POPE LEO XIII
w
4 IV
THE
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. WALSH
WITH INTRODUCTION BY
MONSIGNOR BERNARD O'REILLY, D.D.
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME Two
NEW YORK
T. J. CAREY COMPANY
Sixty-three Fifth Avenue
LONDON
BURNS & GATES, LTD.
ST, BASIL'S SCHOLASTICATE
d&i
J J
APR 27 1953
Copyright, 1904
By
T. J. CAREY COMPANY.
Rooney & Otten Printing Co., 114-120 West 30* St., N. Y.
DECLARATION
The Editor and Publishers, in obedience to the decrees of
Urban Vlll., 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 authorization to publish is granted.
NIHIL OBSTAT,
REMIGIUS LAFORT, S.J.L.,
Censor.
IMPRIMATUR,
JOHN M. FARLEY, D.D.,
Archbishop.
New York, December 8, 1904.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
VOLUME TWO
PAGE
POPE LEO XIII Frontispiece
ST. ANNE AND THE BLESSED VIRGIN 37
VIRGIN AND THE ANGELS 93
THE HOLY FAMILY -T47
VIRGIN, INFANT JESUS, AND ST. JOHN l89
MADONNA AND SAINTS 279
MYSTIC MARRIAGE OF ST. CATHERINE 327
caftn &eart no breatf)
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Come a« tbep tobo t)atie partaften
<£f eartb'i^ utter mi
CONTENTS
PAGE
Pope Leo XIII. and the Rosary
Apparition to St. Felix of Valois
St. John of Matha 6 '
Our Lord and the Blind Man Hon. John Hay
Apparition to the Princess Ermesinde 9'
Stella Matutina Princess Talbot Borghcse 14
Devout Prayers of St. Mechtildis
Apparition to B. Reginald of Orleans, O.P. . . .
Child of Mary Rev. Matthew Russell, SJ 19
Shrine of Our Lady of Mariners • • • 21 -
Sailor's Song, The Morwenna P. Hawker 24
Apparition to St. Hyacinth
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary.. . .Francesca Petrarch 29
Apparition to St. Francis, F.O.S.F. .
St. Francis of Assisi H. V. R. 35
Apparition to B. Albert, the Great, Bp. O.P.
Sweetness of the Mother of God, The 40
Legend of the Cathedral of Cologne, A
Bells of Cologne, The 43 •
Attributes of Mary, The Rev. W. W. Lord 45 '
Apparition to St. Peter Nolasco 47 *
Mercy Charles IV. Stoddard 52
Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, The 52
Apparition to St. Raymund Nonnatus, O.M
Death of St. Raymund - Magdalen Rock 55
Apparition to the Seven Servites
Stabat Mater Rev. John B. Tabb 70
Shrine of St. Rose of Viterbo, V.O.S.F 73 '
To-day 74
Use of the Present Time F. Scupoh 75
Act of Reparation to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament 75
Apparition to St. Simon Stock
Brown Scapular, The Ave Maria
Apparition to St. Clare, V 9* *
viii CONTENTS
PAGE
Praise to the Blessed Sacrament Madame Swetchine 105
"Pietate Tua." (Prayer.) 106
Apparition to St. Peter Celestine 107 *
Mary Rev. F. Gcramb, Trappist 108
Apparition to St. Agnes of Monte Pulciano, V.O.S.D 109*
Prayer to the Madonna Rev. Henry A. Brann, D.D. 112
An Efficacious Prayer 113*
To Jesus Crucified 113
Apparition to St. Mechtilde, V. Ab. O.S.B 115 '
How St. Mechtilde Prepared for Death 118
How Advantageous it is to Hear Holy Mass 119 •
Virgin's Dream, The The Rev. Francis J. Finn, SJ. 124
Apparition to St. Gertrude, V. Ab. O.S.B 127 -
St. Gertrude's Speaking Crucifix Rev. J. J. R., SJ. 145-
Prayer for Peace 145
Apparition to B. Benvenuta Bojani, V.O.S.D 147-
He Grew in Wisdom Marion Ames Taggart 150
Apparition to Paul of the Wood, Hermit 151
Description of the Holy House 156
Grove of Laurels, The M. 158
Apparition to St. Clare of Rimini, W 161
"Immaculate" St. Anthony's Messenger 162
Apparition to St. Angela of Foligno, W.O.S.F 163-
Of the Last Advice of Blessed Angela and Her Happy Death.. 167
God Our Father 168
To-day Magdalen Rock 169
Apparition to St. Nicholas Tolentine, O.S.A 171
Mother of Sorrows, The John Keble 173
Apparition to Pope John XXII 175
Shorter Purgatory, A 177 •
Queen of Purgatory, The Rev. Frederick W. Faber 178
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin St. William of Paris 179-
Apparition to St. Bridget of Sweden, W 181
Our Blessed Lady's Advice to St. Bridget 184
Seven Principal Dolors of Our Blessed Lady, The 186
Mother's Hymn, The William Cullen Bryant 187
Apparition to St. Catharine of Siena, V.O.S.D 189 -
Devotion to the Church 207
Mystic Marriage of St. Katharine, V Dante G. Rossetti 207
Apparition to Blessed Mary Mancini, W.O.S.D 209
Prayer of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Katherine E. Conway 212
Prayer to the Most Holy Sacrament and to the Sacred Heart 212-
Shrine of Our Lady of Folgoat 213
CONTENTS ix
PAGE
Ave Maria Alfred Austin 2I?
Shrine of Our Lady of the Thorn 221
"Angelus" Bell, The R. M. Milne s (Lord Houghton) 225
Angelus Bell, The 22D~
Angelus Domini and Regina Coeli, The 227
To Our Mother Katherine E. Conway 228
Our Lord and the Blind Man Hon. John Hay 229 -
Shrine of Our Lady of the Forsaken 23r
Legend of the Pyrenees, A 235
Apparition to St. Bernardine of Siena, O.S.F 239-
Name of Jesus, The Ave Maria 258
Apparition to Ven. Joan of Arc, V 259
Why Canonize Joan of Arc? Stanislaus 265
Beatification of Joan of Arc Pope Leo XIII. 272
Pope Honors Joan of Arc 275
To Joan in Heaven • ?>P- /. Coleman 276
Apparition to Brother Ernest
Immaculate Conception, The Robert Southey 283
Apparition to St. Veronica, V
Ave Maria • -Lord B^YOn 28S
Apparition to St. Catherine of Bologna
Holy Family, The Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 290
Apparition to B. Stephana Quinzani, V.O.S.D. . ... 291
For My Lady's Day Rev. W. F. Ennis, 5V. 294
Preface of the Blessed Virgin, The 295
Shrine of Our Lady of Good Council. .Don 'Michael Barrett, OS.D 297
Our Lady of Good Council Eleanor C. Donnelly 302
Apparition to B. Lucy of Narni, O.S.D 3°5
Stabat Mater of the Crib, The Annie R. Bennett 308
Apparition of Our Lady of the Golden Sheaf 309
"Victimae Paschali" Cardinal Martinelli 312
Memorare, or Prayer of St. Bernard 312
Apparition to B. Catharine of Raconigi, V.O.S.D 313-
Immaculate Conception, The Charles Hanson Towne 316
Apparition to B. Magdalen Pannatieri, V.O.S.D 31?
Hymn to the Virgin Sir Walter Scott 320
Apparition to Blessed Osanna, V.O.S.D 321
Immaculate Conception Lady Catherine Petre 324
Raphael's Famous Madonna of St. Anthony of Padua 325
Raphael, the Divine Lydia Whitchcad Wright 326
Raphael's Madonnas 332
Mother and Child Richard Wilton 333
Prayer : "Virgin Most Holy" 334-
CONTENTS
PAGE
Apparition to St. Cajetan, F. Theatins 335^
In Mary's Arms Edmund of the Heart of Mary, C.P. 338
Apparition to Gavan Dunbar, Bp 339
St. Mungo's Bell Anna T. Sadlier 351
Apparition to St. Ignatius De Loyola, F.SJ 353
Ye Angels, Now be Glad 370
Apparition to B. Dominica, V.O.S.D 373-
Story of Italy, A Susan L. Emery 374
Our Lady of Italy
Sl^otfoer, <©ueen of &>aint£ abote,
jporeber ?fcoto to u^ tbp lobe;
0uarb anb 0uibe u^ bere beloto, —
POPE LEO XIII. AND THE ROSARY
T is fitting that there should be recorded the
acts of the Holy Father concerning the Rosary.
On the ist of September, 1883, he issued the
Encyclical Letter Supremi Apostolatus Ofhcio,
in which the devotion of the Rosary was earnestly put forward
as the great means of prayer against present evils, and its reci
tation during the month of October enjoined. This may be
called the formal institution of Rosary Month. On the 2Oth of
November of the same year he addressed Letters Apostolic to
the Father-General of the Dominican Order, praising the effect
of his Encyclical in the Rosary devotions during October, and
declaring that the petition of inserting "Queen of the Most
Holy Rosary" in the Litany should be considered. On the loth
of December a Decree was issued ordering the insertion of this
title in the Litany of Loreto. On the 24th of December a Brief
was published repeating the same order, and expressing the de
sire of His Holiness that the Rosary should be recited daily
in cathedral churches throughout the world, and in parish
churches on Sundays and feast-days. On the 3Oth of August,
1884, the Holy Father issued another Encyclical (Superiore
anno'), in which, after expressing his great joy at the celebra
tion of the Month of the Holy Rosary, he commanded the same
for the ensuing month of October. In the year 1885 he estab
lished the Rosary Month, to be continued until the peace and
liberty of the Church be restored. On the nth of September,
1887, the Festival of the Most Holy Rosary was raised to a
double of the second class. And now we have a papal document
again declaring the importance of the prayers to Our Blessed
Mother, and the value of their constant recitation, and assign
ing a Proper Mass and Office for the Feast of the Holy Rosary.
"In thanksgiving for benefits received, and in more earnest
prayer for future favors, the Holy Father commands and em-
g APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
phatically repeats all that he has laid down in Encyclicals in
former years and in Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of
Rites with regard to the recitation of the Holy Rosary, par
ticularly in the month of October. And having in times past
made many efforts toward the increase of liturgical devotion
to the Blessed Virgin under the invocation of the Rosary, wish
ing to make another addition to this object, he has instituted
for the feast of the Solemnity of the Rosary, on the first Sun
day of October, a Proper Office and Mass, to be recited in
future by the clergy, regular and secular, according to the rules
which by his approval and design he has ordered to be issued
by the Sacred Congregation of Rites."
Among the numerous praises of the Rosary scattered
through these pontifical documents, these will be remembered
and quoted in time to come : "May the Christian nations cling
more and more to the practice of the Rosary, to which our
ancestors had recourse as an ever-ready refuge in misfortune,
and as a glorious pledge and proof of Christian faith and devo
tion. We have desired, and desire nothing more ardently, than
that the fervor of the faithful in performing the devotion of
the Rosary should not languish, but should remain firm; the
Holy Father desiring to increase the devotion toward the
Mother of God, especially by this form of prayer most pleasing
to Her. Amongst the various forms of prayer used in the
Church piously and well, the Rosary has many titles of praise
— especially this, that it was instituted to implore the help
of the Mother of God against the enemies of the Faith; and,
as all know, it has frequently consoled the Church in trial.
Not only, therefore, is it proper for private prayer, but also for
public occasions. This form of prayer should be restored to
the honor it long held, when every Christian family marked
each day with its recital. Hence we exhort and beseech all to
say the Rosary every day with constancy. Care must be taken
that, in these sad times for the Church, the holy custom of
saying the Rosary be carefully observed, especially as this
form of prayer is excellently suited to nourish the spirit of
devotion,"
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
TO
ST. FELIX OF VALOIS, F. TRIN
ITARIANS, CERFROI, FRANCE
1212
Slavery triumphed till a vision mild
Beamed in beauty under Peter's dome,
Bright vision of the Virgin and her Child
Beneath the Standard of great Christian Rome.
Thomas J. McGeoghegan.
HE surname of Valois was given to this saint,
according to some, because he was of the royal
branch of Valois in France; but according to
Joffred, Baillet, and many others, because he was
of the province of Valois. The Saint was born in 1127, and
when grown up renounced his estate, which was very con
siderable, and retired into a great wood, in the diocese of
Meaux, called Cerfroi. Here, sequestered from the world,
and forgetting its shadows and appearances which grossly
impose upon its deluded votaries, he enjoyed himself and
God, and studied to purify, reform, and govern his own heart,
and to live only to his Creator. In the calm and serenity
of this silent retreat, letting others amuse themselves with
the airy bubbles of ambition, and enjoy the cheats of fancy,
and the flatteries of sense, he abandoned himself to the
heavenly delights of holy contemplation (which raised his
soul above all created things) and to the ereatest rieors
of penance which were known only to God, but which
fervor, love and compunction rendered sweeter to him than
the joys of theatres. The devout hermit, had no thoughts
4 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
but of dying in the obscurity of this silent retreat, when
Divine Providence called him thence to make him a great
instrument of advancing his honor amongst men.
St. John of Matha, a young nobleman, a native of Pro
vence, and doctor of divinity, who was lately ordained priest,
having heard much of the wonderful sanctity of the holy
hermit of Cerfroi, sought him out in his desert, and put
himself under his direction. Felix soon perceived that his
new guest was no novice in the exercises of a spiritual life;
and it is not to be expressed with what fervor the two servants
of God applied themselves to the practice of all virtues. Their
fasts and watchings exceeded the strength of those who have
not inured themselves by long habits to such extraordinary
austerities : prayer and contemplation were their ordinary em
ployment, and all their conversation tended to inflame each
other to the most ardent love of God. After some time St.
John proposed to the other a project of establishing a religious
Order for the redemption of captives, a design with which he
was inspired when he said his first Mass. Felix, though sev
enty years of age, readily offered himself to do and suffer
whatever it should please God in the execution of so charitable
a design. They agreed to consult heaven by redoubling their
fasts and prayers for three days : after which term they re
solved to beg the approbation of the Holy See, and made an
austere pilgrimage together to Rome, in the depth of winter,
and arrived there in January, 1198. Innocent III., who was
lately installed in St. Peter's chair, having read the strong let
ters of recommendation which the bishop of Paris sent him in
their favor, received them as if they had been two angels sent
by God, and lodged them in his own palace. After many audi
ences, and several deliberations with his cardinals and prelates,
having consulted God by prayer and fasting, his holiness was
persuaded the two hermits were moved by the Holy Ghost,
and gave a solemn approbation of a new religious institute
which he would have called of the Holy Trinity, and of which
he appointed Saint John of Matha the superior-general. Eudo
of Sully, bishop of Paris, and the abbot of St. Victor, were com-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
missioned by him to draw up a rule or constitutions, which
they had already projected : and they were confirmed by his
holiness on the seventeenth of December following. The holy
founders who had taken a second journey to Rome to present
their rule to the Pope, returned into France with its confirma
tion, and were everywhere received with applause and bene
dictions. King Philip Augustus authorized the establishment
of their Order in France, and promoted it by his liberalities.
Margaret of Blois gave them twenty acres of the wood where
their hermitage was situate, with other benefactions ; and they
built the monastery of Cerfroi, which is the mother and chief
house of the Order, about a mile from their old cells.* This
Order within the space of forty years was so much increased
as to be possessed of six hundred monasteries. St. John being
obliged to go to Rome to settle his institute there in the church
of St. Thomas della Navicella, upon Mount Cselius, the direc
tion of the new convents which were erected in France, was
left to St. Felix, who, amongst other houses, founded one at
Paris, in the church of Saint Maturinus, though the house was
afterward rebuilt more spacious by Robert Gaguin, the learned
and famous general of this Order, who died in 1501. St. John,
after two voyages to Barbary, spent the two last years of his
life at Rome, where he died on the twenty-first of December,
in 1213. Saint Felix died in his solitude at Cerfroi a year and
about six weeks before him, on the fourth of November in the
year 1212, being four score and five years and seven months
old. It is related, that a little time before his death, coming to
choir to matins before the rest, he saw there the Blessed Vir
gin with a company of heavenly spirits singing the divine office ;
which vision is frequently represented in pictures of this Saint.
It is the constant tradition of the Order, that these two founders
were canonized by a bull of Urban IV., in 1260: though the
bull is nowhere extant. That the festival of St. Felix was kept
in the whole diocese of Meaux in 1210, is proved by an authen
tic act, produced by Du Plessis. Alexander VII. in 1666 de-
*The Trinitarians were sometimes called in England Red Friars; for though
their habit is white, they wear a red and blue cross patee upon their scapular.
6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
clared his veneration to be of time immemorial. Innocent XI.
in 1679 transferred the feast of St. John to the eighth of Feb
ruary ; and that of St. Felix to the twentieth of November.
St. Felix was seventy years of age, and worn out with aus
terities, when he undertook his journey on foot to Rome.
Burning, however, with zeal, and longing to save all those poor,
suffering souls whose rescue he had planned, he seemed to feel
no fatigue ; so that St. John, his companion, being amazed, could
not forbear asking him how it was that neither the length of
the way nor its dangers seemed to exist for him. Felix being
thus forced to speak, acknowledged that he saw nearly all the
time an angel before him, who held him up over the difficult
passes, and spoke words of hope and courage to him which
made him forget all but the object he had in view.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because the Lord has
anointed me to preach a release to the captives." — Isaiah Ixi, I.
ST. JOHN OF MATHA
The life of St. John of Matha was one long course of self-
sacrifice for the glory of God, and the good of his neighbor.
As a child, his chief delight was serving the poor ; and he often
told them he had come into the world for no other end but to
wash their feet. He studied at Paris with such distinction
that his professors advised him to become a priest, in order
that his talents might render greater service to others ; and for
this end, John gladly sacrificed his high rank and worldly
advantages. At his first Mass an angel appeared, clad in white,
with a red and blue cross on his breast, and his hands reposing
on the heads of a Christian and a Moorish captive. To ascer
tain what this signified, John went to St. Felix of Valois, a holy
hermit living near Meaux, under whose direction he led a
life of extreme penance.
The angel again appeared ; and they then set out for Rome,
to learn the will of God from the lips of the Sovereign Pontiff,
who told them to devote themselves to the redemption of cap-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
tives. For this purpose they founded the Order of the Holy
Trinity. The religious fasted every day, and gathering alms
throughout Europe took them to Barbary, to redeem the Chris
tian slaves. They devoted themselves also to the sick and
prisoners in all countries. The charity of St. John in devoting
his life to the redemption of captives was visibly blessed by
God. On his second return from Tunis he brought back one
hundred and twenty liberated slaves. But the Moors attacked
him at sea, overpowered his vessel, and doomed it to destruc
tion, with all on board, by taking away the rudder and sails,
and leaving it to the mercy of the winds. St. John tied his
cloak to the mast, and prayed, saying: "Let God arise, and
let His enemies be scattered. O Lord, Thou wilt save the
humble, and wilt bring down the eyes of the proud." Sud
denly the wind filled the small sail, and, without guidance,
carried the ship safely in a few days to Ostia, the port of
Rome, three hundred leagues from Tunis. Worn out by his
heroic labors, John died in 1213, at the age of fifty-three.
OUR LORD AND THE BLIND MAN
He stood before the Sanhedrim,
The scowling Rabbis gazed at hiim,
He reeked not of their praise or blame;
There was no fear, there was no shame,
For one upon whose dazzled eyes
The whole earth poured its vast surprise.
********
But still they questioned: Who art thou?
What hast thou been? What art thou now?
Thou art not he who yesterday
Sat here and begged beside the way.
********
He told the story o'er and o'er
It was his full heart's only lore,
A prophet on the Sabbath-day
Had touched his sightless eyes with clay,
And made him see who had been blind*
Their words passed by him like the wind,
APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Which raves and howls, but cannot shock
The hundred-fathom rooted rock.
Their threats and fury all went wide;
They could not touch his Hebrew pride,
Their sneers at Jesus and His band,
Homeless and harmless in the land;
Their boasts of Moses and his Lord,
All could not change him by one word.
********
I know not what this man may be,
Sinner or Saint; but as for me,
One thing I know, that I am he
Who once was blind, and now I see.
********
The wisdom of the East was theirs,
And honor crowned their silver hairs.
The man they jeered and laughed to scorn
Was unlearned, poor and humbly born ;
But he knew better far than they,
What came to him that Sabbath-day,
And what the Christ had done for him
He knew, and not the Sanhedrim.
Hon. John Hay.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
TO
THE PRINCESS ERMESINDE
CLAIREFONTAINE, LUXEMBOURG
1214
Dear to each heart are all Thy feasts, sweet Jesus
Yet to my mind none half so sweetly charms
As this, which brings Thee to us, ever smiling,
A Babe, within Thy Virgin Mother's arms.
C. O. M.
BOUT two and a half miles to the southeast of
Arlon, capital of Belgian Luxembourg, a charm
ing valley gracefully winds its sinuous way be
tween two wooded hillsides. Along its bottom a
little stream dances merrily, watering the adjacent meadow-
land, sweeping by an occasional farm-house, and gently
murmuring throughout its course, as if in response to the
luxuriant foliage that stoops to lave in its sparkling current.
Known successively as Beaulieu, Bardenberg, and Claire-
fontaine, this valley has from a very remote period enjoyed
an unusual degree of celebrity. Around it cluster memories
of Roman emperors, Carlovingian monarchs, and counts of
Luxembourg; while its atmosphere is redolent of pious tradi
tions that have to do with St. Martin, St. Bernard, and
Blessed Eugene III. The circumstance, however, to which
the valley owes both the greater part of its centuried fame
and the revival of interest which it has recently attracted, is
its having been for some hundreds of years a favorite shrine
of Our Blessed Mother — the seat of an ancient convent of
Bernardine nuns known as the Religious of Our Lady of
Clairefontaine.
16 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
To give a brief sketch of this old-time sanctuary of the
Blessed Virgin, happily restored within the past year, it will
be convenient to speak first of the fountain, or spring, from
which the locality takes its present name — Claire fontaine
(clear fountain). It may well be that from the very birth
of Christianity in the Luxembourg district, Mary set this
spring apart from all others of the valley; that the gratitude
of the first Christians, charmed by the suave attraction of their
benignant Mother, began there to proffer her public testimony
of their love and homage. Be this as it may, about the middle
of the twelfth century, when St. Bernard traversed the valley,
the fountain which he blessed must already have attained a
certain celebrity, else it had not attracted the holy monk's
attention nor won the consecration of his prayers.
Is there any other glory comparable to that of sanctity ? Is
there any other renown so fated to live perpetually, even in
the memory of men, as that which surrounds those who in their
day put on "the vesture of holiness?" Writing of this inci
dent (the blessing of the fountain) in the journey of St. Ber
nard and Pope Eugene III. through the valley of Beaulieu,
Mr. Godfrey Kurth says :
"All the great and mighty ones of earth have trodden the
Roman, highway that St. Bernard followed on his passage from
Rheims to Treves — from Agrippa who constructed it, to
Goethe who sang its praises, and Napoleon who covered it
with his victorious troops. Before the Emperor of the French,,
other emperors of Rome 'and Germany had conducted thereon
their multitudinous soldiers. Attila had traversed it with his
furious hordes; whole nations and civilizations had passed
along its course. Yet, strange to say, nothing of all this sur
vives in the memory of men ; while the monk of Clairvaux —
the pale, emaciated ascetic, whose life seemed to be merely a
momentary triumph over death — has peopled with his name
and his memory even the most solitary spot by which he passed
in his hurried missions. St. Bernard, says tradition, stopped
in the valley and blessed a fountain, whose limpid waters are
still flowing. More than seven centuries have passed since that
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
benison was given, and the fountain still retains the name of
St. Bernard, and the faithful throng around it to implore
the protection of the Saint whose glory lives among them as
vividly as in the days of his greatest earthly triumphs. That
which the omnipotence of Charlemagne was unable to ac
complish, the simple blessing of the monk effected : it immor
talized the name of the humble Luxembourg valley."
It was in 1148 that St. Bernard passed through Beaulieu,
or Bardenberg. Thirty-eight years later, there was born in
Luxembourg Castle one who was to be the instrument through
which additional glory should accrue to the valley and the
fountain. The illustrious Ermesinde was the only daughter
of Henry the Blind, Count of Namur and Luxembourg. A
valiant princess, dowered with singular magnanimity of char
acter, she was, besides, a true Christian heroine, whose virtues
endeared her to her people, and have kept her memory as vivid
as are those of her eminent descendants : the Emperor Henry
VII.; the hero-king, John of Bohemia; or her saintly grand
daughter, the Venerable Jeanne of Luxembourg.
Among the glories of Ermesinde, her admirers dwell most
fondly on her having been considered worthy to see with her
bodily eyes the Blessed Virgin Mary. The apparition occurred
in the springtime of the year 1214. Recently left a widow,
Ermesinde had retired to her castle at Bardenberg, to spend
her period of mourning in solitude and prayer. The Fountain
of St. Bernard was one of her favorite haunts. A place already
sanctified by prayer and by miracles, it held for her a powerful
attraction; it seemed indeed redolent of the very aroma of
heaven.
Sitting one day on the root of a tufted oak whose branches
overhung the fountain, she fell asleep and was favored with
a vision. She beheld the heavens open, and a Lady of enchant-
ting beauty lightly descending on a fleecy cloud. An instant
later the celestial visitant had reached the hilltop above the
spring. She held in her arms an Infant whose beauty sur
passed that of the fairest children on earth. She approached ;
and she, too, stopped at the fountain, standing opposite the
12 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
enraptured Ermesinde. Suddenly around the beautiful Lady
appeared a number of lambs, on whom she smiled as a mother
and whom she lovingly caressed. A notable circumstance, —
on the back of each of these snow-white lambs two bands of
black united in the form of a cross. Ravished with the charm
of so beautiful a spectacle, Ermesinde feasted her eyes thereon,
and would willingly have contemplated it forever. But the
vision endured for a moment only. Coming to herself, the
pious Countess resolved to build near the holy fountain a con
vent for the Bernardine Sisters (of whom she was reminded
by the lambs in her vision), to dower it, and look after its
prosperity with maternal solicitude.
The new community assumed the name of the Religious of
Our Lady of Clairefontaine ; and Pope Alexander IV., in his
Bull of Approbation and Affiliation to the Order of Citeaux,
styles the convent "the monastery of Holy Mary, Virgin and
Mother of God, of Clairefontaine." The convent grew rapidly,
and proved a veritable source of blessings for all the surround
ing country. Clairefontaine was a house of prayer; and the
example of the pious Sisters who made it their home exerted
a potent influence on the laity of the province, who thronged
to the blessed sanctuary where Mary was pleased to scatter
her favors with a prodigal hand.
Charity was, perhaps, the virtue most in evidence at the new
institute — charity toward the poor of all the vicinage, who
several times a week were provided with meals at the abbey;
charity toward the ignorant, — for the convent was a school
where the chaplain instructed the boys, and the nuns the girls ;
charity toward the helpless and suffering, — the convent in
firmary was never empty; charity, in a word, toward all the
multitudinous subjects of that heavenly virtue. To prayer and
benevolence the ladies of Clairefontaine, of noble families for
the most part, joined manual labor, and worked in addition
for the benefit of the poor.
And so for centuries Our Lady's convent prospered beneath
her gracious protection. "Its whole history," says the discern
ing writer whom we have already quoted, "formed naught else
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 13
than a ravishing Christian idyl, terminating in an elegy replete
with chaste and holy sorrow." The elegy was chanted at the
close of the last century. The terrible French Revolution
brought its inevitable dowry of desolation and woe to the
Clairefontaine Abbey and, on April 18, 1794, the convent and
adjoining church were pillaged, sacked, and burned. When
the frenzied marauders forsook the peaceful valley nothing
but a mass of mournful ruins, broken arches, shattered col
umns, devastated cloisters, and blackened remnants of outer
walls, was left to perpetuate the memory of the house of God,
the asylum of innocence and prayer, the fruitful source during
hundreds of years of untold blessings to Luxembourg and its
people.
In 1875 the ruins of the old convent came into the posses
sion of the Jesuit Fathers; and their project of restoring so
famous a sanctuary of our Heavenly Mother took form on
April the i8th, 1894, the hundredth anniversary of that sanc
tuary's destruction. Their exploration of the ruins led to
interesting discoveries, among others to that of the celebrated
fountain itself over which the church had been built, and the
tomb of the sainted Ermesinde, both in a state of excellent
preservation. The stonework about the fountain, as well as
the rocky stairway descending thereto, was quite intact; and
though buried beneath a heterogeneous mass of broken ma
sonry and superincumbent soil, the figure on the tomb was
uninjured, as was the inscription which identified it.
Yet another relic of the old Abbey that has come down
through the centuries comparatively unscathed is the venerated
statue of Our Lady of Clairefontaine. Originally placed above
the portal of the church, it now stands on a column beneath
the dome of the new chapel dedicated to Mary. We have
called the statue a venerated one, and we might truthfully have
added the epitaph, miraculous. Of undoubted antiquity, it was,
according to the Abbe Reichling, erected by Ermesinde her
self in memory of her vision. It is venerable because of the
cultus of which for six hundred years it has been the object;
invariably did pilgrims visiting the celebrated convent pause
14 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
before this figure of Our Lady and proffer her the first fervor
of their homage and love. And that it is miraculous is proven
by the clearly authenticated fact that as often as the Venerable
Jeanne de Luxembourg saluted it, the head of the statue was
gently inclined, as if to return the greeting.
One beautiful tradition that is still recounted in the Claire-
fontaine district vouches for even a more remarkable prodigy.
A servant of the convent, a maiden of spotless innocence and
childlike faith, was accustomed, as often as she passed the
church, to bow to the statue and exclaim, "Praised be Jesus
Christ !" and the Virgin as often replied, "Amen !" One day,
however, the pious servant forgot the usual salutation. The
statue itself supplied the omission, exclaiming, "Praised be
Jesus Christ!"
But it were an endless task to cull from the garden of the
Clairefontaine annals all the flowers of faith and piety and
devotion to Mary that charm the heart of whosoever seeks
therein for beauty and fragrance. As at all her other shrines,
scattered far and wide over the habitable globe, the Blessed
Virgin not infrequently vouchsafed to her Clairefontaine cli
ents graces and favors that were palpably and unmistakably
miraculous. Let us hope that the happy restoration of her
ancient sanctuary may be signalized not less by a renewal of
her extraordinary benefits than by an ever-increasing love for
her in the hearts of all her children.
STELLA MATUTINA
E'er the day throws its radiance athwart the dark skies
The bright star of the morning comes forth from her shades ;
But as soon as the glories of daylight arise,
Then effaced by their power she trembles and fades.
Then hail to thee, Mary, thou purest, and fairest!
Welcome dawn of the sunshine of life o'er the world!
Mid the dark Orient clouds a bright star thou appearest,
E'er the banner of light in the skies is unfurled.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 15
But, oh ! in His beauteous, His wondrous attire,
Comes the great orb of day in His might rolling on;
And the glow of so dazzling effulgent a fire
Fills the Heavens with the blaze of His glories alone.
Still the beam of that star, e'er so soft and so mild,
Though absorbed in His light by our souls is still seen;
Though our hearts are all burning with love of thy Child,
We hail thee, blest Mother, we hail thee our Queen!
Princess Talbot Borghese.
DEVOUT PRAYERS MADE USE OF BY
ST. MECHTILDIS
1294.
O Holy Mary! our soverign Queen! as God the Father, by
His omnipotence, has made thee most powerful, so assist us at
the hour of our death, by defending us against all the power
that is contrary to thine. "Hail Mary," etc.
O "loly Mary ! our sovereign Queen ! as God the Son has
endowed thee with so much knowledge and splendor, that it
enlightens all heaven, so, in the hour of our death, illumine
and strengthen our souls with the knowledge of the true faith,
that they be not perverted by error or pernicious ignorance.
"Hail Mary," etc.
O holy Mary ! our sovereign Queen ! as the Holy Ghost has
plentifully replenished thee with the love of God, so instil into
us at the hour of our death, the sweetness of divine love, that
all bitterness at that time may become acceptable and pleasant
to us. "Hail Mary," etc.
Our Blessed Lady herself taught St. Mechtildis the above-
mentioned triple salutation, promising her certain assistance for
it at the hour of her death.
APPARITION TO
B. REGINALD OF ORLEANS, O. P.
ROME, ITALY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
TO
B. REGINALD OF ORLEANS O. P.
ROME, ITALY
1218
"I sing the story of a life divine,
A woman's life, whose memory I adore;
Oh, Mary-Mother, that sweet name of thine
My humble heart shall worship evermore."
Zorrilla.
EGINALD was born at Saint-Gilles, in the south
of France, and had taught Canon Law with
applause in the University of Paris before being
raised to the dignity of Dean of the Chapter of
Orleans. Going to Rome, in company with his Bishop, in
the year 1218, with the intention of visiting the tombs of the
Apostles before going on pilgrimage to the holy places of
Jerusalem, he there became acquainted with Saint Dominic.
To him he opened his whole heart, telling him that he greatly
desired to quit all things in order to go about preaching
Jesus Christ in a state of voluntary poverty. The holy
patriarch joyfully promised to receive him into the Order.
Shortly after, Reginald was taken dangerously ill, and the
blessed Dominic, as he himself related to the brethren,
earnestly implored God that He would not take from him
a son as yet hardly born, but that He would at least prolong
his life, if it were but for a little while. And even while
he prayed, the Blessed Virgin Mary, accompanied by the
virgin martyrs, Saint Cecelia and Saint Catherine of Alex
andria, appeared to Master Reginald and, extending her
virginal hand, anointed his eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth,
hands and feetz pronouncing certain words appropriate to
1 8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OP
each anointing. Then she showed him the habit of the Friars
Preachers, saying to him, "Behold the habit of thy Order,"
and she disappeared from his eyes, and Reginald perceived
that he was cured. He related all that had passed to Saint
Dominic, praying him, however, to keep the circumstances
secret till after his death. Saint Dominic complied with his
request ; and, in announcing to his brethren that the linen sur
plice of the Canons Regular was to be exchanged for the woolen
scapular, which was the particular part of the habit which the
Blessed Virgin had been seen holding in her hands, he did
not make known the reason of the change until after Reginald's
death. This beautiful story is commemorated in the ceremony
of clothing, in the words which accompany the giving of the
scapular, "Receive the holy scapular of our Order, the most
distinguished part of the Dominican habit, the maternal
pledge from heaven of the love of the Blessed Virgin Mary
towards us/'
The remaining events of blessed Reginald's brief but bril
liant career must be summed up in a few words. After his
clothing, he departed for the Holy Land, and on his return,
after founding a monastery in Sicily, he ruled the Order as
Vicar whilst Saint Dominic visited Spain. At the same time
he assumed the government of the monastery of Bologna,
where, within six months, he received more than a hundred
members into the Order, many of them men of great learning
and distinction; so that it was a common saying that it was
scarce safe to go and hear Master Reginald if you did not wish
to take the Friar's habit. The great talents and success of
Reginald induced Saint Dominic to remove him to Paris, to
the great sorrow of his brethren; for, notwithstanding the
severity of his discipline, they were tenderly attached to their
saintly Prior and wept as though being torn from their
mothers' arms.
At Paris, his burning eloquence drew all to hear him, and
Yocations to the Order were as striking as at Bologna. Being
one day asked how he, who had been used to so luxurious a
life in the world, had found it possible to persevere in the pen-
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 19
itential life of the Order, Reginald humbly cast his eyes upon
the ground and replied : "Truly, I do not think to merit any
thing for that before the tribunal of God. He has given me so
much consolation in my soul, that the rigors of which you speak
have become very sweet and easy to me."
One of the most remarkable subjects whom he drew to the
Order was blessed Jordan of Saxony, to whom God was
pleased to reveal the approaching death of Reginald in a vision,
wherein he beheld a clear and sparkling fountain suddenly
spring up in the Dominican Church of Saint James, and as
suddenly fail.
The death of the holy man took place in February, A.D.
1 220, when he had worn the habit scarcely two years. When
Abbot Matthew, who then governed the Community at Paris,
went to announce to him that his illness was mortal and pro
posed to administer to him the Sacrament of Extreme Unction,
the dying man made answer : "I do not fear the assault of
death, since the blessed hands of Mary anointed me in Rome.
Nevertheless, because I would not make light of the Church's
Sacrament, I will receive it, and humbly ask that it may be
given to me."
Blessed Reginald has ever been held in veneration in the
Order, though he was not solemnly beatified until the ponti
ficate of Pius IX.
CHILD OF MARY
"Child of Mary!" Name of honor,
Prouder far than kingly crown,
God himself to win that title
From His heavenly throne came down;
He, the First-born Child of Mary,
Calls us to His Mother's side,
Shares with us His dearest treasure,
"Mother! 'twas for these I died."
O Immaculate, unfallen,
Tarnished by no breath of sin!
Yet I dare to call thee "Mother!"
Open, Mother, let me in !
20 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Thou of Mercy's self art Mother,
And thy heart is meek and mild,
Open wide thy arms and take me
As a mother takes her child.
"Child of Mary." May my feelings,
Thoughts, words, deeds, and heart's desires,
All befit a lowly creature
Who to such high name aspires.
Ne'er shall sin (for sin could only)
From my sinless Mother sever —
Mary's child till death shall call me,
Child of Mary then forever.
Rev. Matthew Russell, SJ.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF MARINERS
LE GARDE, FRANCE
1218
Ave Maria! Mother hear us,
Guide the sailor safe and free,
Pity all thy wave-rocked children
Drifting helpless on the sea.
Irene.
OWARDS the end of the twelfth or the be
ginning of the thirteenth century, a fisherman of
Marseilles being overtaken at sea by a tempest,
tried in vain to regain the port, and was in dan
ger of shipwreck. He was alone in his boat, which sprang
a leak; — the wind was adverse, and his rudder was lost. He
now felt, with beating heart, that nothing less than a miracle
could save him ; that he must bi'd adieu to every hope of again
beholding his dear family. Agitated by these thoughts, he
raised his eyes to the rock (de la Garde), which rises like a
sentinel of granite upon the mountain that overlooks the sea,
port, and city of Marseilles. On the summit of this rock he
fancied he saw an serial figure, whose transparent form could
be traced in the deep obscurity which at this instant envel
oped the earth and sky. He also imagined that the figure
held out its hand to him in an encouraging manner.
From the instant that he felt himself in danger of perish
ing, the fisherman had never ceased to invoke the Star of
the Sea, who is ever ready to aid poor mariners in their dis
tress. He therefore firmly believed that she had come to his
assistance. He fell on his knees, and, leaving his boat to her
guidance, he sang with all his might the Ave Marts Stella,
the deep tones of his voice rising above the roaring of the
waves.
22 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
The boat, as if drawn by a powerful hand, darted through
the waters, and soon reached the foot of the mountain. The
rescued fisherman sprang ashore, and eagerly ascended the
steep declivity of the mountain, till he reached the top ; but
nothing was to be seen. He then fell on his knees and returned
thanks to his protectress. On reaching his cottage, he related
his adventure to his family, who had been praying for his
safety.
All who heard the event wondered how it was possible for
him to reach the shore alive ; and no one doubted that he owed
his life to the miraculous interposition of Our Blessed Lady.
Other seamen related how they had several times seen, at the
summit of Mount la Garde, a most beautiful Apparition, which
they could scarcely describe; but on its appearance, the tem
pests calmed, and they were delivered from danger. They
could not give any other interpretation to these events than
that the Blessed Virgin had chosen this rock as the spot whence
she loved to come to the help of distressed mariners. A chapel
was therefore erected on the summit, and was enriched with
a statue of Our Lady, which was called "Help of Mariners."
This was in the year of grace 1218.
Since that time, Our Lady of Help has always been regarded
as the special protectress of Marseilles, and the refuge of dis
tressed mariners. No one dreams of embarking on the short
est voyage without placing himself under her protection; nor
does any one undertake a long journey without visiting her
chapel.
The numerous ex-votos which adorn the Chapel of Our Lady
Help of Mariners, and the rich plate and precious stones which
fill her treasury, are striking testimonials of benefits received
through her powerful patronage.
Only a few years ago, a ship, long tossed about by tempest
uous waves, was about to perish, when the sailors, seeing that
all their own efforts were useless, threw themselves on their
knees and fervently implored the aid of Our Lady of Help,
their only hope. The passengers imitated them, and even the
steersman left the wheel. At the moment that every eye
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 23
was turned upward, a most wonderful spectacle or vision pre
sented itself to the view. They all saw, dimly, a figure at the
wheel, which seized it and directed the vessel's course. All
remained kneeling, while they felt that the ship, by a miracu
lous power, was gliding through the waves at an extra
ordinarily rapid rate. Shortly afterwards the vessel tri
umphantly entered the port, and the passengers and crew
disembarked in safety. Following the first impulses of their
hearts, the twenty-nine persons who were on board were bare
footed, with their clothes still dripping with water, to the
chapel on the rock, to chant the Magnificat, amid tears of
gratitude.
But it is not sailors alone who experience the powerful
patronage of Our Lady of Help. In 1832, when the cholera
appeared at Marseilles, and there was not a house in the city
without its sick, the people assembled in the public squares,
demanding that Our Lady of Help should be carried in pro
cession. So the next day the clergy, vested in the penitential
robes of the Church, the soldiers of the garrison, all the sea
men in the port, and all those who were untouched by the pesti
lential breath of the cholera, ascended the mount, and, amid
tears and lamentations, brought Our Blessed Lady's image
down to the city.
She was borne through all the populous streets. All the
sick saluted her from their windows, or, if unable to rise, from
their beds. The children offered her flowers, and sang pious
canticles. The day previous had scarce been long enough to
inter the bodies of the dead, but on this day not a single
funeral took place. The cholera had fled before the Health of
the Sick, the Consoler of the Afflicted.
Such miracles, unaccountable as they are to unbelievers, have
been vouchsafed in every age of Christianity to those who
devoutly honor and fervently invoke the all-powerful Mother
of the Redeemer of the world.
The year 1889 showed a large increase in the number of
pilgrims and of offerings at the Shrine of Notre Dame de la
Garde, at Marseilles. A short time ago the number of Com-
24 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
munions during the year did not exceed forty-five thousand ;
in 1889 they came up to seventy thousand, and the number of
Masses celebrated was seven thousand.
THE SAILOR'S SONG*
Queen of the waves! look forth across the ocean
From north to south, from east to stormy west;
See how the waters, with tumultuous motion,
Rise up and foam without a pause or rest.
But fear we not, though storm clouds round us gather;
Thou art our Mother, and thy little Child
Is the All-Merciful, our tender Father,
Lord of the sea and of the tempest wild.
Help, then, sweet Queen, in our exceeding danger;
By thy seven griefs, in pity, Lady, save;
Think of the Babe that slept within the manger,
And help us now, dear Lady of the Wave!
Up to thy shrine we look, and see the glimmer
Thy votive lamp sheds down on us afar;
Light of our eyes! oh! let it ne'er grow dimmer,
Till in the sky we hail the morning star.
Then joyful hearts shall kneel around thine altar
And grateful psalms re-echo down the nave,
Our faith in thy sweet power can never falter,
Mother of God ! Our Lady of the Wave !
Morivenna P. Hawker.
*On a hill at S'Addresse, a suburb of Havre, is erected a chapel dedicated to
Notre Dame des Plots. It is visible to vessels passing up and down the Channel.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
25
APPARITION
TO
ST. HYACINTH
KIEV, RUSSIA
122O
The Mother of all mothers; yet, no less
The Virgin of all virgins; yea, the more:
For, 'tis from thy deific fruitfulness
Have drawn all virgins their perennial store.
Father Edmund, C.P.
AINT HYACINTH belonged to the noble Polish
family of Odrowatz, whence at a later date sprang
the house of Kosta, which gave birth to St.
Stanislas, the novice Saint of the Society of Jesus.
St. Hyacinth was born near Breslau, in Silesia, in 1185. He
was the brother of blessed Ceslas, and from infancy gave prom
ise of unusual talent and virtue, and of extraordinary gifts,
both of nature and grace, specially of a tender love and com
passion for the poor. As a child, he would gaze at the portraits
of his forefathers which hung in the halls of his ancestral
home, and ask to be told the story of their exploits ; and, when
he grew older, he would often encourage himself to higher
things by the remembrance of their example. The early edu
cation of the two brothers was superintended by their uncle,
who was afterwards Bishop of Cracow, who was so struck by
the precocious sanctity of Hyacinth as to predict that he
would one day be raised to the altars of the Church. Both
embraced the ecclesiastical state and accompanied their uncle
on a visit to Rome, where, they were present when St. Dom
inic raised the young Napoleon to life, and subsequently re
ceived the habit of the Order from the hands of the holy
Patriach in the chapter-room of Santa Sabina.
26 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
St. Hyacinth, during his short period of probation, learnt
faithfully to copy the life of St. Dominic, especially his spirit
of prayer and penance, and his zeal for the salvation of souls.
Their noviciate over, he and his companion set out for Poland,
preaching and founding monasteries as they went along. Their
route lay through Northern Italy, Styria, Austria, Moravia,
and Silesia. On arriving at Cracow, they gathered around
them a fervent band of novices and established a large mon
astery. Faithful to the Dominican law of dispersion, St. Hya
cinth soon dispatched blessed Ceslas and Henry of Moravia
to plant the Order in Bohemia, whilst he set out to evangelize
Prussia, Denmark, Scandinavia, and Russia. He realized St.
Dominic's desire of preaching to the Cumans, amongst whom
he found his brethren already laboring, and then continued his
Apostolic journeys through Turkestan, Tartary, and Thibet,
as far as the great wall of China. Modern missionaries have
found traces of his labors in these countries. He also preached
along the shores of the Black Sea, and in the islands of the
Grecian Archipelago.
He ever had a tender devotion to the holy Mother of God,
and she in her turn showered on him many favors. She once
appeared to him on the Feast of her Assumption, and gave
him this consoling promise: "Hyacinth, my son, rejoice; for
thy prayers are pleasing to my Son, the Saviour of the world ;
and whatsoever thou shalt ask of Him in my name, thou shalt
obtain through my intercession." From that day the Saint's
confidence was so increased, that he was not afraid to ask even
for things which were, naturally speaking, almost impossible
of accomplishment; and his life became a series of miracles,
such as it has been granted to few Saints to work since the
days of the Apostles.
One day, when the Saint was beginning his Mass in the
monastery at Kiev, the Tartars suddenly broke into the city,
and he and his community were compelled to take to flight.
Still clad in his sacred vestments, St. Hyacinth took the Blessed
Sacrament from the tabernacle and prepared to depart. But
when he had got half way down the church, he heard a voice
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 27
proceeding from a large alabaster statue of Our Blessed Lady,
saying: "Hyacinth, my son, wilt thou leave me behind to be
trampled under foot by the Tartars? Take me with thee."
"How can I, holy Virgin?" replied the Saint; "thy Image is
too heavy." "Take me, nevertheless," answered Our Lady;
"my Son will lighten the burden." Then the Saint clasped the
massive image with one arm, and, bearing the Blessed Sacra
ment in the other, went forth courageously, and crossed the
Dnieper dryshod, whilst his brethren who followed him,
stretched their mantles on the water and embarking upon them,
also crossed the river in safety. The miraculous image is still
preserved at Lemberg.
When the term of St. Hyacinth's earthly pilgrimage was
drawing to a close, as he was one day saying Mass, he sud
denly beheld a dazzling light descend from heaven, in the
midst of which appeared a long procession of angels and vir
gins, forming an escort to their Queen. The celestial company
prostrated round the altar whilst the Saint offered the Holy
Sacrifice. At its conclusion he saw Our Blessed Lady crowned
by her Divine Son with a crown of flowers and stars, which
Mary then took from her head and showed to him, saying:
"Behold! this crown is for thee."
He was taken ill on the following Feast of Saint Dominic.
On the eve of the Assumption he made a touching address
to his brethren, after which he rose to assist at the Matins and
Mass of the festival. Then, kneeling on the altar steps, sup
ported by his weeping children, he received the Holy Viaticum
and Extreme Unction. They carried him back to his cell,
where he calmly awaited his release. When the end was close
at hand, he intoned the 3Oth Psalm : "In Thee, O Lord, have
I hoped," and breathed forth his holy soul to God at the verse :
"Into Thy hands I commend my spirit." It was the I5th of
August, A.D. 1257. After his death he appeared in glory to
the Bishop of Cracow, in company with the martyr Bishop,
St. Stanislas. He was also seen by a holy nun who lived near
Cracow, being led by Our Blessed Lady into heaven amidst a
glorious company of angels and of Saints.
28 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Numerous miracles were worked at his tomb, including the
raising of as many as fifty persons from the dead. He was
canonized A.D. 1594 by Clement VIII., and Urban VIII. ex
tended the celebration of his festival to the universal Church.
The Russians, who follow the rites of the Greek Church,
profess the greatest veneration for the Blessed Virgin. When
they perceive her image, however far off, they prostrate several
times, and multiply signs of the Cross with extreme rapidity.
At Moscow, a statue of the Blessed Virgin, to which miracles
are attributed, ornaments one of the gates of the Kremlin ; two
bare-headed sentinels mount guard by it, night and day. The
people never fail to uncover their heads respectfully when they
pass before this image.
The Czars were formerly crowned in the noble Muscovite
cathedral of the Assumption, where the bodies of the Russian
patriarchs are deposited; the enclosure of the sanctuary was
covered with plates of silver and gold ; the sacred vessels and
episcopal vestments of this cathedral are still of unparalleled
richness; the picture of the Blessed Virgin, placed in a large
gilt frame on Our Lady's altar, is carried in procession in a
superb carriage all of plate-glass, like the coaches seen formerly
at the coronation of the French Kings. Four horses richly
caparisoned draw this modern triumphal car at a slow and
solemn pace.
This curious story comes from a celebrated Shrine at Wilna
in Russia Poland : In February a Russian, who cannot now be
identified, brought to the parish priest of the Ostra Brama
chapel, Father Franklewicz, several very large wax candles,
with the request that they might be kept burning night and
day as a votive offering before Our Lady's image.
The request excited no surprise, as even the schismatic Rus
sians have a devotion to the Madonna and frequently bring
offerings to the Shrine, but as it would have been imprudent
to leave the candles burning all night without watching, the
sacristan was told to sit up in a room near by the altar. About
midnight the watcher extinguished the candles. Asked next
morning why he had done so, the man declared that in his sleep
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 29
he had repeatedly heard the cry, "Put out the candles!" and
with some natural feeling of awe had done so.
Upon careful examination, the candles turned out to be hol
low and filled with gunpowder. There is no doubt an attempt
had been made to destroy the famous Madonna, which for so
many centuries had been looked upon, even by the Russians,
as the mighty protectress of the Catholic Faith.
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Saintly Virgin, with every grace o'erflowing,
Thou whose humility so sweetly true and lowly,
Mounted thee to heaven, whence my prayers thou nearest;
Thou source and fount of mercy,
Serene sun of justice, sending thy rays
Through long dark years of sin, obscure and innumerable.
Three sweetest of names hast thou in thyself made holy,
Mother, daughter, spouse divine;
Virgin glorious.
Woman that soothes, consoles and enloosens our spirits from bruising
bands,
Spreading sweet freedom thro' the world, and happiness,
By the wounds thy saintly sufferings made,
Send peace to rule my heart, thou truly blessed.
Sacred and holy, thou Virgin divine,
Delay not now, for I draw near the verge.
These days of mine, more swift than fleeting arrow,
In misery's gloom and sin
Their way have lost; let not death win me so.
The day draws near, hastened on by fleeting time,
And death's dark wings lend aid to time's swift course;
O Virgin ! sole and only one,
This heart through conscience scourged, by death is now o'ershadowed ;
Poor gift, I give myself to thy Son holy,
True man, true God.
Receive a fainting spirit into thy peace eternal.
Francesco Petrarch.
APPARITION TO
ST. FRANCIS, F.O.S.F.
ASSISI, ITALY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 31
APPARITION
TO
ST. FRANCIS, F.O.S.F.
ASSISI, ITALY
1221
Then into being sprang that image fair,
The Mother of God: the Incarnation's gem;
Immaculate and full of graces rare.
Oh Dei Mater, Virgin-mystery.
Oh all embracing heart of Mary mild,
With earthly Mother's heart beyond compare,
For it holds Jesus, holds the Holy Child;
And thou art God's dear Mother, and our own.
Ymal Oswin.
|T. FRANCIS, the son of a merchant of Assisi, was
born in that city A. D. 1182. Chosen by God to be
a living manifestation to the world of Christ's poor
and suffering life on earth, he was early inspired
with a high esteem and burning love of poverty and humilia
tion. The thought of the Man of Sorrows, who had not where
to lay His head, filled him with holy envy of the poor, and con
strained him to renounce the wealth and worldly station which
he abhorred. The scorn and hard usage which he met with
from his father and townsmen when he appeared among them
in the garb of poverty were delightful to him. "Now," he ex
claimed, I can say truly, "Our Father who art in heaven." But
Divine love burned in him too mightily not to kindle like desires
in other hearts. Many joined themselves to him, and were
constituted by Pope Innocent III., into a religious Order, which
spread rapidly throughout Christendom. St. Francis, after
visiting the East in the vain quest of martyrdom, spent his life
like his Divine Master — now in preaching to the multitudes,
now amid desert solitudes in fasting and contemplation.
During one of these retreats he received on his hands, feet,
32 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
and side the print of the five bleeding wounds of Jesus. With
the cry, "Welcome, sister Death," he passed to the glory of his
God October 4, 1226.
In all the churches of the three Orders, instituted by St.
Francis, there is a great festival celebrated every year on the
2d of August, to which pious Christians hasten from far and
near in Order to practice this devotion. This festival is called
Portiuncula, which is in reality, as its singular name indicates,
a festival of a peculiar kind. Portiuncula is neither a Saint
nor a mystery, but it is the name of a small church near Assisi
in Italy, which has become famous throughout the world by
means of the memorable and most singular indulgence which
St. Francis has gained for this little chapel. St. Bonaventure,
the great doctor of the church, relates in his life of St. Francis,
that the Saint was always inflamed with a wonderful love for
sinners, and that he constantly bewailed the sad condition of
men who, by committing mortal sin, stain and tarnish their
souls, so dearly bought with the precious blood of Christ. He
spent whole nights in prayer, offering himself as a sacrifice
to God by means of the severest penances in order to find grace
with God, through the merits of Our Divine Saviour and the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin, for so many unhappy and
blinded souls that do not seek for reconciliation, but in their
impenitence hasten towards a most terrible judgment. Such
pure and ready love was so pleasing to Our Divine Lord Jesus
Christ, that He rewarded the Saint in a miraculous manner,
offering him a means by which he might induce numberless sin
ners of various countries and any age to sincere repentance.
The lections of the Franciscan Breviary, drawn from the most
reliable sources, relate the particulars of this event in the fol
lowing manner: Of all the churches which the blessed father
St. Francis loved and venerated, one in particular was the
little chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, commonly called Por
tiuncula. This apparently insignificant church, situated on the
plains of the beautiful valley of Spoleta, a short distance from
Assisi, the Saint made the first church of his Order, after
having restored it from its decaving condition and sanctified
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 33
it by his prayers, tears, and works of penance. In the year
1 22 1, in the month of September, St. Francis had a vision in
this holy place. Christ, accompanied by His Holy Mother and
a multitude of Angels, appeared at the altar, encouraging him
with kind words, "that he might ask a favor for the salvation
of souls." The Saint, trusting in the intercession of the Most
Holy Mother, with great confidence, addressed the Lord, say
ing: "I, a poor sinner, ask of Thy Divine Majesty this favor
for the Christian people: that all who, having sincerely con
fessed and devoutly visit this church may obtain a general
indulgence and full remission of all their sins." As Our Lord
remained silent at this petition, St. Francis had recourse to the
intercession of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it
was by her powerful assistance that he obtained the grant of
his petition, with the injunction, however, to repair to the Vicar
of Christ, Honorius III., who was then Sovereign Pontiff, and
to ask this indulgence at his hands in the name of the Lord.
Early the next morning the Saint set out with his disciple,
Brother Masseo, towards Perugia, where the Pope was then re
siding ; here in most simple terms he related to the Holy Father
the mission he had received from Christ, and begged him, as
Vicar. of Our Supreme Lord, to give his consent to the indul
gence and thus seal the favor received from above. The Pope
was surprised at this unusual petition and, notwithstanding his
great veneration for the Saint, hesitated to give his consent and,
this so much the more since all the cardinals who were present
opposed the grant of the indulgence. The Lord, however, Who
had granted this favor for the salvation of sinners, directed
the heart of His Vicegerent in such a manner that he finally
consented to this indulgence, and declared it valid for all future
times without enjoining any other conditions than a sincere
confession and a devout visit to the church of Portiuncula.
But this favor he limited to only one day of the year, and as
the Saint did not yet know what day of the year was to be
chosen for the gaining of this indulgence, he continued to
pray for fifteen months to gain the necessary light from God
as to his doubt. It was only in the year 1223; that Christ ap-
34 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
peared to him once more, declaring it to be His will, that the
said indulgence was to last from the Vespers of the ist of
August until sunset of the following day. In the "Annals of the
Friars Minor" (by Wodling), it is related that the servant of
God received from Our Divine Lord three white and three red
roses of exquisite beauty as an external ratification of the
reality of his vision, it being in the midst of winter, when a
rose was nowhere to be found. Now the Saint, accompanied
by three brothers, again went to the Pope, then in Rome, to
whom he related the incident and presented the miraculous
roses, whilst his three holy companions confirmed by their tes
timony what they had heard of the vision. The Pope invited
them for the next day to the consistory of the cardinals, where
they might renew their petition. This was done, and so power
ful was the impression which the sanctity and the few simple
words of St. Francis made on the Pope and the cardinals that
they opposed no longer. Thus the Pope confirmed this extraor
dinary indulgence, and at the same time commissioned seven
bishops to go to the little church of St. Mary of the Angels on
the ist day of August, 1223, and there solemnly proclaim the
said indulgence. For more than two hundred years this in
dulgence could not be gained in any other church than the
chapel of Portiuncula. Pope Sixtus IV. in 1480 was the first
who granted that all the nuns who lived in confinement and
followed the rule of St. Francis might gain this indulgence in
their own chapel in order to prevent the many evils resulting
from the journeying of so many religious. Finally Pope Greg
ory XV. (1622) extended the indulgence to all the churches
of the three Orders of St. Francis. Hence, all the faithful of
the secular, as well as religious state may gain this indulgence
in said churches as though in the chapel of Portiuncula itself,
provided, however, that besides making a good confession they
receive Holy Communion. This indulgence may be applied
to the poor souls in Purgatory.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 35
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
I gaze upon His gentle face
Deep furrowed by the course of tears
Shed not for self — self had no place
Within his heart for many years.
But oh, the tears unceasing flow
That men their God so little know!
"My God," he cries, "my God, my all!
How blind the eye that will not see,
How deaf the ear that heeds no call,
How hard the heart that's closed to Thee I
Alas, how many deaf and blind
And hard of heart to God so kind !
"His praise the feathered songsters chant,
The lowing kine, the bleating sheep,
The fragrant flower, the tree, the plant
The finny fishes of the deep;
The clouds, the wind, the land, the sea
All sing to God in harmony.
"My God, my all," again he cries,
"Would that a thousand hearts I had
To love for those who Thee despise,
To love for those who make Thee sad!
A seraph's heart, ah, give to me
That I may love Thee worthily!
"What mean these marks in hand and feet?
What means the lance-wound in your side?
That I should share Christ's wounds, 'tis meet,
Who serve a Master crucified.
And so His livery I wear,
The stigmata of Jesus bear."
H. V. R.
APPARITION TO
B. ALBERT THE GREAT, BP., OP.
PADUA, ITALY
ST. ANNE AND THE BLESSED VIRGIN
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 37
APPARITION
TO
B. ALBERT THE GREAT, BP., O.P.
PADUA, ITALY
1223
Virgin! from all soil of sin
Virgin pure! to thee we bow;
Saintly Mother! chosen Queen
One with the godlike thou!
Goethe's "Faust."
ILBERT THE GREAT was bom at Laubmg in
Swabia, on the banks of the Danube, about A. D.
1203. He was of noble parentage and sent to
study at the University of Padua, where, however,
ic made little or no progress, being naturally dull and incapa
ble of learning. But in spite of his incapacity for human sci
ence, blessed Albert made rapid advances in the science of the
Saints and would willingly have devoted all his time to prayer
and meditation. He was specially fond of praying in the
Dominican Church ; but his uncle, who had charge of him, and
who feared that he might be led to enter the Order, exacted
from him a promise not to set foot in that church for a stated
time. The promise was faithfully observed, but the youth con
tinued to practice the devotion of the Rosary, which he had
learnt from the Friars, earnestly imploring Our Blessed Lady
to obtain for him light to know the way in which God willed
that he should serve Him, and save his soul. One day, when
he was thus praying before her image, she appeared to him
surrounded by light, and gave him the assurance of her con
tinual patronage and of his eternal salvation, provided he
should enter the Order of Preachers, of which she had obtained
the institution from her Divine Son. As soon, therefore, as
38 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
he was free from the engagement entered into with his uncle,
he received the habit from the hands of blessed Jordan of
Saxony and was immediately sent to Cologne.
There blessed Albert was the companion and brother in re
ligion of some of the most learned men of the day ; and, being
himself very dull, the humiliating contrast filled him with con
fusion and discouragement. He was even on the point of
giving up his vocation and abandoning the Order, when his
Heavenly Mother once more came to his aid in a prophetic
dream. It seemed to him that he was in the act of escaping
from the monastery, when he found his way barred by some
ladies of noble aspect, who, having inquired into the cause of
his flight, led him to the feet of one who appeared to be their
Queen, and bade him ask her for the help he needed. Albert
accordingly entreated Mary to take pity on him, and to obtain
for him an illuminating grace to understand philosophy, which
was then the subject of his study. The Mother of God conde
scended to his request, bidding him devote himself henceforth
to prayer and study in the Order to which she had called him.
He awoke to find himself no longer the same man, and the
world very soon heard of the fame in every branch of science
of "Albert the Philosopher." He became distinguished for
his proficiency in natural science as well as in philosophy and
theology. Indeed, his profound mastery of physical science in
a day when such subjects were but little studied, gained for
him, among the vulgar, the reputation of being a magician, in
which character he figures in the popular tales and ballads of
Germany. So deeply did he penetrate into the secrets of nature,
that his humility became alarmed, and he prayed earnestly to
his Heavenly Mother that she would not suffer his learning
to be hurtful to his soul, and that he might use it solely for the
glory of God. Our Lady once more appeared, and consoled
him, promising him that his faith should not fail, and predict
ing that, in token of his wisdom being a heavenly gift, it should
all be taken from him in the midst of a public disputation some
time before his death.
After teaching in several of the monasteries of Germany,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 39
blessed Albert was sent to Paris, where such vast crowds
flocked to hear him that he was obliged to deliver his lectures
in the open air on a spot afterwards called "Place Maubert,"
i. e., the square of "Maitre (Master) Albert."
