•* %
* V
MADONNA ENTHRONED
ST, BASIL'S SCHOLASTICATE
APPARITIONS AND SHRINES
OF
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
In Legend, Poetry and History
FROM THE EARLIEST AGES
TO THE PRESENT TIME
Compiled from Approved Catholic Publications
BY
WILLIAM J. WALS H
WITH INTRODUCTION EY
MONSIGNOR BERNARD O'REILLY, D.D.
ILLUSTRATED
EX LIBRIS
ST. BASIL'S SCHOLASTIC
NO.
NEW YORK
/ J~/ n
/ J
T. J. CAREY COMPANY
Sixty-three Fifth Avenue
LONDON
BURNS & GATES, LTD.
97 '
Copyright, 1904
By
T. J. CAREY COMPANY
Rooney & Otten Printing Co.. 114-120 West goth St., N. Y.
DECLARATION
The Editor and Publishers, in obedience to the decrees of
Urban VIII. , protest that for all miraculous events, visions and
apparitions ascribed in these columns to certain servants of
God, which have not been formally investigated and approved
by the Church, they claim no other authority and belief than
that which is ordinarily conceded to narratives based upon
merely human evidence, and do in no wise presume to pro
nounce upon their authenticity or supernatural character. If
the appellation of Saint or Blessed is therein applied to any
person not canonised or beatified by the Church, it is done only
in accordance with the usage and opinion of men.
In view of and in accordance with the above declaration,
the following authorisation to publish is granted.
/V
NIHIL OBSTAT,
REMIGIUS LAFORT, S.J.L.,
Censor.
IMPRIMATUR,
JOHN M. FARLEY, D.D.,
Archbishop.
New York, December 8, 1904.
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
VOLUME FOUR
PAGE
MADONNA ENTHRONED Frontispiece
THE GROTTO OF LOURDES 28
VISION OF ST. THERESA 114
ST. CATHERINE IN THE ARMS OF THE NUNS 178
VIRGIN OF THE MIRROR 242
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN . . 274
CONTENTS
PAGE
Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception i
Churches in America Dedicated to Mary 3
Hymn to Our Lady, A Rev. William P. Treacy 3
Shrine of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 5
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Preparation and Realization. .. 10
Garland of Holy Thoughts, A 13
Visit to Our Lady after Holy Communion "Ave Maria." 15
Apparition to Bernadetta Soubirous 17
Miracles of Lourdes, The 25
Pilgrimage at Lourdes, A 28
Ireland's Offerings to Our Lady of Lourdes 32
Irish Lamp at Lourdes, The Eleanor C. Donnelly 33
Prayer 34
Apparition to Francis M. Shanuboga 35
Remarkable Conversion of an East Indian 38
"Mary's Lullaby " Arthur Sherburne Hardy 43
Apparition to Mary Wilson 45
Mother's Secret, A Oliver Wendell Holmes. 55
Apparition to Mary Magdalene Kade 59
To the Blessed Virgin Percy B. Shelley 70
Royal Name of Mary, The Sister M. A. Dominic. 70
Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help 73
Shrine of Our Lady of Zo-Se 87
Virgin Mother Mary Rev. William Livingston. 96
Our Lady of Perpetual Help 96
Apparition to Our Lady of Hope 99
Mary Kept All These Words Lady Georgiana Fullerton. 117
Apparition of Our Lady All Merciful 119
Prayer Composed by Estelle, A 123
Account of the Miraculous Cure of Estelle 123
Sixth Apparition 13°
Seventh Apparition 131
Eighth Apparition 132
Ninth Apparition 133
viii CONTENTS
PAGE
Tenth Apparition 134
Eleventh Apparition 134
Twelfth Apparition 136
Thirteenth Apparition 137
Fourteenth Apparition 138
Fifteenth Apparition 139
Letter from Estelle 143
Arch-Confraternity of Our Lady of Pellevoisin.. .Pope Leo XIII. 144
Our Lady of Pellevoisin Sister M. de Sales 148
Queen of the Rosary Rev. Matthew Russell, S. J. 150
Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation 151
Our Lady of Consolation Very Rev. Edivard Sorin, C. S. C. 154
Veni Creator Spiritus 155
Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs 157
Pilgrimage to Auriesville 171
Our Lady of Martyrs Elizabeth Cross Alexander 1/2
Apparition to Our Lady of Sorrow 173
An Alpine Monument to Mary 179
Passion of Mary, The Francis Thompson 180
Let Us Pray 181
Ejaculatory Prayer 181
Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes 183
Statue, Shrine and Pilgrimage Rer. George O'Conncll, SJ. 188
Holy Name of Mary John Boyle O'Reilly 193
Shrine of Our Lady of Graces 195
Youghal and the Miraculous Statue 198
Miraculous Statue, The 200
Our Lady of Grace Sarah Trainer Smith 202
Apparition of Our Lady of Tilly Re-:'. R. F. Clarke, SJ. 205
Shrine of Our Lady of Melheha. .. .Dom. 'Michael Barrett, O.S.B. 219
Massabielle Francis X. Finegan, SJ. 225
Shrine of Our Lady of Zebrzydowski 229
As Fair as Snow, as Pure and White. .George Frederick Daumer 232
Shrine of Our Lady of the Oaks 235
Guide's Queen Guide's Remi 239
Shrine of the Madonna of the Orphans 241
Ave Maria, The Frederick Bausback 244
Shrine of the Miraculous Madonna 247
Queen Above All Other Women
Ludovica, Baroness Bordcs, nee Brentano 250
Shrine of Our Lady of Copakabana 253
Virgin, The William Wordsworth 255
Prayer for the Conversion of Heretics 256
CONTENTS ix
PAGE
Florence 256
Prayer to Our Lady of Pity Pope Pius IX. 257
Queen Immaculate Rev. William P. Treacy 258
Our Lady of Marpingen "Ave Maria" 263
Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes 269
Our Lady's Statue Kathcrine Tynan 275
Knight of Our Lady of Mercy, The "Ave Maria" 277
Graces Obtained through the Intercession of Blessed Margaret
Mary "Ave Maria" 290
Mother's Hymn, The William Cullen Bryant 296
Monks of the Blessed Virgin 297
Prayer Before a Crucifix Ps. xxi, 17, 18 299
Invocation of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament 300
Fr. De La Colombiere on the Scapular 301
Evenings in Greece Thomas 'Moore 302
Reverence for the Blessed Sacrament 3°3
Our Lady of Dale 3<H
Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Succor 305
Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel 306
Miraculous 3°6
Marianisches Lob-Gesang 3<V
Song of Praise to the Blessed Virgin Marcella Eberlee 308
Pope Celestine 3°9
Holy Picture, The 3°9
Prayer for Peace 310
Holy Family, The Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 310
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin St. Ildefonsus 311
St. Augustine and His Mother 311
Prayer in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help 312
Real Treasure of Precious Indulgences of the Rosary, A 312
Te Deum Laudamus of St. Bonaventtire, The. .Marcella Eberlee 313
Mother of Grace, The 314
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin St. Alphonsus 315
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows 316
Pious Exercise Pope Pius IX. 317
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin St. Bernardine of Siena 317
Prayer for Victory in Temptations 317
Ejaculations 318
Morning Prayer 318
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sclim fair pillars,
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SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF THE IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
1846
Thy chosen child, Lord Baltimore,
Struck off the manacles that bound
By tyrant-power the infant shore,
And stamped her soil, true freedom's ground.
'Twas here where Faith — celestial bird —
First flung abroad her carol loud;
And thou, fair Star, her matin heard,
That heavenward soaring pierced the cloud.
HE Blessed Virgin was indeed the patroness of the
Church throughout the United States, as she was of
Canada and Mexico; but the crown had not been
formally placed on her brow. This act was the
glory of the Council held at Baltimore in 1846, when twenty-
two bishops there assembled, chose as Patroness of the United
States of America "The Blessed Virgin conceived without sin."
The decree is in these words :
Whereas the Most Reverend Archbishop of Baltimore and
his suffragan bishops celebrating the sixth provincial Council
in the month of May, 1846, respectfully request the Holy See
to approve the election made by them in council of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, conceived without original sin, as the Patroness
of the United States of North America, ... the most
eminent and reverend fathers in the General Congregation de
Propaganda Fide, resolved to beseech Our Most Holy Lord to
deign to consent to the most pious wishes of the Council.
Our Most Holy Lord Pius IX., by Divine Providence, Pope,
2 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
benignly approved in all the opinion of the Sacred Congrega
tion at an audience held February 7, 1847.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December the 8th,
was made the Patronal Feast of the United States, and has
been made a holiday of obligation.*
"Devotion to the Blessed Virgin," says the Bishop of
Natchez, in his sermon before the second Plenary Council of
Baltimore, "may and will be more strong and lively in one
person than in another, in one country than in another ; and we
can understand how in one age it may grow wider and more
intense throughout the whole Church than it was in ages which
preceded.
"Now some men of extraordinary holiness and wisdom have
foretold that the devotion to the Blessed Virgin should have
an immense increase as the world grows older. . . . We
can see ourselves, in the signs of the times which are coming on
us, good reason for expecting that Our Lord may probably so
direct the conduct of His Holy Church and the thoughts and
hearts of her faithful children, as to make the devotion to His
beloved Mother more intense and more active than it has been
before. . . .
"It is a continuance of the old mystery of Bethlehem and
Nazareth. Our Lord still vouchsafes to have Mary give Him
to the world, and He chooses to grow in our hearts as He grew
at Nazareth under the care of Mary.
"You can see it illustrated in the history of religion among
yourselves. Some of you can recall when first began to be
common the practice of wearing the medal of the Immaculate
Conception. And more of you can remember when the devo
tions of the month of May were not yet heard of. Now as
these devotions have grown, so also have grown the devotions
to Jesus in His childhood ; to Jesus on the Cross ; to His Sa
cred Heart ; to His Most Precious Blood ; to His five Sacred
Wounds; the Way of the Cross; the Visiting of the Blessed
Sacrament; the Forty Hours' adoration. . . .
"And as for the country, so far each one of us in our own
*Ii. P.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
hearts, if we desire that Jesus take full possession of them and
reign supreme, let us every day more and more magnify His
power and love by pouring out our praise and blessing on His
mightiest work and His dearest friend, His own blessed and
beloved Mother."
CHURCHES IN AMERICA DEDICATED TO MARY
"There are nine churches dedicated to Mary, Help of Chris
tians, nine to Mary, Star of the Sea, two to Mary, Refuge of
Sinners, seven to the Sacred Heart of Mary, four to Our Lady
of the Port. Others are to Our Lady of the Isle, of the Catar
act, of the Gulf, of the River, of the Rocks, of the Portage,
of the Snows, of the Woods, of the Lake, of the Desert. There
is Our Lady of La Salette, of Belen, of Levis, and nine of
Guadalupe. Again, we have Our Lady of Light, of Grace, of
Good Hope, of Prompt Succor. There are four to Our Lady
of Victories, three to Our Lady of Consolation, five to Our
Lady of Loretto, seven to Our Lady of Angels, nine of the
Rosary, seven of the Good Shepherd, sixteen of Our Lady of
Mercy, twenty-one of Sorrows, twenty-two of Carmel, and
thirty-one to Our Lady, simply.
"There are three churches of the Mother of God, five of the
Purification, eleven of the Nativity, fourteen of the Annuncia
tion, sixteen of the Visitation, fifty of the Assumption, one
hundred and forty-five of the Immaculate Conception, and
three hundred and sixty-seven which are simply called Saint
Mary's."
In all there stand in the United States in honor of its Pa
troness, more than a thousand churches.
4 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
A HYMN TO OUR LADY
PATRONESS OF THE UNITED STATES
In 1846 the Fathers of the Council of Baltimore elected the
Immaculate Mother of God as the special patroness of the
United States. In 1904 Pope Pius X. proclaimed a Golden
Jubilee of three months' duration in honor of the Immaculate
Conception.
The stars on our banners are gleaming for thee,
Then, oh, take them, loved Queen, for thy crown;
Clear Star of the Morning, bright star of the Sea,
On our star-blazoned banner shine down.
Oh, shed on our tri-colored flag thy mild light,
Let its folds in thy radiance shine;
Oh, keep it the symbol of freedom and right,
Tis the flag of our country, 'tis thine.
E'er deep was our love for Columbia's shore,
But now deeper's that love in our breast,
She's the Land of Our Lady, now and e'er more,
She's the pure Virgin's Crown of the West.
We'll love and defend her for Mary's dear sake,
For her cause we will willingly die;
No foeman a star from her banner dare take,
While we think of our Queen-Star on high.
Our banner is thine, Queen, oh, bless all its stars,
And undimmed through all years make them gleam;
With glory illumine its White and Red Bars,
On its gemmed field of Blue ever beam.
Rev. William P. Treacy.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART
ISSOUDUN, FRANCE
1854
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart!
Unlock thy stores to-day,
And from those mines of grace impart
That gift for which I pray.
Thou knowest the heavy burdens laid
On weary mind and frame;
Thou knowest how long I've wept and prayed,
Yet suffered still the same.
Sister M. A. Dominic.
VERY day the Morning Offering goes up from
millions of faithful hearts, all the world over, for
the interests of the Sacred Heart and for the In
tentions of the League; and it is through the Im
maculate Heart of Mary that our Associates of the Apostleship
of Prayer make the offering of their prayers, work and suffer
ings to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This is as it should be. We go through Mary to Jesus, and
we go with full and unfaltering confidence, because this is the
proper and natural course to follow in the order of things
established by our Lord in view of the great mystery of the
Incarnation. As His Blessed Mother gave Him to the world
and His Sacred Heart was formed from her most pure blood,
so, to glorify her, He gave her in return, if we may so express
it, all power over His adorable Heart, and made her, as St.
Bernard teaches, the dispenser of all Its treasures.
Thus it comes to pass that the true instinct of Catholic love
and devotion has given to that peerless Virgin a name and
a title that points out her share in the distribution of the bless
ings of her Divine Son's Heart, that implies her influence with
that loving Heart, which influence and power enable her to
6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES Off
obtain for her children among men all the graces and blessings
they need; and so we style her "Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart."
The title of Our Blessed Lady involves a great deal. Lady
— in the language of the Church, Domina — means Sovereign,
Mistress, Queen, of the Heart of Jesus. It seems hardly neces
sary to warn Catholics that there is no question here of an
absolute, irresistible power, which no creature can wield over
the Creator ; but that intercessory power which some holy Doc
tors have styled omnipotentia supplex, an intercession which
Our Lord will not reject. The great Commentator on Holy
Scripture, Cornelius a Lapide, explains this unique privilege
of Our Lady as founded on what he styles the jus maternum,
the "Mother's right." When Our Lord chose the Blessed Vir
gin to be His Mother, He gave her, with this unexampled
dignity, all that it includes.
In 1849, three young students of the Bourges Seminary
bound themselves by a vow to the task of honoring in an
especial manner the Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin.
They received Holy Orders and went different ways. In
1854 two of them met at Issoudun as priests attached to the
same church. The old idea was found germinating in the
minds of both. Their scheme was to found an association of
missionaries, but there were difficulties in the way, as they
possessed neither money nor influence.
At length an idea occurred to them. It being close upon the
time of the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Con
ception, they said between themselves : "Let us make a novena
to the Blessed Virgin and ask her, as the first fruits of the
definition of the dogma of her Immaculate Conception, to let
us know whether it be the will of God that our project be car
ried out."
The novena was begun. The answrer came on December 8,
1854, at the exact time when the dogma of Mary's Immaculate
Conception was being proclaimed in Rome. In the course of
that hour, ever memorable in religious annals, because of what
was going on in the capital of Christendom, one of the young
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
priests with whom we have to do was summoned to the pres
bytery.
A visitor awaited him there, who said: "Monsier 1'Abbe, a
gentleman unknown in these parts, and who wishes to remain
so, offers you 20,000 francs for the founding of some good
work at Issoudun."
"What good work?" asked the priest.
"Anyone you like," was the answer; "nevertheless, an insti
tution of missionaries would best correspond with the donor's
wish."
The benefactor in question was Abbe de Champgrand, of
Paris, priest of Saint Sulpice.
The young priest, who had just heard what to him was joy
ful news, went to seek his fellow priest, and found him pray
ing before a statue of the Blessed Virgin.
"Come quickly," he said ; "I have something to tell you."
"And I," said the other, "have something to tell you. The
Blessed Virgin has just made me understand that our prayer
is answered."
Thus was a new work born — thus was the world to be made
acquainted with a fresh form of Marian devotion, that of Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart, having its seat at Issoudun.
The young priest who had been summoned to the presbytery
to receive the visitor, was afterward to be known to the world
as the Rev. Pere Chevalier, founder and Superior of the Con
gregation of Missionaries of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of
Issoudun.
The work, which we have just seen so evidently born of
prayer, had prospered not only spiritually but materially also,
to the extent that, at the time when the foundations of the
Church of the National Vow were being laid at Montmartre,
it could look on a splendid church of its own, already raised to
the dignity of a Roman basilica, with a hundred lamps burn
ing before its high altar. Already its missionaries were spread
ing in different parts of the world under a single invocation —
devotion to the Blessed Virgin and to the Sacred Heart.
We purposely dwell here on this particular form of devotion
8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to Mary, because the same seems to us to have an especial
place in the great devotional movement of the time. Moreover,
judging from subsequent events, it seems to us to point in the
direction of a more concrete and tangible expression of its own
great leading idea. Up to that time it had familiarized the
Catholic world with an invocation, that of Our Lady of the
Sacred Heart, which embodies more perfectly than does any
other the idea of Mary's empire over the Heart of Jesus, and
which consequently may be said to express better than does any
other the spirit of the Church's teaching respecting the inter
cessory power of the Blessed Virgin.
As Our Lord's mother, then, Mary had all a mother's rights
over the Son who so loved us that He chose, for our advan
tage, to become like to us in all things save sin. He was true
man, as well as true God ; and as He did all things perfectly
He was a perfect Son to His chosen mother. This implies a
mother's authority and jurisdiction, her sacred and incontest
able right; and this right was exceptionally great in her case,
more complete than in any other mother that ever lived, since
to her alone Our Lord bore all the natural relation of child
to parent.
This right of Our Lady was recognized by Our Lord in His
voluntary subjection to His mother, not through necessity, but
through His love for us and because He chose, as St. Paul
expresses it, to "annihilate" Himself, or to empty Himself of
His glory and supremacy, as man, for us. And so, at the age
of twelve years, He made a public profession of His subjection
by returning with His mother from Jerusalem to Nazareth and
"He was subject unto them," and so He remained during the
thirty years of His life at Nazareth. The Gospel mentions an
other striking example of Our Lady's intercessory power over
the Sacred Heart, in the miracle wrought at Cana of Galilee,
at her request, though Our Lord had just said "His hour was
not yet come," an expression which emphasizes the efficacy of
the mother's word.
The Fathers and Doctors of the Church abound in passages
which express this truth in many forms. Father Eudes sums
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
them all up, in his work on the holy Heart of Mary, in these
words : "May we not say with perfect truth that a heart which
can do everything with the Heart of a God, has sovereign
power ? Now who can doubt that the Heart of the Mother of
Jesus has all power with the Heart of Him who chose to be her
Son and to give her all a mother's authority over Him ? Will
He deprive her of what He has given her with so much love?
Never. Jesus will always be Mary's Son, and Mary will ever
be the mother of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of that holy
Mother will forever exercise a mother's power and authority
over the Sacred Heart of that best of sons/'
This is very much like what St. Augustine says of Our
Lord's constancy in His love : "Our Lord Jesus does not love
and then forsake." It follows, therefore, that whatever the
love of Our Lord for His Blessed Mother moved Him to do
for the honor of her motherhood on earth, will be done all the
more in heaven where love is perfect. And if a mother's love
has such power over the heart of a Son as even we know it to
have here among men, what when that mother is Mary, the
holiest, the most tender, the perfect one of all mothers, and
that Son is Jesus, the most powerful, the most generous, the
most loving of sons ? Surely there can be no limit to His defer
ence to her intercession when she pleads in our favor.
It was this consideration that moved some zealous priests
at Issoudun, in the diocese of Bourges, in France, to form
an association intended to give glory to the Blessed Virgin in
the relation of ineffable love that exists between her Immacu
late Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Moreover, since
Mary, according to St. Ephrem, is the hope of those who are
in desperate straits, this association is to plead with her for her
powerful intercession especially in difficult and hopeless cases,
both in the spiritual and in the temporal order. As the asso
ciation purposed to reach the merciful Heart of Jesus through
the intercession of Mary, its founders gave it the title of "Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart."
The association was canonically erected on the Feast of
St. Francis de Sales, January 29, 1864, and in the month of
IQ APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
June, of the same year, Pius IX. gave it his approbation and
granted to it various indulgences. It was soon after raised to
the dignity of an archconfraternity, the statue of Our Lady
of the Sacred Heart, at Issoudun, was solemnly crowned by the
Archbishop of Bourges, in the name of the Sovereign Pontiff,
the church of the Missionary Fathers of the Sacred Heart, in
which the statue stands, was enriched with the indulgences of
the Portiuncula, and other favors have since been conferred
upon the association which has its church also in Rome.
Many confraternities have been affiliated to it in all parts of
the world. The members of this pious association may gain an
indulgence of a hundred days, once a day, by reciting, morning
and evening, the invocation : "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
pray for us." The feast of the society is celebrated on the
3ist of May. As the Immaculate Heart of Mary is so closely
connected with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the devotion to Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart may well be cultivated with especial
fervor by the Associates of the Holy League.
OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART IN PREPARA
TION AND REALIZATION
When the graceful-flowered nenuphar, having struck its
roots deep in the bed of a stream or lake, reaches the waters
surface in its upward growth, forthwith it spreads its large
round leaves and, supported by its native element, proceeds to
unfold its white corol to the golden rays of a summer sun.
So Mary rose through the waves of her Son's Passion to open
her virginal soul to the effusions of the divine prodigality.
From all eternity God saw His future Mother issue forth
from the Precious Blood of Jesus. He loved as such her whom
He already cherished as His Daughter, and He showed Him
self accordingly lavish of His gifts. "My Daughter and
Mother/' we fancy him lovingly addressing her, "what is Mine
is thine. Mine is a virtue most high : it will overshadow thee.
My divinity, incommunicable of its nature, I cannot give to
thee, nor canst thou be mother thereunto, yet will I make thee
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN fi
Mother of a God. My Holy Spirit shall descend upon thee
as into a sanctuary. The world, I its Creator and Master give
unto thee — be thou its worthy Queen. With the sun, My
handiwork, I clothe thee. The luminary of night shall be thy
soft footstool. The stars will dispute the honor of being
among the twelve jewels of thy crown. I have cedars on Le
banon and cypresses on Mount Zion : thou will surpass them
in grandeur. Than My palm-trees that sway their feathery
fans in the deserts of Cades, thou wilt be more majestic. My
roses bloom bright and fragrant in the gardens of Jerico, but
more exquisite will be thy perfumes. The aroma of the bal
samic cinnamon and the unctious myrrh shall be as nought in
comparison with thine.
If salvation is vouchsafed to Mary so abundantly, if hers are
so many graces, her beauty and greatness so transcendental, it
is all in view of her maternity. She could not, strictly speak
ing, deserve that honor by actual worthiness, but she would by
absolute fitness. Wherefore God prepared her to be the worthy
tabernacle of His Son. [S. Thomas III. q. 27.] As Mother
of God, Mary in a manner possesses infinite dignity. [S. Thorn.
I. Distinct. 44. q. i.] "She alone attains to the confines of
divinity," says Cajetan. This is why she stands at the source
of salvation even as she will, later, near the Heart of her
Saviour Son on Calvary. Jesus being hers as veritable Son,
has placed this life-giving fountain in her hands as in a
channel. ,
But whence springs this source? From the Heart of God
Himself, from which it passes (never to leave It) into the
Heart of Jesus Christ. And who gave Jesus that Heart ? Mary
formed It with her most pure blood. That Heart therefore
belongs to her as the heart of every son belongs to his mother.
She loves it and is loved by it. In it her words are sure of a
hearing ; her requests, of a favorable answer ; her tears, of in
finite compassion. Jesus will not resist the maternal power of
Mary over His Heart. It has never been heard — non audituni
a seculo — that He did, nor shall it ever be, because it is against
nature.
12 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
In view of all this, how fitting is the title of Our Lady of the
Sacred Heart, and how consoling! How well it emphasizes
the fact that Mary is our Mediatrix near that Heart, Its mor
ally indispensable aqueduct. To deny this fact is to gainsay
all the ordinary economy of grace, refuse Mary the power of
the most ordinary mother over the heart of her child, wound
Jesus' most divinely delicate feelings, and give the lie to the
history of all ages.
Yes, O Mary, the Heart of Jesus belongs to thee. Thou
dispensest the salvation and graces It contains. Thou art, in
short, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart ! This beautiful title tells
nothing new. It only rehearses, in a summary way, all the
eulogiums that heaven and earth have ever decreed to thee,
from the Ave of Gabriel to the Bull Ineffabilis of Pius IX.
If thou art not full of grace, not immaculate, not Mother of
God, if God has not through thee, willed to come to us and to
call us to Himself, thou hast then nothing above other creatures
to commend thee to the Heart of Jesus ; (my spirit shrinks
from the thought, my lips tremble to say it) thou art not Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart ; thou mayest not sing more : "My
soul hath rejoiced in Jesus, my Saviour." But if, on the con
trary it is all true, if Jesus is thy son, and the most loving and
obedient of sons, if His goodness renders thine nigh infinite,
[Albertus Magnus Sup. Missus est 9, 197. torn. 20.] if grace,
instead of destroying nature, perfects it, if, in fine, glory and
divinity ennoble and immortalize what they touch, then joy
fully do I unite mine with the countless voices that cry : "Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us."
The favors which Mary lavishes on those who invoke her
under the above title are a guarantee of its efficiency. It was in
this sense that our Holy Father Pope Leo XIII. wrote twenty
years ago : "We can attribute only to the most powerful favor
of the Blessed Virgin the astonishing abundance of prodigies
with which Heaven has rewarded the confidence of the faithful
who have implored the help of God by invoking His Mother
under the title of Our Ladv of the Sacred Heart."
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 13
A GARLAND OF HOLY THOUGHTS FOR THE MOST
PURE HEART OF MARY
ist Day. — It is those nearest to Mary who are most quickly, most
potently drawn. Rev. G. Tyrrell, SJ.
2. Let us always have recourse to this most sweet Queen.
St. Alphonsus.
3. The soul of Mary is the image of the soul of Jesus.
Dr. Ullathorne.
4. To those who recite my Psalter I promise my special protection.
Words of the Blessed Virgin
5. The whitest whiteness of the Alpine snows,
Beside thy stainless spirit dusky grows.
E. C. Donnelly.
6. Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Pray to Jesus for me.
St. Philip Neri.
7. This fair and pure Virgin-Mother renders all her servants chaste
and pure. St. Alphonsus.
8. "Virgin of all virgins, to thy shelter take us !
Gentlest of the gentle, chaste and gentle make us."
9. No female saint ever uttered a doubt as to Mary's sinless purity.
Dr. Ullathorne.
10. The more entirely you give yourself to the Blessed Virgin, the
more she will give herself to you. Your confidence will be the measure
of her bounty. Pere Cestae.
11. Jesus bore the weight of the sins of men, Mary the weight of
their sorrows. Madame Swetchine.
12. In union with the perfect confidence and hope that the Holy and
Blessed Virgin placed in Thee, do I hope O Lord. St. Pius V .
13. Confidence in the Blessed Virgin is the sure sign of predestination.
Mgr. de Segur.
14. The virtues that belong exclusively to Mary, like silence, and
gentleness, in no way exclude strength and energy.
Madame Swetchine.
15. "See the Virgin-Mother rise,
Angels bear her to the skies."
14 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
16. I love our Blessed Mother with singular tenderness. I can never
hear her name mentioned without being so moved as with difficulty to
restrain my tears.
17. She alone is the Mother of God, . . And preserved Immacu
late. D'. Ullathorne.
18. Let us be proud of our devotion to Mary. Rev. C. Perraud.
ig. "Salve Regina !" when our souls are weary
We find in thy dear love a soothing balm. E. de M.
20. Mary's soul is a lily from the spotlessness of its purity, the
fragrance of its charity, the grace and delicacy of its form.
Father Tyrrell.
21. Mary was ever the dear child of God. Dr. Ullathorne.
22. She occupies the first of the "many mansions" which her Son
went up to Heaven to prepare. Ibid.
23. If we call her "our life, our sweetness and our hope," these
epithets carry us but a short way toward what she truly is.
Dr. Hedley.
24. "0 Mother of Mercy," cries St. Bernard, "the restless and un
stable world is under thy feet."
25. O Mary, be thou with me, now and always, as my adviser, my
hope, my Lady, my Queen. Rev. B. F. Clarke, S.I.
26. Virgin and Mother, make me always to remember thee.
St. Philip Neri.
27. "Sancta Maria !" Star for ever bright !
Guard us and watch o'er us by day and night
M. Q. N.
28. Whoever is in the night of sin, let him cast his eyes on the
moon; let him implore Mary. Pope Innocent III.
30. Glorious in thy royal crowning;
Thou art robed as with the sun.
Ah ! look down upon thy children,
From the Kingdom thou hast won. E. de M.
31. Day by day, hour by hour, she is praying for us, obtaining graces
for us . . showering down blessings on us. Father Clarke.
"Look at the Star . . Call on Mary." St. Bernard.
Culled by "Enfant de Marie/'
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 15
VISIT TO OUR LADY AFTER HOLY COMMUNION
Mother, upon my lips to-day,
Christ's precious Blood was laid;
That Blood which centuries ago,
Was for my ranson paid.
And half in love, and half in fear
I seek for aid from thee,
Lest what I worship, rapt in awe,
Should be profaned by me.
Wilt thou vouchsafe, as Portress dear,
To guard those lips to-day?
Lessen my words of idle worth
And govern all I say;
Keep back the sharp and quick retort
That rise to easily;
Soften my speech, with gentle art,
To sweetest charity.
Check thou the laugh or careless jest,
That others harsh may find ;
Teach me the thoughtful words of love,
That soothe the anxious mind.
Put far from me all proud replies,
And each deceitful tone,
So that my words at length may be
Faint echoes of thine own.
O Mother, thou art mine to-day,
By more than double right;
A soul where Christ reposed must be
Most precious in thy sight.
And thou canst hardly think of me
From thy dear Son apart;
Then give me from myself and sin
A refuge in thy heart.
'Ave Maria.
APPARITION TO
BERNADETTA SOUBIROUS
LOURDES, FRANCE
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 17
APPARITION
TO
BERNADETTA SOUBIROUS
LOURDES, FRANCE
1858
O Bernadetta, thou favored soul,
What called her ' . thy sight,
From her fair, enrapturing vision,
In realms so pure and bright?
The little ones are chosen
To confound the wise on earth,
The shepherds, not the rich, were called,
When angels sung Christ's birth.
May White.
OURDES is a small town in the south of France,
at the common entrance to several deep gorges
in the Pyrenees. Near the town is an almost per
pendicular cliff, known as Massabielle, which
means, in the dialect of the country, 'The old rocks." In this
cliff is a natural grotto, about twelve feet high and twelve
feet deep, within which is a sort of niche about six feet high,
of almost an oval shape. It was in this niche that on the nth
of February, 1858, the Virgin Mother of God appeared to the
little shepherdess, Bernadetta Soubirous.
Although it is a dear and familiar sight to thousands, yet
not all its glories are as well known as they might and should
be, for Our Blessed Mother's sake. To no one can the story
become too familiar. Lourdes has been the scene of such
thrilling miracles, such inspiring graces, these forty-six years,
that its name now ranks with Loretto and Paray-le-Monial.
So, "let us now speak of Lourdes," while countless bands of
pilgrims are hastening to kneel on its blessed soil.
A very poor place, indeed, was that mountain hamlet, in the
year of grace 1858. Though it bore the title of "key of the
Pyrenees," it had become a rusty and lockless old key ; though
i8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
its strong castle or "Chateau-Fort" still made, and makes to
day, an imposing feature in the picturesque landscape, the little
mountain town had become only a halting place for tourists,
to Cauterets or Gavarni.
Bascle de Lagreze tells fascinating tales of the ancient
glories of the place; its enviable situation at the mouth of
the Seven Valleys of Lavedan, its resistance to the feudal
barons, to the English invaders who conquered it, and held the
Chateau-Fort for long years, and its brave but futile resistance
to the Albigensian heretics. The ruins of the churches and
sanctuaries of the Seven Valleys tell the same tale in stones
overthrown and moss-grown. In the year 1858, there was no
such thing as commerce or manufacture, but there was still
Faith in God. Even the great French Revolution had not de
stroyed that. Though the watchman on the tower had ceased
to call out on the stroke of midnight, as had been the custom
for ages, "awake, ye who sleep, and pray for the suffering
souls in Purgatory!" yet at day-dawn, and long before it, as
well as at the sunset hour, the old Parish Church (a thousand
years old it is), was filled with worshippers, and among them
we shall find, little Bernadette Soubirous, the chosen child of
Mary, who, at the age of fourteen was brought back from the
neighboring hamlet of Bartres, where her parents had kept her
from early childhood, in the vain hope that she might develop
into a healthy and robust woman.
They brought her back from her light labor of tending a
scanty flock, to prepare for her first Communion.
She was a pious little girl and very familiar with her rosary,
reciting it as it is recited in that country ; that is, by meditating
on the fruits of the fifteen mysteries, as well as on the mysteries
themselves, and at each decade humbly asking for some special
grace.
So when on the morning of Thursday, February n, 1858, she
stooped before the Grotto to remove her shoes and stockings,
in order, without wetting them, to follow her sister Marie and
their companion, Jeanne Abaclie, into its recesses, that she, too,
might bear home her share of the much-needed drift-wood for
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 19
the hearth fire, it is not surprising that she should have instantly
fallen upon her knees and drawn forth her precious beads,
when the voice, silent to all other ears, had stirred her senses,
and, looking up, she had beheld the Vision.
The air was still — yet the leaves in the tree tops rustled. She
looked up — for there was something peculiar in the sound.
She saw nothing. That first murmur was only to prepare her.
A second stir of the leaves, as if they were saluting the heav
enly visitor. This time the eyes of Bernadette were blessed.
The sight that blessed the eyes of Bernadette has become
dear to us all. The radiant Lady stood in shining white robe,
with blue girdle falling to her feet, and ample sweeping veil,
golden roses on the feet which rested so lightly on the eglan
tine that embowered the moss-grown stones. That day and
hour marks an epoch in the nineteenth century. Again the
supernatural spoke to the world, by the voice of an untutored
child. Blessed are they that hear the voice of Mary !
As the little maid knelt and gazed, she saw that the beautiful
vision also held a rosary. Its links shone like gold, and its
beads were like alabaster. Bernadette could not have felt
afraid after that. While she gazed the vision vanished, smiling.
On the way home she asked the others if they had seen any
thing. No, they had not seen anything. Their curiosity was
aroused by the question and, before they reached the Rue des
Pettis Fosses, where Madame Soubirous was waiting for the
drift-wood, that she may prepare their meagre repast, all has
been told. When the mother hears it, in her turn, she pru
dently says, "you think you saw something, but you saw noth
ing." So, perhaps to break off the impression in the child's
mind, she permitted her to return to the Grotto on the follow
ing Sunday, with some of her companions-
They took the precaution to go first to the parish church
and obtain some holy water, for fear the vision might be, after
all, something uncanny, in spite of its celestial beauty and
heavenly smile.
"Let us say our beads," says Bernadette, when they had
reached the spot where she had knelt three days before.
20 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Hardly had they begun when her face became transfigured.
Again the vision dawned upon her sight. "She is there," she
softly whispered to her companions. But they saw nothing,
and urged her to sprinkle the place with the holy water, and
speak to the "Lady." Bernadette timidly obeyed. "If you
come from God, approach !" she said, scattering some of the
holy water in the direction of the niche, and as the Lady ad
vanced a little, smiling the while, Bernadette sank upon her
knees and resumed her beads. Through the fingers of the
"Vision" the beads also glided, as if in union with the humble
shepherdess.
Four days later, on February i8th, a lady of the parish, and
a young girl of the sodality of the Blessed Virgin, who had
heard of these visions, and doubted them, disapproving also of
the excitement they were causing, undertook to accompany Ber
nadette to the Grotto, and see for themselves what took place
there. They had hardly entered it when it was flooded with a
soft light, the Vision appeared and made a sign to Bernadette.
"She is there, and beckons me to go nearer," said the child.
"Ask her if our presence is displeasing to her," said one of
her companions. Bernadette asked the question and, after a
little, whispered that they might remain. They knelt and lii
a blessed candle they had brought with them. "Ask her who
she is, and if she will write her name on this paper?" (One of
her companions placed pencil and paper in Bernadette's
hand.)
"What I have to say needs no writing," said the Lady. "But
I will ask you to do me a favor : will you come here every day,
for a fortnight?"
Bernadette gave the promise, "and I," said the Lady, "prom
ise to make you happy ; not in this world, but in the next."
Bernadette imparted this conversation to her companions.
"Ask her," said they, "if we may come with you."
"They may come, and not only they, but others ; I desire to
see many here."
Now we know from those two unimpeachable witnesses that,
from the first sight of Bernadette's face in ecstasy before the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 21
Vision, it was evident that she was perfectly sincere and truth
ful. They came more than doubtful ; they returned convinced
of the holy and supernatural nature of what she beheld.
After that day her going and coming was no longer in peace
or tranquillity. She was followed by ever-increasing numbers.
Those who beheld her face in ecstasy were converted. In order
to achieve this, thousands passed the entire night upon the hill
side opposite the Grotto, that they might have a good place for
the early morning.
On the next visit Our Lady, for there could no longer be
any doubt that it was she, imparted to Bernadette, a secret for
herself. She also bade her "go and drink at the fountain, wash
in it, and eat of the grass that grows beside it."
When she received this command, the obedient little one
turned toward the River Gave, but the Vision pointed in the
opposite direction, where there was neither spring nor foun
tain ; nothing but a little mound in the hollow of the rock, on
which a few spare tufts of grass were growing. To their as
tonishment the multitude then saw Bernadette stoop, and scrape
the earth. Slowly a few drops of muddy water formed in the
hollow she had made. Three times she stooped and tried to
drink of this, but each time disgust overcame her. The fourth
time she succeeded in swallowing a little. She then washed
her face in the same muddy water, and ate a few blades of the
grass. The radiance that shone upon her face and illumined it,
when this was done, must have been a reflection of the look cast
upon her by the Queen of Heaven as she vanished from her
sight. To-day the visitor to Lourdes sees the women of the
place, the little children, too, as well as very many of its Chris
tian men, drinking at the fountain in the same way. Their
cup is the hollow of their hand. They kiss the ground in mem
ory of Our Lady's command, and eat the bitter herbs. Some
of them and, especially those who were contemporaries of Ber
nadette, seem to be beings of peculiar sanctity, as if still under
the spell of Bernadette's face in ecstasy. "As for me/' said
one, who is to-day Superior of the Third Order of St. Francis,
"I can never forget the beauty and the light of that face, After
22 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
thirty-seven years or more I see it still." Yet Bernadette's
features were far from beautiful in themselves.
It was in the fifth day of her visits that the miracle of the
candle took place. Someone had given Bernadette a large can
dle that would stand alone. She placed it on the ground before
her, and began to pray. Unconsciously she joined her hands
above it so that the flames passed through between her fingers.
For a quarter of an hour one of the spectators held his watch
open, looking at her. This was a well-known physician of high
standing, Dr. Dozous. He was an infidel. Later he gained
the faith, thanks to the sights he witnessed. When the child
ceased praying he approached and, as if by accident, touched
the flame of the candle to her hand to test her. "O you burn
me," she exclaimed. While in ecstasy the flame had respected
her pure flesh, — or else the presence of Our Lady rendered the
fire harmless.
And now the first miracle is wrought, in open day, before the
gathered throng. There is not a foot of ground unoccupied
within sight of the Grotto. There are curious spectators
even lodged in the trees, like huge birds, to catch a sight of the
"visionary" the one who sees, as she comes and goes. They
witness the miracle : a dead child restored to life. Though the
father sees that the little one is dead, and the neighbors are
preparing for its burial, Croisine, the mother, will not believe
it. She snatches up the little body and runs with it to the
Grotto. There, for a long quarter of an hour, she holds it under
the water of the miraculous spring. Public indignation is
aroused ; they are ready to stone her for her cruelty to her own
child. She is indifferent to their menaces, and carries the child
back and puts it into its little cot. "Do you not see that he is
dead?" asks the father. "No," replies Croisine, "Our Lady
will cure him." And the child awakes; awakes and asks for
food, and the next day walks for the first time in his three years
of life.
On the 25th of March Our Blessed Lady imparted to Ber
nadette her name : "I am the Immaculate Conception." Ber
nadette tries hard not to forget it, as she hastens to tell the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
saintly pastor of the parish. She does not know the meaning of
the words, nor does she realize that it does not depend upon her
to remember or forget that she is only the messenger, and can
not forget if she would.
The Abbe Peyramale needs no explanation. He is convinced.
He had asked for a sign, that he might be sure of the child's
veracity, and had himself suggested, as one that would be con
clusive, that the eglantine blossom in February. Our Lady had
only smiled at this poor human precaution. Had the rose-tree
blossomed in February, what benefit would it have been to man
kind? Our Lady needs no prompting. Though the rose-tree
did not blossom in February, miracles of healing began then
and there, and have continued till now. The dead came back
to life. The deformed have been transformed. Leprosy, moral
and physical, has been cured ; and more, and greater far than
all these, dead hearts have been awakened ; and the resurrection
of a dead heart is more than the animal life coming back to the
inanimate clay, or the cleansing of the lepers.
Eighteen times did Our Blessed Lady appear to Bernadette.
The last of the eighteen Apparitions took place on the i6th
of July, etaoinoin Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. What Bernadette
heard and saw on that day has not been given to the world.
She soon after made her first Communion happily and holily.
Her pastor was impressed with the manner in which the Holy
Host passed from his fingers, as if of its own volition, to lodge
in her heart. She entered the school of the Sisters of Charity
of Nevers shortly after; and from there, having joined their
Community, she was taken to the Mother-House of their Order.
Thence she went to enjoy the happiness promised to her for
all eternity, by the lips of her Immaculate Mother.
What Lourdes became through her vision she never saw.
The year 1869 saw the first public manifestation in honor of
the Apparitions in which the Church took part. An imposing
procession, composed of the people of Lourdes and of four
hundred surpliced priests with the bishop at their head, made
its way through the town to the Grotto of Massabiello, and
there, amid the religious rejoicings of the multitude, a statue
24 APPARITIONS AND "SHRINES OF
of the Blessed Virgin was placed in the niche of the rock which
Bernadette had seen illumined eighteen times as with a light
not of earth. Thus was the first step taken in the realization
of the words of the Lourdes message : "I wish people to come
here in procession."
The chapel also asked for in this same Lourdes message was
already growing to the proportions of a stately church.
With the beginning of the next ten years a fresh era was to
commence at Lourdes. The extraordinary impulse which the
pilgrimage movement in France received from events imme
diately after the Franco-German war was to find its fullest
expression at Lourdes. The year 1873, which saw upwards of
3,000,000 pilgrims at different French Shrines, saw 250,000
at Lourdes alone. It may be safely said that Europe had seen
nothing similar to this religious movement since the time of
the Crusades.
In this same remarkable year of 1873 the Augustinians of
the Assumption who, the year before at La Salette, had been
instrumental in forming the Pilgrimage Committee, launched
into being the National Pilgrimage to Lourdes. The follow
ing year saw a contingent of sick pilgrims forming part of the
National Pilgrimage. These pilgrims being for the most part
poor, the means of thus conveying them to the Grotto of Mas-
sabiello was the result of charitable contributions. The sick
contingent of the beginning has, with time, grown to something
like a thousand destitute, suffering, and sometimes dying per
sons, who yearly form part of the National Pilgrimage to
Lourdes. In those early days the national pilgrims needed but
two trains to take them to their destination ; now, thirty years
later, they need eighteen.
In July, 1876, the votive church in honor of Notre-Dame
de Lourdes was consecrated by Mgr. Guibert, Archbishop of
Paris, the Pope having raised the building to the dignity of a
Roman basilica. Six archbishops and twenty-one bishops took
part in the magnificent ceremony.
The year 1878 saw the death of Bernadette Soubirous. We
will glance at Sister Marie-Bernard for a moment before she
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 25
is taken from this world. Retaining to the last her joyous
elasticity of spirit, and learning to walk ever more carefully in
the way of the Cross, she had become an almost perfect re
ligious. This does not mean that her nature had acquired the
serenity and self-mastery of the perfect. At times pain wrung
from her words of impatience, of which she quickly repented.
The Divine words heard by St. Paul are applicable in her case :
"Strength is made perfect in weakness."
As Bernadette neared her last home, her eyes became bright
and lustrous. The day that was to see her leave this earth saw
her on her bed with her arms extended in the form of a cross.
This was the Wednesday of Easter week, April 16, 1878; and,
as if to render her end still more like that of Him whom one
of the most luminous-minded of modern priests calls the
"eternal Lover of our souls," she died at three o'clock in the
afternoon, while her last words were : "Holy Mary, Mother
of God." These died on her lips as her spirit fled. She was
buried in the convent cemetery.
THE MIRACLES OF LOURDES
How often have we been asked the question : "But, did you
see a miracle ? What was it like ?"
To these questions we might reply by asking another, Ameri
can fashion : "Who has ever visited Lourdes without seeing,
not one, but many miracles?" "The first and greatest of the
miracles of Lourdes, is Lourdes itself" has been well and truly
said. A beautiful city sprang up as if by magic, from a de
serted hamlet. A once deserted hollow, in the heart of the
mountains, became suddenly overflowing with guests from
every part of the world. A poor spot, without trade, or manu
factures of any kind, now exchanges the currency of every
country, in its countless shops and stores. In a word, it has
become a great mart.
And for what? you naturally ask. And herein lies the ma
terial miracle that you may touch with your ringer. This tre-
26 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
mendous commerce consists of objects of piety, and candles,
which are also objects of piety there, if you will. Candles?
tons of them ; there is no limit to the demand ; they are being
consumed there by hundreds, night and day, these nine-and-
thirty years, in honor of the Immaculate Conception. And that
light is not likely to be extinguished. Yes, candles ! and beads
from the pilgrim's beads, each bead the size of a walnut, with
chain almost as heavy as a ship's cable, to the gem of gold and
jewels that an empress might covet. And Scapulars — Our
Lady's livery, both the blue and brown : Lourdes and Carmel,
that is to say. And Our Lady's statue — and lastly, let me say
— last, but oh, not least! the water from the miraculous foun
tain, which is not sold but given away, though the bottles and
the transport make long rows of formidable figures in the
yearly budget of the Grotto Fathers. Ah, it is wonderful to
contemplate those streets, up hill and down dale, under every
house, every arch, in every nook and corner, shops, and again
shops of pious objects, and all busy as Nijni-Novgorod in Sep
tember, when the merchants of the East and the world there
congregate. And, what is more, every visitor dons these ob
jects; invests himself or herself with Rosary and Scapular, and
the red badge of the Sacred Heart, and triumphs in them. And
here the material and the spiritual miracle meet and blend. Be
neath that livery and badge, by the power of that mighty
Rosary prayer, that has overthrown pagan hosts before now,
you know, something is born that will bear fruit for eternity,
resist it as one may. That something is the Grace of God.
But tell us of the real miracles, you insist. Well, it is hard to
choose individual cures from the volumes of well attested mar
velous graces or miracles, as they call them, that lie at hand.
But there are marble slabs embedded in the stone floor of the
Grotto itself, bearing names that would not be lent to a lie.
They tell of the miraculous cure of Mr. Henri Laserre, who,
as a thank-offering for his recovery, from what threatened to
be total blindness, wrote for the world the whole story of Our
Lady of Lourdes. Then stands the name of Marie, Countess
of Munster, wife of the German Ambassador to France; and
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 27
that of the young Abbe de Musy. (He is not young now.) You
may see him and Mr. Laserre and many others of the "cured"
about the feast of the Assumption at the Grotto each year, for,
on that day Our Blessed Lady reached out her healing hand to
them, and they return faithfully to render thanks for it. From
the date of their cure till now there is an unbroken chain of
miracles. To quote any one of them in detail would take more
space than is at our disposal. It is not possible to sum them up.
What boots it to say, though we saw it, that Sister M. was
miraculously cured of cancer or paralysis ? That her cure cost
her community, her friends, and herself many a Mass and No-
vena, to say nothing of the years of suffering, seemingly all in
vain, till, like a revelation, it came to her that Our Lady of
Lourdes would cure her. How the journey cost more Masses
and Novenas and money that was, perhaps, not easy to obtain,
besides much more suffering.
It is the little details that require time and space, that make
the interest, as well as seal the truth, of cures like hers, that de
serve and must have each a volume to themselves to make the
story complete, it being the story of one life bound up in many.
Mr. Laserre has told them well, because to him it was a labor
of love and gratitude, and Our Lady gave him the means to
do it. The last cure we saw was that of a little boy of the town
of Lourdes itself. He took a heavy cold that settled into rheu
matism, and his sufferings were so severe as to bring on heart
trouble. He was a good boy, had just made his first Com
munion, and was a member of the little band the good pastor
calls his Chevaliers de Marie, his "Knights of Mary." Well,
the little "Knight of Mary" was dying. Two physicians said
so. For two days or more no nourishment, not even a little
milk could be taken. He was a real little athlete at his studies
and games and, for this reason, it was hard to give him up. He
had been so full of life till now. But they were all gathered
around his bed. It was the last night of his life, according to
the doctors, when he spoke : "Mamma, I want to be taken to
the Grotto and plunged in the piscina." They thought he was
raving, "We will ask the doctor, my son," said his mother.
28 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Both doctors agreed that it would be instant death. "But is
there any other hope?" asked his parents. There was none,
humanly speaking. "Then let him have his wish." They car
ried him to the Grotto, not expecting to bring him back alive.
It was a terrible ordeal, for the water is icy cold. He bore it,
slept after it, took food the next day. Again they carried him
to the Grotto, and again he bore to be plunged in the icy bath.
Thus, for three days, when he was declared to be out of danger.
They would have ceased the baths then, for they were still fear
ful of the icy water, and that sudden first shock on entering it,
but he told his mother, in confidence, that he had made a prom
ise to Our Lady to be plunged nine times if she would cure him.
And she did, and he kept his promise. It is a grand thing to
be a Knight of Mary.
A PILGRIMAGE AT LOURDES
France has again become accustomed to them, thank God!
They formed the most splendid pageants of her early history,
even kings and queens disdaining not to join their ranks.
History has repeated itself again. Few crowned heads are
there to-day that have not openly or in secret knelt before the
Grotto. A royal princess has walked barefoot to it from her
hotel to obtain a grace from the Immaculate Virgin, and there
is no member of the royal family, of France at least, that has
not worshipped publicly at its Shrine and walked in its pro
cessions. It is more than thirty years now since the first regular
pilgrimages were organized, and there are parishes that can
boast of never having misssed a year, their faithful clergy giv
ing themselves no end of trouble to lead their flocks at fixed
epochs to Mary's feet. How much France has gained by this
is evident. The infidel and scoffer calls it "the new breath," this
breath of fervor and reawakening piety that is blowing over all
the land to-day. The Holy Ghost had breathed again upon the
land and brought it back from utter desolation. The Sacred
Heart and Mary Immaculate are asserting their rights, and ob-
Copyright P. J . Kenedy
GROTTO OF LOURDtS
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 29
taining them. Deo Gratias ! But this is a digression. We were
speaking of the pilgrimages. A little town (Benac) sent seven
hundred of its nine hundred inhabitants to the feet of Our Lady
of Lourdes one of these recent days. To the people of France
and Belgium and, indeed, all European Catholic countries, a pil
grimage is not what it was in the early ages, a pilgrimage that
is not an excursion, not an outing, or trip for pleasure or curi
osity or to pass the holidays. They organize it in order to gain
great things. They may be temporal as well as spiritual. Is it
not God who gives both ? Therefore, the pilgrim prepares for
the great event by a Novena of fasting and prayers. His first
act, on reaching the Shrine, is to prepare for Holy Communion,
and that Communion keeps him at the Shrine, a tireless wor
shipper, all the time his group remain. It is not easy to tempt
him away from the Grotto and the Calvary above it, even
for the necessary purchases he came prepared to make. As for
his meals they are of little or no importance. He takes them
when and how he can do so, at least sacrifice of time from his
Blessed Mother's Shrine. Was it not St. Francis of Sales who
said : "Each time I enter a sanctuary of Mary, I feel by the
beating of my heart, that I am in my mother's house. So with
the pilgrims of this place, at least. They feel that it is their
own mother's (their heavenly mother's) house, and they love
and honor it. They have prepared their sacred canticles to
chant in her honor ; their best robes to adorn themselves for her
sake. Look at them as they march from the station to the
Grotto. A crowd of white surpliced priests leads them, Their
beautiful silken banner is unfurled, Mary's image smiles from
it upon them. Rank and file how modest, how recollected !
Their maidens are enveloped from head to feet in snowy gos
samer veils, like so many brides. They have spent their mid
night hours in preparing them. They are not hampered with
any bag or bundle whatsoever. All these have been carefully
put away that they might be free to lift their hard and toil-worn
hands in prayer.
It is really worth while to mount to the parapet of the Cha
teau-Fort and look down upon the panorama of pilgrimages
30 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
gathered there, as well as the aspect of the place in general
Come, it is worth while ! All Lourdes is now spread out before
us. We face the beautiful Basilica, "the marble wonder." Its
great doors are wide open, its matchless chimes sounding, to
welcome the advancing host. Glance in; does it not look for
all the world, like a museum of art-treasures? Silk gold-em
broidered banners hang in rich profusion from groined roof
and fretted arch and each one of its encircling altars. They
hang richest and thickest in and around the sanctuary. They
are gifts from emperors and kings, from principalities and
states, from cities and towns and villages, from communities
and churches, from private individuals, and they vie with each
other in costliness of workmanship. With them are mingled
ex-votos, in the shape of swords and epaulettes and golden
spurs, crowns and garlands and golden hearts. As if this was
not enough, the walls are written over in blue and gold letters
on white marble ground with the story of each individual grace.
Day and date and name are there set down, in grateful homage,
as it should be. Beneath the Basilica the huge portals of the
Rosary Church stand open, too. Its roof and walls tell the
same story of marvelous cures and graces. But it is not with
the adornment of the sacred edifices that we have to do, not
withstanding their eloquence, but with the ever gathering
throng. There are many pilgrimages uniting now, for a proces
sion of the Blessed Sacrament. You know how beautiful a
thing that is, a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, what a
charming picture they make anywhere. But here we have all
France, so to speak, and a thousand Belgians besides, and
hundreds from Italy and Holland and some from Poland.
There, too, are the Stars and Stripes carried by a goodly group.
They take up the line of march from the Grotto itself. At
times a cardinal carries the Ostensorium; Archbishops and
bishops and canons surround him, with perhaps mitred abbots
near the dais, too, and not rarely hundreds of surpliced priests
follow as escort to the Lord of Hosts. After them a double
file of men bearing tall lighted tapers. Long before the canopy
that covers the Blessed Sacrament comes in sight, you have
HEAVEISTS BRIGHT QUEEN
seen the choristers, the white capuleted orphans of Nevers,
Bernadette's order. They always form part of the procession,
and lend their sweet voices to chant their mother's praise.
After the men, come the pilgrims, in double and triple file, in
perfect order, marshalled by the members of the Confraternity
of Our Lady of Lourdes. What a sight! There is not a va
cant spot on all the land about. Those who are not in the pro
cession, or part of it, kneel and adore the Lord of Hosts as He
passes by. They all have something to ask for themselves or
for others. Even the daughter of the Emperor of Brazil, who
has left her work of bathing the sick, to worship for a little
space, and that Orleans princess near her — all have need of
Him. The procession has turned around the Breton Cross, and
is now facing the Rosary Church and the Basilica. The sick
are ranged along the esplanade. Their friends kneel close to
their litters or little carriages. Those who can, kneel or stand
supported by the strong arms of the brancardiers, the volunteer
nurses, nobles of France many of them, many, too, seminarians.
The cry of the multitude reaches us even here. (It mounts to
Heaven, and is it wonderful that it should come thus far.)
"Jesus, Son of David, if thou wilt, Thou canst make me whole !"
No words can depict what passes as the Blessed Sacrament
reaches that open-air infirmary. Weeping and wailing and
piercing cries, such as the lepers are said to utter, mingle with
the sacred hymns. They are softened by the sound of soft
weeping; sharpened a thousand times are they, by the agon
ized looks of those who kneel and plead in speechless anguish.
If the Lord were not really there, the place would be a tophet,
but He is there, and it is one of the gates of paradise ; He who
is not cured, learns to love his malady. He whose prayer is
not answered favorably receives the gift of resignation. It is
a sublime moment, when, from the Rosary steps, or the parapet
above it, the Holy Host is raised to bless the throng. These
are moments worth a life-time of suffering one would say. To
see these processions by moonlight under the brilliance of the
illuminations, to join in their prayers and hymns, is a surpassing
grace.
32 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
There is a moment, too, when all spectacular beauty is as
nothing. When the human heart and conscience is lifted far
above everything sublunary, no matter how imposing, and
reaches up and up, to grasp the infinite. When, for example,
under the light of Heaven's lamps, the multitude is gathered
before the Rosary, and a voice intones the Credo in unum
Deum, and its sublime cadences awake the echoes of the moun
tain peaks. Then, when every head is bowed, and every knee
is bent for a solemn moment, the sublime declaration, et
Homo factus est, is reverently, deeply, profoundly uttered by
adoring hearts and lips. Ah, that is a sublime moment, and as
the deep melody rises, and proceeds fuller and more triumphant,
it really seems as if men grew in stature, as well as in grace.
There is something so ennobling in an open profession of faiu.
Such is the impression left by the Credo, as heard there, in
the open air, uttered by more than twenty thousand voices, in
the stillness of the August nights.
Thank God, we can all go to Our Lady of Lourdes in spirit !
all sing the "Credo" in our inmost heart, till summoned to
join the greatest of all pilgrimages, till we reach the sanctuary
of Heaven itself. May Mary our Immaculate Mother welcome
us there !
Till that hour, Union of prayer in the Sacred Heart of Jesus ;
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, will keep us safe.
IRELAND'S OFFERINGS TO OUR LADY OF
LOURDES
Sunday, September 10, 1876. A band of the Sons of Noble
and Catholic Ireland had come to represent their country at the
Grotto. For a long time they had the pious desire of offering
to Our Lady of Lourdes a lamp which should burn day and
night in her holy sanctuary for their beloved country. A thou
sand subscribers sent in their names, and many more contrib
uted to the gift. Cardinal Cullen, the illustrious Archbishop of
Dublin, encouraged the idea, and gave the work his blessing.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 33
Mr. W. Thompson, of Dublin, received the commission to carry
the lamp to Lourdes. He arrived, proud of his glorious charge,
and offered, with the lamp, a beautiful banner of green silk,
richly embroidered and bearing the figure of St. Patrick, the
Apostle and Patron of Ireland.
The offering was solemnly presented before the Mass, which
was celebrated for the Irish at the Grotto. The Rev. F. Cud-
dihy, of the diocese of Dublin, made a short address, expressing
the sentiments of the Irish people. The superior of the mis
sionaries replied, thanking the Irish people for their gift, so
precious in every respect, and congratulated them on their
faith, charity, and self-devotion.
THE IRISH LAMP AT LOURDES
Where the lamps like jewels blaze
In our Queen's basilic blest,
'Mid those circling lights, thy rays
Are the brightest far, and best.
Glorious lamp from Ireland,
Brilliant star from Erin's Isle,
Gilding all the altar grand
With the splendor of thy smile !
Whose a dearer right than thine
To illume Our Lady's brow?
Who hath better right to shine
At Her virgin feet than thouf —
Thou the boon, the symbol bright
Of old Erin's zeal and love ;
Of her faith, through Sorrow's night,
Flaming up to Heaven above!
Of her fond devotion's fire,
Fed with oil from Mary's name,
Mounting higher still and higher,
Through long years of grief and shame.
34 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Queen and Mother, bending low,
Bless this daystar from the West;
Other lamps may round Thee glow —
This is bravest far, and best.
Like St. Bride's immortal light,
That Kildare once joyed to see,
Bid it shine forever bright,
Type of Erin's hopes and — Thee !
Eleanor C. Donnelly.
PRAYER
O Mother All-Merciful, thou hast come to us with out
stretched hands, overflowing with graces, in order to attract
us to thyself and to load us with favors. We hasten, therefore,
to follow the odor of thy perfumes, sweeter far than that of
roses. Gird us with the cord of purity and penance, cover us
with the veil of modesty, bind us to thy service with the links
of a faithful love, and lay upon our breasts the blessed Scapular
of the Heart of thy Divine Son. May it be for us henceforth
the pledge of thy most powerful protection until the day when
we shall rest at last in the bosom of God for all eternity.—
Amen. [40 days' Indulgence.}
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. [ 100 days' Indul
gence.]
Mother All-Merciful, pray for us. [40 days' Indulgence.]
WITH THE APPROBATION OF HIS GRACE
THE ARCHBISHOP OF SOURCES-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
35
APPARITION
TO
FRANCIS M. SHANUBOGA
DASSAPORE, INDIA
1861
But Mary's love, her plentiful love,
Lives not in earthly mother;
'Twill show us at last,
When the strife is past,
Our merciful God is our Brother,
Our merciful God is our Brother?
Rev. F. W. Faber.
