Death Of A Trappist

The burial of a Trappist is a peculiar and solemn ceremony. Immediately after a monk is dead, the body, dressed in thp monastic robe, is stretched on a simple board, the head covered with the cowl, and then taken to the monastery cha pel, There the body remains until the day of interment, four yellow wax candles burning all the time, and all the monks in turn reciting the praycrs of the liturgy, night and day. On the day of burial the prayers for the dead. and a requiem mass are chanted, after which ali the monks form in procession to follow their brother to his last resting place. During the funeral procession psalnis are chanted in the mournful tones peculiar to the Trapp!st Order. When the cemetery is rea -hei! more prayers are recited and then the body is slowly iowered into the grave, not in a coffln, but simply dreshi"! !n the monastic robe worn dnrinar ilte. A monk then goes down into tb grave to cover his dead brother's facr v.ith a cowl, after which the offlciaiing priest slowly throws a shove'.ful cr earth over the body. Two other monks do the same, and then the grave is filled up in the ordinary way. After the burial the procession returns to the chapel in the same order. The Trappist cemetery is always placed in the interior ynvd oï the monastery, so that the rlcad may always be in view of the living, and as soon as one monk is buried, another grave next to the one just filled is at once partially dug up, thru each may see the place where he may possibly be laid before long.