After the death of blessed Jordan he governed the Order in
the capacity of Vicar-general until the election of St. Ray-
mund. He then returned to Cologne, and soon afterwards had
as his disciples St. Thomas Aquinas, blessed Ambrose of Siena,
blessed James of Mevani, and other learned men. When a
virulent attack was made on the mendicant Orders by the jeal
ous hatred of William de St. Amour, blessed Albert took a
leading part in the defence. He ruled the German Province
of the Order with great firmness and prudence, and maintained
regular observance with the utmost strictness. Pope Urban
IV. made him Bishop of Ratisbon, in which office he showed
himself a true father of the poor and a faithful shepherd of
the flock. After a time, by his earnest entreaties, he obtained
permission to resign his dignity and retired to his beloved
monastery of Cologne. He was compelled, however, to leave
his solitude in order to take part in the General Council of
Lyons, A. D. 1274, after which he returned to Cologne to re
sume his life of prayer, study, and teaching.
In the year 1277, in the midst of a public lecture, the holy
old man suddenly lost the thread of his argument and found
himself unable to proceed. Remembering the fulfilment of the
words spoken to him by Our Blessed Lady long years before,
he related to his astonished audience the history of his life,
telling them how all his extraordinary intellectual gifts had
come to him through Mary's intercession, and that their
failure was a sign of his approaching death. The three re
maining years of his life were entirely consecrated to exercises
of devotion ; and having received the Last Sacraments he died
without an illness, seated in his chair, surrounded by his
brethren, on November 15, A. D. 1280. He was beatified by
Clement X.
40 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
THE SWEETNESS OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
The antiphon "Hail Holy Queen," which we recite every
morning at the foot of the altar after the celebration of the
Holy Sacrifice, ends with the exclamation : "O sweet Virgin
Mary!" This invocation, with the two preceding it, welled
forth from the heart of St. Bernard when on one occasion a
great concourse of people in the Cathedral of Speier had fin
ished the singing of the Salve Regina.
Blessed Albert the Great, in one of those paraphrases so
much affected by the Saints of the Middle Ages, has enumer
ated as follows the sweetnesses which the pious soul may find
in Mary :
''Sweet in her glance, full of mercy, she turns on us con
tinually her maternal eyes.
"Sweet in the tone of her voice, she melts in our behalf the
Heart of her Son, and appeases His justice.
"Sweet in her benignant smile, she binds together heaven
and earth.
"Sweet in her acquiescence to our desires, she graciously
bends her head to listen to our slightest prayer.
"Sweet in her greeting on the day of the Visitation, she
floods with joy her cousin Elizabeth, and fills with the Holy
Ghost the soul of John the Baptist. When we address her in
the Ave Maria, she proffers us from heaven, with inexpres
sible goodness, our salvation so fondly desired.
"Sweet in the fruit of her womb, Mary, an aromatic plant,
has produced the Flower of Jesse, whose perfume scents the
earth ; she carried on the flourishing branch of her virginity
this Fruit, which delights and satiates the very angels.
"Sweet in her contact, she wraps in the crib with delicate care
the members of her new-born Son ; and touches with not less
admirable precaution the wounds of our souls.
"Sweet in her carriage, she advances like a queen who scat
ters at every step favors without number ; but especially when,
with outstretched arms and smiling mien, she glides over the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
waves to preserve us from shipwreck, how sweet is not her
attitude !
"Sweet in her respiration, her perfumed breath refreshes,
dilates, and gives new life.
"Sweet in each of her words, her lips distil milk and honey.
"Sweet in her song, she intones the canticle of harmony in
effable that only virgins may sing with her.
"Sweet in her thoughts, she dreams only of establishing
peace between her first-born, Jesus, and her other adopted
children.
"Sweet in that which is sweetest, affection, her Immaculate
Heart is the sanctuary of all tenderness.
"Sweet in the odors of her humility, she captivated God
Himself.
"Sweet to speak of, her very name is incomparable music.
"Sweet to invoke, her solicitude never tires ; and so she be
comes all things to all persons.
"S«vveet to discourse upon, she is the intoxicating wine at the
banquet of sacred eloquence.
"Sweet to the palate of the soul, she is the mysterious manna
which delights all tastes.
"Sweet to remembrance, the more we recall her goodness,
the more the memory rejoices."
A LEGEND OF THE CATHEDRAL OF COLOGNE
Several years before the foundation stone of the famous
Cathedral was laid, there lived a man who was far in advance
of all his contemporaries in the cultivation of human knowl
edge. This was Albertus Magnus, of the Order of St. Dom
inic. At this period Conrad von Hochstaden occupied the
archiepiscopal throne at Cologne, and had for some time been
engrossed with the thought of erecting a vast and majestic
cathedral. With this object in view he caused the friar to be
summoned before him, and directed him to design a plan for
4* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the erection of a building which should eclipse in splendor all
then existing structures.
Albertus cogitated day and night in his lonely cell over the
grand idea which had been entrusted to him; he prayed fer
vently and continuously that God would assist him. But, not
withstanding all his meditation and prayer, a mist seemed to
enshroud his imagination; no picture that he could reduce to
shape would present itself. His heart was bowed down with
anxiety as in the silent watches of the night he sat immersed
in thought and reflection ; and yet the shadowy outline of a
superb temple floated before his mind and seemed to fill his
thoughts. When he was tired out with the strain of mental
exertion, he would cast himself upon his knees and implore the
Blessed Virgin to assist him in the task which he was unable
to accomplish alone. In this way weeks passed by.
On one occasion, when Albertus had been sitting by the
flickering light of his lamp, deeply immersed in the construction
of a design, after offering a fervent prayer for help, he became
overpowered with sleep. It may have been midnight when he
awoke. His cell was filled with a heavenly radiance, and the
door leading to the hall of the monastery was standing open.
Albertus rose in terror from his seat ; it seemed as if a flash
of lightning had passed before his eyes, and he became aware
of four men dressed in white cassocks entering his cell, with
crowns of burnished gold, glistening like fire, on their heads.
The first was a grave old man, with a long, flowing white beard
covering his breast ; in his hand he held a pair of compasses ;
the second, somewhat younger in appearance, carried a mason's
square ; the third, a powerful man, whose chin was covered with
a dark curly beard, held a rule; and the fourth, a handsome
youth with auburn locks, brought a level. They walked in
with grave and solemn tread, and behind them, in all her celes
tial beauty, came Our Lady, carrying in her right hand a lily
stalk with brightly gleaming flowers. She made a sign to her
companions, whereupon they proceeded to sketch, with prac
ticed hands, a design in lines of fire upon the bare walls of the
cell. The pillars rose on high, the arches curved to meet them,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 43
and two majestic towers soared into the blue vault of heaven.
Albertus stood lost in contemplation and admiration of the
glorious picture thus presented to his gaze.
5 As suddenly as it had appeared, the heavenly vision again
vanished, and Albertus found himself alone ; but the plan of the
splendid edifice, which had been drawn by the four celestial
architects, under the direction of the Virgin Mother, was
traced upon his memory in ineffaceable lines. Very soon after
this he presented a plan of the Cathedral of Cologne to Arch
bishop Conrad. The most high-flown aspirations of the prelate
had been surpassed beyond measure. The foundations of the
building were soon afterward laid, and future generations car
ried on the erection, until completed as we now see it, a wonder
of the whole world.
THE BELLS OF COLOGNE
The bells of the magnificent Cathedral of Cologne are in
keeping with that wondrous edifice. The peal includes five
mammoth bells composing the gamut F. G. A. B. C. The Em
peror bell Kaiser glo eke, C, cast 1875, weighs 27 tons; Pretiosa,
G, cast 1448, weighs a little over 11 tons; Speciosa, A, cast
1449, weighs 6*/4 tons; "Bell of the Magi," H, recast 1880,
weighs 3^4 tons; "St. Ursula's bell," F, cast 1862, weighs 2^
tons.
The Emperor bell is larger and heavier than any other bell
in Europe. It was successfully cast by Andreas Hamm in
Frankenthal, after three abortive attempts. The perpendicular
height is 14^ ft.; the diameter at bottom, Iij4 ft.; the cir
cumference, 35^ ft. The bell is suspended by means of a
screw to which the hammer is also attached. This screw weighs
y2 ton; the hammer, or tongue, is 10 ft. 10 in. long, and
weighs 16 cwt. The metal is 10^ in. thick at the mouth, and
4 in. thick above. The casting required the metal of 22 large
cannon, captured from the French in the Franco-Prussian war,
together with about 5 more tons of tin.
The six arms which form the crown of the Emperor bell are
44 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ornamented with angels' heads, and where they are connected
with the bell itself they take the shape of lions' claws. Imme
diately below the crown the following inscription, in three
lines, appears :
Guilielmus, augustissimus imperator Germanorum, rex Borussorum,
pie memor ccelestis auxilii accept! in gerendo felicissime conficiendoque
nuperrimo bello Gallico, instaurato imperio Germanico bellica tormenta
capliva seris quinquaginta millia pondo jussit conflari in campanam
suspendendam in hac admirandae structure aede exaedificationi tandem
proxima. Cui victoriosissimi principis pientissimae voluntati obsecuta
societas perficiendo huic templo metropolitano constituta F. C. Pio
P. IX. Pontifice Romano Paulo Melchers Archiep. Coloniensi, A D
MDCCCLXXIV.
"William, the august Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia,
in pious memory of divine help received in carrying on and most hap
pily terminating the latest war with France, on the German Empire
being restored, commanded the captured cannon, weighing 50,000 Ibs.,
to be cast into a bell, which should be hung in this wonderful build
ing, at last near its completion as a House of God. Agreeably to this
most pious desire of the victorious prince, the society founded for the
completion, of this temple had the bell made. Pius IX. being the Roman
Pope, Paul Melchers being the Archbishop of Cologne, A.D. 1874."
Over the figure of St. Peter runs the following inscription :
Voce mea cceli populo dum nuntio sortes,
Sursum corda, volant semnla voce sua
Patronus qui voce mea templi atria pandis,
Janitor et coeli limina pande simul!
"When as messenger my voice the people calls,
Their souls ascend, their voices emulous do rise.
Oh, patron ! who at my appeal dost ope' this temple's halls,
Fling wide, celestial janitor, the threshold of the skies!"
On the side opposite to that bearing the figure of the "Prince
of Apostles" is the German escutcheon, with the following
verse :
Die Kaiserglocke heist ich;
Des Kaiser's Ehre preis ich
Auf heil'ger Warte steh' ich,
Dem Deutschen Reich erfleh' ich
Dast Fried und Wehr
Ihm Gott bescheer!
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 45
"I'm called the Emp'ror bell ;
The Emp'ror's praise I tell.
On holy guard I stand,
And for German land,
Beseech that God may please
To grant it peace and ease!"
In the first inscription the archiepiscopal arms may also be
traced, and the mottoes are surrounded with garlands of
Gothic arabesque, which have come out well in the casting.
The form of the bell is rendered also less bare by projecting
parallel rings of metal cast on to it.
THE ATTRIBUTES OF MARY
The sweetest name for woman, sounding
in human ears,
Mother and maid, with grace abounding,
Is thine, Beata.
So Heaven fulfilled its benediction;
But earth endears,
And Calvary crowns thee with affliction;
Commiserata.
On Israel's night, O virgin queenly,
Foretold by seers
Rose a meek star and burned serenely —
Thine, Consecrata.
To thee— so high, with heart so lowly,
And maiden fears —
Came down an angel from the Holy,
O Saluta!
Never was yet, to mortal, greeting
Like that which hears
Thy virgin heart, with wonder beating;
Ah, Consolata!
Born is the king, the superhuman,
Ring out ye spheres!
And hail the long predicted woman,
Bethlehem, Ephrata!
Wake, dreamer— lo! the Jews have crowned Him,
And see the throne
On which their hands have raised and bound Him;
46 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Is this the Christ? gray, ghastly, gory —
Thy Son, thy own? O Dolorosa,
For this came Ave from the Glory,
And Gratiosa!
What is to thine the grief of others?
To hear thy moan
Sad Rama hushed her weeping mothers;
Ah, Desolata !
The sword, with which thy Son was smitten,
O pang unknown!
Pierced through thy soul, as it is written;
Predestinata.
Now, with the mystic spirits seven,
Burns, through all years,
Thy star before His throne in heaven;
Immaculata.
Till earth and Heaven all ties shall sever,
Midst angels' tears,
Of thee shall tongue of mortal never
Say Obsurata.
Rev. W. W. Lord.
A little girl of Alicante strayed away into the mountains on
the 1 8th of January, 1896. After a long, fruitless search she
was finally, on the following morning, discovered by her friends
at the edge of a precipice. To their great astonishment, instead
of finding her dead, as they had feared, they found her well
and lively. "Did you not suffer from the severe cold? Were
you not frightened ?" they asked her. "No," she answered ; "a
beautiful lady came to me and kept me under her cloak." This
strange answer puzzled the hearers, but greater still was their
astonishment when the little one, some days after, having en
tered the church, cried out, on seeing the picture of Our Lady
of Mount Carmel : "There is the lady who put me under her
cloak !" The little girl repeats this saying every time an image
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is shown to her.— San Juan de
la Cruz, 15 March, 1896.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
47
APPARITION
TO
ST. PETER NOLASCO F. O. OF MERCY
BARCELONA, SPAIN
1223
The quality of mercy is not strain'd:
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice bless'd:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Shakespeare.
T. PETER, of the noble family of Nolasco, was
born in Languedoc, in 1189. At the age of
twenty-five he took a vow of chastity, and made
______ over his vast estates to the Church. Some time
after, he conceived the idea of establishing an Order for the re
demption of captives. The Divine Will was soon manifested.
The Blessed Virgin appeared on the same night to Peter, to
Raymund of Pennafort, his confessor, and to James, King of
Arragon, his ward, and bade them prosecute without fear
their holy designs. After great opposition, the Order was
solemnly established, and approved by Gregory IX., under
the name of Our Lady of Mercy. By the grace of God, and
under the protection of His Virgin Mother, the Order spread
rapidly, its growth being increased by the charity and piety
of its members, who devoted themselves not only to collecting
alms for the ransom of the Christians, but even gave them
selves up to voluntary slavery to aid the good work. It is
to return thanks to God and the Blessed Virgin that a feast
was instituted, which was observed in the Order of Mercy,
then in Spam and France, and at last extended to the whole
Church by Innocent XII. , and the 29th of September named
as the day on which it is to be observed.
48 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
The history of this Apparition is associated with the mirac
ulous Image of Our Blessed Lady in the Puig, whose celebrated
shrine stands in the Spanish province of Valencia, between the
towns of Murviedro and Valencia. Its origin is as interesting
as it is antique. According to traditon, the venerated image of
Mary — which is an alto-relievo, not a statue — was wrought
by the hands of angels in a portion of the tomb of our Holy
Mother; and, even as the Santa Casa of Loreto was miracu
lously transported by celestial ministry, so the image of Puig
was borne by angels from Jerusalem after the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin into heaven.
Puig already possessed a sanctuary of Our Lady at that
remote time — a shrine erected by St. Eugene under the direc
tion of St. James, who had predicted the miraculous arrival
of the precious image. St. Eugene, the first Bishop of Val
encia, received with joy the angels' gift, placing it in the
peaceful sanctuary, where it remained until the year 622.
Then the priests who watched over the shrine, dreading the
Moorish depredation, concealed it under ground, beneath an
immense bell. For six centuries it remained in its subter
ranean hiding place, but in 1223 Our Lady of Puig again
miraculously saw the light of day.
When James L, King of Aragon, was captured and taken
as a prisoner to Carcassonne, he made a vow that, if released,
he would found a religious order for rescuing Christian cap
tives from the hands of infidels. No sooner was he free than
he set about fulfilling his promise.
On August i, 1223, the monarch had a vision, in which the
Blessed Virgin ordered him to institute a religious society, to
be known as the Order of Mercy for the Redemption of Cap
tives. A similar vision was granted to the King's confessor,
St. Raymond of Pennafort, who received the same injunctions ;
whilst St. Peter Nolasco, then in Barcelona, was even more
singularly favored, as his heavenly Visitor particularly speci
fied her Divine Son's desire that the Order should be founded
by St. Peter Nolasco, aided by St. Raymond and their royal
patron.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 49
The King, rejoiced to find that God visibly approved his
pious thought, was now animated with one desire — that of find
ing the most favorable spot on which to build the first house
of the new Order. Again Heaven came to direct his move
ments, — or, perhaps more correctly, Our Lady of Puig brought
him to the place she had chosen. One night his Majesty was
astonished at beholding seven brilliant stars, hovering, so to
speak, over a tiny hillock, known at Puig by the name of Cas
tillo. Not to the King alone were the stars visible : all the
country around witnessed the miracle. James, however, un
derstood the sign : it was clear to him the seven stars were so
many guiding spirits, showing him the spot to choose. The
following day workmen began to dig away the earth forming
the Castillo, and before long a pickax struck upon a metal
object: it proved to be a large bell. On being raised, Mary's
long-buried image came to view. The miraculous history at
tached to it was cut, in Gothic characters, on the bell.
An eye-witness of this touching discovery, a priest named
Zimenes, from Daroca, related the scene and gave one of the
inscriptions found on the bell : "O Holy Mary, pray for us !
May your image protect us, — this image which was carved by
angels' hands in the stone of your tomb, and carried by them
amongst us, where it has been honored by the visit of Apostles.
We, your servants, venerate you. May the sound of this bell,
which we made in 622, drive far from us all thunder and
lightning."
In a "History of Puig," by Guimerano, the same account is
given; and likewise by Martin Zimenes in his "Conquest of
Spain;" whilst the most precious testimony of all comes from
Pope Benedict XII., who, in a papal bull issued in favor of the
sanctuary in the year 1407, sets forth that the miraculous tra
dition attached to the celebrated Shrine was perfectly authen
ticated, and the circumstances relating to the finding of the
image equally true.
Soon a chapel stood on the spot, and the Castillo was put into
a state of defence. Heaven had so visibly taken his cause in
hand, the King of Aragon deemed the moment come in which
SO APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to march to the conquest of Valencia. The Moorish troops
numbered more than forty thousand, whilst the King's army
scarcely amounted to two thousand five hundred. Zahen, the
Moorish King, made a fierce attack on Puig, confiding in the
superiority of his numbers ; but all his calculations proved vain.
The Catholic army, whose only force was fervent prayer, of
fered in Mary's sanctuary before the attack, came off victori
ous. In the midst of the bloody struggle St. George, as if to
encourage them by his presence, appeared in the heavens on
a white horse, his sword drawn and a red cross on his breast.
Although the battle-field was covered with the Moorish dead,
the Catholic troops lost only three men.
To commemorate this signal victory, the King decreed that a
beautiful chapel and spacious monastery should be erected on
the spot where Mary's image had been found ; and before long
the pious monarch brought triumphantly to his Heavenly Pro
tectress the keys of the city of Valencia, of which he had taken
possession.
The Madonna of Puig ever showed her powerful protection
in favor of the Kings of Spain. Even Pedro the Cruel sought
her Shrine; and, after having been miraculously preserved in
a violent tempest, he came barefoot before the altar to offer his
cordial thanks. Once, on the eve of the Nativity, a pious
client of Mary, unjustly a prisoner in a neighboring town, felt
his chains suddenly fall, the prison doors open before him ; and,
once free, he hastened to Puig to thank the Immaculate Vir
gin, who had so often been invoked by him with confidence, and
who had not been deaf to the voice of her child.
During many years the seven stars were frequently seen,
at intervals, hovering over the steeple of the church which
quickly rose at Puig in honor of Mary ; and often the voices of
angels were heard joining in the chants of the monks. On
Saturdays especially, and after the recitation of the Salve
Regina, the invisible singers blended their harmonious strains
with those of the congregation ; and thus the sanctuary came to
be called by a name which, translated from the Spanish, means
the "Angels' Room."
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 51
On one occasion, in 1588, the image of Mary was carried
from Puig to Valencia at the express desire of Philip II., for
a splendid celebration about to take place in the latter town.
During the sixteen days the ceremonies lasted the angel-singers
were heard each day, delighting the pious worshipers by the
celestial melody of their strains ; whilst the seven stars were
visible each night, going from the "Angels' Room" to Valencia
Cathedral, wherein the miraculous statue had been placed.
When the fete was over, Our Lady of Puig returned to her
sanctuary. There she has remained ever since; though the
good monks, the guardians of the Shrine, have long ago been
dispersed, and their peaceful home laid bare. The splendors of
the place are vanished visions, but the piety of Mary's clients
has survived the wreck. The sanctuary is now a humble one,
wherein are still repeated the holy litanies learned from the
lips of angels ; whilst a devoted priest watches with jealous care
over the miraculous image of Mary, as she clasps the Divine
Infant to her breast.
St. Peter, when at Algiers, guaranteed a large ransom for
some noble Spanish captives, and wrote to Spain for the sum.
The prisoners, however, finding their captivity intolerable, con
trived meanwhile to escape. On this, Peter was taken up,
scourged as a thief, and put on board a vessel, with orders to
bring back from Spain the money promised. The Moorish crew
had secret instructions, when at sea, to scuttle Peter's ship, and
then to save themselves on board the convoy vessel. They did
so, and left Peter without oar or sail in a sinking ship. But
the Saint, trusting in God, stood up and, opening his coat to
the wind, was carried safely into the harbor of Valencia.
"I, the Lord, have called thee, that thou mightest bring forth
the prisoner out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of
the prison-house." — Isaias xiii, 7.
St. Peter and his knights were laymen, not priests, and yet
they considered the salvation of their neighbor intrusted to
them. We can each of us by counsel, by prayer, but above all
by good example, assist the salvation of our brethren, and thus
secure our own.
52 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
MERCY
In his last hour a good man lay alone,
His couch, the naked earth; his pillow, stone.
Thus faithless fortune left him, in the end,
To perish in the dark, without one friend.
Lifting his eyes, in great bewilderment,
He saw seven shining angels o'er him bent;
And with his failing breath he cried, in fear,
"Ye heavenly messengers! what do ye here?"
Each angel in his turn made low reply,
In voices of celestial melody: —
"I was a-hungered, and thou gavest meat;"
"I was athirst, thy draught was passing sweet;"
"And I was naked, and was clothed by thee;"
"A captive, I, when thou didst ransom me ;"
"I harborless till I thy harbor found;"
"When I was sick thy mercy knew no bound ;"
Then the last whispered, as he bowed his head,
"And thou didst bury me when I was dead."
Now a great glory filled the vault of night,
A still small voice glowed like intensest light ;
It seemed to fashion words that were as flame,
One flashed and faded as another came: —
"And lo ! as thou hast done it unto these,
So hast thou done it unto Me." At ease
On his cold bed the good man breathed his last :
A bed of roses now, and every blast
Was softer, sweeter than an infant's breath,
For the bright watchers by that bed of death;
And as the spirit left its form of clay,
Seven angels bore it in their arms away.
Charles W. Stoddard.
THE SEVEN CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY.
1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To harbor the harborless.
5. To visit the sick.
6. To visit the imprisoned, and
7- To bury the dead.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 53
APPARITION
TO
ST. RAYMUND NONNATUS O.M.
CATALONIA, SPAIN
1224
How can I draw more near to Him
Than thro' this one so dear to Him?
For if I call sweet Mary "Mother,"
As He did, am I not His brother?
Charles H. Towne.
IT. RAYMUND NONNATUS was born in Cata
lonia, in the year 1204, and was descended of a
noble family. In his childhood he seemed to find
pleasure only in his devotions and serious duties.
[is father, perceiving in him an inclination to a religious
state, took him from school, and sent him to take care of a
farm which he had in the country. Raymund readily obeyed
and, in order to enjoy the opportunity of holy solitude, kept
the sheep himself, and spent his time in the mountains and
forests in holy meditation and prayer. Some time after, he
joined the new Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the redemp
tion of captives, and was admitted to his profession at Bar
celona by the holy founder, St. Peter Nolasco.
It is related in the annals of his Order that Our Blessed
Lady appeared to him and told him to join the Order of Mercy
for the redemption of captives from slavery.
Then, two years after his profession, he was sent into
Barbary with a large sum of money, where he purchased the
liberty of a great number of slaves. When all this money
was exhausted, he gave himself up as a hostage for the ran
som of certain others. This generous sacrifice served only
to exasperate the Mohammedans, who treated him with great
54 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
barbarity, till fearing lest if he died in their hands they should
lose the ransom which was to be paid for the slaves for whom
he remained a hostage, they gave order that he should be
treated with more humanity. He was then permitted to go
about the streets, which liberty he made use of to comfort
and encourage the Christians in their chains, and he converted
and baptized some Mohammedans. For this the governor con
demned him to be put to death by thrusting a stake into the
body, but his punishment was commuted, and he underwent
a cruel bastinado. This torment did not daunt his courage. So
long as he saw souls in danger of perishing eternally, he
thought he had yet done nothing. St. Raymund had no more
money to employ in releasing poor captives, and to speak to a
Mohammedan on the subject of religion was death. He could,
however, still exert his endeavors, with hopes of some success,
or of dying a martyr of charity. He therefore resumed his for
mer method of instructing both the Christians and the infidels.
The governor, who was enraged, ordered the Saint to be cruelly
tortured and imprisoned till his ransom was brought by some
religious men of his Order, who were sent with it by St. Peter
Nolasco. Upon his return to Spain, he was nominated cardinal
by Pope Gregory IX., and the Pope being desirous to have so
holy a man about his person, called him to Rome. The Saint
obeyed, but went no further than Cardona, when he was seized
with a violent fever, which proved fatal. He died on the 3ist
of August, in the year 1240, the thirty-seventh year of his age.
It is related in the Annals of his Order that he had a vision of
Our Blessed Lord at the hour of his death, and that Our Lord
anointed him.
Raymund of Pennafort was born A. D. 1175, of a Spanish
noble family. At the age of twenty he taught philosophy at
Barcelona with great success. Ten years later his rare abilities
won for him the degree of Doctor in the University of Bologna
and many high dignities. A tender devotion to Our Blessed
Lady, which had grown up with him from childhood, deter
mined him in middle life to renounce all his honors, and to
enter the Order of St. Dominic. There again a vision of the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 55
Mother of Mercy instructed him to co-operate with his peni
tent St. Peter Nolasco, and with James, King of Aragon, in
founding the Order of Our Lady of Ransom for the Redemp
tion of Captives. He began this great work by preaching a
crusade against the Moors, and rousing to penance the Chris
tians, enslaved in both soul and body by the infidel. King
James of Aragon, a man of great qualities, but held in bond by
a ruling passion, was bidden by the Saint to put away the cause
of his sin. On his delay, Raymund asked for leave to depart
from Majorca, since he could not live with sin. The King re
fused, and forbade, under pain of death, his conveyance by
others. Full of faith, Raymund spread his cloak upon the
waters, and tying one end to his staff as a sail, made the sign
of the Cross and fearlessly stepped upon it. In six hours he
was borne to Barcelona, where, gathering up his cloak, dry, he
went into his monastery. The King, overcome by this miracle,
became a sincere penitent and a disciple of the Saint till his
death. In 1230 Gregory IX. summoned Raymund to Rome,
and made him his confessor and grand penitentiary, and di
rected him to compile "the Decretals/' a collection of the scat
tered decisions of the Popes and Councils. Having refused the
Archbishopric of Tarragona, Raymund was chosen, in 1238,
General of his Order, which post he resigned soon after to re
sume his labors among the infidels and, in 1256, being then
eighty<»ne, was able to report that ten thousand Saracens had
received baptism. He died A. D. 1275.
DEATH OF ST. RAYMUND
The blessed Raymund, named the Unshorn,
Left Barcelona one sunbright morn, —
Left far behind him the city towers,
His well-loved convent and orange bowers ;
And Romeward journeyed by the decree
Of him who ruled in St. Peter's See.
But when the sun had twice rose and set
In clouds of vermeil and violet,
56 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
He at the Count of Cerdagne's door
Craved for admittance in sickness sore.
There labored heart-beat and failing breath
Betokened to him approaching death ;
And begged he loudly, with sob and tear,
For Shrift and Housel, — no priest was near.
But to Christ he pleaded, and oft he prayed
To Christ's dear Mother for help and aid,
Till they who watched by his dying bed
Looked to the doorway in awe and dread.
With noiseless footsteps, that portal through
Came a radiant company, two and two.
Like Raymund's robes were their robes of white,
And each one carried a taper bright;
Their voices sounded in chant and prayer, —
No voice on earth might with theirs compare.
They ranged themselves from the sick man's side
In two white lines to the doorway wide,
And One passed through them of aspect sweet,
With bleeding wounds in His hands and feet;
And shrift and Housel, old legends say,
Had Raymund from Him upon that day.
Then the white-robed company as before,
Passed noiseless through the open door,
And they who watched by that dying bed
To Raymund turned in their fear and dread;
But no words of his might their tears allay:
His soul had burst from its house of clay.
Magdalen Rock.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 57
APPARITION
TO
THE SEVEN SERVITES
FLORENCE, ITALY
1233
Mother of Sorrow, Mother of Joy,
Virgin untainted by sin's alloy;
Eternal guard of the heavenly gate,
Mary our Queen Immaculate.
P. T. O^Reilly.
HE Order of Servites, or Servants of Mary, is an
order of friars, who follow the rule of Saint
Augustine. It was instituted in Italy in the thir
teenth century by seven rich men of Florence, and
has for its special object meditation on the Dolors of the Most
Holy Virgin, that its members may feel and share them with
her, and propagate this devotion among the faithful.
The coming of the Friars marks the very heart of the Middle
Ages. St. Dominic was born in 1170, St. Francis in 1182, St.
Bonfilius, the eldest of the Servites, in 1198; and the special
task of each of the three Orders was closely allied to those of
the others. St. Dominic took the doctrine of Christ as his
charge, to preach it everywhere, and set it forth in all its splen
dor; St. Francis embraced Christian morality, to practice it in
all its heroism, and show the inexpressible sweetness which un
derlay its most austere observances. The Seven Holy Founders
of the Servite Order, like loving and tender children, devoted
themselves to her who had borne Christ Himself in her immac
ulate bosom, Christ, source of all truth and principle of all
good ; to her, the inseparable coadjutrix of Jesus in the redemp
tion of souls ; to her who gave to the world the Word full of
grace and truth, the Saviour sacrificed in His infinite love for
the salvation and the blessing of all men.
58 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Thus while St. Dominic and St. Francis manifested Christ to
those eager to know and to love Him, the seven Saints of Flor
ence showed forth the sweet and radiant face of the Virgin, the
Mother who from Bethlehem to Calvary encircles with the
aureole of her love Him who wrought the glory of God, who
is the Conqueror of souls.
Innocent III. was in the chair of St. Peter, keeping a brave
heart among the many distractions of the Christian world.
Germany was a prey to civil war between the Emperor Otho
IV. and Philip of Swabia ; France was under the glorious rule
of Philip Augustus, who, having returned from the third Cru
sade, conquered Normandy, Maine, Anjou and Poitou, but
showed himself a true son of the Church in submitting wholly
to Innocent in the question of his marriage, having wished to
repudiate his wife Ingeburge. Not so John in England, more
disloyal to the Holy See than any King of England, till he
arose who brought about the great apostacy. Spain was in the
agony of the Mohammedan invasion. In the East, Jerusalem
had again fallen into the power of the Infidel, and the Pope in
cited and arranged the fourth Crusade. But the Eastern Em
pire alone fell, and the Holy Places were not freed.
Coming nearer to his own realm, the Pope looked out on a
stormy and distracted land. Except the States of the Church
and the kingdom of Sicily, then under a Regency, all the im
portant towns were at strife with their neighbors, either form
ing round them independent communes, or becoming the cen
ters of small republics. They lived in a state of perpetual feud,
happy only if they had peace within their own borders, as Flor
ence had for the moment. Later, in Dante's time, who prob
ably knew some of the early Servite Saints, there were no less
than seven intrenched camps belonging to different factions
within the City of Florence itself. Though of course politically
divided by the two great parties, the Guelfs and the Ghibel-
lines, their dissensions were but political ; war with those with
out had not become civil war.
The Church and the offices of religion constituted the whirl
wind's heart of peace, and the many confraternities to which
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 59
pious laymen belonged, brought men together, who would not
otherwise have known each other, of all opinions and all sta
tions. In them, Guelf and Ghibelline, merchant and prince,
met on an equal footing. Such a Confraternity was that of the
"Laudesi," or the Elder Society of Our Blessed Lady, founded
in the year 1183. It was, in fact, just such a confraternity or
sodality as we now know, mainly in connection with Jesuit
churches, and under one of the titles of Our Lady. It was
composed of the nobles and merchants of Florence, and met at
the church of Santa Reparata. In the year 1233, just fifty years
after its foundation, it numbered two hundred members, all of
the best families in Florence, and was under the direction of
a young priest, James of Poggibonsi.
Of these two hundred members, seven became the saintly
founders of the Servite Order, and the Confraternity of the
Laudesi was, in the good providence of God, to serve as their
noviciate.
Bonfilius Monaldi was the eldest. He was born in 1198, the
year of the election of Innocent III. The Monaldeschi, for
such was the original name, were of French extraction, related
to the royal House of Anjou. What may have been his occupa
tion in the world is not known, but he was noted as being a
young man of prayerful and ascetic life, who took the lead
among his friends in all exercises of piety, so that, as soon as
there was question among them of community life, they turned
to him as their natural superior. He retained in religion his
baptismal name.
Alexis Falconieri was born in 1200, of a noble family, orig
inally of Fiesole, but long settled in Florence. He was the eld
est son of Bernard Falconieri, a knight, and one of the merchant
princes who created the greatness of his native city. The fam
ily were all strong adherents of the Pope, and opponents of the
Emperor, in their unhappy quarrels. He made his course at
the University, studying what were then known as the Humani
ties, Latin and Greek, the usual classical course, as well as
belles lettres, with great success ; but he was marked as espc-
6o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
daily prayerful, fond of reading religious books, and avoiding
general society. At an early age he vowed himself to celibacy
long before he knew what outward form his life would take.
He never became a priest, but remained all his life Brother
Alexis, he also keeping his own name.
Benedict de TAntella was born in 1203, of a wealthy family,
of foreign, perhaps German, or, as some think, Eastern extrac
tion, who, long settled at Antella, had but recently come into
Florence and become bankers. Benedict was extremely well
educated, of very remarkable beauty, and called on by his posi
tion to mix much in society. He was afterwards known in re
ligion as Father Manettus.
Bartholomew Amidei was born in 1204, of one of the oldest,
richest, and most powerful families of the city. He claimed to
be ancient Roman by origin. The Amidei were Ghibellines,
and that Bartholomew received a most Christian education is
among the many proofs that the bitter political strifes of the
age were merely political, and hindered neither side from being
good Catholics. His family, who lived much in the world, al
lowed him to follow a secluded and religious life, which found
its natural development in a religious Order. He took in re-
igion his family, rather than his baptismal, name.
Ricovero Uguccioni was born in the same year as Amidei, of
a family both noble and mercantile. The lad was from a very
early age remarkable for obedience, compassion for the poor,
and love of solitude ; he was devoted to pious reading, yet none
the less was a leader among his young companions who looked
to him in all things. In religion he was known as Hugh.
Gherardino Sostegni was born in 1205, of good family, but
beyond this little is known of his worldly state. In religion he
bore his family name Sostegni.
John Manetti was born in 1206 ; of the higher ranks of the
Florentine aristocracy, both in birth and riches. In religion he
was afterwards known as Fr. Buonagiunta, or Bienvenu.
Of these seven the eldest was thirty-four, the youngest about
twenty-seven, when their great change in life came to them.
They lived in various quarters of the city, they held divers
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 61
views on politics, their one bond of union was the Confraternity
of Our Lady, though some among them knew one or two others
with more or less intimacy. Monaldi, Amidei, Sostegni and
Manetti were married, but Monaldi and perhaps another had
already become widowers. Alexis Falconieri alone had, as has
been said, taken a vow, but Antella and Uguccioni showed
plainly to their families that their wishes tended in the same
direction. There were many reasons why even those who
sought after perfection should in Italy, and at that time, enter
into the marriage state. The Cathari, a sect of heretics who
had great success in Florence, made light of marriage, and
under pretence of purity were grossly immoral. It was as nec
essary to uphold true purity by affording examples of holy mar
ried life, as of celibacy. But whether married, widowed, or
single, these seven were especially eager after a life of per
fection, in which they were aided, and to which they were
stimulated, by their director.
No new development in the Church of God is sudden; and
it had come to pass that Gregory IX. in his pontificate gave
special favor to two devotions, afterwards to be so closely as
sociated with the servants of Mary. These were the Angelus
and the Salve Regina. In 1230 Ardingo de Forasboschi be
came Bishop of Florence, himself a native of the city, and be
longing to one of the great Guelf families. Both on religious
and on social grounds he had especial affection to the Laudesi,
and its members.
On the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1233, these seven
young men, with other members of the Laudesi, having con
fessed and communicated, were each and all making their
thanksgiving after Mass. Each, unknown to those about them,
fell into an ecstasy. Each seemed to himself surrounded by
supernatural light, in the midst of which Our Lady appeared
to them accompanied by angels, who spoke to each of them the
words : "Leave the world, retire together into solitude, that you
may fight against yourselves, and live wholly for God. You
will thus experience heavenly consolations. My protection and
assistance will never fail you."
62 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
The vision faded, the congregation dispersed, only the Seven
remained, each meditating what the vision might mean. Bon-
filius Monaldi, as the eldest, did violence to his humility and
broke the silence. He told what had befallen him, and that he
was ready to obey Our Lady's call. Each in order recounted
the same experiences, and the same resolve.
As Monaldi had been the first to speak, so the little band at
once decided that he must be the first to act ; they looked to him
for guidance. He decided to seek counsel of their director,
James of Poggibonsi, who concluded that was no mere fancy
of pious youths, but a fact, a call from their Mother, manifest
ing to them the will of God, to be obeyed without hesitation.
Some were engaged in business, some in offices of state, four
had family ties, which it was not easy to break, especially since
the Church suffers no married man or woman to enter into re
ligion unless the other party to the marriage contract does so
too. It is believed that the two wives who still lived became
afterwards Tertiaries of the Order ; at any rate the conditions
were at the time fulfilled, all social and worldly arrangements
were made; and by the eighth of September, the Nativity of
the Blessed Virgin, they were free to obey, they had stripped
themselves of all that bound them to the world.
Meantime, and while waiting to know the further will of
God, Monaldi and their director sketched out a plan of com
munity life. They adopted a habit of grey wool, with a leath
ern cincture, and found a house just outside the city walls,
where they might pass much of their time in solitude and
prayer, yet near enough to the city to give an example to those
they had so lately left. All this was done with the approval of
the Bishop; although there was as yet no notion of a new
Order ; it was merely a question of certain men living a morti
fied life in community ; he granted permission to James to live
with them as their chaplain, to celebrate Mass in their oratory,
and to reserve the Blessed Sacrament.
So soon as their life arranged itself, and Monaldi was for
mally elected as their Superior, they desired to submit them
selves to the Bishop for his blessing. He wished to see the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 63
whole Brotherhood. Their entry into Florence was a strange
contrast to what they had seemed a few days before, a band
of rich young men in all the splendor of the dress of those
days. Their appearance drew a crowd of sympathizers, of men
indifferent and curious, of former companions, and of some
who, recognizing their great renunciation and sancity, pressed
to touch their garments, to kiss their hands and entreat their
blessing.
Suddenly, from the midst of the crowd, were heard the
voices of children who cried : "Ecco, ecco, i Servi di Maria :"
"See, the Servants of Mary." The same exclamation was made
still more wonderfully on the following thirteenth of January,
when, as two of the brethren, Falconieri and Manetti, were
asking charity in the city, again infants in arms gave them
their title. One of these children was Philip Benizi, afterwards
to be one of the greatest Saints of the Order and its General.
He was then only five months old, and spoke for the first time
in crying "Mother, those are Mary's Servants, give them an
alms." They had by this time, with the approbation of their
Bishop, entered on a community life of mendicancy, devoting
themselves especially to Our Lady, to whose honor they re
served Saturday in each week. The habitation without the
city walls which had seemed to them at first so solitary, and
so fitted for an eremitical life became soon thronged by troops
of citizens, curious to see the recipients of so great favors;
and they therefore began to say among themselves that they
were not wholly obedient to the voice which had said as plainly
as to the disciples of old "Come ye apart into a desert place,
and rest awhile."
There is a windy mountain ten miles to the north of Flor
ence, a spur of the Apennines, lonely and savage; this again
was manifested to each of them in a vision as the place of
their future abode; while at the same time a voice, sweet and
sonorous, distinct yet mysterious, told them that this mountain
was called Monte Senario, that on its height they were to dwell,
and apply themselves to yet greater austerity ; that in this more
64 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
rigorous and secluded life they might count always on the
favor and succor of the Mother of God.
Monte Senario was part of the episcopal domain of Florence,
and the Bishop willingly granted to the solitaries the territory
whereon they desired to settle. They went without delay from
the house wherein they had rested nine months. At dawn of
day, after receiving Holy Communion from their director, they
skirted the walls of Florence in procession, carrying the Cross
before them, and the image of the Blessed Virgin which had
stood in their oratory. They climbed the mountain fasting, for
it was the vigil of the Ascension ; they grounded the Cross, and
set down the statue of Our Lady to make their evening prayer,
unconscious where they could lay their heads, or even if and
how their might raise a shelter for the Blessed Sacrament after
the Feast of the morrow. They succeeded, however, in build
ing a small shelter of boughs as a chapel, and so passed the
last day of May, 1234. Their simple monastery, or rather
hermitage, was built before the end of the same year; they
dwelling till then in caves and crevices of the rocks.
In this monastery they followed a mixture of hermit and
community life, broken only by visits of two of their number
each week to Florence in quest of alms, and by the acquisition
of a small house of refuge in which they might shelter if
fatigue or nightfall rendered it impossible for them to regain
Monte Senario. Their lives were one unceasing round of
austerity and devotion, but their future was still uncertain ;
they had not ventured to form themselves into a religious
Order, though encouraged to do so by their Bishop. They
waited and prayed, and in their perplexity they asked a sign.
It was given them somewhat as one was given to the Prophet
Jonas when his gourd grew up in a night.
Just below the crest of the mountain to the south, where
there was some depth of richer soil, the hermits had planted a
vine. On the 3rd Sunday in Lent, February 27, 1239, the
brethren saw their vine clothed with green leaves and clusters
of ripe grapes. All around smiled the verdure of spring, and
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 65
the scent of flowers filled the air. They dared not interpret
the prodigy. The superior despatched one of the community
to tell to the Bishop the amazing news, and beg that he would
give them counsel, for not only was he a man of most holy
life, but one to whom also supernatural communication had
already been vouchsafed.
To him in a dream heaven revealed the interpretation of
the prodigy. The seven hermits were seven branches of the
mystic vine, the clusters were those who should join them
selves to the Order; the Brethren were again, though as Re
ligious, to mingle in the world. As always they obeyed
the divine voice, however given; Easter was near at hand,
when they would open their ranks to those who came, till
then they would give themselves to earnest prayer.
On Good Friday, April 13, 1240, which that year coincided
with the Feast of the Annunciation, all for which the Seven
Holy Founders had been preparing found its explanation. On
the evening of that day, in their oratory, Our Lady once more
appeared to them in a vision, surrounded by angels who bore
in their hands religious habits of black, a book containing the
Rule of St. Augustine, the title Servants of Mary written in
letters of gold, and a palm branch. Then holding in her own
hands the habit with which she seemed to clothe each of them ;
she said : "I come, Servants well beloved and elect, I come
to accomplish your desires and grant your prayers; here are
the habits in which I wish you should in future be clothed;
their black hue should always bring to mind the cruel Dolors
which I felt by reason of the Crucifixion and Death of my
only Son ; the Rule of St. Augustine, which I give you as the
form of your religious life, will gain for you the palm pre
pared in heaven, if you serve me faithfully on earth." The
vision vanished, and the foundation of the Servite Order was
definitely accomplished.
But this was not all. Our Lady at the same hour appeared
to the Bishop of Florence, and made to him the same com
munication. He gladly went to Monte Senario for their
clothing, and erected them so far as rested with him, intQ
66 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a formal Order, giving them their religious names, and al
lowing them to admit new members. Of these their Director.
James of Poggibonsi, was the first. The Bishop also urged
on the Seven to prepare for ordination, wherein all obeyed,
Alexis Falconieri only excepted. Nothing could overcome the
great humility in which he desired to remain Brother Alexis.
It were long to tell how, when the news of the vision went
abroad, and the affluence of new members was known, other
towns in North Italy desired to receive, and received, homes
of the nascent Order, and of the new and special practices
which distinguished them from others. Immediately — and to
this day the practice remains — they began their Mass with
Ave Maria, and ended it with Salve Regina, adding other de
votions also to Our Lady of Dolors, who under that title
had given herself as their special patron. Blessed Bonfilius
established also the Third Order, and the Society of the Black
Scapular, both of these as well as the Devotions seeming to
appeal to the hearts and satisfying the needs of the time, and
all things seemed to promise prosperity. But the Founders
had to share in the dolors of their mother, and the time
of peace was not yet.
Gregory IX. died in August, 1241, without having formally
confirmed the Order, and his successor Celestine IV., who
had for the Servites great esteem and affection, who had also
visited them at Monte Senario, only lived a fortnight after
his election. The See remained vacant for nearly two years,
till Innocent IV. was elected in June, 1243. One of his earliest
acts was to send Peter of Verona, a Dominican, afterwards
known as St. Peter Martyr, as Inquisitor to Northern Italy,
with a view to putting down the heresy of the Cathari, and
incidentally to enquire into the life of the Religious of Monte
Senario.
Peter of Verona conversed with Monaldi and Falconieri,
and then prayed earnestly. He was answered by a vision in
which Our Lady appeared to him, covered with a black mantle
under which she sheltered religious in the same habit, and in
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 67
the company were those with whom he had spoken. Then he
beheld angels gathering lilies, and among them were seven of
surpassing whiteness, which Our Lady accepted, and placed
in her bosom. The Saint was convinced that the Order was
of God, and after visiting Monte Senario reported favorably
to the Pope.
This is no place to speak of the favors heaped on the
Fathers by various Popes, nor the difficulties which cast
shadows on their way, of their missionary efforts, nor the
spread of the Order into other lands, even in the life time of
the Founders. To do so would be to write the history of
the Order, and far exceed our limit. We can but say a few
words on their edifying lives, their holy deaths.
St. Bonfilius ruled the community till 1255, when after
repeated endeavors, he succeeded in laying down his office,
and the choice of the Fathers fell on St. Bonagiunta. Miracle
had again marked him out as chosen of God. A merchant in
the town, wearied by the Saint's exhortions to virtue, under
pretence of aiding the needs of the convent, offered bread
and wine, into which he had introduced poison, for the special
use of Fr. Bonagiunta. The Saint partook of the food without
hurt, then, suspecting evil, he made over it the sign of the
Cross; the wine flask burst into shards, the bread was in an
instant full of worms; and the terrified servant who had, un
wittingly, brought the gift, returned to find his master sick
unto death.
St. Bonagiunta was the first to pass away. Worn with
travel, always on foot, for the good of his Order, and the
conversion of heretics, he felt his end approaching. On the
last day of August, 1257, he said Mass with extraordinary
devotion, and, calling his brethren together, spoke in prophetic
words, of trouble which was soon to fall on the Order; and
then set himself to meditate aloud on the Passion. When
he came to the words Tn manus tuas, Domine, commenclo
spiritum meum — Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my
spirit/' he extended his arms in the form of a cross and fell
68 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
forward against the altar. His brethren, among whom was
St. Philip Benizi, at his wish, supported him in that position,
and so kneeing at the tabernacle of his Lord, he breathed forth
his soul.
St. Bonfilius was the next to hear his Master's call. He was
Vicar General in the absence of the third General in Germany
and in France. He too retired to Monte Senario, and died
on January i, 1262, "less of any definite disease than of those
heavenly flames which burnt up his heart." He and those
around him were consoled by special revelations from Her
whose faithful servant he had been.
Three years later came the turn of St. Amideus. For a
year he had felt his force failing, and had remained at Monte
Senario. He led a hermit life, constantly remaining whole
hours alone in his grotto. Alone he died on the third Sunday
after Easter, April 18, 1265. His death was made known to
his brethren by a wondrous sign. A tongue of fire shot from
Monte Senario to heaven, while a sweet odor filled the whole
convent : the Fathers did not doubt that, under this sign of
flame, his heart, which had burnt with so vehement love, went
to God. He was succeeded by Fr. Manetti as General, and he
in his turn by the young Philip Benizi, into whose hands when
he had committed his charge, St. Manetti also retired to Monte
Senario, and died in St. Philip's arms.
The three brave men who were left spared no fatigue. One,
St. Alexis continued his hard life as a lay brother, two in spite
of advancing years wore themselves with missionary labors
in foreign lands with their new General St. Philip. In the
spring of 1282, SS. Hugh and Sosthenes returned to Monte
Senario. And as they went they spoke of all that their Lady
had done for them, of the spread of the Order, of the deaths
of those who had gone before. Raising their eyes to heaven,
they desired that they also might be removed from this valley
of tears and united to their Sovereign Good. Then they heard
a voice which said : "Fear not, ye men of God, your consola
tion is at hand." And once on their arrival they were stricken
with fever, and died at the same hour on May 3, 1282.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 69
St. Philip Benizi was at that time in Florence, and, praying,
he fell into a trance. He saw on Monte Senario, two angels
pluck each a lily of perfect whiteness, and present them to
Our Lady. He called his brethren around him, and knowing
well what the vision meant, announced to them the deaths
of the two holy Founders.
Not till 1310 was St. Alexis called away. Tn his last years
it was only in virtue of holy obedience that he allowed himself
to lie on a couch of straw, and to relax his rule of rigid ab
stinence. When he knew that this hour was come he called his
brethren around him, and recited one hundred Aves, during
which the angels circled around him in the form of doves. As
he recited the last Ave he saw our Lord approach, and crown
him with sweet flowers. He cried : "Kneel my Brothers, see
ye not Jesus Christ, your loving Lord and mine, who crowns
me with a garland of beauteous flowers? Worship Him and
adore. He will crown you also in the same manner, if, full of
devotion to the holy Virgin, you imitate her immaculate purity,
her profound humility."
So closed the life story of the Seven Founders, who, during
the time they spent on earth, did all that in them lay to hide
their merits under the veil of profound humility. Their
sanctity was attested, not only by their heroic virtues, as they
came to light, and by the miracles which accompanied them
in their career, and illuminated their deaths, but also by a
whole generation of saints, who arose on their traces, and
became, as it were, their guard of honor.
Foremost of these was St. Philip Benizi, whom we have
so often named, whose life merits a separate essay. He was
the most brilliant disciple of the Seven Founders, and did
honor to his masters by his work and sanctity. Indeed, so
great was the renown of his virtue, that he seemed even to
cast into the shade the heroism of those who formed his charac
ter, as he is their abiding honor. No other ever reflected
their spirit more faithfully, seized their thought more ac
curately, carried out their designs with such fidelity. Philip
70 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
made a saint by saints, was in his turn the father of saints, of
whom SS. Peregrine Laziosi and Juliana Falconieri, foundress
of the Mantellate or Servite nuns, are the best known.
The spread of the Order in its early days was remarkable,
and it was soon divided into six provinces, containing about
one hundred convents, four provinces in Italy, one consisting
of Germany, one of France. Only in these later days has
the order spread to England and to America, where to it, as
to the Catholic Church in general, a vast field seems opening.
More than four hundred years passed away after the death
of St. Alexis during which the Order had its vicissitudes, its
triumphs of grace, its dangers, alternations of honor and
scorn. But in the course of the year 1752, the Seven Holy
Fathers were solemnly declared Blessed, in 1888 they were
canonized. Lovely and pleasant in their lives, in death they
were not divided; their invocation is collective, none in the
Sacred Order is greater or less than another ; the miracles
necessary to their canonization were not wrought in connec
tion with this or that one amongst them ; all together continue
the work they began in common.
STABAT MATER.
In the shadow of the rood,
Broken-hearted there she stood
Near her Son and Lord :
While her soul, His doom, lamenting,
Yet in sacrifice consenting,
Felt the cleaving sword.
Came there ever to another
Grief like thine, O wounded Mother,
As thou looked'st upon
Him, the Son of God, all holy,
And of thee, a Virgin lowly,
Sole-begotten Son?
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
Who so lost to human feeling
As to hide his tears revealing
Sympathy with thine?
Who that e'er was born of woman,
In a tenderness so human
Sees not love Divine?
To the lash, for sin atoning,
Lo! He bows! and thou, O moaning
Mother, now must see
Limb from limb His spirit languish,
And His latest look of anguish
Turned in love to thee!
Let me near the fountain growing
Of thy tenderness o'erflowing,
Drink my fill thereof;
Let the fervid flames illuming
All thy soul, a fire consuming,
Kindle mine to love.
Thou alone, no ransom needing,
Let thy Son, the Victim bleeding
For my sin atone:
What for me my God and Brother
Deigns to bear, O sinless Mother,
Learn not thou alone.
One with thee thy vigil keeping,
One with thee, the Mourner, weeping
Near His sacred side,
Where thy soul in desolation
Waits of woe the consummation,
Let my soul abide.
Virgin, Earth's divinest blossom,
Spurn not from thy fragrant bosom
Dews that fall for thee!
Make me near thy Son remaining,
Simon-like, His cross sustaining,
One in sympathy!
Let me from His life-distilling
Wounds, mine empty chalice filling,
Quaff the crimson wine.
Lest the flames, devouring end me,
In thy chastity defend me
From the wrath Divine.
APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Lord, through her who brought Thee hither,
Let me, hence departing whither
Thou the way hast found,
Come, through Death's opposing portal,
To the Victor's palm immortal,
With Thy glory crowned.
Rev. John B. Tabb.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
73
SHRINE
OF
ST. ROSE OF VITERBO, V.O.S.F.
VITERBO, ITALY
1250
Mother! that moon beneath thy tread
Thy scorn of earth to memory brings;
That crown of stars above thy head,
Thy love of great, eternal things.
Whilst we, alas! love things that fleet,
Our noble souls to earth bowed down;
The shining stars beneath our feet,
The pale-faced, changing moon our crown.
Ave Maria.
OSE was born in 1240, a time when Frederick II.
was oppressing the Church, and many were faith
less to the Holy See. The infant at once seemed
filled with grace; with tottering steps she sought
Jesus in His tabernacle, she knelt before sacred images, she
listened to pious talk, retaining all she heard, and this when
scarcely three years old. One coarse habit covered her flesh;
fasts and disciplines were her delight. To defend the Church's
rights was her burning wish, and for this she received her
mission from the blessed Mother of God, who gave her the
Franciscan habit, with the command to go forth and preach.
When hardly ten years old, Rose went down to the public
square at Viterbo, called upon the inhabitants to be faithful to
the Sovereign Pontiff, and vehemently denounced all his op
ponents. So great was the power of her words, and of the
miracles which accompanied it, that the Imperial party, in fear
and anger, drove her from the city. Exile only opened
a wider sphere for her zeal, and she continued to preach in
cessantly from place to place, till Innocent IV. was brought
back in triumph to Rome, and the cause of God was won.
74 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Then she retired to a little cell at Viterbo, and prepared in
solitude for her end. She died in her eighteenth year. Not
long after she appeared in glory to Alexander IV., and bade
him translate her body. He found it as the vision had said,
but fragrant and beautiful, as if still in life.
TO-DAY
Dignare, Domine, die isto, Sine peccate. nos custodire
Lord, for to-morrow and its needs
I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin,
Just for to-day.
Let me both diligently work
And duly pray;
Let me be kind in word and deed,
Just for to-day.
Let me be slow to do my will,
Prompt to obey;
Help me to mortify my flesh,
Just for to-day.
Let me no wrong or idle word
Unthinking say :
Set Thou a seal upon my lips,
Just for to-day.
Let me in season, Lord, be grave,
In season gay;
Let me be faithful to Thy grace,
Just for to-day.
And if to-day my tide of life
Should ebb away,
Give me Thy sacraments divine,
Sweet Lord, to-day.
In Purgatory's cleansing fires
Brief be my stay;
O bid me, if to-day I die,
Come home to-day.
So, for to-morrow and its needs
I do not pray ;
But guide me, guard me, keep me, Lord,
Just for to-day.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 75
USE OF THE PRESENT TIME
St. Rose lived but eighteen years, saved the Church's cause,
and died a Saint. We have lived, perhaps, much longer, and
yet with what result? Every minute something can be done
for God. Let us be up and doing.
If God gives us a particular work to do, He will most cer
tainly enable us to accomplish it, however unsuitable the time
and circumstances may appear. One day, when Rose was
insisting, in the square of Viterbo, on the duty of being loyal
Catholics, the crowd became so great that but few could hear
her words. Still she preached on, and gradually the stone
on which she was standing rose from the ground, and remain
ing suspended in the air, supported the holy child in view of
all till her discourse was finished, when it gently descended
to the ground.
"To-morrow never becomes to-day, nor does presently be
come now. Through this evil custom of saying 'to-morrow/
'presently/ each 'to-day' and each 'now/ when present, brings
forth a new 'to-morrow' and another 'presently/ " — F. Scupoli.
"Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold now is the day
of salvation." — 2 Cor. vi.. 2.
ACT OF REPARATION TO JESUS IN THE MOST
HOLY SACRAMENT
I adore Thee ! I bless Thee ! I love Thee ! O Sacred Heart
of Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. I offer,
through the Immaculate Heart of Thy holy Mother, the Sacred
Hosts reposing in our tabernacles to atone for all the sacrileges,
impieties, profanations, and other crimes by which Thou, O
most loving Heart ! art outraged throughout the universe.
300 days' Indulgence.
APPARITION TO
ST. SIMON STOCK
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 77
APPARITION
TO
ST. SIMON STOCK
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND
1251
Carmel's fair Flower!
Rod blossom-laden
Smile on thy Dower,
Meek Mother-Maiden!
None equals thee.
Grant us a sign
Thou dost protect us,
Mark us for thine;
Shine and direct us,
Star of the Sea!
St. Simon Stock.
HE object which I propose to myself in the pres
ent paper is to give a brief account of the origin,
the graces, and the indulgences of the Brown
Scapular only, with the conditions upon which
these spiritual favors may be gained. Since the introduction
of this Scapular into general use among the faithful, so many
questions have been proposed to the Sacred Congregation
of Rites or to the Superior-General of the Carmelites relating
to it, that it is very difficult for everyone to know what pre
cisely is necessary to be done in order to reap all the spiritual
advantages which the Church in her liberality has granted to
the devout wearers of this livery of Mary. Some persons
may do more than is absolutely necessary, while others may
do less ; and while the one errs by imposing unnecessary
obligations upon himself, the other commits a more fatal mis
take in failing to fulfil what is prescribed, and hence reaps
no advantage. Another difficulty which priests too often meet
with in propagating devotions of this kind is that in almost
7$ APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
every congregation one or more devout persons are found
who are looked upon by others as authorities in matters
relating to the devotions which all pious Catholics are accus
tomed to practise, whether such persons are learned or not;
and here as elsewhere it generally turns out that a little learn
ing is a bad thing. Such pious souls being anxious to ex
tend the devotions to which they are particularly attached,
will recommend them to others ; and, either from the very
excess of their unenlightened piety, or from the desire of
making the gaining of the indulgences doubly sure, are not
unfrequently prompted to make unwarranted additions to the
conditions which the Church has laid down for the acquiring
of these spiritual treasures, or to interpret them more strictly
than the letter of the grant warrants; which amounts to the
same thing. And, to increase the difficulty, it will generally
be found that people will take the words of these persons
in preference to that of the priest; at least such has been my
experience. It is much to be desired that these pious souls
were either more enlightened or more diffident.
We owe the Scapular to the direct intervention of the Holy
Mother of God, who in this new proof of her love for man
chose St. Simon Stock as her instrument. This devout servant
of Mary was a native of England, who had attached himself
to the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel soon after its
introduction into his native land, had made such progress in
the science of the saints, and had displayed such prudence, that
he was ere long elected Superior-General of the Carmelites of
the West. The Scapular was revealed to him in a celebrated
vision with which the Mother of God favored him on the
1 6th of July, in the year 1251, at Cambridge. Holding the
Scapular in her hand, she said : "Receive, my beloved son, this
Scapular of thy Order ; it is the special sign of my favor, which
I have obtained for thee and for thy children of Mount Carmel.
He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from
eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of
danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection." This
address of the Mother of God is given in different words by
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 79
different writers, but all are substantially the same. The vision
has been called in question by certain writers ; but when I
state that it has been confirmed by many well-authenticated
miracles ; that Pope Benedict XIV., among others, accepted it
as genuine, and that the indulgences granted by several Sover
eign Pontiffs also suppose its genuineness, there is little room
for further question.
I shall not pause to inquire into the manner in which this
devotion became, in the course of a very short time, extended
not only to the members of the Order to which it was granted,
but also to such of the faithful as wished to place themselves
under the special protection of the august Mother of God.
Nor shall I adduce any of the miracles by which it pleased
Almighty God from time to time to confirm the belief of the
faithful in the promises of the Mother of His Divine Son.
We shall turn rather to the various questions that have arisen
in connection with this devotion, in the discussion of which it
is to be hoped will be found all the information necessary for
those who wish to wear the Scapular with profit, or whose
zeal may prompt them to recommend it to others.*
The word scapular is derived from the Latin, and means
the shoulder-blade, or in the plural, in which it is more com
monly found, the shoulders. As a garment, it is a broad
piece of cloth, with an aperture in it for the head, which hangs
down in front and at the back almost to the ground, as may
be seen in the habits of the Carmelites, the Benedictines, and
some other religious orders. The Scapular worn by the faith
ful is but a symbol of that worn by the religious of the Order
of Mount Carmel. In form it must consist of two parts, each
oblong or square, in accordance with the custom that has long
been observed, fastened together with two strings, so that one
part may hang on the breast and the other on the back. When
*The sources from which I have mainly drawn my information are the most
reliable: the Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences and Holy Relics,
lately published by the special order of the Holy Father; Father Schneider's
German edition of "Maurel on Indulgences," which has received the special
approbation of the same Congregation; and a good article on the subject in the
Irish Ecclesiastical Record for May, 1883.
8o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the Sacred Congregation was consulted as to whether it was
lawful to make Scapulars of an oval, round, or polygonal
form, the response was, that no innovation should be made ; in
other words, that the form heretofore in use should be retained
as the only proper one. (Decree Aug. 18, 1868. Schneider,
p. 686, No. 9.)