HE Christians of Dassapore, having established a
school some years ago, chose for teacher a young
pagan Brahmin, the son of "Shanuboga," tax-
gatherer of the village. He was to teach not only
reading and writing in Canarese, but also the prayers in com
mon use among Christians. It was in the fulfilment of this
latter duty that he heard the first call of grace. The beautiful
language in which the Christians addressed themselves to God
pleased him much. In order to understand it better he asked
for books of explanation, in perusing which he was inflamed
with the desire of becoming a Catholic. Meanwhile, without
revealing his intention to anyone, he recited the Christian pray
ers morning and evening, and several times a day the "Hail
Mary," for which he had an especial attraction. In her turn
the Mother of God did not forget her young pagan client : one
night she appeared to him, sleeping or waking he could not
say, and encouraged him to persevere in the resolution of be
coming a Christian.
Having seen the Bishop on one occasion at Dassapore, he
tried to find out where he lived. But he dared not say a word
From a letter of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Coadou, Bishop of Mysore, India, to the
Annales de la Ste. Enfance.
36 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
about his determination to his family, who would not have
failed to put him to death rather than let him embrace Chris
tianity.
A fortnight after the first Apparition the Blessed Virgin ap
peared to him again, this time chiding him on account of his
delay, indecision and fear, and directing him to set out at once.
"To what place?" asked the grieved young man. "To Banga
lore," was the answer.
Setting out on the morrow at daybreak, he met a poor pariah
Christian, and asked if he knew the road to Bangalore. "Yes,
sir," said the beggar. — "Do you wish to go with me?" — "Yes,
sir." — "Well, follow me, or rather lead me, and tell no one
whither we are bound."
After twelve days' journey, the two travellers reached Ban
galore. The beggar led the Brahmin to our church, the native
vicar of which, Father Shanta by name, was known to the
young aspirant. The priest, after having heard with great
pleasure all that the young man had to say, encouraged him
and sent him to me. The Brahmin, in accosting me, asked for
Baptism. I told him he should first learn the prayers and be
instructed in Christian doctrine. "I know the prayers," said
he, and repeated them. He then recounted to me the two Ap
paritions of the Blessed Virgin, and again begged to be bap
tized. Seeing his great frankness and simplicity, 1 made up
my mind to send him to our seminary, there to prepare himself
for baptism. Though evidently disappointed at the delay, he
expressed his willingness to go.
Now the trials began for him. In the seminary it was a
regular, monotonous and secluded life. Overcome by tedious-
ness, he yielded to discouragement ; and, leaving the seminary,
went to Father Shanta to borrow money in order to return
to his village. Remonstrance, encouragement, reproaches, were
all to no purpose. He wept and kept repeating : "They do not
want to baptize me; I am going away." Father Shanta told
him to wait a few moments. The poor Brahmin sat under the
porch of the church and began to sob.
Father Correc, then a young missionary, who was in a room
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 37
adjoining that of Father Shanta at the time, moved by the sob
bing of the young man, began to say his beads for him, en
treating the Blessed Virgin to retain him whom she had mirac
ulously condescended to bring to us. He had not finished the
first decade when, as if moved by a supernatural force, the poor
fellow, his face beaming with joy, threw himself at the feet
of Father Shanta, exclaiming: "I am resolved to return to the
seminary ! I do not want to go away." He did return indeed,
and from that day began to make himself at home there.
His relations, however, who had been seeking for him, soon
came to know that he had gone to Bangalore to embrace the
Catholic religion. His father arrived here, and in a threatening
tone demanded back his son. "Your son," said I to him, "may
go with you if he likes ; I did not send for him, nor will I send
him back. But if he shows himself constant in his determina
tion of becoming a Catholic, I will confer Baptism upon him."
"We shall see," replied the grumbling father, who betook him
self to the seminary. There he reproached his son with dis
honoring the family by embracing a religion that was meant
for a low caste of people, conjured him to return to his home,
threatened to curse him and deliver him over to the police, etc.
The young aspirant bore the assault with the greatest calmness,,
but declined to comply with the wishes of his father, who there
upon brought the police. But he behaved toward them with the
same firmness, and, with that irony which Indians know so well
how to use, said to them : "I thank you, sirs, for your visit ; I
am going to make a declaration, and you will be my witnesses.
I came here of my own accord, and I wish to become a Cath
olic. I am eighteen years old, and, according to the law, I am
my own master." The policemen then went their way. The
father, enraged and disappointed, also took his departure.
Shortly afterward, on the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the
catechumen received Baptism and was named Maria Francis.
For the past two years he has been teaching at the school of
Sattihally. The rank he holds among the Christians, along
with his marriage to a Brahmin girl, also a neophyte, saves the
honor of his caste ; and his family, hitherto so opposed to him,
38 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
are now quite content. It is even said that some of his rela
tives are disposed to follow his example.
May the Blessed Virgin, whose motherly intervention shines
out in his story, deign to continue her protection to the follower
of her Son !
REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF AN EAST INDIAN
A Catholic chaplain attached to one of the prisons in Madras
gives the following account of the recent conversion of a
Hindoo. It seems to furnish another instance of the power
ful patronage of the Blessed Virgin:
Whenever I visited the prison, I observed a tall Hindoo,
with a countenance full of intelligence and life, but pale and
worn by disease. He sometimes accompanied the Catholic In
dians that came to see me, but he never presumed to speak.
However, one day, when I entered the yard of the prison,
dressed in a wide, white robe, with a red girdle, my head veiled
from the sun, and an immense red turban mounted above the
veil, my Hindoo friend advanced towards me, kneeling respect
fully, and passing his hand many times before his mouth, that
his breath might not pollute the air which had just touched the
white vesture of the sepami.
The tall prisoner used to watch the Christian convicts who
came, one after the other, to confess their sins ; he remained at
a distance, for it is strictly forbidden in the prison for the Chris
tians and pagans to mingle. Each convict's name and creed are
registered on his entrance, and all proselytizing is prohibited
under the severest penalties. Emboldened on this occasion by
the pious joy that he had observed on the countenances of his
companions, he accosted me, saying softly : "Sepami, I want to
be baptized." I gave him no answer, well aware of the conse
quences if I conversed with the poor heathen; for, like the
greater number of his countrymen, he wore ostensibly the
tokens of demon worship.
However, I made careful inquiries among my Christian con
victs as to who that distinguished-looking man might be. I
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 3$
was answered that all they knew with certainty about him was
that he was continually saying he desired to receive Holy Bap
tism from the sepami, and that he would receive it. I repaired
to the governor of the prison, with whom I am on very good
terms, and told him about this man, in order to obtain permis
sion to interrogate him. But the officer, with a vigorous though
narrow-minded fidelity to the instructions he had received, re
fused rather harshly, and threatened to separate the Hindoo
from the other convicts. He reiterated the formal prohibition
about making proselytes, and said that the observance of the
ordinance would be enforced on all the employes and all the
convicts within the prison walls.
A few days later I again saw the tall Hindoo at a distance,
and on this occasion I noticed for the first time that he was
evidently suffering from an incurable disease. The Christians
told me that he was particularly well informed in regard to the
mysteries of our holy religion, but refused to tell who had
instructed him, and always ended his conversation with begj
ging to be baptized.
"Baptize him, then, yourselves," said I to them.
"No ; he will not accept the Sacrament except from the mis
sionary."
I resolved to go again to the governor, and try to make him
relent; but I met with a still more chilling reception than on
the previous occasion. The injustice of such a procedure
aroused my indignation, and, considering only my imperative
duty as missionary, I said to the English officer :
"Sir, you have no right thus to withhold salvation from a
soul that begs for it so earnestly. Your power over this man
is limited to the laws of human justice ; outside of that you are
not responsible for him. The disease from which he is suffer
ing is fast bringing him to the grave ; to-morrow he may not
be alive, and you will one day be obliged to render to Almighty
God an account of your conduct." Thus I continued, giving
full vent to all my feelings. He let me go on without once
interrupting me. When I ceased speaking, he asked :
"Would you dare to commit to writing all that you have ut-
40 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
tered against the Government of Queen Victoria and against
her representative?"
"Certainly, I would !" I exclaimed. And, rising, I went home
directly and wrote out a still more ardent petition. Meantime
the Indian grew worse.
A few evenings afterwards I heard a loud knocking at my
door, and on opening it, an employe of the governor handed
me a sealed document, and hurriedly said : "An authorization
is granted to Father to give No. 32 the aids of the
Catholic religion."
Very early next morning I hurried to the prison infirmary.
The poor Indian had all the appearance of a dying man ; my
presence aroused him, and for the moment he seemed to gain
new strength. A friend who had accompanied me urged me
to ask the Hindoo to relate his story. Thinking it might bene
fit the pagans who had gathered around him, I yielded to the
request, and the Indian began :
"I am from Coimbatoor. I was lately a forester in the service
of British engineers, who were very kind to me. I was obe
dient, orderly, and esteemed by my chiefs. I never wronged
anyone, or told many lies, and was quite contended with my
position. Every day I put aside a good share of my ration for
the prando* — in fact, I never failed to do this. On one occa
sion my engineer made me a present of twelve fine eggs from
France, which brought me twelve beautiful little chickens, that
I led out every morning into the tall grass, where they were
sheltered the whole day. I was greatly pleased at seeing them
thrive, when one day I discovered that I had only eleven ; the
next day there were only ten, and so on. The prando had eaten
them all. But what could I do ? Was not the prando the mas
ter? However, just as the bird was about to pounce upon the
last one, blinded by passion, I seized my gun, and, without
waiting to reflect, I fired, and the prando rolled at my feet.
"O Father, rash man that I was ! I had slain my god ! From
that moment I had no peace of mind ; I could not eat ; I grew
*A great black eagle, which certain classes among the East Indians consider
as a divinity.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 41
thin, and was so wretched that I wandered away, and directed
my steps to Nagatam. Here friends received me kindly, and
I was forgetting my crime, when suddenly the police laid hands
on me, and cast me into prison. A murder had been com
mitted in the neighborhood that I had left ; my disappearance at
the time aroused suspicion, and I was condemned. Of course, I
believed that the prando was punishing me. Once, while I was
giving myself up to this thought, I saw, on the wall opposite
the bed on which I was seated, a soft, white light. I fancied
it was a wax taper burning ; how it got there I could not tell ;
it gradually increased in size and brilliancy, like the sunlight,
and I could look at it intently without pain. Soon in the midst
of this disc appeared the head of a lovely Queen, of such
beauty as I had never seen or imagined. — Raika! Raika! how
lovely She was !" the sick man exclaimed, and then resumed
his narrative :
"After a few moments the whole form of the Queen ap
peared. I was not afraid to consider Her attentively, because
She looked at me so benignly ; and at last She thus addressed
me: 'Man, No. 7' (that used to be my prison number), 'you
are grieved because you shot the prando; but that was not
your God : it was only a bird, like others of its kind. My Son
is the one true God, and Him alone you should adore. I am
His creature, but He has made Me His Mother. Because you
are an upright man, observing the natural law, He has per
mitted Me to come and tell you that you shall be baptized in
the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. You
are most fortunate to have seen Me now, and you shall soon
join Me in heaven, and see Me always.' O Father, how lovely
She was! She continued to look at me with inexpressible
sweetness, and told me a great number of things, all of which
I understood. Suddenly I darted towards Her to see Her bet
ter, and then She disappeared."
The Indian kept repeating his enthusiastic exclamations,
which excited the astonishment of all present.
"In what tongue did the beautiful Queen speak, since you
understood her so well ?" I asked.
4* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES Off
"She did not use any language," he answered; "she spoke
within me, and I learned everything all at once."
"Was She white or black ?" (To this man the type of beauty
could not be white.)
"She was composed of light — She was all light," he replied.
It was undoubtedly the Blessed Virgin who had appeared to
this child of Adam, redeemed, like all mankind, by the Blood
of Her divine Son ; She had indicated the kind of baptism in
store for him, so as to prevent his receiving that administered
by sectarians.
After some preliminaries, I said in a loud voice, before the
large assembly of Indians, who were greatly affected at the
recital : "My son, since you have been instructed by the Mother
of God Herself, I will give you the baptism which She prom
ised you, and you have so long desired. You shall be called
after your Queen, your Raika; and I will add to Her name that
of the disciple whom Her Son loved best. I will baptize you
John Mary." When I had finished speaking, the dying man
fell anew into a state of extreme weakness, caused by his dis
ease, but he received the Sacrament with the greatest joy.
When I returned to the prison the next morning, John Mary
was dead ; he was beholding his Raika, according to Her prom
ise, for all eternity.
At the present time, the veneration of Our Blessed Lady
is extending, step by step, in the Indies. The Rosary is recited
among the Hindoos of the coasts of Malabar, among the
Chinese, the Siamese, the people of Tonquin, and Cochin
China ; it is the only prayer-book which the Catholics of distant
countries possess, and it is the first thing they ask for when
they see a European priest. The churches of the Indies often
bear the name of Mary; that of the Nativity of the Blessed
Virgin, at Pondicherry, is one of the most remarkable. A
novena has been established in this church of Malabar, which
procures a multitude of conversions, in a country where con
versions are so difficult ; it opens by a procession made by night,
with great pomp. Repositories, which the faithful of Malabar
adorn with vases of flowers, and muslin embroidered with
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 43
gold, receive, each in turn, beneath the globes of fire which
light them up, the holy Image of Mary, borne upon a triumphal
car. The procession moves along slowly, to the sound of loud
music, between two rows of torches. At each Repository, while
all is silence, a child's voice sings the praises of the holy
Mother of Our Lord; after which the Image of the Blessed
Virgin is solemnly carried back to the church, and replaced
upon her magnificently illuminated altar.
"MARY'S LULLABY"
O Mary Mother, if the day we trod
In converse sweet the Lily-fields of God,
From earth afar arose a cry of pain,
Would we not weep again? —
(Sings) Hush, hush, O baby mine!
Mothers twain are surely thine:
One of earth and One Divine.
O Mary Mother, if the day the air
Was sweet with songs celestial, came a prayer
From earth afar and mingled with the strain,
Would we not pray again? —
Sleep, sleep, my baby dear !
Mothers twain are surely near:
One to pray and One to hear.
O Mary Mother, if as yesternight
A bird sought shelter at my casement light,
A wounded soul should flutter to thy breast,
Wouldst thou refuse it rest? —
Sleep, darling, peacefully!
Mary Mother comforts me:
Christ, her Son, hath died for thee.
Arthur Sherburne Hardy.
APPARITION TO
MARY WILSON
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 45
APPARITION
TO
MARY WILSON
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
1862
Is thy name Mary, maiden fair?
Such should, methinks, its music be,
The sweetest name that mortals bear.
And she to whom it once was given,
Was half of earth, and half of Heaven.
Oliver W. Holmes
ENERAL was the joy occasioned a few years ago
by the canonization of Saint John Berchmans, a
favorite patron of our American youth. Few
people, however, are aware that one of the three
miracles selected as a final test in the cause of the Saint
occurred in our own land. Fewer still have ever heard the
striking circumstances connected with this special favor, the
miraculous cure of a novice in the Sacred Heart Convent,
at Grand Coteau, La. Moreover, the novena, which, through
Blessed Berchmans' intercession, resulted in so signal a grace,
was made in honor of the Sacred Heart. A few extracts, then,
from the documents of the Process of Canonization cannot
but prove interesting.
According to them, Mary Wilson, who received such signal
favor, was born in New London, a town of Western Canada,
on the 2Oth" of September, 1846, and was the ninth of eleven
children. Her parents were Irish Presbyterians, and belonged
to the Orange Party, a fact that will account for their sub
sequent treatment of their daughter.
Her youth was spent in her mother's company, which she
preferred to that of the children of her own age. It was only
in 1862, when already sixteen, that she first left her mother's
46 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
side. That year, her cousin and adopted sister, having mar
ried, begged as a special favor that Mary, of whom she was
very fond, might be allowed to accompany her to her new
home in St. Louis, Missouri, and spend a few weeks with
her. It was during her stay there, that Miss Wilson became
acquainted with a friend of her cousin, a pious Catholic lady.
As both were fond of religious subjects they were soon drawn
to each other, and Mrs. N. invited her new Protestant friend
to attend some of the impressive services of the Catholic
Church.
It chanced, or rather Providence had so disposed, that on the
very morning the two companions entered the Jesuit Church,
a Requiem was just beginning. The body of one of the Fathers
lately deceased lay upon a bier in front of the sanctuary. At
the close of the ceremonies, many of the faithful piously drew
near to the catafalque and laid a reverent hand upon the pale,
placid face of the dead religious. Following the example of Ker
Catholic friend, Miss Wilson likewise touched the remains, not
without a feeling of awe, as all was so new and strange to her.
But the instant her hand rested upon the peaceful features, a
sudden change came over her. The antipathy she had ever
felt to Catholicism vanished, and left her free from the deep-
rooted prejudices in which she had been educated.
Though silent concerning her altered dispositions, Mary
Wilson could not conceal the delight she took in the Catholic
services she continued to attend. The veneration shown to the
Mother of God, had a special attraction for her loving nature
and she grew fond of visiting a church in which a beautiful
picture of the Madonna was honored. She loved to sit and
gaze upon it. One day as she was thus absorbed, her com
panion leaned over and whispered:
"Is not our Mother lovely ?"
Miss Wilson, who had never before remarked the sweet name
by which Catholics are accustomed to express their love and
confidence in the Mother of fair love, replied :
"But she is not my mother, since I am not a Catholic."
True, she was not yet a Catholic, but God, who was guiding
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 47
the child of predilection with more than fatherly tenderness,
had instilled into her heart a strong desire to embrace the true
faith.
At length Miss Wilson opened her whole heart to her friend.
She told her of the change that had come over her feelings on
the day of the funeral, and of her growing wish to become a
Catholic. Her friend at once took her for instruction to one
of the Jesuit Fathers. Let Mary now tell her story in her own
words :
"Brought into relations with the Jesuit Father who was to
instruct me, I experienced at first extreme terror at meeting
a priest, as I had been told such horrible things about them.
But I was received with such kindness and paternal interest
that I had no doubt that Mary was already interceding for me,
so quickly had all fear and disquiet disappeared ! After relating
a few particulars concerning my family, I stated to him that I
was not baptized. The Father gave me a book to read, and
made me promise to return to him at my earliest convenience.
I went three times a week for instruction, and after a fortnight
asked for baptism. It was administered to me, without objec
tion, on May 2, 1862, being the First Friday of the month."
This preparation may seem brief, but her instructor expressed
his astonishment at the marvelous facility with which the young
neophyte accepted the deep truths of our holy religion, and his
joy at finding how keenly she appreciated the happiness and
how fully she realized the obligations of a Catholic.
But let us hear Miss Wilson tell of her love for the Queen
of Heaven, and of the consolation with which this loved and
loving mother favored her during the severe trials which befell
her on her conversion.
"I consider it as certain that the Blessed Virgin loved me
even before I knew her. Sweet Mother ! how I love her now !
I could think of nothing else but Heaven and Holy Com
munion, in which I was to receive Our Blessed Lord on the
next Sunday. My happiness was indescribable, and my heart
abounded with heavenly joy. Such consolation, however, was
but too soon to be followed by great trials.
48 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"I had written before to my parents that I was going to
become a Catholic. To this they gave me no answer. Probably
they thought I was joking. In my next letter I informed them
that I would be baptized a Catholic by the time their answer
would reach me. I received that answer on the very day of my
baptism. It is scarcely credible what reproaches they heaped
upon me in this letter. '/ was the disgrace of the family. If
I dare to take that step they would disown me, and I mutt
never presume to enter their house again. They would never
permit me to sleep under their roof' etc. This was a hard trial
for a girl of sixteen ! What was I to do ? I had no longer any
mother on earth to guide me.
"I went to bed that night, but could not sleep. I was at the
same time happy and sad. I wept and called for my mother, it
seemed as if my heart would break — when I heard a voice say
ing to me : 'Weep not ; / will be thy mother.' I thought it was
the good lady who had so befriended me, and had stood my
god-mother, and I asked her about it. She answered that she had
not spoken to me, but had been sleeping, and, in fact, fell asleep
again at once. I again heard the same voice : 'Weep not ; 7 will
be thy mother!' I turned myself and saw standing near me,
at my feet, a noble lady in white, who disappeared soon after.
This could not be anyone but the Blessed Virgin herself, be
cause these words brought me consolation and peace. I soon fell
into a profound sleep under the protection of my new mother."
Thus did the Consoler of the Afflicted soothe the sorrow of
her new child, and heal a heart breaking at the coldness and
persecution of those who had been its nearest and dearest!
The reproaches, threats and harshness of her misguided
parents proved vain. The child, strengthened by the Bread
of the strong, was resolved to lose all rather than forsake the
right path her conscience had pointed out. Nay, more, Mary
now felt an unmistakable call to consecrate herself entirely to
God by the vows of religion, and so she applied to be received
into the community of the Religious of the Sacred Heart. As
her constitution had been weakened by the severe trials lately
undergone, the superiors thought better to send the young
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 49
candidate to the milder climate of Louisiana. Mary was there
fore transferred to St. Michael's, a convent of the Order, beau
tifully situated on the Mississippi, some forty miles above New
Orleans. She proved a source of edification to her fellow-
religious. She had all the qualities requisite in an acceptable
candidate but one — her health had not improved. Her kind
superiors, loath to lose so interesting and promising a subject,
bethought themselves of a fresh expedient.
There was another novitiate at Grand Coteau, an exceedingly
healthy locality. Thither was the ailing postulant sent, in the
hope that a change of air might prove beneficial. Here again
Mary gave fresh proofs of a true vocation. But, far from im
proving in health, she grew worse, and on October 19, 1866,
she had a violent hemorrhage. Some six days later the attend
ing physicians pronounced the case beyond the power of
medicine.
Meanwhile the Superior, Reverend Mother Martinez, lav
ished all possible care upon the patient, and recommended her
to the prayers of the community. Still the malady increased.
Finally, having lately read a new Life of Bl. John Berchmans,
just then published, on the occasion of his Beatification, the
Mother Superior conceived the idea of commencing a solemn
novena to the Sacred Heart, through the intercession of the
newly Beatified. She was much encouraged by observing that
a great number of the miracles related in the life of the holy
young Jesuit were wrought in behalf of religious. Her in
creased confidence was also shared by the rest of the community
and the sick postulant herself. The novena was accordingly
begun, with the intention that, in the event of Miss Wilson's
cure, the miracle should further the Saint's canonization. Four
Masses were likewise promised, three in honor of the Blessed
Trinity and one in honor of the Immaculate Conception. To
add, moreover, to the solemnity and devotion of the exercises
a picture of the Blessed, surrounded with flowers and tapers,
was exposed in the novitiate chapel, where all assembled each
day to recite the prescribed prayers. At their close the follow
ing petition was repeated several times: "Deign, O Lord, to
5Q APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
glorify thy servant Berchmans, by granting some relief to our
suffering Sister, and if her entire recovery be to the glory of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus, grant it to our prayers, through the
intercession of Blessed John, that thereby the cause of his
canonization may be furthered."
The novena began on the 6th day of December. Miss Wil
son's illness, then, had been increasing for nearly two months.
The inflammation, extending from the stomach, the original
seat of the disease, had affected the chest and throat. The
tongue swelled in consequence to such a degree as almost en
tirely to deprive the patient of her speech. Death now seemed
only a question of time. In fact, on Wednesday, the I2th, the
doctor declared it almost inhuman to oblige the patient to take
any remedy or even food, and further ordered that nothing
should be given her unless she herself signified a wish for it.
He openly avowed his utter inability to better her condition,
and continued his usual visits merely to afford the sufferer some
slight consolation. Extreme Unction was then administered,
and on several occasions when the patient seemed in her agony
the prayers for the dying were recited.
The last day of the novena, a Friday, arrived. About 6
o'clock in the morning, Mother Martinez again visited the in
firmary. Tears rose to her eyes when she beheld the low and
pitiful condition of the sufferer. The hands of the dying
novice were cold and contracted, the finger-nails blue, the
tongue thick and raw, the lips discolored and the eyes closed;
the mouth was in a most revolting condition, with dark-colored
blood clotted around the teeth. In this dying state, however,
Mary was still perfectly conscious. Her kind Superior, then,
moved to pity and desirous of affording her some solace in her
extreme sufferings, proposed to her to receive once more, if
possible, the Bread of consolation and relief. By signs alone
could Mary make known her eagerness for this most precious
boon, as well as her fear lest she might not be able to swallow
the Sacred Host. It was decided, however, not to deprive her
of this last consolation, and the attending priest administered
to her the holy Viaticum. He gave her only a very small
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
particle of the sacred species and directed that a few drops
of water be given to aid in swallowing it. And yet so intense
was the pain caused by the effort that the patient convulsively
seized the nurse by the arm and heaved so pitiful a sigh that
it sent a shudder through all who were kneeling around her.
As the assistants were accompanying the Blessed Sacrament in
procession back to the chapel, the nurse, perceiving that the
patient was calm and tranquil, left her in her communing with
the Source of strength and consolation, and withdrew to visit
some sick persons in the adjoining room.
An hour had scarcely elapsed when the Superior returned to
her patient. "I entered Mary's room," attests this religious,
"and to my amazement, the dear child whom I had so recently
left dying, held out her arms to me, saying : 'Mother, I am well ;
I can get up !' Perceiving my excessive astonishment, she said
again that she was cured, and assured me that she was able to
rise immediately. Other members of the community came and
with them six novices who the previous evening had asked per
mission to bid their Sister a last farewell. All remarked her
sparkling eyes, her teeth freed from blood, joy in all her
features and ease in her every gesture; not the least sign of
disease remained." . . . "At half-past eight, the doctor
paid his customary visit to the infirmary, and was greatly sur
prised at the change in the patient. He examined her tongue
and found it perfectly sound, with no inflammation or swelling
or any trace of disease. He said to Mary : 'It is certain that if
you are well it is neither I nor my prescriptions that have
cured you/ "
A few moments later the young religious rose promptly,
crossed the room with a light step and sat beside the fire, con
versing all the while with the Sisters who were making her
bed. During the course of the day as many as thirty-six mem
bers of the community visited the happy novice, congratulating
her and sharing in her joy and gratitude. The next morning
as soon as permitted, she rose, dressed herself, and hastened to
the chapel to return thanks to the God of mercy for her recov
ery. She was in perfect health.
5a APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
But what had happened during the hours the patient had
been left alone in her room? Had anything strange occurred?
Why did Mary's features bespeak such spiritual joy? Ah! she
had seen and conversed with Blessed Berchmans. No one
knew of it, however, except the Superior, until through obe
dience she wrote her attestation, and thus described the heav
enly visit : "After having received Our Lord in Holy Com
munion, not being able to speak with my lips, I said with my
heart: 'Dear Saviour, Thou seest how I am suffering; I en
treat Thee through the intercession of Blessed John Berchmans
to grant me relief, and, if it be for the salvation of my soul,
restoration to health. But if such be not Thy will, grant me
patience to suffer to the end; I submit myself entirely to Thy
holy will.' And placing over my mouth a picture of Blessed
Berchmans, I thus addressed him ; 'If it be true that thou canst
work miracles, I humbly implore thee to do something for me,
that I may have confidence in thee.' "
"I declare that then I heard a voice whisper to me : 'Open
your mouth.' I obeyed as well as I could, and felt something
placed on my tongue that gave me relief, then a loud, clear
voice said very distinctly : 'Listen, you will get the holy habit
you desire, be faithful, have confidence, and do not fear.' I
had not yet opened my eyes and did not know who was at my
bedside. I turned and exclaimed : 'Why ! I am cured !' Then
I saw a person in the habit of a Jesuit, standing near me, with
a cup in his hand and surrounded by light. Startled by the
sight I closed my eyes and cried out: 'Can this be Blessed
Berchmans?' 'Yes,' was the answer, 'I came by the will of
God, thy sufferings are over, be not afraid/ Then I opened my
eyes, but he had disappeared."
Miss Wilson, now in the full enjoyment of her former health,
was without delay allowed to receive the much coveted habit.
The sensation created by her miraculous cure gradually sub
sided, leaving nothing to distinguish the privileged novice from
her companions save the unspeakable peace and joy which
lighted up her calm features.
After a little more than a month, on the 27th of January,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 53
this chosen soul was favored with a second Apparition of her
heavenly patron. Let us hear her once more : "Last Sunday,
at the moment of Communion, I asked Our Lord to permit His
blessed servant to satisfy me on two points, about which I felt
a certain anxiety; but it never entered into my mind that the
answer would be disclosed to me in the manner in which I will
describe. After the evening Office, I went to kneel as usual in
the place of the Apparition, and I asked to know with cer
tainty whether Blessed Berchmans was pleased with the attesta
tions given concerning the cure, and to understand more fully
these words : 'Listen, you will receive the holy habit you desire/
God was pleased to favor me with a second Apparition of my
beloved protector, who stood on the same spot as on December
14. I was inundated with pious joy. Smiling, he looked upon
me and said: 'Are you not afraid?' And then, as if to en
courage me, laid his hand upon my head. The remembrance
of that moment fills my soul with the peace of heaven. He as
sured me that he was pleased with the attestation and recom
mended me to observe the rule very strictly. I asked whether
I should live long, or die a novice in my first year of noviceship.
He replied : 'Yes, you will die a novice, be faithful ; I will see
you again and make known to you the time of your death.' "
On the first Friday of June the Sacred Heart seemed to have
inspired the privileged novice with a longing for heaven, and
while at prayer she earnestly besought her Immaculate Mother
to take her to herself, for the Feast of the Assumption or of
the Nativity (September 8). The ineffable joy which filled her
heart at this moment, betokened that her gracious Mother had
heard her prayer. As the days went by, the novice's yearning
for heaven likewise increased. We may readily judge, then,
of the fervor with which she joined in the novena preparatory
for the 1 3th of August, the feast of her beloved protector, as
she called Blessed Berchmans. As she rose from bed Sunday
morning, just two days before the feast, she felt slightly indis
posed. Still, she went to Mass, as usual, and approached the
altar-railing with her companions to receive Holy Communion.
But scarcely had she returned to her place when she fell back
54 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
in a fainting fit. She was taken out of the chapel and on recov
ering, whispered to the Superior, who was kneeling beside her :
"This is the first step." On the feast of her holy Patron she
communicated for the last time in the chapel. The next morn
ing she went to confession with her usual calmness, though
fully convinced she was never to approach that sacrament
again.
A few hours later the doctor came to pay his customary visit
to the inmates of the infirmary. On his round he came to
Madame Wilson, but finding her almost entirely well, merely
prescribed a simple preservative, and playfully added: "Now
don't be sick as you were last year." "It will not be long this
time," replied the novice, and pointing to the little picture of
St. John Berchmans, she ever kept with her, continued, "here
is my doctor, I shall be cured in heaven." This language was
a puzzle to the physician, as the present ailment betokened
nothing serious. What was his surpise, then, a few hours later
when, having been summoned back in all haste, he hurriedly
entered the infirmary to find the young religious he had left
smiling, horribly disfigured and deprived of her senses by a
cerebral congestion. Strong restoratives were at once applied,
but without effect. In vain also did her confessor wait for
several hours, hoping the patient might have some lucid mo
ments to receive the last consolation of the Church. This pain
ful condition continued until a few moments before her death
on the 1 7th, when, according to the testimony of those who sur
rounded her death-bed, her eyes suddenly opened and became
bright and fixed as though beholding a vision. Was she not
then gazing upon her "Blessed Protector," who, according to
his promise, had come to invite her to heaven? Be this as it
may, soon afterwards the young religious peacefully breathed
forth her pure and well-tried soul. The remains were laid in
the convent cemetery, in the very spot she had a few days be
fore pointed out to her companions as her chosen resting place.
The infirmary, twice hallowed by heavenly visits, was, under
the Superior's care, converted into a handsome chapel, in which
from time to time Mass is offered. The spot where the Blessed
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 55
stood, is marked by a small basket, which still receives the in
tentions recommended to his special intercession.
The report of the wonderful favors obtained by the young
Jesuit Saint spread rapidly through the neighboring country.
Pictures of "Le Bienheureux" as the Creoles styled him, were
procured on all sides, and hundreds of great favors have been
obtained by his clients.
A MOTHER'S SECRET
How sweet the sacred legend — if unblamed
In my slight verse such holy things are nam'd,
Of Mary's sweet hours of hidden joy,
Silent, but pondering on her wondrous Boy!
Ave Maria ! Pardon if I wrong
Those heavenly words that shame my earthly song!
The choral host had closed the Angel's strain,
Sung to the listening watch on Bethlehem's plain,
"Joy, joy to earth! behold the hallowed morn!
In David's city Christ, the Lord, is born !
Glory to God ! let angels shout on high !
Good-will to men! the listening earth reply!"
And now the shepherds, hastening on their way,
Sought the still hamlet where the Infant lay.
At last, by forms of earthly semblance led,
They found the crowded Inn, the oxen's shed.
No proof was there, no glory shone around
On the coarse straw, that strewed the reeking ground.
One dim retreat the flickering torch betrayed —
In that poor cell the Lord of Life was laid!
The wandering shepherds told their breathless tale,
Of the bright choir that woke the sleeping vale;
Told how the shining multitude proclaimed ;
They spoke with hurried words and accents wild;
Calm in His cradle slept the heavenly Child,
$6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
No trembling word the Mother's joy revealed, —
One sigh of rapture, and her lips were sealed.
So grew the Boy, and now the feast was near
When at that Holy Place the tribes appear ;
They reached the City, and fulfill the days
In solemn feasting and grateful praise.
At last they turn, and far Moriah's height
Melts in the southern sky and fades from sight;
All day the dusty caravan has flowed
In devious trails along the winding road;
For many a step their homeward path attends,
And all the sons of Abraham are friends.
Evening has come, — the hours of rest and joy.
Hush! hush! That whisper — "Where is Mary's Boy?"
O weary hour! O aching days that passed,
Filled with strong fears, each wilder than the last.
At last, in desperate mood, they sought once more
The Temple's porches, searched in vain before;
They found Him seated with the ancient men, —
The grim old rufHers of the tongue and pen, —
Their gray beards slanting as they turned to hear,
Lost in half-envious wonder and surprise
That lips so young should utter words so wise.
And Mary said, — as one who, tried too long,
Tells all her grief and half her sense of wrong, —
"What is this thoughtless thing which Thou hast done?
Lo ! we have sought Thee sorrowing, O my Son !"
Few words He spoke, and scarce of filial tone,
Strange words, their sense a mystery yet unknown:
Then turned with them and left the holy hill,
To all their mild commands obedient still.
The tale was told to Nazareth's sober men,
And Nazareth's matrons told it oft again;
The maids retold it at the fountain's side,
The youthful shepherds doubted or denied ;
It passed around among the listening friends,
With all that fancy adds and fiction lends,
Till newer marvels dimmed the young renown
Of Joseph's son, who talked the Rabbis down.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
57
But Mary, faithful to its lighted word,
Kept in her heart the saying she had heard,
Till the dread hour that rent the Temple's veil,
When suddenly earth confirmed the wondrous tale.
Youth fades ; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall ;
A Mother's secret hope outlives them all.
Oliver Wendell Holmes.
APPARITION TO
MARY MAGDALENE KADE
PHILIPPSDORF, BOHEMIA
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 59
APPARITION
TO
MARY MAGDALENE KADE
PHILIPPSDORF, BOHEMIA
1866
Hear, sweet Mother, hear the weary,
Borne upon life's troubled sea;
Gentle guiding Star of Ocean,
Lead thy children home to thee.
Flora Stanfield.
HAT "the hand of the Lord is not shortened," and
that He frequently manifests His wonderful
power through the intercession of His ever-blessed
Mother, Mary, may be seen from the following
facts taken from the authentic official inquiries drawn up by
Dean Schubert at Philippsdorf, a town on the northern confines
of Bohemia, which border upon Saxony.
The true story we are about to relate is not an old legend,
but the history of a woman still living, and well known to all
the inhabitants of that place.
Her name is Mary Magdalene Kade, and she is the daughter
of a very respectable weaver, the late Joseph Kade. She lives
now with her married brother, who follows the same trade, at
number 63, in the main street of this little town. From her
girlhood she was always a simple, straight-forward, honest, and
modest young woman, and had a special devotion to Our
Blessed Lady, though without any of that exaltation or senti
mentality which is sometimes seen in persons of her sex. She
was a strong, healthy, child, and no sign of delicacy appeared
in her till she was about eighteen or nineteen, when she began
to suffer from cramps in the stomach, and then had a severe
attack of pleurisy.
6o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
She recovered from that, but continued delicate, and during
the next two years got weaker and weaker, and suffered much
from internal pains, for which no one could account. At last
a cutaneous eruption broke out all over her body, but settled
chiefly on her left breast. Notwithstanding all the skill and
care of her doctor,* this place got daily worse, and spread to
the shoulder and side, becoming a deep wound full of corrupted
matter, which had to be dressed twice a day. The poor girl
suffered unspeakably, grew weaker and weaker, and when lifted
from her bed by her brother, fainted away and remained un
conscious for a long time. So offensive was the smell from
the discharge from the wound, that the children and others in
the house had to keep away from her sick room, and her good
brother, who was devoted to her, could only bear it by smoking
all the time he was attending to her.
From the beginning of November she had been altogether
confined to her bed, and received more than once the last
Sacraments. She was attended by the curate of the parish,
the Rev. Francis Storch, who was much edified by her wonder
ful sweetness and patience, and her resignation to the will of
God. He came on December 21, 1865, and found her so weak
and in such agonies of pain, that he thought her last hour was
at hand. She fainted during the administration of the Sacra
ments and her voice was so feeble as to be inaudible. The
doctors (Dr. Joseph Ulbrich, from Georgswalde, and Dr. Griil-
lich, from Gersdorf in Saxony) who had been called in for a
consultation, and who had hoped to be able to perform an
operation to relieve her, found that such a thing was no longer
possible, and declared the case to be one of incurable cancer
in its most advanced stage.
On the nth and I2th of January her sufferings increased
to an agonizing pitch; but she never murmured, and though
she could not speak, she showed, by her kisses to the crucifix,
her entire submission to the will of God, and her sense of the
only source which could enable her to bear her pains in silence.
•This doctor was a famous physician, Dr. Joseph Ulbrich, who afterwards made
• deposition on the whole case.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 61
On the morning of the I2th she had her wound dressed, as
usual, by her sister-in-law under cover of the bed-curtains, for
fear her brother, who could not bear to look at it, should see
it. It was worse than ever. Dr. Ulbrich also visited her that
day, saying mournfully, as he left her, to her anxious relations,
that there was nothing to be done. Her brother lifted her out
of bed to have it made, and she fainted away as usual. This
same operation had to be performed that night, at midnight,
and her brother asserts that when lifting her that time his hand
was saturated with the blood and matter which flowed from the
wound. After he had got her back to bed, she begged her
brother to go away and have a good sleep, as she wanted
nothing more. He obeyed her, and went downstairs to his own
bedroom. No one, consequently, remained with the sick girl
but Veronica Kindermann, an old friend of hers from child
hood, who had undertaken to sit up with her that night, and to
watch by her bedside. On the table, at a little distance, was a
lighted candle. Mary was very weak, but spoke a little to her
friend, saying how much she suffered, but that she felt sure
Our Lord would not afflict her more than she was able to
bear. They both said some prayers together, and the sick
girl repeated St. Bernard's prayer, the Memorare, with special
fervor.
About three o'clock in the morning the door of the room
was flung violently open as if somebody had walked in. They
were both wide awake, and Veronica was terrified, but tried to
explain it away to the invalid by saying that it must have been
one of the lodgers in the house, who wished to see what o'clock
it was by the big clock in their room, as she knew he had to go
to work very early at the factory. In spite of this fright, after
a time Veronica got very sleepy, and as her patient could only
talk with difficulty, and was otherwise quiet and recollected in
prayer, she lighted a small night lamp, which, for prudence
sake, she placed inside a lantern, and blowing out the candle,
stretched herself on a bench by her friend's bedside, leaning her
head on the bolster, and in that attitude fell fast asleep. An
hour later, that is, at four o'clock in the morning, she was
62 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
roused by the sick girl, who was pressing her with her right
arm. Veronica woke, started up, and saw her friend trembling
and shaking all over, and covering her eyes and sunken cheeks
with both her hands. To her still greater amazement, the sick
room was illuminated with a light far brighter than the bright
est sunshine and which was more than human eyes could bear.
The invalid whispered to her hastily : "Kneel down, Veronica.
Do you not see ? Our Blessed Lady, Mary, is here !" and then,
with a trembling voice, she began repeating the Magnificat:
"My soul doth magnify the Lord." When she came to the
words, "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour," there
stood at the foot of her bed a Lady dressed in white, with a
bright and beautiful countenance, and a shining crown on her
head, who said to her in a loving voice : "My child, from hence
forth thou are healed" — mein kind! von jetzt an heilt's — after
which she disappeared. For a few moments the room remained
full of bright light, which gradually faded away ; and then, once
more, nothing remained but the feeble glimmer of the night
lamp inside the lantern.
Veronica Kindermann, though present, had neither heard
nor seen anything but the bright and extraordinary light; but
at the entreaty of the invalid, who was in a great state of ex
citement and joy, she ran downstairs to call her brother and
his wife, fearing that she was taken worse and was sinking.
But before they could come upstairs from the lower room, they
heard Mary calling out in a loud voice which, yet was full of
emotion: "My dearest brother! the Blessed Virgin has been
here ; I am cured !" At first, they thought she was delirous
and raving with fever ; but when she had told them all that had
passed, and that Veronica had borne witness to the wonderful
light, they began to believe in the Apparition. Still more mar
velous was the fact that their sister had no more pain ; that
when they examined the place where the fearful wound had
been, all trace of it had disappeared, and only a slight scar
remained, covered with a fresh skin. The flesh around was com
pletely healed ; all offensive smell had disappeared, and the spot
which was so sensitive before as to cause her agony when
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 63
touched, could now be pressed and squeezed without her feeling
it in the least. All present, full of astonishment, thankfulness,
and emotion, then repeated the Magnificat together to the end,
Mary joining in it in a strong, clear voice. She was so per
fectly cured that she was able to get up alone and leave her
bed, and at the request of her brother, who could hardly believe
his eyes, she walked up and down the room, which she had not
been able to do for months, and then got into bed again with
out assistance.
In that same house there were six lodgers, who worked in
the factory close by, in Gersdorf, but who came back daily to
dinner and to sleep at night. Four of these workmen were
from Georgswalde, and all were steady, honest, well-conducted,
pious men, who knew perfectly the .state of poor Mary Kade,
and had often been to see her and to express their sympathy,
both with her and her family. When those men came down
stairs that morning and saw her whom they had only known
as a helpless sufferer, moaning and groaning with pain, now
looking so fresh and well and walking about with the rest, they
could not understand what had happened, and wonderingly
exclaimed : "Can it be Mary ? or is it someone else ?" When
they were told what had happened, they could only marvel at
the wonderful miracle God had wrought, and, kneeling down
with her and her whole family, they said a Te Deum together.
Mary herself shed quiet tears of joy, praising Our Lord for
His great mercies, and in her deep humility declaring herself
utterly unworthy of so marvelous a grace. When the first ex
citement was over, she set to work diligently to assist her sister-
in-law in all household duties, choosing the hardest and most
laborious employments, without being the least the worse for it.
On the contrary, she felt stronger and better than she had ever
been in her life. The following Sunday, which was the Feast
of the Holy Name (a feast kept with great solemnity through
out Austria), she was most anxious to walk to church, which
was about half an hour's distance from her house, in order,
publicly, to thank Our Lord and His Blessed Mother ; only the
weather was so bitter, and so heavy a snowstorm came on, that
64 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
she was persuaded to remain at home. Dr. Ulbrich came that
day to see her ; and could only declare that her unexpected and
sudden recovery was a real miracle, for that no human skill
could have saved her.
On the 2Oth of January, being the octave day of her miracu
lous recovery, she caused a High Mass of thanksgiving to be
solemnly sung in the church at Georgswalde, at which she her
self assisted with her whole family, and received Holy Com
munion. The house of God was crowded with people who had
flocked together from far and near to be present at this service.
Two days before she had gone with her brother to the house
of the parish priest, and informed him of all the circumstances
regarding her recovery. Not only he, but the whole of Phil-
ippsdorf, bore witness to her long and terrible illness, which
every doctor had declared to be incurable, and which could only
have been so suddenly cured by miracle.
The following year, on the anniversary of this marvelous
cure and Apparition of Our Lady, the good folks of Philipps-
dorf and the surrounding villages determined to keep a solemn
feast on that day, without any initiative on the part of the
clergy or the officials of the place. On the evening of the I3th
of January, the little home of Mary Kade, and especially the
"favored room," were illuminated by hundreds of lamps and
transparencies with suitable inscriptions. On the very spot of
the Apparition, no less than one hundred and forty lights were
burning on a stand prepared for the purpose. Inside and out
side, wreaths of evergreens decorated the whole house; but
every dwelling in Philippsdorf and Weisenthal was also decked
with wreaths ; and lamps were hung from every window, up to
the town of Georgswalde, where the illuminations were carried
out on a far grander scale. And what was so remarkable was,
that there was no official organization, no preconceived plan,
but that it all came spontaneously from both rich and poor, each
one feeling moved to do his best, and to join heart and soul in
the feast. The word was passed from one to another on the
Sunday afternoon, and at once the whole population took it up.
All the guilds, the children and confraternities of the parish,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 65
even to the members of the fire brigade at Georgswalde, deter
mined unanimously to make this demonstration in Our Lady's
honor.
On the Monday morning a long procession was formed,
carrying banners of Saints and lighted tapers in their hands,
accompanied by two bands of music to lead the hymns which
were sung by all the people. They thus reached the parish
church, where a High Mass was sung in thanksgiving for all
the graces which they had received through the Blessed Vir
gin's intercession during the past year. The church was unable
to contain a fifth part of the devout multitude, masses of whom
were seen kneeling and singing outside the building. Not
withstanding the severe cold, upwards of ten thousand people
were gathered together on this occasion. When the service
was over, the procession was again formed and proceeded,
singing hymns and litanies, to what they called the "favored
house." In the crowd were a very large number of working-
men, both young and old, devoutly joining in this act of public
devotion to the Blessed Mother of God. The clergy could not
officially join in the procession that first year, lest they should
appear prematurely to approve of a miracle which was still
under the consideration of the bishops and other high ecclesi
astical authorities. But the Rev. Francis Storch appeared at
the door of the "favored house" and spoke to the multitude as
follows :
"Beloved Brethren : — Before we begin to offer up here a
short, but, I trust, a heartfelt prayer, I must say a few words
to you all — words which will be no set sermon, but such as
will give expression to the earnest convictions I now feel.
Surely it is a wonderful thing to see you all gathered together
in such numbers round this little house. A year ago this was
but a humble home of a family of poor weavers, utterly un
known to the world, and this room the place of suffering of
a very sick and bed-ridden girl. A year ago, my beloved
brethren, which of us would ever have thought of traveling
a long way to visit this little house? to pray in this room?
to seek here for strength and consolation, or to crave the
66 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
help of Almighty God in our bodily pains and sicknesses
through the intercession of His Blessed Mother? — in a word,
to come here to obtain heavenly favors? But you have not
done this of yourselves, nor have your clergy been the pro
moters of this pious pilgrimage. It is the hand of God which
has led you to this place and which is here made manifest. I
need not tell you of the extraordinary fact which happened here
just one year ago; nor speak of the effects of it on hundreds of
minds; nor of the favors which many have since received
through the mercy of God ; nor of the innumerable number of
people who have come hither, even from far-off countries in the
course of the year 1866 to recommend themselves to Our
Blessed Lady's protection ; nor of the instantaneous cure which
took place here very lately of a person who had been hope
lessly ill for the last eleven years, and which is a fresh proof
of the favors which our dearest, sweetest, heavenly Mother has
deigned to grant in this place to those who implore her aid —
you all know these things as well as I do. But when I see you
all around me here in such vast crowds, I ask myself : 'Where
fore are we all drawn here?' And my heart answers, and the
same word is doubtless in every other heart here, it is : Grati
tude ! Yes. Gratitude is what has brought us all here together
to-day to keep the anniversary of a fact so extraordinary and so
unheard of before in our neighborhood and even in the whole
of our fatherland. When the first anniversary of Our Lady's
Apparition at La Salette was held, fifty thousand persons are
said to have flocked together. Undoubtedly as many would
have been here to-day could we have kept this celebration in
summer-time : for even on this bleak and terribly cold winter's
day, so many thousands have gathered together from far and
near, drawn here by the same faith, the same hope, the same
love, the same gratitude. Though the ecclesiastical authorities
have, as yet, done nothing to enable us to keep a duly-appointed
festival on this day, our courage should not fail for that reason ;
nor our hope be less strong that God will continue to show
forth here His power and mercy, and will be magnified by the
wonders He will work through the intercession of His Blessed
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 67
Mother. I believe the day is not far distant when we shall
be able to raise on this spot a building to His own and His
Mother's glory : and that His infinite goodness will go on draw
ing the hearts of men to this favored place. In this blessed
hope and for this intention let us now offer up our prayers to
God through the intercession of His Blessed Mother, our great
advocate with her Divine Son."
Then the Litany of Our Lady was said by all and the pro
cession devoutly returned, praying and singing hymns, to the
market-place in Georgswalde. It is a remarkable fact that
though there had been such a multitude of people and so great
a crush, exactly opposite the "favored house," there was no
accident or disorder of any kind.
One thing which had given so great an impulse to this dem
onstration of fervor and piety was the instantaneous cure, re
ferred to by the parish priest, of a girl from Georgswalde,
which had happened only a few days before, and of which we
will give here a short account.
Magdalene Langhaus, a young woman of thirty-three, had
been laid up for eleven years and three months with spine dis
ease and cramp, which caused her such acute suffering that she
could not even move in bed, nor turn to the right or left with
out assistance. To add to her pains she became so sensitive that
she could not bear the least noise or light; she suffered con
tinually and often had a flow of blood and matter from her left
side. Every year she grew worse in spite of all that medical
skill could do ; and to all who saw her she was the very picture
of physical misery. Yet she was ever patient and resigned to
God's will.
In November, the previous year, she begged to be carried to
Philippsdorf to the "favored" house ; but experienced little or
no relief. Still she did not lose heart, and was full of confidence
that some day she would there obtain her cure. In the midst
of all her sufferings she had a marvelous light heart, so that she
was often able to give to others a word of hope and encour
agement in their trials. In January she entreated her relations
to take her once more to Philippsdorf, telling them that three
68 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
nights running 5«he had seen in a dream that great sufferer, St.
Lidwina, who told her to be brought again to that house, as
Our Blessed Lady had something in store for her there. To
please her, therefore, on the morning of the 7th of January
they took her, more dead than alive, in the covered sledge to
the blessed house, where, however, she remained almost the
whole day without consciousness, so that it was determined she
should spend the night there. After midnight she was brought
into the bed-room where the miracle had before taken place;
and the people about her began to say the prayers for the agon
izing, as she appeared in a dying state, and even said once her
self : "I feel I am going to die ; will you give me a drop of
water?" They then began to say the Litany of Our Lady by
her bedside and, as they came to the words, "Health of the
sick," which they thrice repeated, to their amazement, her feet,
which for years had been drawn up to her knees, were suddenly
stretched out, she got up alone from bed and said to those
around her : "I am quite well ! Our Lady has cured me !" Then
with tears of joy she went and knelt on the spot of the Appari
tion, kissing it with the greatest devotion; and, after having
prayed for some little time, she rose, without the least assist
ance, and went down stairs, where three other people were
watching. When they saw her come into the room, they could
not believe their eyes, and afterwards declared that it was im
possible to describe what they felt at that moment which was
the most joyful one in their whole lives. From that moment
she was without pain of any sort, the wounds in her body were
healed, she could take all kinds of food and, though still very
emaciated in appearance, she felt quite brisk and well. Her
home had been in a house which stands in the market-place of
Georgswalde, so that thousands had known her and had come
in and out of the house and had seen and pitied her terrible
state ; while they admired her submission to God's holy will in
the midst of such sufferings. This miracle, therefore, made
even more sensation in the country than that of Mary Kade,
and one of the principal inhabitants exclaimed : "He who can
not see in this woman's case the Almighty hand of God, must
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 69
indeed have his eyes covered with a thick cloud or the darkest
of veils!"*
There only remains to add that, as year by year, more pil
grims flocked to Philippsdorf and the same became renowned
for more and more miracles wrought by Our Lady, the eccle
siastical authorities instituted a thorough judicial inquiry into
all the circumstances regarding the Apparition and the mirac
ulous cure of Mary Magdalene Kade; and, the whole having
been proved beyond all possibility of doubt, they permitted the
building of a sanctuary adjoining the Gnaden-Kapelle, or
"Chapel of Graces," as the weaver's little house was henceforth
called, the local authorities all volunteering to make collections
for this purpose. A magnificent church was soon raised, to
which even many Protestants from Saxony largely contributed.
A house was built alongside for the clergy ; and the Dean, as
sisted by a certain number of priests, was busily engaged day
by day and especially in summer-time, with processions of pil
grims. The work, however, soon became overwhelming; and
they found it impossible to attend, at the same time, to their
parochial duties ; as, of late, new factories had been erected in
that neighborhood and there was a great and rapid increase in
the population. Our Lady has evidently blessed this place, even
in a temporal sense, and everything that has been started here
of late has succeeded. Seeing this, the saintly Bishop of the
diocese of Listmeritz offered the new church to the Redemptor-
ist Fathers, and it is they who have now the care of this new
sanctuary of Our Blessed Lady.
The 1 3th of January, year by year, is kept with special de
votion. On the eve the whole of Philippsdorf is illuminated.
At four o'clock in the morning, the hour of the Apparition,
every bell in the place is set ringing, whilst salvos of petards
(crackers) are being fired according to the custom of the place
on great festivals. Then Masses and devotions succeed one
another in the Gnaden-Kapelle and in the new church ; whilst
the chief service of the day is the solemn High Mass of thanks-
*This narrative is almost literally translated from the admirable work of the
Rev. George Ott, parish priest of Abensberg, called Marianum (Pustet, 1868).
70 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
giving, which is a foundation made by Mary Magdalene Kade
herself, and at which she has never failed up to this year (1887)
to attend and communicate. For she still lives and is in good
health. Having never married, she remains as she ever was,
a pious, humble, simple, straightforward woman, earnestly re
ligious, but also hardworking, not less admirable in her humility
and simplicity now that God has made use of her to be the in
strument of raising a new sanctuary to Our Lady, than she
was exemplary in her patience and submission to God's will
during her long and trying illness. For it is God alone who
gives joy and pain ; and whether we receive at His hands favors
or chastisements, to Him alone be all praise and honor and
glory and thanksgiving forever and ever. Amen.
TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Seraph of Heaven! too gentle to be human,
Veiling beneath that radiant form of woman
All that is insupportable in thee
Of light and love and immortality !
Sweet Benediction in the Eternal curse !
Veiled glory of this lampless universe !
Thou Moon beyond the clouds ! Thou living form
Among the dead ! Thou Star above the Storm,
Thou Wonder, and thou Beauty, and thou Terror!
Thou Harmony of Nature's art! Thou Mirror
In whom, as in the splendor of the sun,
All shapes look glorious which thou gazest on !
See where she stands! a mortal shape endued
With love, and life, and light, and deity;
And motion which may change but cannot die ;
An image of some bright eternity.
Percy B. Shelley.
THE ROYAL NAME OF MARY
Sing for the men whose fearless pen
Was never known to vary,
Nor pause to weigh how much 'twould say
In love and praise of Mary.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
They gave her name a world-wide fame,
They raised to Heaven her story.
But ne'er could reach what God would teach
If He should tell her glory.
Who dares to say that God must weigh
The gifts of grace He'll render,
Lest He should light a thing so bright
As to outshine His splendor?
Who dares to think that He would shrink,
Nor crown, o'er every other,
The one whose claim lay in the name
And royal right of Mother ?
Then bless the men whose fearless pen
Was never known to vary,
But still to write, in dazzling light,
The Royal name of Mary.
They gave her Name a world-wide fame,
They sketched from Heaven her story,
But ne'er could reach what God will teach
When He shall tell her glory.
Sister M, A. Dominic.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
ST. ALPHONSUS' CHURCH, ROME
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
ST. ALPHONSUS' CHURCH, ROME
1868
Oh, ever help me, Mary Mother mine,
And ask thine Infant Jesus for the grace
That I do need! See, with a beaming face
He places both His little hands in thine;
As, while His eyes with tender mercy shine,
He gives all gifts and graces unto thee,
That with them thou mayst aid and succor me.
Rev. W. H. Kent, O. S. C.
HE writers who say that the original picture of Our
Lady of Perpetual Help was painted by the Evan
gelist St. Luke, give it an antiquity of almost 1,900
years. We are probably nearer the truth in saying
that it was not painted by St. Luke, but by some Greek artist of
the 1 3th century. But whatever the origin of the picture may
be, we know for certain that it was held in the greatest honor
more than 400 years ago by at least one man. This devout
client of Mary was a wealthy merchant, who lived in Crete.
Crete is an island of the Mediterranean Sea. During the
last decade of the I5th century the island was in imminent peril
of being invaded by the Turks. Thereupon many of its inhabi
tants, knowing the consequences of Turkish invasion, deter
mined to seek safety in flight from their native land. At least
one band of these exiles set sail for Italy. Amongst them was
the pious merchant.
For some days their voyage was favorable, but then there
came a great storm. The waves rose mountains high, and
dashed over the ship. The poor exiles were filled with fear,
and gave themselves up for lost. But there was one amongst
them calm and fearless. Whilst the waves were roaring and
»4 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the winds howling and the exiles despairing, one man was seen
going to his cabin. In a few seconds he came out again. It
was the pious merchant, and he bore in his hands his image of
Mary. Holding aloft Our Lady of Perpetual Help, he ex
claimed, "Behold the Star of the Sea ! Let us all invoke her !
She will deliver us!" His noble words gave courage to their
sinking hearts. In an instant all were on their knees before
the image of Mary. Their fervent, earnest cry, "Save us, O
Mother of Perpetual Help! Save us; we perish!" was heard
above the raging storm, and reached the ears of Mary in
Heaven. From her bright throne she turned her eyes of mercy
on her children, commanded the winds and the waves of the
Mediterranean Sea, and there came a great calm. This is the
first instance, preserved in history, of Our Lady being publicly
invoked as "Mother of Perpetual Help." You see, dear
reader, she was not invoked in vain, nor will you invoke her in
vain under the same glorious title.
The "Star of the Sea" and "Perpetual Help of Men" brought
the exiles in safety to the River Tiber. The merchant disem
barked at Ostia, and thence proceeded to Rome, bringing his
precious picture with him. You have now, dear reader, the
brief story of how the picture came to Rome, where it has ever
since remained. The pious Cretan was not destined to live long
in the Eternal City. Soon after his arrival he got very ill. As
death was fast approaching, he resolved to dispose of the pic
ture, which was, in very truth, his greatest treasure. It had
been so highly favored by Our Blessed Lady that he believed
she had great designs in its regard. He felt that, in the provi
dence of God, he had come to Rome simply in order that the
picture of Mary might become known to the whole world. He
seemed to understand that the Blessed Virgin wanted him in
Rome that he might leave her picture, not to any particular per
son, but to the Church of God, of which Rome was the centre.
With this thought fixed in his mind, he called to his bedside
the man in whose house he lay dying, and who had been hith
erto his faithful friend. The cherished picture hung from the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 75
wall near the bed. The eyes of the pious merchant were gazing
lovingly upon it. "I have always dearly prized that picture,"
he said to his friend ; ''through it I have received many graces
from my Mother Mary ; and now that I am going to die, I seem
to hear her saying to me : 'Leave the picture to the Holy
Church — I will make it the medium of my perpetual succor to
countless souls.' " Then turning to his friend, the merchant
said, "It is the will of the Blessed Mary, and it is my last will,
that my picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help shall be given
to one of the churches of this city of Rome. I now ask you to
promise me solemnly that, as soon as I am gone, you will faith
fully fulfil this my last will." The man gave his solemn
promise.
No sooner was the merchant dead than the wife of the man,
who had given the solemn promise, removed the picture to her
own room. Her husband remonstrated with her, telling her
of the solemn pledge he had given to his dying friend to have
the picture presented to one of the churches of the city. She
merely smiled, and took no further notice of him ; and, as he
was unwilling to oppose her, he allowed her to keep the picture,
and thus broke his solemn promise. Our Blessed Lady was
very displeased with him. She appeared to him in a vision : "I
command you," she said, "to keep your promise to my dying
client." She might as well speak to stone ; for this weak man
was too much afraid of offending his wife to heed the words
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A second and even a third time
Our Lady appeared to him — but in vain. Seeing him so ob
stinate, she appeared to him once more and, in a stern tone
threatened him with chastisement should he still persist in his
sin: "If," she said, "you will not let my picture depart, you
will soon have to go hence yourself." Even this threat failed.
A few days later, he was borne to his grave.
We have now to record several new wonders. In the first
place, there is the inexplicable conduct of the woman whose
husband we have just seen stricken by an almost sudden death.
Even that tragic event could not induce her to part with the pic-
76 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ture ; she could not, or rather she would not, get herself to ad
mit that his death was a punishment for his sin, and, therefore,
she still clung tenaciously to the holy picture. But Our Blessed
Lady was just as determined that her will and the last will of
the Cretan merchant should be carried out; so she tried new
means, which were nothing less than new wonders. The widow
had a daughter very young and innocent — too young and inno
cent to know that the beautiful image of Mary in her mother's
room did not belong to her mother. One day the child was say
ing some Hail Marys before the sacred image when the Blessed
Virgin appeared to her. "My child," she said, "go tell your
mother that Our Lady of Perpetual Help wills to have her
image given to one of the churches of Rome." The little child
ran and told her mother what she had just seen and heard.
