Retiring the Alleluia

It is an ancient custom in the Christian Church that a "Farewell to Alleluia" be sung at the close of the last Worship Services on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally "alleluia" is not sung in the Worship Services until Easter Sunday early Worship Service, symbolizing our voluntary restraint of praise during the penitential Season of Lent. As the Alleluia Banner is paraded throughout the church, the choir will sing the 11th Century Hymn "Alleluia Song of Sweetness".

Alleluia cannot always
Be our song while here below;
Alleluia our transgressions
Make us for awhile forego;
For the solemn time is coming
When our tears for sin must flow.

The services will offer up a great outburst of praise before the solemn season of Lent. The Historic Trinity Cathedral Choir and organist Karl Osterland will be at their festive best, since it is the last time alleluias will be sung until Easter.

PROCESSIONAL CRUCIFIXES EXCHANGE

At the end of the Worship Services on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the Processional Crucifixes will be exchanged as a sign of the beginning of the Lenten Season. The present processional crucifix will be exchanged with the 1700's processional crucifix. The Cathedral Processional Cross is a hand-hammered brass cross with filigree ends. The center Agnus Dei symbol is mounted on red enamel background. The Cathedral Processional Cross is fashioned after the Windsor Castle Chapel Processional Cross and was made in England.

The processional crucifix used during the Lenten Season is the crucifix that was used on the altar of our second church at this site, constructed in 1866 at the end of the Civil War. This crucifix was made in Germany in the 1700's.

Move your mouse over the crucifix on the left, and watch it change to the crucifix used for processionals during the Lenten Season. The Lenten Crucifix is veiled for the duration of the Lenten season. Click on the image for background information and customs of the Lenten Season.

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