As regards the material of which it is lawful to make Scapu
lars, it must be woolen cloth ; cotton, or silk, or other material,
is strictly forbidden; and it must be further remembered that
by the word cloth is strictly meant woven cloth, so that if
threads of wool were knit or worked with the needle into the
form of a Scapular it would not do. (Same Decree.) In
color the Scapular must be brown or black. The habit of the
Carmelites, of which it is a symbol, is brown, and hence that
has always been regarded as the proper color for the Scapular ;
but it was maintained by some that the wool of a black sheep,
inasmuch as it was the natural color of the wool, and not
dyed, would also do. When the question was brought before
the Sacred Congregation, it replied that the members of the
Confraternity gained the indulgences although the color of
the Scapular was not precisely brown, provided the color sub
stituted for brown was something similar to it, or black. ( De
cree Feb. 12, 1840. Schneider, p. 686, No. 8.) It is per
mitted, although it is not necessary, to ornament Scapulars
with needle-work, even though the ornamentation be of a
different color from that of the Scapular ; nor need such orna
ment be worked with woolen thread ; silk, or cotton, or thread
of any other kind may be used. But it is essential that the
necessary color of the Scapular should predominate. It is
not necessary to work any image or picture on the Scapular;
it may, however, be done if the color of the Scapular is left
to predominate. (Decree Aug. 18, 1868. Schneider, p. 686,
No. 12.)
Who may be invested with the Scapular ? The Church not
only permits, but wishes that all the faithful should enroll them
selves among the devout servants of the Mother of Christ, as
she wishes them to make use of all the other means of grace
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 81
which in her liberality she places within their reach; hence all
Catholics may be lawfully and validly invested with the Scapu
lar, there being nothing in the Bulls or Briefs of the Sovereign
Pontiffs to forbid it. Even infants who have not yet come
to the use of reason may be invested ; and when they reach the
years of discretion it is not necessary for them to be again
invested, or to do anything more than simply comply with
the necessary conditions for gaining the indulgences, and im
mediately they will begin to reap these spiritual advantages.
(Decree Aug. 29, 1864. Schneider, p. 685, No. i.)
By whom can a person be invested? By a priest of the
Carmelite Order, or by any other priest having the requisite
faculties or powers. In this country it is customary for Bishops
to give all their priests, among other faculties, that of invest
ing with the Scapular. A priest who has power to invest others
may also invest himself. (Decree March 7, 1840.) It is not
absolutely necessary that a priest, invested with the Scapular,
should use the formula found in the Ritual of the Carmelites ;
he may use any other, provided it is substantially the same.
(Decree Aug. 24, 1844.) But one priest cannot bless the
Scapular and another invest a person with it ; the blessing and
investing must both be done by the same person. (Decree
June 1 6, 1872.) The practice which prevailed in some places,
of giving blessed Scapulars to pious laymen for distribution
among the faithful is also forbidden under penalty of for
feiting all the graces and indulgences attached to the Scapular.
The Scapular must be received from the hands of a priest
duly authorized to invest with it the faithful under his charge.
(Decree Sept. 18, 1862.) If the first enrolment was invalid
for any reason whatever, such as the Scapular not being of
the requisite material, or form, or both parts being at one
end of the strings, it is not sufficient for the person, so in-
validly enrolled to get a Scapular and have it blessed : he
must be again invested as if he had never before gone through
the ceremony at all, as the same Decree declares.
As to the place and manner of being invested, a person may
receive the Scapular in any becoming place ; and the sick may
8a APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
receive it in their beds. It is not necessary for the person be
ing invested to hold the Scapular in his hands : it suffices that
it be placed near him ; nor is a lighted candle or incense needed.
But the priest who invests must himself, under penalty of
nullity, place the Scapular on the neck of the person whom he
invests ; but when the first Scapular is worn out or lost, or got
rid of in any other way, all that is necessary is for the person
to get another Scapular properly made, and put it on without
blessing or ceremony. When a number of persons are in
vested at the same time, all the Scapulars may be blessed at
once; but the form of investment must be repeated as each
Scapular is placed on the neck of the person who is to wear it.
(Schneider, pp. 686-688.) In case a number of persons are
to be invested at the same time, and there are not enough
Scapulars for all, the same one may be successively placed on
several persons one after another ; they can then procure Scapu
lars each for himself as soon as convenient ; but the first Scapu
lar each wears must be duly blessed. (Decree Aug. 18, 1868.)
It was formerly necessary that persons receiving the Scapular
should have their names enrolled with the Carmelites at Rome ;
but Pope Gregory XVI dispensed with this obligation April
30, 1838, which dispensation was confirmed by a Decree of
the Sacred Congregation of Sept. 17, 1845. If a person puts
off his Scapular for a longer or shorter time, either through
carelessness or out of contempt, and afterwards resolves to
commence wearing it, it is not necessary for him to be newly
invested : it is sufficient to put on the Scapular again and wear
it, trusting in the mercy of God that he will again be made
partaker of the graces attached to the Confraternity. ( Schneid
er, p. 688, Nos. 22, 23.)
What are the spiritual advantages of wearing the Scapular?
First, let us understand what precisely is meant by wearing it ;
for on this depends the participation in these spiritual favors.
By wearing the Scapular, then, is meant that it be so adjusted
that one part hangs on the breast and the other on the back,
one of the strings passing over each shoulder. If both parts
be carried on the breast, or both on the back, it is not wearing
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 83
it at all, in the sense of the Church, and the person so doing
will not be entitled to any of the graces or indulgences. Much
less would a person be entitled to them who carried the Scapu
lar in his pocket. To keep the Scapular about him at all
might indeed be a sign of devotion to Mary, and of confidence in
her protection, and as such would receive a fitting reward ; but
it is not in any sense to be regarded as wearing the Scapular.
It is not necessary, however, that the Scapular should be worn
next the person ; it may be worn over or under any part of
the clothing. Indeed, the religious who wear the large Scapu
lar are accustomed, as we know, to have it outside their habit.
(Schneider, p. 686, No. n.)
The spiritual advantages of wearing the Scapular are five
fold : those which are received during life ; those received at the
approach of death ; those after death ; the Sabbatine Indulgence
or privilege, and the other indulgences granted to those who
wear the Scapular. Much of what I shall say on these points,
it is but just to state, is taken almost verbatim from the Irish
Ecclesiastical Record (1883, PP- 326-333)« As regards the ad
vantages that may be received during life, it is to be remarked
that the members of any Confraternity of the Scapular are as
sociated with the religious order represented by that particular
Scapular ; which means that they participate in the fruit of all
the good works of the religious belonging to such order; that
is, in the fruit of their prayers, meditations, Masses, fasting,
penances, alms, and all else that goes to form the spiritual
treasures of the order. Now, the Brown Scapular represents
the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. But the devout
wearers of this Scapular enjoy favors not granted to those who
wear the other Scapulars ; for Popes Clement VII. and Clement
X. declared that the associates participate in a special manner
in the fruit not only of the spiritual works of the Carmelites,
to whom they are united as a confraternity, but also in all the
good done throughout the whole Catholic Church. The asso
ciates of this Scapular have received, as we have seen, the
promise of the Blessed Virgin, according to the revelation made
to St. Simon Stock, to be adopted as her favorite and priv-
84 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ileged children, and to enjoy during life her special protection
both for soul and body.
The favors granted at the approach of death to those who
devoutly wear the Scapular are that there is for them, like for
those who wear the other Scapulars, a formula for a general ab
solution at the moment of death, independent of the "Last
Blessing," which all the faithful are privileged to receive in
their departing hour. Persons wearing the Scapular are also
encouraged to hope for the special assistance of the Mother of
God at the point of death, as she promised St. Simon Stock :
"He who dies clothed with this Scapular shall not suffer eternal
fire." This is what is called the "privilege of preservation." It
means that the Blessed Virgin, by her powerful intercession,
will draw from the divine treasury in favor of the associates
special graces to help the good to persevere to the end, and to
move sinners to avail themselves of favorable opportunities of
conversion before death seizes on them. This privilege may
also mean that sometimes, owing to the influence of the Blessed
Virgin, the hour of death is postponed, to give an associate who
is in sin a further opportunity of conversion ; and writers add
that this privilege may be sometimes exemplified in the case of
obstinate and obdurate sinners, when God permits death to
come upon them when they are not wearing the Scapular, either
as the result of forethought, or from indifference or neglect."
As regards the graces after death, "the deceased members
of the Brown Scapular have a special share in the fruit of the
daily prayers of the Order of the Carmelites, and of the Holy
Sacrifice which they offer once a week, and occasionally at
other times during the year, for the deceased Carmelites and
associates of the Carmelite Confraternity."
The meaning of the Sabbatine Indulgence is this : "The asso
ciates of the Scapular of Carmel enjoy, on certain conditions,
however, which we will mention later on, the remarkable priv
ilege known as the 'privilege of deliverance,' or the 'Sabbatine
Indulgence.' This privilege refers to, and is grounded on, the
promise of the Blessed Virgin, made to Pope John XXII., to
withdraw promptly from purgatory, and especially on the first
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 85
Saturday after death, associates of the Scapular of Carmel.
The account of this revelation Pope John XXII. embodied in
his famous Bull Sacratissimo uti culmine, more commonly
called the Sabbatine Bull, on account of the promise of deliv
erance on the first Saturday after death. The genuineness of
this Bull has been questioned on the ground of internal tokens
of the absence of authenticity, and also because it is not found
in the Roman Bullarium. It is, however, printed in the Bul-
larium of the Carmelites and in many other works." It may
further be said that Pope Benedict XIV. admits its authentic
ity. ''Leaving the discussion of the authenticity of this Bull
to others whom it concerns more directly, it is enough for us
to know that the privilege of deliverance has been explained
and sanctioned by succeeding Popes. Paul V., when giving
permission to the Carmelite Fathers to preach this indulgence
to the faithful, explains the nature of it in this way : 'The Car
melite Fathers,' he says, 'are allowed to preach that the people
can believe that the Blessed Virgin will help, by her con
tinual assistance, her merits, and her special protection
after death, and particularly on Saturdays, — the day con
secrated by the Church to the Blessed Virgin, — the souls
of members of the Confraternity of Mount Carmel who have
died in the grace of God, and who have in life worn her habit,
observed chastity according to their state, and recited the Office
of the Blessed Virgin, or, if they are not able to recite the
Office, who have observed the fasts of the Church, and ab
stained from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays, except when
Christmas falls on either of these days/ The Second Nocturn
of the Office of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, given
in the Roman Breviary, speaks of this privilege in much the
same language. We read in this Office : 'It is piously believed
since her power and mercy have everywhere great efficacy, that
the Most Blessed Virgin consoles with special maternal affec
tion the associates of this Scapular, when detained in the fire
of purgatory, who have practised certain light abstinence, re
peated certain prescribed prayers, and observed chastity ac
cording to their state in life; and that she will endeavor
86 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to bring them to heaven sooner than would otherwise
happen/ ''
To recapitulate. The conditions requisite for gaining these
spiritual advantages are the following: To observe exactly
what has been prescribed regarding the material, color, and
form of the Scapular ; to receive it from a priest duly author
ized to give it; and to wear it constantly in the manner pre
scribed. The conditions just mentioned are the only ones
prescribed for membership of this Scapular confraternity or
association. No prayers are necessary, no special good works;
in a word, no other condition. I must, however, except the
special advantage of the "privilege of deliverance," or "Sab-
batine Indulgence," for which the following conditions, in addi
tion to those necessary for membership of the Confraternity,
are required : i. Chastity according to one's state. 2. The daily
recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, as given
in the Roman Breviary. Those who say the Canonical Office
(the Office said by all priests) comply by means of it with this
condition, even though the Office is already, as in the case of
priests, a matter of obligation. For those who cannot read,
this condition has been changed into abstinence from meat on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. (Decree Feb. 12, 1840. Schneider,
p. 689, No. 27.)
Although the wearing of the Scapular, and the conditions
prescribed for gaining the indulgences and other spiritual
favors, do not, absolutely speaking, induce any new obligation
binding upon conscience, yet the person invested with the
Scapular who through his own indifference or neglect should
fail to fulfil the obligations of the Confraternity could not be
regarded as free from at least some venial fault before God.
(Schneider, p. 689, No. 26.) To gain the plenary and partial
indulgences that are granted in addition to the favors and
graces already enumerated, it is necessary to fulfil the other
conditions prescribed for each of these particular indulgences.
When the Superior-General of the Carmelites was asked
whether the laying aside of the Scapular for a day would forfeit
the indulgences and other favors or not, he replied that, as one
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 87
day was but a small part of the year, there was no reason why
we should conclude that the indulgences would be forfeited.
(Schneider, p. 688, No. 20.)
I shall not give all the indulgences that are granted to those
who devoutly wear the Scapular and comply with the special
conditions upon which each is granted; but shall quote the
words of the Irish Ecclesiastical Record: "It is no small ad
vantage to have numerous indulgences specially granted on
easy conditions in favor of those who wear the Scapular. These
conditions vary a good deal, and to know exactly what are the
conditions required for a particular indulgence, we must ex
amine the terms of the grant, or consult some approved book
on indulgences that treats of it. To illustrate what we say we
will mention a few of the indulgences granted in favor of those
who wear the Brown Scapular, with the conditions attached :
(i.) A plenary indulgence on the day of receiving the Scapu
lar. Conditions: Confession and Communion. (2.) Plenary
indulgence at the moment of death. Conditions : Confession,
Communion, and the devout invocation with the lips, or at
least with the heart, of the Holy Name of Jesus. (3.) 100
days' indulgence. Conditions : Devout recital of the Office of
the Blessed Virgin. Thus each indulgence is granted on cer
tain conditions, which can be known with accuracy only by in
vestigating the particular case." Schneider (p. 380) further
states that, by a Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indul
gences, June 22, 1865, all Masses said for the repose of the
souls of deceased members enjoy the advantage of a privileged
altar ; that is, a plenary indulgence is gained for the souls for
whose repose the Holy Sacrifice is celebrated. The same author
gives all the other indulgences granted to the Scapular, and the
conditions upon which they may be gained.
The indulgences and other spiritual advantages granted to
those who devoutly wear this livery of Mary, which have been
placed before the reader in this article, are a sufficient exhorta
tion and inducement to all to clothe themselves with it, and
hence I shall not pause to make any other.
88 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
THE BROWN SCAPULAR
Blessed badge of service sweet!
Livery of a Sov'reign fair!
Sign of fealty complete!
Pledge of fond maternal care!
Dear to me thy fabric coarse,
Fairer far thy hue of brown
Than the rays of rainbow source
Poisoned in a jewelled crown.
With the sacred scenes of yore,
Thou dost gift my spirit's view
Dreams of royal robes that bore
E'en thy texture and thy hue;
Dreams of Nazareth— Eden fair-
Home wherein the holy Three
Dwelt afar from worldly care,
In a sweet obscurity, —
There, beside the cottage door,
Clad in woolen raiment dun,
Mary, spinning, ponders o'er
Sayings of her Blessed Son.
Scapular of Carmel blest!
Wakened by the mystic name,
Visions rise of verdant crest,
Crowned with ring of holy flame—
Carmel's Mount! whereon abode
One whose pure, prophetic gaze
Saw, at midnght, skies that glowed
With the wondrous morning blaze.
Now to Faith's illumined age,
Floats my soul in dreams adown,
And I see a saintly sage,
Clad in coarsest robe of brown —
Holy Simon! 'Mid his prayer,
Shines a sweet ecstatic scene—
Lo! the Mother-Maiden fair!
Lo! the bright, celestial Queen!
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 89
See ! within her shining hand,
Carmel's Scapular of brown!
Hark! she decks her sweet command
With a blessed promise-crown :
"Give this pledge of peace divine
To my subjects fond and true,
Bid them wear my service-sign,
Coarse of texture, brown of hue,
"For a matchless boon it bears—
Tis my promise made to thee —
Who this badge devoutly wears
With the blest his lot shall be."
Blessed promise ! peerless boon !
Let me read its meaning right,
Let me ne'er its truth impugn,
Let me ne'er its treasure slight;
Of the badge of service blest,
Faithful bearer must I be —
On an ever loyal breast
Wearing that sweet livery;
Thus the promise shall not fail-
Thus the treasures shall be mine
Crown of light that cannot pale,
Royal robe of peace divine.
Ave Maria.
APPARITION TO
ST. CLARE V. [F. POOR CLARES]
ASSISI, ITALY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 9«
APPARITION
TO
ST. CLARE V. [F. POOR CLARES]
ASSISI, ITALY
1253
Fair Queen of Virgins: thy pure band,
The lilies round thy throne,
Love the dear title which they bear
Most that it is thine own.
Adelaide A. Procter.
T. CLARE was born at Assisi (a city in Italy), on
the I4th of February, 1193. Her father was called
Favorino Sciffo, and her mother Hortulana. They
were distinguished for their high lineage, great
fortune, and above all, for their Christian virtues. She mani
fested, from her earliest years, exceeding great piety and
charity for the poor. From the tenderest age she was accus
tomed to repeat frequently in the day the Angelical Salutation,
and she counted her prayers on little stones, that she carried
about her, in imitation of the anchorets in the East.
At that time there appeared in the world, a man chosen by
God to do wonderful works. The reputation which this man
had acquired by his virtues already rendered him celebrated
throughout Italy. He came to Assisi, where he continued to
perform the same prodigies for which he had been distin
guished elsewhere. An exterior remarkable for austerity, and
yet modest and simple — a sweet-toned, modulated voice, affec
tionate and conciliating manners, sustained occasionally by a
rapid and bold eloquence, were the chiefest characteristics of
this new missionary of truth. He was everywhere known by
the name of Francis of Assisi.
Clare, like everyone else, hastened to hear this wonderful
man, who possessed such singular power over human heart.
92 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
She saw him and heard him with that emotion which the nov
elty of the spectacle was calculated to awaken. "Ah ! what a
courageous man !" she exclaimed, in the first impulse of her
surprise; "he preaches boldly, and openly practiseth, what I
have been merely meditating. This, doubtless, is the man
chosen by Providence to calm the agitations of my heart, and
to mark out the way which I ought to follow. Aid me, O God !"
she cried, "and do not abandon me to the bewilderment of my
thoughts.*' Subsequently, she had reason to know that her
presentiments of the influence that Francis was destined to ex
ercise over her were not vain conjectures.
It is quite true that all Francis' sermons harmonized ad
mirably with Clare's thoughts, and they were, therefore, calcu
lated to make the liveliest impression on her heart. Neverthe
less, she distrusted herself ever since the first moment that she
heard the man of God, and she likewise distrusted the first im
pulse which his preaching communicated. Everything urged
her to follow the rigid rule of penance and self-renunciation
that he inculcated, but she would not act precipitately in an
undertaking which, according to her own foresight, was
destined to produce such great results on the whole tenor of her
life. Knowing the merits and great piety of Bona Guelfucci,
the most intimate of her earliest friends, and her kinswoman,
she candidly revealed to her all the workings of her heart : —
"Oh !" she said to her in conversation, "how weak are we,
compared to that man, whose heroism we have been admiring !
See how he tramples prejudices, see how he triumphs over
human passions. But has this extraordinary man known the
world in his youth? Is it since his infancy that he has allied
himself to supernal wisdom ? His humility, mortifications, his
entire renouncement of all that constitutes the charms of life —
is all this the result of education or of temperament? His
mode of life astounds me ; everything in his conduct edifies me ;
but I would wish to know his beginnings, that I might be able
to decide the amount of confidence I ought to give him, and
thus discover what I myself may come to be in the course of
time,"
VIRGIN AND THE ANGELS
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 93
No one was better fitted to enlighten Clare on these points
than Bona Guelfucci. She had the good fortune to find in this
kinswoman a person of profound judgment, who reported to
her all that was then currently told of Francis, in fact, all that
was said of him, day after day.
"His father," quoth she, "was a wealthy man; being a
merchant, he thought of nothing but amassing money. He gave
his son a most excellent education; and Francis soon mani
fested considerable passion for the vain amusements of the
world, and worldly possession. It is true, that he was very so
licitous about the distressed, and that he looked on money as
a means of satisfying the disposition that was congenial to him.
It is also true, that he loathed the gross passions which tyran
nize over the soul, and plunge it in shame and remorse. Never
theless, like most of the young people who are captivated by
illusions, he adopted the profession of arms ; but he soon dis
covered that of all pursuits this was the one least suited to his
requirements. He experienced troubles and reverses ; he was
made prisoner ; he fell sick ; he had time to meditate ; and the
first consequence of his reflections was, a clear perception of
the instability and nothingness of all things earthly and, fur
thermore, a conviction that an entire change of life was
necessary."
"But how," asked Clare, "has it happened that Francis could
so suddenly abandon the world, and embrace a life so unlike
that which he was wont to lead?"
"A soul touched by God," replied Bona Guelfucci, "soon sur
mounts all difficulties. From the moment that Francis had be
gun to taste the heavenly gift, he detached himself insensibly
from all that agreeable society which has no other object in
view save amusements. He then applied himself to trample on
pride and its suggestions, abandoning himself publicly to the
most humiliating practices. Nay, he triumphed over a squeam-
ishness, which revolted him, whilst approaching a mendicant
wretchedly clothed, and covered with sores. He did himself
violence, that he might be able to familiarize himself with them,
and embrace them. Nav, he dressed them with his own cloth-
94 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ing, and put on theirs. Once triumphant over these repug
nances, Francis recognized all mankind as an assemblage of
weak, wretched creatures, whom he should instruct and console.
He repeated incessantly, that they were his brethren ; that they
had but one common Father, who was in heaven ; and that
all their energies should be employed to serve Him, and love
one another. Such is an epitome of the man whom you desire
to know ; the man who speaks to us with such powers, unction,
and charity."
Clare's interview with her kinswoman removed all her wav
erings. Some youthful aberrations of Francis's life made him
appear to her to be still more deserving of esteem. St. Clare
had never exposed her irreproachable youth to the eyes of men,
or to the illusions which dazzled Francis for the moment ; and
and she concluded, that a man of his character, who did not re
nounce the world till he had tested it, was eminently qualified
to guide and sustain a soul that was still weak. She then at
tended more diligently and assiduously the instructions that the
man of God ordinarily pronounced in the Church of St. George,
at Assisi, and each time she heard him she reproached herself
with being so weak, and so attached to a world where we have
no lengthened tenure, and where we must encounter so much
misery and affliction, She could not imagine anything more
just or noble for a thoughtful soul, than to consecrate itself
entirely to the service of the great and everlasting God. Dur
ing these moments, recollection and silence inflamed her de
sires; from the depths of her heart she cried to Francis for
succor. She yearned for him to hear her, and to be near her,
that she might pour out her whole soul to him. As yet she
had never had any particular conversation with him, although
she was well aware of the advantages that must result from an
interview, but she hoped to find the favorable opportunity in
good time.
This opportunity at length presented itself, and Clare had
some interviews with the man of God. One day, when in com
pany with her faithful companion, Bona Guelfucci, Francis
spoke to them with such power, of the vanity of the world, of
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 95
the shortness of life, and of the necessity of attaching one's
self to the acquirement of heavenly goods, that Clare resolved
to put an end to all incertitudes and to renounce the world.
She arranged with Francis as to the day on which she would
put on the penitential habit. The ceremony was appointed for
the I Qth of March, the day after Palm Sunday. Clare resolved
to assist at the distribution of the palms, to receive hers from
the hands of the Bishop, and next day retire to the convent of
Portiuncula.
On Sunday Clare arrayed herself in her richest robes and.
accompanied by her mother and sisters, presented herself in
the principal church of Assisi, where she devoutly assisted at
the solemnity. Wholly absorbed in meditating the grand mys
teries of the Church, and pondering deeply on the important
step she was about to take on the next day, she forgot to go
along with the crowd to receive her palm from the celebrant.
The Bishop, perceiving this, went himself to present the palm
to the young maiden. She received this mark of respect with
mingled joy and surprise. Penetrated with the most lively
gratitude, she remembered what Francis had said to her a few
days before, and she looked on the palm, given her by the
Bishop, as a sure pledge of the victory that she was about to
obtain over the world : and she soon had need of all her courage
and strength.
Although Clare's parents lived in the fear of God, they were
far from wishing that their daughter should abandon them for
ever, to go and bury herself in a cloister. Clare, to her high
lineage, added the attractions of wealth and rare beauty. The
most distinguished men in the province knew that, in aspiring
to Clare's hand, they were sure of finding the most eligible ad
vantages ; and her father and mother seemed disposed to make
their choice. They observed that for some time back their
daughter had become more serious, and that she went often to
Portiuncula to consult Francis. Little did they dream that she
was about to be his proselyte. Far otherwise ; they believed
that none but privileged souls could walk in the footsteps of
the Saint; and their human affection for their child led them
96 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to conjecture that God did not call her to such an extraordinary
life, which must separate them forever. Clare, on her part, had
long sought to prepare them for this separation. From time to
time she spoke to them of the advantage of solitary life, of the
happiness o>f a soul that spurns all earth's pleasures, in order to
serve God ; and as often did she convince them that there is no
real happiness for a Christian who knows his religion, save in
the performance of its duties. But these ingenious conversa
tions did not fully reveal her secret. Perhaps she dreaded to be
more explicit, lest they would render her unable to carry out
her design. She knew the hot temper of her father, who, albeit
a religious man, was nevertheless one of those who shrink from
going too close to perfection : but whilst indulging the fastidi
ousness of her parents, she was not the less determined on mak
ing the sacrifice promptly, and she was now on the eve of
consummating it.
In compliance, therefore, with the arrangement made with
St. Francis, she left her home on the Monday after Palm Sun
day, which was the i8th of March, 1212. In the morning-time
she quitted the paternal roof. That day was the happiest of her
life, for it beheld her entering the monastery of Portiuncula,
where Francis and his religious awaited her. They all came
to the gate to meet her, singing the hymn, "Veni, Sancte Spir-
itus." Clare advanced with a firm step to the altar of the
Blessed Virgin ; and there prostrate, and with head bent to the
floor, she begged humbly all those external signs that were to
distinguish a penitent who had vowed to spend all her days
in the shadow of the sanctuary and in evangelical mortifications.
Francis remained silent for a few moments, and than turning
to the young maiden, explained to her the advantages and ob
ligations of the new state which she had chosen to embrace. In
a few words he told her that she had voluntarily resigned the
wealth and comforts which the people of the world must resign
in spite of themselves ; that the peace of the soul, which she was
about to gain by her sacrifice, was far more desirable than the
tumultuous pleasures which the world provides, which fleet
away rapidly, and which always leave behind them in the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 97
heart's depths bitterness and sorrow. He gave her to under
stand that the God to whom she consecrated herself was faith
ful to his promises, magnificent in his rewards, and that he
often gave back, even in this world, more than he had received
— thus, as it were, anticipating that ineffable crown of glory
which he bestows in heaven on those whose energies were de
voted to him whilst here below.
Clare knew the truth of these words, and she had already
begun to taste the interior sweetness which follows such a sac
rifice as hers. The young maiden then cast away from her,
with her own hand, the vain ornaments that covered her head.
Then St. Francis cut off her hair, and gave her the penitential
robe, which was nothing else than a sort of sack, which she
fastened to her body with a cord. She was at this period nine
teen years of age. As St. Francis had not as yet any nuns of
his Order he sent her to the Benedictine monastery of St. Paul,
where she was received with great marks of affection. The
Poor Clares date from this epoch the foundation of their Order.
Clare's retirement, and all the circumstances that accom
panied it — extraordinary as the whole proceeding was — could
not but make a great impression in Assisi. The world — the
would-be wise of the period, who judge events only according
to their prejudices — regarded the act of this young maiden as
an inexcusable imprudence ; and they characterized it further
as the result of a weak mind, which had suffered itself to be
overborne by the vehement harangues of an enthusiast. Her
parents knew not what to think. They determined, however,
at all risk, to tear her from the monastery where she had been
located. They flattered themselves that threats and promises
would shake the resolution of the young proselyte, who as yet
had not had time to confirm herself in her state, and that by
such means they would once more see her under the ancestral
roof.
They proceeded, therefore, to the monastery ; they demanded
to see and speak to the young religious, who did not doubt that
every species of attempt would be made to remove her. She
was not disconcerted. She appeared before her parents with
98 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
an expression so satisfied and so decided, that they were
astounded.
Hortulana, her mother, was the first to arrive. Her address
to her child was friendly and pathetic, the only style of address
that was likely to affect her. "You leave us, my child," she
commenced, "precisely at the moment when you could requite
us for all the cares we have bestowed on your infancy, and
console the infirmities and reverses which time and events al
ways bring on declining years. Have I been a cruel mother to
thee ? Daughter, you know how I loved thee ! Thou wert my
consolation and joy. In thee I centered all my most treasured
hopes, and now you abandon me without warning. In the
night time, I may say, thou didst fly from me. Thou hast
quitted the tenderest of mothers to bury thyself in dark seclu
sion; to dwell amongst persons of all ages, of all characters;
and, above all, amongst those whom thou knowest not. Daugh
ter, if a mother's voice can yet persuade thee, surely thou wilt
return with me, instead of precipitating, by obstinate perse
verance, the death of her who gave thee life."
Clare was too sensitive not to be affected by her mother's
appeal. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and they were her
only answer. Resuming the serenity of her character, she re
vealed her feelings, and gave her mother to understand the
motives which had determined her. " 'Tis true," said she,
"that I have left you ; but I have left you for the King of kings ;
the best of fathers ; for the God who died for me. This God,
ah ! so little known in this age, is worthy of my services. He
has deigned to speak to my heart ; he has supported my weak
ness. I am astonished myself at the courage he imparted to me
to shatter all the ties that bound me to you ; but these ties are
not entirely broken ; religion does not destroy our natural feel
ings, it only perfects and sanctifies them. I will always love you
as I ought. The ardour and sincerity of my prayer seem to
promise that I may yet be useful to you ; that we shall not be
separated for ever; and that, perhaps, the moment for our
re-union is not so far off as you might be led to imagine."
This language of moderation and gentleness somewhat
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 99
calmed Hortulana's chagrin, whilst it only intensified that of
Favorino. He told his daughter that her mystic language
pleased him not ; that he did not comprehend it ; that her con
duct dishonored her family, and that he would never consent
to her burying herself in a cloister; that if the indulgent and
confiding conduct of her mother had favored her absconding,
he knew how to take means to compel her to return. At this
moment he grew excited ; rushed at her ; and was about to tear
her from the midst of the religious who surrounded her, when
she appealed to him thus: "What wouldst thou, my father?
Profane not, I conjure thee, this asylum of peace, by menaces
or violence. This is the home to which God has called me, and
I have already broken all the ties that bound me to the world."
She then showed him her shorn head, which was the first sign
of her self-dedication to religion; then, casting herself at his
knees, and holding by the corner of the altar, she exclaimed,
"No, Lord, I will never abandon Thee ; the efforts of the world
and hell shall be unavailing. I wish not to live, save for Thee
alone." Clare's generous resistance disconcerted her parents
and, downcast by the failure of their attempts, they retired to
plan some new scheme for the attainment of their object. They
soon had recourse to other devices. They employed their rela
tives, and other persons remarkable for their position and vir
tues, but all was useless, and the young religious continued
unshaken. Calmly and contentedly she pursued the course
which she so courageously opened to herself.
After this, St. Francis removed her to the monastery of
St. Angelo de Panso, situated in the vicinity of Assisi ; and this
monastery belonged to the Order of St. Benedict. Her sister
Agnes came to join her here, and subjected herself to the same
discipline. The parents' persecutions were now renewed
against the two sisters, but their constancy triumphed, and
Francis gave the habit to Allies, who was now only fourteen
years of age. He placed the two sisters in a small house con
tiguous to the Church of St. Damian ; and he appointed Clare
superioress of the young monastery.
Doubtless, it was owing to the prayers of the Saint that
ioo APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Hortulana, her mother, and many other female members of
her family, subsequently embraced, along with the two sisters,
all their penitential austerities.
The community soon reckoned sixteen members, three of
whom belonged to the illustrious house of the Ubaldini of
Florence. Even princesses found more happiness in the pov
erty of Clare than they had ever known in their grand posses
sions, pleasures and mundane honors. In a few years the new
Order made rapid increases. It had monasteries at Perugia,
Arezzo, Padua, Rome, Venice, Mantua, Bologna, Spoleto,
Milan, Siena, Pisa, and in all the principal cities of Germany.
Agnes, daughter of the King of Bohemia, founded one in
Prague, and there she became a religious.
St. Clare and her community practised austerities which
hitherto had been unknown to their sex. They went bare
foot, kept perpetual abstinence, and never spoke, except when
necessity or charity obliged them. Not content with prac
tising general mortifications, Clare wore sackcloth, and fasted
almost throughout the whole year. She passed part of the
night in prayer ; and often would this tenderly-reared lady, who
had slept on a rich couch beneath the paternal roof, use no other
bed than a few branches scattered on the floor, and the trunk
of a tree for a pillow.
Such austerities so weakened her health, that St. Francis,
and the Bishop of Assisi, compelled her to lie down on a
wretched bed, and never to allow a day to pass without taking
some refreshment. Notwithstanding this extraordinary love
of penance, none ever saw anything like gloom or sadness about
her; on the contrary, her features were cheerful and serene,
and this proved what happiness she derived from her morti
fications.
St. Francis desired that her Order should be principally based
on poverty ; he therefore determined that the community should
subsist on whatsoever the charity of the faithful gave them.
He ruled, moreover, that they should have no fixed income.
St. Clare was always animated by the same spirit, and her love
of poverty was most admirable. A very great property having
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 101
lapsed to her at her father's decease, she distributed all to the
poor, and retained nothing for her monastery. When Pope
Gregory IX. was about to introduce some modification into the
rule regarding poverty, and when he was about to endow the
monastery of St. Damian, she conjured him, in the most ef
fective manner, to make no change whatsoever in their obliga
tion, and the Pope acquiesced in her desire. The other religi
ous bodies memorialled Innocent IV. to allow them to possess
some property, and at the same period Clare implored this Pon
tiff to sanction the evangelical poverty observed in her Order.
This prayer was granted in 1251. Innocent IV. wrote the Bull
with his own hand, and moistened it with his tears. Clare's
humility kept pace wth her love of poverty ; although superior
ess, she claimed no exemption ; all her ambition was to be the
servant of the servants of God ; she washed the feet of the lay
sisters when they returned from questing; she served at table
and attended to the sick, even when afflicted by the most nause
ating maladies. Always first to rise in the morning, she imme
diately repaired to the choir to prepare everything for the divine
office. Always rapt in prayer, she arose from her knees with
features glowing with the heavenly fires that consumed her
soul ; and then her language possessed an unction and energy
that kindled a heavenly warmth in the hearts of all those to
whom she spoke.
The peace and tranquillity enjoyed by the religious in the
Convent of St. Damian, under the government of their superi
oress, caused them to be respected and cherished more and
more; but God was pleased, at this moment, to permit one of
those extraordinary events, which augmented the veneration
in which our Saint was held, and which rendered her so cele
brated as to become a pillar of strength, not only for her com
munity, but furthermore, for her country, and for all Italy.
The Emperor Frederic II. had been ravaging the valley of
Spoleto, which belonged to the Holy See. His army was chiefly
composed of Saracens and other infidels. He flung into this
part of Italy twenty thousand enemies of the Church. These
barbarians, thirsting for pillage and carnage, laid siege to
102 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Assisi; they attacked the Convent of St. Damian, which was
outside the walls; and a soldier was in the act of scaling the
walls of the convent, when the companions of Clare, alarmed
by the danger that menaced them, began to invoke Heaven,
and ran to the arms of their mother, there to find protection
against the fury of their assailants. Clare, confiding in the
mercies of Heaven, calmed the fears of her trembling com
munity, and then addressed her God in the following prayer :
"Surely, Lord, thou hast not brought together so many inno
cent victims into thy sanctuary in order that they might become
the spoil of the impious? Thou wouldst not have supported
us to this day; thou wouldst not have heap?d so many blessings
on us, that we might be trodden under foot, or that we might
perish in the most frightful manner — in a manner so incom
patible with the condition of virgins consecrated to thy service ?
. . . No, Lord, I hope in thee, thou wilt not permit that
our souls, which live for thee, should perish under the swords
of those who blaspheme thy holy name." Her prayer ended,
a gentle voice seemed to say to her: "Thou shalt always be
under my protection." Sick as she was, she then proceeded
to the gate of the monastery, and caused the ciborium, contain
ing the Holy Sacrament, to be carried before her ; calmly and
recollectedly she braved the fury of the enemy, whilst she dis
played before the infidel's eyes Him in whom she had placed
her hope and salvation. Thus did the Lord prove to her that
it costs Him no trouble to operate miracles in favor of those
who place their confidence in Him. No sooner had those fero
cious men beheld Clare, surrounded by all these august circum
stances, than they were seized with a sudden terror ; an invisible
power agitated and confounded them; they abandoned the
monastery and town, and dispersed and fled in such hot haste,
that many of them were dangerously wounded.
The storm was dissipated for the while, but not for any
lengthened period. Some years afterwards Frederic com
menced his spoliations in the Duchy of Spoleto. Assisi was
besieged again. Clare then assembled her religious, and told
them that as they depended on the town for their sustenance
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 103
they should assist it by all means in their power, now that it
was in a direful extremity. She told them to humble them
selves before our Lord, and to pray him to rescue their fellow-
citizens. For an entire day and night they wept and prayed,
and, at last, obtained their request. The enemy suddenly al
tered his plans, raised the siege, and returned without doing
any mischief. Soon afterwards their general, who was a cruel
and proud man, lost his life.
Like St. Francis, Clare had a tender devotion for the myster
ies of the birth and passion of our Lord. She never meditated
the sufferings of the Son of God without shedding tears, and
experiencing the liveliest emotions of the divine love. Some
times, when surrounded by the sisterhood, she would take up
the crucifix and discourse to them on all the advantages they
could derive from deep recollectedness in presence of that holy
object. "Sisters," she would say to them, "behold the super
abundant treasure out of which I take all that I require. If
I be downcast or feeble, the cross strengthens and supports me ;
if I am perplexed, it clears up my doublings; if I suffer, it
reanimates and encourages me; if I am afflicted, if I weep, it
is the Cross that dries my tears, and consoles me. In darkness
it is my light; in despair and terror it is my hope and my sup
port; in sickness and sorrow it sweetens my tribulations and
shortens my sufferings. Oh ! how I hope when on my death
bed that this holy sign will defend me against my invisible
enemies; and that when I stand before my Judge, it may be
my consolation and my joy."
Behold what happened a few days before her death. The
Merciful Mother, accompanied by a multitude of virgins in
snow-white dresses and wearing splendid crowns of gold on
their heads, came to visit her. The glorious Virgin herself was
among them as an empress, with an imperial diadem resplendent
with precious stones. From her countenance issued such
splendor that it outshone the sun's. Thus clothed in glory she
approached the humble servant of God, folded her in her arms,
and most lovingly pressed her to her bosom and, giving her
the holy kiss of peace, she filled her heart with a strength and
104 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a consolation wholly celestial. All the virgins who accom
panied her surrounded the bed of the dying Saint, and spread
on it a golden cover, as being the couch of the Spouse who was
soon to come and visit His beloved to lead her to heaven.
At length, Clare's illness seized her, and when her com
munity exhorted her to bear her sufferings resignedly, she an
swered: "I have never tasted the bitterness of the Lord's
chalice. In all my life I have never found anything to afflict
me. Whosoever loveth God can turn pain into sweetest pleas
ure." The Sovereign Pontiff, learning that she was approach
ing her earthly term, made a journey from Perugia to Assisi,
to see her. He conversed with her, and retired after deriving
much benefit from this spiritual interview. After giving her
the absolution of all her sins, he withdrew, saying: "A happy
man were I if my soul were so pure in the eyes of God as
that of this holy maiden. . . ."
Clare, encircled by her dear sisterhood, recommended them
to love poverty, then blessed them in the name of God, and as
sured them that they should never be deserted by her.
After remaining, for some time, to all appearances dead,
these last words were heard falling from her lips : "Fear not,
my soul, He whom thou hast served accompanies thee. What
dost thou await? He who created thee has had pity on thee.
He has always loved thee with a love tenderer than that of a
mother for her child. Blessed forever be thou, my God, who
hast sustained me in all the circumstances of my life." She
then grasped the crucifix, and pressing it to her lips, expired.
Her death took place August nth, A.D. 1253. She was in the
sixtieth year of her age, and the forty-second of her religious
profession.
Surrounded by thousands, she was buried on the day follow
ing. Myriads pressed to the body of her whom every one re
garded as a Saint. Pope Innocent IV. assisted at her obsequies
with many cardinals. Alexander IV. canonized her in 1255,
i.e., two years afterward.
Five years after her death her body was solemnly translated
from the Church of St. Damian to the new monastery that has
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 105
been built within the walls of the city, by the Pope's command.
The church that bears her name was erected in 1265. Pope
Clement V. consecrated the grand altar, under the invocation
of the Saint, and her relics are there even to this day.
The Order of St. Clare, which increased greatly during the
life of the Saint, spread itself widely after her decease. A
great number of convents of this Order exist in almost every
part of the world.
PRAISE TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT*
Clear vault of heaven serenely blue,
How many stars come shining through
Thy azure depths?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
Fair world, the work of God's right hand,
How many are the grains of sand,
In all thy fame?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
Green meadows, wide as eye can see,
How many o'er thy sward may be,
The blades of grass?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
Ye groves and gardens, rich and fair,
What countless harvests do you bear;
Of fruit and flowers?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
*In the house of Madame Swetchine in the Rue St. Dominique, Paris, was a
"beautiful private chapel, which was adorned with a multitude of precious stones
from the Russian mines, gleaming around the ineffable presence of the Divinity.
Mary, too, was there. On the base of her silver statue was her monogram in
diamonds, which Madame Swetchine had worn as lady of honor to the Empress
Mary of Russia."
io6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Great ocean, boundless, uncontrolled,
How many do thy waters hold,
Of briny drops?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
High Sun, of all things centre bright,
How\many are the rays of light,
That from thee dart?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
Eternity! oh! rest sublime,
How many moments of our time,
Are in thy length?
Beyond all count are they,
Praised be the Blessed Sacrament,
As many times a day.
Madame Swetchine.
PRAYER— "PIETATE TUA"
Loosen, O Lord, we pray Thee, in Thy pity, the bonds of
our sins, and by the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever
Virgin Mother of God, the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul,
and all Saints, keep us, Thy servants, and our abodes in all
holiness ; cleanse us, our relations, kinsfolk, and acquaintances,
from all vices ; adorn us with all virtues ; grant to us peace and
health ; repel our enemies visible and invisible ; curb our carnal
desires ; grant us healthful seasons ; bestow Thy charity upon
our friends and our enemies ; guard Thy holy city ; preserve our
Sovereign Pontiff Leo XIII., and defend all prelates, princes,
and Christian people from all adversity. Let Thy blessing be
ever upon us, and grant to all the faithful departed eternal rest.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
40 days. loo years and as many quarantines, if said every
Saturday for a month.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 107
APPARITION
TO
ST. PETER CELESTINE
AQUILA, ITALY
1275
Oh, Maid divine! beholding in thy Son,
Life more divine, though first from thee begun;
Earth's loveliest art thou, wearing on thy brow
The thought of something lovelier still than thou.
Edward IV. Mason.
S a child, Peter had visions of Our Blessed Lady,
and of the angels and Saints. They encouraged
him in his prayers, and chided him when he fell
into any fault. His mother, though only a poor
widow, sent him to school, feeling sure that he would one day
be a Saint. At the age of twenty, he left his home in Aquila
to live in a mountain solitude. Here he spent three years as
saulted by the evil spirits and beset with temptations of the
flesh, but consoled by angels' visits. After this, his seclusion
was invaded by disciples, who refused to be sent away; and
the rule of life which he gave them formed the foundation of
the Celestine Order. Angels assisted in the church which Peter
built; unseen bells rang peals of surpassing sweetness, and
heavenly music rilled the sanctuary, when he offered the Holy
Sacrifice. Suddenly he found himself torn from his loved
solitude by his election to the Papal throne. Resistance was
of no avail. He took the name of Celestine, to remind him of
the heaven he was leaving and for which he sighed, and was
consecrated at Aquila. After a reign of four months, Peter
summoned the cardinals to his presence, and solemnly resigned
his trust. St. Peter built himself a boarded cell in his palace,
and there continued his hermit's life; and when, lest his sim
plicity might be taken advantage of to distract the peace of the
io8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Church, he was put under guard, he said: "I desired nothing
but a cell, and a cell they have given me." There he enjoyed
his former loving intimacy with the Saints and angels, and
sang the Divine praises almost continually. At length on
Whit Sunday, he told his guards he should die within the week,
and immediately fell ill. He received the last Sacraments ; and
the following Saturday, as he finished the concluding verse of
Lauds, "Let every spirit bless the Lord!" he closed his eyes
to this world and opened them to the vision of God, A.D. 1296.
MARY
Mary! a name too pure for mortal lips,
First borrowed from the songs of heaven
Or language of the Seraphim,
It stirs the soul, yet soothes our fears —
Oh, Mary! who, in joy or tears,
While onward o'er the surges driven,
Hath e'er unaided, called on thee,
Thou star of life's tempestuous sea !
Sweet name of power and Virgin love,
Fair as the spotless heavens above,
Bright as the wave beneath the Sun,
Pure as the cloudless diamond.
Rev. F, Geramb.—Trappist.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
109
APPARITION
TO
ST. AGNES OF MONTE PULCIANO,
V. O. S. D.
MONTE PULCIANO, ITALY
1277
Saint Agnes, bright gem in the grand Court of Heaven,
Whose jewelled gates glisten with jasper and gold;
What words to the children of earth have been given
To speak of thy worth, of thy glory untold?
What pearl could compare with thy pure soul so holy?
What ruby's rich depths with thy heart's fervent love?
What amethyst's glow with thy meek life so lowly?
What diamond with thy dazzling beauty above?
Eliza M. Bulger.
AINT AGNES was born of virtuous parents in the
vicinity of Monte Pulciano, in Tuscany, in the
year 1268. Extraordinary signs and a piety far
beyond her years presaged what this child was one
day to become. Whilst very young, she succeeded in extorting
from her parents permission to enter an exceedingly austere
convent. After a few years she was sent to assist in the founda
tion of another convent for the education of young girls at
Porcena, of which she became Abbess, in virtue of a special
dispensation from the Holy See, when only fifteen. She led
a life of continual prayer and rigid penance; and God vouch
safed to show how pleasing she was in His sight by many signs
and wonders. Flowers of exquisite fragrance and beauty
would spring up on the spot where she had prayed; showers
of manna, in the shape of little white crosses, would fall upon
her in the presence of a crowd of witnesses ; she was favored
by frequent visions, and ten times received Holy Communion
from an angel's hand. So great was the poverty of her con
vent that money and provisions often failed; in these circum-
i io APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
stances the wants of the community were sometimes supplied
by miracle.
After seventeen years spent at Porcena, the inhabitants of
Monte Pulciano entreated Saint Agnes to found a convent
within their wralls. She had recourse to prayer in order to as
certain the will of God, and, as she prayed, a wonderful vision
was granted her. She seemed to herself to be standing on the
seashore, and three large and splendidly equipped boats floated
on the waters before her. In one of these stood St. Augustine,
St. Francis was in another, whilst on the prow of the third,
she beheld St. Dominic. Each of the three Saints pressingly
invited her to his boat, especially St. Francis, who alleged the
resemblance of the habit she then wTore with that of his daugh
ters, the Poor Clares. After a long dispute, St. Dominic said
to his two companions : "It will not be as you desire ; the Lord
has disposed that Agnes should embark on my boat." So say
ing, he drew her on board, and immediately a heavenly messen
ger stood beside the Saint and made known to her that she
was to establish a community of virgins, as desired, at Monte
Pulciano, on a hill which had hitherto been the resort of women
of evil life, and that her daughters were to take the habit and
follow the rule of St. Dominic.
This was accordingly done, and the Saint governed the new
Community with the same wisdom and sweetness with which
she had formerly ruled at Porcena, and was favored with the
like demonstrations of God's watchful providence. Whilst at
Porceno, Our Blessed Lady one day appeared to her and placed
the Divine Infant in her arms. Before restoring Him to His
Mother, the Saint had possessed herself of a little cross which
was suspended from His neck by a slender thread. This treas
ure she had left behind her on going to Monte Pulciano, and
she wrote to claim it. The Community at Porcena, who were
in great grief at losing their holy Abbess, absolutely refused
to give up the cross; whereupon the Saint betook herself to
prayer, and it was immediately brought to her by an angel.
When the end of her earthly pilgrimage drew near, she was
granted a Divine warning of the sufferings which awaited her
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN m
as a final purification before receiving her crown. One Sun
day, at daybreak, as she was allowing herself a little rest after
prayer, it seemed to her that an angel took her by the hand and,
leading her under an olive-tree, as though to remind her of
Our Lord's agony in Gethsemane, presented her with a
chalice containing an exceedingly bitter draught. "Drink this
chalice, Spouse of Christ," said the angelic visitant ; "the Lord
Jesus drank it for thee." The servant of God eagerly obeyed
for the love of her Divine Bridegroom ; but, before she had
drained the cup, the vision disappeared and she found herself
once more in her cell. This vision was repeated on nine con
secutive Sundays, and soon afterwards the Saint was attacked
by the long and painful illness which brought her to the grave.
In compliance with the wishes of her sisters, she sought
relief by going to some medicinal springs at a short distance
from the convent. There Our Lord was pleased to honor His
faithful Spouse by many prodigies. A miraculous hot water
spring gushed forth which afterwards bore her name, and was
found far more health-giving than any of the former springs.
Finding she derived no benefit from the baths, she returned
to her convent, which she had been very unwilling to quit. As
she lay stretched on her bed of suffering, her spiritual children
knelt around her, weeping over their approaching loss. "If
you loved me," she said to them with a sweet smile, "you
would rejoice, because I am about to enter into the joy of my
Spouse. Be not afflicted beyond measure at my departure
hence; from heaven I shall not lose sight of you; I shall be
your mother, your companion, and your sister whenever you
call upon me in your wants." Her last words were : "I go to
Him who is my only hope." Her holy and happy death, which
was followed by many wonders, took place on the 2Oth of
April, A.D. 1317. Her life was written by blessed Raymund
of Capua, who became confessor to the community some fifty
years after her death. Readers of the life of St. Catherine
of Siena will be familiar with the wonders which accompanied
the visit of that Saint to the tomb of St. Agnes, and with the
revelation made to her that the two were to enjoy a like glory
ii2 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
in heaven. St. Agnes was canonized by Benedict XIII., A.D.
1726.
Our Lord deigned to say to St. Catherine of Siena: ''If thou
ask Me, 'Why didst Thou keep that sweet virgin St. Agnes in
such want?' I should reply, that I did this that I might sat
isfy her by My providence ; for having been three days without
bread, she said to Me : 'My Father and Lord, hast Thou taken
these daughters out of their father's home to starve ? Provide, O
Lord, for them.' Then I inspired a creature to take her five
small loaves. They sat down to table, and I gave her so much
virtue in breaking the bread that they were all fully satisfied,
and it sufficed them a second time."
St. Agnes asked in faith, and her prayers were always
granted. Ours are often unheard, because we doubt if God
will hear them.
"We ought to be persuaded that what God refuses to our
prayer He grants to our salvation." — St. Augustine.
"Therefore I say unto you, all things whatsover you ask
when ye pray, believe that you shall receive; and they shall
come unto you." — Mark xi, 24.
PRAYER TO THE MADONNA
Thou potent star of ocean's gloomy deeps,
That ceaseless vigil o'er our voyage keeps,
Shine on our lives in splendor ever clear,
Mother of Christ, thy suppliants deign to hear.
Thou snow-white bud in God's fair garden grown,
Thou Sharon Rose in fullest beauty blown;
Into our hearts thy sweet perfume distill,
And make us, Mary, do thy holy will.
Of maids and mothers thou supreme and blest,
In whose chaste womb the Child Divine found rest ;
Have gracious mercy on the dead we love,
And bring them quickly to thy realm above.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 113
Our hearts are sad, fond mother, be our friend;
Our lives are lone, thy hand consoling lend;
The path has pitfalls, Mary, be our guide,
Curb thou our senses and put down our pride.
Our sins are many, Virgin, make them few,
Our souls are stained, their spotless robes renew,
Cursed Satan for us hath spread many a snare,
Preserve us, Mary; Mother, hear our prayer.
Rev. Henry A. Brann, D. D., Rector St. Agnes Church, N. Y.
AN EFFICACIOUS PRAYER
O St. Joseph, father and protector of virgins, faithful guar
dian to whom God confided Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary,
the Virgin of virgins, oh! I entreat and conjure you by Jesus
and Mary, by this double charge which was so dear to you,
obtain for me that, preserved from all stain, innocent in my
thoughts, pure in heart, and chaste in body, I may constantly
serve Jesus and Mary in perfect charity. Amen.
loo days' Indulgence.
My loving Jesus, I give Thee my heart, I consecrate myself
wholly to Thee out of the grateful love I bear Thee, and as a
reparation for all my unfaithfulness to grace, and with Thine
aid I purpose never to sin again.
too days' Indulgence, once a day. Plenary once a month if
said daily.
TO JESUS CRUCIFIED
O Lord Jesus! by that bitterness which Thou didst suffer
for me on the Cross, chiefly when Thy blessed Soul was sep
arated from Thy body, have mercy on my soul, now and at its
departure from this world, that it may be admitted to life
eternal.
An Indulgence of seven years after Holy Communion.
APPARITION TO
ST. MECHTILDE, V. AB. O.S.B.
HELDELFS, GERMANY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
TO
ST. MECHTILDE, V. AB. O.S.B.
HELDELFS, GERMANY
1293
Wonderful, beautiful,
Tender and dutiful,
Holiest Maid;
Joyfully, gratefully,
All that belongs to me,
Body and soul, at thy feet I have laid.
Cardinal von Geissel.
WO holy sisters, SS. Gertrude and Mechtilde, were
Countesses of Hackuborn, and cousins of the Em
peror Frederick II. Mechtilde was born in the year
1264. At the age of seven years she was placed in
the Benedictine Convent of Rodersdorf. Her mind was care
fully cultivated, and she wrote Latin with unusual elegance. She
made her religious vows in the same house, and while yet
young was removed to Diessen, near the Lake Ambre in
Bavaria, where she was appointed superioress of the convent,
which at that time belonged to the Order of St. Benedict. This
convent Mechtilde made a school of virtue ; and knowing that
strict discipline and a steady observance of rule are the means
by which religious persons are to attain the perfection of their
state, she taught all her sisters the greatest diligence in these
respects. She was afterwards removed to the convent of
Edelstetin. In this new situation she redoubled her ardor in
the sanctification of her soul as well as that of her sisters.
Her life was crowded with wonders. She has in obedience
recorded some of her visions, in which she traces in words of
indescribable beauty the intimate converse of her soul with
Jesus and His Blessed Mother. She was gentle to all; most
ii6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
gentle to sinners, filled with devotion to the Saints of God, to
the souls in Purgatory, and above all to the Passion of Our
Blessed Lord, and to His Sacred Heart. She ruled her con
vent with great wisdom and love for thirty-eight years. Her
life was one of great and almost continual suffering, and her
longing to be with Jesus was her daily thought. She was the
younger sister of St. Gertrude; she was at the same convent
as her sister for some years. Her life was a continual exercise
of every virtue. Such was her fervor at the Divine Office, that
she was often ravished into an ecstasy ; and so great was the
purity of her soul, that Our Lord deigned to converse famil
iarly with her, and revealed His secrets to her. Our Lord said
to St. Mechtilde : "Whenever any one sighs towards Me with
love in meditating on My Passion, it is as though he gently
touched My Wounds with a fresh budding rose, and I wound
his heart in return with the arrow of My love. Moreover, if
he shed tears of devotion over My Passion, I will accept them
as though he had suffered for Me."
Once as St. Mechtilde was ill, on the Feast of the Assump
tion, she was unable to fulfil her intention of saying as many
Ave Marias as the Blessed Virgin had been years on earth;
but she tried to supply for this devotion in some degree by the
three aspirations — Ave, Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
As she offered them with great fervor for herself and those
committed to her care, Our Blessed Lady appeared to her in
glory, clothed with a green mantle covered with golden flowers
in the form of trefoils, and said to her: "Behold! how I am
adorned with as many flowers as those for whom you have
prayed have uttered words in their petitions to me ; the bril
liancy of these flowers corresponds to the fervor of their peti
tions ; and I will turn this to their advantage, to render them
more agreeable to my Son and all the celestial court."
St. Mechtilde observed also that the Blessed Virgin had
some roses with six leaves amongst the trefoils, and that three
of these leaves were golden and enriched with precious stones ;
while the other three, which alternated with the former, were
distinguished by an admirable variety of colors. The three
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 117
golden leaves indicated the threefold division of the Ave Maria
which she had made during her sickness; and the three other
leaves were added by our Lord — the first, to reward her for the
love with which she saluted and praised His most sweet
Mother; the second, for her discretion and prudence in regu
lating her devotions during her illness; and the third, for the
confidence which she had that the Lord and His loving Mother
would accept the little she had done.
At Prime St. Mechtilcle besought our Lord to obtain His
Blessed Mother's favor for her, as she feared she had never
been sufficiently devout to her. Our Lord then, after bestow
ing many marks of tenderness and filial affection on His
Blessed Mother, said to her : "Remember, My beloved Mother,
that for your sake I am indulgent to sinners, and regard My
elect as if she had served you all her life with devotion."
At these words this most pure Mother gave herself entirely
to Mechtilde, for the sake of her Divine Son. As the Collect,
Deus, qui virginalem, was read at Mass, our Lord appeared
to renew in His Blessed Mother all the joys which she had
experienced in His Conception, His Birth, and the other mys
teries of His Humanity. At the words Ut sua nos defensione
munitos, which the Saint read with special devotion, she beheld
the Mother of God extending her mantle as if to receive be
neath its shelter all those who fled to her patronage. The
holy angels then brought all who had prepared themselves very
fervently for this feast, and presented them to her as fair young
virgins, who stood before her as before their mother; while
these good angels defended them from the snares of evil spirits,
and carefully incited them to good actions.
The Saint understood that they had obtained this angelic
protection by the words : That defended by her protection, etc.,
for at her command the angels never fail to protect and defend
those who invoke this glorious virgin.
A number of little animals appeared afterwards under the
mantle of the Blessed Virgin ; and they signified those sinners
who address themselves to her with devotion. The Mother of
Mercy received them with the greatest charity, and covered
u8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
them with her mantle, thus manifesting with what affability
she treats those who have recourse to her ; how she protects
them even during their wanderings ; and, if they recognize their
faults and return to her, she reconciles them to her Son by a
sincere penance. At the Elevation, St. Mechtilde saw our
Divine Lord imparting Himself with all the joys of His
Divinity and Humanity to all those who had assisted at Mass
with special devotion in honor of His Blessed Mother, and
who had desired to serve her devoutly on the day of her As
sumption ; so that, being sustained by virtue of the Adorable
Sacrament, they were strengthened in their good desires, even
as food strengthens and invigorates the human frame.
After Mass the community proceeded to Chapter, and the
Saint saw a multitude of angels surrounding our Lord, who
appeared to wait with great joy for the arrival of the religious.
Marveling at this, she said to our Lord : "Why hast Thou
come to this Chapter, O most loving Lord, surrounded by such
a multitude of angels, since we have not the same devotion
now as on the Vigil of Thy Divine Birth ?" Our Lord replied :
"I come as the Father of a family to receive those who have
been invited to eat at My house. I come also from respect to
My Mother, to announce the solemn festival of Her Eminent
Assumption, and to receive all who are prepared to celebrate
this feast with holy dispositions. I come also to absolve, by
the virtue and authority of My Divinity, all those who humble
themselves for the negligences which they have committed con
cerning their Rule." He added : "I am present on all these
festivals, and see all that you do, although, on the Vigil of
My Nativity, I assisted in an extraordinary manner."
HOW ST. MECHTILDE PREPARED FOR DEATH,
AND RECEIVED EXTREME UNCTION
When St. Mechtilde, of happy memory, was confined to bed
in her last sickness, about a month before her death, she began
to think of her end, and to reflect on some works which she
had written. But on Sunday, as a person prayed for her, ask-
HEAVENS BRIGHT QUEEN 119
ing that she might have the grace of a happy death, under
the protection of the Divine Mercy, so that she might abandon
herself to it with humble confidence when receiving the Body
and Blood of Christ, she knew in spirit that God had drawn
this soul to Himself entirely, and that He had only restored
her for a brief space, that He might again abide in her. Then
she said to the Lord : "Lord, why dost Thou wish her to con
tinue on earth?" He replied: "It is to perfect the work which
My Divine dispensation has decreed; and she will contribute
to this in three ways : by the repose of humility, the table of
patience, and the joy of virtue. For example: in all that she
sees or hears from others, let her always humble herself and
consider herself the most unworthy of all. Thus will I rejoice
in the repose of her heart and soul. Secondly, let her embrace
joyfully, and suffer all her trials and sicknesses willingly for
love of Me; thus she will prepare Me a table of sumptuous
delights. Thirdly, she will offer Me a joyful spectacle if she
exercises herself in every kind of virtue."
When the nuns were reciting the Salve Regina, at the words
Eia ergo, St. Mechtilde prayed very earnestly to the Blessed
Virgin for the beloved sisters whom she was about to leave, be
seeching Her to have a special care of them ; as if she, who
during her life had been so devoted to her community, so ten
der and loving, desired to secure an advocate for them after
her death in the person of the Mother of Mercy. And this
blessed Queen took the hand of the dying religious, as if she
was accepting the charge of the community from her. Then,
as they read the prayer Ave Jesu Christ e, at the words via
dulcis, she beheld the Lord Jesus showing His beloved spouse
the way by which He purposes to draw her sweetly to Himself.
HOW ADVANTAGEOUS IT IS TO HEAR HOLY MASS
Once, as St. Mechtilde offered the adorable Host to the
Eternal Father, at the moment of the Elevation, in satisfaction
for all her sins, and in reparation for all her negligence, she
beheld her soul presented before the Divine Majesty with the
120 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
same sentiments of joy in which Jesus Christ — who is the
splendor and living image of the glory of His Father, and
the Lamb of God without spot — offered Himself on the altar
to God His Father for the salvation of the whole world; be
cause the Eternal Father considered her as purified from all
sin by the merits of the spotless Humanity of Jesus Christ, and
enriched and adorned with all the virtues which, through the
same Holy Humanity, adorned the glorious Divinity of His
Son.