Her simple story, taken with all that had recently happened, led
the widow to think that, after all, it might be prudent for her
to let the picture go. In this frame of mind she sought advice
from another woman who lived near her. The advice she got
was, "How foolish of you to notice the prattling of an infant!
Keep your picture." Very soon the unhappy creature who thus
spoke had reason to be sorry for her words. In the very mo
ment that she gave her advice, her arm became frightfully
black and swollen, and she fell on the ground in agonies of pain.
At once she realized that she was being punished for what she
had said; and so, repenting of her words, she begged the
widow to bring her the picture. When it was brought it was
applied to the arm. and instantly the swelling disappeared, all
pain ceased, and she was perfectly cured.
And now, at length, the repeated warnings of Our Lady, the
sudden death of the husband, the child's vision, and the miracle
on the arm overcame the widow's obstinacy. May your will
and mine, dear reader, never for an instant resist the sweet will
of our dear Lady of Perpetual Help.
The widow was now resolved to part with the picture. But
to which of the 300 churches of Rome was it to be given ? To
the Church of St. Alphonsus ? No — for St. Alphonsus was not
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 77
even born. Our Blessed Lady soon made known her will by
herself determining the church in which she wished to be pub
licly honored in Rome. Appearing again to the little child, she
said : "Our Lady of Perpetual Help wills to be publicly honored
between St. Mary Major's and St. John Lateran's." Her will
could not have been more clearly expressed. Between St.
Mary Major's and St. John Lateran's there was only one road,
called Via Merulana. On that road there was only one church
— the Augustinian Church of St. Matthew. To this church,
therefore, so clearly pointed out by Our Lady, the widow took
the picture, and offered it to the Prior, telling him all that had
hitherto taken place. With a heart full of gratitude to Mary
he accepted the precious treasure, and at once began to prepare
a fit place for it in his church.
Before the 27th of March, 1499, Father Prior had everything
ready. On that day the picture was borne in solemn procession
through the streets of Rome. The whole city seemed to have
turned out to honor Mary, and as the multitudes passed along,
she marked her progress by miracles. I have space only for
one. A poor woman had been long stricken with paralysis.
One side of her body, and especially her arm, had been stiff and
motionless for years. She had heard of the miracle on the
swollen arm — already related — and she rightly thought : "If
the Blessed Virgin cured the woman who opposed her, she will
not refuse to cure me." When the picture was passing the place
where the poor creature stood, she asked the bearers to touch
her arm with it. Her request was granted, and the instant she
felt the picture's touch she was perfectly cured. When the
procession was over, the picture was solemnly placed over the
high altar in St. Matthew's Church, and from that chosen sanc
tuary for 300 long years, Mary poured out her perpetual succor
upon men. There she consoled the sorrowful and relieved
the distressed ; there she gave health to the sick and obtained
pardon for the sinner; there her children loved to honor her
by their pilgrimages and their costly offerings ; and there she
poured upon them — people, priests, and even Popes — her
78 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
choicest favors. So numerous were the graces and so striking
the miracles obtained at her Shrine that the picture became
known in history as "The very miraculous image."
At length, to these 300 years of glory succeeded a long night
of oblivion. In the year 1812, during the occupation of Rome
by the French army, one of the generals gave orders that the
Church and Monastery of St. Matthew should be razed to the
ground. Within three days his orders were fully carried out.
What became of the picture ? Did it share the same fate as the
church and monastery ? Clearly not ; for it still exists. But
though not destroyed the picture was lost to the people; and
were it not for Mary's providential care, it might have been lost
to them still and lost to them forever.
St. Alphonsus Liguori died at Nocera di Pagani in 1787.
After his death, his successors — the Superiors-General of the
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer — resided at the
same place. In the year 1854, however, Pope Pius IX., wishing
the General to be nearer the Holy See, commanded him to
change his residence to Rome. After seeking long for a suit
able house, Father Douglas purchased the Villa Caserta, and
it was transformed into a monastery. Adjoining the house, he
erected the Church of St. Alphonsus. This house and church
are in the Via Merulana. Little did the Redemptorist Fathers
think that their new residence was almost the site of the Mon
astery and Church of St. Matthew, which had been destroyed
in 1812. Indeed they had not the least idea that any such mon
astery or church ever existed, nor did they know of it for years.
In January, 1863, that is 51 years after the French had re
duced St. Matthew's to a heap of ruins, as the Redemptorist
Fathers were making their evening recreation at the Villa
Caserta, one of them told the others how he had been reading
that day, that where they were living there stood the Church of
St. Matthew, famous for a miraculous picture called "Our
Lady of Perpetual Help," which had long since been lost, if it
had not been destroyed. This remark might not have led to
further results but for Father Michael Marchi. Father Michael
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 70
Marchi was a Roman who joined the Redemptorists as a young
man in 1855. He had never seen St. Matthew's, and until then he
had not known where it had stood ; but he had heard about it and
had even seen the celebrated picture of which the other Father
spoke. He then related how as a little boy he used to frequent
the Augustinian Monastery of St. Mary in Posterula where he
became very intimate with one of the lay brothers a very old
man named Brother Orsetti, who died in 1853. This old man
had lived at St. Matthew's to the very day on which it was
destroyed by the French. He never told Michael of the site on
which St. Matthew's had stood, but he often told him of its
glories and of the wonderful picture of Our Lady, which was
there venerated for 300 years. "He used often to take me up
stairs," said Father Michael, "and when we were in the ora
tory, he used to get me to pray before a beautiful image which
hung on the wall, and he used to say: 'Michael, that is the
picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which was formerly
in such honor in St. Matthew's. When that church was de
stroyed we brought the picture here with us.' " And then the
old man, as if he had some foreknowledge that the picture
would again be restored to its former glory, and that Marchi
was to have some part in that restoration, used to repeat again
and again : "Michael ! remember the picture we venerated in
St. Matthew's. That is the picture."
All this was very interesting to the Redemptorist Fathers;
but as Brother Orsetti had not told Michael Marchi of the last
will of the Cretan Merchant or the will of the Blessed Virgin,
that the picture should be publicly honored in a church between
St. Mary Major's and St. John Lateran's, there was nothing
in Father Marchi's story to show that Our Lady now willed
to come forth from her hiding-place, and take up her dwelling
in the Church of St. Alphonsus. Yet, such was indeed her will ;
and the Fathers soon got to know it.
In February, 1863, Father Blosi, S.J., preached in one of the
churches in Rome. The subject of his discourse was the long-
lost picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He described it
8o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
as a picture formerly very famous amongst us, but long since
lost in oblivion. He told his hearers how, hundreds of years
ago, the Blessed Virgin had made known her will that this
picture should be publicly honored in a church between St.
Mary Major's and St. John Lateran's, and he begged them to
make this fact known, so that whoever should have the picture
in his keeping might do the will of Our Lady, and restore her
picture to its former place of glory. "Who knows," he ex
claimed, "what blessings may come down on the world from
the revival of devotion to Mary, under the chosen title of
'Mother of Perpetual Help !' "
This sermon pointed clearly enough to St. Alphonsus' Church
as the future home of Our Lady of Perpetual Help ; and so for
two years the community of the Villa Caserta offered fervent
prayers to Our Dear Lady that if it was her will to choose
their Church for her home, she might take the means of ac
complishing it. She heard their prayers. On the nth Decem
ber, 1865, the Superior-General, Father Mauron, had an audi
ence with Pius IX., during which he told his Holiness the his
tory of the picture, the will of Mary regarding its place of
public honor, its 300 years in St. Matthew's, as well as the
fact that St. Alphonsus' Church was on the old site, and that
the story of Father Marchi and the sermon of Father Blosi
seemed to point to that church as the spot chosen by Our
Blessed Lady.
The Pope was deeply impressed by what he heard, and re
membering that as a boy he had prayed before the sacred pic
ture in St. Matthew's, he took his pen and wrote that it was
his will that the Image of the Holy Virgin of Perpetual Help
should be restored to its ancient abode between St. Mary
Major's and St. John Lateran's. On the 26th of April, 1866,
the will of the Pope and the will of Mary were carried out.
On that day, a magnificent procession of the clergy and people
of Rome accompanied the Sacred Image through the streets,
praising their Dear Lady of Perpetual Help for deigning once
more to dwell publicly in their city. As the picture was borne
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 81
along, Mary looked down from Heaven on her loving servants
and lavished favors upon them. "Sweet Lady of Perpetual
Help, cure my little son," was the cry of one poor woman
whose little boy was dying of fever. Mary heard the cry, and
instantly the child arose in perfect health. "Mother of Perpet
ual Help, have pity on me; my little daughter of eight has
been paralysed and unable to move for the last four years,"
was the fervent prayer of another. Mary heard that prayer,
and the child began to walk. Thus the picture of Our Dear
Lady became the medium of her perpetual help, as it was borne
through the streets of Rome to her loved Via Merulana and
the Church of St. Alphonsus. On the 27th of April a Triduum
of thanksgiving began; then the month of May was ushered
in. So great were the crowds of worshippers to the new
Sanctuary of Our Lady, that it was believed that in the five
weeks everyone in Rome had visited the Sacred Image. Mary
worked wonders during that time. Pius IX., hearing of them,
came to her chosen shrine. "I have heard," said he, "that she
performs prodigies ; she will not refuse to succor the poor
Pope."
So numerous and striking were the graces received and
miracles wrought by Our Lady of Perpetual Help that the
Holy See decreed a new honor for her sacred image. You may
have seen some pictures of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with
out a crown on the head of Mary or on the head of Jesus.
Such pictures show you what the original picture was like until
June, 1867. Till then it was uncrowned. On the 23rd of
June in that year, which was the Sunday before the Feast of
St. John Baptist, two gold crowns were solemnly placed on the
heads of Jesus and Mary by the Dean of the Vatican Chapter,
in presence of Bishops and priests from all parts of the world
who had come to Rome for the i8th Centenary of the Martyr
dom of SS. Peter and Paul. These crowns are the Church's
seal on the sacred picture, and are the best proof possible that it
is indeed a "very miraculous image."
The great Pope of Mary Immaculate cultivated a very special
$2 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He asked for a fac
simile copy of the picture, and he hung it up in his private
oratory ; it was the first of its kind ever painted. Later on, in
the year 1876, when the devotion had become more widespread,
his Holiness established the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help, and — in memory of the solemn coronation — ordered the
Feast, with special office and Mass, to be celebrated every year
in June on the Sunday immediately preceding the Feast of
St. John Baptist. Besides this, he erected "The Arch-Confra
ternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Alphonsus,"
and had himself enrolled the first member.
Dear reader, this great Pope gives you an example of devo
tion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Would you not do well
to imitate him by having her picture, praying before it, keep
ing her Feast every year, and by being a member of her Arch-
Confraternity ?
In this chapter I will give some explanations which, I think,
will interest you and serve to increase your devotion to Our
Lady of Perpetual Help.
Looking at the sacred image you will remark several capital
letters on five different parts of the holy picture. These are
Greek characters. Directly above some of them you see marks
or strokes ; these simply indicate that the letters are contractions
for longer words. Just as in English "Pk." is a contraction
for "Patrick," so the first two letters near the face of the
Divine Child are the Greek contractions for "Jesus," and the
other two for "Christ ;" the four letters, therefore, mean "Jesus
Christ." The first two letters over each of the angels are the
same, and are contractions for "archangel." The last letter
over the angel nearest to Jesus is the Greek letter "G," and it
stands for "Gabriel." The last letter over the angel at the other
side is "M," and it stands for "Michael.' Of the four largest
letters on the top of the picture, the first two are contractions
for "Mother," and the opposite two, for "of God;" so that,
taking these four letters together, they mean "Mother of God."
On the picture, therefore, four persons are represented ; namely,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 83
Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Archangel Michael and
the Archangel Gabriel.
The archangels look as if they had taken flight from their
heavenly home and had come with speed into the presence of
Jesus and Mary. In their hands are the cross, and lance and
reed and sponge — the cruel instruments of the death that Jesus
was one day to undergo and Mary to witness. The child in
her arms seems startled. He who, when grown up, fell to the
ground through fear in the Garden of Gethsemane, from the
same cause almost falls from His Mother's arms, whilst yet a
child. But Mary does not let Him fall. She "the strong
woman," His Mother, who will remain standing beneath His
Cross on Calvary, keeps Him up. In His fear at the terrible
vision of His passion, His body trembles all over and His little
feet strike against each other, causing the sandal or shoe of
the right foot to fall down. But He does not fall Himself, for
His Mother supports Him on her left arm ; and with her right
hands she holds the two quivering hands of her little Jesus,
who clasps hers for succor. And all the time that she holds
Him with her strong hand, she is sadly, sweetly, steadily look
ing not upon Him or the instruments of His death, but upon
you. Little Jesus, also, is not looking on her, but His eyes
are turned towards the cross, and He seems to be fixing them
upon it or upon something beyond it and not represented on
the picture at all.
The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a great
teacher; it gives us more lessons than many a large book. It
reminds us of several great truths. In the first place, it reminds
us of our Divine Lord's perpetual and dreadful vision. From
the first moment of His human life, Jesus saw clearly and dis
tinctly His passion and death and every sin that had been com
mitted, or that would be committed. This vision is shown on
our loved picture. We see there Jesus looking at the instru
ments of His death, and also gazing out beyond the picture
upon all the sins of the world.
It was from this twofold vision in the Garden of Geth-
84 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
semane, on the night before His death, that Our Lord's agony
of fear and sorrow sprang ; from the same vision His soul was
filled with sadness at every moment of His life ; so that in very
truth He was what His prophet foretold — "A man of Sorrows"
(Isaiah liii, 3), who alone could say: "My sorrow is always
before me," (Ps. xxxvii, 18). Our picture, therefore, also re
minds us of the perpetual sorrows of Jesus. Again, from the
picture we learn that Mary was to Jesus a Mother of Perpetual
Help, so that the picture well deserves the glorious title which
she herself has chosen for it. Moreover, the Sacred Image
reminds us of Mary's perpetual sorrows. The perpetual suf
ferings of Jesus made Her a Mother of Perpetual Sorrow.
She was in perpetual sorrow from the moment that Simeon
told her that a sword should pierce her heart. The picture
shows her as this Mother of Perpetual Sorrow — but as the
"strong" Mother. She was strong all her life ; she was strong
even at the foot of the Cross when her Jesus was actually dy
ing. The picture represents her so strong that in spite of the
sorrows of Jesus and her own, she is able to succor the Son of
God. The evil of sin is another thing that Our Blessed Lady
silently teaches us from her Image. "Behold," she seems to
say, "behold Jesus and me in perpetual sorrows caused by sin
alone ; and learn from Our distress what a grievous thing it is
to offend God." She also teaches repentance through pity for
Jesus and herself. As she looks upon us from her image, can
not we almost hear her say : "My child ! pity me — and pity
Jesus — cease offending him — cease crucifying Him. Repent
of those sins which have put my Child in the misery in which
you behold Him." Lastly, she teaches us that she will be your
Mother of Perpetual Help if only you have perpetual recourse
to her. "Behold," she says, "my eyes of mercy ever turned
towards your miseries ; behold my hand ever ready to keep you
from dangers, to strengthen your weakness, to raise you up
if you have fallen. As I succored Jesus, so I will succor you ;
but on one condition — you must act like Jesus. As He clung
to me with His hands, so must you cling to me by prayer. The
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 85
one condition of my help is your calling on my name. I must
keep the rule laid down by God, Who says to you : 'Ask and you
shall receive' (John xvi, 24). He makes your asking the con
dition of your receiving. Ask me perpetually, and I will help
you perpetually. Have perpetual recourse to me, and I will
have perpetual help for you."
From what you have just read, you will be able to understand
easily the special providence by which Our Lady chose the
Redemptorist Fathers as the guardians of her picture and the
apostles of the devotion to her as "Mother of Perpetual Help."
You will also be able to understand the marvelous spread of
this devotion.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF ZO-SE
SONG-KIANG, CHINA
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 87
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF ZO-SE
SONG-KIANG, CHINA
1870
A chaplet, when I feel distressed,
Means all the world to me:
My Queen's rose-wreath, I love it best —
'Tis Mary's Rosary.
Clifford Westmore Lake.
HERE is Zo-se? Who has ever heard of Our Lady
of Zo-se? It may not be quite satisfactory to the
reader to answer the first question by stating that
Zo-se is a hill of porphyric rock, about twelve
miles north of Song-kiang, in the old delta plain of the Yang-
tse-kiang. For though this river will be recognized as the
noble stream of central China, the name of Song-kiang may
not be so familiar. Yet there was a time when Song-kiang
was not unknown to the Western public. Marco Polo visited
it in the thirteenth century, and the Jesuit missionaries in the
sixteenth. Father Duhalde, in his monumental work on China,
described Song-kiang as one of the most flourishing cities of
the empire.
In those palmy days Song-kiang was the sister city of Soo-
chow, which for its prosperity and elegance, as well as for the
accomplishments and the beauty of its inhabitants, was ranked
with Hang-chow as the terrestrial paradise. A graceful little
rhyme, which has been rather happily translated, states that:
"Above there's paradise, 'tis true,
But here below are Hang and Soo."
88 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Soochow and Song-kiang are not what they were ; both have
suffered from the ravages of war, and their commercial im
portance has been absorbed by Shanghai.
Zo-se, then, is about twenty-five miles southwest of Shang
hai, and it is the largest of a little group of hills which rise
out of the unbroken extent of rice fields, and which are known
to foreign residents as simply the Hills. Our Lady of Zo-se
is the title of the pilgrimage chapel on the summit of the hill,
dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians. Pilgrimages are
made to the chapel twice a year, once in May, on the patronal
feast of the chapel, and once in November, on a day chosen as
the patronage of Our Lady of Zo-se.
A pilgrimage chapel in China, a Christian shrine of special
devotion on a spot once sacred to Buddha, may well excite sur
prise and curiosity. A pilgrimage shrine, one is inclined to
think, should be hallowed by the devotion of centuries or else
it should be commended to the faithful in these latter days by
wonderful manifestations of divine power and mercy. The
shrine of Zo-se has no venerable memory, nor can it lay claim
to striking miracles. Yet its history, going back but a quarter
of a century, is none the less interesting for being recent, and
the favors obtained through Our Lady of Zo-se are, we may
hope, no less real for being hidden.
The year 1870 is a sad one in the annals of the Catholic mis
sions in China. Agitations against foreigners had for more
than a year been fomenting in various provinces of the em
pire, and no one knew where or when they would break out
into open violence. The simple people, who are naturally of
a no less gentle and friendly disposition to-day than they were
when described by Pliny, were goaded on by their leaders, the
mandarins and the men of letters. France was in trouble at
home, and the Catholic missionaries, without their accustomed
protection, could not but view the approaching storm with a
sense of insecurity. During the year 1869, an English mis
sionary was murdered within thirty-five miles of Tien-tsin, an
important port of the North. In the South, a French Catholic
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 89
missionary and forty native Christians were massacred.
Finally, in June, 1870, the little foreign community of Tien-tsin
was visited, and the Christian world was shocked by the
frightful report from that city that twenty foreign residents,
including ten Sisters of Charity, had been murdered there in
a single riot. "You wish to kill us Europeans," said the heroic
Superioress to the rioters ; "then come, we are ten ; my com
panions await you in the chapel. But spare, we beseech you,
spare the Chinese who are with us." The victims of that day's
massacre included two members of the French Legation to
Pekin, with the wife of one of them, a French and a Russian
merchant with their wives, the French Consul, a French mis
sionary, a native priest, and more than thirty native Christians.
When the news of the shocking event reached the different
provinces, the feelings of the missionaries may be imagined.
The news was everywhere received by the pagans with demon
strations of joy and triumph. The time had come, it was said,
to rise and rid the empire once for all of the hated intruders.
It was, indeed, a critical moment, and not a missionary, we
may be sure, ventured out in the discharge of his sacred duties,
without a fervent act of contrition in his heart and a generous
offering of his life to Him for Whose love he had sought such
inhospitable shores. Thus fortified, the missionary could, in
deed, go forth bravely and reck but little of the scowls and
threats, the insults and the blows which attended his steps.
Not so, however, the superiors to whom God had entrusted the
harassed flocks.
A hundred missionaries depending upon his orders, thou
sands of Christians entrusted to his care, the lives of devoted
religious women and of innocent children demanding protec
tion — such was the burden weighing upon Rev. Father Delia
Corte, S. J., then superior of the mission of Nankin. The
Vicar-Apostolic of the mission, Bishop Languillat, S. J., had
gone to Rome for the Vatican Council, and all the care and
responsibility of that hour of danger fell solely upon Father
Delia Corte. The walls of Shanghai, where he resided, were
90 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
placarded with inflammatory denunciations of the missionaries,
and alarming reports were coming in from all parts of the
mission. The principal mandarin of Shanghai was known to
favor the anti-foreign fury. A counterpart of the tragedy at
Tien-tsin might have been precipitated by the slightest un
toward event. What was the good Father to do in his anxiety
and helplessness? What could he do for the safety of the
mission and for the protection of the precious lives entrusted
to him? What could he do but have recourse to Our Lady,
Help of Christians — to her whose mercy Catholics the world
over daily commemorate in the words of her sweet-tongued
servant, St. Bernard : ''Never was it known that any one who
fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy inter
cession, was left unaided."
Early in the morning, July 4, 1870, Father Delia Corte got
into his boat and directed the boatman to Zo-se. A part of the
hill had for several years been in the possession of the mission,
and was used as a retreat for the missionaries when prostrated
by fatigue or sickness. Seven or eight hours on the winding
canals brought the Father to the foot of the hill. Regardless
of the noon-day sun he began the rocky ascent, nor stopped till
he had reached the little chapel on the summit, three hundred
feet above the surrounding rice fields. There, kneeling down
before our Lady's statue, "My dear Mother," he prayed, "our
mission is in danger. Save us, and I promise to build you
here a beautiful church in place of this little chapel." The
vow was made, and our Lady took the mission under her pro
tection.
A few days later, Father Delia Corte received a visit at his
residence in Shanghai from no less a personage than the chief-
justice of the province, who came to express his sympathy
with the missionaries for the sad affair of Tien-tsin. It was
to the interest of the government to prevent further outrages
against Europeans, and the mandarins had to shape their con
duct accordingly. They had, however, succeeded so well in
exciting the populace, that it was no easy task to quell the vio-
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 91
lent feelings. The residents of the foreign settlements organ
ized companies for their own defence, and some English gen
tlemen kindly extended their protection to the Catholic mis
sionary establishments of Zi-ha-wei, four or five miles out of
the city.
Toward the middle of July the excitement reached a climax.
The night of the thirteenth, it was rumored, had been fixed
upon for a general uprising. The foreigners redoubled their
vigilance, and a company of Frenchmen remained up all night
in front of the church. The night passed, however, without
any sign of disturbance, and with the morning came the feel
ing of relief that the crisis was over. The excitement of the
populace began to subside, and before two months had passed,
Father Delia Corte, who still lives to tell the story of our
Lady's singular protection, saw that his prayer had been
heard, and that it remained but to build the votive chapel. In
September he issued a circular to all of the priests and Chris
tians of the mission, recalling the serious danger through which
by a special favor they had all passed unharmed, and inviting
their co-operation in building the chapel which he had vowed
in commemoration of our Lady's protection.
Chinese Christians as a rule are not among the wealthy mer
cantile and lettered classes, and the church had to be built
principally by the contributions of the poor. However, three
families gave as much as a thousand dollars each. An old
peddler by dint of hard economy during long years on the
streets of Shanghai, had put by a hundred dollars against the
ills that might come upon him with age. On hearing of the
chapel to be built at Zo-se, he gave up his little hoard to Our
Lady, relying upon her mercy to provide for the remnant of
his days. A little village girl had received a kid from her
parents to raise for herself. She did not waste her affections
upon it, as some little children of the West might do, but with
the true instinct of her race, she intended it for the market,
and was to sell it for a thousand copper coins. She could buy
many nice things with a thousand coppers, for though they
9* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
only amount to a dollar, they go a long way from the fact that
they are as many as a thousand. However, she sacrificed her
childish gratification to the love of our Lady, and gave her
thousand coppers to the missionary for the chapel of Zo-se.
The building was begun in the following year, 1871, and on
the feast of the Help of Christians, Bishop Languillat, who
had returned from Rome, laid the corner-stone. Two years
later the church was completed and dedicated, and at the open
ing of May the first solemn pilgrimage was celebrated. The
Christians flocked to the shrine from far and near, the neigh
boring canals were lined with their boats, and as many as
twenty thousand assembled for the feast. There were numer
ous confessions, and two thousand approached the Holy Table
at the pilgrims' Mass. Bishop Languillat, assisted by twenty-
eight priests, conducted the ceremonies. The scene, we may
well believe, was one of rare consolation for the zealous mis
sionaries. The Bishop had himself confessed the faith in
prison, and his companions had had their years of toil and
danger, and now the sight of thousands of devout Christians
gathered in the face of the pagan world to honor Our Lord
and His Blessed Mother, could not but arouse within their
breasts sentiments of joy and gratitude, mingled with a con
soling sense of triumph over the powers of darkness and the
enemies of the Gospel. Thus one of them wrrote of a scene
at the solemn Mass : "When the preacher had ceased, another
voice was heard ; it was that of the Bishop. Standing on the
spot where a temple of false gods had stood, and as it were
to bid defiance to persecution, the confessor of the faith in
toned the Credo in unum Deum, the Creed which begets mar
tyrs and which traverses the centuries victoriously, in spite
of the efforts of hell and in the teeth of tyrants' hate. It tri
umphed over ancient Rome in the arenas and amphitheatres,
and the pretoriums of China shall not prevail against it any
more than did those of Nero and Diocletian. The arm of God
is not shortened ; and blood shall never cease to flow gloriously
in His Church, for the heralds of Christ shall never cease to
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 93
proclaim to their persecutors the words of Peter and John,
adopted as their device : Non possumus non loqui. We can
not but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
A Shrine of Our Lady on the summit of Zo-se derives a
special interest from the fact that the hill had for centuries
been a favorite site for Shrines of Buddha. A corrupted form
of Buddhism, though repudiated by the lettered class and ex
ecrated by the professors of Confucianism, is still the pre
vailing religion of China's masses. In selecting sites for their
pagodas and monasteries, the bonzes manifest no mean appre
ciation of natural beauties and of the picturesque effect to be
produced by their fantastic architecture. Zo-se and the neigh
boring hills offered many an attractive site, and when Song-
kiang was at the height of its prosperity, Zo-se became the
resort of Buddhist monks. The ruins of their extensive mon
asteries are still seen, and the annals of Song-kiang, kept
according to custom with astonishing exactness, inform us of
the dates and the names of the different buildings.
The first one recorded was built in 1048 and was known as
the "Light of the Universe." It was burnt down toward the
end of the fourteenth century, but its old tower still stands,
presenting a desolate but picturesque sight, in a beautiful spot
on the northwestern skirt of the hill. When the evening sun
creeps around the shoulder of the hill, throwing his mellow
rays upon the aspen leaves of the bamboo grove, and casting
the shadow of the solitary tower far out upon the rice fields
below, one cannot but adniire the taste of the old bonzes who
fixed their home and built their temple in such a charming
solitude.
On the other side of the hill, about half way up the ascent,
there was a pagoda which still existed in a dilapidated and
abandoned state when that part of the hill came into the pos
session of the Fathers. They prudently refrained from ex
citing the pagans by destroying the temple, though their cook,
a native Christian, cut up the idols for fire-wood. In 1863,
General Gordon, after the capture of Song-kiang, retired with
94 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
his little army to the vicinity of Zo-se. He was on friendly
terms with Father Leveille, who was then missionary of the
district and who recalls with pleasure and enthusiasm his
acquaintance with the gallant officer. The good missionary
availed himself of the occasion to get rid of the old home
of idolatry, and at his request Colonel Thompson, Gordon's
lieutenant, sent his men to pull down the old pagoda, under pre
text of utilizing some of the material in constructing temporary
quarters for the officers. The missionaries' residence stands
near the site of the destroyed pagoda.
From the house to the church above there are two ap
proaches; one direct, but steep and irregular, and the other
a broad walk, ascending gently in regular zigzags. The lat
ter is so arranged that there are just fourteen turns in the zig
zag, and at each turn there is a station of the Way of the
Cross. The stations are represented in bronze relief, and
placed in simple Tuscan niches about ten feet high.
To understand the special propriety of such an approach
to a Shrine of Our Lady, it must be remembered that Zo-se
is in a missionary land, where the Way of the Cross must fre
quently take the place of the Holy Sacrifice of the altar. Many
a missionary station is left Sunday after Sunday without the
Sacrifice of Calvary being renewed within its modest little
chapel, and the Christians have been taught to make up as well
as may be by at least commemorating the Sacrifice, and follow
ing their Saviour in spirit through the scenes of His sacred
passion and death. Thus the devotion of the Way of the
Cross has for the scattered little flocks of China an importance
which is unknown in lands blessed with a more numerous
clergy. Moreover, the persecutions which arise, and the seri
ous danger in which the Christians not un frequently find them
selves, naturally strengthen their devotion to Our Lord's suf
fering. They know not how soon they may be called upon
to suffer and even to die for Him. When a foreign missionary
meets with a violent death in China, all the Western world is
startled and shocked; but hundreds of natives may lay down
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 95
their lives for their faith, without exciting a remark across
the seas.
The chapel, constructed in the shape of a Greek cross, is
neither ambitious in style nor of imposing proportions. Solid
ity rather than elegance was sought in its construction. Yet
its simple porticoes and Doric columns, while imparting an air
of strength, are not without architectural attractions. The
northern arm of the cross is occupied by the main altar and
the sanctuary, and in each of the three other faces there are
three large doors, so that the whole chapel can be opened at
once, permitting of large numbers passing in and out at a
time. As the chapel stands on the very crest of a hill, there
extends along the whole facade a high parapet, reached on
either side by a broad granite stairway. The massive balus
trade of the parapet is surmounted by eight granite lions, four
of natural size and the others slightly smaller. Strange orna
ment, it may seem, for a Shrine of Our Lady ; but the visitor
ceases to wonder when he learns that the lions are the spoils
of paganism. In former centuries they guarded the temples
of idolatry which clustered around Zo-se, and which have all
disappeared and given place to the Shrine of the Blessed
Mother of God. The time-worn appearance of the lions and
their familiar conventional type, bespeak their former history,
and, on viewing them, the pilgrim's heart is filled with joy
at the triumph of Christ and His Blessed Mother over one of
Satan's strongholds.
And when from the lion's parapet the pilgrim casts his eyes
over the extended plain below, over the green rice fields, rich
with the year's yield, and the network of canals lined with
their bamboos and willows, and when he follows the silvery
streams from village to village, to the towers of Song-kiang
and Tsing-poo on the south and west, and to the smoke of
Shanghai on the neatheastern horizon, he finds it a consoling
and grateful thought that in the teeming population of the
fertile plain around him, there are no fewer than fifty-three
thousand four hundred Christian souls reclaimed from the
96 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
slavery of idolatry. Nowhere in the world, perhaps, is there
a denser rural population than in the rich plain surveyed from
the summit of Zo-se, and nowhere in China is the proportion
of Christians so large as in the missionary district of which
Zo-se is the centre. — Rev. W. Hornsby, SJ.
VIRGIN MOTHER MARY
'O Virgin Mother ! pure and sweet,
As low before thee bending,
We cast our garlands at thy feet
In faith and love unending,
We sing the glory of thy name,
Who bore our Lord and Brother,
And since from Heaven an angel came,
Hast been our loving Mother.
Blessed name to God most dear,
Sweetest name to sinners here,
Holy name that all revere,
Virgin Mother Mary !"
Rev. William Livingston.
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
Mother dearest, mother fairest
Help of all who call on thee,
Virgin purest, brightest, rarest
Help us, help, we cry to thee,
Help us, help, we cry to thee.
Free us from all sin and sadness,
Fill our hearts with peace, with gladness:
Mary, Mother, help alway !
Mary, Virgin, help us aye !
Lady, Help in pain and sorrow
Sooth those racked on bed of pain,
May the golden light of morrow
Bring them health and joy again,
Bring them health and joy again.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 97
Help the poor, the sad, the weary,
Comfort those whose homes are dreary.
Mary, Mother, help alway!
Mary, Virgin, help us aye !
Mother ! help the absent loved ones,
Ah ! we miss their presence here !
Help our father, friend, our brother,
Help them, guard them far and near,
Help them, guard them far and near.
Save them from all sin and danger,
Lead safe home the weary stranger,
Mary, Mother, help alway !
Mary, Virgin, help us aye!
Mother, help the wounded soldier,
Set the pining captive free,
Help the sailor on mid-ocean,
Help those in their agony,
Help those in their agony.
From the demon's malice guard them,
In their death-pangs watch and ward them.
Mary, Mother, help alway!
Mary, Virgin, pray ! oh pray !
Help our priests, our virgins holy,
Help our Pope — Long may he reign!
Pray that we who sing thy praises,
May in heaven all meet again,
May in heaven all meet again.
Help us when our life grows dreary
Thy heart too was sad and weary,
Mary, Mother, help alway !
Mary, Virgin, pray, oh pray!
APPARITION TO
OUR LADY OF HOPE
PONTMAIN, FRANCE
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 99
APPARITION
TO
OUR LADY OF HOPE
PONTMAIN, FRANCE
1871
Mother of Christ on thee,
And thy dear Son we call;
France from all perils free,
Pray, oh pray, for us all.
Ave Maria.
JANY may think it a sad task to lift the veil beyond
which the terrible events of 1870-71 lie hidden.
Those were indeed dread days, whose souvenir is
ever present, but which the lips are unwilling to
recall, the pen reluctant to retrace. To us, however, who, in
our pious wanderings to Mary's shrines in France, have so
often seen that Heavenly Protectress with her favored nation
in its glorious hours of triumph, it seems but natural to seek
and find her with her children in their days of anguish. Con-
solatrix Afflictorutn! The Blessed Virgin could not be absent
when war, with the grim spectre of defeat, had cast mourning
throughout the land. Regnum Gallics, regnum Maries! Surely,
if France was Mary's kingdom in its hours of joy and victory,
how much the more should this tender Mother look upon it
as her own, and watch over her devoted clients when sorrow
weighed them down!
The invader, daily pursuing his triumphal march, cast de
spair into every heart; even the most valiant, even those in
whose bosom the spirit of unbounded faith and confidence in
divine help had hitherto remained unshaken, — even they scarce
dared to hope. Nothing save a miracle could now arrest the
conqueror. Paris — surrounded from the i8th of September,
ioo APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
bombarded since the 27th of December, and now starving —
could no longer hold out. Each day appeared to bring the
capital twenty-four hours nearer the one fatal issue, which now
alone seemed possible — surrender. But Mary, celestial har
binger of good tidings, was vigilant. She it was who should
announce to her people those words of consolation, bringing
back hope to the despairing, and courage to the fainting heart.
Prayers so fervent had daily ascended to her throne for the sal
vation of France, that this loving Mother could not refuse such
heartfelt petitions.
The following details of the marvelous Apparition of Pont-
main are taken from various fully authenticated documents,
which have been placed at our disposal by the never-failing
kindness of the Oblate Fathers. May they here receive a public
acknowledgment of cordial thanks !
Pontmain is a little bourgade lying in the northwest corner
of the department of Mayenne, on the borders of Brittany, in
that part of the country formerly known as Bas-Maine. It is
situated on a wooded slope, leading to a smiling valley, through
which runs the river Dairon. The hillside being thickly
wooded, the village lies concealed from view, and is only dis
covered when the pilgrim, or traveler, almost enters it. Pont
main has been compared to a "mysterious Eden" hidden away
in a leafy bower. In far-distant ages, however, it was a pow
erful town, strongly fortified, having a fortress castle, the grim
dwelling of a valiant Breton lord. Old chroniclers relate that,
in the second half of the ninth century, this spot was chosen
by Meen — a prince of the house of Gaen, the noblest family
in Brittany — as his residence. Not content with his fortress,
Meen built formidable ramparts to protect the town, which
quickly sprang up around the chateau fort. From his title was
derived the name of Pont-Meen, later changed to Pont-Main,
and now written Pontmain.
For several centuries Pontmain retained the reputation of
being one of the most strongly fortified towns in France. But
under the ruthless English Earl of Arundel the fortress was
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 101
taken, and destroyed about 1431 or 1432. Only a few of the in
habitants escaped death, Arundel well deserving the odious ap
pellation of "Scourge of Bas-Maine," by which he was known.
The site of the ancient castle can still be seen, a portion of the
ruined ramparts yet remaining. These relics of old times form
a striking contrast to the splendid oaks now flourishing on the
very spot where once stood the fortress of Prince Meen.
The inhabitants of Pontmain are principally occupied in
agricultural pursuits ; they are simple and pious, devotion to
the Mother of God being the characteristic feature of their
piety. So unimportant was the little town, that not until 1840
was it raised to the dignity of a parish. Then the village —
predestined to be honored by the visit of Mary — received, as
its first pastor, the venerated Abbe Michel Guerin ; as if the
living example of such virtues as his was necessary to prepare
the villagers for the supreme grace that God, in His infinite
goodness and mercy, intended to bestow on them. The saintly
Cure's devotion to Our Lady was saintlike. Many believe the
priceless favor granted to Pontmain was the reward of his love
for the Blessed Virgin and his unbounded confidence in her
protection.
The evening shadows had fallen on the village of Pontmain,
as it nestled peacefully though sadly beneath its immaculate
shroud, on that ever-blessed Tuesday, January 17, 1871. The
villagers had each and all returned to their tranquil, happy
homes, and silence reigned around.
The Barbadette family — a model in the village — consisted of
the father, mother, and three boys. The eldest, Auguste, had
set of! on September 25, 1870, to join a regiment of mobiles ;*
the second, Eugene, was twelve; and the third, Joseph, ten
years old. They were a truly Christian family, in which the
solid practices of piety were daily exercised. The boys rose
* Of the little band of thirty-eight mobiles from Pontmain, not one was injured.
Before departing, they were consecrated to Mary, and all returned safe and sound
from the campaign. A large white marble tablet, erected in the village chapel near
the Blessed Virgin's altar, speaks their grateful thanks for this truly remarkable
preservation.
102 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
at six o'clock, dressed quickly, set about doing some household
work, then recited the Rosary for their absent brother; and,
after breakfast, went off to the village chapel to perform the
Way of the Cross for his intention ; then they served the Cure's
Mass. After Mass there were public prayers for France and
her army, and often the saintly Cure said :
"Let us add penance to our prayers, and then we may take
courage. God will have pity on us; His mercy will surely
come to us through Mary."
The words sounded like a prophecy. At the conclusion of
these prayers the village children went to school, and at five
o'clock the little Barbedettes turned their steps homeward.
The soil around Pontmain being unfavorable for the cultiva
tion of fodder, the general food for horses is derived from the
tender branches of the furze bushes. The branches are pounded
in troughs, by means of large wooden mortars commonly called
piloches. To prepare the evening meal for their horses con
stituted a daily occupation for the Barbedette children on re
turning from school ; and scarcely had they entered the house
than, seizing their piloches, they and their father set to work
to accomplish the allotted task. This pounding process was
carried on in the barn, and had been in progress for nearly half
an hour, when the door was opened by a neighbor, named
Jeannette Detais. This good woman had just returned from
a neighboring village, and having heard good news of the little
band of Pontmain mobiles, charitably came to reassure Barbe
dette and his wife as to the fate of their beloved son.
This absent soldier was Eugene's god-father, and the child
dearly loved his eldest brother. How came it to pass — at the
moment when Jeannette, all excited with the news she had
learned, came to give it to the Barbedette family — that Eugene,
instead of listening, should have left the group ? But so it was.
No doubt some strange, invisible magnet drew him from the
spot. Later on, when asked to explain, he would simply an
swer: "I went just to see what the weather was like." And
there, at the door of that humble dwelling, hitherto all un-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 103
known, henceforth to be almost hallowed ground to all the
Catholic world, Eugene Barbedette stood transfixed. All was
white outside, so far as the eye could reach ; the heavens were
bright and clear, and it seemed to the child that never before
had the firmament shown such a wealth of brilliant stars. There
in the heavens, at seven or eight meters above an opposite
neighbor's house, the child beheld what he called a "grande,
belle Dame." Such a celestial and unexpected vision might
have frightened others, but Eugene felt no fear. The heavenly
Lady smiled ; the boy, all entranced, gazed on.
The Lady's dress was dark blue* — as the children described
it afterward, — of the color of the blue balls used for bluing
linen, and spangled with brilliant, golden stars. It fell in loose
folds from the neck to the feet, and was not enclosed by any
girdle; the sleeves were loose and hanging. The Lady wore
soft slippers (chaussons), of the same color as the dress, fast
ened with golden ribbons, forming rosettes. Over the head
fell a soft, black veil, covering the hair and ears completely,
partially concealing the forehead, and then falling over the
shoulders half down the back. She wore a golden crown,
somewhat raised in front, but not pointed ; and a red band
passed round it, dividing the crown in the centre. The Lady's
face was small, pale, and of matchless beauty. Pier age ap
peared about eighteen or twenty. The arms were bent down,
the hands extended, as in the image of Mary Immaculate. All
the while she smilingly looked at the child, who remained
gazing; then, as Jeannette Detais was leaving the barn, the
boy said excitedly:
"Look, Jeannette, and tell me what you see over Augustin
Guidecog's house!"
"I can't see anything," she replied, after a moment.
The father, hearing these few words, came to the door with
his other son, and could not discern anything.
*The darker blue of the dress was easily distinguishable from the blue of the
sky, which was much lighter. Notwithstanding the brightness of the stars on the
robe, no rays fell from the celestial apparition.
iQ4 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"Look, Joseph,"f said Eugene to his brother, "and tell us
if you see anything."
"Oh, I see a beautiful Lady !" replied Joseph, immediately ;
and he described her dress in all its details.
The father looked again, and, being utterly unable to descry
the celestial Apparition, turned toward the children.
"My poor boys," he said, "you don't see anything; for if you
saw, we could see, too. Come quickly, and finish pounding the
furze." Then, as a parting injunction to Jeannette Detais :
"Be sure not to talk in the village of what the children say
they see."
"Don't fear," answered Jeannette.
And good Barbedette, closing the door after the visitor, re
sumed his work ; the boys, ever obedient to their fathers orders,
did the same. But they had scarcely taken up their piloches
when Barbedette said :
"Eugene, go to the door and see if your Apparition is still
there."
The boy, all delighted, rushed to the door.
"Yes, yes, father!" he exclaimed; "it is the same, the very
same."
"Well, go and tell your mother I wish her to come here for
a few moments."
Off ran Eugene, quickly returning with his mother. In the
meanwhile Joseph went to the barn door, and was standing
there, clapping his hands, when they came.
"Oh, how lovely ! how lovely !" exclaimed the happy child.
The two children begged their mother to look very carefully
above Guidecog's house, and tell them what she saw. But,
strain her eyes as she would, Madame Barbedette could not
perceive anything. Disappointed, the children described the
Apparition, which, so far, refused to show itself to other eyes
tjoseph Barbedette is now an Oblate Father. Once, when yet a child, a
priest having said to him: "I cannot believe you have seen the Blessed Virgin;
you are too naughty," Joseph returned: "You are just like like St. Thomas." And
the abb£ answered: "Oh, St. Thomas was a great saint 1" To which the boy
promptly replied: "No doubt. But not when he disbelieved."
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 105
than theirs; and the mother, moved by the sincerity of their
tones, and well knowing her boys to be incapable of deception,
said, after a moment :
"Perhaps, after all, you see the Blessed Virgin ; so let us
kneel down and recite five Paters and Aves in her honor."
Then, closing the door quickly (for the neighbors were al
ready wondering at all this chatter, so unusual in the peaceful
village at that hour), they knelt down on the barn floor and
prayed together. Their devotions over, Madame Barbedette,
all anxious to learn if the vision still remained, her maternal
heart dreading lest it be a sign from Heaven announcing the
death of her absent son, told the boys to go and look once
more.
"Just the same, mother! — just the same!" exclaimed the de
lighted children.
"Well, I must take my glasses and look again," returned
their mother. But, look as she would, no Heaven-sent vision
rejoiced her eyes. "No, I don't see anything," she said
brusquely, after a moment; "nor you either, I believe. You
are a pair of little visionaries. Come, and finish your work
and take your supper."
The boys obeyed, but with regret; and hardly was supper
finished than they begged permission to return to the barn.
"Well, go," said their mother. "And if you still see the
Lady, recite again five Paters and Aves ; but say them standing ;
the barn floor is too cold to kneel down."
Scarce had they opened the door of the barn than the boys
fell involuntarily on their knees.
"They still see the vision !" said their father, watching them
from a distance, and their mother, coming toward them, in
quired how tall the Lady was.
"Just the height of Sister Vitaline," returned the children,
in the same breath.
Sister Vitaline was one of the religious attached to the
village school.
"I'll go and ask her to come here," said Madame Barbedette.
106 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"The Sisters are better than you. And if you see anything,
they will surely see it, too."
And she set off quickly with Eugene, returning after a few
moments accompanied by the nun. On the way Madame Bar-
bedette explained to the Sister why her presence was desired.
On her arrival at the barn door, the nun tried to see the vision,
but was unable to discern anything.
"How is it possible you don't see!" exclaimed Eugene.
"The Apparition is so splendidly brilliant. Don't you see those
three bright stars forming a triangle?"*
"Yes," answered the nun ; "I see them."
"Well," continued Eugene, "the highest star is right over
the Lady's head ; the other two are on a level with her elbows."
The triangle of these stars being all that revealed itself to
the nun's anxious eyes, she returned to the school accompanied
by Madame Barbedette.
"Don't talk about what the children say they see," was the
good woman's last word to Sister Vitaline.
The nun promised; suddenly an idea struck her, as she
caught sight of three little girls, boarders at the school, who
were sitting round the class-room fire.
"Petites," she said, "go with Victoire" (the familiar name
by which Madame Barbedette was known in the village). "She
will show you something."
"What is it?" inquired the children.
"I don't know," returned the nun ; "for I have not seen any
thing myself."
All curiosity, Franchise Richer, eleven years old, and Jeanne-
Marie Lebosse, two years younger, set off. A third girl ac
companied them ; she, however, could not see anything during
all the time the vision lasted. Before reaching the barn, Fran-
c.oise Richer exclaimed :
"Everyone, it seems, saw three stars, which appeared to be of the first mag
nitude. It was first thought they might be in the constellation of the Plough;
this, however, was found to be an error. On several evenings following the ap
parition, the children having gone out in the hope of again seeing the celestial
vision, neither they nor their parents could ever again find the same three stars.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 107
"I see something bright, right above Augustin Guidecog's
house !"
And a few steps farther, almost at the barn door, the two
little girls cried out together :
"Oh, the beautiful Lady, with her blue dress and golden
stars !"
And they described the vision exactly, as Joseph and Eugene
Barbedette had done. By this time Sister Vitaline joined them,
accompanied by Sister Mary Edward.
"As it is the children who are privileged to see," said the
latter, after vainly endeavoring to perceive the Lady, "we must
send some more little ones."
She went off to bring other children; and passing by the
Cure's house entered, begging the holy priest to come and see
the wonder.
"M. le Cure, the children say they see the Blessed Virgin !"
"An Apparition ! The Blessed Virgin !" exclaimed the Abbe
Guerin. "Sister, you frighten me !"
And he remained motionless. His aged servant, who was
present, lighted the lantern, however, and said:
"M. le Cure, you had better go and see what it is."
On going out, the Cure found nearly all the villagers — eighty
in number — assembled, the news of the prodigy having spread
like wildfire. A delicate little boy, Eugene Friteau, six years
old, was among those present. He also beheld the glorious
vision ; but, owing to the intense cold of the evening, he was
not allowed to remain long in the open air. Ere many months
had passed the soul of this happy little voyant winged its flight
to heaven, there to sing the praises of Mary forever. Another
child — a girl of two years and one month, the daughter of
Boitin, the sabot-maker — was scarce before the barn door than,
clapping her tiny hands, she exclaimed, looking at the heavens,
"Le Jesus! le Jesus!" the only pious word her innocent baby
lips had yet learned to lisp. In his turn the holy Cure sought
to discern the celestial vision. Impossible !
At this moment a small red cross was formed over Our
IQ& APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Lady's heart, and the children cried out in one voice that some
thing was being prepared. Instantly the Apparition became
surrounded by what may be termed a frame, or circle, about
five inches wide, of a darker blue than the robe, and about
twenty inches distant from the image of Mary, always leaving
the three stars of the triangle outside the circle. Four sockets
attached to the frame, each containing a candle, not yet lighted,
became visible at the interior of the circle. All these wonders
the four children related together, with such sincerity that
doubt was impossible. One man declaring that if he had a
telescope he, too, could see, Mme. Barbedette at once went and
fetched hers; and the incredulous villager having tried and
failed, some of the assistants laughed. Then the children an
nounced that the beautiful Lady had ceased to smile and looked
very sad, whereupon the Cure said :
"If the children only are privileged to behold the celestial
vision, it is because they are more worthy than we are."
"M. le Cure," remarked Sister Mary Edward, "if you were
to speak to the Blessed Virgin?"
"Ma Scaur," replied the Abbe Guerin, "I do not see her."
"Well, if you were to tell the children to speak to her?"
"Let us all pray," returned the priest.
Everyone knelt down, some in the barn, others outside;
despite the intense cold and the deep snow, no one seemed to
feel the rigor of the temperature. Sister Mary Edward began
the Rosary, all the assistants answering the prayers.
Suddenly the Holy Virgin began to rise, growing taller, the
feet remaining at the same place.
"She is twice as tall as Sister Vitaline now !" exclaimed the
children.
At the same time the deep blue circle extended in proportion ;
and the stars of the sky— as the children called them, to dis~
tinguish them from those on Our Lady's dress, all of which
had five points — appeared to move aside, as if to allow the
vision to rise, and then came and ranged themselves beneath
the Virgin's feet, outside the frame; these stars were about
forty in number, and were visible only to the children, whilst
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 109
all the villagers saw perfectly the three stars of the triangle.
Soon other stars with five points appeared at a certain distance
from the Apparition, and immediately fastened themselves on
the dress. After a moment, the children said :
"Oh, there are so many stars the Blessed Virgin will soon
be gilt all over!"
During the recital of the Rosary Our Lady ever continued
smiling, her appearance during all the time the vision lasted
being that of a perfectly living creature ; sometimes the mouth
opened, as the Holy Mother smiled to her children, who then
saw the teeth, which were of dazzling whiteness. As soon as
the Rosary was finished, Sister Mary Edward began the Mag
nificat; and before the first verse was sung the four children
cried out with one voice :
"There is something being prepared now !"
A plain white band, about one yard wide and extending all
the length of the roof of Guidecog's house, unrolled itself
quickly. On it appeared, in golden letters, the first stroke of
the letter M, then the entire letter.
"It is an M !" cried the children. "And now there is another
letter, — it is an A !"
And after a couple of moments they read the word Mais.
This word remained alone for about ten minutes ; then other
golden letters appeared, and before the Magnificat was ended
the delighted children read, Mais priez, mes en fonts (But pray,
my children), traced by the invisible hand on the white band.
Scarce had the words appeared when a villager, returning
from a neighboring town, and hearing the people sing the Mag
nificat as he passed, exclaimed :
"Oh, you do well to pray the good God ! The Prussians are
at Laval."
"If they were at the entrance of the village," answered
several voices, "we should have no fear nowr !"
Learning the prodigy, the man joined the group and prayed
likewise.
"Let us sing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin," said the
.Cure, "and ask her to tell us what she wills."
no APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
They had not been singing long when the children again
cried out:
"There is something more to come now! It is a letter, —
it is a D!"
The singing continued, interrupted by the voices of the chil
dren, who repeated the letters as they appeared, and read the
words. At the end of the litany, the line, full of hope and con
solation, Dieu vous exaucera en pen, de temps (God will hear
you in a little while), lay before them in brilliant, golden let
ters ; the words were followed by a round spot, which the happy
witnesses declared to be as bright as the sun. And all the while
the Holy Mother smiled.
After a few moments the Inviolata was sung. As it began
the children announced that other letters were forming, always
on the white band, but on a second line. When the singers
came to the words, "O Mater Alma Chris ti carissima!" (O
sweet, dearest Mother of Christ!) the children read: Mon His
(My Son).
"It is in very truth the Blessed Virgin," said the children.
"Yes, yes : it is Mary ! It is indeed our Mother !"
No words can describe the emotion which filled all hearts in
that moment of unspeakable happiness; tears were shed by
many present.
One by one new letters of hope were traced; before the
Inviolata was over the children read : Mon fits se laisse. And as
the Salve Regina was recited, the word toucher appeared ; a
long gold line then formed under this second sentence — Mon
His se laisse toucher (My Son permits Himself to be moved).
Could Mary bring any message more full of holy consolation
to her afflicted children at such a moment?
The Cure desired that their familiar canticle, Mere de
1'Esperance,* should be sung; and at once all began, with
Sister Marv Edward :
*This canticle, which for long years had been sung at St. Brieve, reached
Pontmain accidentally. It so pleased the holy Cure that it was at once adopted as
the canticle of the Mayenne village, in Mary's honor.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN in
"Mere de 1'Esperance,
Dont le nom est si doux,
Protegez notre France,
Priez, priez pour nous!"f
No sooner had the canticle begun than the Blessed Virgin
raised her hands almost to a level with the shoulders, moving
her fingers as if to keep time with the singing, and looked
smilingly at the children. Whilst the eight verses were being
sung, the inscription remained visible ; but after the last verse
a blue band, the "color of the sky," passed over the blessed
words, and effaced them. Another canticle was sung — Mon
doux Jesus (My sweet Jesus), the Parce Domine being added
after each verse, — during which the Holy Virgin's face as
sumed an expression of sadness.
Presently the children exclaimed :
"There is something preparing now !"
And at the same moment appeared a red cross, about twenty-
four inches high, bearing a figure of Christ, also of the same
color. This crucifix seemed to be about a foot distant from the
Blessed Virgin. Her hands, which had been raised during the
singing of the canticle, now lowered, took the crucifix and pre
sented it, as it were, to the children. At the top of the cross
appeared the words Jesus-Christ, in red letters on a white band.
Suddenly a star shot up from beneath the Holy Mother's feet,
to the left side, lighted the lower candle, then the higher one,
at the same side, passed over the Blessed Virgin's head and
came down, lighting the two candles at the right side ; then it
rose again, passing outside the blue circle, and remained sus
pended, as it were, over Mary's head. The crowd now sang
the Aves Maris Stella; as the hymn proceeded, the red cru
cifix disappeared, and the celestial vision again assumed the
attitude of the Immaculate Conception. Then on each of the
shoulders was seen a small white cross about eight inches
high.
f'Mother of Hope, whose name is so sweet, protect our France and pray for
ii2 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
When the hymn was finished, the holy Cure said:
"Now let us all recite our evening prayers."
On reaching the examination of conscience, the children an
nounced that a large white veil, gradually rising from beneath
the Holy Mother's feet, hid the Apparition from their view.
Little by little rose the veil, the voyants gazing with loving
eyes on the image of Our Lady, — that heavenly Protectress who
never visits her children of the earth but to warn or console.
At last the vision disappeared, never more to be contemplated
by the happy children of Pontmain until the blessed day when
that Divine Son, whose Sacred Heart was touched by the sor
rows of their country, shall call them into the realms of ever
lasting bliss.
"Do you still see anything, little ones?" inquired the Abbe
Guerin.
"No, M. le Cure. All is over. Everything has disappeared."
It was now a quarter to nine; the Celestial Apparition had
lasted more than three hours. At that very hour in Paris, in
the sanctuary of Notre Dame des Victoires, at the close of a
novena to obtain the cessation of hostilities, through the inter
cession of the Blessed Virgin, a solemn vow was made — the
offering of a golden heart promised at her hallowed Shrine; —
at that same solemn moment when Notre Dame d'Esperance,
having brought Heaven-sent hope to the hearts of her sorrow
ing children, withdrew from their delighted gaze in the humble
village of Pontmain. The armistice was signed on the 27th of
January. Notre Dame des Victoires proved faithful to the
promises of Notre Dame d'Esperance.
The father of the happy voyants died on the 2d of June,
1871 ; his wife still lives on a little farm just outside Pontmain.
Joseph Barbedette, as we have said, is a holy Oblate, one of
the nine guardian priests; his brother Eugene is a secular
clergyman in the parish of Renaze, on the borders of Mayenne
and Anjou. Auguste, the young mobile of 1870, has just died,
leaving a widow and several children. The barn no longer
serves for the furze pounding: it is converted into a kind of
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 113
oratory, ornamented with many banners and other pious em
blems offered by pilgrims. Jeanne-Marie Lebosse entered the
community of the Sisters of the Holy Family, of Bordeaux;
and Frangoise Richer, though not a nun, is employed in a re
ligious establishment near Pontmain. Thus we see that the
four children have proved faithful to the supreme grace God
bestowed on them. The Abbe Guerin — so frequently compared
to the Venerable Cure of Ars — was called to his reward on the
28th of May, 1872, at the age of seventy-one. Truly the
saintly priest could say on the threshold of eternity, "Nunc
Dimittis;" for though his eyes had not seen the celestial vision,
his heart had even understood that through Mary lay the way
of salvation.
Beyond Augustin Guidecog's house lay a vacant space — a
field almost, — over which the heavenly vision appeared. This
ground belonged to the family Morin du Tertre. But M.
Morin du Tertre no longer looked on it as his property after
the Apparition, Mary having deigned to mark it as her own.
The field was therefore offered for the building of a church;
on it now stands the beautiful Gothic basilica, a model of
ecclesiastical architecture.
In 1875 M. Morin du Tertre lay at death's door, suffering
from a painful illness, which earthly physicians and remedies
proved alike powerless either to alleviate or to cure. "I'll go
to Pontmain," he said; "the good Virgin, who robbed me of
my field, will surely restore my health." Between life and
death, he was carried to Pontmain. There he prayed fervently
and received Holy Communion. After a night of suffering,
passed on the floor as usual, Mary's devout client found him
self restored to perfect health.
Would we might relate all, or even a third, of the miracles
wrought in this privileged spot ; but Our Lady's records are so
exhaustless, our space so small, she will forgive us.
In 1836 some vestiges of the ancient castle were found : frag
ments of walls seven feet thick appeared, and an old grey tower
rose up like the silent guardian of Pont-Meen's former glory.
ii4 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
More interesting than all was the discovery, amidst the ruins,
of two ancient seals, which appear in very truth like two dumb
but eloquent prophecies. One — that of the lords of Pont-
Meen — represents Our Blessed Lady holding the Divine Child
in her arms, whilst at her feet a monk, with clasped hands,
prays in ecstatic fervor. Could any image more perfectly por
tray the Oblates, our Heavenly Mother's chosen servants, who
now so faithfully and devotedly guard her sanctuary? The
other seal is that of the castellany, or castle-ward; it repre
sents a silver triangle, in the centre of which the letters M A'
are interlaced; the triangle rests on an azure shield, at each
of whose corners lies a star with five points, whilst round the
triangle runs the name Font-Main.
The hope that this event had awakened in the hearts of the
inhabitants of Pontmain spread rapidly, and brought consola
tion to the stricken country. From that day a pilgrimage was
organized ; people flocked to the barn of Barbedette, and many
began to question the happy children, whose veracity was no
longer doubted. Before a year had elapsed one hundred thou
sand pilgrims followed one another to Pontmain, the Baron de
Carette and a great many of his heroic Zouaves among the
number. Numerous favors were obtained in this privileged spot.
The Bishop of Laval wished to purchase the field over which
our Heavenly Mother had condescended to appear, but M.
Morin, the owner, would not consent to receive any indemnity.
In the middle of this ground a pillar was erected bearing a
statue of the Apparition ; later on a beautiful chapel was built,
contributions pouring in from all parts.
On the 1 7th of January, 1872, France, relieved from the
disasters of war, according to the celestial promise, celebrated
with solemnity the first anniversary of the Apparition. On the
2d of the following February, Feast of the Purification, Mgr.
Wicart, after careful investigation, issued a pastoral letter pro
nouncing the fact miraculous, and approving of the worship of
the Blessed Virgin under the title Notre Dame de I'Espcrancc
du Pontmain (Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain).
VISION OF ST. THERESA
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 115
The Bishop of Laval, Mgr. Wicart's pastoral letter, which,
with the document that followed it, was read in all the churches
of the diocese on Sunday, February 2, 1872, dealt with the
details of the event of Pontmain.
Then followed the Bishop's profession of faith in the Ap
parition. "Considering," he says, "that it shows in itself and
its attendant circumstances the characteristics of a Divine and
supernatural fact, we declare as follows :
"Article I. — We consider that the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, really appeared on January 17, 1871, to Eugene
and Joseph Barbedette, Francois Richer, and Jeanne-Marie
Lebosse in the hamlet of Pontmain. In all humility and obe
dience, we submit this our decision to the judgment of the
Holy See.
"Article II. — We authorize in our diocese devotion to the
Blessed Virgin under title of that of Notre Dame d'Esperance
de Pontmain.
"Article III. — We reserve to ourselves the right of approv
ing all formulae of prayers and hymns and all books bearing
upon the Apparition.
"Article IV. — In answer to wishes expressed to us on all
sides, we have conceived the plan of erecting a sanctuary in
honor of Mary on the spot above which the Apparition
appeared."
The sanctuary designated in the Bishop's pastoral was to be
a magnificent church, subscriptions for which began coming in
at once.
The foundation-stone of the new building was laid in June,
1873, the ceremony being the occasion of religious celebrations
which lasted five days.
That year, 1873, saw upwards of 100,000 pilgrims and
visitors to Pontmain.
The solemn blessing of the new church took place June 26,
1876. Ten bishops, as well as other church dignitaries, took
part in the ceremony.
