RITES IN THE UNITED STATES 221 



collar with a shoulder covering to it ; and finally, the shoochar, 

 or chasuble, which is almost exactly like a Roman cope. If the 

 celebrant be a bishop, he also wears the gonker or Greek epigo- 

 nation. The bishops carry a staff shaped like the Latin, while 

 the vartaheds ( deans, or doctors of divinity ; analogous to the 

 Roman mitred abbots) carry a staff in the Greek form (a staff 

 with two intertwined serpents). No organs are used in the 

 Armenian church, but the elaborate vocal music of the Eastern 

 style, sung by choir and people, is accompanied by two metal- 

 lic instruments, the keshotz and sinzgha (the first a fan with 

 small bells; the second similar to cymbals), both of which are 

 used during various parts of the Mass. The deacon wears 

 merely an alb and a stole in the same manner as in the Roman 

 Rite. The subdeacons and lower clergy wear simply the alb. 

 The Armenian Mass may be divided into three parts : Prep- 

 aration, Anaphora or Canon and Conclusion. The first and 

 preparatory portion extends as far as the Preface, when the 

 catechumens are directed by the deacon to leave. The Canon 

 commences with the conclusion of the Preface and ends with 

 the Communion. As soon as the priest is robed in his vest- 

 ments he goes to the altar, washes his hands reciting Psalm 

 xxvi, and then going to the foot of the altar begins the Mass. 

 After saying the Intercessory Prayer, the Confiteor and the 

 Absolution, which is given with a crucifix in hand, he recites 

 Psalm xlii (Introibo ad altare), and at every two verses 

 ascends a step of the altar. After he has intoned the prayer 

 "In the tabernacle of holiness," the curtains are drawn, and 

 the choir sings the appropriate hymn of the day. Meanwhile 

 the celebrant behind the curtain prepares the bread on the 

 paten and fills the chalice, ready for the oblation. When this 

 is done the curtains are withdrawn and the altar incensed. 

 Then the Introit of the day is sung, then the prayers corre- 

 sponding to those of the first, second and third antiphons of 

 the Byzantine Rite, while the proper psalms are sung by the 

 choir. Then the deacon intones "Proschume" (let us attend), 

 and elevates the book of the gospels, which is incensed as he 

 brings it to the altar, making the Little Entrance. The choir 

 then sings the Trisagion (Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy 

 and Immortal, have mercy on us) thrice. The Gregorians in- 

 terpolate after "Holy and Immortal" some words descriptive 

 of the feast day, such as "who was made manifest for us," or 



