the Propagateur Catholique of New Orleans.

Ten or twelve years ago, there was but one church in the island of Jamaica, and one priest, Rev. B. Fernandez, who resided in the city of Kingston. The Catholic population scattered through the country were deprived of all religious succor, and were driven to the lamentable evil of requesting the rites of marriage and baptism at the hands of Protestant ministers. For the first communion of the children, there was no other resource than to send them to Kingston, where catechetical instructions were delivered every year, during lent, by the Catholic pastor, preparatory to the performance of that solemn duty. This clergyman, whose vernacular tongue was the Spanish, soon qualified himself to preach also in the French language; but the services of one pastor, however efficient, were far from being adequate to the wants of the people, and as soon as circumstances permitted, the assistance of another clergyman was obtained. Soon after additional help was procured by the arrival of two Jesuits, one of whom was named Duperron. At the request of Dr. McDonald, vicar apostolic of the English Antilles, the holy see appointed the Rev. B. Fernandez vicar apostolic of Jamaica. Since that period the face of things has been renewed, and it may be truly said that the finger of God is visible in the labors of the missionaries. Father Duperron traverses the island, from vilage to village, and has every where the consolation of admitting into the Church crowds of converts, particularly from the sect of Baptists, the most numerous and influential in the country. There are now two churches in Kingston, one in San Iago de Vega, or Spanish Town, the seat of government, and several in the country. Many others are to be erected shortly.

Father Duperron, in his apostolic excursions, is every where received with joy except by the Methodist and Baptist ministers. Preparations are making to build a church in the village of Montigua Bay, a district almost exclusively in

habited by Protestants, who are very zealous, however, in their efforts to build a Catholic church, and secure a Catholic priest among them. Although such a disposition may appear a little singular, it may be accounted for by the following extract from a letter written by a Protestant to a friend in Kingston.

"If the people knew their real interests, they would erect Catholic chapels in every parish and village. Since our district has been visited by a respectable Catholic clergyman, a most wonderful change has been wrought among the colored people. They quit by hundreds the Baptist ranks, to receive religious instruction from the Catholic priest; and it is delightful to observe that those who are converted in this way become more submissive and more respectful towards their masters, more active and laborious, do twice as much work, and are no longer addicted to thieving. They are remarkable for their moral and correct deportment."

DOMESTIC.

ARCHDIOCESS OF BALT. - Circular.-The next provincial council will be opened on the fourth Sunday after Easter. I earnestly recommend to the prayers of the reverend clergy and the faithful of my diocess the important business which will engage the attention of the assembled prelates. For which purpose I request the reverend clergy, from the 29th of April to the 21st of May-1. To add daily at Mass the collect of the Holy Ghost. 2. To say weekly one mass of the Holy Ghost. 3. To solicit the faithful under their spiritual charge to offer up their prayers, and, once at least, to receive holy communion with the intention of invoking the light and grace of heaven on our proceedings.

Religious communities are requested to offer up for the same object such special acts of devotion as may be approved of by their spiritual directors.

† SAMUEL, Archbishop of Baltimore.

Given at Baltimore, on Thursday, }

in the 4th week in Lent, 1843.

Another Circular.—I hereby establish the U.S. Catholic Magazine my official organ of public communication with the clergy and laity of the archdiocess of Baltimore. Should it become necessary to address them on any subject, before the regular period for the publication of the Magazine, an extra sheet will be issued, corresponding in dimensions and style with those of the periodical. +SAMUEL, Archbp. Balt.

Feast of St. Mark, 1843.

Blessing of the Holy Oils.-On Maunday Thursday, 13th of April, the day appointed in the Ro