On October n, 1896, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the
n6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Apparition, was to be celebrated as a silver jubilee. More
over, on this occasion, a peal of twenty-five bells, one of the
finest in France, belonging to the commemorative church, by
this time raised to the dignity of a Roman basilica, were to re
ceive their liturgical consecration.
The bells, decked in robes of ceremony, stood waiting. Some
were in lace and some in cloth of gold. Some were named
after French provinces, as the "Normandie," the "Maine," and
the "Anjou;" and some after towns, as the "Marseillaise," the
"Rouennaise," and the "Bordelaise." The great bell, or bour
don, was the "France."
When they had been blessed, they made their voices heard.
The bourdon chimed Te Deum Laudamus, te Dominum con-
fitemur. The "Immaculee" sang sweetly with her voice of
metal, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Deus Sabaoth! The "Bre-
tagne," as the voice of Brittany, sang triumphantly, Tu Rex
gloriae Christe. And so with the remainder of the twenty-five
bells and their respective tasks.
These notes, grand and sweet enough to seem a revival of
the bell-music of the Middle Ages, echoed through the vale
of Pontmain and over the surrounding forest land of Nor
mandy, Brittany, and Maine.
Two years later there was another important religious cere
monial at Pontmain, the occasion being the promulgation of
the Papal Brief changing the title of the Archconfraternity
there established, from that of Notre Dame d'Esperance to that
of Notre Dame de la Priere (Our Lady of Prayer). The
association was then enriched with fresh indulgences.
In the last year of the nineteenth century, the basilica of
Pontmain, with its spires looking at a distance like lace in
stone, was the scene of another important ceremony. On Oc
tober 15, 1900, its liturgical consecration took place at the
hands of Mgr. Geay, Bishop of Laval, assisted by Mgr. Leroy,
Bishop of Alinda, and Mgr. Meunier, Bishop of Evreux.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 117
MARY KEPT ALL THESE WORDS
Mother of Him who neither strove, nor cried ;
Who "looked" His pain, when by a friend denied
Whose whisper on the Cross to one forgiven,
Cancelled the past and sent a saint to Heaven.
Whose Voice was in the noisy streets unknown,
His passage, by His mercies marked alone —
Mother, whose heart was e'en on earth a shrine
For holy memories and thoughts divine,
Whence hymns of praise and adoration rose,
As from a crystal fount the clear stream flows;
Or, the white speechless lilies of the field
The fragrant tribute of their perfume yield —
Mother, perchance for that dear likeness fell
A glance Divine upon the flowery dell,
And Jesus praised the children of the sod
For love of thee, the fairest work of God;
For Solomon in all his glory bore
No brighter aspect than these emblem wore —
Mother, we fain would learn of thee to stand
The Cross beside, and with no feeble hand
To clasp its form, and resolutely pray
For strength to bear the burden of the day;
To meditate alone, nor speak of all
The hopes that stir, the terrors that appeal
Our secret souls, as in their inmost cells
The storm careers, or the bright sunshine dwells.
Teach us that solemn silence of the heart,
E'en while we fill with zeal life's earnest part,
With footsteps swift to hurry on the way
Wherever love and duty sheds its ray;
But from the earth we tread to raise our eyes
With calm repose to the unchanging skies.
Lady Georgians Fullerton.
APPARITION OF
OUR LADY ALL MERCIFUL
PELLEVOISIN, FRANCE
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
OF
OUR LADY ALL MERCIFUL
PELLEVOISIN, FRANCE
1876
O favored mortal Mary's child,
Can tongue reveal thy bliss?
The spotless angels 'round her throne
Know not a name like this.
Cecelia McHenry.
STELLE FAGUETTE, lady's maid to the Countess
Arthur de La Rouchefoucauld, was dangerously
ill in Paris at the end of May, 1875. At that time
she was thirty-two years of age, and was obliged,
owing to her ill health, to leave her situation. Through the
influence of her mistress she obtained admission into an hos
pital under the care of the Augustinian nuns, Rue Cudinot.
Towards the end of July, as her master and mistress were re
turning home, they had her brought to their country residence,
the Chateau of Poiriers, near Pellevoisin, Indre, Diocese of
Bourges. She was then very ill. Dr. B , who had been her
medical attendant for several years declared, in the month of
August, "that, besides the internal diseases under which she
was suffering, her lungs were also affected," adding to
Madame de La Rouchefoucauld, "this poor girl is totally unfit
for service; she is dying slowly." Then he wrote a prescrip
tion and went away, saying: "You must not forget that she
is in consumption." To all appearances, indeed, the poor girl
was "dying slowly," as the doctor had declared. In the begin
ning of September, after having commenced alone several
Novenas, she made, as she called it, "her will." A small grotto
in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes had just been erected in the
120 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
park at Poiriers, so Estelle wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin,
and, as she was unable to take it herself she asked Mademoiselle
Reiter to place it at the feet of her statue, concealing it well
under the stones. We shall see later on the wonderful way in
which this letter turned up again.
On the 1 8th of December, after a severe attack, during which
she was again given over by the local doctor under whose care
she had been for several years, she received the last sacraments
with the greatest resignation. Her employers, before leaving
for Paris, at the end of January, 1876, had her removed with
the greatest care to a house belonging to them at Pellevoisin,
where her father and mother came to mind her. On the 8th of
February another severe attack followed, and on the loth she
could not possibly be much worse. Another doctor was sent
for, but the moment he saw her he declared she had only a few
hours to live. As he was told that no nourishment would re
main in her stomach, he replied : "It is useless to torture her
for the short time she has to live." She was in great agony,
but perfectly conscious and resigned to die.
On Sunday evening, the I3th of February, she asked M. Le
Cure of Pellevoisin, to write to Madame de La Rouchefoucauld,
begging of her to have a taper lighted for her intention at Notre
Dame des Victoires, and another before the altar of Our Lady
of Lourdes in the Jesuits' Church, Rue de Sevres. These
tapers were lighted at the Shrines of Mary on the following
day, Monday. On Tuesday morning Estelle told the parish
priest that she had seen the Blessed Virgin during the night,
and that she would be either dead or cured on the following
Saturday. The priest said a few kind words, but he thought
she was only laboring under a delusion. The next day she told
him that she had once more seen the Blessed Virgin, and that
she would be cured on the following Saturday. "Yesterday,"
replied the priest, "you told me you would be dead or cured.
What will you tell me to-morrow?"
Estelle knew by his words that the priest did not believe her,
and she said so to him. On Thursday morning she again de-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 121
clared that she would be cured on Saturday, but this time so
emphatically and with such extraordinary details, relating to
circumstances known only to herself and the priest, that he was
astounded, and no longer wished to remain the only depository
of this prediction. He persuaded the dying girl to relate all
she had seen to several persons whose discretion could be de
pended on, and she obeyed him willingly.
On Friday night, about ten o'clock, Estelle seemed to be in
her last agony. She was completely exhausted, and could
scarcely breathe. The priest recommended her to receive the
Sacrament of Penance once more, although she had done so
eight days previously, but she replied most emphatically that
she preferred to defer her confession till the next day, as she
would then be cured. The clergyman was very uneasy about
her, but, as his house was not far away, he returned home,
making Estelle's mother promise him that should the slightest
change in her condition take place, she would send for him
immediately. M. Le Cure returned the next morning. Estelle
told him that she felt as if she had been cured, but that, as yet,
she could not move her right arm, of which she had lost the use
five or six days previously, it having become greatly swollen
and quite numb. She then related the vision she had had dur
ing the night, and the priest went to say Mass, promising to
come back and bring her the Holy Viaticum. As being unable
to make the sign of the Cross with her right hand, Estelle used
to make it with her left, M. Le Cure said to her before leav
ing the room : "The Blessed Virgin is all-good and all-merci
ful ; if she wished it she can, indeed, restore you to your health,
but to prove to us that all you have said is not an illusion, as
soon as you shall have received Holy Communion try to make
the sign of the Cross with your right hand. If you succeed,
it shall be a proof that the Blessed Virgin intends to cure you."
He returned soon after and gave her Holy Communion. There
were seven or eight persons present at the time. As soon as
she had received the Sacred Host the priest knelt down for a
moment, but, standing up again immediately, he approached
12* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the bed, and said in a voice trembling with emotion : "My poor
Estelle, you have edified us by your courage and resignation;
be now full of confidence, and to prove to us that all you have
said is not an illusion ; make the sign of the Cross with your
right hand." Estelle instantly raised her right hand and, be
fore all present, made the sign of the Cross without the least
difficulty. "Begin again," said the priest, in a voice trembling
with emotion, and again she obeyed, making a large sign of
the Cross, crying out : "I am cured. I know and feel that I am
cured." A murmur of admiration passed through the room ;
a smile of joy illumined the faces of all present, the first sun
beam, so to say seen in that chamber of death for at least a
month. Each one left it now, acknowledging with the prophet,
that they had seen wonders. It was Saturday, the iQth of Feb
ruary, about eight o'clock in the morning. The same day Es
telle rose, dressed herself without any help, in the presence of
several persons, partook of some food, and talked gaily with
all around. The tumor from which she had suffered for eleven
years had entirely disappeared. It had grown much larger
during her illness, and had been rubbed with ointment repeat
edly during the time. The last doctor who had attended her
was summoned on the 28th of February. He appeared thunder
struck on seeing her, but did not hesitate to declare her per
fectly cured, and that her marvelous recovery could not have
been the result of any natural means. On being informed of
it, Dr. B also declared, "That there was in this cure, when
considered with the various symptoms he had remarked during
the course of Estelle's illness, something sufficiently extraor
dinary to upset all medical previsions, and that the whole case
should be considered as quite exceptional."
From the time of her miraculous cure, Estelle has not had the
slightest relapse or any other indisposition ; in fact, she enjoys
much better health than before her illness. On the following
day she began, through obedience, to write the recital, which
is here published.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 123
A PRAYER COMPOSED BY ESTELLE
AFTER HER CURE
O my good Mother, behold me in thy hands. Look with
pity on thy poor servant. Do not permit the designs of Provi
dence towards my unworthy self to be frustrated by my infidel
ity to grace. May thy Jesus, who dwelt in thy heart, and who
has this day deigned to visit mine, be my salvation and my
only support. May He subdue in me that pride which has so
often nearly caused my ruin. May He root out of my heart
every evil inclination, and completely destroy everything that
does not tend to His glory and thine. Most Holy Virgin, who
hast shown thy power by granting me health of body, heal also
my soul so often the slave of sin. O my powerful Protectress,
thou who art, after God, my consolation; thou who didst
soothe my pain ; thou who art the light of my soul, having re
vealed all my iniquities to me ; thou who art my strength, my
treasure, my joy, the hope of my life and of eternal salvation,
thou hast said to me : "You are my daughter." Thou canst
not then reject my prayers. Deign to grant them, and to have
compassion on me as beseems the Mother of my God, who has
shown such love and goodness to men. He is their Father;
and He has appointed thee their Mother. Since thou hast
deigned to place me among thy own privileged children, obtain
for me all the grace necessary for the salvation of my soul. I
promise thee in return, O my good Mother, to do all in my
power to become more worthy of thy favors.
ACCOUNT OF THE MIRACULOUS
CURE OF ESTELLE
THE FIRST FIVE APPARITIONS
During the nights of the ifth, i$th, etc., up to the ipth of
February, 1876
Written on the 2ist and 26th of February, 1876
Pardon me, O my God, if I write these lines ; I do so in a
spirit of obedience, and if they tend to the glory of Thy Blessed
124 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Mother I shall be only too happy. Grant, O my God, that this
act of obedience may help to expiate my sins.
During the nine months that I was ill I suffered much, not
only in body, but also in mind.
I can never describe all my heart endured. I could not re
sign myself to die, and leave behind me my father and mother
and a little orphan niece I had reared, of all of whom I was the
only support ; still, every hour of the day I repeated : "My God,
may Thy holy will be done." Then, again, realizing the ap
proach of death, my heart would revoke the words uttered by
my lips. I got no rest, either night or day.
God is a good Father, but He must have all or nothing. The
three last attacks of my illness took place with scarcely any
intermission. He made use of them to recall me to His service.
As I suffered intensely, my master and mistress did everything
in their power to get me some relief. They called in again the
doctors who had declared that I was incurable. I heard them
say: "She cannot recover. She will die during one of these
spasms." I owe a great deal of resignation to my mistress, for
she often said to me : "My poor Estelle, you have been in so
much suffering for such a length of time, it would be far better
for you if God took you to Himself, for there is every reason
to believe you can never recover." Then I would reflect over
her words. I would weep and say : "What will become of my
parents ?" The day that I received Extreme Unction I became
more calm and, after Holy Communion,! repeated several times :
"My God, thou knowest better than I what is good for me ; do
with me as Thou pleasest ; only enable me to make my sacrifice
generously." This time I spoke from the very depths of my
heart, and God heard my prayer. When the attack was over
I felt a little better, and hope began to revive in my heart, but
it was not destined to remain there long. After a few days I
was worse than ever. This time, however, I was no longer dis
satisfied ; my only wish was to die well, and in my greatest suf
fering I often said : "My God, in expiation of my sins, let me
suffer, Behold, I am ready, strike as it shall please Thee ; only
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 125
give me courage, patience, and resignation to Thy holy will. If
groans escape from my lips, deign to receive them as prayers
from my heart to Thine." After a few days I grew weaker
still; I could no longer pray. My sacrifice was made, and I
asked for nothing more. The Blessed Virgin interceded for
me, and it is with sincere gratitude and profound humility that
I relate the favors she has bestowed upon me. I am most un
worthy of the favors I have received through her intercession,
and after all my ingratitude she ought to have abandoned me
rather than have favored me so highly. Let all who read these
lines be convinced of one truth : that it was not on account of
any merit of mine that the Blessed Virgin obtained my cure
from her Divine Son. Far from it ; it was that many might
know we have a good mother who watches over us and inter
cedes for us. What return can I ever make to her for all she
has done for me?
For five successive nights I gazed upon the same enchanting
vision. On the nights of the I4th to the I5th, that is to say,
between Monday and Tuesday, I was very ill. I am not quite
sure whether I was asleep or not at the time of the vision. I
was trying to get some rest, when suddenly the demon appeared
at the foot of my bed. He was horrible, and at once began to
make grimaces at me. Scarcely had I perceived him when
Our Blessed Lady appeared on the other side at the corner of
my bed. She wore a pure white woolen veil, which fell in three
folds. I can never describe how beautiful she was ! Her fea
tures were regular; her color, white and rose-tint, rather pale.
Her large, gentle eyes reassured me somewhat, but not com
pletely; for the demon, perceiving the Blessed Virgin, drew
back, dragging the curtain and the iron rod of my bed. This
increased my terror, which became unendurable. I crouched
down in my bed. He did not speak, but turned his back to me.
Then the Blessed Virgin said to him sharply: "What brings
you here? Do you not see that she wears my livery, and that
of my Son ?" He disappeared, gesticulating. Then she turned
to me and said gently : "Fear nothing ; you are my daughter."
126 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Then I remembered that from the age of fourteen I had been
an "Enfant de Marie." I now felt less fear. She said to me
gently: "Have courage, be patient; my Son will allow Him
self to be prevailed upon; you will suffer five days longer,
in honor of the five wounds of my Son. On Saturday you will
be either dead or cured. If my Son restores you to life, I wish
you to publish my glory." I was so taken by surprise that I
quickly replied: "But how can I do it? I who am so insignifi
cant, I know not what I can do." Immediately I saw between
her and me a slab of white marble, which I recognized as an
ex-voto. I said to her: "But my good Mother, where shall
it be placed ? Is it in Notre-Dame des Victoires at Paris, or at
Pellevoisin ?" She did not give me time to finish the word Pel-
levoisin. She replied: "At Notre-Dame des Victoires they
have sufficient proofs of my power, whereas at Pellevoisin
they have none. They require a stimulus." She then remained
a few minutes silent. I cannot explain what I felt. I trembled,
and yet I was very happy. I promised her to do all that was
in my power for her glory. She then said to me : "Have cour
age ; I wish you to keep your promise." And then all disap
peared. I continued gazing a long time, but saw nothing more
that night.
The second night the demon reappeared, and again I was
overwhelmed with fear. He remained, however, a little farther
away from me. Almost at the same time the Blessed Virgin ap
peared, and said to me : "Do not be afraid ; I am here. This
time my Son has allowed Himself to be prevailed upon. He
grants you life. On Saturday you will be cured." I replied all at
once : "But, my good Mother, if I had my choice, I would prefer
to die, now that I am well prepared." Then the Blessed Virgin
said to me, smiling : "Ungrateful one, if my Son restores you
to life, it is because it is necessary for you. What has He given
to man on earth more precious than life ? In restori-ng you to
life, do not believe you will be exempt from suffering ; no, you
will suffer; you will not be free from sorrow. This is what
makes life meritorious. If my Son has allowed Himself to be
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 127
prevailed upon, it is on account of your resignation and your
patience. Do not, by the choice you now make, deprive your
self of it. Have I not told you if He restores you to life you
will publish my glory ?" The white marble slab was there, and
beside it as much fine white paper as equaled it in thickness,
which seemed a great quantity. I tried to lift up a few sheets
of the paper, but I could not do so. The Blessed Virgin looked
at me with a smile while I was doing so, but then saying, "Look
at your past life," her face grew sad, though still retaining its
sweetness of expression. I am still covered with confusion at
the faults I have committed, although to my own eyes they ap
peared only slight ones. But I will be silent about what the
Blessed Virgin said to me on this subject. I shall merely say
that she reproved me severely, as, indeed, I deserved. I would
have longed to cry out for pardon, but could not; my grief
overcame me; I felt stunned. The Blessed Virgin looked
kindly at me, and then, without speaking again disappeared.
Oh, how sad I felt.
The third and fourth nights I again saw the demon, but he
kept so far off that I could scarcely distinguish his gestures.
The third night the Blessed Virgin said: "Come, take cour
age, my child." As she spoke, her reproaches of the preceding
night recurred to my mind. I felt terror and I trembled. She
again reproved me about other matters, but so sweetly that I
felt reassured. Then she said : "All this is passed. By your
resignation you have expiated these faults." Then she pointed
out to me some good works I had performed. They were, in
deed, very few beside my faults. The Blessed Virgin perceived
my trouble, for she said to me: "I am all-merciful, and the
mistress of my Son. These good works and some fervent
prayers have touched my mother's heart. Among others, that
little letter you wrote to me in the month of September. What
moved me was the phrase, 'See the sorrow of my parents. If
I fail them they are on the eve of begging their bread. Re
member, then, what thou didst suffer when thy Son Jesus was
stretched out upon the Cross/ I have shown that letter to my
128 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Son. Your parents have need of you ; for the future try to be
faithful. Do not lose the graces which are given to you, and
publish my glory."
The fourth night resembled the preceding ones, and each
night I again saw all the words she had said to me previously.
This night, however, it appeared to me that she remained a
shorter time with me. I wished to ask her for graces, but
could never do so. I was so confused by the rapidity of my
thoughts I read in my mind the words which the Blessed Vir
gin had reported to me: "Fear nothing, you are my daughter;
my Son is touched by your resignation." Her reproaches for
my faults when she said : "I am all-merciful, and the mistress
of my Son." These words : "Take courage, be patient and re
signed, you will suffer, you will not be exempt from sorrow
try to be faithful. I wish that you should publish my glory."
All these and several other things passed rapidly before me,
but how, I cannot explain. I both saw and heard, however,
perfectly. How came it that while Our Blessed Lady was there
looking at me, she who is so good and gentle, that I always felt
unable to ask her anything? She disappeared, a* on the pre
ceding nights, repeating : "You will publish my glory." I once
more tried to ask her how, but had not time. She replied as she
left me : "Make every effort."
The fifth night, from Friday to Saturday, was not altogether
the same. The Blessed Virgin did not remain at the foot of
my bed. She approached to the middle of my curtains. My
God, how beautiful she was ! She remained a long time silent
and motionless, standing, in the midst of a clear vapor. If it
be only a dream, why cannot it last forever? After a long si
lence she looked at me. I know not how I felt — I was so happy.
She was smiling. She reminded me of my promises. I once
more saw the marble slab, but this time it was no longer white.
In the four corners there were golden rose-buds. In the high
est part a golden heart emitting flames, transpierced with a
sword, and surrounded by a crown of roses. These words were
inscribed on it :
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 129
"I called upon Mary in anguish and pain;
From her Son she obtained for me health once again."
—Estelle.
I promised her again to do all in my power for her glory.
She said to me : "If you wish to serve me be simple, and let
your actions correspond with your words." I asked her if in
order to serve her it were necessary to change my state of life ?
She replied : "One can be saved in every state. Where you are
you can do a great deal of good, and you can publish my glory.
What afflicts me most is the want of respect shown by some
people to my Divine Son in the Holy Communion and the atti
tude taken for prayer, when, at the same time the mind con
tinues occupied with other things. I say this for people who
pretend to be pious." After these words she resumed her smil
ing look. I asked her if I should repeat what she had said im
mediately. The Blessed Virgin answered : "Yes, yes ; publish
my glory, but before doing so, await the advice of your con
fessor and director, for people will endeavor to entrap you.
They will treat you as a visionary, as a person of disordered
imagination, as a fool, but pay no attention to all that ; be faith
ful to me ; I will assist you." I gazed long upon her, my eyes
would never weary of beholding her, but at length she disap
peared gradually from my sight. Never had I seen anything
so beautiful. By degrees she vanished, till only the soft light
which had surrounded her remained. This, too, soon faded
away, and all disappeared. At this time I suffered fearfully,
while my heart beat so violently that I thought it would leap
out of my bosom. I was in great pain, but I recollect
holding my rosary in my left hand, having lost the use of the
right.
I offered my sufferings to Almighty God. I did not know
that they were the last of that illness. After having rested a
little I felt quite well. I asked what o'clock it was. It was
half-past twelve in the morning. I felt that I was cured, with
the exception of my right arm, the use of which I did not regain
until after I had received Holy Communion, Oh, what thanks-
130 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
giving do I not owe to thee, my good heavenly Mother." My
heart can never thank thee sufficiently. Supply thyself all that
is wanting to me. — Estelle.
SIXTH APPARITION, SATURDAY, JULY FIRST, 1876
It is in Thy presence, O my God, that I relate the visit I re
ceived last night from Thy Blessed Mother, notwithstanding
my nothingness and my sins. May it tend to Thy glory.
When I knelt to say my prayers, my mind, as usual, reverted
to the visions I had seen in February. Immediately afterwards
I took up a book to read a few lines, as I did not wish to go to
bed late, as I had been forbidden to do so. It was a quarter-
past ten o'clock. I was on my knees before the fire-place, when
all of a sudden I saw the Blessed Virgin, surrounded by a soft
radiant light, as she had formerly appeared, only this time I
saw her whole figure from head to foot. What beauty! what
sweetness ! The ends of her cincture nearly reached the hem
of her dress. She was all in white, and remained standing.
Her feet seemed to be on a level with the floor, which was ap
parently somewhat lower than usual. When I first perceived
her she had her arms stretched out, and from her hands there
fell drops like rain. She looked at something fixedly, then
taking one of the tassels of her cincture, she raised it to her
breast, on which she crossed her hands. She smiled and, look
ing at me, said : "Be calm, my child, have patience ; you will
have sorrows, but I will be with you." The tassel of her cinc
ture, which she held, fell from her hands ; it passed quite close
to me. I said nothing. I could not speak. I felt too happy.
The Blessed Virgin remained a little while longer, then she
said to me: "Courage, I will come again." She then disap
peared very slowly, as she had done in the month of February.
Why have I not been able to follow thee, my good Mother, but
thou wilt come again? (Written the 2d of July. This vision
took place on the eve of the Feast of the Visitation of the.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 131
Blessed Virgin, which was also that year the eve of the Conse
cration of the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes.)
SEVENTH APPARITION, SUNDAY, JULY SECOND,
FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF B. V.
Since I am to publish your glory, I will now, through obedi
ence, relate your visit this past night.
I went to bed at half-past ten o'clock. It cost me something
to retire to rest, as I had seen the Blessed Virgin the night be
fore, about the same hour. I fell at once into a profound sleep.
I awoke at half-past eleven, aroused myself thoroughly, got up,
and partly dressed myself, to see what o'clock it was. I thought
I had slept much longer. Seeing what time it was, I hoped to
see the Blessed Virgin before midnight. I knelt down and said
half the Hail Mary. The Blessed Virgin stood before me. I
could not finish the prayer. I was too happy. She appeared
the same as she did last night: the drops of rain falling from
her hands, and, as she stood there, in a soft halo of light, there
was, in the background, a wreath of roses surrounding her.
She remained thus for some time. Then she crossed her hands
upon her breast. Her eyes were fixed upon me. "You have
already published my glory." Then she confided to me a secret
which I cannot reveal. "Continue to do so. My Son has also
some souls attached to Him. His Heart bears such love for
mine that He cannot refuse me any requests. Through me He
will touch the most hardened hearts." "Continue." She looked
most beautiful as she spoke. I was able to ask her something. I
remembered the pile of papers I had seen on the I5th of Febru
ary; so I said to her: "My good Mother, what must be done
with this paper?" "It will serve to publish this recital in the
manner several of my servants think it ought to be done. There
will be much opposition; but fear nothing — be calm." Then
I wished to ask her for something else; that is to say, for a
proof of her power, but I felt embarrassed ; I did not know how
to express myself. At last I said : "My good Mother, for your
13* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
own glory, if you please " She understood me and, with
a loving smile, replied : "Is not your cure one of the greatest
proofs of my power? I have come especially for the conver
sion of sinners." And, while she was speaking, I was thinking
of the various ways in which she might manifest her power.
She replied to my thoughts : "It will be seen later on." She
remained with me a good while longer, and then slowly disap
peared. The wreath of roses remained after she was gone;
then gradually faded away, together with a surrounding halo
of light. I remained on my knees for a short time, then re
turned to bed. It was half-past twelve o'clock. I slept but
little during the rest of the night ; and it is only through obedi
ence that I have written these lines.
All for thy glory, my good Mother; thanks for thy favors.
May the Divine Son also be touched by these small efforts
which it has been in my power to make, in order to publish
thy glory. — Estelle.
[The first part of this account was written soon after the
Apparition, at one o'clock in the morning. The rest of it in
the morning of the 3d of July.]
EIGHTH APPARITION, MONDAY, JULY THIRD
Last night I saw again the Blessed Virgin. She appeared
the same as she did the other night ; but she only remained five
minutes. She reproached me gently : "I would wish that you
were still more calm. I will not disclose to you the day nor
hour on which I intend to return. You require repose. I will
remain only a few minutes." At this moment I desired to ex
press my wishes to her. She said to me, with a smile : "I have
come to end the feast." She remained a few moments longer ;
then went away, as she did on the other nights. It was not yet
midnight. — Estelle.
[Written on the 4th July, 1876. The 3d July, 1876, was the
Feast of the Coronation of Our Lady of Lourdes.]
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 133
NINTH APPARITION, SEPTEMBER NINTH
(On the Saturday within the Octave of the Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin it being also the eve of the Holy Name of
Mary.)
Since thou dost ask I should publish thy glory, my good
Mother, it is solely in order to please thee that I am about to
write thy words.
For several days I have wished to revisit the room in which
I had been cured. At length, on the Qth September, I have
been able to do so. I was finishing the Rosary when the
Blessed Virgin appeared. She was the same as on the ist July.
Before speaking to me, she looked around in silence, then she
said: "You deprived yourself of a visit from me on the I5th
of August; you were not sufficiently calm. You have indeed
the French character, wishing to know all without learning any
thing, and to understand everything before knowing it. I
would have come to you yesterday, too; again you deprived
yourself of it. I was waiting for this act of submission and
obedience from you." At that moment I understood perfectly
that if I had not been submissive and obedient I would have
deprived myself of ever again beholding her. She paused;
then said : "For a long time the treasures of my Son have been
open. Let them pray." Saying these words she raised the
small piece of woolen cloth which she wore upon her breast.
I had always seen this, but without knowing what it meant;
for hitherto it was always pure white. As she took it up I per
ceived a red heart, which appeared distinctly in relief. I thought
all at once that it was a Scapular of the Sacred Heart. She said
to me, holding it up : "I love this devotion." She paused, then
added : "It is here I will be honored."
[This vision took place about a quarter to three in the after
noon ; it lasted seven or eight minutes.]
134 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
TENTH APPARITION, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER
TENTH, FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY
The loth of September the Blessed Virgin came at nearly
the same hour. She made no delay, saying : "Let them pray."
I show them the example." While speaking she joined her
hands, then disappeared. The bell for Vespers rung out at the
same moment. — Estelle.
[The Blessed Virgin wore the Scapular she had revealed on
yesterday, and also in each of the succeeding Apparitions.]
ELEVENTH APPARITION, ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER
FIFTEENTH, FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN
On the 1 5th of September, with the permission of my mis
tress, I went to pray in my room. What a happiness for me !
why cannot I spend my life there? I went there twice, but
it was only on the second occasion that I saw the Blessed
Virgin. It was then a quarter to three o'clock. She appeared
as usual, her arms stretched out, drops of rain falling from her
hands ; she remained a long time silent before speaking to me.
She looked about in every direction, and then told me some
things which refer only to myself. "I will remember the efforts
you have made to be calm. It is not only for your own sake,
I ask this, but also for that of the Church and for France. In
the Church there is not the calm I desire." She sighed and
shook her head, saying : "There is something else, then." She
paused ; she did not tell me what it was, but I understood imme
diately that there was some discord. Then she continued
slowly : "Let them pray and let them have confidence in me."
The Blessed Virgin looked sad, as she added : "And France,
what have I not done for her? How many warnings, and yet
she refused to listen ! I can no longer restrain my Son." She
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 13$
appeared deeply moved as she said : "France will suffer." She
laid particular emphasis on these words. Then she paused once
more and continued : "Courage and confidence." At that mo
ment the thought occurred to me, if I say this it is likely no one
will believe me. The Blessed Virgin understood me, for she
replied : "I have arranged all beforehand. So much the worse
for those who may not be willing to believe you. Later on they
will recognize the truth of my words." Then she gradually dis
appeared. O my good Mother, there is still time, thy encour
aging words will increase our confidence and love for thee.
Thou art "all-merciful and mistress of thy Son." Thou hast
said : "The treasures of my Son are open." Ah ! if it pleases
Him to try us still more, and to punish us as we deserve, at
least we shall have the consolation of drawing from this inex
haustible source, which issues from His Sacred Heart. This
devotion, which thou dost love, my good Mother, I will speak
of it as much as I possibly can ; and thou wilt permit that my
good-will to please thee may serve for thy glory. — Estelle.
The Scapular is now revealed ; the mission of Estelle be
comes public, and it is worthy of remark that henceforth wit
nesses will be found present at every succeeding Apparition.
Mdlle. Blanche de Tyran had followed Estelle into her room.
The following is an abridgment of her deposition : Estelle be
gan to say the Rosary, kneeling almost in the middle of the
room. She had said about a decade and a half, when Mdlle.
de Tyran, who remained about two feet away from her, no
longer heard the words, the sound of her respiration, nor the
slightest noise of her beads moving. Estelle remained thus on
her knees about three-quarters of an hour, perfectly motionless,
her hands joined and slightly extended. At the end of that
time she drew a long, sorrowful sigh, seemed to wipe away
her tears, and asked Mdlle. de Tyran if she had not seen the
Blessed Virgin. The latter, placed a little distance behind her,
could not see her eyes, but saw quite plainly the deep flush on
her cheeks. Estelle then described to her the Scapular of the
Sacred Heart, and told her some of the details of her vision.
136 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
TWELFTH APPARITION, ON THE NOVEMBER
FIRST, FEAST OF ALL SAINTS
Thou hast not spoken to me, my good Mother ; yet, neverthe
less, for thy glory I will describe the visit with which thou hast
deigned to favor me to-day. For the last fifteen days, notwith
standing all my efforts to refrain from desiring to see the
Blessed Virgin again, I could not succeed in doing so, and at
the very moment I resolved most firmly not to think of it, my
heart would leap within me at the thought of again beholding
her. To-day, at last — ist November — I once more saw this
good heavenly Mother. She appeared as usual, with her arms
stretched out and wearing the Scapular she had shown to me
on the Qth September. As usual, also, she gazed intently on
something I could not see, then looked around on all sides. She
did not speak, but at last, casting her eyes on me, with an ex
pression of the greatest kindness, she disappeared. Oh! if I
could only follow thee, my good Mother. This is always my
first thought when I see her. To-day, immediately after the de
parture of Our Blessed Lady, when I looked around the room,
everything appeared dark to me. What grief I felt; my God,
what dost Thou wish me to do ? I am ready. Do with me what
Thou dost wish. And as for Thy most holy Mother, who is so
good and merciful, what does she require from a poor creature
like me? What am I to do? Speak, O most holy Mother! I
renew the promise I have made before thee. I will do all that
depends on me for thy glory. — Estelle. ,
[This Apparition took place about half an hour after mid
day. It lasted only a few minutes. Mdlle. de Tyran was
present during this Apparition.]
She relates that when she had seen Estelle enter the room,
she followed her, accompanied by Madame de La Rochefou
cauld. After about a quarter of an hour they both left it to
gether, but Mademoiselle soon returned and found Estelle in
the same fixed, motionless state as she had been when she saw
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 137
her on the I5th September. This lasted only a few minutes,
but she remarked afterwards to Madame de La Rochefoucauld
that Estelle must assuredly have seen the Blessed Virgin.
Estelle was depressed that evening, because she had not
heard the Blessed Virgin speak, as on former occasions. Mon
sieur le Cure, in order to ascertain her opinion, said that per
haps it was a farewell visit, that it was true the Blessed Virgin
had not spoken, but that she seemed to indicate by her Scapular
that it should be propagated. "I do not know if I shall see
the Blessed Virgin again. This does not appear to me like a
farewell visit, but I think I shall see her again."
THIRTEENTH APPARITION, ON SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER FIFTH
About half-past two o'clock I went to my room to say my
beads, and when I had finished it I saw the Blessed Virgin. She
looked as beautiful as ever. As I gazed upon her I reflected
how unworthy I was of her favors, that so many others were
more deserving of them than I, and could do so much more to
publish her glory. Then she looked at me and smiled, saying :
"I have chosen you." Oh! how happy I felt! What goodness
in her look, and what mercy! She wore her Scapular; how
beautiful it was! She paused a moment, and then continued,
smiling : "I choose the little ones and the weak for my glory."
Again she paused, then said: "Courage! the time of your
trials is approaching." Then she crossed her hands upon her
breast and disappeared. All for thee, my good Mother.
This vision lasted a quarter of an hour, according to the testi
mony of Sister Maria Theodosie, the superioress of the nuns,
who was present at the time. She states that she entered the
room with Estelle, who knelt to pray, but not in her usual place.
After a few minutes the sister went back to the church, where
she remained about ten minutes, after which she returned to
Estelle. The noise she made on entering the room did not dis-
138 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
turb Estelle, who was then kneeling in her usual place, and
whose state of ecstasy she remarked, as she approached within
two feet of her, so that she might clearly see her face and watch
her eyes. Her face was calm ; her eyes fixed. The sister could
not hear her breathe; however, she saw her respiration, but
her lips did not move. She remained during the whole time
perfectly motionless. At the end of the vision she heaved deep
sighs and the sister saw her wiping away her tears. Notwith
standing the announcement of her trials, Estelle was cheerful
and even joyous after the Apparition. This was remarked by
all who saw her on that and the following day.
FOURTEENTH APPARITION, SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER ELEVENTH
On yesterday, Saturday, I again beheld the Blessed Virgin.
I went to my room to pray, having felt for several days pre
viously an impulse to do so which I could not account for. I
even wished to set out in the morning so that I might have more
time, but God had now His designs; I could not go until the
afternoon, and it was about four o'clock when I reached my
room. I had finished my beads and said a Memorare, when
the Blessed Virgin appeared. She looked as usual; her
arms were stretched out and she wore the Scapular. How
beautiful it is, and how prominent it appears on her breast!
When she appeared she remained silent for some time. Then
she looked at me and told me something for myself alone. She
also said to me : "You have not lost your time to-day ; you have
worked for me." (I had made a Scapular.) She smiled and
added: "It will be necessary to make many more." She
paused for some time and afterwards became somewhat sad,
and said to me : "Courage." Then she disappeared, crossing
her hands upon her breast. Have pity on me, my good Mother.
—Estelle.
Five persons were witnesses of Estelle's ecstasy during the
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 139
Apparition, which lasted twenty minutes. Mdlle. de Tyran was
present during the whole time; also three sisters, Marie de
Jesus, St. Chrysostome and St. Angelique, and Mdlle. Thersile
Salmon during the last five minutes. Mdlle. de Tyran deposed
to the same fixed look and immobility of body during former
ecstasies. The mother of Estelle, making some noise, came
into the room to speak to Mdlle. de Tyran, but Estelle did not
appear to hear her. She had been on her knees, in her usual
place, for ten minutes, when the first four persons mentioned
above entered the room. They were talking, and one of them
lit a taper quite close to Estelle. They heard noise outside, but
Estelle was insensible to everything. They all state that the
eyes were fixed without any movement of the eyelids. At the
end of the vision Estelle raised her hand as if to grasp or follow
something. She heaved a deep sigh and big tears rolled down
her cheeks. She remained a few moments longer motionless,
and appeared quite astonished at seeing a taper lit and five per
sons close beside her. As Estelle had been seen by Mdlle. de
Tyran, first saying her Rosary, and then some other prayers,
she did not remain less than forty minutes altogether on her
knees.
FIFTEENTH APPARITION, FRIDAY, DECEMBER
EIGHTH, 1876, FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION
Some hours have now elapsed since my return from Pellevoi-
sin, and I have not as yet recovered from my emotion. I have
once more seen the Blessed Virgin, and I shall never again
see her on earth. She told me so. No one can possibly under
stand what I feel; yet I am ready to sacrifice everything for
the glory of her who has bestowed so many favors on me. Her
promises will console me. I shall not see her again ; but she will
speak to my heart. O my good Mother, grant that I may be
docile to thy voice, and that I may never wander from the path
thou hast marked out for me. Thou hast said to me : "I will
I4Q APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
assist you." I trust in thee — thou wilt never abandon me. I
shall then, for thy glory, relate with the greatest confidence,
thy last visit to me.
This day after high Mass, I once more beheld my sweet
Mother. She was more beautiful than ever. She was encircled
by a wreath of roses, as in the month of July. When she ap
peared, she remained for some time without speaking. Then
she said : "Recall to mind all my words." At that instant all
that she had said since the month of February recurred to my
meirjory. The following words in particular : "You know well
that you are my daughter. I am all merciful, and mistress of
my Son." Her complaints when she said : "What afflicts me
most is the want of respect shown by some people to my Son
in Holy Communion, and the attitude which they assume in
prayer when the mind is occupied by other things." Then the
words of the month of July : "His Heart has so much love for
mine, that He cannot refuse my requests. Through me He
will move the most obdurate. I am come in particular for the
conversion of sinners." Then those spoken in the month of
September: "The treasures of my Son are open; let them
pray." And, when showing her Scapular, she said : "I love
this devotion." These remarkable words: "It is here I will
be honored." For France : "I recommend calm, not only for
thee but, for the Church and for France." Then the words
spoken in November : "I have chosen thee. I choose the little
ones and the weak for my glory." Besides these words, there
were several others which I will keep secret. All this passed
rapidly. The Blessed Virgin continued looking at me steadily.
She said to me: "My child, remember my words. Repeat
them often ; they will strengthen and console you in your trials.
You will see me no more." Then I exclaimed: "What will
become of me without you, my good Mother?" The Blessed
Virgin replied: "I will be invisibly near you." At the same
instant I saw in the distance, to the left of the Blessed Virgin,
a crowd of persons of all classes, who threatened me and made
angry gestures at me. I felt a little frightened. The Blessed
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
Virgin smiled and said : "You have nothing to fear from
these." I have chosen you to publish my glory, and to spread
this devotion." The Blessed Virgin held her Scapular with
both hands. She was so encouraging that I said to her : "My
good Mother, if you would only give me this Scapular?" The
Blessed Virgin did not appear to hear me, but she said : "Arise
and kiss it." Oh ! how quickly I stood up ! The Blessed Virgin
bent towards me, and I kissed it. It was for me a moment of
delight.
Then the Blessed Virgin, raising herself up again, said, re
ferring to the Scapular: "You will go yourself and see the
Prelate. You will present to him the model Scapular you have
made. Tell him that he is to help you with all his power, and
that nothing will be more acceptable to me than to see this
livery on each of my children, and that they all endeavor to
repair the outrages received by my Divine Son in the Sacra
ment of His Love. See the graces I will bestow on those
who will wear it with confidence, and who will assist you in
propagating it." Whilst speaking thus the Blessed Virgin
stretched out her hands and from them there fell an abundant
rain, in each drop of which I seemed to read such graces as
piety, salvation, confidence, conversion, health; in a word, all
sorts of graces more or less favored. Then the Blessed Virgin
added : "These graces are from my Divine Son ; I take them
from His Heart; He can refuse me nothing." Then I said to
her: "My good Mother, what should be on the other side of
this Scapular ?" The Blessed Virgin replied : "I reserve it for
myself ; you will submit your thought and the Church will de
cide." I knew that this good Mother was about to leave me
now, and I felt deeply grieved. She gently ascended, still
looking at me and saying : "Courage ! should he not be able to
grant your request, and should any difficulties arise, you will
go further. Fear nothing, I will assist you." She went half
way round my room, and disappeared a short distance from my
bed. My God, how grieved I felt! Thanks, my good Mother,
I will do nothing without thee. — Estelle.
U* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
[This vision took place about half-past twelve. It lasted
more than a quarter of an hour. Fifteen persons were wit
nesses during a greater or less portion of the time, as they did
not come into the room all together.]
The following is a resume of their depositions :
Sister M. Theodosie, the superioress of the nuns ; Sister Ste.
Emerance, and Mdlle. de Tyran saw Estelle for a quarter of
an hour. She was already motionless as in the preceding ec
stasies, when they perceived her immobility. All three saw her
a few minutes afterwards stand up in a great hurry, approach
the mantelpiece, which on that day had been transformed into
an altar for the reception of the Children of Mary, stretch out
her trembling hands, place them on a bouquet of roses in the
center of the altar, and then raise herself up as if to grasp or
take hold of something. All three saw her also advance her
head and lips as if to kiss something. Her gaze was fixed, but
her lips were moving. During the rest of the time her lips
were as motionless as her eyes. A few minutes previously the
superioress of the sisters and Sister Ste. Emerance had seen
her looking towards the angle of the wall next the window.
Had it not been for the breath which issued from her mouth
she might have been taken for a corpse.
Mdlle. de Tyran left the room to call Madame de La Roche
foucauld, her two daughters, Mdlles. Solange and Louise and
Mdlle. Simonet, their governess. As they came in a hurry
they made a great deal of noise, but Estelle was insensible to
it. She remained standing, her hands crossed, and her eyes
fixed upon something before her. Mme. de La Rochefoucauld
approached until she was within two feet exactly in front of
her. She made a noise moving the chairs, but Estelle did not
appear to perceive it. At the same time the superioress went to
call M. le Cure, who came at once, followed by Mdlle. de
Menon, by Mdlle. Thersile Salmon, his sister, and the supe
rioress. Estelle was still standing. A few moments after, all
saw her turn her head, but without moving her eyes or her eye
lids, towards her bed, which was almost in the middle of the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 143
room. M. le Cure, standing between her and Mme. de La
Rochefoucauld on the same level, looked at her nearly full in
the face. She turned suddenly, seeming to follow something
with great eagerness, her countenance was greatly flushed. A
few moments after she knelt down. Questioned that evening
as to whether she was aware of having stood up and touched
the roses, she replied that she did not know anything about it,
but that she must certainly have done so, as the Blessed Virgin
had ordered her to do so. As for touching roses, she did not
understand what was meant by it. Several persons went to
pray in the room during the evening, and there was great emo
tion at Pellevoisin.
LETTER FROM ESTELLE
Brought early in September, 1875, by Mdlle. Reiter to the
feet of Notre Dame de Lourdes at Poiriers, and returned to
Mme. de La Rochefoucauld at Pellevoisin the day after the
last Apparition.
Oh, My good Mother, behold me once again, prostrate at thy
feet. Thou canst not refuse to hear me. Thou hast not for
gotten that I am thy child and that I love thee. Obtain for me
then, from thy Divine Son, for His glory, the health of my poor
body. Look upon the grief of my parents. Thou knowest that
I am their sole support. May I not complete the work begun
by me. If, on account of my sins, a complete cure cannot be
granted, obtain for me at least a little strength to enable me to
support my parents. Thou seest, my good Mother, that they
are on the point of being obliged to beg their bread. I cannot
think of it without being deeply afflicted. Remember the suf
ferings thou didst endure the night of the birth of the Saviour,
when thou wert obliged to go from door to door, seeking for
shelter. Remember, also, all the grief thou didst endure when
Jesus was extended on the Cross. I have confidence in thee, my
good Mother. If thou dost will it, thy Son can cure me. He
144 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
knows that I have ardently desired to be numbered among His
Spouses, and that it was solely to please Him that I sacrificed
my life for my family who needed my services so much. Deign
to listen to my supplications, my good Mother, and to repeat
them to thy Divine Son. May He restore me health, if it is
pleasing to Him, but His will, not mine be done. May He at
least grant me perfect resignation to His decrees, and may this
tend to my salvation, and that of my parents. Thou dost pos
sess my heart, holy Virgin; keep it always, and may it be the
pledge of my love and gratitude for thy maternal goodness.
I promise thee, my good Mother, if thou dost grant me the
graces I implore, to do everything in my power for thy glory
and that of thy Divine Son. Take under thy protection my
dear little niece, and keep her out of the way of bad example.
Grant, O holy Virgin, that I may imitate thee in thy obedience
and that one day I may with thee possess Jesus for all eternity.
Amen.
This letter was found untouched, a few days before the Feast
of the Immaculate Conception, 1876, by a workman who had
been employed to repair the grotto at Poiriers. Through some
negligence, it was not sent to Madame de La Rochefoucauld,
who was at Pellevoisin, until the Qth December, the day after
the last Apparition. Strange coincidence, it would seem, that,
as Our Blessed Lady wished the marble slab to be placed at
Poiriers, she also wished to return the letter there, as if to say :
"They believed that all was over when this letter was sent to me,
but all will not end until I shall have given it back again."
ARCH-CONFRATERNITY OF OUR LADY OF
PELLEVOISIN
BRIEF OF POPE LEO XIII
We are accustomed to enrich, willingly, with particular titles
and honors associations consecrated to exercises of piety and
charity, not only to encourage them to pursue their noble pro-
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 145
ject, but even to enable them to produce more abundant fruits
of sanctification.
As Our venerable brother the Archbishop of Bourges has
earnestly entreated Us to bestow the title of Arch-confraternity
on the pious association canonically established in the parish of
his diocese called Pellevoisin, under the title of All-Merciful
Mother, We have resolved to favor these pious wishes, con
vinced that this title would still more develop the said asso
ciation.
This is why, wishing to give all and each of those in whose
favor these letters are delivered a mark of kindness, and (solely
on account of the present occasion) absolving and regarding
them as having a right to be absolved from any sentence of
excommunication and interdict which they may have incurred,
and which may have been pronounced against them, in whatever
cause it may be, We, by Our Apostolic authority, in virtue of
the present circumstances, erect and constitute into an Arch-
confraternity to perpetuity, with the usual privileges, the said
Confraternity in the parochial church of Pellevoisin.
Given at Rome, under the Fisherman's Seal, on the 8th of
May, 1894, the I7th year of Our Pontificate.
M. CARDINDAL RAMPOLLA.
While the history of Pellevoisin has been writing itself in
facts over the world, Estelle Faguette has been living a quiet,
exemplary life, and proving the truth of those words which she
gives as having been delivered to her in one of the Apparitions :
"I chose the weak and the lowly ones for my glory."
Integrity of life and purpose have characterized her from
the beginning. Simplicity — intelligent simplicity — is stamped
upon her humble person. While remaining in her sphere and
in retirement, she has, during the last twenty-six years, come
in contact with the public ; she has been questioned and cross-
questioned by it ; she has been probed by ecclesiastics of note.
In her replies, no discordant note has been detected ; in her atti
tude, no weak point.
146 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
In the January of 1900, we see Estelle in the Eternal city, and
at the feet of the Holy Father. She had been led thither by
the Duchesse d'Estissac, representing a branch of the de la
Rochefoucauld family, and by Mgr. Touchet, Bishop of Or
leans. His Holiness had said just before : "Let Estelle come in."
Estelle had entered, and all other persons had withdrawn. The
Father of the Faithful and the voyante of Pellevoisin were
alone. We have heard from Estelle's own lips the account of
what followed. The fact that was to follow concerning the
Scapular will best tell the result of the interview.
Leo XIII. called the lowly woman at his feet "Figlia Stella."
He bent forward to listen to her communications. His attitude
was one of the most paternal benevolence. The conversation
turning upon France, he said : "Now, tell me about France."
"Holy Father," replied Estelle, "the Blessed Virgin said that
France would have to suffer."
"Yes/ echoed the Pontiff, "France will have to suffer."
He then questioned Estelle on the subject of the Apparitions,
and accepted a Scapular of the Sacred Heart, which, kneeling,
she offered him.
"And what, Figlia Stella, do you wish me to do concerning
your Scapular?" he asked, after a few moments.
"To approve it and give it your blessing, most Holy Father,"
was the reply. The petitioner then ventured to make a request,
to the effect that His Holiness would deign to convey in a
written form to the Rev. Jean Baptiste Leminus, O.M.I., then
Superior of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre,
certain instructions and encouragement concerning this scapu
lar, in order that the same might spread over the world from
the national basilica as from a great radiating centre.
"Does this good religious often come to Rome?" asked His
Holiness, in reference to the Rev. J. B. Lemius.
"Yes, most Holy Father," was Estelle's reply.
After a few moments, Leo XIII. said : "Let him write, and
I will sign." The Sovereign Pontiff continued :
"Figlia Stella, speak to me of the Blessed Virgin." And
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 147
afterwards : "You must pray to her for me, Figlia Stella ; you
must pray that my life may be spared for the good of the
Church."
The Rev. Joseph Lemius, O.M.I., Procurator General of the
Oblate Congregation at Rome, informed of what had taken
place between Estelle Faguette and Leo XIII., saw further into
the affair at once. The idea occurred to him of trying to obtain
the canonical approbation of the Scapular in question, and he
lost no time in conferring on the subject with Cardinal Maz-
zella, Prefect of the Congregation of Rites.
The Cardinal, thus appealed to, at first held out little hope
of a request to such an effect being acceded to. He promised,
however, to lay the matter before the Pope.
A few days afterwards, Estelle had another and farewell
audience with the Sovereign Pontiff, at which the Bishop of
Orleans and the Duchesse d'Estissac were present. In the
course of this interview, the Holy Father, looking at the voy-
ante of Pellevoisin and smiling, said : "Figlia Stella, I have not
forgotten your Scapular. I will speak about it to-morrow."
When, according to Cardinal Mazzella's promise, the question
of the canonical approbation of the scapular of the Sacred
Heart, as presented to him by Estelle, was submitted to his
Holiness, the Pope granted his approval. The Congregation
of Rites examined the said Scapular, and approved of it in a
decree dated April 4, 1900.
By a decree of the same Congregation dated May 19, 1900,
the rights concerning the scapular were conferred on the
Superior General of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with the
power of delegating these rights, not only to priests of his own
Congregation, but to all others who might apply for them.
In this same Roman decree, the Superior of the Chaplains
of Parey-le-Monial, the Superior of the basilica of the Sacred
Heart of Montmartre, and the Rector of the Church of the Pace
in Rome are made sharers with the Oblate Congregation in the
privileges conferred.
We turn from the Civilta Catholica to an official notice pub-
148 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
lished by the Oblate Congregation, in their Petites Annales, in
1900, and translated from their Libretto. This notice, after
giving the history of the quasi scapular of the Blessed Margaret
Mary Alacoque, mentions 1876 as the date of the scapular of
1 the Sacred Heart, properly so called, coming into existence.
Then, in a footnote, we read : "Allusion is here made to the
scapular of Our Lady of Pellevoisin, approved July 28th, 1877,
by Mgr. de la Tour d'Auvergne, and at the present day in use
among the faithful : it is the scapular which, in the year 1900
was presented to the Sovereign Pontiff, and which the Con
gregation of Rites examined and approved, having made, how
ever, concerning it, two slight modifications. One of these is
that the liturgical words, "Mater Misericordiae" are substituted
for "Je suis toute misericordieuse," and "J'aime cette
devotion."
OUR LADY OF PELLEVOISIN
Oh ! by those mystic drops that fall,
In countless varied graces —
And by those tender outspread hands,
Enclasping erring creatures.
Oh! by thy true maternal heart,
Connecting earth with Heaven;
And by the Love, which pours in streams,
Like dewy falls at ev'n,
We pray Thee list, O Mother dear,
Our Lady of Pellevoisin !
You've styl'd yourself, "All-Merciful,"
The Queen of this devotion.
Oh ! by that loving soft appeal,
Whisper'd near the Sacred Heart,
And by that look of Love Divine
(Estelle's cure had here a part),
Oh ! by that vision deign'd to her
'Midst darkest night and moonlight gleaming,
And by that calm illuming light,
Encircling Majesty's bright beaming,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 149
We pray Thee to this title list,
O Lady of Pellevoisin !
Vous etes "toute misericordieuse"
Vous aimez "cette devotion."
Oh ! by that gracious smile which bent
On lowly things a sweet approval,
And deign'd to let your servant kiss
The emblem of our Holy Union.
Oh! by those lips so sweetly moved
To ask us to atone — repair —
And to uplift our heart's desires,
By earnest, calm, and tranquil prayer
We pray Thee list, O Queen and Mother,
Our Lady of Pellevoisin !
To-day we pray that all hearts may
Unite in this devotion.
The Sun of Justice looks with ire
On earth, for "sin hath delug'd all,
"The proud have lifted up their heads,"
Ambition's Throne hath seated all.
The worldly wise (Ah! better say)
Slaves to all that's changeable,
They living live, and dying die,
Unheeding The Immutable —
O ! then sweet Mother, soothe His Heart,
Dear Lady of Pellevoisin!
And shelter with your loving arm —
Confreres de cette devotion.
Gather, gather Mother dear,
All within the One True Fold;
Nestle, nestle 'neath Thy wing
Rich and poor, the young and old
Sweetly call the wandering
Back into the "Sacred Nest"—
Warbling let the rain-drops fall
On the foul, but once pure breast.
Lay Thy hand of lily whiteness,
Dropping dew of richest grace;
Let the Light with magic swiftness
Enter where no ray had place,
I5Q APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
To the mourner's heart give cheering —
To the sad a bright'ning ray;
O'er the world pour joy and gladness,
To thy Mother's Heart we pray.
Sister M. de Sales.
QUEEN OF THE ROSARY
Queen of the Holy Rosary!
Thee as our Queen we greet,
And lay our lowly, loving prayers,
Like roses, at thy feet;
Would that these blossoms of our souls
Were far more fair and sweet!
Queen of the Joyful Mysteries !
Glad news God's envoy bore.
The Baptist's mother thou dost tend,
Angels thy Babe adore.
Whom with two doves thou ransomest —
Lost, He is found once more.
Queen of the Sorrowful Mysteries !
Christ 'mid the olives bled.
Scourged at the pillar, crowned with thorns,
Beneath His cross He sped
Up the steep hill ; and there once more
Thine arms embraced Him — dead!
Queen of the Glorious Mysteries !
Christ from the tomb has flown,
Has mounted to the highest heaven,
And sent His spirit down;
And soon he raises thee on high,
To wear the heavenly crown.
Queen of the Holy Rosary!
We, too, have joys and woes;
May they, like thine, to glory lead!
May labor earn repose.
And may life's sorrows and life's joys
In heavenly glory close !
Rev. Matthew Russell, S. J.
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION
CAREY, OHIO
1878
Mary hath borne all the lack and loss;
On heights of pain, in depths of woe hath stood.
Tell o'er thy decades holding fast the Cross —
That badge and bond of Mary's Motherhood.
Margaret M. Halvey.
HEN we think of Shrines and of pilgrimages the
mind reverts to the Old World, to ages gone by;
we think of Italy, Germany, France and the Holy
Land. It rarely, if ever, enters into our calcula-
tions that a Shrine is possible here in the New World, even in
our very midst — and yet, why not? Is the arm of the Lord
shortened? Is He not able to raise up Shrines anywhere, ay,
even of our very American stones ?
The writer was one among a little company of pilgrim
strangers who made a first pilgrimage to Carey, May I, of this
year. It is my wish to give those of tfie readers who have never
visited Carey some idea of the pilgrimage Church of Our Lady
of Consolation, situated in that little town. The church bears
the distinction of possessing a Confraternity of Mary, canoni-
cally established and erected into a confraternity by a decree of
His Holiness, Pope Leo, on the 8th of May, 1878. From the
little manual of the confraternity, we read that the same was
first established in the year 1652, in Luxembourg, Germany, by
the Rev. James Brocquart, of the Society of Jesus, and was
from the very outset favored with numerous indulgences by the
Sovereign Pontiff, Innocent X. Numbering its members by
thousands, it continued to exist in Luxembourg up to the close
152 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
of the eighteenth century, when the French Revolution, sweep
ing like a destructive torrent over the face of Europe, ruthlessly
overturned all that was holy and all that was venerable. The
confraternity, too, fell before it and lay torn, destroyed and
almost forgotten, until recalled to life by the Rev. Joseph P.
Glodin in the Church of Our Lady of Consolation, at Carey,
in 1877. Shortly after it received the approbation of Bishop
Gilmour, of Cleveland, and a little later was acknowledged,
approved and enriched with indulgences by His Holiness, Pope
Leo, who manifested a special interest in the church and pre
sented it with his jubilee gifts, among them being a very fine
antependium and altar, the antependium bearing the coat of
arms of His Holiness.
As its name implies, the object of the Confraternity of Our
Lady of Consolation is to honor the "Comforter of the Af
flicted" by choosing her as a special advocate with God against
all evil, particularly against mortal sin. In all needs of soul
and body the members shall fly to her for refuge and confi
dently invoke her assistance. From these introductory lines
we may plainly see why the pilgrimage church at Carey is
visited annually by thousands.
To-day many Catholics assemble at Carey on the even of the
first day of May, when the annual pilgrimage is made, while
others of adjoining towns arrive on the early morning trains
and repair to the church, where services are being conducted
at all hours by the pastor, Rev. Father Mizer, assisted by visit
ing clergymen, one among whom is usually the venerable,
white-haired Father Glodin himself. All along the route from
depot to church, on either side of the street, may be seen long
lines of farmers' vehicles ranged, reminding the visitor that no
small part of the congregation must belong to the farming
population of the adjoining country. Arriving at the church-
shrine, a roomy but simple frame structure, if you are a late
comer you find every available inch of standing room already
taken, the vestibule crowded, and people standing about the
doorway. But all is so quiet, orderly and respectful that the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 153
newcomer cannot but be impressed with the air of devotion that
characterizes the entire assemblage. Inside the church the im-
pressiveness grows apace. The flower-decked altar, with the
sacred statue of Mother and Child crowning its summit, the
kneeling worshipers around, is a spectacle to move the most
skeptical. Seemingly forgetful of all class or station, the
women in silken gowns kneel beside the commonest clad, all
united by the common sentiment that draws them to the Church
of Our Lady of Consolation, each heart full of its own secret
craving, or, it may be, of thanksgiving for favors already
received.
Kneeling in the midst of a congregation of people all swayed
alike by the one desire of giving thanks and honor to the
Mother of Jesus, that Mother who, though sinless, suffered the
sword-thrust of sin's penalty of agony, the heart is filled with
the deepest emotion ; nay, a passion of gratitude sweeps over
the soul that it is privileged to be numbered with those who
even in life may come so close in touch with all that must be
so pleasing and acceptable to Almighty God. The soul cries
out unto the invisible throng : It is good to be here ! And then
with poignant humility, — What have I done to be so favored ?
And in such moments, when before the altar of God, whose
head droops not beneath a sense of utter unworthiness of so
great a store of mercy and love ?
Not all the worshipers who come as pilgrims to the little
church at Carey come as petitioners. Many come to give
thanks.
At the closing of the Vesper services, a ceremony of no small
impressiveness is the reception of all the pilgrims into the con
fraternity. The entire assemblage, standing, repeats the prayer
word by word as it falls from the lips of the pastor, after which
all pass to the altar rails and there their names are inscribed
upon the records as members, each one receiving a little manual
and medal of the confraternity. No pious person can visit
Carey without receiving added strength and fervor, and the
lukewarm and indifferent should go to gain grace and devotion
to their religion.
154 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION
Ave Maria! At thy feet
Oft have I knelt, my bliss complete;
Unmindful of all else beside,
Since thy pure arms were open wide.
Ave Maria ! Let it be
My sole delight to honor thee!
My heart was full of love, and threw
Strong tendrils as young grape vines do:
Earth forced them rudely all apart,
And left a torn and bleeding heart.
Ave Maria! I appealed
To thee, and every wound was healed.
I loved all beauty; but I saw
Beauty was subject to the law
Of death, decay, — the law of earth, —
And beauty grew as nothing worth.
Ave Maria, then I turned
To thee, and fadeless beauty learned.
I loved the truth, but always found
Falsehood did more than truth abound.
My life grew chill. I came and knelt —
Thy truth unswerving here I felt,
0 Mary Mother, then thy child
Was, by thy justice, reconciled!
1 yearned for science. Everywhere
Earth's answer was an empty air:
A mocking sound, a vain pretence,
Whose din and folly drove me thence.
I fled sweet Mary to thy shrine,
And learned a science all divine.