As the Saint returned thanks to God for these graces with all
her power, and took pleasure in considering the extraordinary
favors which He had communicated to her, it was revealed to
her that whenever any one assists at Mass with devotion, oc
cupied with God, and offers himself in this Sacrament for the
whole world, he is truly regarded by the Eternal Father with
the tenderness merited by the sacred Host which is offered to
Him, and becomes like to one who, coming out of a dark
place into the midst of sunlight, finds himself suddenly sur
rounded by brightness. Then the Saint made this inquiry of
God : "Is not he who falls into sin deprived of this good, even
as one who goes from light into darkness loses the favor of
beholding the light ?" The Lord replied : "No ; for although
the sinner hides My Divine light from him, still My goodness
will not fail to leave him some ray to guide him to eternal life ;
and this light will increase whenever he hears Mass with de
votion or approaches the Sacraments."
Our Lord said to St. Mechtilde : "Receive it as a most cer
tain truth that if anyone hears Mass devoutly and fervently,
I will send him for his consolation and defence in the hour of
death, as many of the glorious spirits around My Throne as
he shall have heard Masses with devotion." "The Sacrifice
of the Mass," says the Council of Trent, "is the same with that
which heretofore was offered upon the Cross; it is the same
Victim ; and He who offered Himself is the same who now
daily offers Himself by the hands of the priest." St. Liguori
says : "All the honor which the angels by their adorations, or
men by their work, their penances, and martyrdoms, have ever
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 121
given or shall give to God, have not given, and cannot give,
so much glory to the Lord as one single Mass; for all the
honors given by creatures are finite, but from the Sacrifice of
the Altar God receives an infinite honor, because the Victim
offered is of infinite worth. The Mass, then, is an action which
gives God the greatest honor that can be given Him ; it is a
work that beats down most effectually the power of the devil,
which affords the greatest relief to the souls in purgatory,
which appeases most efficaciously the anger of God against
sinners, and which brings to men on earth the greatest bene
fits." "Could we see on entering a church," says the author
of the Devout Soul, "legions of angels and Saints prostrate in
adoration of the majesty of their Lord, together with the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the cherubim, the seraphim, the
virtues, the principalities, the powers, the thrones, the arch
angels, the angels, all the choirs of angels and Saints, what
should we think of those who dare to be irreverent at so holy
and venerable a celebration ? The devils fear Jesus Christ and
bow before Him, and may not those who behave irreverently
at the Holy Mass be called worse even than devils?"
As the nuns read this response amongst others, Ave Sponsa,
the Blessed Virgin approached the dying nun, to prepare her
for enjoying the delights of the Divinity. Then Our Lord Jesus
— for the sake of His blessed Mother, who alone merited to
be called, and to be both a Virgin and a Mother — took a neck
lace of marvelous beauty, adorned with radiant gems, and
placed it on the dying religious ; granting her the special privi
lege of being also called a virgin and mother, on account of
the fervor and devotion with which she had guided her
religious.
The Matins had commenced, when it became apparent that
St. Mechtilde was about to expire ; the community were there
fore summoned again from the choir to assist at her happy
death. Our Lord then appeared to the dying Saint as a Spouse
radiant with beauty, crowned with honor and glory, and said
to her tenderly : "Now, My beloved, I will honor you before
your neighbors — that is, before this congregation, which is so
122 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
dear to Me." Then He saluted her soul in an ineffable man
ner by each of His Wounds, so that each saluted her in four
different manners : namely, by a melodious harmony, by an
efficacious vapor, by a fruitful dew, and by a marvelous light.
Thus did our Lord call His elect one to Himself: the exquisite
harmony indicated all the loving words which she had ad
dressed to God, or uttered for the benefit of others ; and these
words were fructified exceedingly by passing through the
Divine Heart. The vapor signified all her desires for the glory
of God or the salvation of her neighbor ; and these desires were
marvelously increased by passing through the Wounds of
Tesus. The dew which poured forth so abundantly represented
the love which she had for God, or for any creature for His
sake; and it was also greatly increased in sweetness by these
Sacred Wounds. The marvelous light signified all the suffer
ings which she had endured from her infancy, either in body
or mind, which were ennobled beyond all human power of com
prehension by union with the Passion of Christ; and that her
soul was sanctified thereby, and impressed with the marks of
Divine charity.
The community then returned to the choir to say Matins.
At the twelfth Response, O lampas, this soul appeared standing
before the Blessed Trinity, praying devoutly for the Church.
Then God the Father saluted her lovingly by these words :
"Ave, electa mea (Hail, My elect one), who, by the example
of your holy life, may truly be called the lamp of the Church,
abounding in oil — that is, your prayers for the whole world."
Then the Son of God addressed her thus : "Guade, spousa mea
(Rejoice, O My spouse), who may truly be called the medica
ment of grace, since by your prayers you have obtained the
restoration of so many to My favor." The Holy Ghost added :
"Ave, immaculata mea (Hail, My spotless one), who may be
called the nurse of the faithful, since you have fed and nour
ished so many spiritually."
After this the Eternal Father conferred on her, by His om
nipotence, the grace of assisting those who, through human
frailty, distrusted the Divine Mercy, and of strengthening in
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 123
them the gift of hope; the Holy Spirit conferred on her the
privilege of enkindling fervor and love in cold and tepid hearts ;
lastly, the Son of God gave her, through the merits of His
most precious Death and Passion, the grace of curing souls en
feebled by sin.
During the Preface of the High Mass, our Lord appeared to
St. Mechtilde, drawing her towards Him, and imparting new
graces and favors to her soul, as if to prepare her for the
enjoyment of eternal beatitude. At last the joyful moment
came when she was to pass to the eternal embraces of her
Spouse ; and the Lord of Glory, who is so great in His majesty
and so tender in His love, invited her to Him, saying: "Come,
blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you."
[Matt, xxv, 34.] He reminded her also of the signal favor
which He had conferred on her some years before, by giving
her His Heart, as He said these words, to be her consolation
and protection. Then He said: "And where is My gift?'' In
reply, she offered Him her heart, plunging it into His; and
our Lord touched her heart with His, absorbing her into Him
self, and putting her in possession of eternal glory, where we
hope she will obtain many favors for us by her interces
sion.
When her end drew nigh she returned to Diessen, where she
died not long after, A.D. 1300. Her meditations are amongst
the choicest treasures of the Church.
"We wept little," says her biographer, "for her glory stayed
our tears. There was a vast multitude commending the Saint
to God, or rather, through her, commending themselves to Him.
All around were widows and orphans mourning their immeas
urable loss. There were the crowds of sick, whom she had
healed. She had insured their silence through life by threats
that their sickness would return if they betrayed the secret of
their healing; but now their tongues were unloosed, and one
told how he had been blind and now saw, and another how
he had been deaf and now heard. There were those who had
boen paralytic, and many others with countless infirmities, who
124 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
told how the Saint had healed them. And very many infirm
who had come to her funeral, recovered health."
Sympathy is the greatest force of the heart of man, and an
especial note of all who have done great things for God. St.
Mechtilde "anointed all the afflicted with the sweet ointment
of her pity, her compassion, and her sympathy."
THE VIRGIN'S DREAM
Oh happy tree to shelter her!
A shiver shakes each happy leaf;
The boughs bend down as though they were
Full-conscious for those moments brief:
The boughs bend down — lo! at her breast
The Infant Saviour takes His rest.
Each lisping leaf a shiver shakes:
It is the Infant's lullaby.
No other sound the silence wakes
Than lisp of leaf; yet from the sky
Three listening angels lean to hear,
Three radiant angels hush to hear,
Then winged by love they draw anear;
They cannot but draw nigh.
They close around where trustingly
In Mary's arms the Infant sleeps,
And in a hush of harmony
Upon her ear their music creeps :
A hush — so faint and low the strain,
Like softest fall of summer rain.
And while her eyes are won to rest,
The angels woo her thoughts away
To where the music of the blest —
The solemn sanctus of the blest —
Rolls through the halls of lasting day:
The solemn sanctus up to Him
Before whom bend the Cherubim.
Such wealth of sound on mortal ear
Ne'er fell, not even in Paradise,
When flaming Seraphs oft drew near,
With melodies brought from the skies,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
On mortal ear ne'er anthem fell,
Such witchery of sound ne'er fell,
Its ecstacy no words may tell.
And lifted up was Mary's soul
To heights none else may hope to gain;
Waves on her raptured spirit roll
Of joy that is akin to pain;
Oh, could that anthem ever ring
Meet music for her Infant King!
It stops! and Mary opes her eyes —
k
Sweet Mary opes her lovely eyes —
And fixes them on Him
Who calm upon her bosom lies.
Ah ! what are Seraphim,
And all the heavenly host on high-
Their music all to one faint sigh
From that dear Child Whose peerless love
Had brought her heaven from above?
Rev. Francis J. Finn, SJ.
APPARITION TO
ST. GERTRUDE, V. AB. O.S.B.
HELDELFS, GERMANY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 127
APPARITION
TO
ST. GERTRUDE, V. AB. O.S.B.
HELDELFS, GERMANY
1292
ST. GERTRUDE'S SALUTATION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Hail Lily white! of the Trinity bright!
No flower rare with thee can compare.
Vermilion Rose! the Godhead's repose,
No azure blue can rival thy hue!
Rose without thorn! of whom Christ was born,
Nursed by thy care, thy milk was His fare.
Primrose so sweet! one boon we entreat,
Grace for us win to live without sin,
This we implore and ask for no more.
1HE illustrious Benedictine Abbess was born at
Eisleben, a small town in the county of Mansfield,
on the 6th of January, 1263; and thus, as it has
been happily remarked, a star of no ordinary bril-
lancy was given to the Church on the day on which that
Church was mystically led by a star to her Incarnate God.
When the Saint had attained her fifth year, she was placed
in the famous Benedictine convent of Rodersdorf, where she
was soon joined by her younger sister, Mechtilde. Here, un
der the careful training of the nuns, who then, as now, devoted
themselves to the education of those confided to their charge,
Gertrude advanced in wisdom and learning, both human and
divine.
At an early age she was conversant with the Latin tongue,
could read and converse in that language, her reading was ex
tensive for that age in which literature was confined to parch
ment, manuscripts, and oral instruction.
128 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
And now the Spouse of virgins began to speak to the heart
of His chosen one, and to withdraw her from those exterior
occupations, no longer necessary for mental cultivation, that
she might listen without distraction or hindrance to those whis
pers of His love which we also, despite our unworthiness, are
permitted to hear and to enjoy.
The Saint has informed us when and how the first of these
heavenly communications was vouchsafed to her. It was on
Monday, the 25th of January, "at the close of day, the Light
of lights came to dissipate the obscurity of her darkness, and
to commence her conversion." And Jesus came, as He mostly
comes to His beloved ones, as she performed an act of humility
and obedience.
Her sisters were not slow to perceive that their companion
was specially favored by Heaven. One religious, who had
long suffered from some painful temptations, was warned in
a dream to apply to Gertrude for relief, and to recommend her
self to her prayers. The moment she complied with this in
junction, the temptation ceased. It would appear that Ger
trude was specially designed by Providence to assist others,
even during her lifetime, by her merits and intercession, as
well as by the gift of counsel with which she was singularly
favored.
A person of great sanctity, who was praying for the Saint,
felt a singular impulse of affection for her, which she believed
to be supernatural. "O Divine Love!" she exclaimed, "what
is it You behold in this virgin which obliges You to esteem her
so highly and to love her so much !" Our Lord replied : "It
is My goodness alone which obliges Me ; since she contains and
perfects in her soul those five virtues which please Me above
all others. She possesses purity, by a continual influence of
My grace; she possesses humility, amidst the great diversity
of gifts which I have bestowed on her — for the more I effect
in her, the more she abases herself; she possesses a true
benignity, which makes her desire the salvation of the whole
world for My greater glory; she possesses a true fidelity,
spreading abroad, without reserve, all her treasures for the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
same end. Finally, she possesses a consummate charity ; for she
loves Me with her whole heart, with her whole soul, and with
her whole strength ; and for love of Me she loves her neighbor
as herself."
After our Lord had spoken thus to this soul, He showed
her a precious stone on His heart, in the form of a triangle,
made of trefoils, the beauty and brilliancy of which cannot be
described, and He said to her: "I always wear this jewel as
a pledge of the affection which I have for My spouse. I have
made it in this form, that all the celestial court may know by
the brightness of the first leaf that there is no creature on earth
so dear to Me as Gertrude, because there is no one at this
present time amongst mankind who is united to Me so closely
as she is, either by purity of intention or by uprightness of
will. They will see by the second leaf, that there is no soul still
bound by the chains of flesh and blood whom I am so disposed
to enrich by My graces and favors. And they will observe
in the splendor of the third leaf, that there is no one who refers
to My glory alone the gifts received from Me with such sin
cerity and fidelity as Gertrude ; who, far from wishing to claim
the least thing for herself, desires most ardently that nothing
shall be ever attributed to her." Our Lord concluded this
revelation by saying to the holy person to whom He had thus
condescended to speak of the perfections of our Saint : "You
cannot find Me in any place in which I delight more, or which
is more suitable for Me, than in the Sacrament of the Altar,
and after that, in the heart and soul of Gertrude, My beloved ;
for towards her all My affections, and the complacencies of My
Divine love, turn in a singular manner."
Our Lord gives His Blessed Mother to St. Gertrude to be
her mother, in order that she may have recourse to her in all
her afflictions.
St. Gertrude having learned by Divine revelation that she
was about to endure some trial for the increase of her merit,
began to fear through human weakness; but the Lord had
compassion on her infirmity, and gave her His most merciful
Mother, the Empress of Heaven, for her mother, so that, when
130 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the burden of her grief appeared beyond her strength, she
might always have recourse to this Mother of Mercy, and by
her intervention obtain relief.
Some time after, as she was much grieved because a devout
person obliged her to reveal the singular favors with which
God had honored her on the preceding feast, she had recourse
to the Mother of the afflicted, in order to learn from her what
she ought to do on this occasion. "Give freely what you pos
sess," she replied ; "for my Son is rich enough to repay all that
you expend for His glory." But as the Saint desired to conceal
as much as possible the great favors granted to her, even while
she partly revealed them, she desired to know from her heav
enly Spouse how far her conduct was agreeable to Him. Pros
trating herself at His feet, she implored Him to make known
His will to her, and to give her the desire of accomplishing it.
Her confidence merited for her this reply, which she received
from the Divine Mercy : "Give my money to the bank, that
when I come I may receive it with usury" (Luke xix., 23).
And thus she learned that the reasons which she had considered
good, and even inspired by the Spirit of God, were merely
human; so that from thenceforth she imparted more freely
what was revealed to her, and not without reason ; for Solomon
has declared : "It is the glory of God to conceal the word, and
the glory of kings to search out the speech." (Prov. xxv., 2.)
St. Gertrude offered herself to God during her prayers and
inquired how He desired her to occupy herself at the time. He
replied' "Honor My Mother, who is seated at My side, and
employ yourself in praising her." Then the Saint began to
salute the Queen of Heaven, reciting the verse, "Paradise of
delights," and extolling her because she was the abode full of
delights which the impenetrable wisdom of God, who knows
all creatures perfectly, had chosen for His dwelling; and she
besought her to obtain for her a heart adorned with so many
virtues that God might take pleasure in dwelling therein. Then
the Blessed Virgin inclined towards her, and planted in her
heart the different flowers of virtue — the rose of charity, the
lily of chastity, the violet of humility, and many other gifts;
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 131
thus showing how promptly she assists those who invoke her
assistance.
Then the Saint addressed her thus : "Rejoice, model of dis
cipline;" praising her for having ordered her desires, judg
ment, and affection with more care than the rest of mankind
and for having served the Lord, who dwelt in her, with such
respect and reverence, that she had never given Him the least
occasion of pain in her thoughts, words or actions. Having
besought her to obtain for her also the same grace, it appeared
to her that the Mother of God sent her all her affections under
the form of young virgins, recommending each in particular
to unite her dispositions to those of her client, and to supply
for any defects into which she might fall. By this also she
understood with what haste the Blessed Virgin assists those
who invoke her. Then the Saint besought Our Lord to supply
for her omissions in devotion to His Blessed Mother, which
He was pleased to do. The following day, as Gertrude prayed,
the Mother of God appeared to her in the presence of the ever-
adorable Trinity, under the form of a white lily, with three
leaves, one standing erect, and the other two bent down. By
this she understood that it was not without reason that the
Blessed Mother of God was called the white Lily of the Trinity,
since she contained in herself, with more plentitude and per
fection than any other creature, the virtues of the Most Holy
Trinity, which she had never sullied by the slightest stain of
sin. The upright leaf of the Lily represented the omnipotence
of God the Father, and the two leaves which bent down, the
wisdom and love of the Son and the Holy Spirit, to which the
Holy Virgin approaches so nearly. Then the Blessed Virgin
made known to her that if anyone salutes her devoutly as the
white Lily of the Trinity, and the vermilion rose of heaven, she
will show her how she prevails by the omnipotence of the
Father, how skilful she is in procuring the salvation of men by
the wisdom of the Son, and with what an exceeding love her
heart is filled by the charity of the Holy Ghost. The Blessed
Virgin added these words : "I will appear at the hour of death
to those who salute me thus in such glory that they will antici-
132 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
pate the very joys of heaven." From that time the Saint fre
quently saluted the Holy Virgin or her images with these
words : "Hail, white Lily of the ever-peaceful and glorious
Trinity! hail, effulgent rose, the delight of heaven, of whom
the King of Heaven was born, and by whose milk He was
nourished ! do thou feed our souls by the effusions of thy Di
vine influences?"
On another occasion, a devout person who was praying for
the Saint, heard these words : "She for whom thou prayest is
My dove, who has no guile in her, for she rejects from her
heart as gall all the guile and bitterness of sin. She is My
chosen Lily, which I love to bear in My hands; for it is My
delight and My pleasure to repose in the purity and innocence
o»f this chaste soul. She is My rose, whose odor is full of
sweetness, because of her patience in every adversity, and the
thanksgiving which she continually offers Me, which ascend
before Me as the sweetest perfumes. She is that spring flower
which never fades, and which I take pleasure in contemplating,
because she keeps and maintains continually in her breast an
ardent desire, not only for all virtues, but for the utmost per
fection of every virtue. She is as a sweet melody, which rav
ishes the ears of the blessed ; and this melody is composed of all
the sufferings she endures with so much constancy."
St. Gertrude was chosen abbess in the year 1294. The year
following, the religious moved to Heldelfs. The Saint was
elected to this important charge at the early age of thirty — no
slight testimony to her singular prudence and extraordinary
virtue. For forty years she continued to edify and guide her
spiritual children, many of whom had attained a high degree of
sanctity. As superioress, she was distinguished for charity
and zeal. While others suffered, whether in body or in mind,
she could not rest, and where there was need of amendment,
her tears and prayers brought repentance and renewed fervor,
rather than any severity of reproof, which her office might have
more than sanctioned. The importance of her work, and its
immense value in the eyes of her Divine Spouse, was mani
fested to her by a remarkable vision, which must ever be a
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 13:,
special subject of instruction and consolation for those simi
larly circumstanced and, indeed, for all religious.
Our Lord appeared to her, bearing on His sacred shoulders a
vast and magnificent building. "Behold," He said, "with what
labor, care, and vigilance I carry this beloved house, which is
none other than that of Religion. It is everywhere threatened
with ruin, because there are so few persons who are willing to
do or to suffer anything for its support and increase. You,
therefore, should suffer with Me in bearing it; for all those
who endeavor, by their words or actions, to extend Religion,
and who try to re-establish it in its first fervor and purity, are
so many pillars which sustain this holy house; and comfort
Me by sharing with Me the weight of this burden."
From that moment the Saint devoted herself, with all the
sanctified energy of a naturally ardent temperament, to the
work so dear to her Spouse. Her convent became indeed a
"pleasure-house" of delight to the Spouse of Virgins. Under
her guidance the fervent increased in fervor and the saintly
advanced rapidly in perfection. Many were favored with in
timate and most blessed communications from heaven ; one at
least, Mechtilde, her sister in the flesh as well as in the spirit,
obtained even on earth a recognition of her sanctity, and
ranks amongst those who are invoked upon the Church's
altars.
The union of the Saint with her Lord became so intimate that
even the fear of sudden death appeared unable to disturb her
peace for a moment. On one occasion, as she journeyed from
one convent to another, she was suddenly thrown down a steep
mountain-path. "My sweet Lord," she exclaimed, "how happy
should I have been if this fall had brought me sooner to Thee."
Her companions inquired if she would not fear to die without
the Sacraments. "I desire most ardently," she replied, "to re
ceive the Sacraments before I die ; but I prefer the providence
and will of my Lord and my God even to all the Sacraments,
for I believe this is the best preparation for death. It is indif
ferent to me ; for I trust, in whatever manner I die, that I shall
not be deprived of the mercy of my God, without which my
134 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
eternal ruin would be inevitable, whether I die an unprepared
death, or whether I have long anticipated my end."
One Friday, when the Saint had spent the whole night in
meditation, and had been prevented from sleeping by the ardor
of her love, she remembered with what tenderness she had
snatched the iron nails from a crucifix which she always kept
near her, and replaced them by nails of sweet-smelling cloves,
and said to God : "My Beloved, how didst Thou accept my
drawing the iron nails from the Sacred Wounds of Thy Hands
and Feet, to place these cloves therein, which give an agree
able odor?" Our Lord replied: "It was so agreeable to Me,
that in return for it I poured the noble balsam of My Divinity
into the wounds of your sins. And for this all the Saints will
praise Me eternally ; for your wounds, by the infusion of this
liquor, will become agreeable." "But, Lord," inquired the Saint,
"wilt Thou not grant the same grace to those who perform the
same action?" "Not at all," he replied; "but those who do it
with the same fervor will receive a similar reward ; and those
who, following your example, do likewise with all the devotion
of which they are capable, will receive a lesser recompense."
Gertrude then took the crucifix and clasped it in her arms,
kissing it tenderly, until she felt herself growing weak from
her long vigil, when she laid it aside and, taking leave of her
Spouse, asked His permission to go and rest, that she might
recover her strength, which was almost exhausted by her long
meditation.
The happy manner in which she combined the duties of the
active life with that unceasing union with her Beloved which
so specially characterized her spiritual life was shown to St.
Mechtilde in a vision. On one occasion, as she chanted, she
beheld Our Divine Lord seated on a high throne, around which
St. Gertrude walked without turning her eyes from her Mas
ter even for a moment. At the same time she appeared to ful
fil her exterior duties with the most perfect exactness. As her
holy sister mused in amazement on the vision, she heard these
words : "This is an image of the life which My beloved Ger
trude lives ; thus does she ever walk in My presence, never re-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 135
laxing in her ardent desire to know and and to do what is most
pleasing to My heart. As soon as she has ascertained it, she
executes it with care and fidelity, and then promptly passes
to some other duty, seeking in her zeal always to find some new
virtue to practice. Thus her whole life is a continuous chain
of praise, consecrated to My honor and glory.'*
"But, Lord," replied Mechtilde, "if the life of St. Gertrude
is so perfect, how is it that she cannot support the imperfections
of others, and that they appear so great to her ?"
Our Lord replied, with admirable sweetness : "It is because
she cannot endure that her own heart should be sullied with the
slightest stain and, therefore, she cannot see without emotion
the least defect in the heart of another."
It was the custom of the Saint, when she was offered any
choice in articles of clothing or other necessaries, to close her
eyes, and then to put out her hand and take whatever she
touched. Then she received whatever fell to her lot with the
most lively gratitude, as a present from Our Lord Himself.
Indeed, her devotion to Divine Providence was a special fea
ture in her sanctity, and one which procured her many favors.
What could be refused to one who trusted so utterly to Eternal
Love!
The sanctity of St. Mechtilde was well known to the Saint,
and she frequently asked her advice and prayers. Once, as St.
Mechtilde prayed fervently for her, in compliance with her
desire, she beheld Our Divine Lord attired as a Bridegroom,
and clothed in a robe of green lined with gold. His beauty
surpassed that of millions of angels, and He tenderly embraced
with His right arm her for whom she prayed. It appeared to
her that Gertrude also embraced her Lord, and that her heart
was attached to the wound in the side of Jesus. As she sought
in amazement to comprehend this wonderful Vision, she heard
these words : "Know that the green and gold of My vestments
represent the operation of My Divinity, always new, and al
ways acting by the influence of My love. Yes," he added,
after again repeating the same words, "My operation is always
new, and always in action in the soul of Gertrude; and the
136 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
union which you behold of her heart with My side shows that
she is attached so inseparably to Me, that she is in a condition
to receive every moment the infusions of My Divinity."
St. Mechtilde then asked if St. Gertrude, who was so dear
to God, never committed any fault; and why she appeared so
ready at any moment to change her occupation, and to do, as if
by chance, whatever came into her mind, her conscience ap
pearing to be equally at rest whether she prayed, wrote, read,
instructed, reproved, or consoled.
Our Saviour replied : "I have united My Heart so closely to
her soul by the ties of My mercy, that she has become one spirit
with Me. It is on this account she obeys so promptly all the
desires of My will; so that the harmony and understanding
which exists between the soul of Gertrude and Mine, and as the
moment a man has willed in his heart a movement of his hands,
they accomplish his desire, because they are entirely subject to
the will of the heart; and as one desires in his mind that his
eyes should look on any object, and his eyes immediately open
to obey him, — so Gertrude is ever with Me, and at every mo
ment is ready to obey the movements which I suggest."
THE SAINT AS ABBESS TENDERNESS TOWARDS OTHERS CARE
OF THE SICK HER LAST ILLNESS
The Saint was elected abbess on the 3d of May. 1294, and
governed her convent for forty years and six months. In the
exercise of her charge she conducted herself with great wis
dom, sweetness and prudence, for the glory of God and the
benefit of mankind ; in charity and love towards God, in piety
and vigilance towards her neighbor, in profound humil
ity and mortification towards herself. The sick had special
reason to extol her charity and her care, for she visited them,
supplied them with every necessary and, far from contenting
herself with consoling them merely by words, she served them
with her own hands. Her religious were often obliged to in
terfere in these exercises of devotion, lest their beloved supe
rior should exceed her strength, and exhaust her enfeebled
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 137
frame, in these duties of love. Even in her dying moments, her
thoughts, as we shall see later, were constantly occupied with
a sick sister; nor could she be satisfied until she was carried
to her to console her. So true a mother was this blessed Saint
to the children whom God had given her.
^Vhile, then, she thus flourished in all kinds of virtue and,
like a mystic rose, emitted a sweet odor of sanctity, agreeable
alike to God and man, when she had concluded the fortieth year
of her office as abbess, she was attacked with illness. This
illness was for her a favorable touch of the Almighty hand,
who willed to free her from the ties of the flesh and miseries
of earth, and to draw to Himself this noble and generous soul.
She had brought up in the convent, and received to profession,
more than a hundred religious; and of this great number we
never knew one who had the same esteem and veneration for
any person as for their beloved abbess. Her power of winning-
others was so great and so engaging that even the young chil
dren who were placed in the convent conceived so tender and
strong an affection for her that as soon as they were instructed
in the things of God, and learned that she was their spiritual
mother, they would have considered it a fault and a disrespect
to say that they loved either father or mother or any other rela
tive more than the Saint.
A dangerous attack of illness made the religious fear that
this star, which shone so brightly by the light of the Sun of
Justice, was about to set ; and, as they apprehended, when they
were no longer guided by the wisdom of so amiable and holy
a mother, nor animated by the brilliancy and force of her ex
ample, that they might stray from the strictness of the narrow
path of holy religion, they had recourse to the Father of
Mercies, and addressed to Him their earnest prayers for her
recovery. And He who is so sovereignly good despised not
the sighs and tears of these poor children, but because it was
not convenient that He should grant them what was contrary
to the immutable decrees of His Providence, He heard them in
another manner, and in the way which was most useful and ad
vantageous for their salvation, since, by making them consider
138 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the approaching decease of their mother as the commencement
of her happiness, he filled them with consolation, and enabled
them to rejoice in her happiness.
For several months before her death, St. Gertrude entirely
lost the use of speech, and was only able to articulate the words,
"My spirit." Those who attended her in vain endeavored to
ascertain what she meant ; it appeared almost miraculous that
she was able to pronounce them, while otherwise totally de
prived of utterance. As she repeated them constantly, the re
ligious, St. Mechtilde, prayed to our Lord to know the mean
ing of the words. Our Lord replied: "Because I, the Lord
God, dwelling in her, have so drawn and united her spirit to
Mine, that she sees Me alone in every creature, therefore, in
her words, in her answers, and in her prayers, she makes men
tion of Me as the Person in whom her spirit lives. And when
ever she acts thus, I intimate to the whole heavenly host that
it is to Me alone she looks, and for this she will have everlast
ing glory in heaven."
The Saint still listened with attention when anyone spoke to
her of God ; and so great was her fervor that she insisted on
being brought daily to assist at the Adorable Sacrifice, although
one of her limbs was useless and the other in such a state that
she could not bear it to be touched without suffering great pain.
Still she took the greatest care to conceal her real state, and
avoided the least sign of pain, lest she should be deprived of
her highest consolation. Her life-long devotion to the Office
now manifested itself to all. At the times at which she had
been so long accustomed to watch and pray she remained
awake and alert, although even when taking necessary food
she was constantly overcome by sleep.
A month after the Saint had lost the use of speech she ap
peared so ill that it was considered necessary to administer the
last anointing without delay. As the religious were preparing
for the holy rite, Our Divine Lord appeared to St. Gertrude
under the form of a Spouse of exceeding beauty and, extend
ing His arms to her, as if to invite her to Himself, moving in
whatever direction she turned her face. It was revealed to one
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 139
of the religious that Our Lord had so much love for His faith
ful servant that He ardently desired to receive her into the
arms of His mercy and to put her in possession of the glories
of heaven. The religious inquired how it could be that her be
loved mother equalled in merit those Virgin Saints whom the
Church had canonized because they had shed their blood for
the faith. She received this reply : "Since the first year in
which she held office as abbess she united and conformed her
will so perfectly to Mine as to have merited an equal reward.
But now that her virtues have increased with her years, I have
given her a yet greater share of glory and merit."
When the happy day of release came, which the Saint had so
long desired, Our Lord appeared to her with His Divine coun
tenance radiant with joy. At His right hand stood His Ever-
blessed Mother, and at His left the beloved disciple John. An
immense multitude of Saints attended the King of all Saints,
and amongst their glorious ranks were seen a band of virgins
who appeared to the religious of the convent and joined them
selves with them. Our Divine Lord approached the bed of the
dying Saint, showing such marks of tenderness and affection
as were more than sufficient to sweeten the bitterness of death.
When the Passion was read, at the words, "And bowing His
head, He gave up the Ghost," Our Lord inclined towards His
faithful spouse, and opened wide His adorable Heart, as if
transported with love, pouring forth all its tenderness on her.
It might have seemed enough ; but even on earth there was yet
more consolation reserved for her who had been faithful — even
until death.
As the sisters prayed and wept around her bed, the religious
so favored by Our Lord ventured to address Him thus : "O
most sweet Jesus! we beseech Thee, by the goodness which
prompted Thee to give us so dear a mother, that, as Thou art
about to take her from this world, Thou wouldst condescend
to our prayers and receive her with the same affection as Thou
didst Thy Blessed Mother, when she went forth from the
body." Then Our Lord, with exceeding clemency, turned to
His Blessed Mother and said to her : "Tell Me, My Mother,
HO APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
what I did most pleasing to you when you were leaving the
world; for they ask me to bestow a similar favor on their
mother?" "My Son," replied the Holy Virgin, sweetly, "my
greatest joy was the grace which You showed me of receiving
me in the secure asylum of Your holy arms." Our Lord re
plied : "I granted this because My Mother, when on earth, ever
remembered My Passion with such intense anguish." Then
he added : "I granted this favor to My chosen one in recom
pense for the care which you had, while yet on earth, to medi
tate often in your mind and to revere by your grief and your
tears, the mystery of My Passion. Gertrude must, therefore,
render herself in some sort worthy of this favor, by the pain
and difficulty which she will suffer to-day in breathing. The
patience which she will thus be called upon to exercise will place
her in a state somewhat similar to that to which you were often
reduced by the recollection of My sufferings."
St. Gertrude accordingly continued in her agony the entire
day ; but Our Lord did not leave her to suffer alone. His heart
had already been opened to her, and from thence she drew the
help and consolation she needed. Celestial spirits also sur
rounded her bed, and she beheld them inviting her to paradise,
and heard their celestial harmony as they sung continually :
"Come, come, come, O lady ! the joys of heaven await thee !
Alleluia ! Alleluia !"
HER DEATH OF HER ETERNAL JOYS OUR LORD CONSOLES HER
RELIGIOUS REVELATIONS OF HER SANCTITY OUR
LORD BLESSES HER TOMB
The moment of release came at last, and Gertrude passed to
the eternal embraces of her Spouse. The religious, whose reve
lations seemed scarcely less wonderful than those of her saintly
superior, heard Our Divine Lord address her thus : "Behold,
now, you are to be united to Me, and to become My own for
ever, by the sweet embrace which I will give to your soul, and
in which I will present you to My eternal Father by the close
embrace of My heart." As if Our Lord would say, that
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
though His almighty power had detained her until that moment
on earth in order that she might amass a greater fund of merit,
His extreme goodness and the impatience of His love, if we
may be permitted so to speak, could no longer defer her hap
piness, or leave His treasure in the mire of earth ; but that He
desired to transport her without delay to Paradise, and to have
the satisfaction of seeing her enjoy eternal blessedness.
"And now this happy, and a thousand times blessed, soul
took her flight to heaven, and retired into the sanctuary of the
Divinity. — I mean into the sweetest Heart of Jesus, the faith
ful and magnificent Spouse who had opened it to her by so
great an excess of His bounty. Who can imagine the feelings
which so extraordinary a favor excited in this holy soul, the
wonders which she discovered, the glories with which she was
enlightened, and the avidity with which she drank in the pure
and holy delights which flowed upon her from the Divinity as
from a fountain. We will not undertake to speak here of the
welcome or of the caresses which she received from her Divine
Spouse, which the excellence of His bounty and His infinite
perfections rendered so amiable, nor of the joy and the thanks
givings with which the angels and Saints attended her triumph,
nor of the praise which they gave to her eminent virtue ; for our
mind is too weak and our pen too poor to relate such things;
and it is more safe and agreeable to our duty to content our
selves with sharing in the common joy of the blessed who as
sisted at her entrance into glory, and to sing canticles of
thanksgiving to God, who, by His mercy, has raised her to such
a high honor.
"This sun of the religious life, which had shed abroad so far
the light of good example, shining no more on earth, and this
soul, which was but as a drop of water in comparison with God
having entered happily into the infinite ocean of the Divinity,
from whence she had come forth by creation, the sisters of her
convent were at first cast down, and in great sadness. They
endeavored, nevertheless, to rise, looking with the eyes of faith,
as it were, at the sublime land of glory in which they believed
their mother had been placed. But, on the other hand, as they
142 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
considered the greatness of their loss, and that they had been
deprived of so excellent an abbess, whose like had never been,
nor could ever be hoped to be seen by them, they fell again into
deep grief and shed many tears. But in the end the hope of
their mother's happiness increasing more and more in their
souls, they began to rejoice with her, and to beseech her to con
sole them herself with her maternal tenderness and affection;
and then they began to manifest their joy by singing the re-
sponsory Surge, Virgo, et nostras, which was commenced by the
religious who had the greatest share in the confidence of St.
Gertrude and in the favors with which heaven had honored her,
and who was, therefore, the more obliged to interest herself
in her triumph.
"Thus this virginal body, which had been the temple of Jesus
Christ, was borne by the hands of these virgins into the chapel,
and placed before the altar. Then, all the community being
prostrated in prayer round the corpse, they beheld the soul of
the Saint, radiant with glory, standing before the throne of the
most Holy Trinity, and praying for the salvation of all those
who had been formerly under her guidance."
While the Mass was being said for the repose of her soul,
the religious who had been so dear to her prayed to God, and
represented her affliction to Him. Our Lord deigned to console
her by this reply: "Why are you so afflicted for the death of
Gertrude ? If I have taken her from you, am I not able to sup
ply what is wanting to you? If, after the decease of a gentle
man, the lord to wrhom his lands belong, takes possession of
them, and unites them to his own domains by a just right, and
if this lord has a high reputation for equity, there may well be
confidence in him that he will not abandon the children of the
deceased, and that he will give them what will be necessary for
their subsistence, — how much more just is it, then, that you
should confide in Me, who am goodness itself, and that you
should hope firmly, if you turn to Me with your whole heart,
that I will give to each of you that which you think you have
lost in her."
After the corpse had been interred, while the response Reg-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN U3
num mundi was singing, wonderful signs of the beatitude of
Gertrude were beheld in heaven, and the very walls and pave
ment of the convent seemed to thrill with joy.
The Saint appeared with a troop of virgins of admirable
beauty. She held a lily and other flowers in her right hand,
and at her left were the religious of her community who had
already attained eternal beatitude. In this glorious triumph
they marched before the throne of God ; and when the words
quern vidi, were chanted, God the Father bestowed gifts on
them; at the words, quam aniavi, God the Son bestowed His
liberality on them ; and at the In quern credidi the Holy Spirit
granted similar favors. When they sung quern dilexi, St. Ger
trude turned towards her heavenly Spouse and saluted Him
with ardent love. As they chanted the response Libera me,
Domine, many souls were seen entering heaven with great joy,
who had been released through the Masses said that day, and
by the merits of the Saint. Amongst others, a lay brother who
had been somewhat negligent in spiritual things, but who had
been much relieved by the intercession of the Saint.
On the thirtieth day St. Gertrude appeared again to this re
ligious, but with a splendor which far surpassed the visions
she had seen before. The reason of this was, that God willed
that the merit which she had acquired by His grace in suffering
her infirmities and sickness with so much patience, should ap
pear exteriorly, and that the beauty of her soul should shine
forth visibly. A book of gold, richly adorned, was seen before
the throne of God, in which were written all the instructions she
had given to those persons who had been under her guidance
while she was on earth; to which was yet to be added all the
advancement in virtue which they had attained either by her
teaching or example.
At Mass, the religious prayed with great fervor that Our
Lord would reward their blessed mother for her maternal love
and care. Our Lord replied : "I grant your prayer, and con
sent that each of you should make a similar petition to Me ; for
I have such a good will for this soul that there is scarcely any
gift or grace which I am not disposed to grant her." Then
144 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
looking at the Saint lovingly, He said : "You have bestowed
your benefits well, since they are returned to you so gratefully."
Gertrude then prostrated before the throne of His glory, to
thank Him for the fidelity of those who had been formerly un
der her guidance, and said : "Eternal, boundless, and unceas
ing praise be to Thee, my sweetest Lord, for all Thy benefits ;
and blessed be the moment in which Thou didst will to prepare
and sustain me to receive such rewards. O God of my life, do
Thou answer them for me ?" Our Lord replied : "I will fix the
eves of My mercy upon them." He then made the sign of the
Cross twice with His most holy hand ; and by this He gave to
each member of the community the grace of giving good ex
ample, and the grace of having a pure intention of Divine love
in their hearts.
We find the following passage in Pere Baron's Incendie,
Vol. n, lib. iii., c. 28: "St. Gertrude, having made a dona
tion of all her merits and good works to the souls in Purgatory,
the demon appeared to her at the moment of her death, and
mocked her, saying : 'How vain thou art ! and how cruel thou
hast been to thyself ! For what greater pride can there be than
to wish to pay the debts of others without paying one's own ?
Now, we will see the result ; when thou art dead thou wilt pay
for thyself in the fires of purgatory, and I will laugh at thy
folly, whilst thou weepest for thy pride.' Then she beheld her
Divine Spouse approaching her, who consoled her with these
words : 'In order that you may know how agreeable your
charity for the souls of the departed has been to Me, I remit to
you now all the pains of Purgatory which you might have suf
fered ; and as I have promised to return you a hundred for one,
I will further increase your celestial glory abundantly, giving
you a special recompense for the charity which you have exer
cised towards My beloved souls in Purgatory, by renouncing
in their favor your works of satisfaction.' "
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 145
SAINT GERTRUDE'S SPEAKING CRUCIFIX
The Virgin, radiant with a heavenly light,
Was bowed in prayer within her narrow cell ;
And while the crucifix fast held her sight,
Adown her cheeks the tear-drops copious fell.
She weeps whilst pond'ring what her Saviour bore:
On Calvary's height she stands in spirit now,
And wipes with loving care the dust and gore,
That make so foul His beauteous, God-like brow.
At length the Cross is elevated slow ;
And oh ! with what desire His Gertrude burns
To think how she may ease His peerless woe;
And, guileless, loving soul, a way she learns !
She grasps her Saviour's image on the rood,
On which He dying lay, to prove His love;
The nails extracts that bind Him to the wood,
And for each one inserts a fragrant clove ;
Then smiles content. And soon a voice she hears,
Her Jesus' voice unto her heart addressed,
Lauding her act and calming all her fears, —
A foretaste of the gladness of the Blessed.
Not him who sorrow for his fellow makes,
But him who sweetly soothes another's woe,
Like the Samaritan, — his Saviour takes
Unto His Heart, and laves from guilt as snow.
Rev. J. /. £., SJ.
PRAYER FOR PEACE
Anth. — Give peace, O Lord, in our days ; for there is none other
that fighteth for us but only Thou our God.
V. — Let there be peace in Thy strength, O Lord.
R. — And plenty in Thy strong places.
APPARITION TO
B. BENVENUTA BOJANI, V.O.S.D,
CIVIDALE, AUSTRIA
THE HOLY FAMILY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 147
APPARITION
TO
B. BENVENUTA BOJANI, V.O.S.D.
CIVIDALE, AUSTRIA
1292
Madonna, Queen and Mother! sweeter strains
Than thy inspiring never hath been sung—
Thou art the poet's purest, brightest dream.
Fairest! ah, break the captive's cruel chains;
Sweet are life's charms, yet sweeter far among
Thy court to see thy glorious beauty beam.
G. W. 5. Norris.
LESSED BENVENUTA was born at Cividale, in
the province of Friuli, in the Austrian dominions,
about A. D. 1254. The family already consisted
of six daughters, and the father earnestly desired
a son. Those who were present at the child's birth were, there
fore, afraid to tell him that his hopes were again disappointed ;
but he guessed the truth from their silence, and exclaimed :
"She, too, shall be welcome !" Hence the little one received the
beautiful Italian name of Benvenuta [Welcome]. From her
earliest childhood she gave evidence of singular piety. When
only seven years old she was in the habit of daily reciting a
hundred Paters and Aves in honor of the adorable Trinity, and
a thousand Aves in honor of Our Blessed Lady. On Saturdays
she doubled her devotions, and on the festival of the Annuncia
tion, which was specially dear to her, she was accustomed to
salute her heavenly Mother with as many as three thousand
Aves. A married sister, who was tenderly attached to Ben
venuta, strove to induce her to wear costly attire and to accom
pany her to dances and other festivities; but the saintly child
would tear the ornaments from her hair and, wrapping herself
in a coarse veil, seek a hiding-place in a wood at the back of
148 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the house, whence she could see a church dedicated to Our
Blessed Lady, which stood on the summit of a hill. The grass,
which all around grew rank and thick, was worn away by her
continual genuflections and prostrations.
To the constant exercise of prayer she soon learnt to add
that of severe bodily austerities. When she was twelve years
old she began to wear a hair-shirt and girdle herself with a
rope, which, as she grew, became buried in the flesh, causing
her intense pain. Fearing that, if she disclosed the circum
stance to her parents, they would oblige her to submit to a
surgical operation, for which she felt extreme repugnance, she
had recourse to prayer and, presently beheld the rope lying
unbroken on the ground before her. For this reason she is
generally represented with a rope in her hand. She chose Our
Blessed Lady as her Mother, and made a vow of virginity in
her honor. She also placed herself in a special manner under
the patronage of St. Dominic by entering the Third Order, and
she did her best to imitate the penitential life of the holy
Patriarch. She spent the greater part of the night in watch
ing; and, when she felt herself overcome by sleep, she would
rub her eyes with vinegar, thus rendering it impossible for her
to close them. Thrice every night she took a severe discipline
with an iron chain ; she practised much fasting and abstinence,
denied herself the use of wine, and took her scanty rest lying
on the bare ground with a stone for her pillow. By these aus
terities, for which in her fervor and simplicity she had not
deemed it necessary to ask the permission of her Confessor, she
reduced herself to a state of extreme weakness and suffering.
Then St. Dominic appeared to her and bade her manifest all
her penitential practises and their consequences to her spiritual
Father. Benvenuta felt great repugnance to obey this com
mand, and it was not until it had been thrice repeated with
some severity that she at length yielded. Thenceforth she was
compelled by obedience somewhat to mitigate the extreme aus
terity of her life and to undertake no penitential practises with
out permission.
Satan early made this holy virgin the object of his malignant
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 149
attacks, both in soul and body. He was constantly appearing
to her under various forms and, finding himself unable to lead
her into sin, he strove at least to terrify her and to shake her
confidence in God; but Benvenuta, whose courage in all these
encounters was heroic, so humbled the proud spirit as to compel
him to confess that he should be ashamed to appear before his
companions after being thus reviled and baffled by a girl. These
temptations and struggles, joined to her fasts and vigils, and
her continual prostrations and prayers, so exhausted her
strength that at last she fell ill and continued in a state of very
great suffering for five years, unable to retain any food and
living on nothing but water. At length, having made a vow
to go on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Dominic, at Bologna, if
her health was restored, she was miraculously cured.
Many souls were delivered from purgatory through the
prayers and penances of blessed Benvenuta, and appeared to
her to thank her for their release. Amongst these were her
own father and brother. The visions and supernatural favors
bestowed on this humble servant of God were of singular
beauty. The following are the only examples which can be
quoted in this brief narrative. One day, when she was pray
ing in a church, she beheld a poor child of exquisite beauty,
and, calling him to her, she inquired if he could say the Hail
Mary. "Can you say it?" asked the child. Benvenuta imme
diately began to recite it; and, when she came to the words,
"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb," the child said : "And I am
He," and then disappeared. Having once prepared herself
with special devotion to celebrate the festival of our Lord's
Nativity, as she was praying in the church on Christmas night
and begging the Blessed Virgin to allow her to behold the Di
vine Babe, she suddenly saw a lady bearing an infant in her
arms and accompanied by an old man who carried a stick. The
Lady bade her return home, telling her she would there see
what she desired. Benvenuta obeyed; and, when she reached
the house the same vision was again vouchsafed to her, and the
Blessed Virgin laid the Divine Infant in her arms, and per
mitted her to caress Him for more than an hour,
150 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Before the death of blessed Benvenuta, which happened
when she was in her thirty-eighth year, Our Lady revealed to
her that the devil would appear to her under a most horrible
form, striving to tempt her with vain fears ; but her heavenly
Mother promised that she would herself hasten to her assist
ance, as indeed, happened. The servant of God, after a short
but terrible conflict with the evil one, departed this life in great
peace and joy on the 3Oth of October, A. D. 1292. Her sanc
tity was attested by many miracles, and she was beatified by
Clement X.
HE GREW IN WISDOM
He grew in wisdom day bv day,
Close nestling at His Mother's knee;
She taught His baby lips to pray,
Her own voice joining reverently.
From her He learned our human speech,
The lessons of the birds and flowers,
Such simple love as she could teach,
Through all those precious hidden hours.
And when the stars shone overhead
And night fell soft on Nazareth,
Held fast within her arms, He read
The sacred scrolls with bated breath.
Sometimes He paused, with tiny hand
Laid softly on His Mother's cheek;
She thought a thrill passed o'er the land,
To hear the words His tongue would speak.
Gazing within His eyes, she saw
His wisdom growing day by day;
In turn He taught her Israel's law —
Her Child, Who loved not childhood's play.
But deep within her mother-heart
She hid His wisdom through the years,
And when He slept she sat apart,
And pondered it 'mid falling tears.
Marion Ames Tag gar t.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
TO
PAUL OF THE WOOD, HERMIT
RECANATI, ITALY
1294
O House of Nazareth! Earth's heaven!
Our households now are hallowed all by thee;
All blessings come, all gifts are given,
Because of thy dear earthly Trinity.
Rev. Frederick W. Faber.
AIR Italy has many shrines, but the first and dearest
of them all is a certain rude stone cottage on the
shores of the Adriatic. Brought hither by angelic
hands, it has ever been the favorite place of pil-
grimage for Catholics, not only of Italy, or even Europe, but
of the world. Tis justly so, for within its sacred precincts
the most stupendous mystery of all time was accomplished.
The Word was made flesh there, and began to dwell amongst
men. The wonderful story of the Holy House is familiar to
most of us from childhood. A brief resume of this, and then
for a glance at the actual Loretto of to-day.
From earliest Christianity the house in Nazareth of Galilee
that had been the home of the Holy Family was known and
held in the highest veneration. To it in humble pilgrimage
had come the Empress — mother of Constantine the Great —
St. Helen; the poet-lauded Tancred, the flower of stainless
chivalry ; the gentle mystic of Assisi, St. Francis ; and the brave
St. Louis, king of France. But darker days had come upon
the holy places. Mahometan cruelty reigned throughout Pal
estine. All Christians were either butchered or expelled, and
Shrines dedicated to the most sacred memories were defiled or
ruthlessly destroyed. Nor could the sacred abode in Galilee
152 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
have escaped ruin, but that God willed that it should be pre
served for the veneration and consolation of the faithful
through many succeeding centuries. One day it was seen no
more in Nazareth. At the same time it was known that a
small stone structure had miraculously appeared at Tersotto,
a small town of Dalmatia, on the eastern shores of the Adriatic.
Inquiry proved the identity of this stone cottage with that of
Nazareth, and at once great devotion began to be shown it.
Within a year, however, it disappeared as miraculously as it
had come, and was immediately afterward found on the west
ern shores of the same sea, somewhat towards the north of
Italy. This second event was on December loth, in the year
1294. Doubtless, such a tale sounds unusual in this age of
incredulity, but everything thus far recorded is proved by
actual existing documents. 'Tis still better proved by the un
interrupted series of miracles that for six long centuries have
rewarded the faith and piety of devout pilgrims from the four
quarters of the globe. The present century is no exception in
this respect to the five that have preceded it. Nor is a visit
to Loretto now any less interesting than in past years.
For hours before it actually comes into view we are travel
ing the far extending shores of the Adriatic. The scenery at
first rather flat and uninteresting, changes perceptibly as we
near our destination. Beautifully undulating hills, covered
with forests and vineyards succeed one another almost with
regularity. The valleys between are at times under perfect cul
tivation, at others are long stretches of meadow land. Suddenly,
in the distance, we catch a glimpse of a town built upon a hill,
from the midst of which rises a stately cathedral, slightly
oriental in its peculiarly shaped dome. 'Tis Loretto.
A moment more and we have drawn up at the railway sta
tion in the lower town, have taken our places in one of the
many busses there awaiting us, and are toiling away up the
steep hill. A drive of twenty minutes and we have reached
the upper town, quaintly built, as all Italian towns are, in very
irregular, rough-paved streets. That leading direct to the
basilica might well be described as one long set of booths. It
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 153
is narrow, and nearly every house on each side is a shop for the
sale of souvenirs. Five minutes more and we are crossing the
large square in front of the cathedal. It is called, with pe
culiar appropriateness, the square or piazza, of the Madonna.
In the centre a beautiful fountain casts grateful sprays up into
the sultry summer air. To the left, as we ascend the step, is
a large bronze statue of Sixtus V., said to be one of the
finest statues in bronze existing. A few steps further and we
have pushed aside the heavy curtain at the door, and are within
the basilica.
The very first object to claim our attention is the Holy
House, standing directly under the dome, heavily encased in
superb marble, and surrounded with numerous rich and ever
burning lamps. What floods of emotion rush through our
souls as we advance slowly up the nave, and turning to our
right, enter beneath the hallowed portals of what was once, so
long ago, the house of Jesus, Mary, Joseph. What wonder
that in trembling awe and love we kneel, and there in "the
dim religious light" pour forth our souls in sweetest prayer?
The very stones whisper to us of peace, of happiness, of love.
For many long years these sacred walls contained the most
perfect heaven earth ever knew. It seems that we could never
tire of kneeling there and praying at that sacred spot.
A high Mass is going on as we enter, the choir answering
from without. And now, as we glance around, we find that
we are in a room some twenty feet long by ten or twelve broad.
The arched ceiling is not the original one. This last was re
moved by one of the Popes and placed under the mosaic pave
ment. At the farther end is an altar raised by at least three
steps, and in the wall back of this is a niche containing a wood
en statue of the Blessed Virgin and the Divine Child, said by
tradition to have been carved by the evangelist St. Luke. The
figures, both of Virgin and Child, are of ebony black, and there
are. marks upon them to show that at one time they were gilded.
The cloth forming the dress of the statue is fairly ablaze with
jewels of rarest value. The altar is alight with lamps and
candles placed in every available spot. The high Mass over,
154 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a low Mass begins, and this ended, another. Thus the divine
service goes on uninterruptedly the whole morning, and often
into the afternoon. And how thrilling it is to hear Mass here,
but, above all, how deeply impressive to say Mass. There are
two altars for the conveniences of visiting priests — one within
the Holy House, the other built against that wall which faces
the entrance of the basilica. This latter is called the altar of
the Annunciation, from a sculpture of that mystery in the
marble casing of that part of the Holy House. Amongst the re
maining sculptures are the Birth of the Virgin, the Adoration
of the Magi, the Adoration of the Shepherds, the Espousals
of Mary with Joseph. Running all about the Holy House is a
broad step of solid marble. In itself it is remarkable, but what
makes it still more so are two deep grooves at about equal
distances apart, completely encircling the Shrine. They have
been made by the knees of countless pilgrims who, turn by
turn, have gone around the Holy House in that humble, prayer
ful posture. What an intense, living faith is this ! What wond
er that Mary blesses these faithful servants of Jesus and of
her ! The dome is richly painted, representing the various
mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and the titles of Mary given
her in what is familiarly known as .the Litany of the Blessed
Virgin, or of Loretto. On the right is the beautiful Spanish
Chapel, the most complete of all yet erected. 'Tis here that
the Reverend Canons daily chant the Divine Office. Their
dress we notice is like that of the ordinary canons, purple and
ermine, except that, like bishops and abbots they carry a pec
toral cross. Further on is the German chapel, which, together
with the French chapel, is still in an unfinished state. We see
enough of each, however, to realize that when thrown open to
the public they will be, indeed, beautiful, and fully worthy of
the sanctuary they will adorn.
Two inscriptions in English, placed on each side of the
nave, next attract our attention. The one on the Gospel side
was written during the sixteenth century by an English Jesuit,
but has become so obsolete in its wording as to be almost un
intelligible. This was apparently true even two centuries later,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 155
for the second inscription, on the Epistle side, purports to be
a translation of the first into more modern English. Even this
second has several old-fashioned and obsolete words. A third
translation will soon be needed.
A glance at the massive bronze baptismal font, and we pass
into the Hall of Treasures, just off from the Church. It is some
sixty feet long by perhaps twenty-five broad. In cases all
around the walls are arranged the gifts of the ages past. It
would, indeed, be difficult to find a more rare, varied and valu
able collection. Everything imaginable from ordinary gold
rings and watches, to the richest diamond necklaces and crown-
jewels, is there and in profusion. Tis the wealth of nations.
As we walked along the length of the hall, admiring its costly
and often curious treasures, our eyes suddenly rested upon a
large silk American flag, with the inscription upon it : "Lour-
des, Paray le Monial, Loretto." Dear "Old Glory," how de
lightful the surprise to meet thee thus unexpectedly, so far, far
away from the sweet home of liberty and ours ! And how fitting
to find thee here — here in Mary's earthly home, her favorite
Shrine! Thou art a witness unto all the world of the ardent
faith and love and devotion of her children of America.
A moment more and we have re-entered the church. Ap
proaching the Holy House we go into it through a door back
of the altar. Here a priest, vested in surplice and stole, takes
out from its resting place and puts into our hands a small
earthen dish made of red baked clay, coated on its outer sur
face with solid gold. It was with the Holy House when it ar
rived, and tradition is that with its aid Mary was wont to
prepare the simple repasts of the Holy Family. How beautiful
the thought! We reverently and lovingly touch it with our
lips and place upon it the medals and pictures that we wish
to have blessed. Then, having entered our names upon the
book of visitors, we enter once more into the Holy House to
say one long, loving, farewell prayer. That Mary, ever Vir
gin, hears that prayer we are sure, and as we rise and pass
slowly adown the long nave, lingering a moment as we turn
again at the door, and then step out upon the broad Square
156 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
of the Madonna, we feel that Mary's loving blessing rests upon
us to guide, guard and cheer us through the long years to come.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HOLY HOUSE
The Holy House is a chamber of rough, dark-reddish stone,
thirty-one feet long and thirteen feet wide, with a square win
dow on its west side, and a rude chimney in its eastern wall.
In front of the chimney is a cube of cement stone, upon which
St. Peter is believed to have celebrated Mass when the Apostles,
after the Ascension, turned the home of the Holy Family into
a church. Over the altar, radiant in diamonds and rubies, and
illuminated by the never-dying flame of sixty-two golden lamps,
is an image of the Virgin and Child.
The following story is found among the traditions of the
Holy House of Loretto. At a distance of about thirty miles
from that city, a little girl, seven years of age, was employed
in keeping sheep. Her parents who were living in the neigh
borhood, had brought up this child religiously, and had im
parted to her a great devotion to Our Blessed Lady. She de
lighted in nothing so much as in invoking the dear names of
Jesus and Mary, and her infantine piety was the edification
of those who knew of it. One day this little girl, seeing her
flock quietly at pasture, was praying to the Blessed Mother,
when on a sudden she saw a beautiful Lady approaching her.
She was alarmed at first, for it was a strange sight to see
in that lonely place ; and, besides, she had never before seen
any but the persons among which she had lived. But, though
she was alarmed at first, the sweet and kindly aspect of the
Lady took away all her fear, and she felt her heart full of
confidence. The Lady asked her to come with her where she
was going. "But who will take care of my sheep whilst I am
away ?" asked the little girl. "Do not fear," the Lady answered,
"trust me for them." She took hold of the child's hand, and
they went on their way, and in a short time they arrived at
Loretto. The Blessed Virgin (for it was no other, though the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 157
maiden knew it not) led her into a stately Church of splendor,
such as the simple child had never seen before. They passed
on, through the midst of the church, into a gorgeous chapel
lighted up by innumerable tapers, and there, resplendent with
the most beautiful and radiant jewels, was the Statue of the
Virgin. The innocent child was rapt in astonishment and de
light at every thing she saw; she felt so tender a devotion
that she almost thought she was in Paradise. With her whole
heart she made an offering of herself to Mary, and was ab
sorbed in happy prayer, how long she knew not. At length
that loving guide warned her that it was time to depart. The
child was very sorry to leave the holy place; but she again
set forth, hand in hand with her guide. Their walk seemed
but short, and she found her sheep all safe, feeding quietly
where she had left them. At nightfall she conducted them as
usual to the fold, and went home to her parents.
She told them joyfully what she had seen, and entreated
them to take her again to see the grand chapel, whither the
Lady had conducted her. They knew of no such chapel in the
neighborhood, and could not imagine what she was talking
about. But she would not be pacified ; she still insisted to go
again to the chapel where she had seen so many lamps all
lighted up, and so many people at their prayers. At last they
bade her hold her peace, and the innocent child obeyed; but
was not the less certain that she had not been dreaming when
she walked with the Lady to the grand chapel.
However, after some time had elapsed, it happened that her
father and mother resolved to go on pilgrimage to Loretto,
arid take all their family thither, this little girl with the rest.
The moment they entered the chapel, O joyful sight for her,
the innocent child recognized the very chapel into which the
Lady had taken her. There was the same altar, the same
Statue of the Blessed Virgin, the same Infant Jesus. She
knelt down, shedding tears of joy and consecrated herself
again, as she had done before to that heavenly Mother, who
it was now evident had been her guide. Her parents, con
vinced at last that the dear child had been the object of Divine
158 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
favor, looked on her with astonishment and awe; and when
afterwards she showed a desire to embrace the life of per
fection, they put no obstacles in her way.
She joined a religious community of which at length she
became the superioress ; and it is related of her, that she always
once a year visited the Shrine of Loretto, in gratitude for the
wonderful grace which had at first guided her thither. And
more than this, she died in the odor of sanctity.
"God was not pleased," says Father Torsellini, "that the
Holy House of Mary should remain exposed to the profana
tions of barbarians ; He transported it by the hands of angels
into Tersotto, and thence to the March of Ancona, in the midst
of a laurel wood belonging to a pious and noble widow, named
Lauretta. The report goes," he adds, "that on the arrival of
the Holy House, the great trees of the Italian forest bowed
down in token of respect, and retained that position till the
axe, or old age had levelled them."
Soon afterwards the blessed Virgin appeared in a vision to
St. Nicholas Tolentino, O. S. A., and also to a holy hermit,
called Paul of the Wood, who lived near Recanati, announcing
in each case the event which had occurred and making known
the true character of the house. The last-named afterwards
described the event in a letter which he wrote to Duke Charles
of Sicily, in 1297.
THE GROVE OF LAURELS
Sweetly low the laurels bending.
Trail their bright leaves on the sod,
For the angels are descending
With the Holy House of God.
O'er the Adriatic gliding,
Bathed in light most heavenly fair,
Silently the air dividing,
Angels their blest burden bear.
Blissful dome, most dear and holy,
Speeding softly o'er the sea,
Laurel branches bowing lowly
Bid us bend the suppliant knee.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 159
Dome whose humble walls enfolded
In the land of Galilee,
How, the maid whom Heaven had molded
Mother of our God to be;
Dome wherein her infant beauty,
Infant purity, and truth,
Nourished ever for mystic duty,
Waiting her angelic youth,
Welcome, by the angels guided,
Softly o'er the summer sea,—
Blest the air so late divided
By the house of Galilee.
Blest the ground whereon it rooted,
And forever there shall bloom,
Flowers with light unearthly crested,
Verdure midst the desert's gloom.
From these walls the infant maiden
Saintly glory round her form,
To the temple sweetly laden,
Bore her tribute pure and warm;
Not of gold, nor flowers that wither,
She her votive offering made
But a holier gift brought hither,
And upon the altar laid.
Twas herself, the "Star of Morning,"
"Lily of Judea" fair,
Sweetly God's dear Shrine adorning
Unreserved she offered there;
Here returning from the Temple,
With her holy Spouse, once more
This sweet flower, so pure and simple,
Lived the humble life of yore;
Blissful dome, most dear and holy
Speeding softly o'er the sea,
Laurel branches bowing lowly
Bid us bend the suppliant knee.
Gentlest Mother, humbly kneeling, —
Sorrowful within thy walls
Sound of heavely pinions, stealing,
Softly, as we listen, falls ;
i6o APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
While we see thy beauty holy,
Beaming with a light divine,
And majestic Gabriel slowly
Enters where thy glories shine;
Hear that voice like purling waters
Falling sweetly on the ear!
"Mary, blest of Israel's daughters,
God the Lord is with thee here."
"Full of grace," 'tis He who led thee,
Sinless, pure, His chosen one!
