RITES IN THE UNITED STATES 217 



saints' days and feasts added to their ancient ecclesiastical 

 year. 



In the actual arrangement of the church building for wor- 

 ship the Armenian Rite differs both from the Greek and the 

 Latin. While the Armenian Church was in communion with 

 Rome, it seems to have united many Roman practices in its 

 ritual with those that were in accord with the Greek or Byzan- 

 tine forms. The church building may be divided into the sanc- 

 tuary and church proper (choir and nave). The sanctuary 

 is a platform raised above the general level of the church and 

 reached by four or more steps. The altar is always erected 

 in the middle of it, and it is again a few steps higher than the 

 level of the sanctuary. It is perhaps possible that the Arme- 

 nians originally used an altar-screen or iconostasis, like that 

 of the Greek churches, but it has long since disappeared. Still 

 they do not use the open altar like the Latin Church. Two 

 curtains are hung before the sanctuary : a large double curtain 

 hangs before its entrance, extending completely across the 

 space like the Roman chancel rail, and is so drawn as to con- 

 ceal the altar, the priest, and the deacons at certain parts of 

 the Mass ; the second and smaller curtain is used merely to 

 separate the priest from the deacons and to cover the altar 

 after service. Each curtain opens on both sides, and ordinarily 

 is drawn back from the middle. The second curtain is not 

 much used. The use of these curtains is ascribed to the year 

 340, when they were required by a canon formulated by Bishop 

 Macarius of Jerusalem. Upon the altar are usually the Missal, 

 the Book of Gospels, a cross upon which the image of Our 

 Lord is painted or engraved in low relief, and two or more 

 candles, which are lighted as in the Roman use. The Blessed 

 Sacrament is usually reserved in a tabernacle on the altar, and 

 a small lamp kept burning there at all times. In the choir, 

 usually enclosed within a low iron railing, the singers and 

 priests stand in lines while singing or reciting the Office. In 

 the East, the worshipper, upon entering the nave of the church, 

 usually takes off his shoes, just as the Mohammedans do, for 

 the Armenian founds this practice upon Ex., iii, 5 ; this custom 

 is not followed in the United States, nor do the Armenians 

 there sit cross-legged upon the floor in their churches, as they 

 do in Asia. 



The administration of the sacraments is marked by some 