Fame called to me with clarion voice,
And held her laurels for my choice;
I turned, heart-sickened, for I knew
The thorns amid her bays she threw.
Ave Maria ! Then 'twas sweet
To burn fresh incense at thy feet.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 155
Then let me ne'er unmindful be
Of all in joy I owe to thee !
Ave Maria, keep my soul
Forever bound 'neath thy control,
So, whereso'er my lot be cast,
Thine now, I shall be thine at last.
Very Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.E.
VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Spirit, Creator of mankind,
Come visit ev'ry pious mind,
And sweetly let thy grace invade
Our hearts, O Lord! which thoti hast made.
Thou art the Comforter, whom all,
Gift of the highest God, must call ;
The living fountain, fire and love;
The ghostly unction from above;
God's sacred finger, which imparts
A seven-fold grace to faithful hearts ;
Thou art the Father's promise, whence
We language have, and eloquence.
Enlighten, Lord, our souls, and grant
That we thy love may never want;
Let not our virtue ever fail,
But strengthen what in flesh is frail.
Chase from our minds the infernal foe
And peace, the fruit of love, bestow;
And lest our feet should step astray,
Protect and guide us in the way.
Make us eternal truths receive,
And practise all that we believe :
Give us thyself, that we may see
The Father and the Son in thee.
Immortal honor, endless fame,
Attend th' Almighty Father's name:
To the Son equal praises be,
And, holy Paraclete, to thee. Amen.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF MARTYRS
AURIESVILLE, NEW YORK
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 157
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF MARTYRS
AURIESVILLE, NEW YORK
1884
Here bloomed the Lily of her race.
Sweet Catherine; and, pure and fair,
Before us shines the youthful face
Of saintly Rene. All the air
Is filled with fragrance, and thy Shrine,
Regina Martyrum, that gleams
With light and beauty all divine,
A dream of heaven to us seems.
N August, 1885, on the feast of the Assumption,
four thousand people gathered on the brow of
the hill that rises back of the village of Auries-
ville. They were mainly from the parishes of
. Joseph's Church, Troy, and St. Mary's Church, Amster
dam, and they had gone thither on pilgrimage to the Shrine
of Our Lady of Martyrs. Religious banners waved in the
breeze, the chant of litanies and hymns floated on the air,
Masses were said at the temporary oratory and fifteen hun
dred pilgrims received Communion. This was the formal
opening of the pilgrimages that have since continued to be
made at various times to the American Shrine of Our Lady
of Martyrs. Of this pilgrimage the late John Gilmary Shea,
who was present, wrote: "Speaking in my own person, I
may say positively and frankly that no more consoling and
interesting sight will remain on the tablets of memory than
that impressed there by the scene on that Auriesville pla
teau overlooking the Mohawk, on the feast of our Lady's
Assumption, in the year 1885. Since my youtff, full of devo
tion to Father Isaac Jogues, the pioneer priest to visit New
York island and plant the Cross among the Agnieronnon, it
has been my hope to contribute in some way to rear a
158 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
memorial on the spot where he closed his labors by a glorious
death, as his companion, Rene Goupil, had done four years be
fore. For nearly half a century my pen has endeavored to
make this servant of God known in this land."
But let us first see where and what Auriesville is, and then
try to learn why pilgrimages are made here to the Shrine of
Our Lady of Martyrs.
Auriesville is in Montgomery County, New York. It is a
railway station of the West Shore line, seven miles west of the
Knickerbocker city of Amsterdam, the county-seat, and forty
miles west by north from Albany, the capital of New York
State. The railway runs along the south bank of the Mohawk
River, side by side with the Erie Canal, back from which rise
the hills forming the Mohawk Valley, while on the north bank
the New York Central railway speeds on its course to the great
West. "Aurie" in the old New York Dutch mouth was the
same as Aaron. This was the name of an old Indian chief who
was the last of his tribe in the beginning of the present cen
tury to remain here in the home of his warrior ancestors. He
had a hut in a corner of the hillside near the river and, though
poor Aurie was a degraded and drunken old Iroquois, he has
left his name to this picturesque village.
Few places are richer in the charms and beauties of nature
than the spot where now is the property of the Shrine of Our
Lady of Martyrs. Ascending the hill southward from Auries
ville, up the road called the ''Hill of Prayer," and bordered on
one side by drooping willows, an ever-changing view expands
itself before the eye. Standing on the hilltop and looking to
the north across the valley the placid and picturesque scenery
is unrivalled. Far to the right and left winds the bending river
through green fields and meadows, till the view is dimmed in
the azure of the sky above the distant mountains. Dark tufts
of trees beside water-courses, steep bluffs against the horizon,
yellow- and black-eyed daisies and fluffy goldenrod, and waving
tasseled tops of Indian corn, quicken the keenness of vision by
their variety. Westward, across the Hill of Prayer, pines and
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
hemlocks shade what is now commonly called "The Ravine,"
at the meeting of two water-courses where Father Jogues hid
the body of his faithful companion, Rene Goupil, in the water,
while eastward the scene stretches across undulating fields to
the Schoharie which sluggishly empties itself into the Mohawk.
It was on this river that the late veteran editor of the Free
man's Journal, James A. McMaster, may perhaps have obtained
the muscular force that in later years characterized his pen.
Writing of the Shrine in August, 1885, he said : "Auriesville
is now a village. Near fifty years ago, the writer of this, as a
boy, pulled sometimes the rough oars of a country rowboat on
the Schoharie and on the Mohawk. But he remembers nothing
that could be called a hamlet where Auriesville now is. He was
fool enough, in those days of young boyhood, to try to write
poetry himself; but he never could understand the hallucina
tion that made Tom Moore write :
'From rise of morn to set of sun
I've seen the mighty Mohawk run.'
"Yet this had been plain prose to the seventeen-year-old boy
compared to the imagination that the thing [the pilgrimage]
could ever happen that has happened within the past week."
It is not the bold scenery of the Delaware Water-Gap, or the
wide-spreading hills and valleys of the Switch-Back at Mauch
Chunk, or the grandiose heights of the Palisades on the Hud
son, or the wild ruggedness of Lake George, but more like the
placid vistas of Lake Champlain, gentle, pleasing, peaceful, sat
isfying and refining. The wonder is that this spot has never be
come a popular resort for summer idlers and seekers of rest and
recreation. May it not be considered providential that this place
has thus been preserved from profane uses? Have not many
of her famous Shrines been chosen by Our Lady in out-of-the-
way places where the glories of nature appear in their greatest
grandeur and wealth?
But let us turn to the time when the League of the Five
Nations of the Iroquois Indians — the Mohawks, the Oneidas,
i6o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the Onondagas, the Cayugas and the Senecas — held undisputed
sway over this section, stretching from the river Mohawk to the
Genesee. Their savage bravery and indomitable desire of con
quest made them the exterminators of the various tribes along
the St. Lawrence and the Lakes and the crudest foes of both
the white and red men and the most relentless persecutors of the
Christian missionaries and their converts, though later it was
to fall to the lot of one of these same savage Iroquois to be the
guide of Father De Smet into the heart of the Rocky Moun
tains. The Mohawks were the easternmost of these Five Na
tions, and they inhabited the valley of the river to which they
have left their name. At the time of their first contact with
Christian missionaries, they had three principal villages, "or
castles," — Ossernenon (Our Lady of Martyrs) ; Andagaron,
several miles west; and still farther west, Tionnontoguen
(Twin Mountains, so called from the neighboring bluffs be
tween which the river flows, now known as the "Noses"). Only
a brief account from the Annals of the Mission founded by the
Society of Jesus in this nation can here be given.
On August 14, 1642, Father Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil, and
William Couture, with several Christian Hurons, were brought
to Ossernenon (Auriesville), having been taken captive while
carrying much needed supplies from Quebec to the Huron Mis
sion. The savages, young and old of both sexes, were waiting
along the bank and up the hill, ranged in two lines and armed
with sticks or the iron ramrods of their muskets. The prisoners
passed in single file between them under a shower of blows.
Father Jogues remembered that it was the eve of the feast of
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary : "I had thought
all along," he says, "that the day of this great joy of Heaven
would be for us a day of sorrow, and I gave thanks because
of it to my Saviour Jesus, since the joys of Heaven are bought
only by sharing in His sufferings." Rene fell beneath the
heavy blows, and it was necessary to carry him to the platform
in the village, where the public torture was to be inflicted. He
was so bruised and bleeding that Father Jogues declares that
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 161
there was no white spot left on him, except the white of the
eyes.
On the platform, an old Indian sorcerer obliged a captive
Christian woman to cut off the left thumb of Father Jogues;
'for it is he I hate the most." After the day spent in the most
bitter torments, they passed the night, tied hand and foot, on the
ground. It was then the savage children were let loose on them
to make their apprenticeship in cruelty. For seven days they
were dragged from village to village, in each meeting with a
renewal of their sufferings. At Tionnontoguen they met four
new Huron prisoners, whom Father Jogues found means to in
struct and baptize before they were put to death. At the end
of this time, the fate of the captives was decided. Two were
burned in Tionnontoguen, a third met a like fate at Andagaron,
and the fourth, who was only twenty-five years of age, was
burned and finally tomahawked at Ossernenon.
The Frenchmen were left to a life of slavery, Couture in
Tionnontoguen, Rene and Father Jogues together in Osserne
non. September 7th, Arendt Van Curler, with two companions,
arrived from the Dutch colony, and made fruitless overtures
for their release. Meanwhile, Rene's habit of constant prayer,
and especially his teaching the children the sign of the Cross,
which the Indians had learned to hate, had caused some among
them to seek the opportunity of killing him.
The 29th of September, feast of St. Michael Archangel,
towards evening, he had gone with Father Jogues to a wooded
hill near the village, that they might pray in peace. Two young
men came and ordered them to return to their cabin. "I had
some presentiment," Father Jogues relates, "of what was to
happen, and I said to Goupil : 'My dear brother, let us com
mend ourselves to our Lord and to our good Mother, the most
holy Virgin. I believe these men have some evil intention/ "
They turned their steps toward the village, reciting the Rosary
as they went. They had finished the fourth decade when they
came to the gate, the two savages following them. One of these
suddenly drew a tomahawk from beneath his garments, and
1 62 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
struck Rene a violent blow on the head. He fell half-dead with
his face to the ground, uttering the name of Jesus. Father
Jogues, who, on his knees, awaited a like fatal blow, was told to
rise, that he should not then be killed. He gave the last absolu
tion to the still breathing Rene, and, with tears pressed him to
his heart. The savages tore him away and two more blows of the
tomahawk made sure their ghastly work. Father Jogues after
ward wrote in solemn words : "It was the 29th of September,
1642, that this angel in innocence and this martyr of Jesus
Christ was immolated, at thirty-five years of his age, to Him
Who had given His own life for his redemption. He had con
secrated his soul and his heart to God, his hand and his ex
istence to the service of the poor savages."
Two days later the missionary was allowed to look for the
body, and found it at the foot of the hill on which the village
was built, where in a ravine a rivulet joins a water course on its
way to the river. It was already mangled by the dogs, and to
save it until such time as he might return with a spade and give
it burial, he placed it in the deepest part of the stream, weighed
down by stones. Two days again passed, and, when he was at
last able to return to the spot, he found nothing, and the sav
ages only answered him with lying stories. The body had in
reality been hidden in a wood hard by, as Father Jogues learned
in the ensuing spring. "After the melting of the snow," he
says, "I betook myself to the place pointed out to me, and gath
ered together a few half-gnawed bones which had been left by
the dogs, the wolves and the crows, especially a head cleft in
several places. I kissed with respect these holy relics, and I
hid them in the earth, in order that some day, if such is God's
will, I may enrich with them some holy and Christian soil. He
deserves the name of martyr, not only because he was killed
by the enemies of God and of His Church, and in the exercise
of an ardent charity towards his neighbor, but particularly be
cause he was killed on account of prayer, and expressly for the
Holy Cross."
Rene Goupil entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 163
after having been educated as a physician. Ill health compelled
him to leave the Society, but later on he became a donne to the
Fathers of the Canadian Mission, that is, one who gave his
services gratuitously to the missionaries.
During the winter months of 1643, Father Jogues learned
the language of the Mohawks, and labored much in trying to
instruct them, not only satisfying their curiosity about natural
things, but especially in regard to the faith of Christ. His zeal
was not without fruit, for, during the thirteen months of his
captivity, he conferred baptism on more than seventy persons.
While the missionary was visiting the cabins to baptize the
dying children and instruct the well-disposed among the sick,
he soon came upon a young man in the last stage of a painful
disease. He addressed the Father by his Indian name, On-
desonk, and asked him if he did not remember one who, the year
before at Tionnontoguen, when suffering from the cords with
which he had been tied had become unendurable, came forward
in the midst of the general derision, and cut the bonds. The
missionary exclaimed : "Often have I prayed for thee to the
Master of life." And he went on to speak to him about God—
the Creator and Rewarder — of Jesus Christ and His sufferings,
of the recompense of eternal life. Touched by grace, the sick
man could only say : "What must I then do in order to please
the Master of life?" "Believe in Him," said the Father, "and
in His only Son, dead for our sake, and be baptized." The
young savage yielded and embraced the Christian faith; and
after fully instructing and baptizing him, Father Jogues re
mained long enough to see him die, resigned and full of hope,
after receiving the reward of his former good action, a hundred
fold even in this life.
Father Jogues again returned to Ossernenon, but the war
with the French made the Indians fierce against him. The
commander of the post urged him to take the opportunity to
escape by means of a ship which was to set sail in a few days,
assuring him that no serious damage would result to the colony.
To the astonishment of the worthy soldier, Father Jogues asked
164 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the night in order to deliberate. He says : "I passed the night
in prayer, beseeching our Lord with much entreaty that He
would not leave me to come to a conclusion by myself, that He
would grant me light to know His holy will, that I wished to
follow that in all and everywhere, even to burning at a slow
fire." The reasons of zeal which could retain him were evi
dently at an end. On the contrary, he might at some future
time return and, with his knowledge of the language and habits
of the country, lay the foundations of a successful mission. For
God's glory, therefore, as it seemed to him, he chose life for the
present.
His escape was not easy, nor of short duration. Christmas
Eve at last saw him on French soil, and the following day, when
the bells were ringing in peace to men of good will, he received
for the first time in seventeen dreary months the Sacraments
of Penance and of the Eucharist, and assisted at the holy
sacrifice of the Mass.
When Urban VIII. , the reigning Pope, was asked for the
needed dispensation for saying Mass, in order that fingers so
horribly mutilated might again lift up the sacred Host and raise
the consecrated chalice, he made answer : "It were unworthy
that a martyr of Christ should not drink Christ's Blood !"
By the month of May, 1644, Father Jogues was already on
his way back from France to his dear missions. During the
course of the summer the Iroquois sent an embassy to treat of
peace with the French and Hurons and their savage allies. The
meeting was held at Three Rivers, and Father Jogues was
present unknown to the savage orator. "We wished/' the lat
ter said, "to bring back both, but we could not accomplish our
design. . . . The Mohawks had not the intention of put
ting them to death." Father Jogues could not help smiling at
these words, and whispered : "If God had not snatched me
from their hands, I should have been well and fairly burned
and dead a hundred times over ; but let him talk."
On this occasion William Couture was at last brought back
from his long captivity at Tionnontoguen. He had become
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 165
popular with his captors, and was actively employed in the
negotiation of peace. He afterwards married, and lived to the
advanced age of ninety-four years, dying as late as 1702.
Among his numerous descendants was the late venerable Arch
bishop Bourget, of Montreal.
In 1646 it was thought necessary that Father Jogues should
return in solemn embassy to the Mohawk nation, and finally
conclude the peace which had now been talked of for nearly
two years. Meanwhile, the missionary had been occupied in the
humble details of the ministry at the French post of Montreal.
In the memory of Rene Goupil the name of Mission of the
Martyrs was chosen for the new attempt at apostolic work,
which was to be the first fruits of the peace.
The 1 6th of May, Father Jogues set out on his perilous mis
sion, accompanied by a devoted layman, M. Bourdon, the en
gineer of the colony, four Mohawk deputies, and a small dele
gation of the allied savages. The 3<Dth of that month, the feast
of Corpus Christi, they were at Lake George, which the mis
sionary named, in honor of the day, Lake of the Blessed Sac
rament. The 4th of June they reached the Dutch colony, and
Father Jogues was able to thank in person his kind benefactors
of three years previous. The 7th, he once more arrived at the
well-known village of his former sufferings, whose name the
savages for some reason had changed, and to which he now
gave the Christian designation of Holy Trinity. All pressed
around him and seemed to forget the grievous wrongs of which
they had been guilty towards him. He exercised again his pious
ministry among the captives and the sick, and baptized the
dying children. When the great council was over, they urged
his departure for fear of some new war on the part of the upper
Iroquois Nations. It was not a favorable sign of the reality
of their good dispositions; but he had done his best, and set
out from the village of the Trinity on his return, the i6th of
June. The 29th, the feast of SS. Peter and Paul, he was al
ready at Three Rivers in Canada.
The heart of the missionary was now turned to his own
i66 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
work, and he proposed wintering among the intractable Mo
hawks. At first the superior would not listen to it. Some days
after, however, the Relation records another important con
sultation, and its result in these brief words : "Resolved, the
wintering of Father Jogues among the Iroquois." He set out
accordingly on the 2/th of September, accompanied by several
Hurons, who were to help on the way and wished to visit their
relations who were captives among the Mohawks, and by a
young Frenchman. This was John de la Lande, who,
through Christian motives, had asked as a favor to be the mis
sionary's companion in his dangerous undertaking. The
Hurons, with a single exception, soon abandoned the intrepid
priest, but he did not turn back. Arrived within two days'
journey of the villages, he fell in with a party of Mohawks on
the war-path. Their whoop of triumph told him that our Lord
was now in very deed to hear his prayers.
The savages threw themselves on the missionary and his
companion, stripped them of their garments and, loading them
with insults, led them off prisoners to the first village, the old
Ossernenon. As the Mission of the Martyrs, Father Jogues
was soon to have a lasting right to share in its name and fame.
Once more he crossed the river and went up the hill as a cap
tive, beaten with cruel blows. "Wonder not," they said, "you
shall die to-morrow ; but take courage, we will not burn you.
We will strike you with the tomahawk and put your head on
the stockade, so that when we take your brothers they may
still see you." One of the Indians, seizing hold of the Father,
deliberately sliced off pieces of flesh from his arms and
shoulders, and devoured it, saying: "Let us see if this white
flesh is the flesh of an Okton" (one of their spirits).
The next day a great council met at Tionnontoguen, several
miles away. In the evening Father Jogues, still in the first vil
lage, was invited to sup in the cabin of the Chief of the Bear.
He obeyed humbly, as to Divine Providence. As he entered
the door, a tomahawk was buried in his head, which was at once
cut off and put upon the stockade, the face turned in the direc-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 167
tion from which he had come. The next morning, La Lande
and the faithful Huron were treated in like manner, and the
bodies of all three thrown into the river. It was the i8th of
October, more than four years since the like death of Rene at
the village gate.
This first chapter in the history of the Mission of Martyrs
had a fitting close. One year after the death of Father Jogues,
a Mohawk was brought to the Indian settlement near Quebec.
The allied savages demanded his death as an example. This
was granted on condition that his sufferings should not be
long nor his flesh eaten. Meantime, the missionaries prepared
him for his fate. He listened, was moved, and at last made it
appear, to the surprise of all, who had little expected it, that
he and no other had been the murderer of Father Jogues. A
Huron, arriving from the Mohawk country, also identified
him. With shame and all the signs of repentance, he asked
for instruction in the Christian faith. During his torments,
nothing of the savage was shown. He had said as he came to
his death : "My captor is the cause of my going to Heaven,
am glad of it, and I thank him." At the stake he only repeated
over and over : "Jesus ! Jesus !" In the baptismal register of
the time, there may still be read this significant name : "Isaac,
a Mohawk captive about to be burned."
The thirty-eight years following the death of Father Jogues
were eventful in the extreme for the Mission of Martyrs.
Many priests visited the Mission and many Christians were
tortured and slain. Father Poncet, who exercised the ministry
of a Catholic priest for the first time at Albany, was captured
and tortured here, but afterwards returned to Canada. Father
Lemoyne, in 1656, built the first chapel in New York State at
Onondaga, near Syracuse, and established three Sodalities.
This same year the Prefect of the Huron Sodality, with several
of his fellow-sodalists, was put to death amid bitter cruelties.
It was this year also that the French, under Marquis de Tracy,
destroyed the Mohawk villages, on the twentieth anniversary
of Father Jogues' death. The following year Fathers Fremin
168 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
and Pierron made the Mission of the Martyrs a settled station
under the name of St. Mary's, and in 1673 the General Superior
of the Mohawk Missions, Father Bruyas, took up his residence
here.
In 1675, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Father
James de Lamberville, who had brought the venerated statue
of Our Lady of Foye* (Faith) from Quebec, inaugurated the
devotion to Our Lady under this title.
The original sanctuary of Our Lady of Foye is at Celles, near
Dinant, Belgium. In 1621 a sanctuary under this title was
erected at Douay, where the first permanent Sodality was estab
lished outside of Rome on the anniversary of the confirmation
of the rules of the Annunciate Nuns. To these religious was
given the privilege of the first Mass in honor of Our Lady of
Martyrs. A duplicate of the Douay statue was made and sent
to Quebec, whence, on the dispersion of the Hurons, it was
taken to the Mission of the Martyrs.
The year 1656 was signalized by the birth of Kateri Teka-
kwitha, at St. Peter's, now Fonda, five miles west of Auries-
ville, but she was not baptized till Easter Sunday of the year
1676, by Father de Lamberville. This fair flower of the West,
the "Lily of the Mohawks," bloomed here in the valley of the
Mohawk and spread among her people the good odor Christ, so
that she was commonly called the "Good Catherine." It was
through one of the murderers of the noble Father Brebeuf that
she afterwards escaped to Caughnawaga, near Montreal, where
her remains are kept to this day as a precious treasure by her
own Indian people.
At the beginning of the year 1684 the Missions among the
Mohawks were abandoned on account of the French and Eng
lish war, and thus closed the old Mission of the Martyrs.
To keep alive the memories of the past and to renew the
lessons of devotion to Our Lady, a pilgrim Shrine has been
*In the Pilgrim of Our Lady of Martyrs, for 1886, a detailed account of the
origin of this statue is given by the Right Reverend Bishop Maes, of Covington,
Ky.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 169
erected on this hallowed ground. In 1884, two hundred years
after the destruction of the Mission of the Martyrs, the attempt
to reopen this mission was begun. Since then nearly the whole
site of the old Indian village of Ossernenon, comprising ten
acres, has been purchased and now forms the property of the
Shrine. A small octagonal oratory, large enough for an altar
and for the priest and his server, stands on the brow of the hill
— where was the Indian platform of torture — and the gilt cross
which surmounts it may be seen from far down the valley. The
Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Martyrs revives the memory
of Our Lady of Foye. Over the altar is a life-like Pieta — the
Sorrowful Mother holding her dead Son upon her knees.
The Saviour from the Cross they took:
Across His Mother's knee He lies:
She wept not, but a little shook,
As with dead hand she closed dead eyes.
The Saviour from the Cross they took:
Across His Mother's knee He lay:
O passers-by! be still and look —
That Twain compose one Cross for aye.
A glass-plate in the front door enables visitors to pray before
the altar during the year when the oratory is closed. South
ward from the oratory, centrally located, rises high up from
a large mound the grand crucifix, with an heroic-size figure of
the Crucified, at the foot of which are statues of the Blessed
Mother and St. John. This is called the "Calvary." Around
this in circular form is the Way of the Cross, each station
marked by a large wooden cross. Those who have witnessed the
thousands of pilgrims making the Stations of the Cross in this
open space and have heard the plaintive strains of the Stabat
Mater thrill the air, will not readily forget the impressiveness
of the scene. Westward, at the top of the Hill of Prayer,
wooden steps lead up the bluff into the grounds at the entrance
of the Indian village where Rene Goupil was struck down by a
tomahawk. Here is erected a Memorial Cross recalling the
APPARITIONS AND SHRINES
early missions; the Most Holy Trinity, June, 1646; St. Mary's,
1667; St. Peter's, 1673. On the panels of the base we read:
"The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of Christians."
"Near this spot Rene Goupil was slain for the Sign of the
Cross, September 29, 1642, and before and after, in different
years, many other Christians, men and women, companions and
disciples of the missionaries, of French and various Indian
races."
"In memory of the native converts of the Mission — Hurons,
Algonquins and Iroquois — whose virtues, like those of the
primitive Christians, shone in captivity and persecutions ; espe
cially of the Lily of the Mohawk, Kateri Tekakwitha, Iroquois
Virgin, born here in 1656; baptized in the Mission Church,
Easter Sunday; died in Canada, 1680."
"On this Indian village site the Mission of the Martyrs was
founded in his blood by Father Isaac Jogues, S. J., slain Oc
tober 18, 1646. In this, the first and chief Iroquois Mission,
fourteen priests of the Society of Jesus toiled and suffered till
its destruction in 1684."
"Erected for the 2OOth Anniversary."
All this is but temporary, but this much has been done by
the pious gifts of the faithful. It is hoped that soon a memorial
worthy of the heroic men and women who suffered here will be
erected to perpetuate the lessons of the Mission of the Martyrs.
From the beginning the warm approbation of the Right Rev
erend Bishop of Albany, in whose diocese the Shrine is sit
uated, has encouraged the work, and this has been accompanied
by the approval of many Archibishops and Bishops of the
American and Canadian hierarchy. A further encouragement
is the united petition of the Fathers of the Third Plenary Coun
cil of Baltimore to the Holy See for the introduction of the
cause of the beatification of Father Jogues, Rene Goupil and
Kateri Tekakwitha — names so closely associated with the Mis
sion of the Martyrs.
What is most pressingly needed is a larger structure in which
the faithful can hear Mass, along with some building to form
HEAVE3STS BRIGHT QUEEN 171
a suitable shelter for pilgrims who tarry here. Were some re
ligious community to establish itself here, having a house of
retreat, as was originally proposed, the Shrine of Our Lady of
Martyrs would speedily become the frequented resort for
American pilgrims. Such would be particularly the case, as
now the site of old Ossernenon has been identified beyond
reasonable doubt. General John S. Clark, of Auburn, New
York, who is recognized as the leading authority in this line
of research, "is positive it will stand the test of the severest
criticism," and in this conclusion the late John Gilmary Shea
fully concurred.
Father Jogues, while in captivity, had a vision in which he
saw the palisaded Indian village replaced by a "Temple," over
whose doors were inscribed the words : "Laudent nomen
Domini." The prayers of pilgrims and the gifts of Our Lady's
clients have already partially fulfilled this prediction. May it
soon be fully verified.
PILGRIMAGE TO AURIESVILLE
THE MARBLE GROUP OF THE PIETA UNVEILED AT THE SHRINE
OF OUR LADY OF MARTYRS
AURIESVILLE, N. Y., Aug. 24, 1903.— More than four thou
sand pilgrims from various parts of the State to-day visited the
Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs here, the occasion being the
unveiling of a marble group of the Pieta. On the arrival of the
pilgrims, early in the day, Mass was said by the Right Rev.
Thomas M. Burke, D.D., of Albany. The Bishop also preached
in the chapel this afternoon. The worshippers knelt before the
various crosses on the sacred grounds and conducted brief
services.
At three o'clock Bishop Burke unveiled and blessed the new
statue, representing the Saviour after He was taken down
from the Cross, supported by His mother ; and placed the gold
172 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
crown on it. The Rev. T. J. Campbell, S. J., of New York,
preached the sermon. The services were impressive through
out, about twenty priests from various points assisting.
At four o'clock the pilgrims departed by special trains over
the West Shore road for their homes in the Hudson and Mo
hawk valleys. Hundreds were present from Albany, Troy and
Amsterdam.
OUR LADY OF MARTYRS
Dear Mother of Sorrows, thrice blessed art thou !
The crown of the Martyrs encircles thy brow
And the special protection thy children do claim
Whenever they call thee by that blessed name.
Dear Lady of Martyrs we claim thy blest care;
Remember the title thou lovest to wear.
At the foot of the Cross 'twas first given to thee,
And there in thy mercy thou'rt praying for me.
Thy pray'rs were the sources whence the Martyrs of old
Drew faith for the trial, and strength to behold.
Death did not affright them, God's foes they defied,
While "Jesus" and "Mary" they sang as they died.
We, too, have a battle to fight and to win —
A battle with trial, temptation and sin,
But our hearts cannot fail, and our faith cannot shake
When we know we are fighting for Mary's dear sake.
Dear Lady of Martyrs, what angel above,
What saint, though enkindled with heavenly love,
Could tell of thy graces and glories apart?
In Heaven alone we shall know all thou art!
Elizabeth Cross Alexander.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 173
APPARITION
TO
OUR LADY OF SORROW
CASTELPETROSO, ITALY
1888
O Lady of the Passion, dost thou weep?
What help can we then through our tears survey,
If such as thou a cause for wailing keep?
What help, what hope, for us, Sweet Lady, say?
"Good man, it doth befit thine heart to lay
More courage next it, having seen me so
All other hearts find other balm to-day —
The whole world's consolation is my woe."
Elisabeth B. Browning.
N March 22, 1888, the day before the Feast of the
Compassion of Our Blessed Lady, two country
women belonging to Pastine, a hamlet in the dio-
______ cese of Bojano, in Southern Italy, were sent to look
for some sheep that had strayed on a neighboring hill, to which
Castelpetroso is the nearest village. One was named Fabiana
Cecchino, and the other Serafina Giovanna Valentino ; the for
mer being a spinster aged thirty-five, and the latter a married
woman a little younger. Before long they returned home, cry
ing, sobbing, trembling, and terrified. People naturally in
quired into the cause of their emotion, and heard from these
women that they had seen a light issuing from some fissures
in the rocks; and when they approached nearer the spot they
saw distinctly the image of the Addolorata — a lady, young,
very beautiful, pale, with disheveled hair, and bleeding from the
wounds received from seven swords.
No one paid much attention to these statements, which were
looked upon as absurdities ; but further evidence was forthcom-
174 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ing. First of all a child and then an avowed heretic gave testi
mony to similar Apparitions. People began to go to the moun
tain and visit the spot of the alleged Apparitions, some 2,600
feet above the sea-level; and some affirmed that they saw the
Mother of Dolors bearing in her arms her dead Son. Pilgrim
ages commenced as a matter of course, and within a few days
some four thousand persons visited the spot, — that is, double
the number of those living round about ; and soon a place which
but three short months before had been unknown to all but very
few, suddenly became the centre of attraction to countless
crowds from the neighboring country.
Of those who went, some testified that they saw the Blessed
Virgin under the form known as Our Lady of Mount Carmel ;
others saw her as Our Lady of Grace, others as Our Lady of
the Most Holy Rosary ; but for the most part she appeared as
Our Lady of Dolors. Generally, too, she was alone, but some
times she was accompanied by St. Michael, sometimes by St.
Anthony, sometimes by St. Sebastian, and sometimes by troops
of angels. Among those who testified to these Apparitions was
a well-known scoffer, who received the grace of seeing Our
Lady four times in half an hour.
But it must not be supposed that these marvelous statements
were allowed to pass unchallenged by the ecclesiastical authori
ties. On the contrary, the archpriest of Castelpetroso not only
treated the whole affair as delusive, but publicly preached
against it from the pulpit of his church. He could not, how
ever, prevent his hearers from going in pious pilgrimage to the
favored spot. Another priest, a very old man, who had dis
believed in the Apparitions, went and saw and was conquered.
The following is his own narrative of what took place :
"I had many times derided those who visited the mountain
on which these wondrous Apparitions took place. On May 16,
1888, however, more to pass the time than for anything else, I
felt a desire to visit the place. When I arrived I began to look
into one of the fissures, and I saw with great clearness Our
Lady, like a statuette, with a little Child in her arms. After a
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 175
short interval I looked again at the same spot; and, in place
of the Most Holy Virgin I saw, quite clearly, the dead Saviour
bearing the crown of thorns and all covered with blood. From
that time forward when I have heard a mention of that thrice-
blessed mountain and of the Apparition I have felt myself
moved to tears, and have not been able to say a word."
This testimony was authenticated by the signature of Don
Luigi Ferrara, the priest in question.
In due course news of the occurrences reached Mgr. Ma-
carone-Palmieri, Bishop of the diocese of Bojano, in which
Castelpetroso is situated. He was called to Rome by the busi
ness of his diocese, and whilst there made the Holy Father ac
quainted with what was going on at Castelpetroso, adding that
he should have liked the Apparitions to have been confirmed by
some prodigy. The Pope replied by asking whether he did not
think the Apparitions in themselves prodigies; and requested
the Bishop to return to his diocese, visit Castelpetroso, and
report again. The Bishop did as he had been directed. He
visited Castelpetroso, in company with the archpriest of Bo
jano, on September 26, 1888, and saw Our Lady three times.
The Vicar-General and many other ecclesiastics of the dio
cese were no less favored; but perhaps the most remarkable
evidence of all was that rendered by a man who believed neither
in God nor Saints, though he frequented the Sacraments out of
human respect. This man, who had been leading so miserable
a life, went to Castelpetroso, saw the Blessed Virgin, and was
converted.
In May, 1888, a spring of water made its appearance on the
spot, and on the 2ist of the following March the Bishop of
Bojano mentioned the fact in a letter addressed to the editor
of the Servo di Maria. This water has been used by the faith
ful in the same manner as that of Lourdes, and not a few fa
vors are piously believed to have been received in consequence.
Cures are related of a character well known to all who have
studied the history of the Shrines of Our Blessed Lady. //
Servo contains a new list month by month ; and from it we se-
176 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
lect the following case, which has received the, at any rate in
formal, approbation of ecclesiastical authority.
The Bishop of Bojano informed the editor of // Servo that a
certain child named Angelo Verna, of Fara S. Martino, who had
been born a mute, had received his speech ; and at the same time
the Bishop forwarded the sworn depositions of some relatives of
the child. The editor applied for further information to the
Archbishop of Lanciano, who in turn applied to the Arch
bishop of Chieti, in whose diocese the place turned out to be.
In his reply the Archbishop of Chieti said that he had heard
nothing of the matter before the receipt of the letter of the
Archbishop of Lanciano, and that he had received the informa
tion with no little incredulity. All the same, he sent on the
letter to a priest in whom he had much confidence — one of the
canons of the collegiate church of Fara S. Martino, — request
ing him to institute a strict inquiry into all the circumstances
of the case. The worthy canon did so. and reported that Luigi
Verna, of Fara S. Martino, and Annantonia Tavani, his wife,
had a child named Angelo, six years of age ; and that from his
birth this child had been mute. The father having obtained
some of the water from the spring at Castelpetroso, sent it to his
wife. Annantonia, full of faith, gave it to the child to drink,
and the boy there and then received the gift of speech.
Among those who were drawn to Castelpetroso by the fame
of the Apparitions was Father Joseph I .ais, of the Congregation
of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri ; a man learned in physics and
in medicine, sub-director of the Vatican Observatory, and an
eminent, "all-round" scientist. He left Rome on December
18, 1889, in company with Father Morini, a Servite. They
examined everything, and Father Lais was soon convinced that
optical delusion, at any rate, was out of the question. He then
proceeded to examine the evidence.
He found that at first the clergy of the district were much
opposed to the belief in the Apparitions, but that they had been
convinced, either by ocular demonstration or by the evidence
of others. He found, too, that the belief in these Apparitions
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 177
was very widespread, and that large numbers of persons were
credited with having seen them. For example, an innkeeper
at Bojano told him and Father Morini that up to that time
more than two hundred persons from Farazzano, five hundred
from Bojano, and many more from other places, had been fa
vored by them. He examined various persons, whom he took
by chance. One woman had gone, but had seen nothing ; a girl
of nineteen had seen Our Lady of Dolors; a man had seen
Our Lady of Loreto. Father Lais learned, too, that others
had seen her only on certain of their visits — for instance, one
man saw her once in six times — and that some had been much
terrified, — two men fainted at the Apparition. To these must
be added the two original witnesses, as well as the Bishop of
Bojano and the archpriests Don Achille Ferrara of Castel-
petroso, and Don Giuseppe Nardone of Bojano.
Father Lais dwelt on the fact that the two archpriests had
zealously combated the belief in the Apparitions, and on the
natural effect of this opposition on the popular mind ; and hence
the increased force of the popular evidence, intensified as it was
by the circumstances that the priests in question afterward
joined the ranks of the believers in the Apparitions, and added
their evidence to that of the people. This eminent scientific
man speaks thus of the inhabitants of the district :
"The observations I made of the character of the people lead
me to recognize that they are profoundly convinced of the event
having taken place; and, on the other hand, their simple and
ingenuous demeanor does not suggest the suspicion that the
fact should be, to some extent, fanciful or the effect of the im
agination; whilst the natural formation of the rocks excludes
the theory of trickery."
Father Lais saw nothing himself ; in fact, the Apparitions ap
pear to have ceased for a time, though fresh ones are reported
in // Servo for June, 1890; but, short of personal ocular ex
perience, he could hardly have given stronger reason for be
lieving in the truth of the statements made by those who aver
that they have been blessed by the sight of God's holy Mother.
1 78 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
And, to give full force to his judgment, it must be remembered
that not only is he a stranger in the district, and not a member
of the venerable Order devoted to the service of the Mother of
Dolors, but he is a man of necessity accustomed to weigh evi
dence, and one who, from his training and skill in physics, must
be naturally inclined to look for physical explanations of mat
ters of this kind.
Early in 1889 the Bishop of Bojano formed a committee,
of which he took the post of president, for the purpose of col
lecting funds to build a church on the spot hallowed by the
presence of Our Lady ; and he has determined to place it under
the care of the Servite Order, founded, as our readers are
aware, for the express purpose of honoring the Dolors of Mary.
The Holy Father deigned to bless the work, and sent a tele
gram, through Cardinal Rampolla, his Secretary of State, im
parting the Apostolic Blessing to the members of the com
mittee, and to all those who contributed to the fund.
The Servo di Maria, a religious journal published at Bologna,
gives the following letter received by the editor from the Bishop
of Bojano, Italy, relative to the Apparitions which took place
at Castelpetroso, a village in his diocese :
"On the 22d of March, 1888, two shepherdesses of Castel
petroso related that they had beheld an Apparition of the
Blessed Virgin in the mountains overlooking the village. The
report of this event spread far and wide, and very many per
sons, young and old, visited the spot. Day after day hundreds
of the faithful thronged to the sacred place, many of them
passing the whole night there, in sighs and tears and prayers.
In a short time pilgrimages were organized of pious Christians
wishing to behold the miracle with their own eyes. And so
great were their faith and piety that very many among the pil
grims had the happiness of obtaining their wish.
"The Blessed Virgin appeared daily — more frequently as the
Mother of Sorrows, and at other times as Our Lady of Mount
Carmel or the Queen of the Holy Rosary. A number of per
sons affirmed that they saw Apparitions of St. Michael, St.
ST. CATHERINE IN THE ARMS OF THE NUNS
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 179
Anthony, St. Joseph, St. Sebastian, together with the Blessed
Virgin, and also the Holy Face of Jesus surrounded by angels.
"As the event became more widely known and acquired a
high degree of credibility, I deemed it expedient to have an ac
count reduced to writing, and certified to by the depositions,
under oath, of those who had been eye-witnesses of the prodigy.
The preparation of this report occupied several months. When
it was completed I took it in person to Rome to submit it to the
Sovereign Pontiff, that the Holy See might pronounce author
itatively and definitely in the matter. ,
"I myself can bear witness that I visited the sacred spot,
and, after some time spent in prayer, saw the Apparition of the
Blessed Virgin. At first the image of Our Lady appeared faint
and indistinct, but at length she appeared in the attitude and
proportions of the representation of the Mother of Sorrows
published in one of the numbers of the Servo di Maria. Be
sides myself and the very large number of persons whose
names are recorded in the official report, there are the Vicar-
General of the diocese, the Archpriest of the Cathedral, and
many other ecclesiastics, who also beheld the miraculous Ap
paritions. . . ."
A beautiful Gothic church was built on the spot where the
Blessed Virgin appeared; the corner-stone was laid in May,
1890.
AN ALPINE MONUMENT TO MARY
On the very top of the eternally snow-covered Rocciamelone,
a peak of the Alps, has been raised a colossal bronze statue
of the Blessed Virgin— the Madonna of the Snow. Soldiers
carried the heavy pieces up the rugged mountain sides. It cost
$150,000, raised by the children of Italy, the King and Queen,
her brother the Duke of Genoa, and her step-brother the Duke
of Abruzzi, contributing. The mountain peak is called the
Sentinel of Italy, and stands above the town of Susa, present
ing a view of the River Dora in the valley below, the hills about
i8o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Turin, Mont Cenis and the confines of France way off to the
left. The Latin inscription is by Pope Leo XIII., literally
translated :
Spirit Mother of God,
Purer than the snow, Mary,
Turn thy benevolent look on thy Susa,
Protect the Italian frontier,
Celestial Patron !
THE PASSION OF MARY
O Lady Mary, thy bright crown
Is no mere crown of Majesty;
For, with the reflex of His own
Resplendent thorns Christ circled thee.
The red rose of this passion-tide
Doth take a deeper hue from thee,
In the five wounds of Jesus dyed,
And in thy bleeding thoughts, Mary.
The soldier struck a triple stroke
That smote thy Jesus on the tree;
He broke the Heart of hearts, and broke
The Saints' and Mothers' hearts, in thee.
Thy Son went up the angels' ways,
His passion ended; but, ah me,
Thou found'st the road of further days
A longer way of Calvary.
On the hard cross of hope deferred,
Thou hung'st in loving agony,
Until the mortal-dreaded word
Which chills our mirth, spake mirth to thee.
The angel Death, from this cold tomb
Of life, did roll the stone away;
And, He thou bearest in thy womb
Caught thee at last into the day
Before the living throne of whom
The lights of heaven burning pray.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 181
O thou, who dwellest in the day,
Behold, I pace amidst the gloom;
Darkness is ever round my way
With little space for sunbeam-room.
Yet, Christian sadness is divine,
Even as thy patient sadness was :
The salt tears in our life's dark wine
Fell in it from the saving cross.
Bitter the bread of our repast ;
Yet, doth a sweet the bitter leaven.
Our sorrow is the shadow cast
Around it by the light of heaven.
O Light in light, shine down from heaven.
Francis Thompson.
LET US PRAY
O God, from Whom are holy desires, right counsels, and
just works; give to Thy servants that peace which the world
cannot give : that our hearts may be disposed to keep Thy com
mandments, and the fear of enemies being removed, the times,
by Thy protection, may be peaceful. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen. Amen.
100 days. Plenary once a month.
EJACULATORY PRAYER
Blessed forever be the most pure, most holy, and most Im
maculate Conception of the glorious Virgin Mary Mother of
God.
[Popes Gregory XV. and Benedict XIII. granted a hundred
days' Indulgence for the recital of this prayer.]
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
SAN JUAN, NEW MEXICO
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
SAN JUAN, NEW MEXICO
1890
The thought that Mary kindly bears
Our daily needs to God in prayers,
The sadness of my life shall cheer,
And strengthen me, no ill to fear.
Henry Coyle.
SHRINE to Our Lady of Lourdes in this brown
Territory, a veritable place of pilgrimage whither
thousands flock in solemn procession, with banners
flying, the chanting of litanies and the recitation
of the Rosary, can be a matter of surprise to those only who
know not the faith of New Mexico's people.
In all the troublous times which they have seen, their love
of Our Lady has been like a powerful beacon-light cleaving the
darkness. When the Holy Mass had ceased to be said in many
a parish church, because the brave Franciscan padre had been
driven from the land and as yet no priest had come to take his
place, when burning desert and bloodthirsty savage had all but
deprived the people of communion with the mother Church in
Durango, that light burned without a flicker in their hearts
and showed them that the bark of religion might be tempest-
tossed a while, but could never be sunk. Sunday after Sunday,
the congregations gathered where no pastor could come to
them, and prayed on their beads that the breaking of the dawn
might be soon; and the same beads brought the family each
night to their knees in pious union to invoke the Queen of
Heaven that their faith might not falter, that the long aban-
1 84 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
doned churches of Christ might be restored, and that His spirit
might once again be abroad in all the land.
If the floating of the Stars and Stripes above it has proved
a benison to New Mexico, this has been due to Our Lady. She
has answered those ceaseless prayers that went up to her in the
darkness. Our Lady of Guadalupe has proved herself not a
whit less compassionate in New Mexico than she has always
been at Tepayac and wherever her sacred name has been in
voked in the older land of Montezuma. Not otherwise can we
account for the new life that was given the Church in New
Mexico with the floating of that flag. Then indeed was it
snatched from the jaws of a wolf that was rending her, the
Mexican Republic, which had already expelled from its midst
the devoted religious Orders, and whose one unchanging ob
ject has ever been, through all its revolutions, to despoil the
Church of its property, so freely given and so productive of
good in its administration, and to subject the clergy to a thou
sand petty cruelties that crush their spirit and cripple their best
endeavors. Then was it given a Bishop of its own. Then
did its ruined churches start again in beauty from the dust.
New parishes were opened on every hand, and a large and de
voted body of clergymen, coming from distant climes, gave to
the Church of New Mexico a fresh impetus, a more vigorous
life than ever, which bids fair to rank it soon with the most
fruitful of all the vineyards of Christ in America.
Knowing this touching page in the history of New Mexico's
faithful people, and recalling how often the name of Our Lady
figures in the earlier times of the Territory's conquest and re-
conquest, the writer was not surprised to be invited one day
to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes at the famous old
pueblo of San Juan de los Caballeros.
St. John of the Cavaliers had earned its title far back in the
centuries, when its red inhabitants had shown the greatest hos
pitality and courtesy to the very first band of Spanish settlers
under Onate in 1598. Not far from their pueblo, called Oj-que
in their own Tehua language, had been erected the first church
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 185
in the Territory, a mile or so to the west, where the Rio Chama
enters the Rio Grande, and where the village of Chamita now
stands. When Onate's colonists began to build their houses,
break the new land and plant and irrigate their crops, the kindly
natives of San Juan came to their assistance in a hundred ways,
and immeasurably softened the hardships of pioneering. The
pumpkins, beans and corn of their own raising, the deer which
they shot in the mountains and the fish which they caught in
the Rio Grande, their buffalo robes and their various fabrics of
cotton, were all freely shared with the Spaniards. This un-
looked for generosity, combined with their powerful and hand
some physique, and the rare good taste with which they dressed
in their home-made garments and in the feathers of the eagle
and turkey, well won for them the appellation of gentlemen,
and to this day their descendants still deserve it.
The rebel Po-pe, it is true, was born in San Juan, but when
he was hatching his plans of murder, and sought, first of all,
for ruffians to assassinate the governor and afterwards to set
all New Mexico aflame with the horrors of war, he had to quit
his native town and seek for fellow-murderers in Taos. Two
famous Mexican authors assure us that rebellion found no sym
pathy in San Juan, and certainly we have no records to the
contrary. Fathers Luis de Morales and Sanchez de Pro, who
were slaughtered by the rebels, had their residence in San Ilde-
fonso (O-jo-que, in the Tehua tongue), a sister pueblo further
down the Rio Grande, of which San Juan was only a visita,
or outlying mission. It was, in fact, at San Juan that the regu
lar work of the Church in New Mexico was first organized.
It was there that, on September 9, 1598, was held the first meet
ing of the whole Territory, to which came chiefs from nearly
all the pueblos and avowed their pleasure at the thought of
having the Christian missionaries come to their homes ; and
there, in pursuance of their warm invitations, Father Martinez,
the first commissary of the missions, apportioned his brethren
amongst the pueblos. San Juan, together with San Ildefonso,
San Gabriel, Santa Clara and others, in the province which
1 86 APPARITIONS AND 'SHRINES OF
Coronado called Yuque-Yunque, fell to the lot of Father
tobal de Salazar. Since then, their history has been, perhaps,
the most peaceful and prosperous of all the pueblos, and no
wonder that Our Lady's first great place of pilgrimage in the
Territory should be amongst a people so long and so deservedly
renowned for their courtesy and fidelity.
The Indian here, as in all the pueblos, is first a farmer.
Locating near the river, he leads away its water in ditches by
a system of irrigation that antedates the Spaniard, and carries
it into his patches of melon and corn and wheat, and into his
orchards, and so raises crops that are the envy of all his white
neighbors. No vineyards, however, are permitted on the three
miles of land which are owned and tilled by San Juan. Wine,
whisky and all intoxicating liquors are forbidden here. Though
this is not the rule in all the pueblos, it cannot be said that
drunkenness is a serious evil anywhere amongst them. Unlike
so many of the savage tribes to whom it has brought extermina
tion, it is seen only on rare occasions with the pueblos, and then
only when they have strayed to the white man's town and
fallen victims to some unscrupulous Mexican or Gringo
(Yankee) seeking to outwit them in buying and selling. The
pueblos are, in fact, as numerous to-day as when they first met
the white man. After farming the San Juan people turn their
attention to the making of beautiful ornamental pottery and
numberless beaded trinkets, not to mention the so-called idols
which they make by stealth and sell to the credulous tourist.
They also weave and tan their own garments. As hunters, too,
they prove themselves rare sportsmen. In the distant moun
tains on the east and the west, they shoot the bear and deer
and the royal eagle. In the fields near by the rabbit is their
frequent prey, and so are the fish of the Rio Grande and its
many tributaries. Turkeys, chickens and pigs, dogs and cats,
burros and horses, abound in their streets and courts.
How strange to find the town of these gentle barbarians
adorned with a statue in gilded bronze and a chapel in sculp
tured lava rock in honor of Our Lady! How unexpected in
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 187
this bare and isolated region, so remote from the great marts of
trade and the centres of population! What a promise they
give of a long and peaceful life to a people whose Ismael
brothers are being blotted so fast from existence !
The statue stands in the centre of the pueblo, before the
parish church, to the west of the plaza. A work of art it truly
is, which would decorate rather the proudest city in the Union
than this adobe-built town of Indians. Itself seven feet in
height, it rests upon a pedestal of rose-colored granite twenty-
five feet high. An iron railing runs about the base, and from
this a flight of five stone steps leads to the ground. The statue
was cast in the foundry of Verrebout in Paris, and is a repro
duction of the one so much endeared to the Catholic heart by
the miracles wrought at its feet in Lourdes — Our Lady gazing
with clasped hands toward heaven, her Rosary pendant from
her right arm- and roses blooming at her feet. A group of In
dians is always to be found seated or kneeling on the steps.
Hard as it is to imbue them thoroughly with an understanding
of the great truths of faith, jet all of them have imbibed a
heartfelt devotion to the Mother of God.
Directly back of the statue is the renovated parish church
of San Juan. Its present handsome appearance is due, as are
the statue and the Shrine, to the taste and devotion of the
venerable pastor, Camille Seux. Only those who remember
the sad condition of the old adobe church can realize the thor
oughness of his work. The cost of both statue and Shrine was
met from his own private resources. As a reward of his zeal,
it is a pleasure to record that the present Archbishop has
created him one of the three irremovable pastors in the diocese.
His humble residence, adorned with a latticed veranda and
opening on a well-swept, sunlit courtyard, nestles close to the
church. His garden lies a hundred yards to the north, across
the acequia, and is brilliant with chrysanthemums and heavy
with the perfume of berries and fruit.
Due east across the plaza from the statue rises the Gothic
Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. It was erected two years
i88 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
later than the statue and has become the holy place to which
it seems that thousands yet shall come in pilgrimage, as thou
sands have already come in the short time since its erection.
STATUE, SHRINE AND PILGRIMAGE
Father Seux unveiled the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes
in his pueblo of San Juan de los Caballeros on the Qth of April,
1888. The pious story runs that he did so to commemorate his
elevation to the sacred priesthood. Could he have chosen more
wisely than to thus enthrone the Mother of God over the limit
less stretches of country that roll from the pueblo in every direc
tion, to make the great valley ring with canticles in Her honor,
and to bring hither Her devotees from every corner of the Ter
ritory? To prepare for the unveiling an eight days' mission
was preached by the Jesuit missionaries, Fathers Paschal To-
massini, of Conejos, and Aloysius Ramos, then of Trinidad.
So great was the religious enthusiasm excited by these preach
ers that over two thousand Communions were received during
the mission at the parish church, and a number of notable con
versions were made to the true Faith. Fifty and a hundred
miles was no uncommon distance for the people to come.
On the day of unveiling, at least four thousand persons were
in attendance. One thousand came by special train from Santa
Fe, and almost every parish in the territory was represented,
while large delegations came down from Antonito, Conejos
and Del Norte in Colorado. When the pilgrims alighted from
the cars at Chamita, they formed in solemn procession, and
sang the Litany of Our Lady and recited the beads aloud as
they crossed the country to San Juan. The line of march was
enlivened by several bands of music, and was gay with dozens
of banners, the most conspicuous of which was that of Mary
Immaculate, at the head of a band of two hundred Children
of Mary from Santa Fe.
Pontifical High Mass was sung in the church by His Grace,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 189
Archbishop of Salpointe, assisted by many of his clergy. The
ceremonies were rendered especially inspiring by the presence
of fifty-four girls and boys who there for the first time received
the Body and Blood of Our Lord. After Mass, the line of pro
cession was taken up again, and the pilgrims moved slowly
through all the streets of the pueblo. Returning, they formed
in a circle around the statue, while Father Grom, then of Las
Vegas, addressed them in an appropriate and touching sermon
on the exalted prerogatives of the Mother of God. The exer
cises of the first pilgrimage to San Juan were then brought to
a close by the Archbishop, who imparted his episcopal bene
diction to the assembled multitude, and granted an indulgence
of one hundred days to those who should devoutly recite the
Memorare and an Ave Maria before the statue.
The idea of a pilgrimage thus so happily inaugurated was
eagerly seized upon by the people of the Territory, and hardly
a month passed by that did not witness bands of the pious faith
ful coming to visit the statue through private devotion. Instead
of waning, their devotion seemed only to increase until, two
years later, Father Seux determined to erect a special chapel
for the pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, and so
to place all his people under her special protection. The legend
has it, also, that he was more urgently moved to do so by the
miraculous intervention of Our Lady on a certain occasion
when he was threatened with a violent death.
Be this as it may, he was astonished to find his plan op
posed by the Indians themselves. The greater part of them
confine the practice of their faith to having their baptisms,
marriages and death attended with all the rites and blessings
of the Church, to attendance at Mass on Sundays and feast-
days, and to the unfailing reception of their Easter Communion
— would we could say so much for all our parishes of white
people! — and even amongst the most lukewarm no trace of
paganism seems to linger. They profess and exhibit the most
tender love for everything connected with the service of God ;
but they had grown jealous of the encroachments of the whites.
190 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
They had already permitted a number of Mexicans to live in
their midst, and to the Jewish postmaster they had also given
the right to erect a pretty frame house in the suburbs; and
they now feared that any further concession might mark the
beginning of their own downfall.
History shows us, alas ! that they were not wholly to blame
for their view of the question ; but Father Seux knew that no
such danger threatened them in this instance. An adobe house
stood on the site of the present Shrine, and the earnest pastor
offered them twice and three times its real value, but they stub
bornly refused, until at last some of his Mexican friends came
to his help. The acequia madre or main irrigating ditch, upon
which the Indians depended to cultivate their orchards and
farms, ran through the property of these Mexicans. Hereto
fore the Indians had enjoyed a right of way without payment,
but they were now threatened with a lawsuit and heavy taxes
on the same unless they yielded to their pastor's pious designs.
The threat had the desired effect, and the Indians yielded
gracefully. To show that money had not been their object, they
declined all payment for the property, except a small present
to the owner, for whom they at once built another equally good
in another quarter of the pueblo. Work on the Shrine began
immediately and, in its completion, they repeatedly expressed
to Father Seux their pride in possessing it, and their pleasure
in the thought that their first opposition had been overcome.
Every morning now, week days and Sundavs, the voice of the
venerable fiscal of the pueblo is heard ringing in stentorian
tones through the streets and calling his people to Mass, just
as every day at sunset the same sonorous voice announces all
the duties of the morrow. As these Indians have no instru
ments of music except their drums, the office of church-bell
and newspaper alike are filled by the powerful lungs of the
fiscal. A fair number always answer his summons to Mass, and
at least one devout Indian is always glad to act as server.
The pilgrimage which marked the opening of the Shrine of
Our Lady of Lourdes at San Juan was held on June 19, 1890.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 191
As for the unveiling of the statue, an immense crowd left Santa
Fe in company with the Archbishop and his clergy, and was
met at Chamita by an equal multitude who had either come
up the evening before, or had arrived the same morning from
the towns in the north and east, Santa Cruz, Las Truchas,
Rinconada, Mora, Taos, Tierra Amarilla, El Rito, Antonito
and Conejos, and all the intervening ranchos and plazitas. The
crowd was too great to be formed in regular lines as before,
but their march was again brilliant with banners, enlivened
with strains of music and devout with the ceaseless recitation
of the Rosary. As, too, the heart of the Indian is most effectu
ally moved by noise, the firing of guns and the booming of can
non were kept up steadily during all the services.
When the pilgrims had assembled in the plaza, the Arch
bishop and his assistants came in procession from the parish
church and, passing around the new Shrine, performed the ex
ercises usual at the blessing and consecration of a new church.
These exercises were preceded by a sermon delivered by the
veteran worker amongst the Indians, Father Jouvenceau, of
Tierra Amarilla, and, after the outside walls had been duly
sprinkled with holy water, the doors were thrown open and the
interior was similarly blessed. Pontifical High Mass followed,
and the long and consoling services of the second great pil
grimage to San Juan ended by the chanting of the Magnificat
at the base of the statue. The refection which was after
wards served to the clergy and invited laity at the residence of
Father Seux, was marked by a very happy address on the part
of Major Sena, of Santa Fe, thanking the Archbishop and the
pastor for the glorious work that was done this day, and pro
testing the ardent love of New Mexico's people for the Queen
of Heaven.
The Shrine is, as we have seen, a tasteful Gothic structure
cut in a pale blue lava stone from the neighboring mountains.
The sanctuary is fitted up to reproduce as far as possible, in
the same material, the miraculous grotto at Lourdes. In a niche
on the Epistle side, appears Our Lady, radiant with roses, with
192 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the famous inscription above her: "Je sm's 1'Immaculee Con
ception." The maiden Bernadette kneels on the Gospel side,
with a lighted taper in her hands. The grotto proper is occu
pied by the altar. A wrought iron railing divides the sanctuary
from the body of the Shrine, where, as usual in Mexican
churches, no pews are set to rest the worshippers, but men and
women sit devoutly on the floor. The whole building is quite
a model of beauty and good taste, while the idea of the pil
grimage so greatly pleased the Archbishop that he favored it
with the usual indulgences of a privileged altar.
Twice again since the opening of the Shrine have solemn
pilgrimages left Santa Fe, and the other cities named, for San
Juan. The date has been the 8th of September, the feast of the
Nativity of Our Lady. In 1891 and 1892, as many as six
hundred pilgrims went thither from Santa Fe, one hundred
came down from El Rito, and no less than seven hundred on
both occasions from Conejos. An unfortunate misunderstand
ing as to the date prevented any public manifestation in 1893,
but numberless private pilgrimages were held throughout the
year. A large throng also gathered at the Shrine in 1894, in
spite of the enforced absence of the pastor.
The daily increasing interest in the pilgrimage is proved by
the unbroken streams of visitors all year long, and arrange
ments have now been made by which the feast will unfailingly
be celebrated with great pomp every year hereafter. The
Shrine is still new, but it has taken a marvelous hold on the
faithful of New Mexico, manifesting an ardent and practical
devotion to the Mother of God, which promises the greatest
blessings for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Terri
tory.
Rev. George O'Connell, S. /.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 193
HOLY NAME OF MARY
Dear honored name, beloved for human ties,
But loved and honored first that One was given
In living proof, to erring eyes,
That our poor flesh is near akin to Heaven.
Sweet word of dual meaning : one of grace,
And born of our kind Advocate above ;
And one, by memory linked to that dear face
That blessed my childhood with its mother-love,
And taught me, first, the simple prayer : "To thee,
Poor banished sons of Eve, we send our cries,"
Through mists of years these words recall to me
A childish face upturned to loving eyes.
And yet, to some the name of Mary bears
No special meaning and no gracious power;
In that dear word they seek for hidden snares,
As wasps find poison in the sweetest flower.
But faithful hearts can see, o'er doubts and fears,
The Virgin-link that binds the Lord to earth;
Which to the upturned trusting face, appears
Greater than angel, though of human birth.
The sweet-faced moon reflects on cheerless night,
The rays of hidden sun that rise to-morrow;
So, unseen, God lets His promised light,
Through holy Mary, shine upon our sorrow.
John Boyle O'Reilly.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF GRACES
CORK, IRELAND
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 195
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF GRACES
CORK, IRELAND
1895
"From Him the Grace: through her it Stands
Adjusted, meted and applied;
And ever, passing through her hands,
Enriched it seems, and beautified.
"Love's mirror doubles Love's caress;
Love's echo to Love's voice is true; —
Their Sire the children love not less
Because they clasp a Mother, too."
Aubrey de Vere.
N the evening of Sunday, February 3, 1895, a sol
emn Triduum was opened in the Dominican
Church, of St. Mary's, Cork, Ireland. It had a
triple object — the formal inauguration of the new
side altars and the installation of the image of "Our Lady of
Graces" above the altar of the Rosary.