And the power shall overspread thee,
And His will in thee be done;
From thy tender heart's pure fountain,
God shall be incarnate made,
And the tide from sin's dark mountain
At thy holy feet be stay'd."
"Handmaid of the Lord behold me!"
Joyful word, falls on the ear.
Sinful earth, let light enfold thee.
Lo! the Word Incarnate here!
Fairest dome, the angel's treasure,
Earth can hold no Shrine so blest,
And our hearts in untold measure,
Pour their tribute here to rest ;
By our loving Mother guarded,
Here we hope her aid to gain,
And our love at last rewarded, .
Heaven shall echo our refrain.
Blissful dome, most dear and holy,
Speeding softly o'er the sea,
Laurel branches bending lowly
Bid us bend the suppliant knee.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 161
APPARITION
TO
ST. CLARE OF RIMINI, W.
RIMINI, ITALY
Ave Maria! Queen and Virgin blest, —
Virgin most pure, behold, on thee we call,
Entreating pity from thy loving breast, —
Maternal pity for thy clients all.
Ave! we hail thee. Hear, O hear us now!
Receive the homage offered to thy power;
Invoking thee to whom the angels bow.
Assist us, Mother, in death's dreaded hour.
Marcella A. Fitzgerald.
LARE was the daughter of wealthy and noble
parents; she herself was twice married, and her
life, up to her conversion, was spent in the enjoy
ment of the riches and pleasures of the world.
Once, as she prayed in the Franciscan Church at Rimini, Our
Blesse^.La^v_a22eared, surrounded by angels and saints. "Of
what avail," she said, "to your first husband, whom you loved
so well, were his honors, his fortune, and his youth, since
death has taken him from you and from them ?" In a moment
Clare saw the folly of her life, and her resolve was taken.
The hair-shirt, the sharp discipline, — these were to be hers for
the future. A small cell, a board to sleep on, bread and herbs
to eat, — for these she was to exchange the comforts and re
finements of the world. To these austerities she added an
active zeal for good works; she served a community of Poor
Clares as a lay-sister ; she would run messages for the poorest ;
she offered herself as a slave to ransom a criminal in the
common prison of the town. But as her life drew to a close
she inclined more and more to contemplation. With the com
panions whom her example had gathered round her, she found
ed a convent of Beguines, and there waited for her release. In
162 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a Vision of the Passion, she heard the words, "Arise, My be
loved; haste and come." The end was not far off. She died
February 10, 1326.
We know nothing more of St. Clare than that she lived
in the world as the world lives. How few of us are not con
scious of sins more grievous? And yet compare our penance
with hers.
In the beginning of her conversion St. Clare was often
tempted to return to the softness of her former life ; but she re
sisted every impulse of this kind, however harmless in itself, by
constant ejaculatory prayer and self-imposed penance. One day,
having been tempted to some slight act of self-indulgence in eat
ing, she searched with much trouble for a disgusting insect,
and, having found one, placed it in her mouth, saying, "Eat,
glutton ; eat, then, this dainty dish." From that hour she never
suffered another temptation with regard to food or drink.
"And when thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt
find Him ; yet so if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with
all the affliction of thy soul." — Deut. iv., 29.
"IMMACULATE"
Pure are the lily's petals.
That close round a heart of gold ;
Pure is the fleece of lambkin,
The whitest of the fold.
Pure are the liquid crystals,
That spangle the meadow's breast;
Pure is the snow, new-fallen,
On the towering mountain's crest.
Pure is the soul, just merging
From the cleansing font of grace;
Pure, the adoring seraph,
In the light of Jehovah's face.
But thou, O my Queen and my Mother,
Whom nations call "blessed" and great,
Art purer than saint or than seraph: —
Thou art Immaculate!
St. Anthony's Messenger.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
'63
APPARITION
TO
ST. ANGELA OF FOLIGNO, W.O.S.F.
FOLIGNO, ITALY
1303
'Her, San Sisto names, and her Foligno,
Her, that visits Florence in a vision,
Her, that's left with lilies in the Louvre,
Seen by us and all the world in circle."
Robert Browning
HE Book of the Visions of Blessed Angela of
Foligno is simply the history of her spiritual and
mystical life, from the first steps which she took on
the Way of Perfection, to the day when Our Lord
came to take her home, "prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband." For touching simplicity and beauty it stands among
other writings of the same kind, and as it was taken from her
own lips, it may be regarded as the canticle of the love of one
of the tenderest of human souls under the guidance of the
love of God.
These visions were written from her own lips, by her own
confessor, Brother Arnold, of the Friars Minor, lest the wis
dom of this world which pufTeth up (in other words, the earth
ly wisdom of their inflated spirit, who speak great things and
do but little) should remain unconfounded by the Eternal
Wisdom of God. He hath raised up a woman of the secular
state, bound to the world, entangled by ties to husband and chil
dren and riches, simple in knowledge, weak in strength, but
who, by the power of God, infused into her through the Cross
of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, hath broken the chains of the
world, and mounted up to the summit of evangelical perfection.
This holy woman was born at Eoligno, in Italy, and at the
1 64 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
time of her conversion her husband was alive, and she had
many children. But, after her conversion, she performed
as great a penance as her body could bear. And besides this,
she underwent very many temptations and torments in body
and soul. For she suffered torments invisibly from the powers
of darkness, and these were all the more severe, as the evil
spirits are better acquainted with different means of tormenting
man than any human creature. Hence it happened that when
a certain person worthy of belief marvelled much at this, and
had great compassion, hearing, as he did, from this faithful
servant of Christ, how horribly she was tormented, he saw
by revelation of God that it was all true. Thus he, too, from
that time, compassionated her with marvellous fellow-feeling,
and was moved to exceeding great devotion. Moreover, the
faithful servant of Christ prayed very much and was most
careful in her confessions. And one time she confessed to
me, according to her wont, with so perfect a knowledge of
her sins, and heartfelt contrition, and with so many tears from
the beginning to the end of her confession, and with such
earnestness of humility that I wept, believing for certain that,
were all the world to be deceived, yet God would not suffer
her to be deceived, so great was her truthfulness. And on
the following night, having been very ill, it was with great
difficulty that she came the next morning to the church, where
I celebrated Mass and gave her Communion ; and I know that
she never communicated without receiving from God some
great grace, and, as it were, a new grace continually. More
over, so great was the efficacy of the lights and consolations
which she received in her soul, that very frequently they flowed
over upon her body, so as to be seen. Hence, at times, when
she was standing with me, her soul was lifted up, nor was
she able to understand anything of what I was reading to her.
And she was changed in face and in body by reason of the
words which God spake unto her, and so great was her devo
tion and delight in these consolations, that at times her eyes
shone like candles, and her face was like a rose. And at times,
too, her frame seemed to fill out, and in face she became
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 165
glorious and like unto the angels, and she forgot to eat and
drink, as if her spirit no longer lived in her body.
At one time I was in church hearing Mass, and about
the Elevation I was rapt in spirit, and there appeared to me
the most Blessed Virgin Mary, who said : "My daughter, dear
unto my Son and to me, now hath my Son come to thee, and
thou hast received His blessing." And she made me under
stand that her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, after the Consecration
was on the altar as if she would tell me news of a new joy.
Moreover, these words gave me such joy and gladness that
I know not if any one could explain it. For Our Blessed Lady
spoke with such humility, and at the same time I felt a new
feeling in my soul, and great sweetness. Hence, I wondered
how I had been able to stand when I was so joyful. And
after this she said to me : "Now that thou hast received the
blessing of my Son, it is fitting that I should give thee my
blessing also." Then she blessed me and said : "Be thou blessed
of my Son and me ; and strive diligently and earnestly to love
Him, as much as thou art able, for thou art much loved, and
thou shalt come at last to that which is infinite." And then
my soul received such joy as I had never known before. More
over, I knew that there is nothing which so inflames the soul
with burning love as when Christ comes to visit the soul, for
then all the members feel and know He is present.
At another time I was lifted up, and was not then at prayer,
but was sitting at rest, for it was after dinner. Hence I was
not thinking of anything, when suddenly I felt myself lifted
up, and I saw the Blessed Virgin in glory, and when I under
stood that a woman was placed in such majesty and glory and
dignity as she was, I was greatly delighted, for to see her was
joy unutterable. The Blessed Virgin stood praying for the
human race, and I saw her in such glory and majesty that I
cannot express it. And at the sight I was delighted. And while
I was gazing on her, of a sudden there appeared her Divine
Son, Jesus Christ, sitting by her side in His glorified humanity.
And when I understood how that Flesh had been illtreated
and reviled and crucified, and all the wrongs and contempt and
1 66 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ignominy that He had borne for us, and which I then saw in
a marvelous manner, my delight was so great that it cannot
be expressed, and I lost my speech, and thought that I should
die. And this vision lasted for three days, and yet I was not
prevented from eating, though I eat but little and did not
speak to any one, but when the name of God was mentioned
I felt great delight.
HOW SHE SAW OUR BLESSED LADY OFFERING OUR LORD IN THE
TEMPLE, AND HOW CHRIST WAS PLACED IN THE ARMS OF THIS
HOLY WOMAN, AND IT WAS TOLD HER THAT, BECAUSE THE
LORD HAD OFFERED HIMSELF SHE ALSO OUGHT TO OFFER HER
SELF TO HIM.
On the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, early
in the morning, while I was in the church of the Friars Minor,
at Foligno, a voice spoke to me, and said : "This is the hour
in which Our Lady came with her Divine Son into the Temple."
And I heard these words with great joy. Then my soul was
lifted up and I saw Our Blessed Lady entering into the Temple,
and I went to meet her with great reverence and love. And
while I was afraid to approach her, Our Lady smiled sweetly
and held out to me her Divine Son, Jesus, and said : "O lover
of my Son, take Him !" and she placed her Son in my arms,
and He seemed to have His eyes closed, as if he slept, and
He was wrapped in swaddling clothes.
And Our Blessed Lady sat down as if wearied by her jour
ney, and made such beautiful and pleasing signs, and her
presence was so good and gracious, and it was so sweet and
pleasant a thing to see her, that I not only regarded the Child
Jesus, but was forced also to look on Our Lady. While I thus
stood, on a sudden, the Child remained in my arms and opened
and shut His eyes, and then looked again, and in the look of
those eyes of His I felt and had such love that it wholly over
came me. For from those eyes of His there went forth so
great a splendor and light of love and joy that it is unutterable.
And then, on a sudden, there appeared an immense and ineffa-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 167
ble majesty, and He said to me : "He who hath not seen Me lit
tle, hath not seen Me great." And he added : "I have come to
thee and offered Myself to thee, that thou mayest offer thy
self to Me." Then my soul, in an indescribable manner, offered
itself to Him, and afterward I offered myself and my children,
who follow me in all things. I also offered, keeping back
nothing for myself either of mine or of theirs. And my soul
understood that God graciously accepted that offering and re
ceived it with great readiness.
But of the cheerfulness and ineffable joy and delight which
I had when I understood that God received my offering with
such great benignity I can say nothing, for it is impossible for
me to make it known. Another time I saw the Blessed Virgin
exhorting me to knowledge, and blessing me, and she told me
of her dolors and her compassion for her Divine Son.
OF THE LAST ADVICE OF BLESSED ANGELA, AND
HER HAPPY DEATH
At the time of her death, being in ecstacy, she said : "Christ,
the Son of God, hath now presented me to the Father, and
these words were said to me : 'O my bride, my beautiful one !
O, thou that are loved by Me with great love, I desire not that
thou shouldst come to Me with sorrow, but with joy, and with
the royal robe.' And he showed me the royal robe, even as
a bridegroom shows it to his bride, but it was not of purple,
nor of scarlet, but it was a kind of marvellous light, with which
the soul is clothed. And then the Eternal Father showed me
the Bridegroom, who said: 'Come, My beloved bride, come
for all the Saints are waiting for thee with joy.' And He said
also : 'I will not give thee in charge of the angels, nor to the
Saints to lead thee, but I will come for thee, and I will take
thee to Paradise.' "
And when the hour for passing away drew nigh, she said
many times : "O Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."
And then her friends said : "Wilt thou go away and leave us ?"
168 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
And she answered : "So much have I hidden from you, but
now I hide it from you no longer, and I say to you that I must
go away forever." On that same day, when all her pains had
ceased, by which she was greatly tormented in all her mem
bers, she was lying in such great peace of body and gladness
of spirit that already it seemed as if she were tasting of the
joy that had been promised her. And then we asked her if
she was happy, and she said she was. And she lay exceeding
joyful in repose of body and gladness of spirit, until, after
Compline on Saturday, many of the brethren standing round
her and ministering to her the holy mysteries, and on that
same day, the Octave of the Innocents, she fell into a light
sleep, and rested in peace. Then was this holy soul taken up
into the abyss of God's infinity, where she received from
Christ, her Spouse, the stole of innocence and immortality,
and will reign with Him forever. Whither, too, may He bring
us all by the virtue of His Cross, and through the merits of
His Virgin Mother, and the intercession of this most holy
mother Angela !
The blessed Angela passed away from the troubles of this
world into the joys of heaven which had been promised her
long before, in the year of our Lord's Incarnation, one thous
and three hundred and nine, on the fourth day of January, in
the reign of Pope Clement the Fifth.
GOD OUR FATHER
Look upon the Infant Jesus and learn from Him, as did
B. Angela, the love of God, your Father in heaven, and of
Christ, your Brother on earth.
"I said the 'Our Father' with so much contrition and recol
lection, pronouncing every word, that though I was plunged in
great anguish by the thought of my sins, I yet received im
mense consolation, and tasted something of the bliss God grants
His beloved ones. I have never found a better way for real-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 169
izing His mercy than by saying that prayer which Jesus Him
self taught us." — B. Angela.
The solitude of a sick bed, constant pain, incessant tempta
tions, the loss of every earthly friend, — all these only con
vinced B. Angela of her absolute dependence on her Father in
Heaven. She learned to love poverty, sorrow, and contempt
as the sole companions which He had chosen for His Son and,
by studying the life of the God-man, she acquired so perfect a
detachment, and such an intimate knowledge of the things of
God that the writings of the penitent worldling rank high
among the revelations of the Saints.
TO-DAY
Where the seven-hilled city's towers
Rise aloft, and Tiber flows ;
In the Indian banyan bovvers,
'Mid the polar ice and snows;
Where the western streams are flowing
To the ocean's briny breast,
Where the Southern Cross is glowing —
North and south and east and west ;
In the sunshine's golden splendor,
In the wintry shadows gray,
Myriad voices praise the tender
Mother-Maiden all the day.
In cathedrals famed in story,
Rich in many a jeweled Shrine;
And in abbeys gray and hoary,
Whence arises song divine ;
In the cloisters dim and holy
Where the virgins softly tread,
In the wayside chapel lowly
Where the peasants' prayers are said;
From the hearts with sorrows laden,
And from joyous hearts and gay,
Rise the praises of the Maiden
Who is Queen in Heaven to-day,
170 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
And 'tis not alone by mortals
That such glorious strains are sung,
But beyond the golden portals
All the heavenly host among,
Martyrs high their palm boughs bearing,
Seraphs in their robes of snow,
Saints of many a nation wearing
Crowns well worn on earth below,
Sing the word that earth is singing
From the dawn to evening late;
All the courts of heaven are ringing
With the word "Immaculate."
Magdalen Rock.
So, with every pulsation of our hearts, with the warmest
throbbings of our bosoms, and with the earnest desires of our
souls, let us venerate this Mary because such is His will, who
decreed that we should have everything through her. This,
I say, was His will ; but it was on our account. — St. Bernard.
Gregory XIII. — By the Rosary the anger of God ceases and
the intercession of Mary is sought.
Paul III. — By the Rosary, St. Dominic averted the anger of
God from France and Italy.
Pius V.— Owing to the spread of the Rosary the faithful,
roused with these meditations, penetrated with these prayers,
become by degrees other men, the darkness of heresy is scat
tered and the light of Catholic Faith shines in all its lustre.
Pius IX. — The Rosary is the most efficacious prayer for the
increase in the hearts of the faithful of devotion to the Mother
of God.
Leo XIII. — The most complete expression of Christian
piety.
The Rosary Magazine.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
171
APPARITION
TO
ST. NICHOLAS TOLENTINE, O.S.A.
TOLENTINE, ITALY
Look down on us, thy children,
O Mother, dear, look down;
The mother's face beams kindly
When other faces frown:
Though thou art Queen of Heaven,
And reign'st in joy above,
Yet still, O dearest Mother,
Look down on us with love.
Rev. M. Russell, S. J.
ORN in answer to the prayers of a holy mother,
and vowed before his birth to the service of God,
Nicholas never lost his baptismal innocence. His
austerities were conspicuous even in the austere
Order — the Hermits of St. Augustine — to which he belonged,
and to the remonstrances which were made by his superiors, he
only replied, "How can I be said to fast, while every morn
ing at the altar I receive my God?" He conceived an ardent
charity for the Holy Souls, so near and yet so far from their
Saviour ; and often after his Mass, it was revealed to him that
the souls for whom he had offered the Holy Sacrifice had been
admitted to the presence of God. Amidst his loving labor for
God and man, he was haunted by fear of his own sinfulness.
"The heavens," said he, "are not pure in the sight of Him
whom I serve, how then shall I, a sinful man, stand before
Him?"
As he pondered on these things, Mary, the Queen of all
Saints appeared before him. "Fear not, Nicholas." she said,
"all is well with you : my Son bears you in His heart, and I
am your protectress." Then his soul was at rest ; and he heard,
172 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
we are told, the songs which the angels sing in the presence
of their Lord. He died September 10, 1310.
In the midst of his agony the face of the blessed Nicholas
became radiant with joy, and he saw in vision our Lord, His
Blessed Mother, and St. Augustine inviting him to join them.
Then embracing a relic of the True Cross, he cried : "Hail,
Holy Cross, found worthy to bear the ransom of the world,
which lay on thee! May that ransom, even Jesus Christ, by
thee defend me from the enemy of my soul !" And so saying
he rendered up his spirit to God.
Would you die the death of the just? There is only one
way to secure the fulfilment of your wish. Live the life of
the just. For it is impossible that one who has been faith
ful to God in life should make a bad or an unhappy end.
"The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the
torment of death shall not touch them." — Wisd. iii, I.
On one occasion, when St. Nicholas was very ill, Our Lady
appeared to him in vision, and sweetly told him to procure a
little bread, and eat it moistened in water, and he would be
cured. The Saint did so, and he was instantly restored to
health. From this fact the Blessed bread of St. Nicholas had
its origin. The Church has approved a special benediction,
which can be used only by members of the Augustinian Order.
In virtue of Two Decrees of the Holy Congregation — one of
the 3<Dth September, 1622, the other i6th July, 1627 — it is
expressly prohibited to anyone, unless an Augustinian, under
any pretext whatsoever, to use this benediction, without special
faculties to do so, obtained in writing, from the Father-Gen
eral, for the time being, of the Augustinian Order. This fac
ulty is easily obtained in those places in which the Order of
St. Augustine is not established. This holy bread, dipped in
clear water, was frequently used by St. Nicholas in his life
time with the greatest success in curing the sick, especially in
fevers, in extinguishing conflagrations, in allaying storms, in
overcoming sorceries and witchcrafts, and all other illusions of
the devil. Pope Eugene IV. gave his apostolic sanction for
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 173
ever to the use of this bread, when in the Bull upon the canon
isation of St. Nicholas of Tolentine, he ordered that this bread
should be yearly, on the festival of St. Nicholas, the loth day
of September, blessed and distributed at the churches, chapels,
and altars of the Hermits of St. Augustine, to the people, for
their use thereof upon the above occasions, &c., in manner and
form here following, viz. :
When at any time you will make use of this blessed bread,
you are to say with a lively faith and sure confidence in God
by the merits of this His saint, three Paters and three Aves to
the honor of the Most Holy Trinity, and then the Salve Regina,
or Hail Holy Queen, etc., to the praise and honor of the
Queen of Heaven, the ever Blessed Virgin Mary ; and, in fine,
the following anthem and oration to the honor of St. Nicholas
of Tolentine, viz. :
Ant. Nicholas, the truly poor man of Jesus Christ, a virgin
chosen by God, observing perpetual obedience, hath adorned
the Order of Hermits with his prodigies and miracles.
V. Pray for us, O Blessed St. Nicholas.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that Thy Church,
which is illustrated with the glory of the prodigies and miracles
of St. Nicholas, Thy blessed Confessor, may by his merit and
intercession enjoy perpetual peace and unity, through Christ
our Lord.
THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
Thou wept'st, meek maiden, Mother mild,
Thou wept'st upon thy sinless Child
Thy very heart was riven;
And yet, what mourning matron here
Would deem thy sorrows bought too dear
By all this side of Heaven.
A Son that never did amiss,
That never shamed His Mother's kiss
Nor cross'd her fondest prayer.
174 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Even from the tree he deign'd to bow
For her His agonized brow,
Her His sole earthly care.
Ave Maria! blessed Maid!
Lily of Eden's fragrant shade,
Who can express the love
That nurtured thee so pure and sweet,
Making thy heart a shelter meet
For Jesus, holy Dove?
Ave Maria! Mother blest!
To whom, caressing and caress'd
Clings the Eternal Child ;
Favored beyond Archangel's dream,
When first on thee, with tenderest gleam,
The new-born Saviour smiled.
Ave Maria! thou whose name
All but adoring love may claim,
Yet may we reach thy shrine;
For He, thy Son and Saviour, vows
To crown all lowly, lofty brows
With love and joy like thine.
John Keble.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 175
APPARITION
TO
POPE JOHN XXII.
AVIGNON, FRANCE
1316
No Voice above can plead for us
Sweet Mother, like to thine!
No love so brightly, softly glows,
Except His love Divine.
Enfant De Marie of St. Clare.
ATHER CROISET, in the second volume of his
"Devotion to the Blessed Virgin," gives an extract
from the Bull of Pope John XXIL, which that
Sovereign Pontiff issued in 1316, on occasion of
the Apparition with which that Pope was favored by Our
Blessed Lady, who addressed to him those words, so consol
ing to the servants of that great Queen ; words relating exclu
sively to the Confraternities of the Scapular, but applicable also
to those of her dear children who put their confidence in her.
One morning that he had, as usual, risen very early to pray,
being on his knees, the Queen of Heaven appeared to him
and said:
"John, Vicar of my Son, it is to me you are indebted for
your exaltation to the dignity which you enjoy, in consequence
of my solicitations in your behalf with my Divine Son, and
as I have delivered you from the snares of your enemies, so do
I expect that you will give ample and favorable confirmation
of the holy Carmelite Order, which was first instituted on
Mount Carmel. . . . And if among the religious or
brethren of the Confraternity, who depart from this life, there
should be any who for their sins have been detained in purga
tory, I, their glorious Mother, .will descend, on the Saturday
1 76 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
after their death, and deliver those whom I shall find there,
and take them up to the holy mountain of eternal life."
These are the very words of the Bull of the 3d March, 1322,
whereby Pope John XXII. made the promulgation of this
privilege, which he at the same time confirmed in all its ex
tent, saying : "I accept, then, this holy indulgence, I corroborate
and confirm it on earth, as Jesus Christ, by reason of the merits
of His glorious Mother, has conceded it in Heaven." (Bull-
arium Carmelitarium, tome n.) This is called the Sabbatine
Bull, which has been approved of by Pope Alexander V., Clem
ent VIL, Pius V. and Gregory XIIL, and seventeen other
Pontiffs. Most certain it is that twenty Popes would not have
confirmed the Bull of their predecessor, John XXIL, if they
had not believed that the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin,
therein related, was incontestable.
The Sacred Congregation of Rites also acknowledged it, for
it is stated as a pious belief, in the lessons of the solemn com-
moration of Our Lady, which the Carmelites celebrate on the
1 6th of July, and these lessons having been examined and ap
proved of by Cardinal Bellarmine, were confirmed by the sacred
Congregation in 1609, and subscribed by the Prefect of the
said congregation, in the name of Pope Paul V., this appro
bation was renewed in 1612. Moreover, the congregation of
the holy office of the Inquisition, under Paul V., in 1613, con
firmed this privilege on the following occasion :
An inquisitor of the kingdom of Portugal attempted to pre
vent the Carmelites from stating the privilege of the Sabbatine
Bull in their public sermons ; the affair having been referred to
Rome, the Congregation of the Holy Office, after a strict ex
amination of the prerogatives of the Holy Scapular, issued a
decree to serve as a rule of conduct for the future; this de
cree, of which the following is a literal translation, was ap
proved by Pope Paul V., in 1613 :
"The Carmelite Fathers are authorized to preach that the
faithful may piously believe, with regard to the assistance given
to the souls of the Carmelites, and the members of the Con
fraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, to wit: That the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 177
Blessed Virgin will relieve, by her continual intercession, by
her suffrages, by her merits, and by her special protection,
and particularly on the Saturday (being the day consecrated
to her by the Church), the members of the Confraternity who
shall have died in the state of grace, have worn the Scapular
during life, observed chastity, each one according to their state
of life, recited the Little Office, or, who not being able to read,
shall have observed the fasts of the Church, and abstained from
flesh meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays, unless when Christ
mas Day happens to fall on either of those days."
The Sabbatine Bull was also examined and authorized by the
most famous universities, colleges and schools of Christendom ;
by the university of Cambridge, in England, in 1374, by that
of Bologna, in Italy, in 1609, and by that of Salamanca, in
Spain. Moreover, Urban VIII., Clement X., and Innocent
XL, confirmed the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites
relative to the office of the i6th of July.
In fine, Benedict XIIL, by his decree, Urbis et orbis, of
September, 1726, approved of the office for the festival of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, and commanded all the faith
ful of both sexes who are bound to recite the canonical hours,
to do it under the rite of great double.
There are a number of graces and advantages attached to
this holy habit, which fully accounts for the devout anxiety
which the faithful have alwavs manifested to receive it.
A SHORTER PURGATORY
In addition to the indulgences which the members of the Con
fraternity of the Scapular may gain in this life, they also enjoy
a special privilege and an extraordinary advantage, which is
commonly called the Sabbatine privilege. This privilege has
for its security the promise made to Pope John XXII., by the
Blessed Virgin, and as before stated, it is inserted in the les
sons approved of by the Church for the feasts of the solemn
commoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated by the
1 78 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Order of the Carmelites on the i6th of July, where we read
these words: "Not only in this world Our Blessed Lady has
beatified with many prerogatives this Order, so acceptable to
her, but also in the other world (she everywhere being great
in power and mercy) doth favor those that are enrolled in the
society of the Scapular; for whilst they are purged by the fire
of purgatory, she doth comfort them with maternal affection,
and by her prayers doth very speedily bring them into the
celestial country, as is piously believed/'
The excellency and greatness of this privilege will easily
appear, if we consider how terrible the torments of purgatory
are ; according to St. Gregory, St. Augustine, St. Bernard, and
others, they are not in any way to be compared to the pains
of this life, nor to those pains which the holy martyrs
endured. Moreover, the angelical doctor, St. Thomas,
saith : "That they do exceed the pains which Jesus Christ
suffered in His holy passion, which, notwithstanding, were
the most cruel and bitter that ever any creature endured in
this life ; besides, they are not torments for an hour, or a day,
as those of this world, but they may and do last twenty, thirty,
or a hundred years." From these fearful torments the mem
bers of the Scapular are soon relieved if they perform what the
members of the Scapular are obliged to do, and die in the state
of grace invested with the holy habit.
The Holy Virgin, in giving the Scapular to St. Simon, made
him a most consoling promise. She put no bounds to the con
fidence of those who should wear her habit. In the engagement
she made to protect them there is no condition. Her words
are precise : "Whoever shall die wearing this habit, shall not
suffer eternal fire."
THE QUEEN OF PURGATORY
O turn to Jesus, Mother, turn
And call Him by his tenderest names,
Pray for the Holy Souls that burn
This hour amid the cleansing flames.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 170
Ah! they have fought a gallant fight
In death's cold arms they persevered,
And after life's tmcheery night
The harbor of their rest is neared.
In pains beyond all earthly pains,
Favorites of Jesus ! there they lie,
Letting the fire wear out their stains
And worshiping God's purity.
Spouses of Christ they are, for He
Was wedded to them by His Blood;
And angels o'er their destiny
In wondering adoration brood.
They are the children of Thy tears :
Then hasten, Mother, to their aid,
In pity think each hour appears
An age while glory is delayed.
O Mary, let thy Son no more
His lingering spouses thus expect ;
God's children to their God restore,
And to the Spirit His elect.
Rev. Frederick W. Faber.
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
BY ST. WILLIAM OF PARIS
I come to thee, glorious Mother of God, whom the Church of
the Saints calls Mother of Mercy ; thou art she, O Mary, who
has never met with a refusal ; whose mercy has never failed any
one, nor whose clemency rejected any suppliant. God forbid,
mediatrix of men, and their only hope, after thy Son, that my
sins should be an obstacle to exercising towards me thy merci
ful Office. Ah, no; assuredly, I hope that thou wilt deign to
obtain for me the grace to expiate them, and to repent of them
sincerely. Amen.
APPARITION TO
ST. BRIDGIT OF SWEDEN, W.
ALVASTRA, SWEDEN
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
181
APPARITION
TO
ST. BRIDGET OF SWEDEN, W.
ALV ASTRA, SWEDEN
Mary, whose eyes have looked upon Him dying,
Whose arm hath held Him as a little child,
O bid Him look on us all — suppliant lying,
O blessed one and Virgin undefiled.
Plead with Him, Mother of the sheep that love Him,
Kneel to Him, Lily of celestial fields;
Mary, thy love is round Him and above Him,
And thou canst move the sceptre which He wields.
/. 5\
Fletcher.
tians.
ETWEEN five and six hundred years ago there
lived in Sweden the celebrated Governor Birger
and his lady Ingeborg, both of royal descent, and
(a much more important fact) exemplary Chris-
Not content with acquitting himself of all religious
duties, the Governor's devotion led him to additional practises.
For instance, every Friday he fasted, went to confession and
received Holy Communion, in order to obtain from God the
grace to support with patience the trials that might come to him
from week to week. Much of his wealth was expended in the
building of churches and convents, and another goodly portion
was distributed during the pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome,
and other holy places which Birger's ardent piety induced him
to visit.
It is not, however, with Birger's remarkable fervor and zeal,
nor with the equally notable devotion of Ingebor^, that this
sketch has to do; but rather with the little daughter of this
noble and virtuous couple — Bridgit, born in 1302. I may as
well tell our young folks at once, I dare say, that this particular
182 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Bridgit is going to turn out, as perhaps they have begun to sus
pect, a genuine Saint. Her feast falls in the month of October.
Having told my young friends this much, I may further inform
them that this St. Bridgit, the author of the celebrated "Revela
tions," is not to be confounded with the illustrious patroness
of Ireland— the St. Bridget, or St. Bride, who lived and died
seven or eight centuries before our little Swedish heroine was
ever heard of.
There is a story told of a visit which Ingeborg paid to a
neighboring convent some time before Bridgit's birth. Seeing
the richness of the noble lady's dress and toilet, one of the nuns
said to herself: "Well, there's one proud woman, anyway/'
The very next night a mysterious personage appeared to this
uncharitable nun and said to her : "You deceive yourself with
regard to my servant Ingeborg. She is at heart truly humble,
and seeks only to avoid the praises of the world by dressing
according to her position. Simpler clothes would cause her to
be remarked. I shall bless her with a daughter who, through
love for me, will obtain such graces that she will be the admira
tion of the whole world."
The birth of this predicted daughter was signalized by an
extraordinary occurrence. At the hour of her birth a very
saintly priest saw above her father's house a brilliant cloud, in
the midst of which sat a virgin holding a book in her hand.
The virgin said to the priest : "Birger has just been presented
with a daughter whose renown will become world-wide." In
her future life Bridgit realized to their fullest extent these
marvelous promises made in her infancy.
Her mother dying when she was only a few months old, she
was brought up by her aunt. She was three years old before
she could articulate a syllable ; but then all at once her tongue
appeared to be loosened, and she spoke clearly, and so sensibly
that one who heard her would have thought she had been going
to school for a good while.
It was natural that the child of a couple so thoroughly Cath
olic as were Birger and Ingeborg should early display tender
piety toward our crucified Redeemer. Her devotion to Our
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 183
Lord's Passion was by far the most precious legacy left her by
those truly admirable parents. Our Blessed Saviour showed
her how agreeable her love was to Him. One night He sent
His Mother to visit Bridgit. The latter woke up suddenly and
saw near her bed an altar whereon the Queen of Heaven was
sitting, holding in her hand a rich crown.
"Come hither, Bridgit," said Our Lady. Bridgit jumped
out of bed at once and approached the altar. "Should you like
to have this crown?'' said Mary. "Yes," timidly answered
Bridgit. At the same moment the crown was placed on her
brow, and the servant of God felt the pressure of the circlet
on her forehead very distinctly.
Bridgit was quite a little girl when she beheld this Appari
tion, but she remembered it all her lifetime. When she was
ten years old Our Lord Himself appeared to her, and this still
further increased her love for Him.
One day, as she was listening to a sermon on the Passion,
her heart was very deeply touched, and she felt that there could
possibly be no greater happiness than really to love Christ.
The following night Our Lord showed Himself to her just as
He appeared at His crucifixion. "See," He exclaimed, "how
I am maltreated ! Look at Me, My daughter !" Bridgit thought
that Jesus had just been outraged anew by someone, and cried
out: "Ah! Lord, who has treated Thee thus?" "Those who
despise Me," was the reply, "and who are insensible to the love
I bear them."
From that day Bridgit became so absorbed in the contempla
tion of Our Lord's sufferings that she could scarcely give her
attention to anything else. The mere thought of those bitter
sufferings was sufficient to draw torrents of tears from her
compassionate heart.
All through her life Bridgit received very rare graces from
God and, among others the gift of miracles. I shall cite just
one miracle here to show how kind-hearted she was toward the
poor.
One very hot day, about noon, a poor and sickly woman
reached Bridgit's door, and had merely strength enough to
184 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
utter one request. "Some milk for the love of God!" cried
the woman. "A little milk will support me ; without it I shall
die." Bridgit hastened to get the milk, but could find not a
drop in the house. Kitchen, dining-room, cellar — all were
searched in vain. "He who changed water into wine at Cana
can also change water into milk," thought Bridgit ; and, with
out a moment's doubt, she presented the jug of water to the
sufferer's lips. The woman drank eagerly, and declared that
she had never tasted milk so excellent.
St. Bridgit heard Jesus one day addressing Mary in these
words : "Oh, My Mother, thou knowest how I love thee ; ask
from Me, then, whatever thou dost desire, for there is no de
mand of thine that will not be graciously heard by Me." And
the reason that he added was beautiful : "Mother, when thou
wast on earth, there was nothing thou didst refuse to do for
love of Me; now that I am in heaven, it is just that I refuse
nothing which thou dost ask of Me."
St. Bridgit advises mothers to make all possible efforts to
increase the number of the servants of Mary; that practice is
infinitely pleasing to her, for she recommended it to St. Bridgit,
saying: "See that thou makest thy children be also mine."
This applies specially to little children who must be nourished
with the milk of devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
On another occasion Our Lady said to St. Bridgit : "I am the
Mother of all souls in Purgatory ; for all the pains they have
deserved for their sins are every hour, as long as they remain
there, in some way mitigated by my prayers." — Revelations
St. Bridgit.
OUR BLESSED LADY'S ADVICE TO ST. BRIDGIT
"This is to teach thee that without my Son thou art nothing
and canst do nothing, and that there is not a sin into which
thou wouldst not have fallen if He had not preserved thee from
it. Now I will give thee three remedies against thy tempta
tions. When thou art assailed by thoughts contrary to holy
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 185
purity, say, "Jesus> Son of God, who knowest all things, help
me to take no pleasure in vain and sinful thoughts." When
the temptation to talk comes to thee, say, "Jesus» Son of God,
who wert silent before the unjust Judge, restrain my tongue
till I have considered what and how to speak." When inclined
to work, or rest, or take refreshment according to thy fancy,
say, "Jesus, Son of God, Who wert bound with cords, guide
my hands and all my limbs, so that my works may all be done
according to Thy good pleasure." And this shall be a sign to
thee, that from this day forth the servant, that is, thy body shall
no longer lord it over its master, that is thy soul."
The Blessed Mother of God went on to admonish her never
to leave off praying, because of the assaults of the devil, but to
persevere through them all, and to rest assured that, so long as
she did not consent to his suggestions, but abhorred them with
all her heart, they would be so many jewels in the crown pre
pared for her in Heaven. — I. Revelations vi, 94.
It is not surprising that St. Bridgif s special devotion led her
as a pilgrim to the Holy Land. On her way back to Sweden
she died at Rome in the year 1373.
Our Blessed Lady, when speaking of her clients, said to
St. Bridgit: "I, their most dear Lady and Mother, will meet
them at death, that they may have consolation and refreshment/'
This loving Queen takes the souls of her clients under her
protection, and presents them to the Judge, her Son, and thus
certainly obtains salvation for them. This is what happened
to Charles, the son of St. Bridgit, for whose salvation, because
he died in the dangerous state of a soldier, his holy mother
trembled; but the Blessed Virgin revealed to her that Charles
was saved through the love which he had borne her, that she
herself assisted him at death, and suggested the Christian acts
necessary to be made at that moment. The Saint at the same
time saw Jesus on a throne, and the devil bringing two accusa
tions against the Holy Virgin : the first, that Mary had hin
dered him to tempt Charles at the hour of death ; the second,
that Mary herself presented the soul to judgment, and thus had
saved him without allowing him to bring forward the charges
1 86 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
on which he claimed his soul. She then saw the Judge banish
Satan, and the soul of Charles was carried to Heaven.
THE SEVEN PRINCIPAL DOLORS OF
OUR BLESSED LADY
Our Blessed Saviour, as related in the book of the Revelations
with which St. Bridgit was favored, promised His holy Mother,
that whoever should piously commemorate, and affectionately
compassionate her dolors, and invoke her assistance through
the merits thereof, should not quit this world without a true
compunction for his sins; that in his afflictions, particularly
at the hour of his death, he should find aid and relief; and
moreover, that for the sake of her dolors, no favor should be
refused to her intercession if the same was for the real good and
advantages of her clients.
A nobleman, who for sixty years of his life past had never
had access to the sacraments, and who had given way to the
passions of his body and mind, and abandoned himself to the
slavery of his spiritual enemy, fell sick, and was in the utmost
danger of death. Hopes of salvation he had none; and so
desperate was his case that he would not give heed to the
salutary advice of his director, or admit into his mind the
thoughts of reconciling himself to his Creator by means of
the sacrament of penance. Nevertheless, in the midst of the
excesses of so profligate a life, he had never lost sight entirely
of some small devotion and regard to the ever blessed Mother
of God. Jesus Christ, who manifests the riches of His mer
cies particularly to such as cast a favorable eye towards her,
raised in him so great a compunction for his sins, that enter
ing into himself, and in the utmost contrition of his heart, he
bewailed his past errors, made a general confession of his whole
life, received the holy Eucharist, and on the sixth day after,
died in all peace and quiet of mind, and with the sentiments of
joy which flow from a well-grounded confidence in the mercy
and bounty of our suffering Redeemer, and His sacred passion.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 187
In effect, our blessed Saviour revealed, soon after his death, to
the holy St. Bridgit, that the said penitent died in grace, was
a blessed soul, and owed his happiness in a great measure, to
the tender affectionate compassion which he had ever found
and nourished in his heart, so often as he heard others speak
of the sacred dolors of Our Blessed Lady, or happened to en
tertain the memory of them in his mind.
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 strains her eyes 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 on 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 Cullen Bryant.
APPARITION TO
ST. CATHARINE OF SIENA, V.O.S.D.
SIENA, ITALY
VIRGIN, INFANT JESUS AND ST. JOHN
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 189
APPARITION
TO
ST. CATHARINE OF SIENA V.O.S.D.
SIENA, ITALY
1370
Oh, come and see a spotless Virgin kneeling1,
Oh, come and hear an angel at her side,
The earliest tidings of our joy revealing:—
The herald of the glorious Christmas-tide.
Rose Mulholland.
T. CATHARINE was born at Siena, a town in
Italy not very far from Florence, in the year 1347.
Her parents, Giacomo and Lapa Benincasa, were
good people of the middle class, and her father,
who was a dyer by trade, was noted for his piety. Catharine,
and a twin sister who died in infancy, were the youngest of
twenty-five children.
From a very early age the little Catharine gave tokens of
future holiness ; when she was but five years old, her love of
the "Hail Mary" was so great, that she would kneel down on
each step of the staircase, both on coming up and going down,
to repeat it. Many times also her mother saw her. while ful
filling this pious practice, being lifted by the hands of angels,
who would bear her quickly to the top of the steps. She was
moreover so sweet and gracious that the neighbors surnamed
her "Euphrosyne," a Greek name which means joy or delight,
and her speech was so wise and winning that it sank deeply
into the hearts of all who knew her.
When she was in her sixth year, Our Lord favored her with
a wonderful and beautiful vision. She was coming home one
day from visiting her eldest and married sister, together with
her little brother Stephen, who was a year or two older than
herself. Suddenly above the church of St. Dominic, she saw
I9Q APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a magnificent throne, on which was seated Our Divine Saviour,
clad in pontifical robes, wearing a tiara, and having with him
the blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and St. John the
Evangelist. At this sight Catharine stopped short, dazed with
the splendor before her and, gazing lovingly on her beloved
Redeemer, beheld Him making the sign of the Cross over her,
at the same time smiling on her with looks full of love. Rapt
into ecstasy, the child forgot where she was, the public street,
the passers by, and remained with uplifted eyes, motionless as a
statue, till she was somewhat roughly recalled to herself by
her brother Stephen. He had walked on, thinking that she
was following him, when he suddenly became aware that she
was no longer by his side. He turned round and beholding her
standing in the middle of the street called out to her to make
haste and rejoin him.
Finding she gave no heed, he walked back, and pulling her
by the hand, asked why she did not come on. Awakened as
from deep sleep, Catharine lowered her eyes and looked at him,
"If thou didst but see what I see/' she said, " thou wouldst
not disturb me," and instantly raised her eyes again. But alas !
the vision had disappeared : and the little maiden wept long and
bitterly, fearing that by her fault she had lost that glorious
sight.
From this moment Catharine was no longer a child, and an
ardent love of God became the only motive of her actions.
She learned to know, without reading or any human help,
the lives of the Saints and especially that of St. Domnic, and
felt a burning desire to imitate their penances, prayers, and
practices of virtue. She sought out lonely places, and there
scourged herself and watched and prayed. When she was
about seven she determined to leave her father's house, and
lead, as far as she could, a hermit's life. So one morning she
took a loaf of bread and set out very early before the house
hold was awake. She knew the way to her sister's house, so
thither she bent her steps, but when she reached it instead of
going in, she passed it by and went out at the gate of the
city. No longer seeing any houses, she thought she had found
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
a desert, and after walking a short distance came to a cave in
a rock. Full of joy she entered and set herself to pray, but
scarcely had she begun her prayer when she felt herself gently
raised from the earth, as high as the roof of the cavern. In
this state she remained till the afternoon, when an interior voice
warned her that it was not yet time for her to leave home and
that God had other things in store for her. She therefore
set out on her way back, but feeling herself too weak to walk
so far, she earnestly asked Our Lord to help her, and in one
moment found herself close to her parents' house. She was
received by them as if she had returned from visiting her sister,
and the story of her attempt at a hermit's life remained un
known till she revealed it to her confessor.
Not long after this, Catharine, in whose heart the remem
brance of the glorious vision we have narrated was ever pres
ent, and who from the time she had been allowed to gaze on
the supreme beauty of her Saviour, had never ceased to hunger
for a closer union with Him, made a vow of virginity. She
presented her offering through the most pure hands of His
Virgin Mother, and the sequel of her life will show how faith
fully she kept it. From this time, too, dates an increase of
austerities in her already so mortified life — she gave up eating
meat, and took more frequent disciplines. Moreover, she felt
in her heart, young as she still was, an ardent desire for the
salvation of souls; and along with this desire sprang up a
great devotion to those Saints who had given themselves in a
special way to an apostolic career. She learnt by revelation
that St. Dominic founded his Order of Friar Preachers for this
sublime end, and from this time therefore, she conceived a par
ticular veneration for the Dominican order. When she saw
any of the Friars passing her father's house, she would follow
after them, and kiss, with love and reverence, the prints of their
feet. She longed to be one of them, and to work with them for
the souls of sinners : and the thought of disguising herself as
a man in order to gain entrance among them even came into
her head. This idea haunted her the more, as she knew that
St. Euphrosyne, by whose name she had once been called, had
192 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
adopted a similar device and, under the garb of a monk, had
passed many years in a monastery. But God, who did not
desire this of her, at length gave her to understand in prayer,
that such was not His Will ; and Catharine, ever obedient to
the inward voice which spoke so clearly to her heart, turned
from the thought, and waited in patience for whatever her
Divine Spouse should show her in the future.
One day her father chanced to go into the room of his son
Stephen, which, empty most part of the day, had been chosen
by Catharine as a retreat during the few minutes she some
times still had at her disposal. On entering, Giacomo saw his
daughter kneeling motionless in a corner of the apartment and,
to his surprise, saw hovering over head a dove of unsullied
whiteness. At the noise made by his approach the beautiful
bird rlew out of the half-opened window, and the father in
astonishment asked Catharine whence it came. "My father,"
replied the Saint, "I saw no dove nor yet any other bird in
this chamber." Wondering much, Giacomo withdrew, pon
dering deeply over what he had seen, though for the present
he kept it as a secret locked up in his own heart.
By this, and the sight of Catharine's daily virtues, God was
preparing the hearts of her relations for her entrance into the
great and holy Order of St. Dominic, which, as we shall see,
was to be the next step in the life of His chosen spouse.
One night, not long after the events just recorded, when
Catharine was asleep she had a great and glorious vision. She
saw before her several saints, founders of religious orders, and
amongst others St. Dominic, whom she recognized by the lily
of dazzling whiteness he held. Each of the holy founders in
his turn invited Catharine to join his order, but she without
hesitation moved towards St. Dominic. Instantly the Saint
stepped forward to meet her, and offered her the habit of the
Sisters of his order, known as Sisters of Penance : "Take cour
age, dearest daughter," he said, "fear nothing, for thou shalt
for certain receive and wear this habit." Overcome with joy,
Catharine burst into tears and returned humble thanks to God
and the holy patriarch. Being moreover filled with a new and
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 193
dauntless courage, she that very day chose a moment when all
the members of her family were gathered together, and in
formed them in words which could not be gainsaid, that she felt
the time was come to tell them of the vow of virginity which she
had made, and that she begged them henceforth never to speak
of marriage to her, for her resolution of belonging to God alone
was fixed and irrevocable. Struck by her unwonted attitude and
the energy of her words, her parents and brothers and sisters
attempted no reply, but burst into tears ; and for some moments
no sound was heard in the room save that of their weeping.
Her father was the first to recover himself, and declared that
henceforth neither he nor any other of the family would op
pose her wishes, but that she should be free to follow the call
of her heavenly Spouse. Catharine, whose heart was filled
with unspeakable joy, in spite of the sighs and tears of those
who- surrounded her, immediately returned thanks, first to God
for the mercy shown to her, and next to her parents, who had
at this moment fulfilled the dearest wish of her heart by promis
ing that she should no longer be hindered in her entire sur
render of herself to the one object of her affections.
She instantly began planning out a life in conformity with
this grant of freedom : she spent long hours in prayer during
the day; and even most part of her nights were passed in this
holy exercise. She abstained entirely from meat, and from the
minute portion of wine which hitherto she had been used to
mingle with her water; her food consisted only of raw herbs,
and little by little she brought herself to subsist without any
nourishment whatsoever. She wore upon her delicate body a
rough hair shirt, and when for reasons of cleanliness she cast
this aside, it was but to gird herself with a chain of iron, so
hard and terrible that it sunk deep into her flesh and seared
it as if it were red-hot. Her poor mother watched all these
fearful macerations with bitter grief, and one day, when St.
Catharine was engaged in taking a cruel discipline and was
literally covered with streams of blood flowing down to the
ground, she entered her room. 'Alas ! alas ! my daughter, what
doest thou? Wilt thou kill thyself?" she exclaimed, and as if
194 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
bereft of her senses, she began to run about the house, raving
and uttering piercing cries till the neighbors came rushing in,
appalled at the unusual sounds. When they entered the house,
and saw with their own eyes both the affliction of the mother
and the proofs of the austerities of Catharine, we are told that
they knew not which to pity most, the heart-broken parent, or
the innocent young girl who, to expiate the sins of others, had
inflicted on herself such terrible and unheard of torments.
The next step that St. Catharine took was to try and get
herself received as a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic,
mindful of the promise made her by its holy Founder. Her
mother after much persuasion, agreed to ask the Sisters to re
ceive her among them, but at first met with very ill success.
The Sisters declared that Catharine was far too young, and also
that their ranks were wont to be filled only by widows of mature
age and good fame, who were able to live alone and were
capable of taking care of themselves. Lapa, nothing loth to
have her daughter's plans upset, hastened home with the news,
but failed none the less to deter Catharine from her endeavor.
She was obliged to return anew to the nuns, though unluckily
for our Saint her demand again met with a decided refusal. It
chanced, however, that just at this time St. Catharine fell ill
of small-pox, and Lapa, who loved her best of all her children,
nursed her with the tenderest care and trembled at the fear
of losing her. St. Catharine thought this a good opportunity
for once more bringing forward her request. "Dearest mother/,
she said, "if you wish me to live, I beseech you to procure me
the habit I have so long wished for, for you must know that
if I do not obtain it, you will not keep me long either in that
habit or any other." Terrified at these words, Lapa hastened
back to the Sisters, who were somewhat touched at the mother's
grief, and answered, "If thy daughter be not too fair, we will
consent to receive her." "Come yourselves," Lapa answered,
"you will be the better able to judge." So they followed her
to the house where the maiden was lying on her sick bed, and
on account of her disease they could not discern the beauty
of her features. Moreover, they were so struck by the wisdom
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 195
of her words and the ardor of her desires that they no longer
demurred, but to Catharine's unbounded joy, at last agreed
that as soon as she was cured they would receive her into their
company. Then indeed, she speedily began to pray for the
recovery of her health, which up till then she had had little
care for, and Our Lord seeing her longing desires to dedicate
her life to His service, was not slow in granting her request.
She was scarcely cured when, accompanied by her mother and
other relations, she presented herself at the Church of the
Dominican Fathers and there, in the presence of about a hun
dred sisters of the Third Order, was clothed with the holy
habit of Penance. Some may perchance be tempted to wonder
why St. Catharine did not go a step further if she were bent
on becoming a nun, and enter one of the many enclosed mon
asteries of her native city, instead of remaining- under her
father's roof. But the answer to this is easy : God had raised
up the Saint to do the work of an apostle, and for labor which
enclosure would have rendered impossible. She was therefore,
we must believe, providentially guided to embrace a life, which,
while it left her free to come and go as the spirit of God should
direct, would at the same time confer on her a religious charac
ter, and give more weight and authority to her words and deeds.
It would not, however, appear that St. Catharine herself was
in any way conscious at this time of her after destiny ; her one
idea was to become a perfect religious, and to imbue her mind
with the spirit of the Dominical Order. "Behold, thou art be
come a nun," she would say to herself, "beware lest thou con
tinue to live as thou hast hitherto done, but with thy garments,
change also thy way of life and customs." And she devoted her
self more ardently than ever to praver and penance. She never
left her narrow cell except to go to church, and her silence was
so rigorous that for three whole years she never spoke unless
it were in confession. The three great characteristics of the
Order of Friar Preachers imprinted themselves indelibly on her
soul during the years which followed her entrance into it, for,
to her practices of prayer and penance, she joined the most
burning desire for the salvation of souls, thus proving herself
196 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
a worthy daughter and fervent disciple of St. Dominic, who
left as a heritage to his spiritual sons, contemplation, mortifica
tion, and the apostolic life. During this time also which her
after life shows to be one of preparation, she had long and
terrible combats to endure against the spirit of darkness. He
assailed her with every form of temptation, and assaulted the
spouse of Christ with the foulest sights and imaginations ; but
the only outcome of his impotent malice was to ground her still-
more firmly in heroic virtue and to win for her the choicest
favors of her Lord. Once, after one of the most terrible com
bats she had had to undergo, Our Divine Saviour appeared to
her as if hanging on the Cross, and consoled her with most
sweet and loving words. Emboldened by His condescension,
St. Catharine ventured to ask Him, "Lord where wert Thou
when my heart was so troubled with these loathsome tempta
tions ?" "My daughter," replied her most gracious Saviour, "I
was in thy heart." And soon after the vision vanished, leav
ing a heavenly joy lingering for many days in her soul. Nor
was this favor the greatest of those bestowed on her in reward
for her constancy, and for the humility which had rendered her
proof against all the darts of the enemy. After many other
celestial visitations, too long to dwell on in this short sketch,
her Lord granted her one of the highest favors He has ever
vouchsafed to give to any of His saints. One day, just before
Lent, He showed Himself to her and after conversing with her
for some moments, was joined by Our Blessed Lady and the
Beloved Desciple, with St. Paul and St. Dominic. Lastly came
the royal psalmist, King David, bearing his harp, on wrhich he
began to play tunes of unearthly sweetness. Then the most
Holy Mother of God advanced towards Catharine, and taking
her by the hand, led her to her Divine Son, and begged Him
to condescend to espouse her to Himself. He consented by
bowing His head, and taking out a ring set with four precious
pearls with a marvellously rich diamond in the centre, put it on
the finger of her right hand, saying these words : "Behold I
here espouse thee to Myself in faith, which shall endure in
thee from this time forward, evermore, without change or
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 197
shadow, until the time when thou shalt celebrate with Me in
heaven the eternal nuptials. Wherefore, from henceforth, take
courage and be not dismayed, but do whatever thou art told,
for now that thou are armed with an invisible strength, thou
wilt be able to withstand and overcome all thy enemies." Then
the vision disappeared, but the mystic ring remained on the
finger of Catharine, though visible to herself only.
Thus was the spouse of Christ made ready to begin the work
to which she was destined. Clothed in the habit of the
Dominican Order, her virtue tried and made perfect in in
firmity, and finally loaded with celestial favors by Our Lord
Jesus Christ, she was now to appear before the eyes of men,
and to take part in the active work for souls in which she had
hitherto only concurred by her prayers and penances.
The first interruption in St. Catharine's hitherto solitary and
secluded life came from our Lord Himself. One day after she
had been long engaged in prayer, He told her that she was to
go down and join the family at dinner, and that she should after
that be again free to return to Him. St. Catharine was thund
erstruck at this announcement, and at first besought Our Lord
to let her stay with Him, pleading her inability to eat. But
Our Lord stood firm and told her that she was now about to
put in practice the precept of loving her neighbor for the sake
of God, that she had always sighed and prayed for the salva
tion of souls, and that leaving her wonted solitude was the first
step to more active work in their behalf. St. Catharine then
hastened to obey, and though the prospect of again mixing in
intercourse with others was by no means pleasing to her, took
her place at the family repast. This first step was followed by
fresh exertions and weanings from her hermitical way of life,
and she began anew to perform many household works, such
as sweeping, washing, and cooking. But this outward change
made none in her heart; whenever she could, she flew back
to her cell, and all day long her remembrance of the presence
of God in her soul was so unbroken that she kept up the most
intimate communication with Him despite all external employ
ments.
198 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Her accustomed ecstasies, far from being suspended were
more frequent and wonderful than ever, and became more ap
parent to others. When her mother, Lapa, saw her for the
first time in a trance, she was so alarmed at the stiffness and
contraction of her limbs, that she ran to her and pulling her
violently by her neck, which was somewhat awry, tried to
straighten it by force. Happily, however, a bystander, seeing
the danger of what she was doing, uttered a cry, and Lapa gave
over her well-meant but injudicious endeavors. When St. Cath
arine shortly after returned to herself, she felt as if her neck
had been all but broken, and declared to Brother Raymund,
her ghostly father, that if her mother had continued her efforts
any longer, she would certainly have caused her death.
Another day, when St. Catharine was preparing the family
supper, she sat down by the hearth to turn the spit, but little by
little her arm ceased to move, and soon fell helplessly by her
side, while her soul was ravished in heavenly contemplation.
Lisa, her sister-in-law, saw what was the matter, and quietly
took her place leaving her to the enjoyment of celestial favors.
When the meat was roasted, Lisa placed it on the table, and,
after serving the others took her own repast, Catharine mean
while being absorbed in ecstasy. The meal having come to an
end, the family dispersed and Lisa, seeing it was useless to
wait for her, went away to see after her children and husband.
After a long absence she went back to the kitchen to see if
Catharine had yet come to her senses, but what was her dis
may to see the Saint lying motionless on the hot burning coals.
Screaming as loudly as she could, "Alas, alas, Catharine is
burnt," she rushed to her and caught her up as quickly as
she could. Her alarm, however, was changed to wonder when
she could discover neither on her person nor on her clothes
any traces of fire. Her garments were not even singed, though
the fire that day had been fiercer than usual, nor was there any
smell of burning. The fire of God's holy love which burnt
in her heart had prevented the outward flames having any effect
on her bodily frame.
This was not St. Catharine's only escape from fire at this
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
period. Once when she was praying in the Church of St. Dom
inic, being again rapt in ecstasy, she leaned her head against
a pillar on which there stood a wax candle. By some chance the
lighted candle fell down upon her head, and there it remained
burning till it was all wasted away, and yet did no harm to
the Saint, nor even to the veil or wimple with which she was
covered. Twice, too, she was thrown by the fiend himself into
the fire; the second time he dashed her with such force into
a pan of burning coals, that the pan, which was of earthenware,
was completely smashed. But St. Catharine, who was not in
the least hurt or daunted, got quickly up and said merrily to a
woman who was standing by: "See what work Malatasca (for
so she called the demon) maketh here."
Having now once more resumed her place in her own family,
St. Catharine's next step was to undertake more active works
in favor of the poor and sick of the neighborhood. Possessing
nothing of her own, she craved her father's leave to give away
food and money, and obtained from him a large and hearty
consent. Before all his household, "Let no one," he said, "hin
der my beloved daughter in the distribution of alms ; I give her
full control over all that is in the house." It need scarcely be
said that St. Catharine took full advantage of this permission,
and gave away whatever she could lay her hands on so lavishly
that murmurs began to arise in the family. One day especially,
all were much disturbed when it was discovered that a large
barrel of wine which they had hoped would last for a long
time, was found empty. In fact the discontent was so loudly
expressed that Giacomo was much distressed. Catharine, how
ever, asking him the cause of his trouble, bade him fear nothing
and going to the cask and there kneeling down, besought Our
Lord not to allow the alms she had given to the poor to become
a cause of dissension in the family. She then made the sign
of the cross over the barrel, and the wine began to flow again
in abundance. On numerous other occasions also did God
come to the help of His faithful servant. Once when she was
confined to bed by sickness, she learnt that a poor widow in
the city was dying of hunger, as well as her two children.
200 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Touched with pity, Catharine implored Our Lord to give her
strength enough to come to their rescue. She then arose
though it was not yet dawn, and loaded herself with every
species of provision. As soon as the bell, before whose chim
ing none might stir out, sounded, she set forth on her errand
of charity, and had nearly reached the poor woman's abode
when her burden, which had hitherto seemed quite light, became
so heavy that she felt as if she could not take another step.
Again she turned to God with humble trust in His mercy, and
entreated Him to enable her to fulfil her charitable task; and
being once more strengthened, she reached the house, and find
ing the door open, went softly in and put down her load. She
was turning homewards when for the second time all her
strength forsook her, and seeing that it was the will of her
Divine Spouse thus, as it were, to sport with her she spoke to
Him with a mixture of familiarity and reverence : "O my sweet
Saviour, why makest Thou game of me in this manner — the day
cometh on, and dost Thou wish that all the world should see my
folly ? Grant me, I beseech Thee, strength to go home again."
Then she tried to walk along but found herself barely able to
creep; the widow, too, who had been awakened by the noise,
came down into the street and there recognized her benefac
tress. At last, however, Our Lord heard the prayer of St.
Catharine, and she was enabled to reach home before the broad
daylight came on.
Twice Our Lord Himself appeared to her in the form of
a beggar, and asked alms from her hand, and both times He
came to her during the following night, commending her for
her charity and promising her eternal gifts in exchange; in
fact it would be impossible in this short life to enumerate all the
wonderful events which now became almost of daily occur
rence in the history of our Saint.
The course of our story now at length leads us to the affairs
of the Church itself, for whose special aid St. Catharine had
doubtless been marked out by God from the first. There had
been existing in Italy for a long time an undercurrent secretly at
work against the Holy See. The Pope, residing himself at
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 201
Avignon, had appointed legates as rulers of the Pontifical
States, or to represent him in the various republics of the
peninsula. These were for the most part foreigners, and as such
universally hated. The plague of 1374 had been followed by
a terrible famine in Tuscany, and on account of some difficulty
in procuring corn from the Papal States for the use of the
Florentines, the population, having at their head an ex-captain
of the Pope's army, flew to arms and openly defied the au
thority of the then reigning Pontiff Gregory XL A sharp
struggle ensued; the populace profaned churches and monas
teries, massacred priests, and in their fury flayed alive the
Papal Nuncio, and actually buried him before life was extinct.
Sixty strong places or fortresses belonging to the church more
over, fell into the hands of the Florentines.
St. Catharine had watched the storm gathering from Pisa
where she was at that time, and when it burst used every effort
to keep Pisa, Lucca, and Siena within the bounds of duty.
She, moreover, herself wrote two letters to the Holy Father
imploring his indulgence, which letters exercised so salutary
an influence on the mind of the Pontiff that he sent deputies
to Florence bearing propositions of peace. Unhappily an act
of treason on the part of the authorities put a stop to these
negotiations, and soon affairs were worse than ever. Recog
nizing at last, however, the necessity of submission, the Floren
tine rulers sent for Catharine and implored her to go herself
to Avignon, there to try and make terms of peace. The Saint
at length consented, and set out for the Papal Court, where
she was received by Pope Gregory with the greatest honor.
It would be too long to go into all the details of what followed ;
suffice it to say that after long and strenuous efforts, and being
herself once nearly murdered by the Florentines to whose city
she had returned during the course of the negotiations, she
had the happiness of seeing peace restored between the reign
ing Pontiff and the inhabitants of the beautiful though re
bellious Florence.
