Lent and Stations of the Cross

Mary's intense Catholic religious devotion pervades her diary, a devotion that continued throughout her life.  During Lent and with Easter fast approaching, Mary on March 15 followed the Catholic tradition of attending the Stations of the Cross on a Friday .  A good summary of the tradition can be found here.

The following day she attended "St. Columbus's to see the show called the Curate."  She writes that she did not enjoy it, later felt very "blue" and cried.  She ends the day with a note expressing some ambivalence about her relationship with her soldier boy Frank.

Mary's spelling of proper names, as is often the case, fails her once again her.  "St. Columbus" was St. Columba Catholic Church on 24th Street and Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia.  In more recent years with the consolidation of several Catholic parishes in Philadelphia, it was renamed St. Martin de Porres and there is a very good review of the history of the church, including multiple exterior and interior photos at the Philadelphia Church Project.   A nice article about a plaque at the church that was dedicated in 1919 to the Parish soldiers who served in World War I can be found at The Philadelphia Inquirer.