The Right Rev. Dr. O'Callaghan, O. P., presided, and the
devotions commenced with procession of the Rosary, in which
the prior and community, with his Lordship the Bishop, the
Venerable Archdeacon Coghlan, and also the members of the
Confraternities of the Rosary, the Holy Name, and St. Thomas
of Aquin, took part. An overflowing congregation attended,
as also on the other days of the triduum. Archdeacon Coghlan,
P.P., Blackrock, then delivered a beautiful and impressive dis
course on devotion to the Blessed Virgin, taking for his text
the words of the Magnificat, "Behold, from henceforth all
nations shall call me blessed." Having enlarged in eloquent
terms on the virtues and prerogatives of Mary, and having
alluded to the procession which had just taken place, as a small
recognition on the part of those present in her honor, the ven-
1 96 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
erable preacher concluded by saying, "That on such an evening,
and in such a church, it would be unpardonable in him to omit
referring to one whom he might, in a most emphatic manner,
style the apostle of devotion to Mary. If ever there was a
saint in the history of the church whose zeal and reverence en
titled him to be called the privileged apostle of devotion to
Mary, it was St. Dominic. That evening they were to have
unveiled before them a beautiful marble group representing
Our Blessed Lady giving the Rosary to St. Dominic." The
preacher then described the devotion of the Rosary, and thus
concluded his discourse. Immediately afterwards the group
of statues were blessed by the Bishop. The statue of St. Dom
inic surmounting his own altar was blessed on a previous
occasion.
The side altars of Our Blessed Lady and St. Dominic were
consecrated on Monday, at 10 o'clock, the former by the bishop
of the diocese, and the latter by the Right Rev. Dr. Browne, the
Bishop of Cloyne. They are of elaborate construction, and
were designed by Mr. Hynes, architect, and executed by Mr.
Daly, builder, in the most exquisite and aritistic manner, the
style being Corinthian, in keeping with that of the church. A
curved coning in the superstructure of each altar forms a niche,
lit from behind, in which respectively is the group of statues
and the statue of St. Dominic, which has been alluded to al
ready. A tabernacle of beautifully wrought brass on the Ro
sary altar is surmounted by a marble structure which contains
the Image of Our Lady of Grace.
On Monday evening the devotions of the triduum were re
sumed. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Lewis Butler,
O.P., of St. Saviour's, Dublin, and was listened to with rapt
attention by the congregation. He said that many instances
were recorded in sacred scripture of how in times of supreme
national peril and impending ruin, the people of God were res
cued by the hands of women. He made special mention in this
respect of Deborah, Judith, and the mother of the Maccabees,
but remarked that they were only the figures and precursors
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 197
of one greater than them all, and that was the humble Virgin
of Nazareth, the Mother of Jesus Christ. Mary, by her agency,
saved not one generation but all the generations of men. Re
ferring to St. Dominic, Father Butler said that when struggling
with the Albigensian heresy he preached in vain, until one night
the Blessed Virgin appeared and presented to him the holy
Rosary. Whilst afterwards employing this spiritual weapon
the most hardened sinners were softened by his words, and
thousands of heretics were saved by the power and prayers of
a woman. He then spoke of Ireland, and said that persecution
had done its utmost to destroy the faith of our country. The
broken arches, the burned Shrines, the ivy-clad walls, the land
thrice confiscated, told all that she had suffered in the cause
of truth and justice. But there was one thing left, and this
could never be snatched from the bleeding hands of Ireland.
That was the Catholic faith. The reason of this unchangeable
fidelity was to be found in our devotion to the holy Mother
of God — a devotion handed down from father to son and
mother to daughter, until it became an heirloom in every Irish
Catholic home.
Tuesday was the closing day of the triduum. High Mass
was celebrated by Father Moore in the presence of the Bishop.
He also presided at the evening devotions, which began with
a procession in honor of "Our Lady of Grace." The very Rev.
Canon Keller, P.P., of Youghal, preached. The Fathers of
St. Mary's considered it not only most becoming but also a
great privilege that Canon Keller should preach at the close
of the solemn triduum, as it was principally intended to honor
"Our Lady of Grace," whose sacred Image formerly belonged
to his parish, and he himself was so distinguished an ecclesi
astic, being revered.
In his sermon, Canon Keller delicately and beautifully con
nected the marvelous merits of "Our Lady of the Rosary" with
those of "Our Lady of Grace," for whilst dilating on the for
mer he brought the minds of his hearers to dwell on the latter.
"That occasion," he said, "was specially dear to him, when for
198 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES Off
the first time after the lapse of many generations, the vener
able Image of 'Our Lady of Grace' was exposed for public
veneration and devotion ; and being an occasion, too, that had
been blessed in a special manner by our most Holy Father,
Leo XIII., under the patronage of the venerable prelate of this
diocese."
Having spoken of the great devotion and confidence in Mary
which prevailed in Ireland, he said that "he did not know a
nation in all the pages of the history of the church where the
Catholic faith had been more steadfastly adhered to, or where
greater sufferings or sacrifices were made for the faith than in
Ireland. Meanwhile churches were levelled to the earth.
Shrines were burnt and altars overthrown, but the figure of
'Our Lady of Youghal' was saved ; and he envied them, while
he congratulated them, on possessing that sacred relic, which
for a long succession of ages, in the old town of Youghai by
the sea, was a source of veneration and attraction to countless
multitudes of our forefathers."
At the conclusion of the sermon, benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament was given by his Lordship the Bishop, and thus
terminated this memorable triduum, which abounded with so
many tokens of deep piety and love on the part of the Catholics
of Cork towards the Blessed Mother of God in her hope-in
spiring character of "Our Lady of Grace."
YOUGHAL AND THE MIRACULOUS STATUE
The Dominican convent of Youghal county, Cork, was
founded in 1268 by Thomas, son of Maurice Fitzgerald, then
Viceroy of Ireland, under the title of "Lord Justiciary." In
1243, John, his paternal grandfather, founded the priory in
Tralee, where he was buried. The remains of Thomas were
laid in the cemetery of the Youghal Convent, which was dedi
cated to the Holy Cross, probably on account of the red cross
marked on the family shield. The houses of Tralee and Sligo,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 199
built by the Geraldines, as well as five others of the Order in
Ireland, and that of Louvain, bore the same appellation.
The Friary of Youghal was built to the north of the town,
and though the dwelling has totally disappeared, the ruins of
the church may still be seen surrounded by monuments of the
dead. Judging from the foundations, which have occa
sionally been uncovered, it consisted of nave, choir, and south
aisle. The dwelling was situated, according to conventional
custom, on the north side. There still exists to southeast, a
massive though mutilated pier, which supported the arches as
well as the west end of the nave, and fragments of the side
walls. There can be little doubt but that it was a beautiful
church, and no mean specimen of the Gothic style in the thir
teenth century, as can be seen by the foliated capitals still ad
hering to the pier.
Above the west doorway was a three-light window, which
all but fills the entire gable. Tradition tells us that a subter
ranean passage, running in a southerly direction, connected
the Priory with St. Mary's Collegiate Church. When in 1847
a grave was being dug in the cemetery, there was found a free
stone effigy of a knight in armor, with a sword at his side. The
coffin was placed over the effigy, which is still supposed to be
undisturbed. The convent lands were given by the English
Government to various persons successively — first in 1581, to
a military man named William Walsh, at a nominal rent of
twenty-two pence for ever; then for a term of years to John
Thickpenny, who was also a soldier. As certified in the ''MS.
of Lismore," by A. St. Leger, the Friary was granted to Walter
Raleigh on the 3rd of February, 1586, at the annual rent of
£12 195. 6d. All his Irish grants were conveyed by Raleigh to
Mr. Richard Boyle, the first Lord Cork, on the 7th December,
1602. The buildings were, however, destroyed in the follow
ing year, and the agents whom Raleigh employed for the pur
pose were, according to authentic accounts, most unfortunate.
The first who undertook the demolition fell dead from the roof
of the church, all his limbs being broken ; also three soldiers,
200 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
who threw the Holy Cross from the top of the monastery, met
with frightful deaths. Within eight days of the outrage one
died insane, another was consumed by vermin, and the third
killed by the seneschal of the Earl of Desmond.
THE MIRACULOUS STATUE
"Holy Cross," the title of the convent of Youghal, was
changed to that of "Our Lady of Graces," because of a statue
of the Blessed Vrigin, which the Friars obtained in a miracu
lous manner. A piece of wood brought in by the tide was
found on the bank adjoining the town. The wood being rare
in the locality some fishermen wished to take it, but they were
unable to lift it, though they harnessed ten horses for the pur
pose. The ebbing tide bearing it towards the Dominican mon
astery, two of the religious brought it to the cloister. The
Prior being informed in a vision, which he had during the night,
that the Image of Our Blessed Lady was in this wood, found
it accordingly.
Another account tells us that the piece of timber was exposed
to the weather near the porch of the church. A blind man en
tering the building and seeking with outstretched hand for holy
water, dipped his fingers into the rain water lodged in a cavity
of the wood. Thinking it was holy water he at once rubbed
his eyes with it, according to his custom, and on the instant his
sight was restored. This miracle led to the examination of the
wood and the consequent discovery of the Image. This Image
was the object of special devotion to the faithful, who flocked
from all parts of Ireland to venerate it.
By a decree of the Most General Chapter, held in Rome,
1644, all alms offered in honor of the pious Image were to be
applied to the Convent of Youghal, and the Provincial was or
dered not to dispose of them otherwise.
This statue of the Madonna and Child is of Italian work-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 201
manship of the fifteenth century. It is a carving in ivory about
three inches long, much worn and discolored by time.
During the persecutions the Dominicans removed the Image
to a place of safety. It was afterwards enclosed by a daughter
of one of the Geraldines in a silver case, richly decorated with
floriated ornaments and surmounted by a cross. In front are
folding doors, which, when open, display the sacred relic. On
the inside of the doors are a crucifix and the figure of a
Saint respectively. The case bears the following Latin inscrip
tion : Orate pro anima Onorise filiae Jacobi de Geraldinis quoe
me fieri fecit. Anno Domini, 1617. "Pray for the soul of
Honoria, daughter of James Fitzgerald, who caused me to be
made. A.D. 1617."
From the time of its discovery up to our own days miracu
lous powers have been uninterruptedly ascribed to the Image of
"Our Lady of Graces," and as long as it was possible the Irish
people made pilgrimages to the Friary of Youghal in order to
honor it.
Amongst the frequent instances of cures and graces obtained
by prayers offered in honor of this Image was that of Mr.
Michael O'Callaghan, father of the present Bishop of Cork.
The new Shrine is a votive offering of thanksgiving for his
recovery, and bears the following inscription: Sanctae Mariae
Gratiarum Michael O'Callaghan Familiaque devote Gratias
agentes, A.D. MDCCCLXXII. "Michael O'Callaghan and
family devoutly returning thanks to Saint Mary of Graces,
1872." This Shrine was designed by the late Mr. Goldie of
London. The work was executed in Paris, under his super
vision. He would accept no remuneration for his own eminent
personal services, as he was desirous of participating in the
noble offering of the donors.
This venerable Image is now in the possession of the Do
minican community of Cork. No precise record exists as to the
manner in which it came into their hands, but the following
may throw light upon the subject: In the dark days of perse
cution it was ordained by the authorities of the Order in Ire-
202 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
land that when, as frequently happened, the inmates of a con
vent were dispersed by the enemies of religion, the sacred ves
sels, vestments, and other religious objects, should be sent to'
the nearest community, that they might not be lost or dese
crated. This regulation reasonably accounts for the existence
of three objects of interest and veneration found by Father
Russell in 1823, on his return to Ireland from Lisbon, in the
old safe of Dominic Street, namely — the Image of "Our Lady
of Graces," the chalice of Youghal Convent, and an old black-
letter copy of the Bible, on the front page of which is written
the following words, showing its antiquity and authenticity :
'This chalice belongs to the convent of the Divine Mother of
Bonsheim, and Mark Remhardi, in the name of Nicolas
Philippi, 1481." On the chalice also is this inscription: "Per
tinent ad Conventum Deiparae Gratiarum De Yeoghall, 1632."
"This chalice belongs to the convent of the Divine Mother of
Graces of Youghal, 1632."
The following description of the chalice will be of interest
to the reader: "It rest on a hexagonal foot, the base being
formed of six fan-shaped spandrels. Two of these are en
graved with a conventional lily decoration, which so often oc
curs upon chalices of the same period. The third space has a
crucifixion, with the Redeemer's feet resting on a skull, and
placed against the cross on each side are a spear and ladder.
OUR LADY OF GRACE
This was the gift of love — this statue tall and fair.
Mark you its gracious beauty, its sweet and serious air;
Beneath the veil close folded, the curve of its soft hair.
See its kind eyes ! Forever they answer mine upraised ;
I am rebuked with pity, with sweet approval praised;
At wilful sin — oh, surely how would it stand amazed!
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
Wide sweeps the spotless mantle, the hands are stretched to bless,
The slender feet the serpent in holy victory press;
But yet the head droops gently toward those who know distress.
This is my own dear Lady ! Nor gold nor art could place
On stateliest shrine the rival of its familiar face,
Ah, truly it doth image Our Lady of All Grace !
Sarah Trainer Smith.
APPARITION OF
OUR LADY OF TILLY
NORMANDY, FRANCE
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 205
APPARITION
OF
OUR LADY OF TILLY
NORMANDY, FRANCE
1896
"Mother, now I'll say my beads,
For my soul some comfort needs.
And what better could there be
Than to raise my thoughts to thee,
Sweet Mother!"
Father Russell, S. J.
HE little village of Tilly-sur-Seulles, which is said
to have been favored with a series of Apparitions
of Our Lady, is situated in a pleasant, undulating
country between Bayeux and Caen, a little to the
south of the railway that connects these two historic cities.
The village is divided into two parts by the river Seulles, which
follows a winding course as it runs northward, and finally
pours its waters into the English Channel. The station of
Audrieu, on the line from Bayeux to Caen, is about two miles
distant from Tilly ; and the traveller who there leaves the train
passes through pretty country lanes, until he sees in the dis
tance a clump of trees which surround the faubourg of St.
Pierre, at the entrance to Tilly. After passing through St.
Pierre, he finds himself on a slight eminence, whence he looks
down on the river, on either side of which, sloping upward
from its banks, rises the village that has leaped suddenly into
fame.
In Tilly, as in most of the larger villages of France, there
are two village schools — the Ecole Laique, provided and sup
ported by the state; and the Ecole Libre, taught by religious
who belong to a local congregation entitled Les Soeurs du
206 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Sacre Coeur de Coutances. This latter school is built on the
side of a hill, on the road to Bayeux ; and its windows overlook
a portion of the village, and of the fields which lie beyond.
On the afternoon of March 18, 1896, the children were as
sembled as usual in the Ecole Libre. The elder ones occupied
a large schoolroom, three windows of which, extending along
one side of it, look out in the direction of the fields, across the
little village. They had just finished their lessons, and the re
ligious in charge was giving directions to some of them to re
main and proceed to the church as soon as the evening prayers
were said, in order that those who wished to go to Holy Com
munion on the next day (the Feast of St. Joseph) might pre
pare themselves for confession; the others were enjoined to
proceed home at once. While they were putting away their
books, the good nun addressed to them a few kind words, en
couraging them to practise devotion to St. Joseph, and prom
ising them a blessing from Our Lady if they were devout to her
holy spouse.
While she was speaking thus, two little girls, about thirteen
years old, were standing together, almost facing the window.
One of them happened to look up, and, with a face of astonish
ment and awe, drew her companion's attention to something
she saw in the distance. The other child looked in the direc
tion indicated, and for several moments they stood gazing out
into the distance in blank amazement. Presently they began to
nudge each other, one trying to persuade the other to tell their
teacher what they saw. At last their excitement was too much
for them, and in breathless wonder they cried out "Madame,
Madame ! Voila la Sainte-Vierge !" — "Be quiet, and don't talk
nonsense!" was the natural reply. But the children pointed
to the window, and repeated their assertion that they saw the
Blessed Virgin. The teacher, utterly incredulous, looked in
the direction in which they pointed, and the whole class of fifty
children followed her example.,
Yes, there was no mistake. What these two little maidens
had seen the mistress and all her fifty children also saw with
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 207
their own eyes. Across the fields, at a distance of some twelve
hundred yards, they saw, as distinctly as was possible such a
long way off, a figure of Our Lady such as is represented on
the miraculous medal — with her hands extended, and sur
rounded by an oval of dazzling light. She seemed to be stand
ing on the ground, against a hedge, at the foot of a tall tree,
with her feet resting on a cloud of light.
In utter bewilderment, the Sister ran for the other two nuns,
who were teaching the younger children, and in broken words
conveyed to them what she had seen. They and the children
— to the number of about one hundred — ran to the window,
and one and all saw the wondrous sight. Instinctively they
knelt down, and, with eyes fixed on the vision, began to recite
the Rosary. There they knelt on, as if entranced, for nearly
two hours, saying the Rosary all the while. From time to time
the voice of the nun who was leading them grew weak from
fatigue, and she paused for a few moments. Immediately the
vision began to grow dimmer, and the children cried out in
concert : "O Madame, continuez, continuez !" When the prayer
was resumed the vision at once became clear and bright again,
until at half-past five it began gradually to fade away, and then
altogether disappeared.
When it had vanished the religious consulted together as to
what should be done. Prudently, they told the children that
they could not explain what had happened ; but that it was quite
certain they were not good enough really to see Our Lady ; and
they therefore enjoined on them strict silence, warning them
that if they talked about it they might bring ridicule on holy
things. "Don't say a word about it — not even to M. le Cure."
This advice was the more necessary as the Cure, after hearing
the confessions of the children from the Ecole Laique, had
been wondering what had become of his little penitents from
the Sisters' school, and had been waiting for some time for their
appearance.
The children promised to observe silence, but it is needless to
say that it was quite impossible long to keep a secret that was
208 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
known to one hundred little girls. Before a week had passed
the story had spread all over the place, and had reached the
ears of M. le Cure, who wisely declined to express any opinion
whatever on the matter; advising all who were interested in
the Apparition to say many prayers, that they might not be de
luded by fraud or fancy. This sound advice was followed by
the nuns and their children.
On March 24th they commenced a novena, which consisted
of reciting the Rosary together at the end of school. On the
very first day, as they were saying the second decade, to their
joy and astonishment, the vision reappeared, just as they had
seen it before. The next day (the Feast of the Annunciation)
they saw it again, during the recitation of the first decade,
and it seemed brighter than on the previous occasions. The
following day they saw nothing; on the morrow (the Feast of
Our Lady's Dolors) it appeared again, but with what looked
like a spot of blood on Our Lady's dress, over her heart. Dur
ing several succeeding days some women of the village hap
pened to be present in the schoolroom while the Rosary was
being recited, and they all witnessed the Apparition. On the
last four days of March it was seen as usual. March 3ist was
the last day of school before the Easter holidays. On Wednes
day, April ist, the three nuns saw the vision, but dimly, as if
beneath a veil. On Holy Thursday it is said to have been seen
by only one of the religious. On Good Friday and Holy Sat
urday it was not seen at all.
We have already mentioned that the Apparition as seen from
the schoolroom seemed to be about three-quarters of a mile dis
tant. This made it difficult to determine the exact spot where
the vision was, and it occurred to the witnesses that they would
get a more distinct view if they approached nearer. Accord
ingly, on one of the last days of March a few of the elder girls,
accompanied by one of the nuns, started for the field where the
Blessed Virgin seemed to be standing. It was agreed with
those in the schoolroom that when they arrived at the exact
spot a handkerchief should be waved by those who remained
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 209
behind. In anxious expectation the detachment drew near to
the place. Alas ! there was nothing to be seen. Presently
they saw the handkerchief waved in the distance, and knew
that they were on the exact spot of the Apparition. They were
close to the hedge of a large field, sown half with clover and
the other half with oats ; and surrounded on three sides with a
bank, on the top of which was a hedge, and in the middle of it
a tall, slim tree. The little party gazed and knelt and prayed ;
placed themselves first in one spot and then in another. But
all was useless : there was nothing whatever to be seen, and they
had to return disappointed. However, this absence of any
nearer view was not to continue.
On Wednesday of Holy Week the Apparition entered on a
new phase. We simply tell the story as vouched for by authen
tic witnesses on the spot, and without expressing for the present
any opinion of our own as to the objective reality of the
Apparition.
During the first few days of its appearance the vision of Our
Lady at Tilly was seen only from the schoolroom of the Ecole
Libre by the nuns, the children, and one or two visitors who
happened to be there. On Wednesday of Holy Week, about
four o'clock in the afternoon, a peasant girl named Louise
Poliniere went into the field where those who had seen the
figure from the schoolroom had judged it to be present. She
had been abandoned by her parents while quite a little child,
and had been adopted and brought up by a woman who lived
on a farm close by the field, on the road to Caen. She was at
this time fourteen years old; a good child, hard-working and
simple, but not very intelligent. All that she had been taught
was enough of the catechism to enable her to make her first
communion. She had indeed heard of the vision, but knew
none of the details of its nature or where it had been seen.
That afternoon she went out with her mistress and another
woman to gather some food for their rabbits. When they
passed the field of the Apparitions she felt an impulse to enter
it, though she knew that none of the plants she was seeking
2io APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
grew there. As she walked across the field, suddenly some in
fluence which she could not explain seemed to stop her. The
girl grew frightened; but, as she had always been taught to
pray when she found herself in any danger or difficulty, she
fell on her knees and began to say the Rosary — not on her
beads, for she had no beads with her, but on her fingers. When
she came to the second or third decade she saw all at once,
about ten yards away, the figure of Our Lady, not as it had
been seen from the schoolroom — under the form in which she
is represented on the miraculous medals, — but under the aspect
of Our Lady of Lourdes, except that she was carrying the
Infant Jesus in her arms. Near her Louise declares she saw
a little girl kneeling in prayer, whom she persists in calling la
petite Bernadette, to whom the Queen of Heaven appeared in
the visions of Lourdes. Louise remained praying in a sort of
trance for about half an hour when her mistress, who had
missed her, came to look for her, found her still kneeling there
in prayer, and took her away. She went home and continued
to do her ordinary work without any appearance of excite
ment, and has ever since occupied herself with her daily task
just as usual, — the vision having seemed to make but little im
pression on her, and having been treated by her as if it were an
ordinary occurrence.
But almost daily since that first occasion she has, with per
mission from her mistress, visited the field, and sometimes sev
eral times a day. Each time she declares that some secret im
pulse has prompted her to go ; and when invited at other times
to accompany persons thither, she has invariably refused, say
ing: "Si j'y vais par complaisance je ne vois rien."* When
asked if Our Lady ever spoke to her, she replied, no, but that
once she smiled upon her. In answer to inquiries as to Ber-
nadette's appearance, she said : "Elle avait une robe blanche,
mats elle etait bien sale, acote de celle de la bonne Vierge"^
*"If I went through complaisance, I should see nothing."
f'She had a white dress, but it looked very dirty compared with the robes of the
good Virgin,"
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 211
When urged to try to approach nearer to the vision, she re
marked that there was a railing round it.
But Louise Poliniere is not alone in beholding the marvelous
Apparition. A large number of persons claim to have beheld
it with their own eyes; and while many of the stories told are
unworthy of credit, there is a sufficient number of reliable wit
nesses to its reality to render it deserving of a careful
investigation.
Although for some days she visited the field alone, the report
of the marvels Louise had seen speedily spread, and the curious
began to flock thither in large numbers. At first they came only
from the village and the country around; but the report soon
became more widely known, and a crowd collected each evening
on "the field of the Apparitions." Visitors began to pour in
from Caen, Bayeux, Brest, and even from Paris. The story
was reported in the newspapers, and special correspondents
were sent to make personal inquiries. Before long some hun
dreds were present each evening.
But they did not come merely to watch Louise Poliniere
kneeling in prayer. What she had seen, others began to see
also. Although there was considerable variety in the details of
the vision, yet it was always "a vision of Our Lady." Many
of the stories told are, doubtless, unworthy of credit. But the
number of credible witnesses is so large, and the circumstances
are in some cases so remarkable, that we can scarcely explain
them as a fraud or as a sort of collective hallucination. I shall
narrate two or three instances selected from the large number
given in detail in the French newspapers, and for the most
part written down from the mouths of those to whom they
happened.
On Friday, April the I7th, Tilly was visited by Jean Fran-
gois Madeleine, one of the keepers on the estate of the Prince
de Broglie. He is a respectable man of fifty years of age.
About 4.30 p.m. he visited the field where the Apparitions had
been seen, hung a nosegay on the tree in front of which the
vision first appeared, and knelt down to say his beads. He saw
212 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
nothing at the time, but returned about 8.30 and mingled with
the crowd that had collected. Suddenly he was seen to take
off his hat, and advance to the foot of the tree with his hands
raised to Heaven. He was heard to mutter a few words ad
dressed to Our Lady ; and was then led, covered with perspira
tion, and in an almost fainting condition, to a bench nearby,
where he remained for a time completely prostrate. On recov
ering himself, he declared positively that he had seen Our Lady
in a dress of dazzling whiteness, and that she had bid him
recommend all present to pray earnestly. The next day he
again visited the place, and said that he saw the same vision.
Mme. de Moulinier, the wife of a young tradesman of the
village, had a short time before lost her sister, who had been
living with them for some time, and had been a great favorite
with Mme. de Moulinier's children. Her name was Augustine,
and the children had always called her by the pet name of
Titine. One of them, a little girl four years of age, accom
panied her mother one evening to the scene of the Apparitions.
They were standing amid the crowd, when all at once the child
cried out: "Tiens, inaman, voila Titine, qui descend du del
tout en blanc." She had seen in the air a figure in white, and
naturally identified it with her aunt, who had gone to Heaven
some weeks before.
A certain M. Boisard was staying at the Hotel Morel, at
Tilly. He visited the place of the Apparitions several times and,
on his fourth visit declared that he saw Our Lady most dis
tinctly, and that she was dressed, as at Lourdes, in a white robe
with a blue sash. On returning to the hotel, he told the story
before a number of visitors, and made a sketch on paper of
what he had seen. The best proof of his sincerity and the im
pression made upon him was that before he left Tilly he went
to confession and Holy Communion, in order to make repara
tion for his past life, and in acknowledgment of the favor that
had been vouchsafed him.
Among those who heard him relate the story at the hotel was
M. Theron, a commercial traveler; a good Christian, but rather
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
incredulous of such reports. However, he thought he would
go and examine for himself. So he went to the field, and there
remained for some time without seeing anything. All at once
he turned pale and fell on his knees. At first, he said, he saw
what looked like a chapel rise gradually from the ground and
remain suspended in the air ; then, at a short distance from the
chapel, and on a level with the windows, a thin, white cloud
began to gather, which soon took the form of a woman dressed
in white and with a blue sash round her waist. He could not
distinguish her features, but saw that she had ,on her head a
crown of gold set with pearls. The vision lasted for two
hours; and when at length it disappeared M. Theron fell to the
ground exhausted, and had to be assisted back to the hotel.
When he recovered he told the story of what he had seen, add
ing: "I know people will think that I am the victim of a hallu
cination. It does not matter. I really saw it, and should be a
liar if I said the contrary."
Mme. Duvet, who happened to be at Tilly with a traveling
booth for theatrical performances, and had set up in the mar
ket-place, was informed of the wonderful Apparitions that had
been seen. She instinctively took a professional view of the
matter. "What a godsend for my theatre!" she said. "We
shall have a grand theatrical representation of the Apparitions."
The next afternoon she went down to a stream hardby to wash
some clothes, and while thus engaged looked up in the direc
tion of the place where the visions had appeared. There she
saw first a brilliant light, and then the figure of Our Lady clad
in the manner we have already mentioned. She fell on her
knees and begged pardon for her incredulity. The same even
ing when someone began to make fun of the Apparitions in her
presence, she promptly put him out of her booth. The next
morning she packed up her effects and left the village.
We again repeat that we merely tell the story of the Appari
tions as current report has it, and without expressing any opin
ion as to whether the vision is of a supernatural character. No
sanction has as yet been given to its reality by any ecclesiastical
214 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
authority, and the cure of the parish prudently keeps aloof from
the scene; though he gladly receives the depositions of those
who wish to entrust to him, in writing or by word of mouth,
what they themselves have witnessed.
In examining into the causes of any alleged supernatural
phenomenon, we have to remember that the alternative is not
simply either deception or the direct intervention of Almighty
God. We must bear in mind that we have also to be on our
guard against the preternatural. As the one great ambition
of the devil is to secure for himself the worship that is due to
God alone, it is to be expected that he will use his almost un
limited knowledge and the wonderful natural powers that still
remain to him in their entirety to produce on men the impres
sion that it is the agency of God that is at work, when it is
really himself and the spirits of evil who are producing the
phenomena which astonish and dazzle us. We have, therefore,
to suspend our judgment, and to search carefully into the cir
cumstances accompanying any alleged vision or Apparition ;
to examine its effects on those who witness it, and on the crowds
who collect at the place where it is seen. We have to watch
not only the immediate results, but to wait and see whether
what begins with every appearance of being a work for God
continues to bear good fruit; or whether the good somehow
fades away, and leaves behind it evil consequences which were
at first unsuspected, but which our maturer judgment shows us
as the direct or indirect effects of the marvels which are in
question. One of the strongest arguments in favor of the super
natural character of the Apparitions at Lourdes is the count
less miracles of grace that have been wrought there, far sur
passing, both in numbers and importance, the mere physical
cures with which we are familiar.
It is rather too soon to judge at present of the Apparitions
at Tilly from the consequences that have followed from them.
One of the most notable incidents at Lourdes was the instruc
tion given by Our Lady to Bernadette that a temple was to
be there erected in her honor ; and the rise of the magnificent
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 215
basilica was a strong confirmation of the reality of the mission
of the peasant maiden. At Tilly one form of the vision among
the many varied shapes that it has assumed has been the ap
pearance of a temple floating in the air, within which were seen
sometimes the statue of Our Lady, sometimes a sort of brilliant
illumination. This is supposed to indicate a desire on the part
of the Blessed Virgin that a church should be built there ; and
the investigations made by a learned antiquary, M. 1'Abbe
Masselin, have discovered that in 1356 there existed at Tilly,
in the neighborhood of the place of the Apparitions, a chapel
known under the title of the Chapel of the Blessed Mary of
Tilly (Capella Beatae Marise de Tillayo). It will be a strong
argument for the reality of the Apparitions if we see this chapel
rebuilt by the piety of the faithful who assemble there.
There seems also to be no doubt that the present result of
the visions has been that a great impulse has been given to de
votion to Our Lady and to the solid piety that true devotion to
her invariably brings with it. Every evening a crowd, amount
ing already to some three thousand people, collects in the field
of the Apparitions. Of these only a small percentage see any
thing. But there has grown up a practice of devotion that can
scarcely fail of itself to bring a blessing upon the place. Men
and women, old and young, priests and laymen, there recite the
Rosary, either privately or in little groups ; and many a prayer
goes up to God that would never have been offered were it not
for the strange events that have happened there. At the same
time there are some circumstances that lead us to hesitate be
fore pronouncing any opinion in favor of the supernatural
nature of the visions. We know how the evil spirit is wont
sometimes to appear under the guise of an angel of light ; and
it is quite possible that, in his rage at the wonders wrought at
Lourdes, he may have sought to turn aside the devotion of the
faithful by a counterfeit imitation of what Bernadette saw as
she knelt by the waters of the Gave.
Our reasons for hesitation are the following :
I. The fact that the vision has in some cases been followed
216 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
by faintness, loss of consciousness, and a morbid physical con
dition is scarcely what we should expect if it is really Our
Lady who appears. The presence of the supernatural brings
with it joy, peace of mind, health both of soul and body. It is
true that those who have been thus troubled have been sinners,
who were at first sceptical of the reality of the Apparitions,
and that the result was a desire to be reconciled to God in the
Sacrament of Penance. Yet it hardly seems like Our Blessed
Lady to produce any form of ill health in those to whom she
grants these favors.
2.. The varying, shifting nature of the vision is also a sus
picious circumstance. Our Lady is reported to have appeared
now as represented on the miraculous medal, again as at
Lourdes; sometimes alone, and sometimes holding the Divine
Infant in her arms. At one time her whole figure is seen, at
others only her head and shoulders. To some there has ap
peared a chapel, others have beheld a luminous cloud, which in
some instances gradually developed into human form, in others
faded away without any change in its original shape. Of course
all this proves nothing against the reality of the vision, but it
makes us inclined to doubt.
3. Those who have visited Lourdes, and there witnessed
the calm and peace that reigned at the Grotto, do not find the
same quieting influence in the field at Tilly. "At Lourdes and
at La Salette," says a recent visitor to Tilly, "the soul seemed
drawn upward to Heaven and toward the Blessed Virgin ; curi
osity had no part among the influences present ; we prayed as
one cannot pray elsewhere. We felt ourselves in the region
of certainty. It is not the same at Tilly : there we feel our
selves in presence of the unknown."
4. Some years ago a certain visionary named Vintras pre
tended to be visited by Our Lady. But his visions turned out
to be a fraud. He was condemned by authority, and was
obliged to leave the place. He recently died at Caen, and be
fore his death is said to have foretold that in 1896 there would
be an Apparition of the Blessed Virgin at Tilly. The man was
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 217
a thorough knave, and his prediction is a circumstance by no
means favorable to the supernatural character of the vision.
5. Lastly, it is said that though many priests have visited
the place, not one of them has seen anything. The first appear
ance was, as we have related, to the children of the school and
the nuns who taught them. Since that time it has been seen
by a large number of persons, and among them were many
who were previously incredulous. Some of those who bear wit
ness to its reality are educated men and women, others are
peasants and artisans. In fact, the testimony is so large and
varied that it is almost impossible to deny some external reality
to the Apparition. Yet all this time no single priest has seen
anything.
On the other hand, the little Poliniere, who is the most
prominent figure in the story, has throughout conducted herself
with a simplicity and unobtrusive piety which is very much in
her favor, and seems to indicate that it is God who is at work
in her soul, and not that she is a prey to some delusion of the
devil. She takes her visions in the most matter-of-fact way;
does her household work just as usual, and exhibits a great dis
like to being interviewed. She says she is drawn to the field
of the Apparitions by an influence that she cannot resist, and
that when she goes there at the invitation of others she sees
nothing. Indeed, as far as one can judge from the accounts
given of her, she seems not unworthy to take her place with
Bernadette.
We have laid before our readers a summary of the facts con
nected with the Apparitions at Tilly. It cannot fail to be full
of interest to all who have at heart the honor of the Holy
Mother of God. We must at present suspend our judgment
respecting them ; but we shall perhaps recur to the subject in a
future number, if we are able to obtain any certain evidence
as to their truth or falsity.
Rev. R. F. Clarke, S. J,
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF MELHEHA
ST. PAUL'S BAY, MALTA
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 219
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF MELHEHA
ST. PAUL'S BAY, MALTA
Hail, queen of the heavens!
Hail, mistress of earth!
Hail, virgin most pure
Of immaculate birth!
ROBABLY very few who read this title will have
any idea as to which quarter of the globe Melheha
belongs. It happens to be a little village perched
on the rocks of the northern part of the island of
Malta, and lies about thirteen miles away from Valletta, the
capital. Its name is derived from the Maltese word mclh,
signifying salt, as most of the salt used on the island is ob
tained from the rocks in the vicinity, where sea-water is evapor
ated in shallow troughs cut for the purpose. In the last chap
ter of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke, one of St. Paul's
fellow-travellers, gives the account of their shipwreck on the
island and of their three months' sojourn there. Now, Melheha
is in close proximity to St. Paul's Bay, the scene of the ship
wreck ; and constant tradition has affirmed that the first Chris
tian church on the island of Malta was founded by the great
Apostle in that place by the dedication of a large cave in the
rock to the worship of God under the patronage of the Virgin
Mother. In subsequent ages a stone church was built ad
joining the grotto, as we shall see presently.
During their stay on the island St. Luke is believed to have
painted on the rock, in a recess at the back of this cave, a
picture of the Blessed Virgin, which is still venerated with the
*20 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
greatest devotion by the islanders. We may remark that this
is not the only treasure of the kind preserved in Malta. The
cathedral possesses another of St. Luke's paintings executed
during his stay; and in S. Maria Damascena, the church of
the Uniat Greeks, is another. This latter was brought from
Rhodes to Malta by the Knights of St. John; tradition affirms
that long before it had been miraculously transported over the
sea from Damascus to Rhodes, surrounded by supernatural
light. Cornelius a Lapide bears witness to the existence in his
day of these three paintings in Malta.
In spite of the equally precious pictures in other parts of
the island, the Maltese look upon the Shrine at Melheha as the
most sacred of those dedicated to the Mother of God. From
time immemorial it has been a favorite place of pilgrimage
and the source of many miraculous favors. The stone church
added to the original grotto is a small building containing
a nave and two aisles, that on the Epistle side, owing to the
situation of the place, being twice as wide as the other. The
grotto, which has been left in its natural state, forms the sanc
tuary of the little church which is called Our Lady of the
Nativity. The high altar stands in the center of the grotto,
which is about fifteen feet in depth. Between the body of the
church and this sanctuary is a strong iron railing shutting off
all access to the more sacred portion; beyond this barrier no
one is ordinarily allowed to pass, except a priest to say Mass
and the necessary attendants and care-takers. Behind the altar
is a raised platform of stone approached by steps on either
side. This runs along the back of the cave, immediately in
front of a recess in which the miraculous picture is painted.
This recess is again railed off by iron bars, and these are cov
ered by a very good copy of St. Luke's Madonna, which is
seen over the altar from the church. The picture itself is
much venerated.
Round the grotto are to be seen the ancient crosses made
when the primitive sanctuary was solemnly consecrated by
a number of bishops on their way to one of the early African
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 221
Councils, whose name and date — subjects of much controversy
— we need not now consider. Many hundreds of ex-votos hang
round the rough walls of the cave ; some of them are very ex
traordinary. There are miniature ships and boats, and even
coils of thick rope, telling of deliverance from shipwreck;
waxen arms, legs, and other portions of the human frame
speak of favors of another kind. In the sacristy are rude
paintings, striking in their want of artistic merit, but eloquent
of many wonderful answers to prayer obtained at this Shrine ;
in many cases names and dates lend authenticity to the
marvels thus recorded.
This little church as far back as the time of St. Gregory the
Great was a parish church. At the invasion of Malta by the
Turks it was deserted by the people, who took refuge in the
more southern parts of the island. Yet, although the church
gradually fell into ruins, the Shrine itself was never desecrated,
as so many others were. The infidels are said even to have
made offerings of oil for the lamps in order to obtain favor
able voyages. Thus the sacred picture continued unharmed
until, peaceful times returning, the church was rebuilt and re
stored to divine worship.
Although at all times a favorite place of pilgrimage, the
Shrine of Melheha is more numerously visited in periods of
special calamity. At such times it has witnessed more than
one great concourse of pilgrims from Valletta itself. In 1887,
when cholera raged in Malta, Bishop Buhaja, the administra
tor, led a grand procession here to implore the intercession of
the Mother of God. The little church was quite inadequate
to hold the vast assembly, and the Bishop celebrated Mass
in the quadrangle outside. After the service, as on all pilgrim
ages, the multitude of people streamed through the church and
into the grotto — thrown open at such times to all ; — and, pass
ing behind the altar, ascended to the opening where the pic
ture was exposed to view, and moved on, after satisfying their
devotion, to descend the steps on the other side. Never does
Our Lady refuse the help thus sought. On this occasion the
2.22 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
epidemic ceased after the pilgrimage. In other years the re
sult has been as manifestly miraculous. Thus in 1640, 1645,
and 1814, a raging pestilence was stayed when a general pil
grimage had been made to the Shrine In 1740 a long con
tinued drought which threatened a succeeding famine led the
faithful in crowds to Mary's sanctuary. The copy of St.
Luke's picture was carried in procession outside the church,
and as soon as it re-entered rain fell copiously.
Not only when a pilgrimage arrives is the picture exposed,
but on some of the chief solemnities of the year as well, espe
cially the principal feasts of Our Lady. The privilege of en
tering the grotto, and visiting the picture exposed for the
occasion, is also granted by the Archbishop to such as petition
for the favor; and in certain circumstances the parish priest
has power to allow it. When the iron gates which cover it
are unlocked the recess is found to be hung round with ex-
votos, — some of a most costly description, consisting of gold
and jeweled necklaces, bracelets, etc. The painting resembles
all those ascribed to St. Luke, preserved in Rome and else
where. It is dark with age, but the clear, bright eyes of the
figure give a very lifelike expression to the work. It bears the
Greek characters MP. ®T., M^rrjp &eoo (Mother of God), so
frequently found on ancient pictures of the Blessed Virgin.
But the sanctuary of Melheha is of a twofold character.
Besides the ancient picture venerated in the church, a statue
in a subterranean vault in the vicinity has exhibited many in
stances of supernatural manifestations. This vault is an ex
cavation in the rocks at a lower level than the church, and
indeed lies partly under it, though quite distinct from it. It is
entered by a flight of steps leading from the square adjoining
the church. The statue is hewn out of a hard white stone
resembling granite, is of more than life-size, and of striking
majesty. It stands on a pedestal roughly hewn out of the side
of the cave, and from under one of the feet of the statue flows
a clear stream of water.
This statue has been made famous in the island by a mar-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 223
vellous fact connected with it, unexplained on natural grounds.
Hundreds of visitors to the cave in which it stands have seen
at various times the stone arm and hand of the statue become
flexible like those of a living person, — Our Lady raising her
hand and signing a cross over her clients in benediction. Some
have also seen the blessing given by the Holy Child, and other
movements of a similar nature have taken place from time to
time. The occurrence is too well known in Malta to allow
of contradiction ; and from frequent repetition, during the last
two centuries at least, is now a matter of common credence.
In The Month for November, 1893, an English Jesuit — the
Rev. Father McHale — gave a very interesting description of
a visit which he paid to the statue on the Feast of St. Joseph
of that year, in company with sixty students from the Jesuit
College in Malta, when everyone present saw the movements
which continued for half an hour. The same Father paid
two other visits, and on one occasion saw the wonder repeated.
He was able to assure himself, by a thorough examination, of
the absolute impossibility of fraud of any kind. But some
thing still more extraordinary is related of the same statue.
About a century ago, on account of the increase of devotion
resulting from these strange occurrences, the authorities of
the parish decided to remove the Madonna to the church above.
With the Bishop's permission, this was done; but, wonderful
to relate, on the following morning the statue, consisting as
it does of one solid block of stone, was found to have been
removed from the church and replaced in the cave. The same
thing was repeated after a second translation, and finally it
was decided no further attempt at dislodgment should be
made. A new church of larger dimensions is now in process
of building, for the better accommodation of pilgrimages ; and
some idea has been entertained of trying for the third time
to remove the statue. Should this be attempted, it remains
to be seen how Our Lady will regard the change.
It is a striking proof of the strong faith of the Maltese that
the wonders wrought by means of the statue have not in any
224 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
way lessened the devotion to the sacred picture in the church.
St. Luke's Madonna is still the primary object of pilgrimage,
in spite of the marvels (and among them not a few notable
cures) related of the miraculous statue. That Our Lady
should show her power in extraordinary ways is no wonder
to these thoroughly Catholic hearts. Whether their praises
and prayers are offered in the cave before the statue, or in the
little church before the time-honored picture, it is the same
Madonna in either 'case to whom they pay their loving homage.
There is no desertion of an old Shrine to run after compara
tively new manifestations of supernatural power : it is rather
the case that Our Lady's affectionate interest in her people,
shown by these fresh tokens, attracts greater numbers to the
ancient Shrine to thank her for her never-dying love. A proof
of this is seen in the fact that ex-votos are often promised and
offered in the subterranean cave and afterward placed in the
church above. The real feeling seems to be that a pilgrim
to Melheha now has two sanctuaries to visit instead of one;
but in each of them one and the same Heavenly Protectress
is ever ready to answer his petitions.
The Shrine at Melheha has an interest of another kind; it
links with the memory of the great Doctor of the Gentiles a
loving devotion to Mary. St. Paul, the ideal of a "Gospel
preacher" in the eyes of Protestantism, has founded on these
barren rocks an oratory sacred to that Virgin-Mother whom
Protestant theology has done its best to revile and dishonor.
Would that we could bring home to those hearts who stand
so greatly in need of it the salutary lesson which the thought
conveys.
Dom, Michael Barrett, OS.B.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 225
MASSABIELLE
Sing, Sion, loudly sing,
And let the heavens ring
For her who never felt the primal stain!
Oh, sing the festal song!
And, with a glad triumphal strain,
The pean of her joy prolong,
Reechoing her glorious praise !
And ye, Angelic Choirs, your sacred anthems raise
To her that stood
In glory of a sinless womanhood!
Now let the timbrel sound
Close to the Temple's holy mound;
And let the silver trumpet blare
Bidding fair Juda's tribes to grateful prayer,
To solemn feast and sacrifice repair !
For now by high decree
Is held the year of jubilee.
Now raise in Mary's fanes
The solemn strains !
Swell loud the sacred hymn
In church and cloister dim!
But still no temples rise
In pillared lines,
Dearer to Mary's eyes
Than Lourdes, oh, sacred name!
'Mirror of Mary's fame
Pearl of her diadem of shrines,
Crown of the rugged dell
Of fair Massabielle I
226 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
There many a lingering breeze,
Blows from the lofty Pyrenees,
And sways the solemn line
Of oak and stately pine,
Making low murmurs rise and swell
In forest dell,
O'er brook and lonely fell, —
Thy glories, fair Massabielle !
Oh, Grot of all most blest,
Whereon Thy footsteps prest,
Immaculate !
Winning new roses' fragrant birth
From dead and wintry earth.
As 'twere of heaven a dream
Thy snowy garments seem
Hovering on earthly air,
Simple as garb of lily, and as fair.
No eye, O Undefiled!
Witnessed Thy royal state,
None, save a child,
A little peasant maid
Who gazed and was afraid;
Immaculate !
She only heard that silvery accent low,
Sound which angelic spirits know,
When, as it lifts in prayer to God's high throne,
All Heaven is stilled and it is heard alone.
Sweet words that fell upon the ear
Of that young child,
Amid the woodland stern and wild, —
Sweet words, and wonderful to hearl
Sublime as summer breeze
Chanting its evening anthem 'mid the trees;
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 227
Sacred as sound oft'-heard at even-fall
When, solemn stillness brooding over all,
Deep in the inmost thicket of the wood
The note of bird
Thrills for awhile and is again unheard.
Peerless ! Immaculate !
How did that Vision thrill
Which to poor mortal's sight
Brought golden glimpses of the realms of light,
While all the earth did scintillate
with brightness, till
The wind-swept Pyrenees were still,
And arching leaf and tree
Had nigh forgot their high-moon melody.
No more Thy grandeur, Virgin Queen,
By lowly maiden seen
Bursts 'mid the hollow dell
Of fair Massabielle;
Yet as faint odor of the rose
Lingers and ever softly blows
While yet the flower
Is vanished from its woodland bower,
So like some Heaven-sent fragrance lingers there
The balm of peace, the quickly answered prayer,
The joyous cripple's cry,
The sufferer's grateful sigh.
Mary ! Immaculate !
As the soft night-wind lulls the star-lit sea,
Thy pure and sweet sublimity
Doth hush the soul with peace, and satiate.
Thou who wert born
More fair, more beautiful than Morn,
228 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
When first she stoops to drink in silent bowers
A thousand pearls from out a thousand flowers.
Peerless ! Immaculate !
O Thou art as that star, that, nightfall done,
Trembling awaits the coming of the sun !
O Dawn most fair! O gentle trembling Star!
If Thou art fair and wondrous fair to see,
What must the lustre of the Noon-day be !
Francis X. Finegan, SJ.
Messenger of the Sacred Heart.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 229
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF ZEBRZYDOWSKI
CALVARY, POLAND
Clear star of the morning,
In beauty enshrined!
O Lady! make speed
To the help of mankind.
BOUT three leagues from Cracow there is a place
called Calvary, which was lately the scene of a
grand ceremony — the solemn coronation of a
statue of the Blessed Virgin which for upwards
of two centuries and a half has been celebrated by reason of
its miracles. The name Calvary is given to the locality, be
cause it is said to bear a great resemblance to the spot upon
which the death of our Blessed Lord took place — presenting in
its general appearance almost a fac-simile reproduction of that
side of the city of Jerusalem which witnessed the closing
scenes of the great act of man's Redemption. Even the Brook
Cedron finds its counterpart in the little River Skawina.
According to a legendary tradition, this locality, about the
end of the sixteenth century, belonged to a certain nobleman,
named Nicholas Zebrzydowski, who was also at the time one
of the oligarchs of Poland. One evening he had a vision.
Looking through a window of his castle at Lanckorona, which
was situated on a mountain, he saw in the distance three lumin
ous crosses above another mountain, then called Zarki. His
wife, who was by his side, saw the same. Soon afterwards
he learned from persons who had visited the Holy Land that
230 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
this Mount Zarki was in a situation precisely similar to that
of Calvary. He thereupon sent to Jerusalem one of the mem
bers of his court — a learned man — with orders to make a
sketch and plan of Mount Calvary and the surrounding coun
try. The drawings were to show as much as possible the dif
ferent stations of the Passion of our Blessed Lord, with the
details as mentioned in the Gospels. The messenger was also
charged to make sketches of the Christian churches at Jeru
salem, especially that of the Crucifixion. The nobleman ful
filled his mission, and on his return Lord Zebrzydowski at
once set to work to carry out the plan he had received. On
the summit of Mount Zarki a church was built — a model of
the Church of the Crucifixion at Jerusalem — and beside it was
erected a monastery, in which the Benedictine Fathers were
installed in 1609. Two or three chapels were also built, which
marked some of the Stations of the Cross.
The work was far from being completed when political
strifes removed the founder from the scene. He rebelled
against his King, Sigismund III., and was taken prisoner in
battle. The King pardoned him. But remorse followed him
the rest of his life. To make some atonement for his crime
he entered with redoubled zeal upon his undertaking, but was
unable to bring it to an end. He died in 1620, and was buried,
clothed in the Franciscan habit, in the vault of the Cathedral
at Cracow. The great work he had begun was continued by
his son, and completed by his grandson, with whom the line
became extinct. They erected several chapels — one with a
sepulchre like that in which our Blessed Lord was laid; an
other with a tomb like that of the Blessed Virgin; and still
others at various stations of the Way of the Cross. They also
built a representation of Pilate's palace, with the stairs which
Christ ascended and descended several times.
These different buildings occupied a middle place between
the little wood on the side of Mount Zarki and the neigboring
hills ; but the Church of the Crucifixion stood upon the summit
and overlooked the surrounding country. The whole presents
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 231
a magnificent appearance. Still, the spot would not have ac
quired its reputation as a holy place but for the providential
circumstance which enshrined therein a miraculous statue of
the Blessed Virgin.
About two leagues distant there lived a worthy gentleman,
named Stanislaus Paszkowski, who had in his house a statue
of the Blessed Virgin. The image was a kind of heirloom in
the family, having been preserved through several generations,
and every morning and evening the members of the pious fam
ily were accustomed to assemble for prayers before it. On the
3d of May in the year 1671, as the family were thus gathered
together, they suddenly beheld tears of blood flow from the
eyes of the beloved statue. All were amazed, and at once the
parish priest was summoned to witness the miracle. The
Bishop of Cracow, Mgr. Zadzik, appointed a committee of
priests to inquire into the matter; then the question whether
the occurrence was miraculous or not was submitted to another
committee of theologians and scientists. The deliberations
dragged on, but the people for miles around refused to wait
for the verdict of the judges, and pronounced in favor of the
miracle. The owner of the statue presented it to the grandson
of the founder of Calvary who built a beautiful chapel, to
which was annexed the fac-simile of the tomb of the Blessed
Virgin, and in this was placed Her miraculous image. From
the beginning miracles followed in rapid succession, and have
continued to our own day. They have drawn to the spot not
only the people of Poland, but also those of Silesia and Hun
gary. The Sovereign Pontiffs have granted many indulgences
to pilgrims visiting the sacred Shrine on feasts of the Blessed
Virgin, and His Holiness Pope Leo XIII. authorized the solemn
coronation spoken of above.
The ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Cracow, in
the presence of the Latin and Armenian Archbishops, great
numbers of the secular and regular clergy, and a throng of
over 200,000 pilgrims. Two crowns had been prepared — one
for the image of Mary, and the other for that of the Child Jesus.
232 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Both were of the finest gold, exquisitely wrought, and enriched
with diamonds, pearls, emeralds, rubies and other precious
stones. These were carried, at the head of an immense pro
cession, from the monastery of the Benedictine Fathers to the
chapel on the mountain. Th^ ceremony was begun by the su
perior of the Benedictines, who took the oath that neither
he nor his successors would ever remove the crowns thus en
trusted to his care. The decree of the Pope was read authoriz
ing the coronation of Our Lady of Zebrzydowski-Calvary, and
granting indulgences to all who assisted at the solemn act.
Then Mass was sung by the Bishop of Cracow, and a sermon
preached by the Armenian Archbishop.
After mass the coronation took place. During this act the
deepest silence prevailed among the immense throng that cov
ered the sides of the mountain and filled the plain below ; but
when they saw the crowns upon the heads of the sacred fig
ures, and the bishops kneeling before the altar, a tremendous
shout of joy went forth from those 200,000 throats, and formed
a grand and thrilling expression of the deep-rooted faith and
piety of the Polish people.
AS FAIR AS SNOW, AS PURE AND WHITE
As fair as snow, as pure and white,
Thou art, O Mary!
Like blooming rose or lily bright
Thou art, O Mary!
Like to the glorious light of stars
Thy brilliancy;
Thy face, through heaven's golden bars,
I think I see.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
233
The fount of every joy on earth
Art thou, O Mary!
Heaven's glory too, by right of birth,
Art thou, O Mary!
Through fleeting time all hail to thee,
Sweet Mother Mary;
And through a blest eternity,
Sweet Mother Mary !
George Frederick Danmer.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF THE OAKS
THE THREE OAKS, AUSTRIA
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF THE OAKS
THE THREE OAKS, AUSTRIA
1656
Thou city of God!
Thou gate of the east!
In thee is all grace,
O joy of the blest!
DARK, deeply blue firmament sparkling with
myriads of stars; a silvery moon sailing towards
the western heaven ; the hush of midnight over the
earth ; no sound save the night wind in oaken for
ests, and the fall of the gravel from the garnet-filled rocks of
the Molderberg hills as we climbed up the village road from
the inn, where we had left our carriage, to visit before day
dawn the great church built where once stood the humble votive
chapel which had sheltered the miracle-working picture of
Maria Drei Eichen : — these were the sights and sounds that
surrounded us as we ascended the marble steps of the church.
The great doors were open ; a few pilgrims and peasants knelt
before the miraculous Shrine, towards which we also turned
our steps. Silent and dark stood the confessionals in the broad
vestibule of the church and in its surrounding chapels. Many
penitents knelt beside them, and dark-robed priests glided about
the dimly lighted church. Without, the moonlight was a flood
of glory; within, the Presence lamps shone like harbor lights
to guide life's tempest-tossed manners to their eternal home.
In the year 1656 there dwelt in the Austrian village of Horn
236 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a pious, God-fearing man, named Matthias Weinburger. In
his family sitting-room there was a "Vesper picture" of the
Blessed Virgin. It was made of painted wax, and before it
he kept an ever-burning lamp. Every evening, when the bells
of the village church rang out the Angelus he knelt with all his
household before this picture and recited the Rosary and Litany
of our Blessed Lady.
One day he was taken very ill, and his illness continued so
long that his poor family were starving for daily bread. More
earnestly than ever the good man prayed before his waxen
picture of the Virgin. At last, after many hours spent in
prayer, he fell asleep and dreamed that our Blessed Mother
appeared to him with the Crucified Saviour resting on Her lap.
She told the sick man to take Her picture and carry it into the
neighboring hills of the Molderberg, and there place it upon
an oak tree which rose in three separate stems from the root,
and thus found a health-giving Shrine free to all.
The poor man could not endure the thought of parting with
his beloved picture, but he was too earnest a Catholic to with
stand such a request, even though made known only by a dream.
He promised to carry the picture into the mountains and search
for the designated spot. From the moment he made this prom
ise his strength began to return, and in a few days he was able
to resume his business, which was that of a furrier. Success
attended him in all things, but it drove from his mind the dream
and his promise. One day, returning from the neighboring
village of Eggenburg, whither he had gone to purchase furs,
he lost his way in the Molderberg hills. He wandered about
until, overcome by fatigue, he sank down upon the earth and
slept. Again he dreamed. Before him was a throne brilliant
as sunlight, and he heard the sound of harps and sweet voices
singing. Then the dream changed and he saw an oak tree
which arose from the root in three separate stems.
Thunder rolled and lightning flashed around him, until awak
ened by the noise he sprang up to find the evening calm and
still, save for the distant tones of the Angelus ringing in the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
valley. He looked around: before him was an oak tree. It
was the oak of his dream — three oaks in one.
Full of shame and sorrow over his broken vow, he turned his
steps homeward, and the next day his loved picture of Our
Blessed Lady was placed upon the oak tree, where it remained
for many years. Numerous are the legends of miracles wrought
for those who prayed beside this shrine. Its fame spread far
and wide, and hundreds of lame, blind, sick and suffering came
hither and were healed.
Through some unforeseen accident, the tree took fire and the
picture melted. Fresh branches came from the spot where the
fire had destroyed the oak, and this was taken as a sign that
God wished to establish there a perpetual shrine. With the
permission of the Benedictine Convent and the consent of
Count von Hoyos, a small stone chapel was built. But this was
far too small to contain the crowds of pilgrims who came with
prayers and offerings to the shrine. In 1744 the Count and
Countess Hoyos laid the foundation of the present splendid
church, and from that time until this day crowds of pilgrims
and long processions of peasants come on their "woodland
journey" to the shrine at Three Oaks.
The church is in the form of a Greek cross, with apsidal
terminations, in each of which altars are placed. Under the
high altar, which stands at the intersection of the transepts in
the centre of the church, the root with the three stems of the
original oak tree is preserved. Behind this altar, in the eastern
transept, is the treasure room, where thank-offerings are kept.
Many superb vestments and altar decorations have been pre
sented by the Hoyos family, who are still patrons of the
church.*
The matin bells awoke us before the stars had quite faded
from the western sky; but the east was flushed with hues of
amber and rose, while the morning mist rolled upward to a
*The extensive domain of this powerful and wealthy family, who own seven of
the most celebrated castles in Austria, extends for miles around this church. Wood
lands, mountains, meadows, and villages, far as the eye can reach, belong to them.
238 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
zenith of palest blue and gray. The woodlands were dark;
beyond, the meadow-lands glistened with dew; and far above
the hamlet the great church rose massive and grand, its cross-
tipped spires gleaming golden in the morning light.
A long procession of pilgrims, coming to welcome the dawn
ing of the Angels' Festival, was slowly ascending the rocky
roadside as we left the quaint inn where we had passed the
night; and, joining the older peasants who walked slowly in
the rear, we followed with them to the shrine. Very dark and
shadowy was the church, for the dawn had not yet penetrated
the painted glass windows, and the blaze of light on the altar
seemed to concentrate itself round the tabernacle.
An hour later, as we sat at breakfast in an arbor by the road
side an old peasant woman brought us some garnet beads
formed into rosaries — souvenirs of Drei Eichen, for the rocks
are filled with garnets. We purchased several of these souve
nirs and, carrying them up to the church, had them blessed by
an old priest, whose especial delight seemed to consist in bless
ing everybody and everything.
In the treasury we found so many strange, incongruously-
arranged articles that we could but pause to think over the
legends and life histories which had brought them there. Be
side a priceless string of pearls a poor little pewter ring ; beside
a coronet of diamonds a baby's tiny shoe, a crutch and a ruby-
hilted sword ; a bracelet of sapphire, the offering of a princess,
and a bit of blue ribbon, the only finery of some poor girl pil
grim; and above them all the calm face of a marble Christ
looked down. Ah ! He that seeth in secret was there to reward
openly ; and, floating through the stillness of the sanctuary, one
seemed to hear the echo of His voice who blessed the poor
widow's offering; for many here, truly, in their penury, had
given their all.
OCTAVIA HENSEL.
Ave Maria.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 239
GUIDO'S QUEEN
To the Virgin's holy image lifting his adoring eyes,
He can see the Baby smiling, glad with innocent surprise.
Where he scatters fragrant flowers in the twilight strange and dim,
How he wishes that the Infant would come down and play with him !
In his hand he holds an apple, — rosy apple, fresh and new;
Lo ! It laughs ; and, filled with wonderment, the happy child laughs too.
The boy offers the apple to the holy Mother for her Child; and,
behold, she reaches out her hand and takes the gift ! Enchanted, we
exclaim with the poet:
"Sinless child, thou dove of Jesus, comrade of the angel band;
Paradise to thee is open, Mary take thy spotless hand !
Stainless one, sweet flower of heaven blooming in this arid spot;
Fragrant rose on barren heather, may the cold winds harm thee not !"
Guide's Remi.
SHRINE OF
THE MADONNA OF THE ORPHANS
BURGOS, SPAIN
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 241
SHRINE
OF
THE MADONNA OF THE ORPHANS
BURGOS, SPAIN
Hail, virginal Mother !
Hail, purity's cell!
Fair shrine, where the Trinity
Loveth to dwell !
N one of Our Lady's chapels in the grand cathedral
of Burgos, the capital of Old Castile, there is a
picture representing a beautiful waxen statue of
the tender Mother clasping in her arms a dead little
girl, barefooted and in tatters ; while above, an ascending angel
speeds heavenward bearing an unfolding lily — type of a pure
child's white soul. The legend from which the artist drew hi*
inspiration is a touching one.
Long, long ago ere the famous cathedral was aught but a
glorious conception dawning on its builder's mind, the faithful
of Burgos tenderly venerated a waxen statue of the Madonna
enshrined in the old Church of San Juan, across the square.