This work, great as it was, was not. as is probably well known
to most of our readers, by any means the crowning achievement
202 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
of St. Catharine. While at Avignon she had spoken to the
Holy Father with the greatest openness and courage on the
abuses of many kinds which she saw around her, both among
pastors and people. More than this she had vehemently ex
horted him to proclaim a new crusade against the infidels and
had seconded the efforts which he made at her entreaty, with
all her power. She wrote to many princes of Europe, and
strove by words of burning eloquence to stir up in their hearts
an ardor akin to her own and there was every appearance of
her succeeding, when the premature, and, to human eyes, dis
astrous death of Gregory, put a stop to her efforts in this
direction. The crusade did not take place, and the reforms
she had worked for were delayed, but it was granted to her
to see the fulfilment of the third of the great designs with
which the love of Holy Church had inspired her. It was
permitted to her after long and painful labors to be the means
of restoring the Popes to Rome from their exile at Avignon.
In 1377, after an absence of the Papal Court for 72 years,
Gregory XI. made his solemn entry into his capital, and Rome,
so long widowed, seemed delirious with joy at once more wel
coming its Pontiff. But she who by her prayers and exhorta
tions to Gregory had been the instrument of this great work
was not on that day of public rejoicing to be seen amid the
exulting throng. From Genoa, where she had repaired to meet
and encourage the Pope on his way to Rome, she had hastened
back to her native place, there in the silence of her poor cell
to pour out her ardent prayers for the welfare of Christ's
Church and for the guidance of His representative on earth.
Fain would she have ended her days thus, but it was not long
before, in the terrible calamities which again overtook the
church, she was summoned by the Sovereign Pontiff to be his
counsellor, and to prove herself the stay and pillar of Christen
dom in these moments of peril.
Urban VI. who had succeeded Gregory XL on the throne
was of harsh and unbending character ; and the French cardi
nals, alienated by his severity, found a pretext for leaving
Rome and proceeding to Fondi, in the kingdom of Naples, there
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 203
elected an anti-pope, whom they proclaimed under the name
of Clement VII.
This was the beginning of the great schism which for seventy
years tore the robe of the mystic Bride of the Son of God,
and at one time no less than three popes, two, of course, anti-
popes, presented their claims to the eyes of the bewildered
world. During the thick of these troubles Urban sent for
Catharine to come to Rome, and yielding obedience the Saint
took up her abode in the Holy city. It were vain in these few
pages to try and enumerate all the labors she undertook to
bring back the erring to their allegiance to the one lawful
successor of St. Peter. Firm in her adherence to Urban, her
voice was ever raised in his defence. Once even, during a
consistory, the Pope sent for her, and ordered her to address
the assembled cardinals. She spoke of the appalling evils
caused by schism with such inspired truth and courage, that
the Pontiff at the end summed up her discourse, and declared
that all present, including himself, had been brought to shame
by the words of the intrepid virgin. "Our timidity is con
founded by her courage," he exclaimed.
St. Catharine had not the happiness of living to see the con
clusion of the troubles of the church, but she foretold their
end before she died, and bade her disciples rejoice in the com
ing triumph of the cause of God. She continued to live on
in Rome, where a spiritual family had gathered round her,
and the details of her life there with its records of her states
of supernatural prayer, of her miracles and of the Divine fa
vors showered upon her, are not among the least remarkable
of her marvellous career.
Though the events which filled St. Catharine's life were so
many and so wonderful, yet they were all crowded into a very
short space of time, for she had but just completed her thirty-
third year when she was called to her heavenly reward.
As has before been said, she led a life of wonderful union
and close intercourse with God after she had taken up her
abode within the walls of Rome, and one day in the ardor of
her soul, she exclaimed, "O Sovereign Clemency, behold my
204 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
body, I offer it up unto Thee as an anvil on which are to be
bruised the sins of the wicked — I offer Thee my life, now, or
whenever Thou pleasest."
Our lord was pleased to take her at her word, and for four
months her body was as a target, receiving all the shafts of
the Divine wrath. Once after having by her prayers and
remonstrances with the rebels, quelled an insurrection against
the Pope, our Lord said to her, "Leave this people to their
fate, for my justice requires that I should no longer suffer
their iniquities." Catharine nevertheless pleaded their cause
so earnestly that they were spared, as formerly the ungrate
ful Israelites at the prayer of Moses, but not with impunity
to herself. The powers of hell had leave to torment her vir
ginal body and in their rabid fury, practised such cruelties
upon her, that, according to the accounts of eye witnesses, it
would be impossible, without having seen them, to form any
idea of their intensity.
More like a phantom than a human being, parched with
thirst, and yet unable to swallow a single drop of water ; con
sumed by an interior fire which scorched her at every breath,
St. Catharine never ceased from her wonted activity, nor to
show on her face her habitual expression of heavenly joy. Dur
ing Lent, after a most mysterious visitation from God, her
sufferings increased to that degree, that her continuance in
life was a daily miracle. No longer able to go out in the early
morning, Mass was said for her every day in the little chapel
attached to her house, and by the express desire of Our Lord,
she also communicated daily. After this, gathering up all her
remaining strength, she would force herself to go to St. Peter's
to pray for the Church, and it was while thus engaged that she
there received the intimation of her approaching end.
During the Lent of this same year, or rather from the third
Sunday of that holy season, for eight consecutive weeks she
was so consumed by sufferings, both interior and exterior,
that during all that time she was unable to lift her head. Lying
stretched on planks she appeared to be already in her coffin;
and it was only when Holy Communion was brought to her that
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 205
her almost inanimate frame seemed to be re-inkindled with
a breath of life. Once, when Brother Raymund was saying
Mass in her chamber, at the moment of Communion, St. Cath
arine, who had been lying perfectly motionless, suddenly arose,
and to the stupefaction of the by-standers, walked unaided to
the altar, and then knelt down to receive the Adorable Sacra
ment. After having communicated, she fell into the ecstasy
customary with her on receiving the Body of Our Lord, and
when that had ceased, she was found incapable of regaining her
bed alone, so that her companions were obliged to carry her
to it.
And now the end was close at hand — that death "precious
in the sight of the Lord," of which, however, space will only
allow us to say a few brief words. Besides the thought of
the Church which never left her, St. Catharine's last days were
filled with solicitude for her beloved spiritual family who,
collected round their mother, were watching in deep sorrow
the approach of her last moments. Prayer, obedience, charity
to each other, and devotedness to the Church and Sovereign
Pontiff, were the themes of her parting instructions to them.
Especially did she dwell upon the last point, telling them at the
same time that she considered being allowed to die for the
Church, as she undoubtedly was doing, the greatest grace
that had ever been bestowed upon her. On the Sunday before
the Ascension she received Extreme Unction, and afterwards
it seemed as if the demons were allowed for the last time to
assault her. She was heard denying accusations, and some
times she appeared to turn disdainfully from an invisible speak
er. After which, she repeated no less than sixty times, "I have
sinned, Lord, have mercy on me." Before her were placed
some relics with a cross in the middle, and fastening her eyes
on the holy symbol she made aloud a confession of all the sins
of her life. She then begged for absolution and for the plenary
indulgence granted to her for her last moments by Gregory XI.
and Urban VI. Several times also she asked her mother's
blessing, for Lapa, ever faithful, was watching by her beloved
daughter. But the poor mother, overwhelmed with grief, re-
206 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
plied by begging Catharine to obtain by her prayers that she
might not offend God in her sorrow. Then the dying Saint
prayed aloud for the Pope, the Holy Church, and for all those
confided to her care. Finally she made the sign of the Cross,
and having implored the help of the Precious Blood, she ut
tered the words, "O Blood, O Blood ! Father, into Thy hands I
commend my spirit," and with a countenance radiant as that
of an angel, she bowed her head, like even in her death to the
One Supreme Object of her affections. Her precious death
took place on the 2Qth of April, 1380, her thirty-third year
being barely completed.
We have been obliged to pass over in silence the accounts
of the many and heroic virtues displayed during the last months
of her earthly pilgrimage ; we have not been able to dwell on
her wondrous love of the Blessed Sacrament, her devotion
to the Precious Blood, to the Virgin Mother of her Divine
Spouse, and to the saints, His friends and imitators. We have
not paused to offer to our readers any of the sayings of heavenly
wisdom which fell from her lips and were gathered up by her
friends and disciples; nor has it been possible to notice the
writings which she has left behind her to enrich the Church of
God, but if these short pages succeed in giving some idea, how
ever slight, of the virtues and heroism of the Saint of Siena,
their purpose will have been fulfilled.
St. Catharine was buried in Rome, as befitted her who had
given her life for the Church, and her pure and holy body still
rests under the High Altar of the Minerva.
In our own times she has been proclaimed Patroness of the
Holy City ; and God grant that her still being allowed to rest
in its centre may be a pledge that He has not forgotten the
needs of the Church in the present day, but that in His own
good time He will restore Rome to her lawful Master, and
that Master to the position so iniquitously wrested from him.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN '207
DEVOTION TO THE CHURCH
The seraphic St. Catharine willingly sacrificed the delights
of contemplation to labor for the Church and the Apostolic
See. How deeply do the troubles of the Church and the con
sequent loss of souls afflict us? How often do we pray for
the Church and the Pope?
Long had the holy Virgin foretold the terrible schism which
began ere she died. Day and night she wept and prayed for
unity and peace. But the devil excited the Roman people
against the Pope, so that some sought the life of Christ's Vicar.
With intense earnestness did St. Catharine beg our Lord to
prevent this enormous crime. In spirit she saw the whole
city full of demons tempting the people to resist and even slay
the Pope. The seditious temper was subdued by Catharine's
prayers, but the devils vented their malice by scourging the
Saint herself, who gladly endured all for God and His Church.
"O Lord, let all the parts of my body, all my bones, all the
marrow within my bones, be beaten and pounded together in
a mortar ; only restore Thy Holy Church to her comeliness and
beauty." — St. Catharine.
"Christ loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it."
— Ephes. v. 25.
MYSTIC MARRIAGE OF ST. KATHARINE V.
(Lines on a picture by Memling, at Bruges.)
Mystery: Katharine, the bride of Christ.
She kneels^; and on her hand the Holy Child
Setteth the ring. Her life is sad and mild,
Laid in God's knowledge — ever unenticed
From Him, and in the end thus fitly priced.
Awe and the music that is near her, wrought
Of angels, hath possesed her eyes in thought;
Her utter joy is hers, and hath sufficed.
208
APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
There is a pause, while Mary Virgin turns
The leaf and reads. With eyes on the spread book,
That damsel at her knees reads after her.
John whom He loved, and John His harbinger,
Listen and watch. Whereon so e'er thou look,
The light is starred in gems, and the gold burns.
Dante G. Rosseiti.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 209
APPARITION
TO
BLESSED MARY MANCINI, W.O.S.D.
PISA, ITALY
1372
"O Virgin! pure and good,
Delay not till I reach my life's last year;
Swifter than shaft and shuttle are, my days
'Mid misery and sin
Have vanished all, and now Death only is behind."
Francesco Petrarch.
LESSED Mary Mancini, who is best known under
the name of Blessed Mary of Pisa, was called
Catharine in baptism, and belonged to the noble
, family of the Mancini. Whilst still in tender years
she began to receive many wonderful supernatural favors.
When three years old she was warned by her guardian angel
that the portico under which her nurse had laid her was in an
unsafe condition ; and the moment she left it the building fell
to the ground. At five and a half she was favored with an
ecstasy, in which she found herself transported to a palace in
Pisa, in which Peter Gambacorti, one of the chief citizens, was
a prisoner. The unhappy nobleman was at that moment under
going torture, but at the prayer of the innocent child the rope
by which he was suspended broke and he was set free. Our
Blessed Lady bade the little Catharine daily recite seven Hail
Mary on his behalf, telling her that she would one day be
supported at his expense.
When twelve years old Catharine's friends compelled her to
marry ; and before she was sixteen she found herself a widow.
Her family insisted on her once more engaging in the mar
ried state ; but her second husband died when she was twenty-
four. Most of her children had passed away in infancy, and
aio APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
the others did not long survive their father ; so that Catharine
then found herself able to follow her attraction to prayer and
penance with greater freedom than had hitherto been pos
sible. She absolutely refused to yield to the solicitations of her
brother, who wanted her to take a third husband ; and choosing
as her companion a pious servant well advanced in years, she
devoted herself to a life of contemplation, austerity, and active
works of charity. Every night she took a severe discipline
and devoted several hours to prayer, rising for this purpose as
soon as she heard the first bell for Matins ring in the church of
the Friars Preachers. Early in the morning she went to their
church and assisted at all the Masses, and then returned home
to spin. Her afternoon was also divided between devotional
exercises in the Church and humble labor. She distributed
her earnings to the poor and sick, whom she constantly visited,
only retaining for herself just sufficient to provide the neces
sities of life. She received many of the sick poor into her
house, nursing them with the utmost tenderness and serving
them with her own hands.
One day she found at her door a young man of extraordinary
beauty, but very poorly clad and covered with wounds. She
brought him into the house and washed and dressed his sores,
and before dismissing him, bade him return as often as he stood
in need of the same charitable offices. The young man laid
his hand on her head and gave her a solemn blessing, adding
that he would not fail to visit her again. After his departure,
Catharine, going to perform her customary mortification of
drinking some of the water with which she had washed his
wounds, tasted such ineffable sweetness, that she began to
suspect she had been favored by some heavenly visitant. Then
her guardian angel told her that, in reward of her charity to
His poor, her Divine Spouse had come in the garb of a beggar
to receive her services.
In the year 1375, St. Catharine of Siena visited Pisa and a
sweet and holy friendship sprang up between her and the holy
widow. On Easter Sunday, when they were both praying in
the chapel of the Annunciation in the Domincan Church, they
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 211
were in the sight of all the people covered by a beautiful and
shining cloud, out of which flew a white dove. It was prob
ably at that time the seraphic Saint of Siena persuaded her
namesake to enter the Third Order of St. Dominic; though
others say that the latter took the step in consequence of a
vision in which St. Catharine appeared to her after death, and
in which she gave her many practical instructions in the spiri
tual life.
In the course of time, the holy widow retired into the en
closed Convent of the Holy Cross, apparently of the Second
Order, receiving in religion the name of Sister Mary. Some
of the relaxed habits of the age seem to have crept into this
otherwise edifying community ; and only some of its members,
including blessed Mary and the young blessed Clara Gam-
bacorti, practised poverty in all its strictness. At the end of
eight years the two blessed servants of God, accompanied by
five other Sisters, withdrew into the new Convent of St. Domi
nic, which Peter Gambacorti had built for his daughter; and
thus was fulfilled the prophecy which Our Lady had made to
blessed Mary long years before, that she should one day be
supported at the expense of that nobleman. There they lived
in great fervor and strictness of observance. Blessed Mary
continued to be favored in religion as she had been in the world,
with many supernatural favors and revelations. To obtain the
explanation of one of these, she had recourse to Alfonso Vada-
terra, Bishop of Jaen and former Confessor to St. Bridgit. He
was one of the most distinguished men of his day and an inti
mate friend of the Gambacorti family ; and his reply to Blessed
Mary is still preserved. After the death of Blessed Clara, her
faithful companion succeeded her in the office of Prioress. She
at length happily departed this life on January 22, A.D. 1431,
and was beatified by Pius IX.
212 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
PRAYER OF SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
Remember, Mother, throned in Heaven's splendor,
That never on this earth has it been said
That any heart which sought thy pity tender
Was left imcomforted.
So, wearied of world-friendship's changing fashion,
And bankrupt of world-treasures utterly,
And trusting in thy mercy and compassion,
I come at last to thee.
Why name to thee my needs in my entreating —
Thou, taught in human hearts by the Divine —
Long time agone, when soft His heart was beating,
Fond Mother, close to thine.
O plead with Him who on thy breast was cherished
Sweet Sharer in the world's Redemption Pain!
O let it not be said that I have perished,
Where none came yet in vain.
Katherine E. Conway.
PRAYER TO THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT AND
TO THE SACRED HEART
Behold, my most loving Jesus, to what an excess Thy bound
less love has carried Thee. Of Thine own Flesh and Precious
Blood, Thou hast made ready for me a banquet in order to give
me all Thyself. What was it that impelled Thee to this trans
port of love for me? It was Thy Heart, Thy loving Heart!
O adorable Heart of my Jesus! burning furnace of Divine
Love ! within Thy most sacred wound receive Thou my soul ;
that in that school of charity I may learn to requite the love of
that God Who has given me such wondrous proof of His love.
Amen.
loo days, once a day.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 213
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF FOLGOAT
BRITTANY, FRANCE
1380
Of Thee, bright Queen of Heaven, we dare
To beg for aid, when hopes have flown,
Oh! waft Thy fragrance, Lily rare,
O'er hearts that love has made Thine own,
And gently bend to hear our prayer.
Lucille Sullivan.
N the year 1380, there lived near Lesneven, in Bre-
tagne, a good old man named Salaun or Soloman.
He had no one to care for him, and as he had
t=====^____ some curious ways, and did not associate with any
person, the people thought him crazy, and he was commonly
known in the village as Solomon the Idiot. He walked with
his eyes on the ground, but his heart was in heaven, and the
Good God heard all that he did not say with his lips. Too lit
tle in mind to be a shepherd, he was loved by God,
Yet old and crippled as he was, he might be seen every even
ing at sunset hobbling towards the chapel of the Blessed Vir
gin near the seashore, where the pious peasants were wont to
gather, and sing hymns in honor of Our Lady. He would
remain behind after the others had gone home, and only when
the whole village was wrapt in sleep would he arise and seek
his miserable cabin. He would be up next morning even before
the busy fisherman had trimmed his craft, or the industrious
farmer was in the field.
Sometimes he fasted many days at a time, living on prayer
alone ; when he found himself very faint and almost exhausted
with hunger, he would knock at the door of a cottage, and
say humbly, in a low voice : "Salaun would like to eat some
214 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
bread." In all his life he never said anything but that —
except, "Ave Maria." Barefooted, covered with rags, he went
on his way; some laughed, some jeered, and some drew back
with a sort of awe ; and the wicked little boys cried after him :
"Fou du bois ! Fou du bois !" from which comes the name of
the Chapel — Folgoat. He was of the woods; here, where the
Blessed Virgin's Chapel is built he slept under an oak, near
a beautiful fountain. The oak stood where the altar is now.
The sick \vlio have been healed by its waters know well where
the fountain is.
When winter came, and the work in the fields was done,
the people did not fail to continue their custom of going every
evening to the chapel. And as surely as it began to grow dark,
so surely would old Solomon be found there, — though the snow
might lie knee-deep and the wind blow ever so hard. One even
ing, however, the good people missed his familiar face. They
sang their hymns as usual, and then prepared to leave the
chapel. But they had not gone far, when, to their great
astonishment, they saw the old man lying in the snow near the
sea-shore. His unkempt hair and matted beard were heavy with
icicles. He rolled his glassy eyes, softly muttered, "Ave Ma
ria!" and died. They buried him in an out-of-the-way field,
for they thought an idiot ought not to be laid in consecrated
ground ; and there was no one to mark the spot with a cross
or a stone.
When gentle spring followed winter, and the hawthorn blos
somed, and the lark sang its tuneful note, a person happened
to pass near the place where Solomon was buried. Great was
his wonderment to see a snow-white lily rising from the out
cast's grave. Going nearer, his surprise was increased to see
on the petals of the lily in letters of gold the words, "Ave
Maria!"
A crowd soon gathered around, but no one could explain the
strange occurrence: no one had planted the lily there, nor
could any one account for the wondrous words. At length,
the Bishop, hearing of the event, came in state to Lesneven.
It was a lovely morning ; all the people of the village and the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 215
neighboring towns had assembled, and after Solemn High
Mass the multitude formed in procession, and, headed by two
acolytes and a cross-bearer, walked to the grave where the
body of Solomon the Idiot was buried. The lily was still there.
After prayers had been recited, the Bishop ordered the grave to
be opened. The astonishment of the beholders knew no bounds
when it was discovered that the root of the lily was the old
man's heart.
Not many years afterwards the name of Solomon the Idiot
was added to the roll of the patrons of Bretagne, and in all
their trials and afflictions the good people never failed to in
voke the aid of "Holy Solomon."
A church was erected by the owner of the land over the spot
where the pious imbecile was buried. It is one of the most
beautiful and famous in all Brittany, and when seen in the
morning sunlight looks like a lace-work of stone, a veritable
dream of the Orient.
Though we must distrust to a certain degree the accounts
given by Breton enthusiasm — since the sixty sanctuaries dedi
cated to the Blessed Virgin in the Leonais country are not all
beautiful or grand, — still in this church there is a nameless
something at once humble and magnificent, — an exquisite deli
cacy, — a grave, sweet poetry, simple and sublime, like the plain
chant of our hymns.
At the entrance one finds himself before the stone of Ker-
santon, on which may be deciphered, although with difficulty,
the well-nigh obliterated inscription of Duke John, the con
queror of Charles de Blois in that famous war of succession in
which Brittany fell into the hands of the English.
On entering the sacred edifice the visitor, in spite of the
majesty of the exterior, will not be prepared for the bewildering
wealth of wonders which are heaped up in this tomb of the
poor "idiot," whose suffering soul while on earth testified by
many miracles to the favor which he enjoyed with the Most
High. He was gentle, this mendicant, — gentle as a little child,
and "meek and humble of heart."
With what beauty, with what grandeur these stories of
216 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Catholic sanctity are embalmed ! And what a superhuman
teaching is found in this fact, reproduced under a thousand dif
ferent forms on every page of the annals of Brittany — the
monarch humbly kneeling at the tomb of a mendicant, the sov
ereign bowing his perishable sceptre before this immortal relic
• — the staff which supported the tottering steps of "the Idiot of
the Woods !"
The church of Our Lady of Folgoat, more than any of the
sanctuaries of Brittany, renders homage to heavenly poverty.
Around the fountain where the saintly mendicant moistened his
piece of dry bread, under the branches of the oak where he
slept, a reigning prince reared this granite forest, and age after
age has brought its wealth to adorn this ducal foundation,
which, like a flower, has expanded more and more in each suc
ceeding century.
The Mount of Salvation may be seen from afar (La Mon-
tagne du Saint), so named, says an old Breton chronicler, "be
cause from these holy heights the Queen of Heaven guards
and saves the good people of Brittany." On this mount is
perched the Cathedral of the Solitudes, where the faithful of
the whole world come to pray to the Immaculate Queen of
Heaven, invoking the while the intercession of a beggar, to
whom God had not vouchsafed the light of reason, and who,
during his life of poverty and suffering, could utter no other
prayer save the two words, "Ave Maria."
As one stands in the dark wing of the choir, where the sun
light has not penetrated to caress the marvel in stone which
crowns the gallery, they will notice that here in this land of
fruits, the stone-cutters had lavished the vine everywhere, as
the principal motif of the ornaments. The vine is a symbol of
the Eucharist, and typifies love and sacrifice. The unknown
architects of the Ages of Faith, who built so many master
pieces, knew well that we can never have the love of Jesus
brought too frequently to our minds ; and their eloquent poems
in stone repeat in a thousand different ways the chant of our
joy, the acclamation of our tenderness : Adoremus in cetermtm
Sanctissimnm Sacramentmn !
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 217
Near the great tower of the church there is a smaller one,
built by the Duchess Anne, who, if we may credit the old
chronicles, sold Brittany to France, that she might be truly
Queen.
Of this famous Church and Shrine Chateaubriand writes :
"The dawning day illuminates their twin towers. Now they
appear to be crowned with a capital of clouds, magnified in the
vapory atmosphere. The birds take them for forest-trees ; little
black crows fly around their summits and perch in their gal
leries. But suddenly confused sounds are heard in these sacred
heights, frightening away the little birds which had taken
refuge there. The Christian architect, not content with build
ing these forests of granite, wished also to preserve the mur
murs of the woods, and, by the organ and the swaying bronze,
he has reproduced in the Gothic cathedral the echoes of the
winds and the reverberation of the thunder in the forests. The
ages evoked make their solemn voices heard; the sanctuary
trembles, while these enormous bells are startling the echoes
over our heads, announcing during all time the Incarnation of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
AVE, MARIA
A Breton Legend
In the Ages of Faith, before the day
When men were too proud to weep, or pray,
There stood in a red-roofed Breton town,
Snugly nestled 'twixt sea and down,
A chapel for simple souls to meet
Nightly, and sing with voices sweet,
Ave, Maria.
There was an Idiot, palsied, bleared,
With unkempt locks and a matted beard,
Hunched from the cradle, vacant eyed,
And whose head kept rolling from side to side;
Yet who, when the sunset-glow prew dim,
Joined with the rest in the twilight hymn,
Ave, Maria.
2iS APPARITIONS AND SHRINES Off
But, when they up-got and wended home,
Those up the hill-side, these to the foam,
He hobbled along in the narrowing dusk,
Like a thing that is only hull and husk;
On as he hobbled, chanting still,
Now to himself, now loud and shrill,
Ave, Maria.
When morning smiled on the smiling deep,
And the fisherman woke from dreamless sleep;
And ran up the sail, and trimmed his craft,
While his little ones leaped on the sand and laughed,
The senseless cripple would stand and stare,
Then, suddenly holloa his wonted prayer,
Ave, Maria.
Others might plough and reap and sow,
Delve in the sunshine, spin in snow,
Make sweet love in a shelter sweet,
Or trundle their dead in a winding sheet;
But he, through rapture and pain and wrong,
Kept singing his one monotonous song,
Ave, Maria.
When thunder growled from the ravelled wrack,
And ocean to welkin bellowed back,
And the lightning sprang from its cloudy sheath,
And tore through the forest with jagged teeth;
Then, leaped and laughed o'er the havoc wreaked,
The Idiot clapped with his hands and shrieked,
Ave, Maria.
Children mocked and mimicked his feet,
As he slouched, or slided along, the street;
Maidens shrank as he passed them by,
And mothers with child eschewed his eye;
And half in pity, half scorn, the folk
Christened him, from the words he spoke,
Ave, Maria.
One year, when the harvest feasts were done,
And the mending of tattered nets begun,
And the kittiwake's scream took a weirder key,
From the wailing wind and the moaning sea,
He was found, at morn, on the fresh strewn snow,
Frozen and faint and crooning low,
Ave, Maria.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 219
They stirred up the ashes between the dogs,
And warmed his limbs by the blazing logs,
Chafed his puckered and bloodless skin,
And strove to quiet his chattering chin;
But, ebbing with unreturning tide,
He kept on murmuring, till he died,
Ave, Maria.
Idiot, soulless, brute from birth,
He could not be buried in sacred earth;
So, they laid him afar, apart, alone,
Without a cross, or turf, or stone,
Senseless clay unto senseless clay,
To which none ever came nigh, to say,
Ave, Maria.
When the meads grow saffron, the hawthorn white,
And the lark bore his music out of sight,
And the swallow outraced the racing wave,
Up from the lonely, outcast grave
Sprouted a lily, straight and high,
Such as she bears to whom men cry,
Ave, Maria.
None had planted it; no one knew,
How it had come there, why it grew;
Grew up strong, till its stately stem
Was crowned with a snow-white diadem —
One pure lily, round which, behold,
Was written by God, in veins of gold,
Ave, Maria.
Over the lily they built a Shrine,
Where are mingled the mystic Bread and Wine —
Shrine you may see in the little town
That is snugly nestled 'twixt deep and down ;
Through the Breton land it hath wondrous fame,
And it bears the unshriven Idiot's name,
Ave, Maria.
Hunchback, gibbering, blear-eyed, halt,
From forehead to footstep one foul fault,
Crazy, contorted, mindless-born,
The gentle's pity, the cruel's scorn —
Who shall bar you the Gates of Day,
So you have simple faith to say,
Ave, Maria.
Alfred Austin,
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF THE THORN
CHALONS, FRANCE
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
221
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF THE THORN
CHALONS, FRANCE
1400
The Catholic who hears that Vesper bell,
Howe'er employed, must send a prayer to heaven.
In foreign lands I liked the custom well,
For with the calm and sober thoughts of even
It well accords; and wert thou journeying there,
It would not hurt thee! to join that Vesper prayer.
Robert Southey.
T the time when Christianity underwent that ex
traordinary disturbance which, under the title of
the Great Western Schism, gave to the Church two
heads, and seemed to falsify the promise of unity
made by her divine Founder, France was ruled by Charles VI.
All her fair provinces experienced the misfortunes of war, but
none so deeply as Champagne. On all sides were combats, in
cendiarism, and famine; her fields lay fallow, and the victims
that escaped war and famine were destroyed by epidemics. As
St. Augustine has said, "New wounds broke out ere the old
were healed."
It was in the midst of such dire calamities that God granted
His people a distant glimpse of their deliverance. On the 24th
of March, 1400, the eve of the Annunciation, some shepherds,
who were tending their flocks on a hillside about two leagues
from Chalons, perceived a bright light issuing from a rustic
oratory dedicated to St. John the Baptist. On approaching it,
they saw a luminous bush, whose branches, leaves, and thorns
burned without being consumed ; and in the midst of the flames
stood a statue of the Blessed Virgin. Illusion was impossible :
the miracle continued all that night and the next day
The news of the wonderful occurrence quickly spread, and
222 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
people hastened to the spot from every direction. Charles of
Poitiers, who was then Bishop of Chalons, came, at the head of
his chapter and clergy, to view the burning bush. As if the mis
fortunes of the French people were similar to those of the
Hebrews under Pharaoh, here might be seen exactly the same
prodigy which Moses witnessed at the foot of Mount Horeb.
It was of a character even more touching than that former
miracle ; for here, in the midst of the flames, shone the image
of the Mother of the Redeemer. The Bishop of Chalons, with
evidences of the most ardent faith, carried the image with his
own hands and deposited it in the Oratory of St. John. And it
was this identical statue which was solemnly crowned by order
of the Pope only a few months ago.
The devotion of the people soon found expression in the con
struction of a magnificent church, erected on the spot where the
miracle occurred, and destined to receive, on its completion, the
miraculous statue. In twenty-four years the principal parts
of the structure were finished. The new edifice did not resem
ble in architectural design the Byzantine style, which imitates
the dome of heaven, and of which St. Sophia's of Constanti
nople and St. Mark's of Venice are examples. Nor did it sug
gest the style preferred by the ancient Romans — the semicir
cular arch, which recalls, in its austerity and its subdued light,
the catacombs of Rome. It was rather of Gothic design, which
has been inspired by Nature herself ; its nave and columns are
the boles of venerable trees, whose branches, stretching ever
upward, meet to form those inflexed arches whence the style
derives its name.
On viewing the Church of the Thorn, the majority of the
delighted people would fain believe that their prayers took
wings to waft them to heaven. Its vault, like the inverted keel
of a ship, served only to remind them still more of a Christian's
hope of immortal joys. The grandeur of God, and the duties
of adoration and obedience which we owe Him, penetrated their
souls when they beheld the altar where the presence of the
Eucharist was indicated by majesty of outline and richness of
decoration. At various intervals were beautiful stained-glass
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 223
windows, depicting sacred scenes from the Old and the New
Testament — the Bible of the people.
The rustics, who were less familiar with art than their neigh
bors of the town, were so charmed with the beauty of the work
and the rapidity of its construction, that they adopted a charm
ing legend, to the effect that the work of building had never
been interrupted by night or by day ; for when, at the approach
of evening, the laborers quitted their workshops and went to
rest, angels took their places and worked until the first faint
rays of the sun appeared in the eastern sky.
Such is the church where the miraculous statue of the Blessed
Virgin was deposited, and where it received the homage of all
generations until the French Revolution. If, during that
troublous epoch, the revolutionists destroyed in one hour that
which was the result of centuries of labor, it is but due to them
to say that they had the grace to spare the Church of the Thorn.
On December 6, 1793, however, the venerable statue was put
in a place of greater security by M. Bertin, the cure of the par
ish. Seven years later he himself brought it from its hiding-
place and replaced it on the altar.
Only Heaven could have inspired the faith and piety which
led people, sovereigns, and clergy in such numbers to the feet
of Our Lady of the Thorn. That there has been a popular
stream of confidence, the very stones of the church suffice to
prove, — the fact that this imposing pile should have been raised
so far from any city. That crowds of pious pilgrims have vis
ited the spot is also attested by the numerous miracles which
have been worked at 1'Epine. Among others we may mention
the resuscitation of a still-born infant, brought from Cernon-
sur-Coole, which took place on the I5th of August, 1641 ; the
cure of a paralytic (May 9, 1642), who was carried from St.
Julien de Courtisols : she left her crutches in the church as an
cx-voto offering; the cure of a blind man of Mairy-sur-Marne
(August 15, 1661), who recovered his sight at the feet of Our
Lady of the Thorn; also, in September, 1788, the restoration to
life of a child from Vanault-le-Chatel, who had died without
baptism,
224 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Our own century has had a share in the miracles of 1'Epine.
In 1852 a young man afflicted with leprosy — a disease with
which science has combated in vain — left Verdun and came to
implore relief at this sanctuary. He was suddenly cured of
his horrible malady; and sixteen years later he attested that
he had never felt the slightest symptoms of its return. On the
1 2th of May, 1873, another cure — that of a young girl — which
was pronounced supernatural by the deposition of the attend
ing physician, gave evidence that Providence still continues to
show forth Its mercies at this favored Shrine.
One cannot judge of the wealth of its votaries, nor of the
abundance of the graces they received, from the archives of
the church ; for the Huguenots, and later the malefactors of
'93, completely sacked the sacred edifice. But the missing docu
ments have an equivalent in the universal traditions of the
province.
Of all the surviving forms of devotion to Our Lady of the
Thorn, the most touching is that of the presentation of little
children on many principal feasts of Mary. At sight of them,
clothed in white and pressing eagerly about her venerated
image, the heart of a Christian must be rilled with holy joy.
But it must ache, also, at the thought of so many others, in less
favored lands, who grow up without having learned either to
know, to love, or to honor Our Blessed Lady.
After the people, we must recall the princes and sovereigns
of France who have visited this Shrine : Charles VI., who
favored the construction of the church and the immunity of its
receipts; Charles VII., who twice visited the sanctuary; Mar
garet of Scotland, the Dauphiness, who made the pilgrimage
from Chalons to 1'Epine on foot ; Louis XL, who came thither
to fulfil the vow he had made in the prison of Peronne;* the
Duchess of Orleans, Princess Palatine, in the seventeenth cen
tury; Queen Marie Leczinska, in the eighteenth; Napoleon, in
1812; Charles X., in 1828; and finally Louis Philippe, in 1831.
*In 1471 he gave 200 crowns to the church of 1'Epine. The year following he
published an edict commanding the striking of the clock at the beginning, in the
middle, and at the end of each day, whence comes the custom of reciting the
Angelus.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 225
In speaking of the august pilgrims of 1'Epine we must men
tion the name of Joan of Arc ; for we shall see that history fol
lows the footsteps of that heaven-sent liberator from the mo
ment when she touched the soil of Chalons. L'Epine! — the
name must have suggested to her pleasant memories of her
childhood. She had passed many happy days in its vicinity ; for
she had resided for some time with a maternal uncle at Ser-
maize which is only a few leagues from 1'Epine. It was about
the time when the miracle of the burning bush had attained its
greatest publicity ; when people came thither from long dis
tances, rilled with enthusiastic faith. There is little doubt that
Joan was among the number. In 1429 she was again at
Chalons, only a short distance from the spot which had thrilled
her youthful heart; but under what different circumstances!
She was on her way to raise the siege of Orleans, to take part
in the consecration of the King at Rheims.
This beautiful sanctuary of Our Lady of the Thorn has not
been ignored by the Holy See, and several Popes have encour
aged its frequentation by signal favors, particularly Calixtus
III., Pius II., and Gregory XV. Leo XIII., having heard the
origin and the history of the devotion, and an account of the
benefits derived from the pilgrimages, said with emotion, when
the solemn coronation of the venerable statue was proposed:
"Yes, Our Lady of the Thorn shall be crowned, and in my
name. Prepare for her a diadem worthy of the Mother of God,
of the people whom she protects, and of French art."
THE "ANGELUS" BELL
Against the sunset glow they stand
Two humblest toilers of the land,
Rugged of speech and rough of hand,
Bowed down by tillage;
No grace of garb or circumstance
Invests them with a high romance,
Ten thousand such through fruitful France,
In field and village.
326 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
The day's slow path from dawn to west
Has left them, soil-bestained, distrest,
No thought beyond the nightly rest —
New toil to-morrow;
Till solemnly the "Ave" bell
Rings out the sun's departing knell,
Borne by the breezes' rhythmic swell
O'er swath and furrow.
O lowly pair! You dream it not,
Yet on your hard unlovely lot
That evening gleam of life has shot
A glorious presage;
For prophets oft have yearned, and kings
Have yearned in vain to know the things
Which to your simple spirit brings
That curfew message.
Turn to the written page, and read
In other strain the peasant's creed,
With satyr love and vampire greed
How hearts are tainted.
Read to the end unmoved who can,
Read how the primal curse on man
May shape a fouler Caliban
Than poet painted.
And this is Nature ! Be it so :
It needs a master's hand to show
How through the man the brute may grow
By Hell's own leaven;
We blame you not; enough for us
Those two lone figures bending thus,
For whom that far-off Angelus
Speaks Hope and Heaven.
R. M. Milnes (Lord Houghton).
THE ANGELUS BELL
"He heard the Angelus from convent towers."
It is a custom of the Roman Catholic Church to repeat morn
ing, noon and evening a prayer to the Virgin called Angelus
Domini. It is also the custom that a bell should be rung at
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 227
morning, noon and sunset, as a call to recite the Angelas, or to
give notice of the hour when it is recited. It is a very beautiful
custom, and as the notes of the Angelus bell peal out among
the peasantry of Europe, the workers stop and silently bow
their heads, until the prayer is over. It is a habit which well
might be copied throughout the whole length and breadth of
the land.
Jean Francois Millet, a farm laborer who painted his own
people, was so inspired that he painted 'The Angelus/' a mag
nificent picture exhibited all over the world, and finally bought
at auction in England several years ago by the American Art
Association for $116,000. Subsequently the picture was bought
from the American Art Association for $150,000 by Monsieur
Chauchard, a merchant of Paris.
The picture represents two peasants, a man and a woman,
standing in the field with humbly bowed heads, while in the dis
tance a slender church spire pierces the pink sky, from which
the holy notes of the Angelus are pealing. The picture is very
beautiful ; quiet, strong, soothing, filled with the peaceful seren
ity which comes with homage to the Divine Power.
THE ANGELUS DOMINI AND REGINA CGELI
ANGELUS DOMINI
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Hail, Mary, etc.
V . Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R. May it be done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail, Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh:
R. And dwelt amongst us.
Hail, Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, holy Mother of God :
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
228 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our
hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was
made known by the message of an angel, may, by His Passion
and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
REGINA CCELI
O Queen of Heaven, rejoice; Alleluia.
For He whom thou didst merit to bear ; Alleluia.
Hath risen, as He said ; Alleluia.
Pray for us to God; Alleluia.
V . Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary ; Alleluia.
R. For the Lord hath risen indeed. Alleluia.
LET US PRAY
O God, Who didst vouchsafe to give joy to the world,
through the resurrection of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ;
grant, we beseech Thee, that through His Mother, the Virgin
Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
/oo days, each time to all who at the sound of the bell, morn
ing, noon, and evening at sunset, shall say the Angelus on their
knees. Plenary once a month. It is said standing on Saturday
evening and Sunday. In Paschal-tide the Regina Coeli is said
instead, standing. Those who do not know the Regina Coeli,
may say the Angelus.
TO OUR MOTHER
Tray for us — now at the hour of our death."
Mother, the skies are dim,
The air is cold,
And forms of terror grim
The mists unfold.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 229
Weary am I and weak,
And sore afraid;
O Virgin pure and meek,
Sweet Mother, aid !
If, I could see thy face,
'Twere almost Heaven ;
A sign of pitying grace,
And sin forgiven.
But oh, this awful gloom,
Within, without!
The fiends of wrath and doom
Despair and doubt !
Oh, for one bright hour more
Of strength supreme,
Like those I wasted o'er
My life's long dream!
But, Mother, if thon plead
With thy dear Son,
In this, my woeful need,
My Heaven is won.
Katherine E. Conway.
OUR LORD AND THE BLIND MAN
He stood before the Sanhedrim,
The scowling Rabbis gazed at him.
He reeked not of their praise or blame;
There was no fear, there was no shame,
For one upon whose dazzled eyes
The whole earth poured its vast surprise.
*******
But still they questioned : Who art thou ?
What hast thou been? What art thou now?
Thou art not he who yesterday
Sat here and begged beside the way.
*******
He told the story o'er and o'er;
It was his full heart's only lore,
230 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
A prophet on the Sabbath-day
Had touched his sightless eyes with clay,
And made him see who had been blind.
Their words passed by him like the wind,
Which raves and howls, but cannot shock
The hundred-fathom rooted rock.
*******
Their threats and fury all went wide;
They could not touch his Hebrew pride,
Their sneers at Jesus and His band,
Homeless and harmless in the land ;
Their boasts of Moses and his Lord,
All could not change him by one word.
*******
I know not what this man may be,
Sinner or Saint; but as for me,
One thing I know, that I am he
Who once was blind, and now I see.
*******
The wisdom of the East was theirs,
And honor crowned their silver hairs.
The man they jeered and laughed to scorn
Was unlearned, poor and humbly born;
But he knew better far than they,
What came to him that Sabbath-day,
And what the Christ had done for him
He knew, and not the Sanhedrim.
Hon. John Hay.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 231
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF THE FORSAKEN
VALENCIA, SPAIN
1414
O Maiden Mother! Light's new dawning
Bright Star of Morn! first flower of Spring!
Around whose neck the Baby Jesus
So lovingly was wont to cling!
O thou, whom by a thousand titles
Already grace thy suppliant sons,
Be pleas'd to be what infants lisp thee,
Madonna of the little ones.
Rev. T. Harper, S.J.
N the native place of the famous Cid, the warrior,
the noble city of Valencia, is venerated the beauti
ful miraculous image of Our Lady of Los Desam-
parados. In that city, embalmed by the fragrance
of aromatic gardens rising majestically above the Mediterra
nean, there are also many temples, including the Cathedral,
dedicated to the Mother of God.
The devotion of the Valencians to the Queen of Heaven is
as remarkable and edifying as that witnessed in the provinces
of Andalusia; Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados (Our Lady
of the Forsaken) is invoked by the people in all their difficulties
and afflictions. Amongst the churches dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin is one under the title of Los Desamparados, to which
there is a brotherhood attached, established four hundred years
ago, whose origin and aim are worthy the admiration of all who
have a heart capable of appreciating works of genuine charity.
In the year 1380, ten pious men of Valencia resolved to de
vote their lives and fortunes to the laudable object of rescuing
and providing for children abandoned by their unnatural
parents. After mature deliberation and prayer, they organized
a religious community to which they gave the name of "Monte
23 2 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
de Piedad." They then rented a house, collected the orphans,
and begged alms from door to door for them. Their charity
went still further — for they received also aged and infirm people
and pilgrims.
These heroic acts of charity soon reached the ears of Don
Martin, King of Aragon, who, highly approving the zeal and
charity of the members, declared himself their protector. After
their community had been in existence twenty years, they placed
themselves and their pious labors in a special manner under the
protection of the Mother of God. They knew that this heav
enly Mother is the Queen of Charity, and exercises it not only
towards mortals in general, but especially towards those who
know how to unite the love of God with that of their neighbor.
After much prayer and deliberation, they resolved to call their
community "The Brotherhood of Innocent Children and of the
Mother of the Forsaken." They next wished to have a statue
of Mary for their new establishment lately erected by the munif
icence of the King of Spain. They consulted Father Juan
Gilaberto, to whose zealous preaching was due, next to God,
their vocation and united action. He undertook to have one
executed by an excellent artist, but God, in whose eyes works
of charity and mercy are so acceptable, resolved to reward them
in a miraculous manner.
It was in the year 1414. that three pilgrim youths arrived at
the door of their monastery, soliciting lodging for the night.
They were hospitably received by the superior, who, in the
course of the evening spoke to them about the wished-for
statue. They told him they were sculptors by profession and,
in reward for his hospitality, and for the honor and glory of
Mary, the Mother of God, they would carve him such a statue
as was never before seen in all Spain. They asked to be fur
nished with a block of marble, tools, and provisions for three
days, and to be left undisturbed during that time. They locked
themselves up in a large room ; and, to the no small amazement
of the good Abbot and his brethren, not a sound of hammer or
chisel was ever heard during the three days.
The fourth day arrived without bringing any tidings of the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 233
three young men or the statue. The monks knocked repeatedly
at the door without receiving any answer. At that time there
was living in the city a blind and paralyzed woman, who, by her
patience and resignation to the will of God through all her suf
ferings, had arrived at a very high degree of sanctity. This
holy woman, hearing of the circumstance, consulted God in
prayer in order to know what was to be done. She then told
the monks to force in the door and they would find their statue,
but not the young men, for they were heavenly visitants.
The good priest, Father Gilberto, opened the door, and lo!
to the astonishment of all, found no sculptors, but a lovely
statue of Our Blessed Lady, such as was never seen in Spain
before or since; and at the same moment the holy woman was
entirely cured of her paralysis and blindness. All were unan
imous in the opinion that they were angels, since neither the
tools nor victuals were touched by them, and the block of mar
ble remained as when purchased. The happy news of the beau
tiful statue and its miraculous origin spread rapidly over the
city. The inhabitants flocked to its feet to thank God and His
Holy Mother for this new proof of their love. It was called
Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the For
saken). It is four feet high, the head a little inclined, the left
arm, as usual, holding the Infant Jesus, while in the right is
held a beautiful bouquet of silver. No person has ever been
able to tell of what material the statue is composed.
The great number of jewels adorning this statue are very
valuable, and serve to show the tender devotion and gratitude
of the people for miraculous favors received. It occupied, and
was venerated in the place where the angels formed it during
many years, until, in the year 1489, the Bishop and clergy, see
ing the wonderful miracles worked there, and the throngs of
visitors becoming so great, had it removed to the Cathedral
Church.
But Mary, the sweet Help of Christians, was not to be with
out a splendid temple for her wonder-working statue. The
Count of Oropesa, Viceroy of Valencia in the year 1646, saw
the city attacked by pestilence, and great numbers carried off
234 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
daily, himself also contracting the disease. With a firm and
unshaken faith he invoked Our Blessed Lady, and immediately
the pestilence ceased. In gratitude to Mary, the people with
their Viceroy, resolved to build a noble temple that would be
a lasting monument of their devotion towards her.
With the pious Viceroy taking the lead, the citizens com
menced the building, the completion of which took fifteen years.
As a still further mark of their gratitude, they resolved that
Our Lady of the Forsaken should be publicly proclaimed
patroness of Valencia. Accordingly, on the i8th day of March,
1697, tne Archbishop, with all his clergy, the civil authorities,
and all the people, amidst the booming of cannon, sounding of
trumpets and loud acclamations of the people, proclaimed her
their Protectress, while her miraculous statue was carried in
procession.
The church stands in the principal plaza and is rich in archi
tecture. It has three fronts, with arches and columns in the
Ionic style. The interior of the sanctuary presents a beautiful
appearance ; it is oval in form, the arch frescoed, and the walls
enriched with precious marbles. The floor is of Geneva mar
ble. The miraculous statue reposes on the main altar, which
was built in the present century. This altar has two columns
of jasper, and its pillars and mouldings are of the Corinthian
order. The table of the altar, as well as four statues of the
evangelists, are also of precious marble. At the sides of the
high altar stand the statues of St. Vincent, Martyr, and St.
Vincent Ferrer — the latter a son and patron of Valencia to
whom the people pay great devotion. The sanctuary is sep
arated from the church by a railing of brass. The statue has
for its basis a cloud of solid silver.
The statue of Our Lady of the Forsaken is one of the richest
in Spain ; for it has a crown sparkling all over with the richest
of diamonds. The mother of the King, Isabella II., in the year
1859, visited Valencia and made rich presents to the Holy
Shrine, putting under Mary's protection her son, Don Alfonso
XII., then Prince of the Asturias. The amount of her presents
was valued at $50,000. Christina of Bourbon, grandmother of
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 235
King Alfonso, also made very rich presents to this sanctuary.
There is an account of two most remarkable miracles wrought
at this Shrine. The statue, as before remarked, has in its right
hand a lily of silver. At one time an innocent man, condemned
to death for murder, while passing by this church on his way
to execution, was allowed to pray before the statue : when lo !
to the astonishment of all, the right hand holding the lily was
seen to move several times. The people cried "a miracle ! He is
innocent! set him free!" The Viceroy being consulted, an
swered : "How can I condemn him now ?" The liberated man
repaired to the church to thank his Protectress, vowing to love
and honor her and proclaim her praises all his life.
A rich man of Naples, Italy, was condemned to death for a
murder he never committed; but Our Lady appeared to him
and told him he would be set at liberty. He told his confessor
of it, describing her as venerated in Valencia, though he had
never seen or heard of her statue there, describing even the
number and appearance of the diamonds in her crown. The
next day, the real culprit gave himself up, and the innocent
man was set at liberty. He made a vow to travel until he found
a statue representing her as she appeared to him in his vision.
After sixteen months' travel, he arrived in Valencia, and going
to the beautiful church of Our Lady, exclaimed : "I have found
what I have long sought, for there is Mary the Mother of
Jesus, my Saviour, just as she appeared to me." He remained
long in that holy sanctuary, returning thanks to his blessed
Mother, and then returned to his own country, full of gratitude
and devotion.
A LEGEND OF THE PYRENEES
Deep in the Pyrenees dwelt Pierre the drover,
With six small children clamoring for bread
While he had none to give them, and, moreover,
A seventh child was coming to be fed.
Poor Pierre went forth at night and wandered lonely,
He knew not where, with heart so sad and sore,
His thoughts were centred on his young ones only
Whose cries rang in his ears still more and more.
236 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"Halt!" said a threatening voice, "your gold count over/
(It was the robber chief El Capitan)
"Alas, my lord, I'm but a wretched drover
Flying from hungry months as best I can."
He told his story to the lawless ranger,
"Here take this gold and buy your children food,
And when the stork comes with the little stranger,
I'll stand as gossip while I'm in the mood."
The outlaw kept his word, thus lightly given ;
A boy was born, but after three short years
He died, and his young soul took flight to heaven,
And at the gate he stood with ravished ears.
"Enter, my child," said Peter, "swell the chorus
That surges round the Throne of the Most High,"
"I cannot," said the child, "Apostle glorious,
Except you also let my godsire by."
"And who is he?" "A robber of the mountain."
"My son, a robber cannot enter here,"
At which the boy sat down, and like a fountain
Dropped from his eye tear after bitter tear.
But then approached a lady robed in splendor,
Celestial brightness shone around her head,
To him she said in accents soft and tender
"My child, why weepest thou? Come in, nor dread."
It was our Mother Mary, Queen of Glory,
Who spoke thus sweetly to the drover's child,
Who, gathering courage, told his simple story,
Which, having ended, Mary, Mother, smiled.
"Take to thy godfather this cup — a measure
From which my Son drank vinegar and gall
When sore athirst, and, when 'tis filled with treasure,
The gates of Heaven will open at his call."
El Capitan outside his cave lay sleeping,
A pistol and a dagger in his hands;
But, when the shades of eve around were creeping,
He wakes, and starts, for lo ! beside him stands
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 237
A cherub with a lovely face and holy,
And wings of silver. "Spirit, who art thou
Who comest from high Heaven to me so lowly,
A man of crime — 'tis written on my brow."
"My godfather, the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sends thee this cup to fill it with thy tears.
For thy salvation's sake, then, be not chary
Of them, and weep away the sins of years."
Years fled. St. Peter stood at Heaven's portals,
And saw approach two figures robed in white;
And well the Guardian knew that they were mortals,
Redeemed and saved, who came to claim their right.
One was a cherub, with the stamp of Heaven
Set on his face ; the other, meek and mild,
Seemed as a sinner who had been forgiven
Through penitence. Thus spoke the angel child:
"Behold this cup ; 'tis filled to overflowing
With tears of anguish for the misspent years."
"Enter," Saint Peter said, with face all glowing,
"There is no passport like repentant tears."
J. C. H.
PRAYER TO ST. PHILOMENA— VIRGIN AND
MARTYR
O glorious St. Philomena ! who animated by a burning love
for Jesus, our Saviour, didst shine in Holy Church by the
splendor of perfect virginity and the practice of the most heroic
virtues, obtain for us of thy Divine Spouse the grace to keep
ever unsullied the precious treasure of chastity, and to practice
with generosity the virtues of our state, that having, after thy
example, walked in His footsteps during our life on earth, we
may with thee rejoice in His glory, through all eternity. Amen,
APPARITION TO
ST. BERNARDINE OF SIENA, O.S.F.
SIENA, ITALY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 239
APPARITION
TO
ST. BERNARDINE OF SIENA, O.S.F.
SIENA, ITALY
1417
Jesu, Word of God Most highest,
Who to suppliants nought deniest,
Who free grace to souls suppliest
Those who stand thy Mother nighest
Thou preserve and make like Thee.
Adam of St. Victor.
JANY years ago the devotion to the Holy Name of
Jesus struck deep roots in the hearts of the faithful.
Nowadays it is one of the most popular of Catholic
devotions; and its popularity is due in great meas
ure, if not altogether, to the burning zeal and eloquence of Saint
Bernardine of Siena, a son of Saint Francis, and one of the
most prominent missionaries of the fifteenth century. No
doubt, this devotion, like all solid devotions, can boast a still
more remote antiquity: was it not in the Name of Jesus that
Peter bade the man "who was lame from his mother's womb"
and "who lay at the gate of the temple," arise and walk ? When
the Apostles preached, or baptized, or wrought miracles, they
did all this in the Name of Jesus: around that Holy Name
crowded a throng of memories linked to the personality of Him
who bade them go forth and preach to all nations the Gospel of
the Kingdom of God. A little later, one of the earliest Chris
tian poets connects every title of the Incarnate God with the
Name of Jesus. Later still, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, whose
Jesus dulcis memorla breathes such refreshing piety, made the
precincts of the cloister ring with the praises of the Holy
Name.
It was left, however, to Saint Bernardine of Siena, in the
240 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
opening half of the fifteenth century, to be the apostle, the
popular exponent, of this genuine Catholic devotion : it was he
who brought it home to the hearts of the people. Through
his powerful influence the name of Jesus became the rallying
cry of the soldiers of the Cross, the holy standard under which
they fought and conquered the enemies of Christ's Kingdom,
and their own salvation.
It was on the 8th of September, in the year 1380, a few
months after the decease of that faithful spouse of Christ,
Saint Catherine of Siena, that Bernardino — or Bernardine, as
we call him — Albizeschi was born. Tollo, his father, belonged
to the ancient and noble family of the Albizeschi. Before his
marriage, his prudence, humanity, and uprightness had won
for him the affection and esteem of the Sienese, and the latter
showed their appreciation of his sterling qualities of mind and
heart by appointing him, in the year 13/7, to the governorship
of Massa, a little town dependent on the commune of Siena,
and about thirty miles distant from that city. It was in this
town of Massa that Bernardine was born. Nera, the Saint's
mother, was the daughter of Bindus Raynorius, and through
the influence of her father she became the wife of Tollo Albi
zeschi. She died in the year 1383, at the early age of twenty-
two, and three years later Tollo followed her into eternity.
Bernardine was thus left an orphan when he had barely reached
his seventh year.
Diana, the Saint's maternal aunt, took charge of her sister's
child, and, during the five years he remained under her foster
ing care and tuition, instilled into his heart a spirit of fervor
and piety, for which she herself was remarkable. Even at this
tender age Bernardine was conspicuous for his love of Our
Blessed Lady, his love of holy purity, and his assiduous at
tendance at church; he listened with particular delight to the
sermons, and on his return home would in his own boyish
fashion repeat whatever fragments he remembered, and imitate,
whilst delivering them, the gestures and attitude of the
preachers.
When Bernardine had reached his eleventh year, two of his
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 241
father's brothers, Christopher and Angelo, recalled him to
Siena to begin his education. He was thus brought under the
influence of John of Spoleto, a master celebrated at that time
for learning and piety.
The old chroniclers have left us but scanty details of this
period of Bernardine's life ; but from expressions scattered
here and there in these ancient documents, we gather that
Bernardine proved himself a willing and docile scholar. He
was beloved by everybody who came in contact with him. His
cheerful and open countenance, his bright eyes, sparkling with
intelligence, attracted the attention of everyone; whilst his apti
tude for knowledge and manly disposition of character earned
for him golden opinions from his master. He was kind and
considerate, and though affable and yielding, he could, if need
were, assume in the presence of his companions an unbending
and dignified attitude. He hated vulgarity in any shape or
form, and his schoolfellows were well aware of it; sometimes
they would forget themselves so far as to indulge in coarseness
and levity, but at the approach of Bernardine all this would
suddenly cease. All these natural qualities of mind and heart
were enhanced a hundred-fold by grace : for virtue took a
strong hold of this generous and noble soul. Holy purity shed
its lustre around his youth, and marked him with its own in
delible stamp. He could not bear the slightest impropriety ; his
features colored with shame if he happened to hear an im
modest word. One day, as he was playing with his companions
on the piazza, a man ventured to use some improper language :
quick as lightning, Bernardine struck at him with all his might,
and hit the offender just below the chin. In after years Ber
nardine was preaching on this same piazza, when a man was
observed to be listening intently to the words of the preacher,
and sobbing bitterly; this was the man whom Bernardine had
as a boy so unequivocally rebuked for his intemperate and loose
language.
From his infancy Bernardine showed a tender devotion for
Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God. He loved her with
all the enthusiasm and devotion of his noble and chivalrous
242 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
heart. She was the depositary of all his thoughts, the guardian
of all his affections ; her name was ever on his lips ; to please
her was his sole delight. The incident we are about to relate
will serve to illustrate his love for the Queen of Angels, as well
as to give us another trait of his character.
After the death of Diana, his maternal aunt, his cousin
Tobia watched over him. One day Bernardine informed his
cousin that he was in love. This information alarmed the good
lady, who trembled at the thought that her cousin might en
danger his innocence at an age when youth feels for the first
time the warning thrills of awakening passions. Bernardine
noticed no doubt the anxiety that preyed upon his cousin's
mind ; so the next day he volunteered some further informa
tion. He was, he said, not only in love ; but the thought of her
whom he loved never left him night or day; moreover, he
continued, he went to see her twice a day just outside the
Camellia gate, on the way leading to Florence. This went on
for a few days ; the lad had some revelation to make each day
about her whom he called his sweetheart, without ever saying
who she might be, or where precisely she dwelt. Tobia, whose
anxious curiosity grew apace with every fresh revelation, could
bear it no longer; she determined to follow her cousin, and
watch his movements. The next day therefore that Bernardine
went in the direction of the Camollia gate, she hastened after
him, and from a coign of vantage, where she could see without
being seen, was agreeably surprised to discover her cousin
kneeling before a statue of the Madonna — his hands joined in
fervent prayer, and his eyes fixed on the image of his Queen :
shortly afterwards he arose, and returned home beaming with
joy and gladness. Tobia had thus discovered the secret of
Bernardine's love; so the next day, when her unsuspecting
cousin came to tell her in his own playful way about the lady
of his thoughts, she smiled, but held her peace.
His zeal was so pleasing to Our Blessed Lady, that she pro
cured for him the grace of his religious vocation, and, after
having favored him with many benedictions, she even deigned
to appear to him one day, and address him thus : "Your devo-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 243
tion pleases me, and, as a pledge of still greater reward, I
give you the gift of preaching, and the power to perform
miracles; these are gifts which I have obtained for you from
my Divine Son ; and I add to them the promise that you shall
share eternally in the happiness I enjoy in Heaven."
Meanwhile Bernardine had made rapid strides in the way of
knowledge, and had gradually made himself proficient in phil
osophy, civil and canon law, but above all in the study of Holy
Scripture. The Word of God caused him intense satisfaction.
He delighted to probe into and discover the hidden manna
which the inspired writings contain, and he thus, perhaps un
consciously, prepared himself for that grand work of the apos-
tolate which was to make his name famous throughout the
length and breadth of his native land.
In the year 1400 Pope Boniface the Ninth promulgated a
jubilee indulgence. Bernardine had just attained his twentieth
year, and had already made rapid progress in the science of
the Saints. An opportunity was now afforded him of showing'
of what stuff Saints are made. Thousands of pilgrims passed
through Siena that year on their way to Rome. Unfortunately
the plague broke out among them, and so terrible were its
ravages that the accommodation at the hospital Santa Maria
della Scala was taxed to its utmost extent. A number of priests,
twenty-two members of the Confraternity della Scala, besides
eighteen ladies who had nobly offered their services to tend the
sick, were struck down and died victims to their charity. In
these circumstances few were willing to face the pestilential
atmosphere of the hospital.
At the call of Christian charity the generous-hearted Ber
nardine never hesitated. Turning his back on the brilliant ca
reer that was opened to him in the world, he came forward and
offered his services to the hospital. His noble example influ
enced twelve other young men, who all betook themselves to
the bedsides of their suffering brethren, and remained at this
post of honor as long as the terrible calamity lasted. The
scourge raged for four months, and during that short period
claimed two thousand victims.
244 APPARITIONS AND 'SHRINES OF
When Bernardine's services could be dispensed with, he re
turned home — his constitution shattered by the incessant toil
and hardships he had so nobly borne. For several weeks he
lay in a precarious condition, and after a slow recovery he rose
from his bed of sickness a changed man. During those weary
hours of pain and suffering, he had heard in the inmost re
cesses of his soul the gentle whisper of God's voice, and, obe
dient to the call of the Holy Spirit, he resolved to retire from
the world, and devote himself entirely to the service of his
Divine Master. For two years he withdrew from the busy
turmoil of life and its surroundings, and, after mature delibera
tion, sought admission into the Order of Saint Francis in the
year 1403. He received the holy habit on the 8th of Septem
ber, and twelve months later made his profession. Another
year elapsed whilst he prepared himself for Holy Orders, and
on the 8th of September, 1404, he sang his first Mass and
preached his first sermon on Our Blessed Lady in a little chapel
not far distant from Columbaria, where he spent the first years
of his religious life.
As a religious, Bernardine strove to acquire those virtues
which shone so conspicuously in the Blessed Francis. The
poverty, humility, disinterestedness, and charity of the Seraphic
Patriarch seemed to live once more in his ardent and enthusi
astic disciple. Bidding adieu with a light heart to all the world
holds dear, he sold his extensive patrimony, and distributed the
proceeds in alms to the poor; he thus embraced that lifelong
martyrdom his soul yearned after — the martyrdom of poverty.
So profound was his humility that he shrank from the dignity
of the priesthood, and it was only at the earnest entreaty of his
superiors, and in obedience to their will, that he consented at
all to be ordained. Later on in the same spirit he refused suc
cessively the bishoprics of Siena, Ferrara, and Urbino, hiding
his humility under the playful remark that "he preferred to be
bishop of the whole of Italy rather than bishop of one small
city."