Among those who cherished a special devotion for it from girl
hood was the widowed Augustia. Left with a little child,
friendless and alone, and becoming blind through too constant
application to her trade of lacemaking, she had been reduced at
length to mendicancy. Each morning, guided by her tiny
Maria, she would hear first mass at San Juan, after which they
took their place, with other creditors of charity, on the church
steps ; and there, side by side in a pillar's shadow, through the
long, warm summer days and the short, cold winter ones, they
242 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
sat, happy in the love and presence of God and each other;
richly repaying with a shower of blessings all who paused to
drop into their cup a "silver tear of pity," as alms are some
times called in Spanish.
In pouring into the child's heart, as into a crystal chalice,
the life-giving essence of faith, Augustia often wept with joy ;
for Heaven's grace surely shone upon her — such innocence,
gentleness and precocity of piety. The seed scarce touched the
ground ere it became a blossom. The sweetest hours of Maria's
life were spent before the Madonna's statue, her wooden rosary
slipping slowly through her wee brown fingers, her soft black
eyes upturned in rapture.
Oh, wondrously, wondrously beautiful and lifelike was that
waxen image, robed, according to the country's custom, in real
stuffs — a mantle of azure velvet printed in gold stars, like a
summer-night sky ; veil of white, cloud-fleecy gauze ; the arms
outstretched; the tinted face full of tenderness, the ruby lips
full of sympathy. Softly seemed they saying : "My child, hast
thou fallen? Art thou bruised? Weep not. Take thou my
hand, and I will help thee rise and stroke away all pain." At
either side of its shadowed niche were marble angels — one in
prayer, one in veneration. And little Maria sometimes fancied
the Mother smiled and the wings of the angels stirred.
It was Christmas eve. An icy rain had fallen for many days,
and after the rain dried away its white-shrouded ghost, snow,
came gliding over the earth. But the bright eyes of a light
looked out from every window ; silver-tongued bells were ring
ing for the Midnight Mass ; and, grateful for the warmth of
their fur-lined manias, throngs were hastening toward San
Juan. At every corner some strolling singer, shivering in the
shelter of a friendly doorway, was bravely throwing to the cruel
wind her poor, broken voice, full of the sweetness of a trampled
rose, and the power of the song, whose burden it strove to carry
to some listener's heart the wild, vibrant "Noche Buena," the
Christmas wait of Spain, with its numberless verses, simple,
pathos-full as this :
VIRGIN OF THE MIRROR
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 243
A carpenter was dear St. Joseph ;
The Maiden-Mother spun all day;
The sweet Child toiled the Cross to fashion
On which our ransom He must pay.
In the darkest corner of a gipsy's hut little Maria lay weep
ing as only the motherless can weep. It was months since
mamma, sinking back upon her pallet, had murmured : "Nay,
my flower ! nay, love ! we cannot go to the church this morning.
What joy that only yesterday I received the Holy Eucharist!
Our Divine Lord is still here in my heart : I feel His strength
and His consolation there. To-morrow, He willing, I shall be
better." And "to-morrow" she was "better ;" only the child —
her call of "mamma" for the first time unanswered — did not,
could not understand it so.
Then a dark-browed woman had torn her from the lifeless
body — "torn her as a nail from the flesh," — saying: "Come,
useless burden, away to my house ! The money which thy
mother owed me thou shalt pay." Patiently, hapless Maria had
performed the hard tasks assigned her ; holding fast to the faith
her cruel mistress strove with blows and curses to destroy;
never permitting her to enter a church or to quit her sight. But
at last 'twas Christmas Eve — bells were calling to Midnight
Mass.
Suddenly the girl ceased to weep, or to fear the now sleeping
gipsies. Praying to the Madonna, she reached the door. It
opened — she was free! Little human snowflake drifting into
the well-known path, up the steps of San Juan ! Oh, was that
her mother in their old place by the pillar? No: only a
shadow ; and she sped on, into the reality — the Blessed Mother
that remained to her : to go or to stay as her heart prompted
(for in ancient Spain the doors of all churches, like those of
Mercy, stood open night and day). The pitying old sacristan
departed, and left the little wanderer kneeling before the fair
Madonna, sobbing, "Mia Madre! Madre mia!"
But on entering to light the candles for sunrise Mass, he
found no kneeling form where he had left one. "Gone back
244 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to the sorrowful world, poor weeper ! May the Virgin's care
go with her !" And, so murmuring, he looked up — and beheld
the miracle ! Within her shadowed niche stood the same
lovely, loving Mother; but the arms were no longer out
stretched. Closely, tenderly, they clasped the poor orphan of
the beggar Augustia ; now smiling, happy — hushed in the sleep
that knows no waking.* Dawn Graye.
THE AVE MARIA
Not like the rose, with haughty mien,
Her sister blossoms scorning,
No tender smile or loving look
Her queenly brow adorning;
But as the lily buds at eve
In purity reposing,
So droopest thou thy gentle eyes,
Their white lids chastely closing, —
Ave Maria!
Proud flowers in the twilight's glow
With every zephyr playing;
Only the lily bows her head
In silence, softly praying.
Sweet dreams of heaven are in her heart,
God's glory is upon her,
While reverently the Angel speaks
(Tis earth's supremest honor), —
Ave Maria!
* The " Madonna of the Orphans, " with the church enshrining it, was de
stroyed by fire in 1250.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 245
The lily bud is open now,
And swift to heaven ascending
The Angel turns, his errand done,
Wonder and rapture blending
In his clear eyes, and breathes once more
[While his bright journey wending, —
Ave Maria!
Frederick Bausback.
SHRINE OF
THE MIRACULOUS MADONNA
GRENADA, ANTILLES
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 247
SHRINE
OF
THE MIRACULOUS MADONNA
GRENADA, ANTILLES
Mary, Lady of our love,
When the earth is gay,
When the skies are bright above
In the Month of May !
At thy dear shrine kneeling
Cry we then appealing.
Pray for us, sweet Mother, pray.
HE present site of the Anglican church at St.
Patrick, Grenada, and the glebe land that sur
rounds it, belonged at the end of the eighteenth
century to Catholics. By the treaty of 1763 the
island of Grenada was ceded by France to England; and,
despite the opposition of the new proprietors, the English Gov
ernment displayed considerable liberality in its treatment of
the French Catholics, according them two seats in the legis
lative council, and recognizing their absolute ownership of
churches and church property.
For a number of years, however, the island was the theatre
whereon two hostile camps were incessantly engaged in con
flicts. The French regained possession, and harassed the Eng
lish; these latter once more became the conquerors, and the
English Government shut its eyes on the retaliation which the
dominant race were not slow to inflict on their opponents.
Churches and glebes were confiscated by the Protestants, and
a large number ©f French families were dispossessed of their
lands. The doctrines of the French Revolution, then tri
umphant in Martinique and Guadeloupe, inflamed the minds of
248 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the vanquished French; an insurrection was planned, under
Julien Fedon, to wrest Grenada from the grasp of the British.
These events took place in 1795 and the years immediately fol
lowing.
At St. Patrick, the English General Nicolls had posted a
garrison of a hundred men, under the command of a captain
and several inferior officers. Within gunshot of the post, on
the summit of a hill, stood the old and modest thatch-roofed
Catholic chapel. It had been confiscated by the Protestants;
but as the property surrounding it still served as a cemetery,
they had not removed a statue of Our Lady holding in her
arms the Infant Jesus. This statue, about four feet in height,
stood on a stone pedestal in the open air, a few yards from the
chapel. The Catholics frequently came to pray at the feet of
the Madonna, much to the diversion of their enemies, who,
especially on Sundays, left no means untried to provoke those
whom they styled French idolaters. These latter, however,
persisted in their reverence for this sole emblem of their wor
ship that had been left them. Deprived of their pastors, they
still brought their dead to the feet of the statue, and there re
cited the Rosary before committing them to the grave.
One day in 1796 the officers of the English garrison, weary
of inaction, amused themselves by firing at a target placed near
the chapel. One of their number, scarcely more than a youth,
aimed at the statue of the Blessed Virgin, and laid a wager
that he could at the first shot hit the globe which the Infant
Jesus held in His right hand. He fired, and missed the globe,
but shot off the right arm of the Infant. At the same instant
he felt a violent pain in his own right arm, near the shoulder,
at the very place where the ball had struck the statue. Sup
posing that the pain was the result of his careless holding of
the musket, his companions began rubbing the injured mem
ber ; but the pain grew more and more intense, and they were
soon obliged to desist. A messenger was sent to Granville for
a physician ; but the doctor could not relieve the unfortunate
young man, who, three or four days afterward, expired in hor-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 249
rible agony, his arm up to the shoulder having become
mortified.*
Amidst the desperate struggles and the insurrections of
slaves which agitated Grenada during the next ten or twelve
years, the statue disappeared, the chapel was burned, and the
memory was lost of the Madonna and the sacrilegious incident
that had aroused so much indignation.
In 1850 it began to be whispered in the village of St. Patrick
that a mermaid had been seen by some divers, several feet
under water, behind the hill on which stands the Anglican
church. Naturally superstitious, the fishermen shunned the
locality where the mermaid had been discovered. A few, how
ever, priding themselves on their superior bravery, took their
boats and rowed toward the place where the "strange thing"
had been noticed. The sea being calm, they succeeded in dis
covering, in about twelve feet of water, a statue, or something
very much resembling one, resting on a bed of pebbles. The
statue seemed to be holding in its arms some formless object.
"It is some remnant," said the explorers, "of an old ship
wreck." This explanation banished all fear, and consequently
all curiosity. No further notice would have been taken of the
statue had not some of the old settlers happened to revive the
story of the lost Madonna. Several of these settlers were men
grown at the date of the sacrilege, and remembered perfectly
the statue at whose feet they had so often prayed. Moreover,
all declared that they had seen the very ball that had detached
the arm of the Infant Jesus.
Hearing of these stories, Father McMahon, the pastor of
the newly erected Catholic chapel, determined to investigate
the matter. Taking two good divers with him, and a piece
of stout rope, he rowed out to the spot indicated. He soon
discovered what looked like a large statue, and sent one of his
divers down, telling him to fasten the rope to the object. The
*The reverend editor of Revue du Culte de Marie, from which journal we trans
late this account, says that the son of the Protestant physician who attended the
young man is still living, and has given assurance of the truth of this statement,
2$o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
man soon came up, saying that the companion would have to
aid him. The efforts of both proved ineffectual; but, having
cleaned the surface of the statue, they recognized Yon maman
evec icheli (the Virgin and the Child), and recounted to Father
McMahon what they had seen. The priest now felt certain
that he had found the lost statue.
The next morning he returned with a dozen men, in a large
fishing smack, and in the course of an hour brought ashore the
statue of the Blessed Virgin holding the Infant Jesus on her
left arm. The right arm of the Child was wanting, and, with
the exception of a fracture in the lower part of the Virgin's
robe, the figure was in a state of perfect conservation. Hav
ing been recognized by numerous witnesses, it was placed in
the sacristy of the church of Sauteurs, where it remained until
1875. Canon Trouette, who in 1874 became pastor of Sau
teurs, placed it in a niche prepared for it in the south facade
of the newly built church tower.
This venerated statue is of iron rock, so called from its ex
traordinary compactness ; it is cut from a single block, and is
extremely heavy. Tradition informs us that it was made by
an Indian in the service of a Spaniard, named Gonzalez, whose
shop was in the vicinity. However this may be, it is certain
that the features of the Mother and Child present a singular
mixture of Indian and Spanish types. The facial lines are del
icately chiselled, and the drapery arranged with no mean ar
tistic skill.
QUEEN ABOVE ALL OTHER WOMEN
O thou Maid, by sin untainted,
Mary, intercede for me ;
Virgin, God's own spotless Mother,
Hear thy child imploring thee!
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 251
O thou purest Rose of heaven,
Heaven's blossom as thou art,
Let the roots of thy sweet virtues
Pierce my poor, unworthy heart !
Dazzling Star in arc cerulean,
Jewel from all tarnish free,
Thou hast drawn me to thy beauty,
Let me never stray from thee.
Queen above all other women,
Jesus, whom we all adore,
Bids us in thy gracious shadow
Linger, sheltered evermore.
Ludovica, Baroness Bordes, nee Brentano.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF COPAKABANA
BOLIVIA, S. AMERICA
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 253
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF COPAKABANA
BOLIVIA, S. AMERICA
As the Saviour of Egypt
Upon Rachel's knee;
So the world's great Redeemer
Was cherished by thee.
NE of the most renowned monuments to the glory
of the Blessed Virgin in this western world is the
church at Copakabana near the mountains and
lake Titicaca, in Bolivia, where, centuries ago, the
Incas reigned supreme. In this sanctuary a statue is vener
ated, — the work of a native artist, Tuto-Yupanki, a descendant
of the Incas, who, without any human instruction, but ani
mated by devotion toward our Blessed Lady, carved this
image, through the instrumentality of which so many of his
countrymen have found consolation and help in the evils which
afflict mankind upon earth. Notwithstanding revolutions and
wars and the efforts of impious governments, this church has
ever been a hallowed shrine, visited by pilgrims from all parts
of South America, especially Brazil, the Argentine Republic,
and Peru. As many as thirty thousand pilgrims have fre
quently been seen on the road to this sanctuary.
In the year 1582 the country was afflicted by a famine.
Prayers were offered up and pious associations formed; but,
as there was no union of hearts, no relief was obtained. It
was then that Francis Tuto-Yupanki, through devotion and in
fulfilment of a vow, began his work upon a statue of the Blessed
Virgin, accompanying each stroke of the chisel with a prayer.
254 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
When he had finished he told a number of persons that his
idea was that this statue would serve to restore devotion to
the Blessed Virgin in the country. But they all ridiculed him.
To them it appeared absurd to place in any church, no matter
how poor and humble, the rude work of a man who had re
ceived no instruction. However, the simple artist placed his
statue, for the time being, in the house of Father Narasette,
a Franciscan.
Soon a miraculous light was observed, that seemed to eman
ate from the statue. Then one of the chief men of Copakabana
proposed to Yupanki to place the statue in the parochial church ;
and on the 2d of February, 1583, it was solemnly enshrined
by the Franciscan Fathers, who at that time had charge of the
mission. The most happy results soon manifested themselves,
especially in a remarkable increase of devotion toward the
Blessed Virgin. Large throngs of suppliants filled the church,
and the many wonderful favors obtained spread throughout
the country the name and power of Our Lady of Copakabana.
And this devotion was no passing fit of enthusiasm ; it devel
oped from year to year, and the old church could not accom
modate the crowds that hastened thither to venerate the statue
and implore help from God through the intercession of the
Mother of the Word made Flesh.
Then the present majestic edifice was built. No description
can do it justice. It is erected within a large square surrounded
by trees, and the whole inclosed by massive walls. The en
trance to the church is a kind of Moorish archway with iron
gates, made in Spain. Behind the main altar is Yupanki's
statue of the Blessed Virgin. It is reached by a double stair
way, the steps of which are well worn by the feet of pious pil
grims, who for upward of two hundred years have gone there
to pray ; and the large number of ex-votos suspended before the
statue bear testimony to their faith and gratitude.,
The fame of the statue of Our Lady of Copakabana has
spread far and wide, and a number of exact copies have been
made. St. Alphonsus Turibio placed one in the Cathedral of
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 255
Lima; the Augustinian Fathers placed another in the Church
of St. Ildephonsus at Rome ; and a third was erected with
great solemnity at Madrid. Several books have been published
which have contributed materially to the spread of devotion
to Our Lady of Copakabana.
THE VIRGIN
Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrost
With the least shade of thought to sin allied;
Woman ! above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature's solitary boast;
Purer than foam on central ocean tost;
Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn
With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon
Before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast;
Thy image falls to earth. Yet some, I ween,
Not unforgiven the suppliant knee might bend,
As to invisible power in which did blend
All that was mixed and reconciled in Thee
Of mother's love with maiden purity,
Of high with low, celestial with terrene!
Wm. Wordsworth.
256 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
PRAYER FOR THE CONVERSION OF HERETICS
AND SCHISMATICS
O Mary, Mother of mercy and refuge of sinners, we be
seech thee to look with pitying eyes on heretical and schis-
matical nations. Do thou, who art the seat of wisdom, illu
minate their minds, wretchedly involved in the darkness of
ignorance and sin, that they may know the Holy, Catholic,
Apostolic, Roman Church to be the only true Church of Jesus
Christ, out of which no sanctity or salvation can be found.
Finally, complete their conversion by obtaining for them the
grace to believe every truth of our holy Faith, and to submit
to the Sovereign Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Jesus Christ on
earth, that thus, being soon united to us by the bonds of Divine
charity, they may make with us but one fold under one and the
same pastor, and that we may thus, O glorious Virgin, all
sing exultingly forever, "Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, alone thou
hast destroyed all heresies in the whole world." Amen.
FLORENCE
Nothing can be compared to the tender veneration which
the Tuscans entertain for the Madonna. On the roads, on
the bridges, in the streets, in the houses, her sweet image is
found again and again smiling on the passer-by, who doffs
his hat before it, and seeming to take part in all the happiness
of the domestic hearth. The contadine of the environs of
Florence come down from the orchard-crowned heights,
watered by clear streams which half encircle it, at every
feast of the Blessed Virgin, leading an elegantly-caparisoned
mule, which they have laden with baskets of the finest grapes,
little sheaves of wheat, branches of orange and pomegranate
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 257
trees loaded with fruits or flowers. Dressed in their holiday
attire, they march in procession through the city to lay their
fruits and flowers at the foot of the altar of the Blessed Virgin.
When the Grand Duke of Florence re-entered his terri
tories, after the fall of Napoleon, his first care was to repair
to the Church of Santa Maria della Nunziata, where crowds
of people daily honor most devoutly a picture of the Blessed
Virgin, said to have been finished by an angel. In gratitude
for his unhoped-for return to his dominions, the excellent
prince suspended a lamp of the most beautiful workmanship
in Our Lady's chapel.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF PITY
Kneeling at thy holy feet, O gracious Queen of Heaven, we
offer thee our deepest reverence. Thou art the daughter of
the eternal Father, the mother of the Divine Word, and the
spouse of the Holy Ghost. Full of grace, of virtue, and of
heavenly gifts thou art the chaste temple of God's mercies.
Thy loving heart is filled with charity, sweetness, and tender
compassion for poor sinners, and we call thee Mother of Holy
Pity. With the utmost trust I come to thee in my sorrow
and distress. Give me confidence in thy love, and grant me
what I ask — if it be God's will, and for the welfare of my
soul. Cast thine eyes of pity upon me and upon all with
whom I am in any way connected. Shield me from the at
tacks of the world, the flesh and the devil. Remember, O
fondest of mothers, that I am thy child, purchased with the
precious blood of thy Divine Son. Pray without ceasing that
the adorable Trinity may give me the grace ever to triumph
over the devil, the world and my passions. I ask this, O most
pure Virgin, through the infinite bounty of the Most High,
through the merits of thy Divine Son, by the care with which
thou didst nourish Him, by the devotion with which thou
258 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
didst serve Him, by the love with which thou didst cherish
Him, by thy tears and anguish in the days of thy pilgrimage.
Obtain that the whole world may be made one people and
one Church, which shall give thanks, praise and glory to the
most Holy Trinity, and to thee who art its mediator.
May the power of the Father, the wisdom of the Son and
the virtue of the Holy Ghost grant us this blessing. Amen.
100 days' Indulgence once a day, Plenary once a month,
on the usual conditions.
POPE Pius IX., March 26, 1860.
QUEEN IMMACULATE
A Hymn in Honor of the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin, Special Patroness of the United States.
BY THE REV. WILLIAM P. TREACY.
Star crowned Virgin, sun-robed Virgin,
Hear our land's Magnificat;
Hear our country call thee Blessed,
Hail thee, Queen Immaculate.
Fair as heavenly Salem's pillars,
Brighter than its pearly gate,
Purer than its saints and seraphs,
Thou art Queen Immaculate.
Sin's dark shadow ne'er fell on thee,
Thou wert ne'er a child of hate,
God preserved thee for His dwelling,
Full of grace, Immaculate,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 259
Thou didst crush the ancient serpent,
Changing hapless Eve's fate;
Glorious in the rise and soaring
Thou wert e'er Immaculate.
Ancient nations hymn thy praises,
Call thee stainless, holy, great,
Now a New World swells the chorus,
Hails the Queen Immaculate.
Freedom's shrine and freedom's banner
To thee, Queen, we consecrate;
Freedom's rivers, lakes arid mountains,
Hail thee, Queen Immaculate.
Sea-like bays and shining oceans,
Harbors filled with precious freight,
Forests dim and waving prairies,
Hail thee, Queen Immaculate.
Crowded city, town and village,
And the star of each free State,
Claim thee as their sweet protectress
And their Queen Immaculate
Bless our country, star-crowned Virgin,
Bid all blessings on it wait;
'Tis a new star that has risen
For thy crown Immaculate.
Tis that moon, O wondrous Woman,
Visioned once beneath thy feet;
'Tis that crown with bright stars studded
For thy brow, Immaculate.
260 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Make its light, on mankind falling,
Lead to holy deeds, and great,
That the nations all may hail it,
Mary's star, Immaculate.
Mary's Star, may glory robe thee!
Shine fore'er at heaven's gate;
Mary is the Queen of Heaven,
And thy Queen Immaculate.
Thou art Mary's newest temple,
To her service dedicate;
Let thy aisles resound with anthems
To thy Queen Immaculate.
Mary's sinless name and honor
Are the glories of each State ;
Let the world then hear thee singing,
Hail, sweet Queen Immaculate.
Hail, our load-star high, and holy,
All our stars upon thee wait;
Hail, our hope, our joy, our sweetness,
Hail, our Queen Immaculate.
Hail, pure Mother of our Saviour,
Queen of all He did create;
Hail, fair Queen of earth and heaven,
Hail, loved Queen Immaculate.
From the ocean to the ocean,
In thy shrines we'll congregate,
And the world will hear us chanting,
Hail, great Queen Immaculate.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 261
-•- L
'Round thy brow in stars we'll cluster,
As the moon we'll touch thy feet;
Thou art freedom's greatest glory,
Free from sin, Immaculate.
Hail, pure Virgin, hail, pure Mother,
Hail, loved guardian of each State;
Hear our country loudly chanting,
Hail, sweet Queen Immaculate.
— The Catholic News.
OUR LADY OF MARPINGEN
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 263
OUR LADY OF MARPINGEN
1877
List! Queen of Mercy; hear our cry,
Unselfish in its ev'ry pleading,
It mounts from earth, it rings on High,
Where Golden Harps entone its meaning.
ESIDES the miraculous cure of Margaret Kunz,
many other cases of a similar character have oc
curred since September last in various parts of the
country ; but only two authenticated accounts of
such cures have been sent to Father Neureuter, so that he is
not in a position to say what degree of confidence the others
deserve. The two cases in which a supernatural intervention
seems to have been established are these : A man, whose name
and residence I forgot to take down, had been ill for a great
many years, and was all the more considered incurable by the
doctors because he was a confirmed drunkard. One of his rela
tives having prevailed upon him to apply for help to the Blessed
Virgin who appeared at Marpingen, the man began a novena,
during which he was suddenly and completely healed from both
his bodily illness and his moral failing. From that moment he
could no longer bear the smell of spirits. The other authenti
cated case which came to Father Neureuter's knowledge was
the wonderful conversion of the brother of an Italian noble
man, who, too, was a slave to the passion of drink, a profligate,
and, in every respect, a bad man. On the advice of his house-
chaplain, who reported the event to the parish priest, the noble
man induced his brother, for the love of him, to join him in a
novena to Our Lady of Marpingen. Already on the third day
a sudden change came over the sinner ; he frequently burst into
tears, and at last rushed into the confessional, which he had
264 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
not entered for a great many years. He now leads a most edi
fying life, and totally abstains from strong drink. As I re
marked before, Father Neureuter's great conscientiousness for
bids him to speak of cures that are not thoroughly proved, but
from what I have heard from other persons there can be no
doubt that many more miraculous cases have happened, which
everyone would believe in if the healed themselves and their
witnesses could be heard. I know, as a fact, that some people,
especially those who occupy a certain social position in the
world, shrink from confessing their faith in the miraculous
power of the Marpingen apparition, and remain silent even
after having been themselves healed by that power. But a few
days ago a case of this kind was communicated to me by one
of my relatives. The wife of a Protestant colonel, herself a
devout Catholic, met with a severe accident that deprived her
of one of her eyes. Through the carelessness of a servant the
cork of a soda-water bottle had struck her left eye with great
violence, changing it instanter into a mass of blood. The doc
tor, who was at once sent for, did all he could, but when he
left he declared to the distressed husband that there was little
hope of saving the injured organ. Next day his fears were
confirmed by another doctor, an oculist of renown, and before
the week was over both doctors declared the eyesight extinct,
and all medical aid useless. At this last juncture a Catholic
friend of the unfortunate lady brought her a small bottle of
Marpingen water, and advised her to fly for help to Our Lady.
The sufferer followed the suggestion, and began a novena, say
ing the usual prayers every day, and bathing the blind eye with
the water. On the ninth day she began to distinguish the ob
jects around her; the amelioration continued steadily from day
to day; and in a fortnight the eye was completely healed.
When the doctors met her afterwards they both declared their
utter inability to understand by what agents her cure had been
effected, and talked of a miracle — in which they would, of
course, not have believed if the truth had been told to them.
But the lady kept her secret, and never said a word about it to
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 265;
anyone beyond those of her friends who knew it already.
Whatever motive she had for remaining silent after receiving
such an extraordinary favor from above, many of my readers
will probably feel inclined to think that no worldly considera
tion ought to have prevented her from loudly bearing testi
mony to the power and goodness of the Blessed Virgin, through
whose intervention she had recovered her eyesight. Before we
condemn her conduct we must, however, remember, that in
Prussia the mere revelation of a supernatural cure is fraught
with danger. Father Neureuter himself would not, without
necessity, proclaim the occurrence of such a miracle. Had he
not all along used the utmost prudence and behaved as if he
was walking on eggs in Marpingen, surrounded as he is by a
whole cordon of official spies, he would have been long ago
violently removed from his post as parish priest. Only a fort
night igo he received from the district government a thick
bundle of denunciations sent in against him by the gensdarmes
and other spies, and to each of these he was ordered to write
an answer for his justification. What the points in all these
accusations were the reverend gentleman did not tell me, but
he gave me to understand that they were all about trifles ; thus,
if the police saw him speak to pilgrims, or if he exhorted his
parishioners from the pulpit to disbelieve the new apparitions,
such utterances were accounted offences. How disgraceful the
conduct of the Government is towards this good priest may
be seen by the one fact that all his letters are opened at the
post-offices in and around Marpingen ; in order to prevent the
police from prying into his correspondence which, as he as
sured me, is always free from reproach, he is obliged to en
trust his letters to friends to have them thrown into letter
boxes out of reach of the Marpingen district officials. In the
face of the strict surveillance which is thus exercised over him,
it ought not to be expected that he could undertake to forward
water to those who write to him for it; if he did, the longed-
for pretext for his removal from Marpingen would be found
by the Prussian Government. Nor does he accept contribu-
266 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
tions towards the erection of the church which the apparition
wished to have at Marpingen.
When we expressed our desire to be allowed to offer a mite
for that purpose, he decidedly declined receiving any or hand
ing it over to persons who might be collecting money for the
building. "I never have collected a farthing," said he, "for
the erection of a church to Our Lady, and I am exceedingly
glad that I did not, for if I had given way to the general pres
sure I should have been separated from my flock at the very
beginning of the apparitions." "Besides," added he, "if the
Blessed Virgin wishes to have a church built in our village, she
does not require my poor help." That the parish priest acted
very wisely in refusing to take part in money collections became
apparent when the Government brought the false charge
against him "that he got up the apparition swindle" for the
purpose of raising money for a new church. Here I may be
allowed to remark that the Government inquiry into the Mar
pingen events has been closed some time ago. It comprises
four volumes in folio, with two thousand pages, and has cost
the Government 81,000 marks. It would have been published
ere this, if the judicial authorities had been able to find ground
in it for an accusation against somebody ; but it seems that no
charge can be framed against any one on the strength of the
gathered evidence, so that the whole affair will be allowed to
drop into oblivion, that is to say, among the enemies of the
Church. As for us Catholics, this inquiry, which was so care
fully conducted by persons certainly not biased in favor of the
apparitions, will one day afford us the most convincing proofs
of the reality of the supernatural manifestations. The future
ecclesiastical commission will then find its work already done
by that same evil power which moved heaven and earth to dis
prove the supernatural character of the apparitions. God's
ways are, indeed, wonderful.
It was already late in the evening when we took leave of the
good parish priest to return to our little hotel, or pilgrim's
house, No. 119, where we had taken up our quarters on the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 267
recommendation of a gentleman from Minister who had come
with us from St. Wendel. We had every reason to thank him
for his good advice, for the landlady, Mrs. Hansen, and her
two daughters, were extremely attentive and kind to us ; fare,
beds, and rooms, everything was good, and the prices were
very moderate. I strongly advise Englishmen visiting Mar-
pingen to alight at this small but well-conducted little hotel.
They will also fall in there with two persons who will be very
useful to them; a reverend gentleman (a deacon), and the
Geheime Rathin whom I have already mentioned, and who is
amiability itself towards pilgrims. Both speak French.
Thanks to this obliging lady, who offered herself as cicerone
to our little party, we were enabled to visit the houses and
spots where the Blessed Virgin had appeared; we saw and
spoke to the parents of the favored children — all good, simple,
meek, innocent people, whose looks and conversation we shall
never forget ; we went over the fields close to the Hartelwood,
which is still guarded day and night by 14 gensdarmes. From
the hill on which we stood we perceived their hut close to the
miraculous well ; we also saw the spots of the first and second
apparitions, and the large pear tree in the field where the
Blessed Virgin appeared the last time in the open air. One of
my young friends could not resist the temptation, and cut off
a few small twigs from the favored tree as precious souvenirs.
A little later he was fortunate enough to get also a piece of
the stone before Kunz's house on which the Blessed Virgin
used to disappear after following the three children on their
return from their daily visits to the Hartelwood. By the ex
ertions of the same lady, who must be considered as the best
authority in this point, two grave defects have been discov
ered in the photograph which was made from Professor Deger's
picture of the apparition. For more than six months, Mrs.
Dreiekmann gathered the favored children round her to study
their character and get accurate information concerning the
apparition. During this profitable intercourse she took great
pains to ascertain how far Deger's representation tallied with
268 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the description of the apparition as given by the children.
With regard to the general form of the apparition, of crown,
dress, color, etc., the children declared that the photograph was
very much like what they saw; but they rejected, as not cor
rect, both the face and the position of the apparition. As to
the face, the children always declared most positively that they
never looked into it, that it was absolutely impossible for them
to look into it, because of the dazzling fiery rays that streamed
down that part of the apparition. The only impression they
received from the face, or as they expressed it, all they saw
of the face, was "that the eyes of the apparition were turned
towards the ground." The features in Deger's picture must
therefore be looked upon as the product of the artist's imagina
tion, the face of a Madonna by Deger, nothing more nor less.
A worse defect, because it is at variance with the children's
description, is the false position in which the artist has repre
sented the apparition. Here again the children never disagreed
once in their statements, and if Deger, who examined the chil
dren personally, deviated nevertheless from their description,
this regrettable discrepancy must be attributed, as I was told,
to the shortness of his visit. According to the children, the
Blessed Virgin did never appear once in the sitting position
which the professor adopted in his picture. She certainly ap
peared as if sitting, but sitting as little children do on the
ground with outstretched limbs, floating so close to the ground
that she seemed to touch it. As to the height of the apparition,
the children maintain that the head would not have reached
higher than the neck of Margaret Kunz when standing. I
may add that Margaret was eight years old at that time, and
rather small for her age. Anxious to see the two mistakes in
Professor Deger's picture removed, Mrs. Dreiekmann has
prevailed upon a friend of hers, also a distinguished artist, to
make another sketch of the apparition in which the children's
new and most valuable indications shall be considered. — Ave
Maria.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 269
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
STILLORGAN, IRELAND
1887
Holy Mother, deign to bless me,
With His sacred wounds impress me,
Let them in my heart abide;
Since He came, thy Son, the Holy,
To a birth-place, ah, so lowly,
All His pains with me divide.
Dennis F. McCarthy.
UESDAY, December 20, in the dead and gone year
1887, was a day of sparkling frost — blue and gold
weather, which threw up bare boughs with the
minuteness of a photograph, and wrapped the low
Dublin mountains in a mist as dreamily blue as any heat haze
of August. Under the shadow of one of the loveliest of those
low hills lies Stillorgan, a sleepy little village, near which the
Oblates of Mary Immaculate have founded their Irish novitiate.
A lovely situation ; for, looking away from the mountains, one
has before one the silver plain of the sea, with Howth, a re
cumbent giant, basking lazily in the distance. Round about
are mansions and villa residences ; for it is the aristocratic side
of Dublin county The roads are broad and well kept, and
there is everywhere the quietness of refined humanity — a quiet
ness which, if less picturesque than the hubbub of a noisy Irish
village, has its own charm in a green world like this, where the
wind in many trees makes music when the singing time of birds
is over. The novitiate proper is a quaint and delightful old
270 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
mansion; Belmont it was called formerly, but it has now re
ceived its new baptismal name of Lourdes House. It is shut
away in luxurious solitude by high walls, and it has the richest
of old gardens — a garden where, in spring, there is profusion
of scent and blossoms ; where, in summer, cherries hang redly,
and there is a very wilderness of jeweled currant and rasp
berry bushes, with cabbage roses and May lilies, stocks and
carnations; where, in autumn, plums turn purple on a red
southern wall — a very treasure of a garden, laid out lovingly
by long-dead hands, and untouched since then by any gardener,
landscape or otherwise, with new-fangled modern ideas. A
century old, the house and garden lie there, below the peace
of the hills, undisturbed in quietness by the passing to and
fro, or the low praying of the priests and the young novices.
On December 20 the old place was invaded. Our Lady's
Chapel was to be dedicated, and Her clients came in scores to
witness the dedication. A lovely chapel it is — the dearest life-
labor of the Rev. Father Ring, the present novice-master, and
in 1886 director of the mighty English-speaking pilgrimage to
Our Lady's shrine at Lourdes ; built in memory of that great
triumph of love and faith, and worthily commemorative. A
very gem of gold and colors is the little shrine ; one thinks of
Fra Angelico with his angels' heads like opening roses against
a background of leafy gold ; or of those old missals where the
colors are jewels, the gilding live flame. Walls and ceiling of
dead gold, roughened to look like mosaic; thereon, in square
panels, lilies and vines, and all emblems of Our Lady. Around
the walls, designs to illustrate Her various sweet names in Her
litany. A statue of Her, inexpressibly sweet and dignified,
high in its gold niche behind the altar, standing forth delicately
against the richness of stained glass ; that and the altar itself —
the latter of stainless white marble sculptured with lilies and
roses ; its tabernacle door, silver mosaic — standing out almost
startingly pure and cold against the subdued glow of the place.
"Like la Saint e Chapelle" said a traveled bystander; a daring
comparison probably, but a tribute to the exquisiteness which
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 271
every one felt. I cannot describe the place any more in detail.
I carried away from it a sensation of having seen a very dream
of color.
For the consecration, performed hy the Rev. Dr. Donnelly,
the little chapel was fairly thronged. The impressive cere
mony went on. One thought of a beautiful body into which
the life had not yet been breathed ; when it was offered to the
Lord of Holies, and received by Him, it had received its soul.
Before the dedication we had walked about, reverently indeed,
but without restraint, expressing to one another our pleasure
and delight in its beauty ; we rose up from our knees in a holy
place, the • Lord's sanctuary. The Oblates are a missionary
order. Here the novices come, as yet children, to grow in
grace and strength till they are fitted to go forth in God's name,
to gather in for Him the countless souls which are His indeed,
but which as yet know Him not. Their prayers and aspira
tions will be sweet to Our Lady, resounding from this jeweled
shrine, whose every point of color and light represents prayer
and aspiration.
Father Ring preached with a passion even of emotion; an
impressive figure, with his great height, and nobly sweet face ;
a born missionary as much as was Francis Xavier. Those
who understood his filial love for Our Lady knew also that
the day was one which fulfilled many hopes; but even those
who were ignorant of this, could not fail to be moved by his
sermon. The mere printed words give no idea of the manner
of its deliverance. He said, preaching from the text, "All
generations shall call Me Blessed" (Luke i, 48) :
"In the name of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and on
behalf of their friends, I thank your Lordship for coming here
to-day as the representative of our Most Rev. Archbishop, to
dedicate this shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The friends
who have planned and built and adorned these walls and have
set up this fair altar, in memory of a client of Our Lady, who
is now, we trust, in heaven, are gratified and encouraged to
day by the praise and admiration of all who have seen their
272 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
work. This chapel will be used, indeed, by the Oblates of Mary
Immaculate ; but it has been built and decorated, not for them,
but for the ever-blessed Virgin Herself, and nothing can be
too grand or beautiful for Her. The Oblates intend and desire
that this chapel, dedicated to Our Lady's honor, should be a
small mark of their gratitude for the blessings which She has
bestowed on their Society in its origin, in its expansion, and
in its labors throughout the world. They gladly and reverently
unite in fulfilling the grand prediction inspired by the Holy
Ghost— "All generations shall call Me Blessed." Heartily do
they bless and praise the Mother of God for all that She has
done for them, and all that She has enabled them to do for
the glory of God, for the honor of the Church, and for the
good of souls.
"This shrine is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. It is, I
think, one of the first, if not the very first, in Ireland to receive
that title. And why has that title been selected? About five
years ago an appeal was made for this novitiate, and for the
junior college connected with it. About the same time a first
pilgrimage to Lourdes was organized and directed by the
Oblates. Three years later a second pilgrimage followed.
These pilgrimages, with the blessing of the Holy Father, and
under the patronage of many illustrious prelates, developed
into a religious work far exceeding all expectation in its im
portance and in its consequences. The pilgrims numbered
some five hundred — not, indeed, a great crowd, but these five
hundred pilgrims were delegates, representatives and ambas
sadors. They were delegates from vast dioceses and noble
cities ; they were representatives of many nations ; they were
ambassadors sent from the uttermost ends of the earth to plead
with the great Queen at Her court at Lourdes for those who
were unable to visit that holy place to pray to Her themselves.
"We bore with us to Lourdes the petitions, the written
prayers, addresses, and pleadings of Our Lady's clients. These
petitions numbered hundreds of thousands. Each one of them
was as precious in the sight of Her to whom they were ad-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 273
dressed as any jewel in a royal diadem; and surely we may
well believe that all of them taken together made up an offer
ing fit to to be laid not merely in the Grotto of the apparitions
at Lourdes, but at the very gate of heaven. I read many of
those petitions, and 1 thank God that I had that privilege ;
for it brought home to my mind and to my heart more forcibly
than anything She had ever done the supernatural intensity
of fervor, and the absolutely perfect union in faith and hope,
with wrhich the servants of our Blessed Lady appeal to Her
for every sort of blessing. Connected with our pilgrimages
there were associates who, unable to be with us in person, of
fered to Almighty God their prayers and alms and fasting, and
other good works, for the intentions of the pilgrimage and
for one another. Amongst these associates were numbered
religious orders and congregations, confraternities and con
verts ; bishops, priests, and students ; the rich and the poor ;
the inmates of charitable institutions, and innocent little ones
at school ; and I believe I do not exaggerate when I say that
the number of individuals joined in this holy union of prayers
and good works reached the enormous total of ten millions.
"Those pilgrimages were, in the spiritual order, a great and
glorious work, and this shrine shall be their memorial. It
shall be a standing record not only of the piety and generosity
of the friends whose names shall be inscribed on those imper
ishable tablets as our benefactors, but also of the favors
granted, the graces given, the cures effected, the miracles
wrought by Our Lady of Lourdes in favor of Her clients.
And we wish it to be understood that all who join with us in
praying- before this altar, in union with the prayers and Masses
which shall be offered here, will be remembered in the inter
cessions of the clients of our Blessed Lady who pray to Her
at different shrines dedicated to Her honor; for this little
church of ours will be united with sanctuaries the renown of
which has spread to every Christian land — with La Garde and
L'Osier and Sion and Pontmain — shrines especially dear to us,
inasmuch as they are entrusted to our own charge; with the
274 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
great sanctuary of Lourdes itself ; and also with another noble
church, with the care of which the Oblates of Mary Immacu
late are honored — the great National Basilica of the Sacred
Heart, which crowns the hill of Montmartre in Paris.
"We dedicate this shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes as a sign
to Her and to the world that in our many great and pressing
wants we rely with utter confidence on Her prompt and gen
erous help. And here I wish to speak, not of those material
and comparatively vulgar needs which may be met or provided
against by the collecting of a few pounds or shillings — thougfi
it would be foolish on our part to pretend that as regards such
necessities we are in any sense independent. But now I speak
only of the want that is absolutely the most urgent of all our
wants, inasmuch as it is, in the judgment of the Almighty, a
matter of supreme importance that that want should be sup
plied — I mean the want of missionary priests. We want priests
to do the work of God everywhere. We want priests to preach
the Gospel to those upon whom its saving light has not yet
shone ; to instruct the heathen, to convert the infidel, to gather
the lost sheep into the one true Fold, to bring sinners to re
pentance, to save souls. We desire to be enabled to perform
the work of our holy ministry here at home in our own dear
Ireland, as well as in England and Scotland, where the harvest
of souls is ripening for the reaper's sickle. There is no doubt
that the salvation of souls depends chiefly, under God's grace,
on the multiplication of priests. Our laborers are few at home ;
they are fewer still in those remote missions which are en
trusted, in many cases exclusively, to our spiritual care.
"So great is this want of priests in all our foreign missions
that from every quarter of the globe where the members of
our Consrresration are doing their appointed work among the
poor, every day— I might almost say every hour— brings to us
the most urgent and distressing appeals for help. We are
asked everywhere for priests speaking the world-wide English
tongue. From each of the missions whose names are written
on these holy walls comes one incessant cry, and the burthen
ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 275
of that wailing message is like an echo of the prayer which
brought the great Apostle of our race to accomplish his pre
destined labor in the island of the Western Sea. From the
snows of the most distant parts of the North American con
tinent, from the sands of Africa's deserts, from Texas, from
Natal, from the States, from Canada, from Jaffna and Co
lombo in far-off Ceylon — from all these missions comes ever
and ever the same heartrending appeal : 'Send us help, send
us help ! — send us priests to work for the salvation of innu
merable souls !' It is our mission, my dear friends, to labor
for the conversion of hundreds of pagan tribes who are still
'sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.' It is your
privilege to be able, by indirect but most effecitve co-operation,
to help us to send preachers and teachers to carry on in our
day the great work of the Apostles. And the reward of our
zeal and charity, if we undertake and do this work according
to the measure of our opportunities, will be an increased glori
fication of the name of God, and a fresh extension of His
Kingdom, by the salvation of many and many a soul which,
but for us, would have been lost forever."
In memory of the happy event, the Oblate Fathers are dis
tributing among their friends pictures of Our Lady's statue,
a replica of the familiar one which adorns the shrine at
Lourdes. On these are printed the following verses, by an
humble client of Our Lady who was present at the dedication :
Here, in this temple of Her Son,
Our Lady, in Her marble gown,
Giveth Her children benison;
Her smile floats softly down.
On roof and walls and round the altar,
Her lilies and Her beads are seen —
All emblems that in prayer or psalter
Belong to our dear Queen.
276 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
All things say here the name of Mary,
All things combine Her praise to tell;
In this Her latest sanctuary
Her glory ringeth well.
From this shall many a one go forth,
Evangels on his lips of flame,
To East and West and South and North,
To preach the Lord Christ's name;
To gather in His lambs that stray,
His dear ones lost in death and night.
His Mother's Heart is glad to-day
In His abode of light.
She takes this gift with tender pleasure,
For children's love is mother's joy;
She shall repay with boundless treasure
Of gold without alloy.
From all the lands, from all the ages,
Her votaries send their prayers above:
She counts the millioned pilgrimages,
The individual love.
Her Christmas gift this chapel small,
Made fair with love from roof to floor —
This shall receive the Lord of all,
With angels that adore.
She takes it, and She takes likewise
Our prayers that pass the farthest star.
Her Son, for Her beseeching eyes,
Shall set heaven's gates ajar.
KATHERINE TYNAN.
"Ave Maria"
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 277
THE KNIGHT OF OUR LADY OF MERCY
AY was declining; already were the mists of the
evening gathering in the valleys, when a horse
man, who had been for some time skirting the val
leys of the Mediterranean, plunged at once into a
deep and winding ravine whose lofty sides were thickly clothed
with pines. Both horse and rider gave proofs of a long and
fatiguing journey; but, in spite of his well-worn mantle, soiled
helmet and arms rusted with rain, the countenance of the young
cavalier appeared radiant with happiness. With eager joy he
spurred on his steed, casting as he went looks of tender interest
around him, as though he recognized at every fresh turn of
the road some dear familiar object ; and the smile that played
upon his lip and the tear that glistened in his eye indicated
the emotions of his soul. When he reached a certain point
of the road, he stopped. It was before a little image of our
Lady, placed in a half ruined niche. There, joining his hands
devoutly together, he cried aloud :
"Oh Mother of Mercy! thanks to thy tender care, I once
more behold my country! Here, as I departed for the holy
war, I made my vow before thee; and here, as it is meet, I
promise to perform it. On this spot will I raise a chapel and
hospice for pilgrims; hither will I myself come every year, to
visit Thy Holy Image ; and on the same day will I relieve, with
great devotion, thirty-three poor men, in honor of the thirty-
three years which Thy dear Son lived with Thee on earth. Oh
Virgin ever blessed, have pity on me."
With reason might Arthur D'Alvez thank the Lord, whose
Almighty hand had delivered him from so many perils. He
had gone to the Crusades as a faithful vassal of Saint Louis.
Wounded at Mansura, he had endured a hard captivity in the
278 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
house of an Egyptian emir, nor had he recovered his liberty
till the King had paid a million bezants of gold for his fol
lower's ransom, and surrendered Damietta in payment for his
own freedom ; and now, at last, he had returned over the seas
to his own dear land of Provence, to the home of his fathers
so fondly remembered. He was returning, it was true, a poor
knight, possessed of nothing but his own good broadsword,
but abundance awaited him in his father's halls ; he was wearied
and worn with travel, but what affectionate cares would not
his mother and sister lavish upon him ! He pictured to himself
their joy, and in imagination anticipated his own.
He thought of the ancient retainers, who had known him
from a child ; he forgot not even his faithful dog, who perhaps
already had instinctively divined the near approach of his
master.
"Come, Valiant," said he to his horse, "let us push along; a
few steps further, and we shall be at home. Once there, a
good stable, plenty of fodder and careful grooming shall be
yours. Push on, then, Valiant, my brave steed!"
The docile animal commenced to canter, and soon the young1
traveler beheld through the increasing darkness the tall, shad
owy outline of the Castle of Alvez. His heart leaped within
him at the sight; but he observed with surprise that no light
glimmered through the narrow windows; not a sound could
be heard from the ramparts.
'They are in the northern hall," said he, as if to reassure
himself. "My father is playing chess with the chaplain ; my
mother and sister ply the distaff; the varlets are busy some
where. I'll soon make them hear me."
So saying, he took the horn that hung at his belt, and
sounded the once familiar notes by which he was wont to an
nounce his return from the chase. No answer. Seized with
impatience he rode on ; the draw-bridge was down in spite
of the lateness of the hour. D'Alvez crossed it. Beneath the
dark vault, over which rose the belfry tower, he found neither
servants nor men-at-arms. He shouted ; the echo of the ram-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 279
parts alone replied. He advanced into the court, and all around
him was silence, darkness — absolute solitude.
''Oh God !" he cried, "what has happened ?"
At this moment the moon struggled through the thick mantle
of clouds with which she was enveloped, and poured a flood
of light upon the castle. D'Alvez gazed around him, struck
with a secret and undefmable terror; and it seemed as if the
life-blood froze in his veins when he beheld the scene of desola
tion that was then disclosed. The castle wras a ruin ; the roofs
were uncovered, the windows displayed their gaping recesses,
stripped of glass and hangings ; masses of rubbish strewed the
pavement of the court in every direction ; fragments of richly
carved furniture, costly armor, broken ornaments, parchments
with large waxen seals attached lay scattered on the ground ;
fire and pillage seemed to have spared nothing but the mas
sive walls, which themselves bore the mark of the flames. At
this sight D'Alvez leaped from his horse; and, almost beside
himself with terror, opened a window, the fastenings of which
some hostile hand had doubtless shattered, and entered the ar
mor room, where once he used to tilt with his father and his
old retainers.
"Father!" he called aloud, "father, where are you? Mother,
Alice — sister, answer me."
"Halloo ! who calls ?" replied a voice, which proceeded from
the vast and gloomy hall.
D'Alvez rushed to the spot whence the sound seemed to
come, stretched out his hands, and encountered the arm of a
man clothed in a coarse garment of goat's hair.
"Who are you," cried the young knight; and he dragged
the unknown to the window, through which the beams of the
moon were falling.
The two men looked into each other's face. "Is it you ? Is
it indeed you, my lord ?" as he fell at the feet of D'Alvez. "Are
you still alive! Do you not know me? I am James Grant,
the goat-herd, once the companion of your sports."
"Yes, I know you, my poor James. But — tell me — what
280 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
has happened? My father, mother and sister In the
name of God where are they?"
The man drew back ; then, with a look of deepest horror an
swered, as he grasped the young man's arm : "Your father,
mother and the sweet Lady Alice are all dead — slain by John
de Melfort, the ancient enemy of your house. They lie buried
in the chapel."
D'Alvez's knees tottered under him; he supported himself
against the wall, and fixed his haggard eyes upon the goat-herd.
The latter resumed : "It was believed that you had perished
at Mansoura. Melfort, no longer fearing your return, fell
upon us. Vassals, men-at-arms — all were massacred. My lord
was slain, defending Lady Alice ; but she was pierced with an
arrow and fell dead. Your poor mother then died of grief.
The wretches pillaged the Castle, leaving the bodies of their
victims without burial, but the Monks of Saint Benedict laid
them in consecrated ground. For myself I was left for dead
in the corner of the court yonder ; but I recovered from my
wounds, and continued with my flock to inhabit the place in
which I had been bred. I never believed that you were dead;
I looked for your return, for I have something to say to you."
"What ?" said the young man eagerly.
"John de Melfort has a castle and a wife and daughter. Re
venge is sweet."
Next day broke in fair and calm. A man clothed in a white
habit and wearing a scapular, on which shone a red cross, was
approaching along the path that led to Elvira. He walked
with a firm step, seeming to contemplate with delight the leafy
thickets, the banks covered with wild thyme, the ripple of the
sparkling stream which ran babbling along its rocky bed. He
repeated from time to time, in an under tone, verses from the
psalms, as though using the strains of the royal Prophet to
sing the praises of the Lord of all. Stopping before the walls
of the Castle, he cast his eyes over the ruined towers, and said
to himself : "I will go into the chapel and pray a moment over
its deserted tombs."
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 281
He crossed the draw-bridge, no longer guarded by men-at-
arms; he entered the court-yard, and appeared struck with
astonishment on beholding a young man standing with his back
against the ramparts and gazing with mournful countenance on
the havoc that surrounded him. The monk approached; and
moved by a lively feeling of compassion, thus addressed him :
"My son, what dost thou alone in this deserted place? The
masters of the castle are no more. But you look pale and wan ;
are you ill? Tell me! If you are hungry, I have bread and
figs in my wallet ; if you are ill I am somewhat of a leech."
While the good Religious was thus speaking with tender
earnestness, D'Alvez slowly raised his head and casting on him
a look at cnce cold and calm, said, in a low voice more terrible
than the wildest cry of despair : "I am Arthur D'Alvez."
"What, my dear son," exclaimed the monk, "are you then
alive ? Alas ! it has been God's will to lay most heavy trials
upon you ; yet doubtless He has given you the strength and
faith to bear them. But why remain here? You have rela
tions and friends who will rejoice to welcome you. I beseech
you, my son, to leave this sad place, where everything conspires
to arouse your grief."
"Never will I leave this castle," was the emphatic reply of
D'Alvez.
The monk, though still young, had long sounded the lowest
depths of man's heart. He well knew how a smooth brow and
a placid smile often covers the bitterest and most excited feel
ings, and the fiercest passion disguises itself under a tranquil
miCn, as the burning volcano lies concealed beneath its veil of
snow. Taking, then, the young man's hand, and fixing on him
his dark eye, mild yet penetrating, he said :
"My son, you will not leave these ruins, because you are
nursing, not your grief, but your revenge ; and there where
you stand you meditate less upon your father than on John
de Melfort."
"And what if I resolve to revenge the evil he has done me —
will it not be just?"
282 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay it, saith the Lord. No,
my child, it is not just to intrench on the rights that belong
to God, and by an untimely and violent death to rob the sinner
of the day of repentance which God might perchance give him.
I say to you, from that God who will be your Judge, vengeance
is not yours ; and again I say to you, from Him who is your
Saviour: 'By patience shall you find peace to your soul.'
When you have made desolate your enemy's hearth, will you
find your own restored? When you have plunged the sword
into the hearts of his wife and daughter, will your mother and
sister rise from the dead? When you have burdened your
conscience with the load that now oppresses his, will your own
be more light?"
"Father," interrupted D'Alvez, "you are a man of peace;
you cannot understand me."
"My son, before I became a monk I wras a man of war, like
yourself ; before I put on this habit I wore the breast plate and
belt of a knight. I felt the excitement of passions. I speak
to you, then, as one who has had the experience of human
glory ; and I tell you that if to your blinded eyes there be cer
tain grandeur in an insatiable revenge, there is that which is
infinitely greater and more noble in the generous forgiveness
which triumphs, not over an enemy prostrate at our feet, but
over the haughty passions of our own heart."
"But, Father, you do not understand me ; I pray you leave
me."
"My son, my brother, I will not leave you ; for the hour of
despair is no time for good resolutions. God has sent me here.
Blessed be His divine providence, which does nothing in vain."
"But know you," cried D'Alvez impatiently, "you who want
me to forgive like a coward — know you the evil this man has
done me ? Do you know that after two long years of captivity
I return with a heart bounding with hope and joy, longing for
love, full to overflowing with the tenderest affection for my
aged parents and my young sister; and, thanks to this Melfort,
find instead of my father's hearth yon three tombstones ? Did
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 283
he not revenge, on a few poor vassals, an old man and two
women, the wrongs of his ancestors; and shall I not render
him woe for woe, pang for pang? I tell you that all night, as
I paced these deserted courts, by the side of the graves where
all I love lie buried, I heard dear familiar voices crying:
'Strike and avenge us,' and I will obey."
"No, my son; your grief deceives you. I knew those for
whom you mourn. Your father was a just man, your mother
a noble and pious lady, your young sister an angel of inno
cence. They have entered into the rest of the Saints, and they
pray for the pardon of their murderer; they heap upon his
head, not the burning coals of vengeance, but the riches of a
glowing charity. Oh no, blessed souls, it is not revenge you
ask of the Lord ; you ask but to see your enemy pardoned and
throned in glory with you for all eternity. But your child,
your brother, still bound with the cords of flesh, cannot under
stand you."
"Your words grieve me," said D'Alvez, "and yet your voice
is that of a friend."
"Ah, doubt it not, my brother ; that grief of which you have
made me sole confidant binds us together forever. In the name
of the friendship with which you have inspired me, grant me
one favor. Our monastery is not far hence; deign to accept
its hospitality. Our house will be your home; there you will
find fathers and brothers ready to welcome you; and your
projects, whatever they be, will ripen in silence and reflection.
Leave this dreary place, and come to the abode which the Lord
offers you."
"Who are you? What are you?" asked the young man.
"I am a Knight of our Lady of Mercy," replied the monk,
"and my name is Peter Nolasco."
Ten years passed away. The Order of Mercy possessed a
convent at the gates of Montpelier, from which, as from an
advanced post of charity, issued forth from day to day the
valiant chivalry of the cross to defend the countries of Europe
284 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
against the incursions of the Saracens ; or more heroic still, to
rescue their victims from their hands in the very heart of their
bagnios and amidst the sands of the desert. It was towards
this retreat, whose white walls were conspicuous from afar,
that about mid-day a young girl might be seen directing her
steps, accompanied by a youth and an aged serving-man. Af
ter crossing the draw-bridge, they stopped under the donjon-
keep, from the summit of which floated the banner of the Or
der. There they spoke a few words to the sentinel, who pointed
out the way to the cloister. The youthful inquirers paused, as
if awe-struck, at the entrance of that wide inclosure, where
already some of the brave companions of Peter Nolasco and
Raymond of Pennafort were taking their peaceful and glorious
rest. Their modest tombs rose in the center of the court ;
around under the vaulted cloister walked, in silence, a number
of knights and priests, the former wearing their white tunic
and mantle, the latter having their habit of the same snowy
purity embroidered with the arms of the King of Aragon,
token of the affection borne by that truly Christian prince for
the noble Order of redemption. Nothing disturbed the quiet
seclusion of the place, save the measured fall of their footsteps
upon the pavement and the rustling of their long robes of
serge, as they paced continually to and fro. At length a priest
perceiving the maiden and her companions, approached her.
He was a man still in the prime of life ; but his sorrow-stricken
brow, and his hair prematurely sprinkled with gray, seemed
to mark him as one who in the world had encountered wrongs
and sufferings such as had left wounds in his soul, which time,
as yet, had but imperfectly healed. In a voice full of sweet
ness he asked :
"Maiden, what seekest thou?"
"Alas, sir," she answered, "we are two unhappy children;
well nigh orphans, I might say, though our father and mother
are yet living. One is a captive among the infidels, and the
other is dying of anxiety and grief."
"Your father is in slavery?"
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 285
"Yes, sir. He had gone to Barcelona, to receive a legacy
bequeathed him by a friend of my mother, and was returning
joyfully to Provence when the galley in which he sailed was
taken by the Barbary pirates. Resistance was vain; the Sara
cens carried him off into slavery, and we have heard that he
is now in Tangiers. My noble father a slave, loaded with
chains and exposed to the lash!" Tears and sobs inter
rupted her words, and her brother wept at the sight of her
tears.
"Compose yourself, my child," said the monk, "your father
shall be redeemed."
"Ah, noble sir, we count nothing too costly for his ransom.
See, my mother has given me her jewels, her bracelets, and her
rings. We will pledge our lands, everything we possess. If
only you will consent to go to my father's rescue, we will put
in your hands a sum more than sufficient for his ransom; we
have faithful vassals, too, and tried friends, and then there is
not one amongst them but would aid in the release of the Lord
o-f Melfort."
"Melfort! Did you say Melfort?" cried the monk. "Your
father's name is —
"John of Melfort, sir. If you were ever in Provence you
know it is no ignoble name."
"I know it," said the monk, in a low, stern voice; "I know
it, alas ! too well."
He turned away. His eyes for an instant gleamed fiercely;
the next minute he raised them to the crucifix which hung in
the middle of the cloister. "O great God!" he murmured,
"and do such fierce passions reign in a soul which Thy grace
has vanquished? The voice of this child rouses in my heart
feelings of hatred and revenge which I deemed forever stifled.
Father, mother, sister — what will you have me do? Blessed
souls, what is it you ask of me?"
He stood silent for some time, his eyes fixed upon the holy
crucifix; then, turning toward the children, he spoke with a
voice of angelic sweetness : "I shall myself go in search of your
286 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
father; and, if it please God, I shall restore him to you. Pray
for me, a poor sinner."
That same day a monk, clothed for a journey, knelt to re
ceive the benediction of Peter Nolasco, the General of the
Order, who, as he embraced him, said :
"Go, my beloved son, and spare neither your blood nor your
life in the service of your neighbor. Go, servant of God; fol
low in the steps of your Master; forget not your vows, which
oblige you to remain yourself in chains, if need be, to deliver
a Christian from captivity. Brother Arthur, farewell — and
may God speed you." * * *
The watchman on the top of the tower of Saint Victor's Ab
bey, of Marseilles, had just given warning that several vessels
were on the point of entering the harbor ; crowds were hurry
ing to the quay, and trying to distinguish the different ships
by their rigging or their general make, as they ran before the
breeze. In the midst of the noisy, bustling throng, yet some
what apart, might be seen a silent little group ; a lady, dressed
in deep mourning robes, a young girl who clung timidly to her,
and a handsome boy, twelve or thirteen years of age, who from
time to time played carelessly writh a tall greyhound by his
side. An old servant stood behind them, and all were eagerly
watching the white sails as they neared the shore. The forms
of three vessels, in particular, were now clearly seen, and soon
the spectators could distinguish the colors of the flags displayed
at their bows.
The keen sight of a master pilot at length recognized the
leading vessel. "Praised be Our Lady of La Garde! 'tis the
'Happy' bark ; she comes from Palermo, and brings news from
my Lord of Anjou."
"And the second," broke in another, "is the sloop 'Saint
Mary;' she comes from Smyrna, with fruits and perfumes."
The two ships thus announced rapidly entered the roads amid
the exclamations of the crowd. The third still lagged behind
in the distance, laboring heavily against the wind, which had
suddenly veered from the shore. The lady and her children
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 287
continued to watch her with intense anxiety, although she
would occasionally say: "It is no use expecitng, my children;
it is God's holy will to try us."
"Mother," suddenly exclaimed the boy, "look ! I see it
clearly ; the holy standard is floating above the sails !"
The widow turned pale, and pressed her hand upon her
heart, that beat tumultuously between hope and fear; and as
she gazed upon the waters the flag unfurled itself to the breeze,
and she saw clearly upon the white ground the arms of Ara-
gon, with the device, "Redemptionem misit populo — He gave
redemption to His people."
"It is the 'Saint John the Baptist/ the galley of the Re-
demptors!" shouted the people.
"O Holy Virgin," said the widow, "let me not be disap
pointed in my hopes !"
Still she gazed, and on the deck she beheld a man in a white
habit.