Bernardine loved all those who came in contact with him,
and was beloved by them in return. The annals of the Fran-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 24$
ciscan Order testify to the deep spiritual affection that existed
between him and " his very dear companion and most faithful
disciple," John Capistran. Moreover, he never lost his affec
tion for those who had watched over him in his infancy, and
had lavished every care on him when he was left alone in the
world at the early age of six. One day he was preaching at
Milan, when he suddenly stopped, and left the pulpit — a prey
to some strong and visible emotion ; his eyes filled with tears,
and he seemed heart-broken. The audience thronged around
him, and sought the cause of his sorrow. "I have just lost,"
he replied, sobbing, "her who was the guardian angel of my
infancy, and a second mother to me." He referred to his
cousin Tobia, whose death God had just revealed to him in a
miraculous way.
His charity, like that of his Divine Master, embraced even
his enemies. Some of the brethren reported in his hearing
some of the violent accusations launched against the Saint by
those whom they called his enemies. "Enemies ?" replied Ber-
nardine. "I have no enemies ! Do not call those my enemies
who afford me occasions of greater merit and means of
sanctification !"
His religious brethren were not slow to appreciate the ster
ling qualities of this true son of Saint Francis. In due course
they acknowledged the talent and virtue of their brother by
appointing him successively Lector of Theology, Guardian, and
Novice-Master. The onerous duties entailed by these various
offices were rendered more onerous still by the circumstances
that surrounded Bernardine during his tenure of them. Though
a detailed account of these circumstances would be out of place
in a short sketch of the Saint's life, we cannot overlook them
altogether, as they will enable the reader to understand the in
fluence St. Bernardine exerted over his brethren — an influence
that had for its ultimate goal a wider propagation by the Fran
ciscans of the devotion to the Holy Name.
Bernardine had scarcely received the sacred unction of the
Priesthood, when, at the command of his superiors, he went
forth to preach the word of God. His first sermon, we are told,
246 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
charmed the whole audience, and gave an early promise of the
apostolic triumphs that awaited him in his future career. Mean
while, however, his voice grew so hoarse and weak that it
proved a serious impediment to his effective preaching, and
some there were who whispered that the young religious would
soon have to retire from this field of the Apostolate. Perplexed,
but in no way discouraged, the Saint had recourse to Our
Blessed Lady, and requested her, if it were the will of God, to
obtain for him a complete cure. His prayers were answered ;
in due course his voice lost all its hoarseness, and henceforth,
to use the expression of one of his contemporaries, it "be
witched his hearers" by its harmonious flexibility and power of
penetration.
It was not, however, till the year 1418 that Bernardine en
tered into the foremost rank of the great preachers of the Chris
tian Renaissance. As has been said, he had filled the important
positions of Guardian, Lector of Theology, and Novice-Master.
This hidden life in the cloister, which duties imposed by Holy
Obedience necessarily enforced upon him, did not prevent him
from sallying forth now and then to preach the Gospel, and to
oppose the growing worldliness and spirit of religious indiffer
ence which the votaries of a Pagan Renaissance spread far and
wide. Thus we find him at Alexandria in Lombardy about the
year 1408, side by side with St. Vincent Ferrer, the great
Dominican Apostle of that period. Bernardine went often to
listen to the sermons of his saintly brother-in-arms, and these
two holy souls communed together on the evils that infested
Italy during this epoch. The Franciscan was present one day
whilst Vincent was preaching, when the latter suddenly broke
off his sermon, and foretold to the astonished audience the
future greatness of the humble son of St. Francis : "Know, my
brethren," he exclaimed, "that there is amongst you a religious
of the Order of St. Francis who, in a few years, will be
conspicuous throughout Italy. Though he is now only a
a young man, whilst I am already bent with age, nevertheless,
believe me, he will be honored in the Church of God before I
am. I shall retire to France and Spain, and those Italian
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 247
provinces that I have not yet evangelized I shall leave to him."
This prediction was realized to the letter. Ten years later,
when the fame of Bernardine began to spread, Vincent retired
to France, as he had foretold. The latter part of his prophecy
was also fulfilled, for Bernardine was canonized and venerated
as a Saint by the Church two years before St. Vincent.
Ten years later this prophecy was vividly brought back to
Bernardine's memory by the extraordinary behavior of one of
the junior religious of the Friary of Fiesole,near Florence, over
which the Saint was then presiding. One night this religious,
impelled by some irresistible power, ran up and down the clois
ter, crying aloud : "Brother Bernardine, hide no longer the
talents God has given thee! Go and preach to the people of
Lombardy !" For two consecutive nights the same incident took
place, and Bernardine, who happened to be away at the time,
was duly informed on his return of the strange occurrence.
Coupling this event with the prophetic words he had heard ten
years before from the lips of St. Vincent Ferrer, the holy Guar
dian had immediate recourse to prayer, and caused others to
pray, too, with the result that he became convinced that this
was a direct call from God, which it was his duty to obey with
out delay.
Bernardine's vocation thenceforth was set in a clearer light,
and the work God intended him to do assumed a definite char
acter and shape. He resolved to devote himself entirely to the
ministry of preaching, and set about immediately fulfilling the
task imposed upon him by Almighty God. He was told to go
to Lombardy, and to Lombardy he went; for in the year 1418
we find him practising a Lenten course at Milan. A cultured
Milanese has left us a graphic account of the impression made
upon the inhabitants of the city by the holy missionary's words.
Crowds gathered around the pulpit eager to catch every sen
tence of the preacher. They never tired or grew weary, though
we have it on record that Bernardine preached sometimes for
four or five hours ; the ordinary business of the city was sus
pended. Attracted and subdued by the doctrine of this new
Apostle, men who were at enmity for years forgot their differ-
248 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ences and forgave each other ; sinners repented of their vices ;
worldlings entered into themselves and forsook pleasure; the
factions which divided society, and fought against each other,
flung aside their shibboleths and battle-cries, and ranged them
selves under the banner of Christ with no other device but the
holy name of Jesus.
The same triumph awaited Bernardine at Siena, Ferrara,
Bologna, Florence, and Venice, and as his fame spread, the
whole of Italy, from Lombardy in the north to the Kingdom
of Naples in the south, was eager to listen to him. To all he
delivered the same message ; for all he had the same exhortation
to extinguish the spirit of faction and hatred that tore asunder
the petty republics of the peninsula, to imbue themselves with
the spirit of the Gospel, to gather together under the standard
of their King and Master, Jesus Christ.
For Bernardine had in all his sermons but one object in view
— the spreading of the knowledge and love of Christ. His own
soul, nurtured in the school of poverty and detachment, trained
and disciplined by humility, obedience, and self-renunciation,
was all aglow with fire of divine charity. Indeed, this passion
ate affection and tender devotion for his Master contained the
wrhole secret of Bernardine's success as a preacher and mis-
sioner. A celebrated preacher of those days was once asked
the reason why the sermons of the Franciscan Friar bore so
much more fruit than his own : ^Brother Bernardine," an
swered he, in a spirit of genuine humility, "is a furnace of
Divine Love, and how can that which is only warm kindle a fire
in the souls of others ?"
This spirit of charity betrayed itself in every sermon of the
Friar, and made a deep and lasting impression on his audience.
It inspired him with the loftiest themes for his discourses,
and furnished him with that burning eloquence which with
drew his hearers from the world and its vain amusements and
pleasures, and threw them at the feet of Jesus Christ, ^neas
Piccolomini, who in later years became Pope and assumed the
name of Pius II., has recorded his impressions of the preach
ing of Bernardine, and he tells us that the inexhaustible foun-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 249
tain of the Saint's eloquence, together with his profound and
orthodox teaching, attracted the admiration of all, and caused
him to be venerated, like another St. Paul, as a vessel of divine
election.
Another cause of the Saint's popularity as a preacher can be
traced to the fact that he realized early in his career the necs-
sity of going to the people and preaching to them in their own
plain and simple language. Two centuries previously the
Seraphic Patriarch of Assisi had re-introduced into the world
the long-forgotten style of eloquence in which St. Peter spoke
to the assembled people outside the Temple. "I admonish and
exhort preachers," says St. Francis in his Rule, "that when they
preach, their language be well considered and simple, for the
benefit and edification of the people, discoursing to them of
vices and virtues, punishment and glory." No one understood
the spirit of this salutary exhortation better than those great
Apostles of Italy — Bernardine, John Capistran, and James of
the Marches ; and never was there an age in which the primitive
kind of Christian eloquence was more needed than that in
which these three holy men flourished. The Renaissance move
ment, as we shall have occasion to mention later on, was play
ing havoc with the grand ideals of clergy and laity alike. The
pulpit itself was not free from the latent poison of Humanism.
Sermons were interlarded with quotations from, and references
to, the literary productions of the Augustan era : while the so-
called barbarisms and solecisms of the Gospel writers shocked
the classic refinement of the purists, and were therefore care
fully tabooed. Every sentence was modeled upon the inflated
and turgid periods of Cicero, or pointed with some witty ex
tract from Horace ; and so it gradually came to pass that the
heralds of Christianity became more concerned about the form
and literary merit of their sermons than about the subject-mat
ter they contained.
Bernardine emancipated himself from these unchristian
methods, and discarded the fetters that fashion and convention
ality threw around the preacher. Whenever he preached to
the people, he spoke to them in the vernacular so as to be un-
25Q APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
derstood by all, treated his subject from their point of view,
and was thus enabled to gather abundant fruit in his Master's
vineyard. So great indeed was the concourse of people that
thronged around the holy missioner that he was frequently
obliged to preach to them from an improvised pulpit in the
open square or on the market-place. Indeed, he was not par
ticular, as the following incident shows, where he preached to
the people.
It was Shrove Tuesday, and the whole population of a little
town, where the Saint happened to be staying for the time
being, had abandoned itself to the usual orgies of the carnival,
and crowded the theatre in the evening. Bernardine proposed
to his guardian, Fr. James of the Marches, a visit to the theatre.
The superior was bewildered beyond measure by this strange
proposal, but feeling assured that the holy missionary, who was
then in the zenith of his career, was inspired by God to make
it, he readily assented. Accompanied by a lay-brother, the
Saint set out, and managed somehow to penetrate behind the
scenes. Ensconced in some remote corner, he listened to the
plaudits of the frenzied populace as they greeted some favorite
comedian. At last the first act was concluded. Seizing this
opportunity, Bernardine rushed on to the stage and began
forthwith to preach to the audience. His features were pale,
his voice trembled with emotion, his whole bearing was full of
majestic dignity, whilst in impassioned language he inveighed
against the vanities and pleasures of the world. "Do you
know," he exclaimed in solemn accents, "where you are? You
are standing on the edge of the precipice of hell," and there
and then he advanced the proofs of his statement; for almost
immediately there appeared before the eyes of the frightened
audience the vision of a lost soul. "Why art thou damned?"
demanded the Saint, as he turned towards the weird Appari
tion, "I am damned," answered the latter, "because I came
hither to enjoy myself, and thus spent my life in forgetfulness
of my God." It then went on to describe in detail some of the
sins it had committed during life, and dwelt in particular on
those usually occasioned by plays and entertainments such as
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
the one they were listening to that evening. "You have heard !"
exclaimed the Saint, when the Apparition had finished. "Do
penance now," he continued, "or you will all perish like this
cursed soul !" The Apparition then vanished, and Bernardine
returned to his monastery, only to find on his return the little
church crowded with penitents eager to make their peace with
God.
Such are in brief some of the characteristic features of Ber-
nardine's preaching. His eloquence was that of a man who
realized and felt the evil conditions which surrounded society
in those days ; it was the eloquence of an enthusiast in the cause
of Jesus Christ — a cause he had deeply at heart, and which he
strove to forward by every means in his power. The chroniclers
of his age have left us the details of the prodigious success he
attained in spite of the many obstacles that barred his progress.
This then was the task that Bernardine undertook : to make
Jesus Christ live once more in the thoughts and affections of
men, cultured and uncultured, noble and plebeian. With this
aim before him he preached in the vernacular to the multitudes
that thronged around him about the power and greatness of
Jesus Christ. He impressed upon them the fact that the ex
emplar of a Christian's life was not to be found in the unbridled
excesses of pagan gods and goddesses, but in the chastity, pa
tience, meekness and humility of the lowliest of the sons of
men. He often repeated to himself, and made his audience re
peat, the Holy Name of Jesus ; for that Name summed up all
the prerogatives of the Son of God made man. He had always
beside him, when he preached, the sacred monogram as a silent
reminder to all that it was Jesus he preached, that it was Jesus
he wished to impress upon their hearts, that it was to the life
of Jesus he wished them to adapt their own lives. The Name
of Jesus was to be their watchword against the insidious foes
that used the veil of culture to hide their heathen tendencies.
They might be cultured scholars if they willed, but they were
to be above all things Christians in thought and manners. Such
then was the burden of Saint Bernardine's message to the gen
eration of men who surrounded him ; and to bring that message
252 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
home to the people he used every artifice his native eloquence
suggested. Every vice was ruthlessly exposed by him, virtue
was exalted, the judgments of God proclaimed in language that
brooked no contradiction.
The limits imposed upon us in this short sketch deter us
from following the Saint on his Apostolical expeditions, and
recording the numerous miracles that bestrew his path wher
ever he went, and lent support to his preaching. For well-nigh
thirty years he was engaged in this work of the sacred ministry,
and wherever he passed he was greeted as a popular and be
loved herald of his Divine Master. The effects of his preach
ing were most marked ; he preached Jesus Christ, and the peo
ple, at his bidding, turned to Jesus ; the name of Jesus, ever on
his own lips, was hymned and praised by the multitudes that
crowded around him ; and the sweet and glorious memories
that thronged around it impressed themselves deeply upon the
consciences of men. Long-standing feuds were brought to a
satisfactory issue; peace and harmony entered where, before
the advent of the Franciscan, there was naught but disorder
and hateful revenge ; hardened sinners were converted to God,
and the spirit of luxury, that poisoned the spiritual and re
ligious life of clergy and laity alike, gave way to sentiments of
unworldliness and self-sacrifice.
The following incident will serve to illustrate the stupendous
power exerted by Bernardine over his audience. The Saint
came to Rome to preach in the year 1424. As a result of his
labors, "In June of that year," writes the Secretary of State,
Infessura, "a great funeral pile of playing cards, lottery tickets,
musical instruments, false hair, and feminine adornments, was
erected on the Capital, and all these things were burned." A
similar scene was enacted at Bologna, and on this occasion the
vendors of dice came to the Saint to complain that since he had
begun to preach in their midst their occupation was gone, and
their trade ruined. Bernadine took compassion on them ; he
showed them how to manufacture in wax the monogram of the
Holy Name, and so great was the demand for these sacred
symbols that the erstwhile ruined tradesmen retrieved their
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 253
fortune, and became much richer than they were before. To
show, moreover, how successful the Saint had been in his en
deavors to propagate the devotion of the Holy Name under
this new form, it will suffice to mention that as early as the
year 1427 a number of priests had placed the monogram over
the principal altar in their churches ; others had it inscribed on
the walls; others preserved the banner on which Bernardine
had painted it surrounded with rays, and which accompanied
him on all his Apostolical wanderings; many of the cities of
Italy, like Siena, where it is to be seen to this day, caused the
sacred monogram to be placed in large characters outside the
Town-hall.
The novel form in which this old devotion was enshrined
was, of course, objected to. The practice, it was freely said by
some, savored of superstition, and led to idolatry. The people,
it was feared, might look upon the tablet as a kind of talisman,
and might adore the symbol itself instead of Him whose Name
was inscribed upon it. These thoughts and fears were noised
abroad by Andrew Biglio, an Augustinian Friar, and by the
partisans of Manfred, a Dominican. Bernardine defended the
form of the devotion, and gave a clear exposition of doctrine
on the subject. In spite of this, however, his enemies tri
umphed for the nonce, and the Saint was cited to Rome, where
Martin the Fifth, the then reigning Pope, gave him a cool re
ception. His enemies spread abroad the report that Bernardine
was accused and found guilty of heresy, and wherever he went
the finger of scorn was pointed at him.
Meanwhile the humble son of St. Francis took no notice of
his slanderers and their accusations, but calmly awaited the
decision of the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Pope —
resolved to submit to and obey that decision, whatever it might
be. In these circumstances, St. John Capistran, the friend and
disciple of Bernardine, came to the assistance of his confrere.
He had already acquired a fame for his sanctity and preach
ing, so when he boldly entered Rome, holding aloft the banner
of the Holy Name, the people hailed his advent with delight;
and the Pope, witnessing the universal satisfaction his pres-
254 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
ence caused, gave him permission to defend Bernardine. On
the day appointed for the session of the Commission, so clearly
did those two champions of the Holy Name answer all the ob
jections brought forward against the new devotion, that the
whole inquiry resulted in the triumphant justification of Ber
nardine. Martin the Fifth, with all his clergy, joined in a
solemn procession in honor of the Holy Name; he moreover
ordered Bernardine to preach at St. Peter's, and in the other
churches of the Capitol. For eighty-two days the Saint was
thus engaged, and ^Eneas Piccolomini, afterwards Pope Pius
II., has chronicled these Apostolical labors. "All Rome," he
writes, "flocked to his discourses. He frequently had Car
dinals, and sometimes even the Pope himself amongst his audi
ence, and all with one voice bore witness to his marvelous
power and success."
This striking triumph encouraged Saint Bernardine in his
undertaking; he was helped, moreover, in his great task by
such men as St. John Capistran and St. James of the Marches,
and in general by the whole body of the Franciscans. It served
also to perpetuate the devotion in the Church of God. A few
years later, for instance, we find St. John Capistran leading
the heroic army of John Humgades under the protection of
the Holy Name. Joan of Arc, an illustrious and saintly mem
ber of the Third Order, inscribed the sacred monogram on her
standard, and died with the name of Jesus on her lips. Con
fraternities of the Holy Name were established everywhere ;
St. Bernardine himself founded one in Rome, the center of
which was at the (since famous) Church of the Gesu. St. Ig
natius of Loyola* chose the monogram for the arms of the
glorious institute he founded. In 1530 Clement VII. approved
a special office of the Holy Name, and allowed the Franciscans
to celebrate a feast in its honor on the I4th of January, the an
niversary of Bernardine's signal triumph at Rome. Finally, in
the year 1772, Clement XIII. extended this feast to the whole
Christian world, and fixed for its celebration the second Sunday
after Epiphany.
*St. Ignatius was a member of the Roman Confraternity of the Holy Name.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 255^
Bernardine had by his preaching and strenuous efforts pre
pared the way for all these glorious results; he had the dis
tinction of having been chosen by God to bring this devotion
home to the people. It was in his hands a powerful instrument
to undo the mischief caused by the literary dilettanti, who
strove their utmost to haul down the standard of Jesus Christ,
and set up in its stead the impure ideals of pagan irreligion and
immorality. Through it he renewed and transformed to a
great extent the social and political life of the cities of his be
loved Italy — and for his fearless defence of, and staunch ad
herence to, this sacred cause, even if for naught else, his mem
ory shall be held in benediction by a grateful Christian
posterity.
The events narrated in the two last paragraphs offer the
most salient features of St. Bernardine's career. Whilst his
progress through the Italian peninsula was marked by one
long series of Apostolic triumphs, God was pleased to sanction
the authority and doctrine of this servant by the gift of
miracles. Indeed, the path of the humble Franciscan was
strewn with wonders. The sick were brought to him and a
sign of the cross on their forehead restored them to health. The
tablets on which Bernardine inscribed the Holy Name were
made use of by the Saint to work some wonderful cures. Even
the Friar's enemies were the objects of his attention and solici
tude. A man who had heaped scorn and derision on him fell
from a roof one day and was well-nigh killed. Bernardine,
hearing of the occurrence, ran to the spot, gave his blessing to
the unfortunate wretch, and with his blessing gave him back
the use of his limbs. On another occasion the holy missionary
was journeying to Mantua, and found his way blocked by a
deep stream ; he begged the ferryman to row him over, but this
the latter refused to do because the Saint had no money to pay
his fare. Nothing daunted, Bernardine calmly spread his man
tle on running waters, and on this miraculous raft crossed over
in safety.
Another day, as he was preaching on the text of the Apoca
lypse, "A great sign appeared in the heavens," a star of won-
256 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
derful brightness suddenly in broad daylight appeared over his
head, and was seen by the surrounding crowd. All these won
derful prodigies, and many more, too numerous to relate,
served to enhance Bernardine's reputation for sanctity in the
minds of the people ; and long before his death he was vener
ated as a Saint by the multitudes who thronged to listen to his
preaching.
In the midst of all these external occupations the work of
personal sanctity was advancing steadily in the soul of Ber-
nardine; he was a living exemplar of those virtues he wished
his hearers to practise. He wras a model of regular observance
to all his brethren, and his energy in the great work of the
Observantine Reform never slackened. Towards the end of
his career he associated John Capistran in his Apostolate, and
these two saintly souls vied with each other in the practice of
humility and obedience. In turn they commanded one another,
and never undertook any great work without consulting each
other. They fought together under the same banner of the
Holy Name of Jesus, and participated in each other's triumphs,
just as they shared each other's humiliations.
In the year 1438 Bernardine was appointed, as we have al
ready stated elsewhere, Vicar-General of the Cisalpine Prov
inces of the Observantine Reform ; thus a serious responsibility
devolved upon him. In the government of the Order he was
ably assisted by St. John Capistran, and St. James of the
Marches, another of his disciples. Nevertheless, the duties that
crowded themselves into his daily life, combined with the in
cessant labors of the Apostolate, which he never relaxed, taxed
his gradually waning energies to their utmost extent, until at
last he broke down under the strain.
In the year 1444 we find him preaching at Aquila in the king
dom of Naples. Here death was awaiting him. As soon as he
felt the touch of its icy hand, he asked for, and received the
last consolations of Holy Church, then, following the example
of his Seraphic Father, he caused himself to be laid on the
ground, and in this humble attitude passed away to his eternal
reward. He was sixtv-four vears old when he died. The
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 157
Friars were chanting vespers, and the last words the Saint
heard upon earth summed up his whole life, and were emble
matic of his Apostolic career : "Father, I have manifested Thy
Name to the men whom Thou hast given me out of the
world. ... I pray for them : I pray not for the world. . . .
and now I come to Thee."
When the news of Bernardine's death spread abroad there
was universal regret. "The Star of Italy" it was said, had set ;
the Saint was dead. Saint James of the Marches was miracu
lously informed about the sad event. He was preaching on the
market square of Todi, at the very hour when Bernardine
was breathing his last, when suddenly the preacher stopped,
remained silent for a short while, and then exclaimed : "Dear
people, let us weep and lament : at this hour a great column of
Holy Church has been broken by death ; the most brilliant star
of Italy has disappeared."
Numbers flocked to the Saint's tomb, and many were the
miracles wrought there. St. John Capistran, faithful to his
life-long attachment to, and veneration for, his saintly brother,
longed to see his name enrolled amongst the canonized Saints
of the Church, and worked with untiring energy to further the
cause of his friend's glorification. Eugenius the Fourth, urged
by the incessant request of St. John, appointed a Commission
of Cardinals and Bishops to make the necessary inquiry into the
virtues and sanctity of the humble son of St. Francis, but he
died before the Commission had finished its labors, and so for
a time the canonization had to be put off.
On the accession of Nicholas the Fifth, however, St. John
renewed his efforts, and a new Commission was appointed. The
report was favorable, and on the 27th of February, 1450, six
years after the holy missionary's death, he was formally canon
ized by Nicholas the Fifth, to the intense joy of the whole of
Italy. Thus were the efforts of St. John Capistran crowned
with success, and both he and St. James of the Marches had the
consoling satisfaction of being able to venerate and honor as a
Saint of God him to whom they were bound by the closest ties
of friendship and love while on earth.
258 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
THE NAME OF JESUS
Oh, sweetest name! Oh, name of grace and love!
Most High, most low!
Most great, most humble, human and divine,
That man can know:
That telleth us alike of heavenly joy
And earthly woe.
The mighty angel, pure from blight of sin,
Who bore to earth
This gentlest, tenderest name, ne'er understood
Its priceless worth,
Nor fathomed the unfathomed depths of love
That gave it birth.
Low at Messiah's feet the Jewish maid
Knelt to adore,
And worshipped Him with every sacred name
The ancient law
Gave unto God, patriarch's and prophets knew
Ages before.
But when, with yearning, mother-love, she let
Her soft lips press
The little face upraised, or tiny hand
Lifted to bless,
"Jesus, my Jesus !" broke from her full heart
In fond caress.
"Jesus !" first word on simple, childish tongues,
In guileless prayer;
"Jesus!" last murmur on the sinner's lips
Saved from despair,
Or dying saint's, who sees heaven's portals ope,
And Jesus there.
Not unto dread and mighty names that' speak
In awful tone,
God's power and justice, every knee is bowed;
Jesus alone
Doth claim the fealty of adoring love
As all His own,
Ave Maria,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 250
APPARITION
TO
YEN. JOAN OF ARC V
DOMREMY, FRANCE
1429
Gentle crook! Oh, that I never
For the sword had bartered thee!
Sacred oak! why didst thou ever
From thy branches speak to me?
Would that thou to me in splendor,
Queen of Heaven hadst ne'er come down!
Take all claim, I must surrender —
Take, oh take, away thy crown!
/. C. F. Fan Schiller.
HERE are in the great human family certain
privileged nations whose providential destiny has
been and still is to exercise far beyond their ter
ritorial frontiers precious and fecund influences in
aid of the highest interests of religion and of civilization, and
in this manner to link themselves in closest ties to other coun
tries of the earth. Such has been thy destiny, France, and
such is still thy destiny. Thou hast been and thou art a
world-nation ; and when citizens of other countries, bene
ficiaries of thy favors, with hearts overflowing with grati
tude and affection, come to thy shores, they will refuse to
believe that they are unwelcomed by thee, and unbidden to
take part in thy sweetest joys and most sacred festivities.
"JESUS, MARY," ON HER BANNER.
When her last ray of hope at Orleans was sinking, God
sent Joan d'Arc to save France and His Church. Sweet,
beautiful, sublime Jeanne! Most sweet, most beautiful, most
sublime figure of womanhood, outside of the Virgin Mother
of Nazareth, known to history.
Archbishop Ireland, on the Maid of Orleans,
260 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
In the year 1412 was born a peasant girl named Joan of Arc,
who, until she was seventeen years old, was unable to handle a
sword or mount a horse. To her modern Frenchmen probably
owe the fact that the Sovereign of England does not now wear
the crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Ireland, and
France. No purely secular heroine has attained to such celeb
rity as Joan of Arc.
That she is one of the chief glories of France is the convic
tion of every impartial mind which is familiar with a history
redolent of glory. After the greatest generals of France had
failed, she conducted a successful campaign against the ene
mies of her country.
Her birthplace was the village of Domremy, nigh to Vau-
couleurs, on the border of Champagne and Lorraine. There
her father, Jacques d'Arc, and her mother, Isabelle, simple
peasants, esteemed for their industry and virtue, lived labori
ously, comforted only by their three sons and two daughters.
From their earliest years these children were trained to labor
and to fear God. Of the five, the daughter, Jeanne, had been
noted for piety from her infancy. Loving work, she was as
expert with a spade as with a needle, could spin with the best,
and was as trusty among the hills with the sheep as if under
the eye of her mother. A joyous child, companionable and
fond of play, Jeanne was even fonder of prayer. In the midst
of a merry game she wrould slip away, kneel behind a hedge,
breathe a prayer and return to be as merry as the merriest.
To the Blessed Virgin she was especially devout. Near to
Domremy were several chapels dedicated to Our Lady. With
a candle, a garland of field flowers, an orison, Jeanne embel
lished each altar. It all the offices of the village church she
was faithful, and most exemplary in confessing and in receiv
ing the Holy Communion. Obedient to her parents, she was
also a loving sister, a kindly neighbor, generous to the poor,
tender to the ailing. All these adornments of womanhood
Jeanne d'Arc had acquired without ever learning the esteemed
art of reading or of writing.
These details may have interested de Beaudricourt, though
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 261
it is more than probable that he knew many peasant girls no
less virtuous or pious. However, this was not the whole of
the story. In her thirteenth year — thus she told the captain —
and often during the three years' that had since passed, heav
enly beings had appeared to her and had spoken to her.
Jeanne's home adjoined the parish church; and it was in the
garden, close to the church wall, on a summer's day in 1425,
at mid-day, that a glorious light shone on her, and out of the
light issued a voice, saying: "Jeanne> be good and pious, go
often to church !" The resplendent light, the mysterious voice,
affrighted the girl, as, certainly, they would have affrighted
you or me. Who spoke, she knew not. Whence came that in
describable radiance and the voice whose speech she could
never forget? A second, a third time, she heard the voice,
though perceiving no form. Then a form appeared, a com
manding form accompanied by a multitude of unearthly,
though real, beings. Finally she grew into the knowledge that
the wondrous light she had first seen, more lustrous than the
noonday sun, was but the shadow of the splendor of the Arch
angel Michael ; the voice was the Archangel's voice ; the mul
titude with him was a squadron of his immortal, invincible
army of angels.
The mysterious voice, on that first summer-day, counselled
her to be a Christian, and no more; but, as time passed, por
tentous words were spoken to her. She had heard of the wars.
Her parents were loyal to the crown. Before her clay, Dom-
remy had suffered from the enemies of France. The history
of her country, she knew well ; the traditions were familiar to
her ; but one can easily understand that the peasant girl of thir
teen was not prepared to assume that she had been selected to
save France, to rout victorious armies, to make a king and unite
a nation. Still, Michael, promising prudently, suggested much,
and finally ordered. She had a mission from heaven, he said,
to succor the King of France. During three years, the simple
girl listened, trembled, wondered, feared. Then Our Blessed
Lady and two sainted women came to aid her : Catharine and
Margaret. They encouraged her, calmed her. To neither
262 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
mother, nor father, nor confessor, did she disclose her secret.
Alone she bore her burden, day after day, year after year. A
rare sacrifice was demanded of her by God, if her guides were
trustworthy. The parental home, mere human love of every
sort, she must renounce, if Michael, Catharine and Margaret
spake true. Should she doubt? To prove her confidence in
them and in their word, she made a vow of virginity. Come
what may, henceforward she is the Lord's.
When, after three years of companionship with the Arch
angel and with Saints Catharine and Margaret, Jeanne first
presented herself to Robert de Beaudricourt, at Vaucouleurs,
it was not to please herself, or to satisfy an idle fancy. She
would not have dared to take a step so unbecoming to a modest
girl, were it not that the directing Archangel, and her guiding
Saints as well, had insisted, saying: "You must seek out Rob
ert de Beaudricourt, and have him give you an armed escort
to bring you to the dauphin; him you shall crown King at
Rheims, and drive the foreigner from the kingdom." To St.
Michael, to SS. Catharine and Margaret, Jeanne put a most
natural question. "How," she asked, "shall I, who am only a
peasant girl, give orders to men-at-arms?" Whereupon Arch
angel and Saints responded : "Child of God, great-hearted
child, you needs must go ; God will aid you."
Dismissed by de Beaudricourt as one bereft of reason, Jeanne
was not discouraged. She returned home. Her parents were
unaware of her venturesome journey. She had left them to
visit a cousin. As of old, she worked in the house and in the
field ; but the Saints were not silent. Indeed, they commanded
her anew to go forth and free the city of Orleans from the
enemy. No longer could she resist. In the early part of Janu
ary, 1429, once more she set forth, without saying a word to
father or mother. Durant Laxart, who still had faith in her,
accompanied her to Vaucouleurs. There de Beaudricourt was
as obstinate as ever. The girl's claims were not lessened by
time. "No one in the world," said she, "neither the king nor
the duke, nor the daughter of the King of Scotland, nor anyone
else, can recover the kingdom of France ; from me alone shall
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 263
it have aid, although I had rather spin alongside of my poor
mother ; for such is not my condition in life. But I must go
and do that; for .30 my Lord wishes." Then once again they
asked : "Who is your Lord ?" and she gave the same answer :
"He is God."
The people of Vaucouleurs saw Jeanne and heard her words ;
and they believed in her. They noted her modesty, her piety,
her sincerity. The soldiers trusted her; they had faith in her
mission. People and soldiers united to provide for her jour
ney to the king, buying a horse, armor and arms. As she was
called to do a warrior's work, Jeanne determined to dress like
a man.
When de Beaudricourt learned the temper of the people, he
consulted the royal council ; and at length, on February 23,
permitted her to set out for Chinon, where Charles was playing
king ; nay, more, he presented her with a sword. Long before
she reached Chinon the name of Jeanne the Maid was known
in camps, villages, cities. At Orleans they had heard of her,
and of her promise to raise the siege, and a deputation of offi
cers had been sent to meet her at Chinon and to report whether
there was, indeed, reason for hoping.
Having placed the king on his throne, it was her fortune
henceforward to be thwarted. More than one military plan
was entered upon which she did not approve. Too well she
felt the end was nigh at hand. Still she continued to jeopard
her person in battle as before; severe wounds had not taught
her caution ; and at length she was made prisoner by the Bur-
gundians, and finally given up to the English.
The object now was to vitiate the coronation of Charles
the Seventh as the work of a witch, and for this end Joan was
tried for sorcery. She resolutely defended herself from the ab
surd accusation. Never from the foundations of the earth was
there such a trial as this, if it were laid open in all its beauty
of defense and all its malignity of attack.
O child of France ! shepherdess, peasant girl ! trodden under
foot by all around thee, how I honor thy flashing intellect,
quick as the lightning and as true to its mark, that ran before
264 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
France and laggard Europe by many a century, confounding
the malice of the insnarer and making dumb the oracles of
falsehood ! "Would you examine me as a witness against my
self ?" was the question by which many times she defied their
arts. The result of this trial was the condemnation of Joan
to be burnt alive.
Woman, sister ! there are some things which you do not
execute as well as your brother, man — no, nor ever will. Yet,
sister, woman, cheerfully and with the love that burns in
depths of admiration, I acknowledge that you can do one thing
as well as the best of men — you can die grandly ! On the 2Oth
of May, 1431, being then about nineteen years of age, Joan of
Arc underwent her martyrdom. She was conducted before
mid-day, guarded by eight hundred spearmen, to a platform of
prodigious height, constructed of wooden billets, supported by
occasional walls of lath and plaster, and traversed by hollow
spaces in every direction for the creation of air-currents.
With an undaunted soul, but a meek and saintly demeanor,
the maiden encountered her terrible fate. The executioner
had been directed to apply his torch from below. He did so.
The fiery smoke rose upward in billowing volumes. A monk
was then standing at Joan's side.
Wrapt up in his sublime office, he saw not the danger, but
still persisted in his prayers. Even then, when the last enemy
was racing up the fiery stairs to seize her, even at that moment
did this noblest of girls think only for him — the one friend that
would not forsake her — and not for herself, bidding him with
her last breath to care for his own preservation, but to leave
her to God.
"Go down," she said ; "lift up the cross before me, that I
may see it in dying, and speak to me pious words to the end."
Her last audible word was the name of Jesus. A soldier who
had sworn to throw a fagot on the pile turned away, a penitent
for life, on hearing her last prayer to her Saviour. He had seen,
he said, a white dove soar to heaven from the ashes where the
brave girl had stood.
The executioner gathers up the remains. A few bones he
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 265
finds and a little dust. These he looked for; but with terror
does he perceive a heart; and he trembles as, touching it, he
feels it warm ; warm, not with the faint heat exhaled from
wood-ashes, but with that generous ardor that smoulders in
the members of the Saint. Trusting not to the fagots he had
nourished the flames with oil and sulphur. The heart should
have been burned to a crisp. Now he remembers that, before
mounting the pyre, the girl-victim had besought the bystanders
to give her a cross ; and that, none being at hand, a gentle Eng
lish soldier had formed one, roughly, out of a couple of bits of
stick. Kissing this rude cross devoutly, she had placed it over
her heart, close to her flesh. The wooden cross was no more ;
but the heart it had pressed, remained. Was this a sign ?
Neither the executioner, nor the curious onlookers, who won
dered with him, dare say yes. Bones, ashes, and even the heart,
were cast into the river Seine. An English Cardinal, the Car
dinal of Winchester, so ordered.
Did that young girl deserve the punishment meted out to
her on the 3Oth of May, 1431, in the market-place of Rouen?
To-day, we know the truth about her, and men of every land
love to tell her story ; and most all, those who, like her, glory
in the cross and believe and trust in Him whom her burning
lips greeted as her pure soul flew heavenward.
WHY CANONIZE JOAN OF ARC?
PASTORAL LETTER OF HIS LORDSHIP, THE BISHOP OF ORLEANS,
ON THE CAUSE OF JOAN OF ARC.
MY VERY DEAR BRETHREN : Man's faith in the admirable
virtue of Joan of Arc is neither of to-day nor of yesterday.
When questioned by the judges at the process of rehabilitation,
the humble people of Domremy rendered the most flattering-
tribute to the childhood and youth of their glorious compatriot.
She had left in her native village an indelible memory of good
ness, sweetness, simplicity, candor and piety. — "There was no
one like her."
266 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Our predecessors in Orleans declared in their turn that they
mistook her for an angel of God when upon an April evening,
she entered their walls at the head of an army, whose soldiers,
converted by her, had replaced (for a time) licentious songs
by hymns and canticles; blasphemies by decorous speech; and
had converted the loose habits of the camp into ways of an
austere morality. They remembered and spoke of her tears of
devotion at Holy Communion, her prudence in battle, her piety
and compassion for the wounded and the dying, her meekness
and magnanimity under insult, her firmness and her modesty
in counsel.
These beautiful accounts are confirmed by her confessor,
Pasquerel, and her equerry, d'Aulon, who followed her
throughout unto the end, by d'Alenc,on and Dunois who en
joyed her friendship, and by many others who drew a sketch
of Joan which, even to the casual observer, reveals the glorious
heroine.
The whole man is never known until he has passed through
affliction and death — it is trial and death which perfect life.
The sufferings of Joan and her death ; the prison of Rouen and
the funeral pyre of the Vieux-Marche have surrounded her
with an aureole so brightly luminous as hardly to have been
equaled by any other who has similarly fought and suffered
trial and death. More than one have compared the judgment,
the condemnation and the agony of Joan to the judgment,
condemnation and agony of Jesus. We cannot urge this com
parison without something of blasphemous irreverence; how
ever, those who have attempted it, merit respect ; their idea is
explainable; it is more than ingenious — it is solid; and surely
it is no small glory for this martyr* child to be even thought
of in this connection.
If Juvenal des Ursins, Archbishop of Rheims, Guillaume
Giartier, Archbishop of Paris, and Richard of Longueil,
Bishop of Coutances, who were commissioned by Calixtus III.
i. We do not pretend to employ this word — Martyr— or in other places holy or saint
applied to the Venerable Joan other than in a general sense and in one authorized by
the Church.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 267
to preside over the process of rehabilitation, had been able to
question certain Englishmen, would they not have obtained,
even from them, confessions of great value? Would not cer
tain soldiers have testified to the vision of the maiden's soul,
taking flight under the form of a dove, just as in later years the
spirit of St. Theresa escaped from its mortal habitation at the
last hour?
Would not the executioner, who applied the torch, have re
vealed the fact that under the glowing coals he had found the
virgin's heart untouched and throbbing; that nothing — neither
fire nor boiling oil had been able to affect this flesh, hallowed
by love of country, of our Lord and His Saints ; since it had
pleased God to manifest by a miracle His judgment upon the
abominable crime which had just been consummated. Would
not this same executioner have sunk, trembling, on his knees
before the tribunal of Rheims, as he did before the confessional,
where he went to implore absolution, exclaiming: "We are
lost, we have burned a Saint!"
But has not Heaven itself proclaimed the virtues of Joan?
Truly, who would admit that such an intimate communication
could have been established and could have continued for seven
years between the Maid and St. Michael, St. Catharine and St.
Margaret, had not Joan led a life worthy of such favors? I
know the teachings of Theology concerning this sort of graces ;
I know that it holds them to be gratuitous ; I reverence this
doctrine as I reverence everything that pertains to my faith,
but I know also that Almighty God wishes and seeks fitting
reasons for all the wonders which it pleases Him to accomplish.
Joan herself was convinced that sin woull deprive her of these
visions. When asked whether she was in the state of grace,
she replied : "If I am not, may God so render me. If I am,
may God preserve me therein." She declared she would prefer
death to mortal sin, and she added "that she believed St.
Michael, St. Catharine and St. Margaret would abandon her in
case she offended the good God."
This view is that of common sense. Finally, was it not be
cause of the virtue which he saw resplendent in her that the
268 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Archangel addressed her by this singular title, Daughter of
God. "Go, daughter of God ! Go ! Go !"
Joan's reputation for sanctity has been abiding in the Church.
The chronicles of the fifteenth century proclaim it, except, of
course, those which are partial to the English cause.
La Saussaye inscribes our venerable Joan in his Martyrol-
ogy, certainly not among the Saints (he could not — should not
do that) — but among those pious souls venerated and honored
by the Church.
Benedict XIV treats of the cause of Joan in his incompar
able work on the canonization of Saints and, on the authority
of one of the greatest Roman advocates of this time, Alibrandi,
discreetly admitted his astonishment that her cause had not
been introduced.
Symphorian Guyon, after quoting La Saussaye, celebrates
her merits "as a martyr for her virtue."
Our age, curious concerning all that is interesting in history,
has had the good fortune to have Quicherat edit the process of
Joan of Arc. By this process we have come to know and see
what was unknown and unseen in the past. Through these
manuscripts arranged, translated and signed by enemies, we
are enabled to judge of the character of Joan of Arc. Numer
ous histories and documents, sometimes learned, at all times
serious, tracing things to their very source, have shown her to
us such as she is. Consequences have not been slow to follow.
There are none among those who claim any knowledge of his
tory who are not convinced of the virtues of the Maid. And
if proof were needed, it would suffice perhaps to state that
when we requested the Catholic prelates to send us letters as
sociating themselves with the humble but urgent prayer which
we were addressing to the Sovereign Pontiff, beseeching him
to beatify the liberator of Orleans, more than eight hundred
responded to our appeal — Cardinals, Bishops, Abbes, Rectors
of Institutions. The five divisions of the earth know our Joan
and venerate her.
In order perfectly to embody this past and present homage,
Mgr. Dupanloup resolved to present the cause of Joan of Arc
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 269
to the Holy See. In 1869, tne numerous bishops, grouped
around him and sympathizing with the sentiments of his noble
soul, signed a petition praying that the Sacred Congregation of
Rites might inquire and examine into the cause of Joan of Arc
surnamed, "The Maid of Orleans."
As Ordinary it became his duty to begin the process. This
he did in 1874. He established a tribunal under the presidency
of M. L'abbe Branchereau. The Postulators were Mgr. Des-
noyers and M. Collin. In 1876, the Archbishop took to Rome
the work of this tribunal.
M. Captier, at that time Procurator-General of the Congre
gation of St. Sulpice, was charged with the duty of watching
(in the character of Postulator) over the interest of the cause
in the Eternal City. No one in Orleans has forgotten that the
great bishop breathed his last on the eleventh day of October,
1878.
M. Captier invited Mgr. Couillie, who had succeeded Mgr.
Dupanloup, to continue the investigation. He exerted himself
to ascertain whether the memory of the virtues of Joan of
Arc still endured, not among the learned, for that fact was
established and well established, but among the people.
The tribunal of 1874 again resumed its sittings, and at the
proper time the result of its investigations was once more
placed before the Congregation of Rites.
The examination of the report was long and minute. The
Promoter Fidei, Mgr. Caprara, obliged by his office to offer ob
jection, spared none of the resources of a wonderfully fertile
and well regulated mind. On his side, the advocate Alibrandi,
an eminent man, with the aid of M. Minetti, and chiefly of
M. Captier, made an elegant and noble plea. Finally, the pre
siding judge, His Eminence Cardinal Parocchi, delivered upon
the virtues of Joan, a discourse so vigorous and so eloquent
that Pope Leo XIII. was heard to remark that nothing more
powerful could be conceived.
The result of all these efforts was that, in 1894, just twenty
years after the commencement of the process, Mgr. Couillie,
Archbishop of Lyon, Administrator- Apostolic of the Diocese of
270 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Orleans, received the gratifying intelligence that the cause was
introduced, and Joan declared venerable.
Dating from this time the efforts of the Bishop of Orleans
ceased. Everything was left to the wisdom of the Congrega
tion of Rites.
From 1894 to 1895, we conducted the process called the non-
cult of Joan of Arc. This was very brief. Our conclusions
were admitted by the Congregation of Rites in 1896.
In 1897, we received the order to establish a new tribunal
which from this time in the name of the Sovereign Pontiff
recorded information upon the heroic virtues of the Venerable
Joan.
The tribunal opened on the first of March, 1897, and closed
on the twenty-second of November of the same year. We
field 122 sessions of, at least, eight hours a day. Immediately
after the final adjournment I took to Rome the proceedings of
this tribunal, which contained about 3,000 pages.
In the year 1898 the officials of the Rota examined the de
tails of the record of the proceedings with respect to its judicial
forms.
In 1899 the venerable Cardinal Archbishop of Paris and the
Bishop of Orleans, prepared an abstract of proceedings upon
the reliability of the publications of Quicherat, relative to Joan
of Arc. The Promoter of the Faith, acting by virtue of special'
permission from the Pope, accepted these documents without
recourse to the ordinary formalities.
During the course of this same year, 1899, the advocate com
menced the preparation of his plan from the documents we had
furnished him. This he continued in 1900. However, His
Lordship, the Promoter of the Faith, raised some objections.
The advocate has answered them. The discussion before the
consultors will open on the I7th of the approaching December,
This first public act of the Congregation of Rites is very
important. If, as we ardently hope, the process is pushed for
ward, doubtless it will be renewed with the same formalities
of pleading, first before the cardinals, then before the Sovereign
Pontiff, to whose determination will be left the final decision
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 27*
in this most important step of the procedures. This is why we
wish to recommend its success to all who are interested in the
work.
Believing firmly in the greatness of Joan, in the innocence
of her child-like soul, in her sanctity as head of the army and
as a victim, we recall what was said to us, not by a Frenchman,
but by the great Belgian historian, Godfrey Kurth: "Mon-
seigneur, I do not know history, nobody knows it, although I
have studied it for forty years. But I have never met, among
all its glorious characters, since the time of Christ and His
Virgin Mother, a soul which appears to be more perfect, more
elevated, than that of Joan of Arc." Convinced that our coun
try will unite around Joan of Arc in a spirit of Christian and
patriotic joy, that at her altars atheism will not declare its
hatred; we exhort the religious of our diocese and all pious
souls to offer a communion on the I7th of December for the
success of this cause of the Venerable Joan of Arc. Those
who cannot communicate may at least recite a prayer for that
intention. We exhort the priests of our diocese to offer up
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the same intention. On the
1 7th of December, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in
the chapels of our cloistered communities from eight o'clock in
the morning until six in the evening. At six o'clock Bene
diction will be given. We will be happy to have the exposition
of the Blessed Sacrament in other communities, where it is
possible, but we lay no obligation upon them.
We authorize our reverend pastors to expose the Blessed
Sacrament for the same intention wherever and whenever they
may find a sufficient number of adorers, be it on the I7th of
December or on the Sunday previous. At least on the pre
ceding Sunday, Benediction may be given, during which the
rosary may be recited.
We think in all loyalty that everything that could be done
on the part of this land to promote the cause has been ac
complished. The final word must come from God. In sup
plication, then, let us pray. STANISLAUS,
November 18, 1901. Bishop of Orleans.
272 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
THE BEATIFICATION OF JOAN OF ARC
RECOMMENDED TO OUR PRAYERS BY HIS HOLINESS, LEO XIII.
The Holy Father desires before he dies to give his children
one more intercessor in heaven, to place upon the altars of the
Church and present to the veneration of the faithful one more
of those remarkable personages whom God raises up from
time to time to be models of virtue, marvels of sanctity, doers
of mighty deeds in the cause of truth and justice.
The heavens show forth the glory of God, the earth is His
footstool, nature through all her works displays His power and
wisdom. But nowhere do His divine attributes shine forth
more splendidly than in the life of a Saint. As living beings
surpass inanimate matter, as the moral order surpasses the
physical, so Christian sanctity, divine in its origin, supernatural
in its operations, is far more sublime than anything that nature
can produce.
In honoring the Saints, we honor God, for we know that all
their virtues and all their holiness were the gift of God. This
truth they themselves clearly discerned, and hence they were
always humble even amid the praises of men. In the words
of the Queen of Saints, they were always saying: "He that is
mighty hath done great things to me ; and holy is His name."
For they well knew that they could not even pronounce the
name of Jesus in a spirit of faith without the Holy Ghost. It
is true they co-operated of their own free will with God's
graces, and thus merited an ever-increasing out-pouring of His
favors in this life and eternal glory in the next. But they were
deeply penetrated with the truth of the great Apostle's words
when he said : "By the grace of God I am what I am ; and His
grace in me hath not been void." And even though they had
labored more abundantly than others, they could say with
all truth : "Yet not I, but the grace of God with me."
In the Saints, therefore, we praise and glorify God who
has done such great things to men, who has shown forth in
them His mercy, His love, His generosity, His sanctity, His
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 273
power to lift up the needy from the dunghill and make them
sit with princes, even with the angelic princes of the heavenly
hierarchy. He hath regarded the lowliness of his servants and
that is why all generations shall call them blessed.
The beatification of Joan of Arc would be most opportune
at the present time. She comes before the modern world daz
zling it by her heroism, winning it by her sweet maidenhood,
calling forth the admiration of Catholics and non-Catholics,
Frenchmen and Englishmen. She is the ideal and champion
of the legitimate aspirations of the day, while at the same time
she corrects the errors by which those aspirations are too often
clouded.
To-day men are crying out for freedom and autonomy. Joan
gave freedom and autonomy to a down-trodden people. Men
are crying out for progress and national prosperity. Joan
opened a new era of progress and prosperity to her country.
To-day there is a desire to enlarge the sphere of woman's
usefulness. Joan led an army to battle and refounded a
kingdom. To-day we long for peace and fraternity. Joan
put an end to a hundred years' war and two rival nations for
get their differences when they think of her.
But what a rebuke is her life to the errors that beset us !
The great mistake of our times is the attempt to divorce the
natural from the supernatural. Man in his folly thinks he is
sufficient for himself ; he needs no God, no religion to help him
carry out his enterprises. If anyone wants religion let him
indulge his tastes in private, but let him not be dragging re
ligion into the affairs of daily life. It is too sacred a thing for
such contact. It is of another world and is out of place when
it tries to meddle with the affairs of this world. Let God
remain in the churches where we may, if we please, make a
ceremonious call on Him once a week, but let the doors be
shut during the days of labor. What has religion to do with
business, with politics, with war, with social life?
But Joan comes before us in shining armor with her white
banner of Jesus and Mary in one hand, her drawn sword in the
other, to enter the field of war, of politics, of social life, in the
274 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
name of God. She tells us that God's providence guides the
destinies of nations as well as of individuals, that nothing here
below escapes His all-seeing eye, nothing is far from His all-
pervading presence, that nothing can happen but by His com
mand or with His permission. She tells us that by Him kings
reign and that of Him are ordained the powers that be, and that
if He humbles a nation for its correction He can also raise it
up again. She tells us that every enterprise of life ought to
be undertaken for Him and in His name.
She teaches us reverence for authority. She sought out the
King in his retirement and humiliation when almost all had
forsaken him, because he was the lawful ruler. She insisted
on having him crowned and anointed by God's minister. She
showed respect to her very judges who in defiance of all law
and justice condemned her to a terrible death.
But above all she teaches us how retirement, contemplation,
mysticism, so far from unfitting one for great actions, are the
best preparation for them. The ordinary good Christian prac
tises ordinary virtue ; the contemplative does the deeds of
heroes and of giants. His is a life of union with God and
partakes of the power of God. Witness the life of St. Ber
nard, St. Augustine, St. Francis Xavier, and so many other
contemplatives and mystics who have achieved such marvels in
the active life.
Joan's vocation, certainly an extraordinary one, made it
necessary for her to don the accoutrements of a warrior, to
live among men and be a leader of men. But she never thought
of trying to ape the ways of men. Strong in her vow of vir
ginity, she ever displayed the simplicity, the gentleness, the
modesty, the delicate refinement that are woman's crown and
glory, that charm the upright, shame the dissolute and compel
the respect of all.
She rides forth then, that warrior maiden, that mirror of
knighthood and of womanhood, the champion of the Apostle-
ship of Prayer, fighting by day and praying by night that God's
kingdom may come, that Christian principles and Christian
charity may reign throughout the world.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 275
Let us pray then with the Holy Father that we may soon
be able to invoke her as Blessed, and that her beautiful life
and powerful intercession may inspire the faithful with fresh
ardor and win over to the truth those who still dwell amid the
darkness of error.
POPE HONORS JOAN OF ARC
An imposing ceremony preceding the beatification of Joan
d'Arc occurred in the Vatican, January 6th, 1904. The Pope
was acclaimed by the great audience. He delivered a speech
before the Congregation of Rites, in which he said he hoped
that Frenchmen, having such glorious ancestry, would be
worthy of them and would especially appreciate the present
distinction conferred by the Church and put an end to the
campaign against religion.
BEATIFICATION
The decree on the Heroic Virtues of Joan of Arc was read
on the Feast of the Epiphany in the Consistorial Hall of the
Vatican Palace, in the presence of the Holy Father, who was
surrounded by the members of his court and a number of Car
dinals and distinguished visitors to Rome. In the decree a
sketch is given of the Maid of Domremy, who is described as
having emulated the courage of Deborah, Jael and Judith.
The struggle which she made for her country is noticed in
some detail, and the account of the final scene is as follows:
"Her cause having been tried by most corrupt judges, the inno
cent virgin was condemned to be burnt and bravely endured
the penalty on the 3oth May, 1431, her eyes fixed on the cru
cifix, her lips pouring forth fervent prayers and asking prayers
for the authors of her death in the presence of the great crowd
there assembled." The steps taken in the cause of her beati
fication are then mentioned, and it is added that "the Holy
Father decreed that in the case of Joan of Arc such sure
knowledge had been acquired with regard to the theological
276 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
virtues of faith, hope and charity towards God and the neigh
bor, and with respect to the cardinal virtues of prudence,
justice, fortitude, temperance, and the like, that it was safe to
proceed, further, that is, to the discussion of the four miracles."
This decree his Holiness ordered to be published and inserted
in the Acts of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.
The decree having been promulgated, Mgr. Touchet, Bishop
of Orleans, thanked the Holy Father for having at the com
mencement of a Pontificate which gave so much promise paid
this honor to the Heroine of Orleans, who was the incarnation
of French patriotism. "May the good and chivalrous child,"
said the Bishop in concluding, "may Joan of Arc, renewing one
of the noblest works of her mortal career, obtain for France
holy peace of mind and the union of hearts — for France, which
is so gentle when it is united, and so humane when it is
peaceful."
The Pope delivered a brief address in Latin, expressing the
joy this occasion afforded him. His Holiness said that amidst
the difficulties of the present hour, the life of the heroic maiden
gave Catholics and lovers of France a lesson in courage and
self-sacrifice.
TO JOAN IN HEAVEN
And all the priests and friars in the realm
Shall in procession sing her endless praise.
No longer on St. Denis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint.
Shakespeare, Henry VI., Act I, Scene 6.
The lips that curse to-day the hero's fall
To-morrow vote him laurels and applause;
Impartial Time doth justice unto all,
No blindfold goddess she, of erring laws.
Four hundred years of slander shrink dismayed
Beneath the shrivelling fervor of her glance,
And lo! with praise of thee, O shepherd maid!
Resound the stately sanctuaries of France.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 277
For what is death, that men should fear to lose
The labored drawing of a little breath?
Or what is life, that coward men should choose
Its lease of pain before heroic death?
Thy country grovelled 'neath the tyrant's yoke,
The Vision called, the Heavenly voices spoke,
And pledge to Christ and France thy virgin veins.
'Twas thine to crown with victory her cause.
Yet not in vain
Didst thou the bitter dregs of anguish drain,
And pledge to Christ and France thy virgin veins,
Where now are grasping England's chains?
No smallest link upon thy land remains;
Gone with thy judges and thy murderers,
And they were hers.
Yea, many a cause and many a leader since
Have bowed the head to Death, the sov'reign prince.
And where they rose shall others yet arise
And with ephemeral fancies snare men's eyes
And have their little day and pass again.
New hours demand new men,
And wise is he, indeed,
Who sees and shapes new ends to meet new need.
But all shall be as grass of yesterday,
While France is greater far than they ;
And France remains and suppliant seeks thine aid
With hands outstretched to thee, O Martyr Maid!
For ancient feuds, old passions and old hates
Watch at her walls and prowl about her gates.
And deadlier foes and subtler shapes of sin
Lurk at her heart and plot her ruin within.
Sons recreant, devising blight and curse,
With wiles insidious would her heart divorce
From all that made her glorious and great
And raised her to her proud estate —
From truth and honor, and her wise belief
In justice, of all virtues chief.
For, walking humbly in the eyes of God,
France aye held Empire's rod;
And kneeling, reverent, at Our Lady's feet
And drawing thence all heavenly virtue sweet,
France aye has been the France of high renown,
Sceptered with love and wearing honor's crown.
278 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
From that bright place of glory thou hast won,
Rapt in the vision of the Sire and Son,
In this dark hour that menaces thy land,
Above her hearthstones stretch protecting hand !
'Gainst impious men who forth from school and shrine
Would scourge thy Christ and in the fields of France,
Would raze thy Christ's sweet empery divine,
Oh, gird thee now with new deliverance !
Thy virtues emulating and thy fame
By hearths that burn with Chastity's pure flame,
The maids and matrons of thy land beseech
Thee o'er their homes thy shield of love to reach.
For blest that land and armor'd against ill
Where civic virtues wait on woman's will,
Where reverent manhood worships wife or maid
Queen-like in holy purity arrayed.
She, fenced around by chivalry, perchance
May suffer, but she cannot suffer long,
Nor, wronged, be victim of enduring wrong.
Such happy land is France.
And, lifting high truth's oriflamme, behold
Her phalanx'd daughters, God-inspired, stand,
As thou 'gainst tyrant England didst of old,
To drive dishonor from their honored land.
And, patient long and kindling slow
To wrath, their hearts for Christ aglow,
About His altars menaced by the law,
At woman's 'hest her sons devoted draw.
While these love virtue, oh, she cannot fall,
Mother of Chivalry, beloved Gaul.
For not in spoil of sea or soil
Or ships in ocean waters
A nation thrives, but in the lives
Of noble sons and daughters.
While these shall last, in honor fast,
The happy land shall flourish.
Nor foes prevail, but when they fail
Then laws and peoples perish.
But thou above thine ancient land
Wilt stretch in patronage thy hand.
For howsoe'er disguised in snowy fleece,
Christ's watchdogs lulling into perilous peace,
MADONNA AND SAINTS
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 279
The wolves of Hell upon Christ's fold would prey,
And shepherds false would lead astray
Christ's lambs in error's devious way,
The heart of France, as in her ardent youth,
Throbs still for Christ and Truth.
And from a thousand Shrines thy people's love
Like incense rises to thy feet above,
Beseeching thee in humblest suppliance
To ward from harm thy France.
Thy country's sin, the insult and the shame,
The scaffold's doom, the faggot and the flame —
All these shall pass and be remembered not;
Fair Charity with kindly tears shall blot
From France's shield the black, corroding stain,
Caught from thy blood, O Lily of Lorraine!
Thy land, so fair, of life shall be bereft
Nor smallest trace be left
To after years to tell
That Freedom once had here her choicest citadel;
The hero's heart shall lose its thirst for fame
And truth be dead and virtue but a name,
Ere men shall cease to honor thee who gave
To France, to Liberty, to Truth—
In battle's bloodiest breaches undismayed,
'Neath insult meek, in persecutions brave—
Thy love, thy life, thy stainless youth,
O Virgin, Patriot and Martyr Maid!
P. 7. Coleman.
APPARITION TO
BROTHER ERNEST
CLIFTON, ENGLAND
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
APPARITION
TO
BROTHER ERNEST
CLIFTON, ENGLAND
143°
each me to weep, sweet Mother-Maid,
As thou didst weep for thy dear Son,
How Christ would love me if I shed
One tear for Him like thine — just one.
Charles H. Toivne.
ELLUACENSIS relates that, in a town in Eng
land, there was, in the year 1430, a younj
nobleman called Ernest, who, after having given
all his patrimony to the poor, became a monk, and
ed so perfect a life that the superiors of the monastery had
a great esteem for him, particularly on account of his tender
devotion to Our Blessed Lady. It happened that the city was
attacked by the plague; the Abbot commanded Ernest to go
and pray before the altar of Mary, and not to depart from
it until the blessed Virgin gave him an answer. After remain
ing three days before the altar, Mary directed him to say
certain prayers ; he obeyed, and the plague ceased. But after
wards his devotion to Mary grew cold ; the devil assailed
him with many temptations, particularly with those against
purity, and to fly from the monastery. The miserable young
man, in consequence of not recommending himself to Mary,
resolved to throw himself from a wall, and so escape from
the monastery; but, as he was passing by an image of Marv
on the corridor, the Mother of God spoke to him and said :
"My son, why do you leave me?" Ernest was filled with
astonishment and compunction, and, falling on the ground,
said, "But, my Lady, dost thou not see that I can no longer
282 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES Off
resist the temptation? Why dost thou not assist me?" The
holy Virgin replied, "Why have you not invoked me? Had
you recommended yourself to me, you should not be reduced
to this unhappy state; from this day forward recommend
yourself to me and fear not." Ernest returned to his cell,
but the temptations returned ; he neglected to recommend him
self to God, or to Mary, and therefore he at length fled from
the monastery and giving himself up to a most wicked life,
rushing from one sin into another, he in the end became an
assassin. He took an inn, in which during the night he mur
dered and robbed the poor travelers who passed by the way,
among them a young gentleman who came to the inn. The
murderous innkeeper entered during the night, for the purpose
of murdering him. But, behold! on the bed he sees not the
young man, but Christ Crucified, covered with wounds, who
looking at him with eyes full of pity, said : "Is it not enough
for you, O ungrateful man ! that I have died once for you ?
Do you wish to kill me a second time? Stretch forth your
hand and murder Me again." Ernest was filled with confusion,
began to weep, and said with tears : "Lord, here I am ; since
Thou hast shown me so many mercies, I wish to return to
Thee." He then instantly left the inn, in order to return to his
monastery, and to do penance for his crimes ; but being met on
the way by the ministers of justice, he was brought before
the judge, and in his presence confessed all the murders he had
committed. He was condemned to be hanged, without being
even allowed time to go to confession. He then recommended
himself to Mary; he was thrown off the scaffold, but the
Virgin saved his life ; she herself took the halter from his neck,
and said to him : "Go back to the monastery, do penance, and
when you see in my hands a paper declaring that your sins
are pardoned, prepared for death." Ernest returned, and re
lating to the Abbott all that had happened, performed great
penance. After many years, he saw in the hands of Mary a
paper assuring him of pardon, he immediately prepared himself
for eternity and died a holy death.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 283
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Robert Southey, the (Protestant) poet-laureate of England,
in 1819, wrote "A Tale of Paraguay," the fiftieth stanza of
Canto II. bearing testimony to the familiar idea and received
belief of the Immaculate Conception, although many years be
fore its proclamation as a dogma.