"Mother," exclaimed the young girl, "it is he — it is the
priest."
"There is a captive on board ! Hurrah ! hurrah !" shouted the
mariners and people, whose attention was now strongly ex
cited. "Thanks to Our Lady of La Garde ; he shall hang up his
chains at her altar."
The lady tottered to the water's edge ; a mist came over her
eyes; she dared not look up, fearful she might not behold her
husband, so long and vainly expected ; but the exclamations of
her children, the shouts of the people forced her to raise her
head. The vessel was close upon the quay ; a man was landing
from it, in ragged garments, his hands and his feet loaded with
chains; but his countenance — it was he! She uttered a cry,
made a few steps forward, and fell swooning with joy into
the arms of the captive. He strained her to his heart and ex
tended his hands to bless his children, who, kneeling at his feet,
were endeavoring to loosen the fetters which he had just re
sumed ; then, turning to the monk, who was at that moment
leaving the galley, he cried : "My wife, my children, if you
288 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
love me you must love and bless this good Religious; to him
I owe my liberty, my life. Let all who love Melfort honor
and bless this man of God !" Then, as the monk strove to
move awray, he grasped him by the arm, and in a still louder
voice cried : "He sought me out on the verge of the Great
Desert, whither my masters had carried me ; he found me dying
of the black plague; all had abandoned me; but, undeterred
by the loathsome disease, he installed himself as my nurse;
he cured me by his skill, or rather by his loving and tender
care. The barbarians declared my ransom money insufficient —
he offered to remain in my place ; but this I called God and
His Blessed Mother to witness I would not suffer. And all
this he did. And now — hear me, my son — I bid every one
who bears the name of Melfort to be henceforth not only the
friend but the servant of the holy Order of Mercy."
As he concluded, a man wearing a cloth gown and cap
pushed his way through the crowd and said, abruptly :
"Ha ! you are the Lord of Melfort ! And do you know the
name of your deliverer, my lord?"
"He is called Brother Arthur, but what other name he bears,
I know not."
"Let me tell you, then. His name is Arthur, Lord of Alvez ;
Alvez — do you hear ? Ah ! my lord — my dear master," added
the man, bathing the monk's hands with his tears, "I knew
you !"
Melfort started back as if thunder-struck; he gazed at the
monk with a sort of terror, as though the dead had suddenly
stood before him. "Arthur D'Alvez !" he said at last, "can this
be so?"
"Be so!" cried James Grant (for he it was) ; "I should have
known my lord among a thousand. I was his serf, his liege
man ; he freed me, and amply provided for me. I
am now a free man and burgher of the town, and to him I
owe all."
"And I too," exclaimed Melfort, falling on his knees before
D'Alvez. "Servant of God, is it true— this that I hear? You
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 289
knew who I was, and you saved my life at the peril of your
own !"
"Kneel not to a sinner, my brother/' said D'Alvez, raising
the knight from the ground. "Let us forget the past, and pray
God to forgive us for all we have done against each other."
"It is your forgiveness I implore, that I may hope to be for
given by God," answered Mel fort; "but know that from the
day on which to avenge my father's wrongs, I laid murderous
hands upon your kindred, I have never had one peaceful night ;
the very prosperity Heaven bestowed upon me was bitterness
to my heart. I shall believe myself pardoned only when you
have forgiven me."
"Let this embrace be the pledge of my friendship/' said Ar
thur, as he threw his arms around the hereditary enemy of his
house. "And now, come to the altar, where I go to offer the
Adorable Sacrifice, and receive the pledge of the mercies of
your God ! Come, follow me !"
They proceeded to the Chapel of Our Lady of La Garde,
followed by James Grant and a crowd of people. The captive
laid his chains at the feet of the miraculous statue; and the
little children, according to the ancient custom, replaced them
with garlands of flowers.
The Mass began. Arthur D'Alvez, son and disciple of Saint
Peter Nolasco, immolated on the altar, once and forever, every
remembrance of the ancient feud ; and, when himself lovingly
united with the Saviour of mankind, he laid the Sacred Host
on the lips of Melfort, they remained no longer those scions
of two hostile houses, but twin brothers, united together in the
bonds of Divine charity by the noblest of all self-sacrifices,
and a gratitude as humble as it was profound. — Ave Maria.
290 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
GRACES OBTAINED THROUGH THE INTERCES
SION OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY
T would be very astonishing if, at a time when the
whole Church is making every effort to set forth
the praises of her who has done and suffered so
much to glorify the Heart of Jesus, the same most
generous Heart did not contribute to enhance the honor of His
faithful servant. Thus, those graces of which He is the source,
have flowed abundantly everywhere that the triumph of the re
cently beatified has been celebrated. Everywhere is the voice
of Heaven joined to that of earth to proclaim the power of
Margaret Mary. It is true that, in more than one place, this
passionate lover of the Cross, who, during all her life, sought
only for trials, has treated her sisters as she would wish to have
been treated herself. The feasts of her beatification have been,
for certain Communities, the occasion of trials more or less
painful ; and we do not doubt that, for these Communities, as
for the Blessed Margaret Mary herself, temporal tribulations
have been only the source of the most precious spiritual graces.
But in many other places and, especially in favor of the faith
ful of secular estate, the protection of the newly beatified has
been manifested in the most remarkable manner, by surprising
cures and conversions. Some of these graces, noticed in various
circulars of the Visitation, have been collected by a religious
of that order, to gratify the readers of the Messenger. We beg
her to accept our thanks, and we doubt not that she will be re
warded as she deserves, by the results which the reading of
them cannot fail to produce in faithful hearts. She will, un
doubtedly, increase their gratitude toward the Heart of Jesus
and their confidence in the intercession of His beloved spouse.
Our readers, no doubt, will understand that in laying before
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 291
them the recital of these graces, such as we have received it, we
do not pretend in any way to forestall the judgment of compe
tent authority, as to their more or less miraculous character.
EXTRACT FROM A CIRCULAR OF THE MONASTERY OF GENOA
"The sweet devotion to the Heart of Jesus seems to spread
proportionately to the knowledge of our blessed sister, Mar
garet Mary. Many vows have been performed here in thanks
giving for graces obtained. Triduums of prayer have often
been asked of us ; on every side we are overwhelmed with peti
tioners for the water into which the relics of our beatfied sister
have been dipped ; and it is with pious eagerness that the sur
rounding population treasure up the medals, tracts and sketches
of her life, with which we were provided, and all of which
were soon distributed. We will relate here the grace of a
conversion, of which we learned the details a few days ago.
On one of the days of the triduum, several young persons were
standing at the foot of the hill upon which our monastery
stands. Seeing a multitude of persons coming toward them,
they asked the reason of such an extraordinary throng, and
having learned that they came to celebrate the festival of our
beatified, they commenced to laugh and joke at the expense of
those who were hurrying to the church. But one of them, who
had taken part in their impious discourses, suddenly felt so
strong an impulse to follow the pious throng, that he could
not resist it; so he separated from his companions, approached
and entered the little chapel, where divine grace touched him
so effectually that he yielded and avowed himslf vanquished.
A few moments were all that the lover of the Heart of Jesus
needed to subdue entirely this heart so lately irreligious. Hav
ing returned to his own house, the young man appeared quite
a different person — his sentiments had changed — his conduct
changed with them ; and now he has no other desire than to
give himself entirely to God. We learned these details from
292 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
himself, for he came to us to ask the help of our prayers, say
ing that our beatified sister had already operated part of his
conversion, which he hoped she would complete, and that as
soon as the grace should be entirely granted, he would bring
to our Blessed Margaret Mary a silver heart, in gratitude for
this inappreciable favor."
FROM THE MONASTERY OF MILAN
"Several persons have received, with the image and relic
of our beatified, graces for which they are desirous to return
thanks. Among others, a young lady after having resisted for
nine years the strongest and most pressing invitations of those
interested in her salvation, had no sooner put on the relic of
the Blessed Margaret Mary than she resolved to go to con
fession. Since then, her much more edifying conduct and her
changed expression of countenance, furnish the most irre
fragable proofs of the sincerity of her conversion. She does
not suffer the means to which she is indebted for these benefits,
to remain unknown to any one, and her regenerated soul bears
witness publicly, and without ceasing, to the gratitude she
owes her powerful benefactress.
"A young man, suffering from the gangrene, and tormented
by such intense pain as to draw from him the most piercing
cries, has been suddenly cured by the application of a relic of
the beatified to the part affected, and, moreover, he was not
told till afterward of the means employed to cure him, seeing
that he was disposed to nothing so little as to trust in super
natural remedies. Accounts of conversions and cures, which
possess something of the miraculous, have been transmitted to
us from neighboring cities, whither the pious tokens, of which
we have spoken above, have found their way, by means of
friendly persons who came down to Milan for the festival. It
would be too prolix to give the details here."
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 293
FROM THE MONASTERY OF THONON,
"Miss Elizabeth Plaisance, aged twelve years, and living in
the little city of Thonon, suffered for nearly three years from
a pain in the left shoulder. In November, 1861, the pain in
creased considerably, and the shoulder, being much swollen,
was sometimes flushed with a color as red as blood ; at other
times whitish and like dried parchment. From January 10,
1862, the head of the little sufferer was bent over as far as
her breast, and subsequently down to her waist. The shoulder
blade, entirely twisted back, was thrust out to such a degree
as to make it surprising that it did not pierce through the flesh.
The unfortunate young lady could not bear the slightest touch
upon the part affected, so much did she suffer. A consulta
tion of physicians was then held. Violent remedies were or
dered toward the middle of January, producing so strange an
effect that the poor patient was out of her mind ; she bounded
about in her bed, leaping from the head to the foot, and back
from the foot to the head. Her stomach could not digest the
least nourishment — a few grapes brought on a crisis. At last
nothing remained but frightful torture and continual moaning.
Her doctor, seeing her in this state, said, with anxiety : 'It is
a hopeless case; she will have the lock-jaw;' and afterward,
'It is the lock-jaw.'
"Affairs were in this state when Madame Plaisance, a woman
ful of faith, came to ask prayers for her daughter. Our Mother
Superior promised them willingly, and expressed the wish that
the young patient should make at the same time a novena to
our blessed sister, Margaret Mary. The pious mother gladly
agreed to this, and also made a vow to visit with her daughter
the tomb of the beatified as soon as the cure should be obtained.
The novena was made daily by the family in common, com
posed of the father, the mother, a son, aged fourteen, and the
little Elizabeth. During the novena all remedies, properly so-
294 APPARITIONS AND SHRINKS OF
called, were suspended; they tried, however, to give the little
patient two baths, but she could not stay in them, so severe
were her pains.
"In the course of the novena, Elizabeth had two visions
which she related to her mother, and which filled them both
with joy, causing them firmly to believe in the much-desired
cure. The first time, Elizabeth saw near her bed our blessed
sister, who, taking her by the hand, said to her: 'You shall
be cured at the end of the novena, but your shoulder must re
main a little swollen/ The second time the child saw the
Blessed Virgin first, and afterward our beatified. 'We must
cure this little one,' said the Holy Virgin to the Blessed Mar
garet Mary. 'She will be the comfort of her parents.' Then
approaching the bed of the sufferer, our beatified reiterated,
but this time without restriction, the assurance of her speedy
cure.
"On Sunday, February second, the last day of the novena,
Elizabeth being worse, her confessor brought her the Holy
Viaticum. Her pains continued all that day and the following
night, during which she could take no repose. The next day,
the third of February, at the very hour when, nine days before,
there had been placed in her hands a picture and some articles
which had touched the body of the beatified, Elizabeth arose
suddenly and cried out, intoxicated with joy and happiness:
T am cured.' Then falling on her knees upon her bed, she
returned thanks to her benefactress. At the same moment her
brother, who had heard her, came in. 'You are cured, sister/
said he; 'is it really true?' And then, wild with joy, he gave
her several hearty blows upon the back, even on that shoulder
which a few moments before could not have been touched with
the tip of the finger without making the sufferer shriek with
pain ; but now she felt no uneasiness. Her mother heard the
noise, and hurried to help her dear daughter, whom she ex
pected to find expiring — 'I am cured, mamma, I am cured !'
"Elizabeth was in fact radically cured. She was able at
that very moment to rise, dress without trouble, and take nour-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 295
ishment from that day forward, as in perfect health. Half an
hour had scarcely passed away when the mother and daughter,
transported with happiness, came to make us partakers of their
joy and thanksgiving. 'Even if I should live a hundred years/
said good Madame Plaisance to us, 'it would not be long
enough to thank our Lord.' In answer to our question to
Elizabeth, as to what passed in her at the moment of the cure,
she answered with charming ingenuity : "I heard a little gurg
ling noise, like that made when one bottle is emptied into an
other, and then I felt no more pain."
"This happy event took place at twenty minutes past seven
in the morning, and at nine o'clock Elizabeth, accompanied by
her parents, assisted at our conventual Mass. She remained
on her knees the whole time without feeling fatigued. Some
months afterward she went with her pious mother to the tomb
of our beatified sister. Robust health has replaced the infirm
state of Elizabeth, who has regained the freshness and vivacity
of youth."
FROM THE MONASTERY OF DOLE
"Our young sister, Mary Amata, suffered for more than
two years from an inward disease, which our physician de
clared beyond the power of medicine to remedy. This disease
became so violent, and made such rapid progress, that before
Christmas our dear sufferer was brought, one might say, to
the jaws of death, being scarcely able to bear a few spoonfuls
of drink. Nothing remained to us but the sad prospect of an
inevitable and speedy death. A novena was commenced to the
Blessed Margaret Mary, and on the last day our dear patient
asked for food, which she was at last able to take. From
that time her pains were less intense, the source of the evil
seemed to have disappeared, and now the cure is completely
effected ; her strength is restored to her, and our beloved
sister habitually assists at the choir and other regular exercises,
filling the office of second porter. Full of gratitude to her holy
296 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
benefactress, and, above all, to the Heart of Jesus, our good
sister breathes nothing but the desire of devoting herself to
His glory, as far as lies in her power." — Ave Maria.
THE MOTHER'S HYMN
Lord, who ordainest for mankind
Benignant toils and tender cares,
We thank Thee for the ties that bind
The mother to the child she bears.
We thank Thee for the hopes that rise
Within her heart, as, day by day,
The dawning soul, from those young eyes,
Looks with a clearer, steadier ray.
And grateful for the blessing given
With that dear infant on her knee,
She trains the eye to look to heaven,
The voice to lisp a prayer to Thee.
Such thanks the Blessed Mary gave
When from her lap the Holy Child,
Sent from on high to seek and save
The lost of earth, looked up and smiled.
All-Gracious ! grant to those who bear
A mother's charge the strength and light,
To guide the feet that own them care
In ways of Love and Truth and Right.
William Cullcn Bryant.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 297
MONKS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
HE religious labored in the woods and fields, sowed
seed, reaped wheat, mowed the meadows, felled
trees, and carried the wood on their backs. When
they returned to the convent, they received with
thankfulness what was given them to eat, that is, a pound of
coarse brown bread mixed with tares, with pottage made of
beech-leaves. Their bed was straw, their pillow a sack of oat
hulls ; and after some hours' rest they rose again at midnight to
sing the praises of the Lord. Such was the pious life of these
monks of the Blessed Virgin, whom their conduct honored, ac
cording to the expression which God himself employs in the
sacred Scriptures; and accordingly she condescended to give
them sensible marks of her favor. The Cistercian annals record
that when these good religious, whose lives were so austere,
whose heart was so pure, and hands so busy, sweated under the
burthen of the day, during the harvest, without venturing to
appease their extreme thirst with the water of the neighboring
spring, and their limbs, languid under the burning heat of
summer, the Blessed Virgin wiped away with her white veil
the sweat of labor from the pale and furrowed brows of the
brethren.
Men of high birth flocked to Citeaux ; Prince Henry, brother
of Louis the Young, became a monk at Clairvaux in the year
1149; St. Malachy, descended from the kings of Ireland, and
primate of that island, exchanged his pontifical vestments for
the poor ornaments of serge and fustian of the religious of
the Blessed Virgin ; Wallen, one of the first lords of the court
of Scotland, dear to the king, his relative, who invited him
to all his hunting parties, abandoned the world and its pomps,
which smiled upon him, to shut himself up in a monastery of
29$ APPARITIONS ANt> SHRINES OF
Citeaux. The king having often perceived that the young no
bleman, instead of hunting the heath-cock and deer, retired
apart among the tall fern or under the whitethorns in the
thickets to read and pray : — "I must make him a bishop," said
the pious monarch one day, thoughtfully eyeing him. Wallen
anticipated him, and became a monk at Wardon.
In 1129, Everard, Count of Mans, abdicated his crown as
sovereign prince for the cowl of Citeaux. He went and pre
sented himself in disguise at one of the abbeys of the order,
and he was intrusted with the care of the flocks of the monas
tery; he would have remained always unknown there if some
nobles of Mans had not recognized him feeding sheep on the
border of a heath. Another young lord of very high birth,
having taken the habit of Citeaux, was sent to drive a troop of
swine every day under the oaks of a neighboring forest, where
they fed deliciously on acorns and beech nuts. One day, when
the novice was not engaged in prayer, he heard the voice of
Satan, the father of pride, who whispered to him in a low voice
that he was following a very strange occupation for the son
of a powerful baron. This young nobleman, hitherto so pious,
bit his lips, and his fervor disappeared ; when evening came he
returned to the monastery and retired to the chapel. Whoever
had seen him kneeling before Our Lady's altar, sunk in deep
meditation, would have said : "Here is a saint whose thoughts
are in heaven." Yet his thoughts had not taken so lofty a
flight, for he was thinking of his father's castle and cherishing
thoughts of flight. "The night is very dark," said the novice
to himself, as he looked out beyond the porch of the chapel ;
"the wind is blowing a tempest; it is the very time to make
my escape. . . . Keep swine indeed! let us be off, then!
The son of one of the first lords of the court; but it is dis
graceful !" . . . He arose and walked down the nave with
a resolute step ; but as he was going to step over the threshold
he perceived a woman standing before him ! At first he thought
he was dreaming ; but no ! there stood before him, at the end
of the chapel, a woman beautiful as an angel, and majestic as
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 299
a queen; with a gracious wave of her hand, and a smile of
compassionate pity, she beckoned him to follow her, and he
mechanically obeyed. The unknown lady went toward the
cemetery, which the moon, half concealed by thick clouds,
tinged with a strange light ; the large yews, moving gloomily
in the wind, seemed to moan over the dead, and the night birds
mingled their mournful cries with the tumult of the tempest.
An icy tremor ran through the young monk's limbs ; his calm
and radiant guide stretched out her hand, and lo! the turfy
coverings of the tombs slowly opened and the dead arose, cold
and pale in their winding sheets. The novice was swooning
with fear, when the unknown lady, eyeing him with tender
compassion, said in a sweet and penetrating voice: "Yet a
little while, and you will be even as these dead ! Whither then
would you wish to go, and what are you thinking of? Here
ends the glory of the world?" As she said these words the
Blessed Virgin — for it was she herself — disappeared ; the
graves closed again, and the young novice, who no longer
dreamed of leaving his monastery, became a model of virtue
and humility.
PRAYER BEFORE A CRUCIFIX
O good and sweetest Jesus, before Thy Face I humbly kneel,
and with the greatest fervor of spirit I pray and beseech Thee
to vouchsafe to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith,
hope, and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a most firm
purpose of amendment; whilst I contemplate with great sor
row and affection Thy five Wounds, and ponder them over in
my mind ; having before my eyes the words which, long ago,
David the prophet spoke in his own person concerning Thee,
my Jesus: 'They digged My hands and My feet; they num
bered all Mv bones."— Ps. xxi., 17, 18.
300 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
INVOCATION OF JESUS IN THE BLESSED
SACRAMENT
Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation ;
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
Water of Christ's side, wash out my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
O good Jesus, listen to me;
In Thy wounds I fain would hide
Ne'er to be parted from Thy side.
Guard me should the foe assail me;
Call me when my life shall fail me.
Bid me come to Thee above,
With thy saints to sing Thy love,
World without end. Amen.
300 days if said after Mass or Communion. Plenary once a month.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 301
FR. DE LA COLOMBIERE ON THE SCAPULAR
HE promise of God's Mother that those who wear
her Scapular shall be saved was made to St. Simon
Stock in 1251, and confirmed to Pope John XXII. ,
who proclaimed it in the Sabbatine Bull, Saturday
being the day on which the Mother of God promised deliv
erance from Purgatory to all who wear her Scapular. The
obligations are to say daily the little Office of the Blessed Vir
gin, or if unable to read, to abstain from eating meat on
Wednesdays and Saturdays, and to preserve chastity. The
Annals of Our Lady gives the following account of a sermon
preached at Lyons by the Venerable Father de la Colombiere,
an Apostle of the Scapular.
"If in spite of all the graces showered on you through Mary
you still remain obstinate in a life of sin; if you close your
eyes to light and of your own free will give yourselves over
into the hands of your enemy; if, in one word, you persist in
dying in your sins, in your sins you will die. God Himself
cannot force a will bent on its own destruction. Yes, you will
die impenitent, you will die in your sins; but you will not die
in the Scapular.
"If Mary can find no means of withdrawing you from sin,
she will find a means of withdrawing her scapular from you.
Rather than die as reprobates in this holy habit, you yourselves
will cast it from you ; as was the case with that miserable man
who having tried in vain several times to drown himself, and
not knowing to what cause to attribute so marvelous a prodigy,
bethought him of the scapular he wore and was so persuaded
that this was the obstacle to the fulfilling of his fatal design
that he tore it off him, and plunging again for the fourth or
fifth time into the waters which had till now spared him, he
302 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
sank at once in their depth. He died in his sins, he died
sinning, committing the greatest of all sins; but he could not
die until despoiled of this sign of salvation, in which none can
die without enjoying the privilege of escaping eternal flames.
'In quo quis moriens seternum non patietur incendium ?' "
And a pious author adds : "No, Satan has never seen one
single scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in hell !"
EVENINGS IN GREECE
When evening shades are falling
O'er Ocean's sunny sleep,
To pilgrim hearts recalling
Their hcme beyond the deep;
When rest o'er all descending,
The shores with gladness smile,
And lutes their echoes blending,
Are heard from aisle to aisle,
Then, Mary, Star of the Sea,*
We pray, we pray, to thee.
The noonday tempest over,
Now Ocean toils no more,
And wings of halcyons hover
Where all was strife before.
Oh, thus may life, in closing
Its short tempestuous day,
Beneath Heaven's smile reposing,
Shine all its storms away:
Thus, Mary, Star of the Sea,
We pray, we pray, to thee.
* Maria illnminatrix sive Stella Mar is. — Isidore.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 303
On Helle's sea the light grew dim,
As the last sounds of that syeet hymn
Floated along its azure tide —
Floated in light as if the lay
Had mixed with sunset's fading ray —
And light and song together died.
Thomas Moore.
REVERENCE FOR THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Reparation for the injuries offered to the Blessed Sacrament
was the aim of St. Norbert's great work of reform — in him
self, in the clergy, and in the faithful. How much does our
present worship repair for our own past irreverences and for
the outrages offered by others to the Holy Eucharist?
A vile heretic named Tankelin appeared at Antwerp in the
time of St. Norbert, and denied the reality of the preisthood,
and especially blasphemed the Holy Eucharist. The saint
was sent for to drive out the pest. By his burning words he
exposed the impostor, and rekindled the faith in the Blessed
Sacrament. Many of the apostates had proved their contempt
for the Blessed Sacrament by burying it in filthy places. Nor
bert bade them search for the Sacred Hosts. They found them
entire and uninjured, and the Saint bore them back in triumph
to the tabernacle. Hence he is generally painted with the Mon
strance in his hand.
"And he said, I believe, Lord; and falling down, he adored
Him."— John, ix., 38.
304 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
OUR LADY OF DALE
RANT, O Jesus and Mary, that I may always pray
as I ought, that I may love you as much as I am
able ; may I always hope in you, and may you dis
pose of me and all that I possess as you judge best ;
may i do and embrace all to give you joy in this life and be
united with you eternally in the other.
O my Jesus, since Thou hast mercifully created me, made
me a Christian, preserved me during the day (or night, and
brought me to the light of another day), I thank Thee, I love
Thee, I desire always to love Thee, I am sorry for having of
fended Thee, I will never offend Thee more ; grant that I may
do Thy holy will ; I unite myself to Thee, never let me be sep
arated from Thee.
To thee I consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions and suf
ferings ; I intend to gain all the Indulgences that I can, and to
assist at all the masses, prayers and benedictions of the whole
world ; and I offer them all to Thy glory, and to the honor of
Our Lady.
Blessed Mother Mary, I thank thee also, for I believe I have
obtained and can obtain every grace through thy hands. Most
Holy Mother, preserve me always from the least sin ; offer the
Precious blood of Jesus, and the masses said throughout the
world for the prevention of the sins of youth, and their perse
verance in good. I throw myself entirely into thine arms, that
thou mayest keep thy hand ever upon me, and prevent me
from betraying thee and thy beloved Son Jesus.
To thee I commend the conversion of all poor sinners, here
tics and infidels, but particularly the youthful ones of the
world. To thee I commend the liberation of the suffering
souls in Purgatory, whom I desire to assist by all the suffrages
in my power, to be disposed of as thou wiliest.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 305
Bless and protect our Holy Church, our Supreme Pontiff,
our Bishops, Priests, superiors and all religious men and wo
men and institutions throughout the world. Remember the
poor orphan children.
Bless our parents, relations, benefactors, friends and ene
mies. Obtain the grace of a happy death for all the youth who
shall die to-day, and the grace of baptism for all born into this
world. Obtain the increase of ecclesiastical and religious
vocations.
To thee I consecrate all my joys, sorrows, my hopes, my
miseries, my goods, exterior and interior, the value of my
good actions, past, present and future, all that I am, all that I
have, to be disposed of according to thy will, and that of thine
adorable Son.
Finally, Blessed Mother, preserve according to thine own
spirit this Confraternity of thy Perpetual and most devoted
Servants.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOR,
O Mother of Perpetual Succor, grant that I may ever invoke
thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living
and the salvation of the dying. O purest Mary ! O sweetest
Mary ! let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay
not, O Blessed Lady, to succour me whenever I call on thee;
for in all my temptations — in all my needs — I shall never cease
to call on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary — Mary.
O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what
emotion fills my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even
only think of thee ! I thank thee, Lord, for having given me,
for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I
will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my
love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual
Succour.
306 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL
O most glorious Virgin Mother, chosen by the Eternal
Counsel to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Treas
urer of divine grace and the Advocate of sinners, I, the most
unworthy of thy servants, have recourse to thee, that thou
mayest deign to be my guide and counsellor in this valley of
tears.
Obtain for me by the Precious Blood of thy Divine Son the
pardon of my sins, the salvation of my soul, and the necessary
means to acquire it. Obtain for holy Church triumph over
her enemies and the propagation of the reign of Jesus Christ
on earth.
MIRACULOUS
Dreadful was the Paris disaster in 1897, yet it had some con
soling results. The pastor of a Paris church relates the fol
lowing incident concerning one of his parishioners : A young
man, the reverse of a practical Catholic, had accompanied his
mother and sister to the bazaar. He was there when the fire
broke out. Having succeeded in rescuing his mother, he
rushed back to save his sister, whose garments were already
on fire. The flames were around him. He took his sister in
his arms and was carrying her away when a burning rafter
fell on his head. These tarred rafters in flames, falling on the
victims, helped the tragedy to do its work with terrible speed.
The one falling on the head of the young man in question left
him uninjured, and he succeeded in bearing his burden away
in safety. A day or two after, talking of what had happened
with his sister, who was suffering from severe burns, he said :
"Did I belong to the pious people, I should say that my escape
was simply miraculous." "Go and fetch that hat you wore,"
said the young lady. He brought it. "Look inside," she said.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 307
He looked inside and saw what appeared to be a small coin
gleaming in the lining. It was the "Miraculous Medal." His
sister had placed it there. The young man understood, and
approached the Sacraments next day.
MARIANISCHES LOB-GESANG
O Gross, O gnadenreiche Frau,
Die Du vom heiligen Geistes Thau,
Bist reichlich uebergossen :
Der dein und unser Schoepfer ist,
Hat deiner Yuengfrseulichen Brust
Mit Lust und Lieb genossen.
Was Eva hat genommen
Durch deine Leibs-Frucht mit Gewinn,
Der Welt ist wieder-gegeben.
Du schliessest auf des Himmels-Saal,
Dasz wir aus diesem Yammer Thai
Gehn ein zum besseren Leben.
Du bist des hoechsten Kcenigs Pfort,
Deine hellen Stralen aller Ort'
Das Licht der Erden geben :
Frolock, O Mensh! zu aller Zeit,
Die Yungfrseuliche Reinig Peit
Hat dir gebracht das Leben.
Dir sei, O Yesu ! Lob und Preis,
Weil dich auf wunderbahre Weis
Eine Yungfrau hat gebohren :
Dir Vater, und Dir heilige Geist,
Als oft dem Sohn wird Ehr geleist,
Sei nichts dabei verlohren.
3c8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
SONG OF PRAISE TO THE B. V.
O Great, O gracious mistress,
Who from the dew of the Holy Ghost,
Art richly overpow'rd;
He who is thine and our Creator,
Has enjoyed thy virginal breast,
With pleasure and with love.
What Eve has taken away, with gain,
Through the fruits of thy womb,
To the world has been given back.
Thou hast unlocked the Heavenly banquet Hall,
That we from this Vale of Tears
May enter into a better land.
Thou art the Gate of the Highest King,
Thy clear rays from all places,
Give light to the earth,
Be glad, O Man! at all times,
For Virginal purity
Hath brought Thee life.
To Thee, O Jesus! be praise and glory,
Because a Virgin has borne Thee
In a wonderful manner.
To Thee O Father, and to Thee O Holy Ghost,
And to Thee Son shall be rendered honor.
And no praise of the Mother can deprive the
son of His Honor.
Translated by Marcella Eberlee.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 309
POPE CELESTINE
Among the first words which the holy Pope Celestine uttered
in his childhood were the following: "I will be a good servant
of God." As he lost when a little boy, through an accident,
his right eye, he prayed fervently to the Mother of God for
it, and received it back again through her intercession. He
was even visited by this good Mother and St. John the Evan
gelist, and they directed him in his studies. When he studied
once before a Crucifix, Our Lord indicated to him the holy
angels as teachers of morals and fine arts. At last Peter,
through his great virtues and learning, was raised to the high
est dignity in the Catholic Church, namely, to the Papal Chair,
from which, however, he retired through sincere humility,
after a few years. Who leaves human consolation can rely
upon the heavenly.
THE HOLY PICTURE
An article in a recent number of the English Annals of Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart describes the general love of the
Russian people for the Mother of God. The followers of the
Greek or Orthodox faith have in their houses and shops and
public places pictures of Our Lady, and as we bless ourselves
at our going in or coming out, or whatever we do, so they
make the sign of the Cross and say a prayer before their favor
ite picture. In the streets are little shrines with a picture and
lighted candles, and close to one of the main gates of Moscow
is a sanctuary with a Byzantine Madonna, to which all who
enter the city turn to implore help and protection and make an
offering of a candle. This picture of the Mother and Child
is painted on wood, and is an ancient copy of a Madonna in
the Greek Monastery at Mt. Athos. This is called The Holy
310 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Picture, and is frequently carried to the sick, and as it passes
by people kneel in prayer. In every church in Moscow and in
the Kremlin there are pictures of the divine Mother and Child,
adorned with costly jewels and rich offerings. At Kieff and
St. Petersburg, as in the poorest provinces, these shrines and
Madonnas are common in homes and in churches, called "icons"
or holy pictures among the people. To the north of the city of
Moscow is a convent of Basilian (Passion) nuns, with a noted
Madonna at the entrance of the campanile, a copy of La Ma
donna del Perpetuo Succorro at Rome.
PRAYER FOR PEACE
Hail thou most sublime Queen of Peace, most holy Mother
of God ! By the Sacred Heart of Jesus thy Son, the "Prince of
Peace," appease the Divine anger and give us peace. "Mem-
orare," etc. "O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary." —
Prayer printed in the picture of our Blessed Lady in St. Mary
Major's, Rome (painted by St. Luke.)
THE HOLY FAMILY.
O Child of beauty rare —
O Mother chaste and fair —
How happy seemed they both, so far beyond compare !
She in her Infant blest,
And He in conscious rest,
Nestling within the soft, warm cradle of her breast !
What joy that sight might bear
To him who sees them there,
If, with a pure and quiet untroubled eye,
He looked upon the twain, like Joseph standing by.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
By St. Ildefonsus
O Mother of my Saviour! thou art blessed amongst all
women, pure amongst all virgins, Queen of all creatures. Be
hold ! all nations call thee pre-eminently blessed. Grant that I
may publish thy greatness as much as I can, publish them, that
I may love thee as much as I can love thee ; that I may invoke
thee ; and that I may contribute to make thee honored as far as
my zeal and my strength will permit ! Amen.
SAINT AUGUSTINE AND HIS MOTHER
The memory of Saint Augustine is for ever inseparable, for
all Christians, from that of his fond mother, Saint Monica.
While still young — he was in his twentieth year — under the
sway of his passions and the seductions of error, he abandoned
the faith and embraced the Manichean heresy. His pious
mother, with a holy indignation, refused all further relations
with him, and forbade him to ever appear in her presence. But,
as has been so often said, the child of so many tears was not
to be lost. During long years she besought God, with tears,
to bring back to the true fold her erring son. Her confidence
and perseverance were at last rewarded. Impossible to describe
her transports of joy when Augustine, now in his 32nd year,
declared his resolution of living henceforth not only as a good
Christian, but of quitting the world and devoting himself en
tirely to the service of God.
Now begins the career which has rendered forever illustrious
the name of Augustine throughout the Christian Church. At
the age of 42 he was appointed Bishop of Hippo, despite his
renewed supplications and his aspirations after the religious
312 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
state. The 34 years he occupied the See are years of heroic
struggle against the enemies of God and His church.
Saint Augustine is for all a great master and model. Saint
Thomas Aquinas was his faithful disciple in the Middle Ages
while in modern times all the great theologians and preachers,
notably Bossuet and Fenelon, invoke his authority. For the
simple faithful he is a model of patience and confidence in the
justice of God.
PRAYER IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF
PERPETUAL HELP
O Mother of Perpetual Help ! grant that I may ever invoke
thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living
and the salvation of the dying. O purest Mary ! O sweetest
Mary ! let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not,
O blessed Lady ! to succor me whenever I call on thee ; for, in
all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call
on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary. Oh,
what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emo
tion fills my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only
think of thee ! I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my
good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. Let my love
for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual
Help. One hundred days' indulgence, once a day.
Pius IX., May 17, 1866.
A REAL TREASURE OF PRECIOUS INDULGENCES
OF THE ROSARY
"Behold," said Pius IX. one day, "the most precious treasure
of the Vatican."
All the members of the Confraternity of the Rosary may gain
by reciting the beads 2,025 days' Indulgence for each Hail
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 313
Mary. That makes 101,250 days for each bead and 303,750
days for a rosary. This extraordinary Indulgence is perfectly
authentic. (Catal. ix., 3 — Congreg. of Indulgence, 29th
March, 1886.)
After the Holy Eucharist the rosary is the most effectual
means of helping the souls in purgatory.
All the members of the Confraternity of the Rosary who,
repenting of their sins, carry the beads about them, gain 40,000
days' Indulgence once a day (Catal. ix., 3).
Fifty years' Indulgence for saying the beads in the church
of the Confraternity, or, in default of it, any other church or
oratory. (Imprimatur, Brugis, 28th September, 1886. J. A.
Syoen Can. Lib. Cens.)— Pius IX.
In order to gain these Indulgences it is necessary: I. To
be inscribed on the Register kept by the Dominicans. 2. To
use a bead blessed by a priest who has the special powers.
3. To say the beads three times a week, meditating on the
Mysteries as well as we can.
THE TE DEUM LAUDAMUS OF ST. BONAVENTURE
TURNED TO THE MOTHER OF GOD
We praise Thee, O Mother of God: we acknowledge Thee to be the
Virgin Mary.
All the earth acknowledges Thee as the only daughter of the Father.
All the angels and archangels serve Thee.
The powers and all the dominations obey Thee.
The cherubim and seraphim, praise Thee and continually cry:
Holy, Holy, Mary, Mother of God, and pure Virgin,
Heaven and earth are filled with the majesty of thy glory;
The glorious choir of the Apostles praise Thee.
The admirable company of the Prophets praise Thee.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise Thee.
The whole army of Confessors praise Thee,
3U APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
The Holy Church throughout the World doth acknowledge Thee
An Empress of infinite majesty,
And a worthy mother of an only Son.
Also as an Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Thou, O most holy Virgin ! art a Queen of honor.
Thou, art the chosen Daughter of the Eternal Father.
In order that man may be saved, Thou hast conceived the Son of God
in thy womb.
By Thee, the old serpent was crushed, and Heaven was opened to the
faithful.
Thou dost sit at the right of thy Son in the glory of the Father.
Thou art believed to be the reconciler of the future Judge.
Therefore we pray Thee, to come to the assistance of thy servants
whom thy Son has redeemed with His precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.
O, Mary, save thy clients and bless those who honor Thee.
Govern them : and lift them up forever.
Day by day, O Mary ! we magnify Thee, and we praise thy name
forever.
Vouchsafe, O Mary, this day and always keep us from grievous sins.
O Mary take pity upon us : take pity upon us.
O Mary let thy mercy be shown to us : as we have hoped in Thee.
O Mary, in Thee have I hoped, let me never be confounded.
Translated from the German by Marcella Eberlee.
THE MOTHER OF GRACE
It is the opinion of many doctors, according to Salmeron,
that the Blessed Virgin, before she died, asked and obtained
of her Son that all those souls who up to that time were in
torments should be set free from the flames of purgatory, by
whom she was accompanied in her solemn assumption into
heaven; for at that same time, as Gerson observes, she was
crowned the Queen, the Queen, I say, of Mercy, the Mother
of grace, at whose coronation it was suitable that pardon
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 315
should be given to prisoners. Such indulgences the same doc
tors extend to every feast of the Assumption, and even to
our Lady's feasts. Be this as it may, St. Peter Damian relates
that while the feast of the Assumption was being celebrated
in the city of Rome, and a great multitude of people were
keeping the vigil with devout prayers, and processions at
night, after the custom of those days, a certain Manzia, who
had died a few days before, appeared to a friend, and when
asked how it fared with her in the other world, replied :
"Hitherto badly, but now well, thanks to the prayers of the
most holy Mary, who on this day has delivered more souls
than the city of Rome counts inhabitants, and, as a sign that
this vision is a true one, I give you to understand that ere
the year is out, you will have passed into a better life." And
so it really came to pass. So, then let us give special honor
to Mary; and particularly on her feasts, let us pray to her
for the souls in purgatory. — (St. Pet. Dam., lib. iii, Ep. 52.)
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN BY
ST. ALPHONSUS
Most holy and immaculate Virgin ! O my Mother ! thou
art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advo
cate, hope and refuge of sinners. I, the most wretched among
them, now come to thee. I venerate thee, great Queen, and
give thee thanks for the many favors thou hast bestowed on
me in the past; most of all do I thank thee for having saved
me from hell, which I had so often deserved. I love thee,
Lady most worthy of all love, and by the love which I bear
thee I promise ever in the future to serve thee, and to do
what in me lies to win others to thy love. In thee I put all
my trust, all my hope of salvation. Receive me as thy servant,
and cover me with the mantle of thy protection, thou who art
the Mother of mercy ! And since thou hast so much power
with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain
316 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
for me the grace ever to overcome them. From thee I ask a
true love of Jesus Christ, and the grace of a happy death. O
my Mother, by thy love for God I beseech thee to be at all
times my helper, but above all at the last moment of my life.
Leave me not until you see me safe in heaven, there for end
less ages to bless thee and sing thy praises. Amen.
An Indulgence of three hundred days, once a day.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
O my afflicted Mother ! Queen of Martyrs and of sorrows,
thou didst bitterly weep over thy Son who died for my salva
tion ; but what will thy tears avail me if I have the misfortune
of losing my soul? By the merits, then, of thy sorrows, ob
tain for me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment
of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the
sufferings of Jesus and thy dolors. And if Jesus and thou,
being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain
that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something
for your love. "O Lady," will I say with St. Bonaventure,
"if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have
served thee I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful
to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded and thee wounded with
Him, and myself without a wound. In fine, O my Mother,
by the grief that thou didst experience in seeing thy Son bow
down His head and expire on the Cross in the midst of so
many torments, I beseech thee to obtain me a good death.
Ah, cease not, O advocate of sinners, to assist my afflicted
soul in the midst of the combat in which it will have to en
gage on its great passage from time to eternity. And as it is
probable that I may then have lost my speech and strength
to invoke thy name and that of Jesus, who are all my hope,
I do so now ; I invoke thy Son and thee to help me in that
last moment, and I say, Jesus and Mary, to you I commend
my soul. Amen."
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 317
PIOUS EXERCISE
Bid me hear, O Mother blessed!
On my heart the wounds impressed
Suffered by the Crucified.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day, to those who shall say
the Hail Mary seven times, and after each Hail Mary this
stanza. — Pius IX., June 18, 1876.
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
(By St. Bernardine of Siena.)
What shall I say, O Mary, that is worthy of thee! Thou
art the gate of heaven, the glory of mankind, the sovereign
of angels, the terror of demons, the refuge of sinners, the mir
ror or purity, the source of grace, the treasury of celestial gifts,
the consoler of the poor, the joy of the humble, the support
of the elect, the guide of travelers, the port of the shipwrecked,
the shield of combatants, the mother of orphans, the stay of
widows, the advocate of penitents, the cure of the sick, the
model of the just, the hope and the glory of Christians, the
seal and mark of true Catholics. Amen.
FOR VICTORY IN TEMPTATIONS, ESPECIALLY
AGAINST CHASTITY
My Queen! my Mother! I give thee all myself, and to
show my devotion to thee I consecrate to thee this day my
eyes, ears, mouth, heart, myself, wholly and without reserve.
Wherefore, O loving Mother, as I am thine own, keep me,
defend me, as thy property and thine own possession.
318 HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
EJACULATIONS
My Queen! my Mother! Remember I am thine own.
Keep me, defend me, as thy property, thine own possession.
Hail Mary, etc., once.
loo days once a day, if said morning and evening. Plenary
once a month, 40 days for the ejaculation said in temptation.
MORNING PRAYER
O Lord Jesus Christ ! In union with that Divine intention
wherewith Thou when on earth didst, by Thy most Sacred
Heart, give praise to God ; and now, at all times and in all
places, even to the end of the world, dost still render it in the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, I, in imitation of the most
Sacred Heart of Mary, the ever Immaculate Virgin, offer
Thee for the whole of this day, not excepting any moment
thereof, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and
desires, all my works and words. Amen.
His Holiness, Leo XIII. , by a decree of the Sacred Congregation
of Indulgences, grants an Indulgence of 100 days to be gained once a
day by those who, with contrite heart recite the following Prayer:
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Account of the Miraculous Cure of Estelle IV 123
Act of Reparation to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament. II 75
Adoration of the Wise Men, The I 19
Albigenses, The I 354
An Alpine Monument to Mary IV 179
An Efficacious Prayer II 113
Angelus Bell, The II 226
"Angelus" Bell, The (Poetry) II 225
"Angelus Bird," The (Poetry) Ill 162
Angelus Bird, The HI 163
Angelus Domini and Regina Coeli, The II 227
"Angelus," The Ill 145
Annunciation, The I 9
Annunciation, The ( Poetry)
Antiquity of Shrines
Apparition of Jesus to Our Blessed Lady, The
Our Blessed Lady.
Our Lady of Wroxhall,
10
61
32
251
325
Our Lady of the Golden Sheaf II 3°9
Our Lady All Merciful IV 119
" Our Lady of Tilly IV 205
" the Blessed Virgin to the Saint. Ill 252
to Abbott John Kingston I 209
" Alphonse M. Ratisbonne Ill 295
" the Apostles and Disciples I 45
" B. Albert, the Great, Bp. O.P II 37
" " B. Anne Catharine Emmerich Ill 203
" B. Lucy of Narni, OS.D II 3°5
" Benoite Rencurel, V Ill 191
" B. Benvenuta Bojani, V.O.S.D II 147
" " Bernadetta Soubirous IV 17
" Blessed Lidevine, V Ill 113
" Blessed Mary Mancini, W.O.S.D II 209
" Blessed Osanna, V.O.S.D II 321
" B. Magdalen II 317
" Brother Ernest II 281
" B. Catharine of Raconigi, V.O.S.D II 313
" Catherine Labourie, V Ill 275
" " B. Dominica, V.O.S.D II 373
ii INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Apparition to B. Edmund Campion Ill 67
" Francis M. Shanuboga IV 35
" Gavan Dunbar, Bp II 339
" B. Hermann Joseph I 311
" B. John Massias, Lady Brother, O.P Ill 147
" " Juan Diego Ill 13
" King William the Good I 257
" B. Lucy of Narni, O.S.D II 305
" B. Magdalen Pennatieri, V.O.S.D II 317
" Mary Magdalene Kade IV 59
" B. Margaret M. Alacoque, V Ill 209
" Mary Wilson IV 45
" Maximin and Melanie Ill 305
" Our Lady of Hope IV 99
" Our Lady of Sorrow IV 173
" Paul, an Indian Boy Ill 291
" Paul of the Wood, Hermit II 151
" Pope John XXII II 175
" " Peter De Basto, Lay Brother, S.J Ill 97
" Rev. Michael De La Fontaine, S.J Ill 105
" Thomas Michaelek Ill 101
" the Princess Ermesinde II 9
" the Seven Servites II 57
" B. Reginald of Orleans, O.P II 17
" St. Agnes of Monte Pulciano, V.O.S.D II 109
" St. Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J Ill 91
" St. Alphonsus Maria De Liguori, D.C., S.S.R. Ill 251
' St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ Ill 59
" St. Angela of Foligno, W.O.S.F II 163
" St. Bernardine of Siena, O.S.F II 239
" St. Bernard, Ab. D I 287
" " St. Bonitus, Bp I 203
" St. Bridgit of Sweden, W II 181
" St. Catherine of Bologna II 289
" St. Catharine, VM I 141
" " St Catharine of Siena, V.O.S.D II 189
" St. Cajetan, F. Theatins II 335
" St. Clare, V II 91
" St. Clare of Rimini, W II 161
" St. Dominic, F.O.P I 353
" St. Dunstan, Bp I 243
" St. Egwin, Bp I 209
" St. Felix of Valois II 3
" St. Francis, F.OS.F II 31
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Apparition to St. Gertrude, V. Ab. OS.B II 127
" St. Gregory Thaumaturgas I 103
" St. Henry I 249
" St. Hyacinth II 25
" St. Ignatius De Loyola, FSJ II 353
" St. Ildefonsus, Abp I 193
" St. Jerome Emiliani Ill 9
" " St. John Damascene I 219
" " St. John the Evangelist I 49
" S.S. Julian and Basilissa, II. M I 149
" St. Mechtilde, V. ab. O.S.B II 115
" St. Monica, W I 157
" St. Nicholas Tolentine, O.S.A II 171
" St. Norbert, Abp. F I 273
" St. Peter Celestine II 107
" St. Peter Nolasco II 47
" St. Philomena, V.M I in
" " St. Raymond Nonnatus, OM II S3
" St. Rose of Lima, V.OS.D Ill 125
" " B. Stephana Quinzani, V.OS.D II 291
" St. Simon Stock II 77
" St. Stanislaus Kostka, SJ Ill 41
" St. Teresa, V. Ab. (Carmelite) Ill 27
" St. Thomas a Becket I 281
" St. Veronica, V II 285
" St. William, Ab. F I 263
" " Ven. Joan of Arc, V II 259
" " Ven. Ursula Benincasa, V Ill 137
Arch-Confraternity of Our Lady of Pellevoisin IV 144
As Fair as Snow, as Pure and White IV 232
Assumption, The I 35
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, The Ill 178
At Bethlehem I 256
At Our Blessed Mother's Shrine I 66
Attributes of Mary, The II 45
Ave I 94
Ave Maria II 217
Ave Maria II 288
Ave Maria, The IV 244
Battle of Muret, The I 358
Beatification of Joan of Arc II 272
Bells of the Angelus Ill 39
Bells of Cologne, The II 43
Birthday of Mary, The I 216
iv INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Birth of Our Lord, The I 13
Blessed Mary's Month, The Ill 7
Bright Queen of Heaven I 328
Brown Scapular, The II 88
Burning Babe, The Ill 273
Chapel of the Sagario, The
Cathedral of Chartres
Child of Mary
Childhood of Mary
Christmas
Christmas Day II ico
Christmas Masses, The.
Christmas Legend, A..,
Christ in the Temple. .
195
76
19
206
205
25
Christ's Beautiful Mother Ill 106
Churches in America Dedicated to Mary IV 3
Closing Years of St. Rose's Life Ill 133
Coronation of Our Blessed Lady in Heaven I 41
Cradle song of the Virgin I 83
Daily, Daily Ill 103
Death of St. Dominic, The I 359
Death of St. Joseph, The Ill 34
Death of St. Raymund II 55
Decree of the Sacred Congregation I 161
Description of the Holy House II 156
Devout Prayers of St. Mechtildis II 15
Devotion to the Church II 207
Eighth Apparition to Estelle IV 132
Ejaculations IV 318
Ejaculatory Prayer IV 181
Eleventh Apparition to Estelle IV 134
Evenings in Greece IV 302
Feast of Our Lady of Victory, The I 364
Festival of the Assumption, The Ill 178
Fifteenth Apparition to Estelle IV 139
Finding of Our Lord in the Temple, The I 25
First Crusade, The I 204
First Mass, The Ill 260
Flight Into Egypt, The I 21
Florence IV 256
"For, Behold, from Henceforth All Generations Shall Call
Me Blessed." Ill 89
For My Lady's Day II 294
Fourteenth Apparition to Estelle IV 138
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Fr. De La Colombiere on the Scapular IV 301
Garland of Holy Thoughts, A IV ij
Girlhood of Mary I
God Our Father l68
Good Use of Time HI 255
Graces Obtained through the Intercession of Blessed Mar
garet Mary IV 290
Grove of Laurels, The l&
Guardian of America, The HI 236
Guida's Queen IV 239
Hail, Holy Queen 296
Hail, Mary ! II 2§3
Hail, Star of the Sea ™2
Heavenly Trinity on Earth
Heaven's Bright Queen 39
He Grew in Wisdom II 150
Her Heavenly Favors, Temptations, Virtues Ill 126
Her Interior Sufferings, Mystic Espousals Ill 129
Her Ladder of Grace Ill "
Herman's Gift 3^7
Holy Family, The 29°
Holy Name of Mary IV 193
Holy Picture, The IV 309
How Advantageous It Is to Hear Holy Mass II 119
How St. Mechtilde Prepared for Death II "8
Hymn to Our Lady, A IV 4
Hymn to St. Aloysius HI 95
Hymn to the Virgin II 32O
"Immaculate." l62
Immaculate Conception II 324
Immaculate Conception, The II
Immaculate Conception, The II
In Lone Premontre's Valley
In Mary's Arms II 338
Innocence Rescued I
Invocation of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament IV 30°
Invocation to the Prioress Tale I J8i
Ireland's Offerings to Our Lady of Lourdes IV 32
Irish Lamp at Lourdes, The IV 33
Judea — Palestine
Knight of Our Lady of Mercy, The IV 277
Last Advice of Blessed Angela and Her Happy Death 167
Lead, Kindly Light HI 249
Legend of the Cathedral of Cologne, A II 41
VI
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Legend of the Holy Infancy, A I 314
Legend of the Pyrenees, A II 235
Legend of the White Thistle I 95
"Let the Name of Mary be Blest." Ill 177
Letter from Estelle IV 143
Let Us Pray IV 181
Lilies of the Valley Ill 153
Loveliness of Mary, The Ill 256
Love of Christ's Little Ones Ill 10
Madonna Delia Strada Ill 24
Madonna of Perugino I 261
Many Pearls of Price Ill 150
Marianisches Lob-Gesang IV 307
Mary II 108
Mary at Cana of Galilee I 27
Mary at the Foot of the Cross I 31
Mary Kept All These Words IV 117
Mary Immaculate Ill 1 14
"Mary's Lullaby" IV 43
Mary's Power with Her Son I 27
Mary to Christ at Cross I 48
Massabielle IV 225
Mater Admirabilis I 232
Mater Dolorosa I 108
"Memorare" of Our Lady of Lourdes I 221
Memorare of St. Joseph, The I 23
Memorare, or Prayer of St. Bernard II 312
Memorare to the Sacred Heart of Jesus I 217
Mercy II 52
Monks of the Blessed Virgin IV 297
Morning Prayer IV 318
Mother and Child II 333
Mother of God Ill 150
Mother of Grace, The IV 314
Mother's Hymn, The II 187
Mother of Sorrows, The II 173
Mother's Secret, A IV 55
Miracles of Lourdes, The IV 25
Miracles of Our Lady of La Salette Ill 334
Miraculous Medal IV 306
Miraculous Madonna I 191
Miraculous Statue, The IV 200
Mission of the Order, The I 362
Afuzarabic Chapel of Toledo, The I 199
INDEX. vii
VOL. PAGE.
Mystical Rose, The I 42
Mystical Rose, The (Poetry) Ill 201
Mystic Bridal of St. Catharine, The I 14?
Mystic Marriage of St. Katharine II 207
My Lady's Ways I 250
My Medal HI 302
Name of Jesus, The II 258
Never Out of Call I 172
Ninth Apparition to Estelle IV 133
O Jesus, Mary, Joseph ! Ill 35
O Star of Galilee I 270
Our Blessed Lady's Advice to St. Bridgit II 184
Our Lady of Consolation IV 154
Our Lady of Dale IV 304
Our Lady of Good Council II 302
Our Lady of Grace IV 202
Our Lady of Italy II 375
Our Lady of Pellevoisin IV 148
Our Lady of Perpetual Help IV 96
Our Lady of Pity I 349
Our Lady of Marpuigen IV 263
Our Lady of Martyrs IV 172
Our Lady of Mount Carmel II 46
Our Lady and the Rosary I 3^5
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Preparation and Reali
zation IV 10
Our Lady of the Snow I 156
Our Lady of the Snow Ill 185
Our Lady's Statue IV 275
Our Lady of Victory Ill 112
Our Lord's Coming I 20
Our Lord and the Blind Man II 7
Passion of Mary, The IV 189
Peace HI 288
"Pietate Tua" (Prayer) II 106
Pilgrimage at Lourdes, A IV 28
Pilgrimage to Auriesville IV 171
Pious Exercise IV 317
Pope Celestine IV 309
Pope Honors Joan of Arc II 275
Pope Leo XIII. and the Rosary II I
Practice in Honor of Mary. I 286
Practice in Honor of Mary I 20
Praise to the Blessed Sacrament II 105
viii INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Precious Blood, The Ill 232
Preface of the Blessed Virgin, The II 295
Prayer IV 34
Prayer Before a Crucifix IV 299
Prayer Composed by Estelle, A IV 123
Prayer in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help IV 312
Prayer for the Conversion of Heretics IV 256
Prayer for a Good Death Ill 201
Prayer for Peace II 145
Prayer for Victory in Temptations IV 317
Prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux II 212
Prayer to Our Lady Ill 181
Prayer to Our Lady of Good Council IV 306
Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Succor IV 305
Prayer to Our Lady of Pity IV 257
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows IV 316
Prayer to St. Aloysius I 256
Prayer to St. Ildephonsus Ill 256
Prayer to St. Joseph I 140
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Ill 40
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin II 179
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Ill 289
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin II 29
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin IV 317
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin IV 311
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin IV 315
Prayer to the Holy Virgin I 271
Prayer to the Madonna II 112
Prayer to the Most Holy Sacrament II 212
Prayer to St. Philomena II 237
Prayer to the Queen of Peace IV 310
Prayer— "Pietate Tua" II 106
Prayer : "Virgin Most Holy" II 334
Purification, The I 17
Purification (Poetry) I 18
Queen Above All Other Women IV 250
Queen Immaculate IV 258
Queen of Purgatory II 178
Queen of the Rosary IV 150
Queen of Seasons, The Ill 66
Raphael's Famous Madonna of St. Anthony of Padua II 325
Raphael, the Divine II 326
Raphael's Madonnas II 322
Real Treasure of Precious Indulgences of the Rosary, A., IV 312.
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Remarkable Conversion of an East Indian IV 38
Return from Egypt, The I 23
Revelation to St. Joseph, The I 12
Reverence for the Blessed Sacrament IV 303
Rosary, The I 357
Royal Name of Mary, The IV 70
Sailor's Song, The II 24
Santa Rosa and Her Bird Ill 135
Santo Bambino, The Ill 180
Scriptural Life of Heaven's Bright Queen I I
Sentiments of a Child of Mary Ill 207
Seven Joys of Our Blessed Lady in Heaven, The I 284
Seven Principal Dolors of Our Blessed Lady, The II 186
Seventh Apparition to Estelle IV 131
Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, The II 52
Shorter Purgatory, A II 177
Short Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Ill 178
Shrine of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Ill 165
" Our Lady of Bon-Secours Ill 233
" Our Lady of Boulogne I 183
" Our Lady of Capocroce HI i
" Our Lady of the Catacombs I 85
" Our Lady of Chartres I 67
" " Our Lady of Consolation IV 151
" Our Lady of Copakabana IV 253
" " Our Lady of Folgoat II 213
" Our Lady of the Forsaken II 231
" " Our Ljady of Glastonbury I 175
" " Our Lady of Good Council II 297
" Our Lady of the Golden Fountain I 163
" " Our Lady of Graces IV 195
" " Our Lady of Healing Ill H7
" Our Lady of Hermits I 223
" " Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception IV I
" " Our Lady of Light Ill 239
" Our Lady of the Lilies Ill 151
" Our Lady of Lourdes (Ireland) IV 269
" Our Lady of Lourdes (New Mexico) IV 183
" " Our Lady of Lujan Ill I5S
" Our Lady of Martyrs IV 157
" Our Lady of Melheha IV 219
" Our Lady of the Milk Ill 37
" " Our Lady of Montserrat I 235
" " Our Lady of Mariners II 21
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Shrine of Our Lady of the Oaks IV 235
" Our Lady of Liesse I 3*9
" Our Lady of Perpetual Help IV 73
" Our Lady of Pilar I 7°
" " Our Lady of Pity I 341
" " Our Lady of Prompt Succor Ill 263
" Our Lady of Puy I 97
" Our Lady of the Sacred Heart IV 5
" " Our Lady of the Snow I 151
" Our Lady of the Thorn II 221
" Our Lady of Trim I 3°3
" Our Lady of Victories Ill 107
" " Our Lady of Ville- Maria HI 183
" " Our Lady of Walsingham I 320
" " Our Lady of the Way Ill 23
" Our Lady of the Wilderness Ill 257
" Our Lady of Zebrzydowski IV 220
" " Our Lady of Zo-Se IV 87
" " the Madonna of the Orphans IV 241
" " the Miraculous Madonna IV 247
" Santo Bambino HI 179
" " St. Rose of Viterbo, V.O.S.F II 73
Sixth Apparition to Estelle IV 130
Song of Praise to the Blessed Virgin IV 308
Sphinx, The I 22
Stabat Mater II 7»
Stabat Mater of the Crib, The II 308
St. Agnes' Eve I 139
St. Augustine and His Mother IV 311
St. Dunstan I 247
St. Francis of Assisi II 35
St. Gertrude's Speaking Crucifix II 145
St. John the Baptist I 3
St. John Damascene I 220
St. John the Evangelist I 59
St. John of Matha II 6
Star of the Sea I 302
Star of the Sea, The s I 190
Statue, Shrine and Pilgrimage IV 188
Stella Matutina II 14
St. Lawrence of Dublin Ill 1 1?
St. Mungo's Bell II 35*
Story of Italy, A II 374
St. Stanislaus Ill 57
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
St. Thomas a Beckct I 285
St. Thomas of Canterbury (Hymn) I 285
Sweetness of the Mother of God, The II 40
Te Deum Laudamus of St. Bonaventure, The IV 313
Tenth Apparition to Estelle IV 134
Thirteenth Apparition to Estelle IV 137
Three Prayers I 351
To-Day II 74
To-Day II 169
To Jesus Crucified II 113
To Joan in Heaven II 276
To Mary the Help of Christians I 366
To Our Mother II 228
To the Blessed Virgin IV 70
Twelfth Apparition to Estelle IV 136
Use of the Present Time II 75
Veil of the Virgin Mary, The Ill 122
Veni Creator Spiritus IV 155
Verses on St. Monica I 162
Vespers of the Slain, The I 308
Vesper Hymn I 322
"Victimae Paschli" II 312
Vigil of the Immaculate Conception Ill 10
Vigil of St. Ignatius of Loyola I 241
Virgin, The IV 255
Virgin Mary to the Child Jesus, The Ill 20.3
Virgin Mother Mary IV 96
Virgin's Dream, The II 124
Virgin of Sagario, The I 201
Virgin of Sagario, The (Poetry) I 201
Virgo Gloriosa I 150
Virgin of Guadalupe, The Ill 22
Vision of St. Ildefonsus, The I 194
Visit of Our Lady after Holy Communion IV 15
Visitation, The I n
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary I 12
Vox Populi, Vox Dei Ill 330
Weeping Madonna of La Salette, The Ill 336
Why Canonize Joan of Arc? II 265
Wreck of vValsingham I 339
Ye Angels, Now be Glad II 370
Youghal and the Miraculous Statue IV 198
Zeal for Our Lady's Honor I 194
WALSH, W.J.
Apparitions and shrines
of eaven's bright Queen.
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