The Indian woman, Monnema, recalling the stories she heard
in her youth, describes plainly certain men who had come to the
Indian's land, sent by the Great Spirit to do "the Father's
work." She says of them :
"They served a maid more beautiful than tongue
Could tell or heart conceive. Of human race,
All heavenly as that Virgin was, she sprung;
But for her beauty and celestial grace,
Being one in -whose pure elements no trace
Had e'er inhered of sin or mortal stain,
The highest heaven was now her dwelling place,
There as a queen divine she held her reign,
And there in endless joy forever would remain.
Her feet upon the crescent moon were set,
And moving in their order round her head,.
The stars compose her sparkling coronet.
There at her breast the Virgin Mother fed
A Babe Divine, who was to judge the dead;
Such power the spirit gave this awful Child ;
Severe He was, and in His anger dread,
Yet always at His Mother's will grew mild,
So well did He obey that Maiden undefiled."
Sometimes she had descended from above
To visit her true votaries, and requite
Such as had served her well.
Robert Southey.
Hail Mary! The glorious Archangel Gabriel enjoys in
Heaven a peculiar distinction for being the first to address this
salutation to Our Blessed Lady. — St. Mechtilde.
It is quite a remarkable feature in the history of the Order
284 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
of Poor Clares that, in spite of its stringent poverty and rigor
ous austerities, it has, at all times, been eagerly sought after
and embraced by ladies of the highest rank and position in
society.
It is surprising to see amongst its members such a vast array
of queens and princesses, and other noble dames, who volun
tarily exchanged a life of wealth and luxury for one of poverty
and penance. Yet while these illustrious personages reflect a
certain lustre upon the institute, by reason of the exalted station
they occupied in the world, they, themselves, however, will tell
you that far from considering themselves as having added any
thing to the renown of the order, they looked upon it as the
highest honor and privilege to have been allowed to join its
humble ranks.
And, in fact, we find that such individuals, as a rule, seemed
to realize the life of a Poor Clare more than others, and were
more conspicuous for their love of poverty, penance and
humility.
Another fact worth noticing is this, that the very superiority
they enjoyed by nature and education, being ennobled and
purified in the school of humility, made them better fitted for the
government of religious communities and, in this respect, they
contributed largely to the spread and advancement of the order.
The establishment of the Order of Poor Clares in this coun
try is another illustration of the truth of these remarks. Mother
Constanzia Bentivoglio, who died January, 1902, and was one
of the founders in this country, was of noble family, her father,
Count Bentivoglio, having been one of the rescuers of Pope
Pius IX. She was also a relative of Pope Leo XIII. She died
January, 1902,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 285
APPARITION
TO
ST. VERONICA, V.
MILAN, ITALY
H45
Hear thy children, gentlest Mother,
Prayerful hearts to thee arise;
Hear us while our evening Ave
Soars beyond the starry skies.
Darkling shadows fall around us,
Restful stars their watches keep;
Hush the heart oppressed by sorrow,
Dry the tears of those that weep.
Flora Stanfield.
ERONICA'S parents were peasants of a village
near Milan. From her childhood she toiled hard
in the house and the field, and accomplished cheer
fully every task. Gradually, the desire for perfec
tion grew within her; she became deaf to the jokes and songs
of her companions, and sometimes, when reaping and hoeing,
would hide her face and weep. Knowing no letters, she began
to be anxious about her learning, and rose secretly at night to
teach herself to read Our Blessed Lady told her that other
things were necessary, but not this. She showed Veronica
three mystical letters, which would teach her more than books.
The first signified purity of intention ; the second, abhorrence
of murmuring or criticism ; the third, daily meditation on the
Passion. By the first she learned to begin her daily duties for
no human motive, but for God alone. By the second, to carry
out what she had thus begun by attending to her own affairs,
never judging her neighbor, but praying for those who mani
festly erred. By the third, she was enabled to forget her own
pains and sorrows in those of her Lord, and to weep hourly,
but silently, over the memory of His wrongs. She had con-
286 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
slant ecstasies, and saw in successive visions the whole life of
Jesus, and many other mysteries. Yet by a special grace,
neither her raptures nor her tears ever interrupted her labors,
which ended only with death. After three years' patient wait
ing she was received as a lay-sister in the convent of St.
Martha, at Milan. The community was extremely poor, and
Veronica's duty was to beg through the city for their daily
food. Three years after receiving the habit, she was afflicted
with constant bodily pains, yet never would consent to be re
lieved of any of her labors, or to omit one of her prayers. By
exact obedience, she became a living copy of the rule, and
obeyed with a smile the least hint of her superior. She sought
to the last the most hard and humbling occupations, and in
their performance enjoyed some of the highest favors ever
granted to a Saint. She died in 1497, on tne da7 sne had fore
told, after a six months' illness, aged fifty-two years, and in
the thirtieth of her religious profession.
When Veronica was urged in sickness to accept some ex
emption from her labors, her answer was : "I must work while
I can, while I have time." Dare we, then, waste ours?
The people of Italy come and say their prayers before some
picture or image of the Madonna, entering into all their hopes
and fears, doubts and anxieties, every detail of their domestic
circumstances, quite as naturally as a child confides its little
troubles or desires to one of whose sympathy and assistance
it has reason to be assured. At one time you may see a poor
woman who is going on a journey, or removing from her usual
place of residence, come to take leave of her favorite Madonna,
and talk to her, and lament over the separation, and in every
respect converse with her as though she were her nearest and
dearest friend from whom she was about to part; or you may
see another go hastily into a church, evidently under the pres
sure of some sudden trial, throw herself at the feet of the Ma
donna, and cover them with kisses; then, amid the most con
vulsive sobs, and with anything but the silent prayer of Anna,
in which "only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard at
all," tell her the whole history of what has happened, and im-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 287
plore her interference; gradually her agitation subsides; she
has communicated her troubles to one who will be sure to help
her, and, strengthened by this consolation, she rises from her
knees with a calm and cheerful countenance, to go forth to
bear them patiently. Yet she can scarcely make up her mind
to leave the sanctuary of her peace. As she withdraws with
slow and unwilling steps, ever and anon she turns her head to
waft another kiss to the Madonna; and you may hear such
parting exclamations as these from her lips : "Addio, mamma
mia, I have told you everything ; I am going away now, and I
reckon upon your help; you understand me; I know you'll
not disappoint me ; addio, mamma mia, addio."
And lest any of my readers should think that this child-like
simplicity is confined to the lower and uneducated classes, I
cannot resist the temptation of presenting them with one or
two extracts from a little book of devotions published some time
ago by a distinguished advocate, at that time one of the judges
in Naples. This is a specimen of the kind of address which he
uses towards the Madonna : "Listen to me, my mother, you
must grant me what I have asked for ; for if you refuse, what
will people say of you? Either that you could not, or that
you would not, help me. That you could not, nobody will be
lieve, for they know you too well for that ; and then, that you
would not — I protest I would rather be told that you had not
the power than that you had not the will ; for what ! shall it
be said that my own mother, the mother of mercy, grace, and
kindness, had not the will to relieve the necessity of one of her
children? Oh, what then will become of her reputation?
Think of this, my mother, and extricate yourself from the
dilemma if you can." And again : "You think, perhaps, my
mother, that you have given me a great deal already. I do not
deny it; but you owe me still more than you have given me.
Everyone knows that your riches are inexhaustible; that you
are the Queen of heaven and earth, the dispenser of grace and
the gifts of God. But then consider, I pray of you, that those
riches were given you, not for yourself alone but for your chil
dren : for me, the last and most unworthy of them all ! Was
288 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
it not to redeem us that the Son of God became man, and chose
you for His Mother? Behold, then, all that you have is ours;
it was given you for us ; it belongs to us. Now you cannot den}'
that all that you have yet given me is as nothing compared
with what you possess. You are therefore my debtor, and you
owe me much. Is it not so? What answer have you to make
to this ?
AVE MARIA
Ave Maria ! o'er the earth and sea,
That heavenliest hour of heaven is worthiest thee!
Ave Maria! blessed be the hour
The time, the clime, the spot, where I so oft
Have felt that moment in its fullest power
Sink o'er the earth so beautiful and soft
While swung the deep bell in the distant tower,
Or the faint dying day hymn stole aloft,
And not a breath crept through the rosy air,
And yet the forest leaves seem'd stirr'd with prayer.
Ave Maria! 'tis the hour of prayer;
Ave Maria! 'tis the hour of love;
Ave Maria ! may our spirits dare
Look up to thine and to thy Son's above.
Ave Maria! oh, that face so fair,
Those downcast eyes beneath the Almighty Dove!
Lord Byron.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 289
APPARITION
TO
ST. CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA
BOLOGNA, ITALY
1460
O wondrous depth of grace Divine
That He should bend so low!
And Mary, oh, what joy 'twas thine,
In His dear love to know.
Joy to be Mother of the Lord,
And thine the truer bliss,
In every thought, and deed, and word,
To be forever His.
Henry W. Baker.
ATHERINE, the daughter of a noble Italian
family, was placed when only eleven at the court
of Margaret, Princess d'Este, at Ferrara. She soon
wearied of the splendors around her, and retired at
the age of fourteen to serve God in religion. After some years
she made her profession as a daughter of St. Clare, and was
sent to found a convent of the Order of Bologna. She was
tried by many false apparitions and terrible temptations, but
she overcame them all, by persevering obedience, and God
made known to her the illusions of the devil, and consoled her
by heavenly visions. She gained from these trials a salutary
fear of the majesty of God. A deep conviction of her own
nothingness made her court contempt and seek the most pain
ful occupations in the convent. She considered herself the
cause of all the sins of her neighbors. This humility drew
Jesus into her soul, to enkindle therein the consuming fire of
love. She had a great devotion to St. Thomas of Canterbury,
who appeared to her. She saw also in vision other Saints, with
Our Blessed Lady, and our Lord Himself, who bade her mark
the words they were singing, (lEt gloria ejus in te videbitur."
[This prophecy was verified in the extraordinary preservation
290 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
of her body, which remains incorrupt to this day, sitting in her
habit, and miraculously supported. Her holy death took place
in 1463.
On Christmas eve, 1460, Catherine passed the night in
church. She recited one thousand "Hail Marys," with great
fervor in honor of the Mother of God. In reward of her
humble adoration of His Incarnation, Jesus appeared to her at
midnight in His Mother's arms. This kind Mother gave her
Divine Child to Catherine and allowed her to caress Him. Al
though her heart was overflowing with the joy of that hour,
Catherine spoke not of her vision, until her secret was betrayed
to her sisters, by the brilliant color of that spot upon her pale
face where she had received the kiss of the Divine Infant, a
spot marked now, after a lapse of 400 years, by the brighter
tint of her incorrupt flesh.
"O consciousness of my nothingness, how great is your
force! it is you that have unbarred all the gates of my soul,
and given entrance to Him who is infinite." — St. Catherine of
Bologna.
"Adore ye Him that made heaven and earth, the sea and the
fountains of waters." — Apoc., xiv, 7.
The soul of man is endowed with many noble powers, and
feels a keen joy in their exercise; but the keenest joy we are
capable of feeling, consists in prostrating all our powers of
mind and heart, in humblest adoration before the majesty of
God.
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 291
APPARITION
TO
B. STEPHANA QUINZANI, V.O.S.D.
BRESCIA, ITALY
1464
"All in stoles of snowy brightness
Unto thee the Angels sing,
Unto thee the Virgin Choirs,
Mother of th' Eternal King.
Joyful in thy path they scatter
Roses white and lilies fair,
Yet with thy chaste bosom's whiteness
Rose nor lily may compare."
Off. Purity of B. V. M.
TEPHANA QUINZANI was born A.D. 1457, near
Brescia in Italy. Her parents were of the middle
class in life and were both of them fervent in the
practice of their religious duties. From her earliest
childhood Stephana continually heard an interior voice repeat
ing to her the words: "Charity, charity, charity!" When only
five years old she consecrated herself to God with her whole
heart, and at the age of seven she made the three vows of pov
erty, chastity, and obedience, adding a promise to assume later
on the habit of the Third Order of St. Dominic, to which her
father belonged. Our Lord then appeared to her, accompanied
by His Blessed Mother, St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas, and
St. Catherine of Siena, and espoused her to Himself, bestow
ing on her a magnificent ring, which was seen by many persons.
About the same time, her family removed to Soncino, and
Stephana placed herself under the spiritual direction of blessed
Matthew Carreri of the Order of St. Dominic, who one day
told her that at his death he should make her his heiress. The
child did not then understand the meaning of these words, but,
when the servant of God departed this life, she felt her heart
292 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
painfully and mysteriously wounded, and at the same time
blessed Matthew appeared to her and explained that this was
the inheritance he had promised her.
When about twelve years old, she went to hear a sermon on
the Feast of St. Andrew. That great Apostle appeared to her
in vision, holding in his hands a large cross, and addressed her
in the following words : "Behold, my daughter, the way to
heaven. Love God, fear God, honor God ; flee from the world
and embrace the Cross." Love of the Cross became thence
forth her characteristic virtue, so that it was said of her that
there were but two things for which she had an affection,
namely, Holy Communion and sufferings. In all her visions
the Cross bore a remarkable part, and she gave herself up, not
only to the practice of the severest austerities, but to an almost
uninterrupted meditation on the Passion of her Divine Spouse.
She was even permitted in some degree to undergo His suffer
ings in her own person, participating on Fridays in a mys
terious manner in Our Lord's agony and sweat of blood, His
scourging at the pillar, His crowning with thorns, and His
crucifixion. Her confessor, who wrote her life, testified to hav
ing seen the sacred Stigmata on her hands and feet, and the
marks of the crown of thorns upon her head.
In one of her raptures she was given to understand that all
the angels and Saints together, including even Our Blessed
Lady herself, are unable to love God as much as He deserves
to be loved. Then an abyss of love opened before her eyes,
and she cried out : "O my Lord and Redeemer, grant me the
grace to love all this love ; otherwise I care not to live." But
our Lord smiled upon her and told her that her wish was an
impossible one, as her finite will could not embrace that abyss
of infinite love. Nevertheless, to comfort her, He said that He
would accept her good will, as though she really loved to the
extent to which she desired, adding : "Think not that this great
abyss of love remains unloved; for, if creatures cannot love
it, it is loved by Me, who am Infinite good."
When, for the love of God, blessed Stephana had made an
entire renunciation of her own will in the hands of her con-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 293
fessor, Our Lord appeared to her and said: "My daughter,
since for the love of Me thou hast generously stripped thyself
of thine own will, ask what thou wilt and I will grant it to
thee." The holy Virgin replied almost in the words used by
St. Thomas Aquinas under similar circumstances : "I desire
nothing but Thyself, O Lord."
At the age of fifteen Stephana received the habit of the Third
Order of St. Dominic, from which time she devoted herself to
the care of the sick and poor in the hospitals, and to every kind
of active charity. Our Lord was pleased to work miracles by
her hands, multiplying food and money and restoring the sick
to health. Her reputation for sanctity extended far and wide.
The Republic of Venice and the Duke of Mantua pressed her
to come and found convents in their territories ; but she re
fused, in the hope of being able to establish one in Sancino.
This she was at length able to accomplish, placing it under the
invocation of St. Paul the Apostle and peopling it with a fer
vent community of thirty, whom she had carefully trained to
the practices of the religious life. In consequence of the war
between France and Venice, the nuns were obliged, after a
time, to withdraw from their convent and take shelter within
the walls of the town.
It was during this interval that blessed Stephana passed to
her reward on 2nd January, A.D. 1530, at the age of seventy-
three. She was laid to rest in the church attached to her con
vent, to which her community was afterwards able to return.
It is, however, now suppressed, but blessed Stephana is still
held in great veneration by the people of Soncino. She was
beatified by Benedict XIV. in the year 1740.
In the life of Blessed Stephana, a Dominican nun, mention
is made of a sister named Paula, who died at the convent of
Mantua, after a long life of eminent virtue. The body was
carried to the church and placed uncovered in the choir among
the religious. During the recitation of the Office, blessed
Stephana knelt near the bier, recommending to God the de
ceased religious, who had been very dear to her. Suddenly
the latter let fall the crucifix, which had been placed between
294 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
her hands, extended the left arm, seized the right hand of
blessed Stephana, and pressed it tightly, as a poor patient in
the burning heat of a fever would ask the assistance of a friend.
She held it for a considerable time, and then, withdrawing her
arm, sank back lifeless in the coffin. The religious, astonished
at this prodigy, asked an explanation of the blessed Sister.
She replied that, whilst the deceased pressed her hand, an in
articulate voice had spoken in the depths of her heart, saying:
"Help me, dear sister, help me in the frightful torture which
I endure. O ! if you knew the severity of the Judge who de
sires all our love, what atonement He demands for the least
faults before admitting us to the reward ! If you knew how
pure we must be to see the face of God ! Pray ! pray, and do
penance for me, who can no longer help myself."
Blessed Stephana touched by the prayer of her friend, im
posed upon herself all kinds of penances and good works, until
she learned, by a new revelation, that Sister Paula was delivered
from her sufferings, and had entered into eternal glory.
Copied from the Dogma of Purgatory by Rev. F. X.
Schouppe, SJ.
FOR MY LADY'S DAY
Beneath no ivied tower I stand,
With song on lip and lute in hand
To greet my Lady's day.
No fickle hand opes lattice pane
To wave in love — mayhaps, disdain,
At me, her knight so gay.
Apart from city's crowded street,
Where're pain and pleasure voiceless meet,
I find my Lady's throne.
Expectant are her eyes for mine,
Her yearning arms would me entwine
And claim me all her own.
She leans adown most lovingly
To hear my heart make melody
In sweet yet wordless song,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 295
What words my Lady's love can tell!
She reads my tangled heart songs well
My heart hath been hers long.
My Lady dwelt far o'er the sea
In times agone in Galilee
Where roller-birds flash bright.
But now— deep mystery of love,
Though Queen of royal courts above,
She's near me day and night.
I trow you know this Lady mine,
Not mine alone, but also thine,
Is Lady Mary fair.
What birthday gift for Mary blest?
A blameless life she prizeth best,
And simple child-like prayer.
Rev. W. F. Ennis, S. J.
THE PREFACE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
This is called the Miraculous Preface ; for, as the story goes,
the greater part was miraculously put in the mouth of Pope
Urban II. as he was one day singing High Mass in the Church
of Our Blessed Lady at Placentia. He began by chanting the
Common Preface, but when he had come to that part where
the Prefaces generally turn off to suit the occasion he heard
angels above him singing as follows: "Who, by the over
shadowing of the Holy Ghost, conceived thine Only-Begotten
Son, and, the glory of her virginity still remaining intact,
brought into the world the Eternal Light, Christ Jesus, our
Lord." The holy Pontiff caused these words to be afterwards
inserted in the Common Preface at the council held in the
above place in 1095, and, for this reason the Preface of the
Blessed Virgin is ascribed to him.— Father O'Brien's History
of the Mass.
SHRINE OF
OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNCIL
GENAZZANO, ITALY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
297
SHRINE
OF
OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNCIL
GENAZZANO, ITALY
1467
Sweet Lady of Good Counsel,
Oh list with tender heart,
To all the tales of misery
Which from our lips depart;
And bid us hope with fondest love,
That Heaven be our home above.
Rev. J. A. White.
HE great sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel
is her church bearing that title at Genazzano, a
small town about twenty-four miles southeast of
Rome. In pagan times Genazzano was the scene
of the revolting rites connected with the worship of Venus.
When Christianity took root there a church was built under
the auspices of Pope St. Mark (A.D. 336-352), and was one
of the earliest known to have been dedicated to Our Lady.
This church bore the title of the Virgin Mother of Good Coun
sel. It stood near the ruins of the temples and statues of
Venus — a memorial of the triumph of purity over sensuality.
The 25th of April each year — a day set apart for heathen
games and sacrifices — became in Christian times the festival
of Our Lady of Good Counsel (it has since been changed to
the 26th) and was celebrated by the people of the neighborhood
with every sign of rejoicing. Thus for centuries was Our
Blessed Lady honored under this special title on the mountain
which bore, half-way up its ascent, the little town of
Genazzano.
The place, however, was destined to become the seat of a
more widespread devotion. At Scutari, in Albania, in the
298 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
humble little Church of the Annunciation, there was in the fif
teenth century an ancient picture of the Virgin Mother, said
to have been miraculously conveyed thither from the East.
When the Turks threatened to overrun the adjacent country
this picture was removed from its position by invisible hands,
and borne southward toward Rome, enveloped in a white cloud,
which floated quickly through the air.
On April 25, 1467, which happened to be a Sunday, a large
crowd of people had assembled at Genazzano for the patronal
festival, when, in the sight of all, a white cloud, floating
through the heavens, descended toward the ancient church of
Our Lady, and remained stationary near the rough wall of one
of the chapels, which was undergoing enlargement and was
still unfinished. At the same time all heard wonderful music
in the air as the cloud descended; and, to the astonishment of
the multitude, the bells of Our Lady's church, untouched by
human hands, broke forth into a peal of welcome, to be an
swered in the same marvelous way from the bell towers of all
the other churches of the town. As the cloud cleared away it
was discovered that a picture of the Madonna was stationary
by the rough wall toward which the cloud had moved, where
it remained, upheld, as it seemed, by angel hands. The picture,
which to the delighted people appeared to have come from
Heaven, was hailed with acclamation as the "Madonna of
Paradise." A few days after its arrival it was identified as the
ancient fresco from the Church of the Annunciation at Scutari,
by two men who had witnessed its removal from that place,
and had followed its course.
The Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel at Genazzano,
then served by the Hermits of St. Augustine, had fallen into
a state of great dilapidation. A devout Augustinian Tertiary,
known in after years as the Blessed Petruccia, had given all her
substance toward its restoration, hoping by her example to stir
up the zeal of her fellow-townsfolk. She had begun by en
larging the Chapel of St. Blaise, on the north side of the church,
but the funds at her disposal would suffice to accomplish only
a very small portion of the work; and as no one else came to
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 299
the rescue, the restoration stopped, amidst the jeers of those
who had tried to dissuade the holy widow from her project.
She, however, was full of confidence in the help of the Ma
donna. Though eighty years of age, she hoped to see the com
pletion of her work, and her confidence was rewarded.
The miraculous advent of the picture stirred up the enthusi
asm of the country, and the church was thoroughly restored;
the Chapel of St. Blaise, where the blessed picture had rested,
becoming a rich and beautiful shrine for the Madonna in the
lifetime of the holy woman who had begun its restoration, and
who was laid to rest at the foot of its altar. From the ancient
church which it had made its resting-place, the miraculous pic
ture came to be called by the title of Our Lady of Good Coun
sel. Since the time of its coming the picture has remained in
its first position near the wall of St. Blaise's Chapel, unsup
ported in any way, as many eye-witnesses have testified. Al
though the main church has been twice rebuilt, the shell of the
chapel remains as it was in the fifteenth century.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel during the four
centuries of its new life has grown into one of the most favored
in Italy — the scene of many miracles, and the resort of count
less pilgrimages. The little chapel of Blessed Petruccia has
been adorned with priceless gifts from the great ones of the
earth, anxious to show devotion to the Virgin Mother of Good
Counsel.
The loving devotion of Pope Leo XIII. to the Mother of
God has been shown in various ways throughout his pontificate,
one of the most recent proofs of which is the grant to the
Hermits of St. Augustine of the faculty to bless and impose
upon the faithful the Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Moved by the growing need of Our Blessed Lady's special help
and protection under the difficulties which oppose the faithful
practice of the Catholic religion in our age, these good religious
suggested a new method of propagating the devotion amongst
the faithful. Our Lady's title of Madonna of Good Counsel
?eemed to speak of the special need of these days — the gift of
Counsel. In so many nations claiming to be Christian educa-
3co APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
tion has been divorced from religion ; the training of the young
has been taken from the Church and given to her enemies ; and
by these means everything good and holy has been brought to
contempt. God and His Saints have been driven from the
schools, and everything pious and devout has been held up to
ridicule. Nothing has been neglected by which faith may be
weakened and eventually destroyed. The Virgin Mother of
Good Counsel must needs be invoked to put an end to these
evils, and to make Catholic principles flourish as of old.
With this end in view, these pious religious petitioned the
Holy Father to deign to grant faculties to their Order to in
stitute a scapular to be worn by the faithful, and thus to afford
an easy and popular method of spreading the devotion more
widely. It was already well known that Leo XIII. had shown,
even when a young ecclesiastic, a special love for the devotion.
When he became Pope he followed the examples of many of
his predecessors in enrolling himself in the Pious Union; and
the picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the Pauline
Chapel — a beautiful copy of the miraculous picture enthroned
over the altar there by Pius IX. — had often been the object of
his long and ardent prayers. A small copy of the picture, more
over, was always on his writing-table. The Holy Father, there
fore, as had been expected, was full of sympathy with the
project. He himself suggested the design for the Scapular.
One portion was to bear a copy of the miraculous picture, with
the title beneath, Mater Boni Consilii; the other the Papal
Tiara and cross keys ; and underneath the adaptation from
Scripture, which the Holy Father had long before written,
with his own hand, under one of the copies of the famous Ma
donna : Fili acquiesce consiliis ejus, — "My son, hearken to her
counsels."
After the decree had been issued by the Sacred Congregation
of Rites, and the Scapular thus formally approved of by the
Holy See, the Holy Father gave a further proof of his devo
tion to Our Lady of Good Counsel by declaring his resolution
of being the first to receive and wear the new Scapular. Ac
cordingly, the Pontifical sacristan, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Piffari,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
the confessor of His Holiness, invested the Vicar of Christ —
humbly kneeling to receive it like one of the simple faithful —
with the Scapular of Good Counsel.
Since then many thousands of Christians have hastened to
enroll themselves amongst the clients of Our Lady of Good
Counsel; for the Holy Father, not content with the sympathy
and encouragement he had already given to the work, would
also attract the faithful by the promise of special rewards.
Accordingly, the treasury of the Church was opened in an un
usually liberal way. Besides a plenary indulgence on the day
of admission (which may be gained, if preferred, on the Sun
day or some feast immediately following), and on the 26th of
April, Or within the octave, plenary indulgences are also
granted for the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception, Nativity,
Annunciation, Purification, and Assumption of the Blessed Vir
gin, the Feast of St. Augustine, and in articulo mortis. To
gain these, confession and Communion are required. Partial
indulgences of seven years and seven Lents may be gained on
the Feasts of the Presentation and Visitation of Our Lady,
without approaching the Sacraments, by visiting a church and
praying for the intentions of the Pope. But the special favors
granted are those of an indulgence of one hundred days every
time Our Lady of Good Counsel is invoked, either vocally or
mentally ; and a like indulgence of one hundred days for every
good work done with a contrite heart for the conversion of
sinners.
When we reflect that these partial indulgences may be gained
every day, times without number, we can realize how highly
the Pope has favored this new Scapular ; and consequently how
earnestly he desires the faithful to make use of this easy means
of honoring the Virgin Mother of Good Counsel, and of ob
taining her special help in these troubled times.
DOM, MICHAEL BARRETT, O. S. D.
302 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL
Over the sea from Scutari
To Genazzano quaint and fair,
In the mystic glow of the long ago,
Floated a picture through the air.
A picture old, worth a rim of gold,
Where the rarest skill of the Byzantine,
Had softly limned, on a fresco dim,
The Virgin Queen, and the Babe Divine.
His blessed face in her close embrace,
She held the Infant, firm and fast,
And fair to trace in their tender grace,
The arms of the Child were round her cast
While pure and pale, from her fringed veil
The lily-face of the Mother shone,
The yellow light of His halo bright,
Melting and mixing with His own.
Over the sea from Scutari,
In April dusk, in April dawn ;
Through sunset hues and morning dews,
A drifting star when stars were none,
By viewless hands of Angel bands
Borne safe to Genazzano fair,
Over the sea from Scutari,
Floated the fresco through the air.
The night was chill, — the streets were still,
The picture passed through the little town,
At twilight fall o'er the broken wall
Of an ancient chapel settling down;
And there in the dawn of the April morn,
The wondering people saw it shine,
Suspended low o'er a wall of snow,
With no support save the Hand Divine!
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 3°3
Pure and bright as the orient light
The Maiden-Mother and her Child,
Mysterious borne to that spot folorn,
Over the ancient ruin smiled;
The ruddy flame of the sunlight came
To wrap the Fresco round and round.
"A miracle ! A miracle !"
The people cried as they kissed the ground.
And there they knelt, and there they prayed
Around the Lady of the Air ;
And day by day in a magic way,
A shrine majestic, builded there;
Where high in space, o'er the Altar-place,
Its wondrous wanderings safely ended,
Serene and fair, in the upper air
The shining picture hung suspended.
The curious hand might pass a wand
On every side, above, below :
All unsustained, on its height remained,
The Image none might name or know;
Till a stranger-priest from the golden East
Told of a fresco fair to see
Which drifted away one April day
From the walls of a church in Scutari.
A star of peace on darkening seas
Where storm-tossed ships were blindly sailing,
A light to shoals of exiled souls,
A pilgrim patroness unfailing,
Behold they named her as she sat,
Her Babe upon her breast of snow —
The Guardian sweet of wandering feet,
Madre del Buon Consiglio!
O Maid divine! in far off shrine
Beyond the purple, rolling sea,
In all our wanderings far and wide
Our Mother of Good Counsel be!
304 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
In all our fears, our doubts, our tears,
Our nights of sleepless bitterness,
Be thou the star that shines afar,
To gild the clouds of dark distress.
And o'er the sea, O love! to thee
Our pilgrim hearts shall gladly go,
And grateful share thy tender care,
Madre del Buon Consiglio!
Eleanor C. Donnelly.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
3°5
APPARITION
TO
B. LUCY OF NARNI, O.S.D.
NARNI, ITALY
1483
When doubt and fear my soul assail,
And Faith can see no light,
When the dread monarch shall unveil
His terrors to my sight,
O Virgin Mother! from above,
In that last hour of doom,
Then bear me in thine arms of love
Beyond earth's mist and gloom.
Henry Coyle.
LESSED LUCY was born at Narni, in Italy, on
the 1 5th of November, 1476, of the noble family
of the Broccolelli. When she was a little child,
one of her uncles brought some toys and pious ob
jects from Rome as presents to his nephews and nieces. Lucy
immediately made choice of a rosary and a little statue of the
Infant Jesus as her share of the gifts ; and this "Christarello,"
as she called it, became the cherished object of her devotion.
Going one day, when she was seven years old, to visit another
uncle, in whose house she remembered to have seen a room,
on the ceiling of which was a painting representing the holy
angels, she wanted to see the picture once more. She was un
willing to have any companion who might disturb her devo
tions, and yet the staircase which led to the room was too steep
and difficult for her to climb alone. She therefore had recourse,
as usual, to the Infant Jesus, and found herself miraculously
taken to the room in question. Whilst praying there, she was
favored with a heavenly vision of Our Divine Lord, accom
panied by His Blessed Mother, St. Dominic, St. Catherine of
Siena, and a glorious troop of angels and Saints. Jesus then
3o6 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
espoused her to Himself, placing a precious ring on her ringer ;
and St. Dominic and St. Catharine took her under their special
protection, the former bestowing upon her the Scapular of his
Order, which she continued to wear under her secular attire
until she was able to assume it in public. Many other heav
enly favors, together with the gift of prophecy, were granted
to her during her childhood ; and she was thrice miraculously
restored to health by St. Catharine of Siena, and St. Peter
Martyr.
As she grew older her family sought to give her in mar
riage, but Lucy firmly and courageously resisted ; until at
length Our Blessed Lady revealed to her that it was the will
of God that she should accept the hand of a certain Count
Pietro, and that her married life was to be an imitation of the
holiness and purity of the holy house of Nazareth. Though
she then had the management of a large household, which is
said to have been as devout and well-ordered as a religious
community, blessed Lucy relaxed nothing of her customary
exercises of prayer and practised heroic penance, daily receiv
ing the discipline at the hands of one of her maids. Prompted
by a spirit of humility, she would dress herself in coarse and
shabby clothes and, during several hours every day take part
with her servants in the domestic work of the house, after
which she resumed the rich attire suitable to her rank.
After four years of married life, blessed Lucy resolved, in
obedience to the express command of Heaven, to leave her hus
band and carry out her early desires of consecrating herself
entirely to her Heavenly Spouse. She retired for a time to her
mother's house, where the Prior of the Dominican Convent of
Narni gave her the habit of the Third Order in the presence of
witnesses, and a week later received her to profession. She
then proceeded to Rome, where her uncles procured her ad
mission into a convent dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena, in
which she spent nearly a year. After that, she was sent to
found a Convent of the Order at Viterbo ; and three years later,
when she was twenty-three years of age, at the earnest request
of Duke Hercules d'Este, the Pope commanded her to go to
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 307
Ferrara and establish a convent in that city, of which she was
appointed perpetual prioress. During that time she suffered
much from the Count, her husband ; but she at length succeeded
in inducing him to take the habit of St. Francis, in which he
lived and died holily.
Amongst many other miraculous visions and favors, blessed
Lucy was visibly marked with the Sacred Stigmata. She was
held in great esteem for her sanctity and miracles, and for her
spirit of prophecy. But Our Blessed Lord loved His faithful
spouse too well to leave her without a large share in His own
chalice of suffering. Accordingly, after the death of her patron,
the Duke of Ferrara, some members of the Community whom
she had occasion to reprove for their evil lives, conspired
against her, and by their calumnies, which were believed by the
superiors of the Order and by the Sovereign Pontiff himself,
procured her deposition from office. She was made to take
the lowest place, deprived of any voice in the affairs of the
convent she had founded, forbidden to go out of the house or
to speak with seculars, or even to her confessor, in whose place
another confessor was assigned her who was prejudiced against
her. For the remaining thirty-eight years of her life blessed
Lucy thus remained beneath the shadow of the Cross, often
afflicted also in body by serious illness in which she received
no assistance from the Community, who had allowed them
selves to be so strangely blinded to her true character. But
Our Blessed Lord sent His Saints to visit and console her from
Heaven and, on one occasion miraculously transported blessed
Catherine of Raconigi, who was then living, from her home in
Savoy, to spend the night in the cell of blessed Lucy, whom
she had ardently desired to see.
The end came at last on the I5th of November, A. D. 1544.
Having received the Last Sacraments and, with the joyful cry
on her lips, "Away, away to Heaven !" she happily departed to
her Spouse, whilst angelic melodies floated in the air around.
Then the eyes of her sisters were opened, and they buried her
with great honor. Many miracles followed after her death,
and she was beatified bv Benedict XIII.
3o8 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
THE STABAT MATER OF THE CRIB
Stabat Mater speciosa juxtum fenum gaudiosa, Dum jacebat parvulus.
Stands the Mother more than beauteous
Where her blessed Christ is laid ;
In the stable by the manger,
Stands the loving Mother-maid.
How her virgin soul is thrilling,
Thrilling with unearthly bliss !
She hath seen Him, she hath heard Him,
She hath felt His Infant kiss !
For our sins and for His nation
He, the little Jesus lies,
In the stable with the oxen,
Tears are in His infant eyes.
Nato Christo in prcesepe,
So the white winged angels sing,
Coming down from highest heaven
Praises to the Crib to bring.
Stands the holy peaceful Joseph,
With the spotless Virgin flower,
Speechless in their holy rapture-
Speechless at that midnight hour.
Make me feel the pain He suffers,
From the cradle to the grave
Who in that poor stable lying,
Comes from heaven my soul to save.
Bind me close and ever closer,
To that Babe of Bethlehem,
To the gentle Jesulino,
Love must find new names for Him.
And when dying, let me see Him,
Let me clasp Him to my breast;
Loving, living, dying,
Let me go to endless rest.
Annie R. Bennett, nee Gladstone.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 309
APPARITION
OF
OUR LADY OF THE GOLDEN SHEAF
AMMERSCHWIHR, FRANCE
1491
Ave Maria! 'tis the evening hymn,
Of many pilgrims on the land and sea;
Soon as the day withdraws, and two or three
Faint stars are urning, all whose eyes are dim
With tears or watching, all of weary limb;
Or troubled spirit yield the bended knee,
And find, O Virgin life, repose in thee.
T. W. Parsons.
AR off beyond "the blue Alsacian mountains," in
the former department of the Haut-Rhin, where
the dark ridges of the Vosges Montagnes look
down on the smiling plains of our ever-loved and
mourned Alsace, lies the quiet village of Ammerschwihr. It is
half hidden on the wooded hillside, unknown to the ordinary
traveler, loved by all the country round for Mary's Shrine.
This venerable French sanctuary is now all the more revered,
as it seems that, despite the right of conquest, the hallowed
spot must still remain la terre de France. French, in truth,
have ever been the hearts of those who pour forth their fervent
prayers at the Shrine situated on the very limits of the two
rival nations — on the long boundary line, where the slender
stakes, placed at intervals all along the frontier, alone mark the
separation of the fair land of France — Regninn Maries — from
the territory of her conqueror.
Very simple, but charming in its poetry and simplicity, is the
legend attached to this old sanctuary. In 1491 a country
laborer was bitten by a serpent, as he passed along a path on
the hillside, returning from his day's mowing. He died from
the effects of the bite ; and his pious widow placed a statue of
310 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
Our Lady of Compassion in the trunk of the oak tree near
which her husband had met with the accident, together with an
appeal to passing travelers to pray, on that spot, for the repose
of his soul.
A short time after, on the I4th of September of the same
year, a blacksmith, named Thierry Schoere, on his way to the
neighboring town of Morschwihr, stopped to pray before the
statue. Scarce had he begun his devotions when Mary, in all
her heavenly glory, appeared to him. She said : "My son, the
people of the country around have aroused the anger of God
by their sins ; and if they do not repent, many scourges will
come upon them. The ice you see in my hand is an image of
the hail ready to fall in all seasons, and destroy the harvests;
whereas the stalk of corn, with its three ears, which I carry in
the other hand, shows the time of fertility, and the blessings
ready to be showered on the country if the people repent. Rise,
go to Morschwihr, and tell the people what you have seen and
heard." "But, Lady," said Schoere, "no one will believe me."
"Nearly all will believe you," answered the celestial visitor, as
she disappeared.
The blacksmith felt both deeply touched and greatly troubled
— wishing to obey the Queen of Heaven, and dreading the ridi
cule of the people. He went to the town, and there fear tri
umphed. His purchase of wheat being completed, he was
about to return home, without having spoken of the celestial
Apparition, when, to his astonishment, he found it utterly im
possible to lift his bags of grain. Despite all his efforts, and
those of the friendly neighbors who hastened to assist him, the
bags remained hopelessly fixed to the ground. Understanding
the wonder as a merciful warning, Schoere hastened to relate
the vision. The priests and magistrates believed him ; the peo
ple did penance ; and, in remembrance of the heavenly admoni
tion, a chapel was erected on the hillside and dedicated to Our
Lady of the Golden Sheaf. It became a popular sanctuary, and
was favored some years later by a great miracle.
One morning a wretched man received Holy Communion in
the chapel, for the sole purpose of profaning the Sacred Host.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
Scarcely had he received the Bread of Life when he left the
chapel, and threw the Host into the grass outside. Instantly
a stalk of wheat, bearing three ears, sprang up, and the Sacred
Host settled on the miraculous stem. A swarm of bees flew
to the spot, and wove a beautiful network around the Host, thus
forming a waxen ostensorium; while angel voices filled the
air, entrancing those who witnessed the prodigy. The Father
guardian of the sanctuary, having been summoned, carried the
Sacred Host to Its resting-place in the tabernacle.
The pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Golden
Sheaf became one of the most celebrated in Alsace. In 1636 the
passage of the Swedes arrested her triumphs for a time. The
cruel invaders burned her sanctuary ; but, strange to say, Mary's
statues — one an earthen image, the other carved in wood — were
found, later on, beneath the ruins, both uninjured in the least.
The earthen statue was the original image placed in the oak
by the pious widow, and still exists in the chapel built in 1656
by Monsieur du Lys, a canon of St. Die, who belonged to the
family of the Venerable Jehanne de Lorraine.
Owing to the efforts of this holy priest, the Alsacian pil
grimage was happily revived. After his death the Capuchins
of Colmar took charge of the sanctuary till the Revolution.
Then the two statues were transferred, for greater security,
to the parish church; and the inhabitants of Ammerschwihr
bought the chapel, thus preserving it from destruction. In 1804
pious pilgrims sought out the venerated Shrine, and soon Our
Lady of the Golden Sheaf beheld her children at her feet once
more. Since 1842 the sanctuary has been cared for by mis
sionaries, and each year at least 30,000 pilgrims visit the Shrine.
May Our Lady of the Golden Sheaf hear the fervent prayers
offered by so many devoted hearts among the children of her
own favored nation ! May their loving hopes be one day real
ized ; and may her faithful clients, in the near future, surround
their Mother's Shrine in their own country, and no longer be
obliged to seek it in a stranger's land.
312 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"VICTIMAE PASCHALI"
(Selected for the New York Times by Archbishop Martinelli, as
the best Easter verse in the Roman Catholic Ritual.)
Forth to the paschal Victim, Christians, bring
Your sacrifice of praise :
The Lamb redeems the sheep :
And Christ, the sinless One,
Hath to the Father sinners reconciled.
Together, Death and Life
In the strange conflict strove;
The Prince of Life, Who died,
Now lives and reigns.
What thou sawest, Mary, say,
As thou wentest on the way.
I saw the tomb wherein the Living One had lain;
I saw his glory as He rose again ;
Napkin and linen cloths, and angels twain :
Yea, Christ is risen, my hope, and He
Will go before you into Galilee.
We know that Christ indeed has risen from the grave:
Hail, thou King of Victory!
Have mercy, Lord, and save.
Cardinal Martinelli.
MEMORARE OR PRAYER OF ST. BERNARD
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing
unheard of that anyone ever had recourse to thy protection, im
plored thy help, and sought thy intercession, and was left for
saken. Filled, therefore, with confidence in thy goodness, I fly
to thee, O Mother, Virgin of virgins; to thee I come, before
thee I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise not my words, O
Mother of the Word ; but graciously hear and grant my prayer.
Amen.
300 days. Plenary once a month.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 313
APPARITION
TO
B. CATHARINE OF RACONIGI, V.O.S.D.
RACONIGI, ITALY
1500
As kneeling day by day
We to our Father duteous pray,
So unforbidden we may speak,
An Ave to Christ's Mother meek.
John Keble.
LESSED Catharine was born at Raconigi in Pied
mont, Italy, A. D. 1486. The place of her birth was
an old half-ruined hut, exposed to all the inclem
ency of the weather, for her parents had been re
duced to extreme poverty in consequence of the war then raging
between the Duke of Savoy and the Marquis of Saluzzo. The
child had to suffer many hardships from her infancy, but she
bore all with patience, and even in those tender years was hon
ored with many wonderful tokens of the Divine favor. One
day she broke a cup which her mother greatly valued, and, as
she was weeping inconsolably in fear of being punished, a beau
tiful child suddenly appeared in the room, picked up the broken
pieces, and restored the cup to her whole and entire, and then
vanished from her sight. At the age of five, Our Blessed Lady
mystically espoused her to the Infant Jesus, in presence of many
angels and Saints, and in particular of St. Jerome, St. Peter
Martyr, and St. Catharine of Siena. On that occasion Our
Divine Lord gave these three Saints to her as her special
patrons and protectors, and also commanded a seraph to watch
over her for the remainder of her life, in addition to the angel
who had guarded her from her birth. Her heavenly espousals
with the Beloved of her soul were renewed on two subsequent
occasions with circumstances of great solemnity.
When she was fourteen, as she was praying earnestly before
3H APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
daybreak on the Feast of St. Stephen, and telling that glorious
Protomartyr that the Apostles had especially given women into
his keeping, and that therefore she hoped he would take her
under his protection and help her to preserve her virginity, he
appeared to her, bidding her be of good courage, for her prayer
was heard, and she should presently be filled with the grace of
the Holy Spirit. Then three rays of light descended upon her,
and she heard a voice saying : "I am come to dwell with thee,
and to purge, illuminate, enkindle, and animate thy soul." Nor
was this the only time on which she visibly received the Holy
Ghost. He had come upon her in the form of a dove when she
was only five years old; and He came on two later occasions,
once as a shining cloud, and again under the form of tongues
of fire.
One Christmas night, as she was meditating on the birth of
the Divine Infant, the seraph who had been given as her guar
dian transported her to Bethlehem, where she beheld the Holy
Child in vision, and was permitted to take Him into her arms
and caress Him. Several times her Divine Spouse took her
heart out of her body to cleanse and beautify it, as He had done
to her patroness, St. Catharine of Siena. Indeed, the tokens
of Divine favor granted to her bore a strong resemblance to
those bestowed on the seraphic Saint of Siena, and the whole
character of the sanctity of both was, so to speak, cast in the
same mould.
Like St. Catharine, she became a member of the Third Order
of St. Dominic, still continuing to live amongst seculars ; like
her, too, she received the impression of the sacred Stigmata,
which, by her own request, were invisible to the eyes of others.
She was permitted to share in the sufferings caused to her
Divine Spouse by His crown of thorns ; she often received Holy
Communion in a miraculous manner; and, like St. Thomas
Aquinas, she was girded by the hands of angels. The words,
"Jesu, spes mea," "Jesus» my hope," were several times in
scribed in letters of gold upon her heart.
And all the while this wonderful life of visions and raptures
was being lived, blessed Catharine's surroundings were those of
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 31$
a poor peasant woman, obliged to work hard to earn daily bread
for herself and her family. She would sometimes feel tempted
to repine at being thus continually kept at her weaving with
out a minute's respite ; and once, when she was only nine years
old, as she thought of the hunger and want her poor mother
had to endure, she leant her head on her loom and burst into
tears, fervently commending the misery of her home to the
providence of God. Then her Divine Spouse appeared to her
under the form of a child as forlorn and destitute as herself
and asked an alms of her. She answered, that, much as she
would have desired to help Him, she had not a single thing on
earth that she could bestow. Then the Holy Child made Him
self known to her, gave her a piece of money to provide food
for the family, and encouraged her to bear poverty cheerfully
after His example.
As a true daughter of St. Dominic, blessed Catharine was
full of zeal for souls, and once besought her Divine Spouse
to shut the gates of Hell. When told that her desire was an
impossible one, she implored that He would exercise His justice
on herself and have compassion on poor sinners. She was
often taken in a miraculous manner to visit persons who lived
at a great distance from her home, that she might warn them
of the spiritual dangers which threatened them. By her prayers
and penances she obtained the release of many souls from
Purgatory, and she was sometimes permitted to take their suf
ferings upon herself, and thus to hasten their admission to the
joys of Paradise.
After a life of wonderful union with God and entire self-
renunciation, she died, abandoned by her friends and deprived
even of her confessor, on September 4, A.D. 1547, in her sixty-
second year. She was beatified by Pius VII.
We read in the life of B. Catharine de Raconigi that, one
day, when suffering so intensely as to need the assistance of
her sisters in religion, she thought of the souls in Purgatory,
and, to temper the heat of their flames, she offered to God the
burning heat of her fever. At that moment, being rapt in
ecstasy, she was conducted in spirit into the place of expiation,
316 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
where she saw the flames and braziers in which the souls are
purified in great torture. Whilst contemplating, full of com
passion, this piteous spectacle, she heard a voice which said
to her : "Catharine, in order that you may procure most effica
ciously the deliverance of these souls, you shall participate, in
some manner, in their torments." At that same moment a spark
detached itself from the fire and settled upon her left cheek.
The sisters present saw the spark distinctly, and saw also with
horror that the face of the sick person was frightfully swollen.
She lived several days in this state, and, as B. Catharine told
her sisters, the suffering caused by that simple spark far sur
passed all that she had previously endured in the most pain
ful maladies. Until that time Catharine had always devoted
herself with charity to the relief of the souls in Purgatory, but
from thenceforward she redoubled her fervor to hasten their
deliverance, because she knew by experience the great need in
which they stood of her assistance.
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Because them wert the flower wherein
Heaven's holiest Dew would one day rest;
Because upon thy lily heart
Would hide, ere long, the Perfect Guest,
Lo! God kept sin apart from thee,
Lest sin should taint Christ's purity.
Because thou wert ordained to be
The cup to hold the Living Wine;
Because upon thy breast alone
Would rest the Christ-child's head Divine,
God did preserve thee pure within,
Immaculate, unknown to sin.
O perfect flower, wherein was laid
The perfect Gift, God's only Son!
O matchless lily, on whose heart
Slept peacefully the Matchless One,
There was no flower on earth like thee
To woo from heaven Divinity !
Charles Hanson Toume.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 3 '7
APPARITION
TO
B. MAGDALEN PANNATIERI, V O.S.D.
TRINO, ITALY
1503
Oh, Mother! Blessed Mother, pray forgive
My wayward heart, and teach me how to live
A Christian life, so pleasing in thy sight,
That, day by day, I may receive the light
Which shines in hearts of those who love thee well,
And learn at sorrow never to rebel.
Elliot Ryder.
LESSED MAGDALEN PANNATIERI was born
at Trino, in the north of Italy, A.D. 1443. She
was richly gifted, both by nature and grace, and
received an excellent education. Whilst still a
child, she chose Jesus Christ for her Spouse, and bound herself
to Him by a vow of perpetual virginity, endeavoring to keep
her heart detached from all earthly things. Desiring to con
secrate herself more entirely to the Beloved of her soul, she
took the habit of the Third Order whilst very young and strove
to make her life resemble those of St. Dominic and St. Cathar
ine of Siena. She practised severe fasts all the year, dis
ciplined herself to blood every night, wore a rough hair-shirt,
and took her scanty rest on the bare ground, spending the
greater part of her time in fervent prayer.
She was favored with frequent raptures and apparitions ; on
every festival she was granted a vision of the mystery or of the
Saint honored by the Church on that day. This was particu
larly the case in Holy Week, when she was admitted to a mys
terious and visible participation in the sufferings of her Divine
Spouse, and in Easter Week, when her countenance appeared
radiant with celestial light. Our Blessed Lady often manifested
318 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
herself to her and laid the Divine Child in her arms. She was
frequently visited by the holy Apostles, SS. Peter and Paul, to
whom she had a special devotion. Many times she was taken
in spirit to the holy places of Palestine, of which she was able
to give a minute and accurate description. She assured her
confessor that she had never asked anything of our Lord or
of His Blessed Mother which had not been granted to her,
either wholly or in part, according to the fervor of her sup
plication. God bestowred on her the gift of miracles and of
prophecy, and made known to her the terrible calamities which
were threatening her native country in the wars between the
French king Francis L, and the Emperor Charles V., who made
Northern Italy their battle ground. By her fervent supplica
tions she succeeded in averting the Divine wrath from her own
village of Trino.
The heroic sanctity of blessed Magdalen and the ardent zeal
with which, as a true daughter of St. Dominic, she devoted
herself in procuring the salvation of souls, made her a special
object of hatred to the devil, who was permitted to assail her
with many and grievous temptations, and even to appear to her,
scourging and tormenting her in a horrible manner. But her
courage in the midst of these infernal attacks was undaunted.
Blessed Magdalen had a very special devotion to the Most Holy
Name of Jesus. The Passion of her Divine Spouse was the
frequent subject of her contemplation, and she longed to un
dergo pain and humiliation for Him who had suffered so much
and been so deeply humbled for her.
After spending the morning in adoration of the Blessed Sac
rament, she was accustomed daily to visit all the sick in the vil
lage, ministering to their spiritual and temporal needs with the
utmost charity. She loved to serve her Divine Spouse in the
person of His poor. She would entertain them at her table,
even when they were suffering from the most loathsome dis
eases, serving them herself, and making her own meal on the
leavings of their repast. She had a wonderful gift of influ
encing others, and spoke with such sweetness and efficacy that
people were never weary of listening to her holy exhortations.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 319
When she knew that the end of her earthly pilgrimage was
near, she summoned all the Sisters of the Third Order around
her, humbly begged their pardon for any offence or bad ex
ample she might have given them, earnestly exhorting them to
mutual charity and the observance of their Rule, and bade them
an affectionate farewell, promising to be mindful of them in the
presence of their Heavenly Spouse, whom she hoped shortly to
behold face to face. When the news of her illness spread
abroad, people came in crowds from all the surrounding coun
try, anxious to see and speak to her once more and to commend
themselves to her prayers. She welcomed them all with tender
charity and gave them wise and holy counsels.
Suddenly the servant of God, fixing her eyes on one corner of
the chamber in which she lay, bade the bystanders make room
for heavenly visitors. She then seemed to be rapt in ecstasy,
her countenance radiant with joy. Those who knelt around
could see nothing, but were conscious of a celestial fragrance
which perfumed the air. When blessed Magdalen came to her
self, she told her confessor that our Lord and His Blessed
Mother had been to visit her, accompanied by St. Catharine the
Martyr and several Saints of the Order. She then made her
general confession and received the Last Sacraments with the
deepest sentiments of contrition and devotion ; after which she
sweetly intoned the hymns Jesu nostra redemptio and Ave
Maris Stella, which she sang throughout in company with those
who were assisting at this holy and happy death bed, as also
the psalm : "In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped," as far as the
words : "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." The
same celestial fragrance again perfumed the air, announcing
that our Lord had fulfilled the promise made to His servant
that He would come again with His Blessed Mother and the
Saints and take her to Himself ; and blessed Magdalen calmly
breathed forth her soul to Him. It was the I3th of October,
A.D. 1503. Her death was followed by many miracles, and she
was beatified by Leo XII.
320 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
HYMN TO THE VIRGIN
Ave Maria ! maiden mild,
Listen to a maiden's prayer;
Thou canst hear, though from the wild ;
Thou canst save amid despair.
Safe may we sleep beneath thy care,
Though banished, outcast, and reviled —
Maiden! hear a maiden's prayer,
Mother, hear a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!
Ave Maria ! undefiled !
The flinty couch we now must share,
Shall seem with down of eider piled,
If thy protection hover there.
The murky cavern's heavy air
Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled,
Then Maiden ! hear a maiden's prayer ;
Mother, list a suppliant child !
Ave Maria !
Ave Maria! stainless styled,
Foul demons of the earth and air,
From this their wonted haunt exiled,
Shall flee before thy presence fair.
We bow us to our lot of care
Beneath thy guidance reconciled;
Hear for a maid a maiden's prayer,
And for a father hear a child !
Ave Maria !
Sir Walter Scott.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 321
APPARITION
TO
BLESSED OSANNA, V.O.S.D.
MANTUA, ITALY
1504
True Gate of Heaven! As light through glass
So He who never left the sky
To this low earth was pleased to pass,
Through thine unstained Virginity.
Aubrey de Vere.
LESSED OSANNA was born of wealthy parents
at Mantua, Italy, A.D. 1449. When she was six
years old, the family went to spend the summer in
the country. One day as little Osanna was wan
dering alone in the meadows by the riverside, an angel appeared
to her and instructed her in the love of God, saying to her:
"See how every creature proclaims with all its might, 'Love
God, all ye dwellers on the earth, for He hath made all things
in order to win your love/ " Soon afterwards our Lord Him
self met her on the same spot in the form of a lovely child,
with a crown of thorns upon His head, and bearing on His
shoulders a heavy Cross.
"My beloved child," said He to Osanna, "I am the Son of
the Virgin Mary and thy Creator. I have always loved chil
dren, because their hearts are pure. I willingly admit virgins
as My spouses ; I guard their virginity ; and when they call upon
Me with the words, 'O Good Jesus,' I instantly come to their
assistance." This vision was the call to Osanna to follow her
Divine Spouse in the path of His sufferings, and she responded
to it by an act of entire consecration of herself to His Will.
It was her ardent desire to dedicate herself solemnly to God's
service in some convent, but, after many negotiations for this
object had failed, it was revealed to her that she was not to
322 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
enter the cloister, but to sanctify herself in the world, as a
Tertiary of the Order of St. Dominic. This determination
caused great grief to her parents ; nor was it until a dangerous
illness had brought her to the brink of the grave that they
would consent to her receiving the habit, which she at last did
at the age of fourteen. It was not, however, permitted to her
for a long series of years to make her solemn profession. She
constantly longed for this happiness, but, understanding that
the obstacles which were continually raised against it were or
dained by God for her greater perfection, she humbly sub
mitted herself to His Divine Will. It was not until she had
attained the age of fifty-five, that, in the last year of her life,
she at length publicly bound herself by the vows of religion.
She had, however, at the time of her clothing, made a private
vow of obedience, and would never do the slightest thing with
out the leave of those who were placed over her.
Blessed Osanna was favored with continual raptures and
ecstasies in prayer, which she was unable to conceal from the
busy eyes of the curious, and these heavenly favors were made
a constant subject of reproof and persecution. The other Ter-
tiaries persisted in regarding them as nothing but a voluntary
affectation of sanctity, and threatened to deprive her of the
habit unless they ceased. They also murmured greatly because,
as the fame of her sanctity spread, persons of rank thronged
about her to ask her counsel or to gratify their curiosity. But
Osanna's patience and humility were never in the least dis
turbed. Her Divine Spouse had made known to her, as in
earlier times to St. Catharine of Siena, and later to blessed
Margaret Mary, the secret of His Heart ; and we are expressly
told that it was to that never-failing fountain of consolation
that she had recourse whenever tribulation pressed heavily upon
her. And, when prevented from approaching the Sacrament
of Penance as often as she would have wished, she confessed
her daily frailties to her Good Jesus, as she loved to call Him.
The nuptials with the Beloved of her soul, which she so ar
dently desired to accomplish by her profession, and which were
in that manner delayed for so many years, were mystically sol-
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 323
emnized in the presence of the Mother of God and the whole
court of Heaven. This and other spiritual favors more and
more increased the fire of Divine love which burnt within her
and filled her with an equally ardent desire to suffer. Grieving
that she could not be more conformed to the likeness of her
crucified Lord, she one day cast herself at His feet, exclaiming :
"O my only Love! Must the thorns then be for Thee alone,
the nails and the Cross ; and for me sweetness and consolation ?
Ah ! not so. I will not share Thy glory unless Thou make me
also share Thy pains." And thus for two years she incessantly
besought the Eternal goodness to grant her that which her soul
longed after, a conformity of suffering. Then at length the
crown of thorns was granted to her, and, later on, the sacred
Stigmata. At each of these heavenly favors, the agony of her
mortal frame increased to an almost inconceivable extent ; yet
still she was not satisfied. A longing arose in her heart to
share in those unknown and awful sufferings which filled the
heart of Jesus whilst He hung upon the Cross. Then, in an
swer to her prayer, her Divine Spouse plunged into her loving
heart a long and terrible nail. The agony of this transfixion
must have caused her death, had not the same Divine hand
relieved her; but this cutting and dividing of her heart was
often repeated in after years, in answer to her unsatisfied en
treaties. During this life of mysterious suffering, Osanna
ceased not to labor for the souls of others by prayer and works
of charity, and often offered her body and soul to God to re
ceive the chastisement due to inveterate sinners or to the poor
souls in Purgatory.
Her approaching death was announced to her four years pre
viously by blessed Columba of Rieti, who appeared to her in
great glory at the moment of her own departure out of this
life.
The death of blessed Osanna took place on the i8th of June,
A.D. 1505. Three years afterwards her body was still incor
rupt. Leo X. gave permission for her feast to be celebrated in
the diocese of Mantua, and this privilege was extended to the
Dominican Order by Innocent XII,
324 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Guide thou my pen, O Mother, best and dearest;
For how can sinner write on theme so high?
Inspire my heart with visions brightest, clearest,
For nothing will be hard if thou art nigh.
Speak to my soul, and tell the wondrous story,
How God forever marked thee as His Own —
Fair Vessel that should hold such floods of glory,
Yea, hold Himself, the great Eternal One.
And pure He destined thee, and pure preserved thee,
In soul and body bright, Immaculate;;
From the dread curse original reserved thee,
One Pearl amid a world so desolate.
Bravely, O Mother, has thy heart responded;
Well hast thou treasured every loving grace;
Never, for one brief hour, hast thou desponded,
Or shrunk from the stern duties of thy place.
From first to last, in holy trust believing
Things that were far beyond all human lore,
From first to last, yet higher gifts receiving,
And offering up to God the fruit they bore.
Thy heart is one vast field for meditation:
Mother, I write no more — I can but pray;
And raise my heart in grateful adoration
To Him who worketh in a wondrous way.
Mother, look down in holiest compassion
On those who will not see how dear thou art:
Drive far from them the clouds of pride and passion,
And join us all within thy loving heart.
Lady Catherine Petre.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
325
RAPHAEL'S FAMOUS MADONNA
OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
1506
No wonder painters rave and men go wild,
O'er Raphael's Madonna and the Child;
For what can tell a tale of perfect bliss,
If not the blending trust and love in this.
The Overland Monthly.
HE picture measures 96 by 67 inches. The Blessed
Virgin forms the center of the principal panel.
She is seated on a richly adorned throne, and her
dress consists of a red robe and a blue mantle
worked with gold.
On her right knee she holds the Infant Saviour, who is
clothed in a white tunic edged with blue; embroidered on the
shoulder of the tunic is the parti-colored Scapular of St. An
thony of Padua. The Holy Child wears also a blue cloak and
a brown belt.
There is an expression of tender feeling depicted on the face
of the Virgin Mother as she looks down at the little St. John
who is standing by her other knee. He is dressed in a shirt of
camel's hair and robes of green, gold and purple. With folded
hands he is looking up lovingly at the Divine Infant, who an
swers with a blessing.
At either side stand the Saints Catherine and Cecilia, and
in front of them are St. Peter and St. Paul, each holding an
open book. A conspicuous feature in all these figures is their
monumental attitudes and the grand style of their draperies.
The picture has always been considered a gem of art, and
it is now further distinguished by bringing the highest price
ever paid for a canvas.
326 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
RAPHAEL THE DIVINE
The news from the Old World that one of our American
money kings has purchased a Raphael Madonna for a half mil
lion dollars creates a sensation in art circles that sends a ripple
of interest even out into the midst of the "madding crowd."
Five hundred thousand dollars for a picture — but what a
picture ! A celebrated Madonna by Raphael "the Divine."
Our estimation of the almighty dollar goes up a bit. Money,
enough of it to buy a famous Madonna, is something worth
having, after all.
The Paris despatch tells us that the picture in question was
painted by Raphael in 1505, for the Convent of St. Anthony of
Padua at Perugia. It was guarded by the nuns for one hun
dred and seventy years, and then, in order to pay the debts of
the institution, they parted with their treasure. It passed into
the hands of the Colonnas, a princely Italian family. For one
hundred and twenty years it was in the private gallery of the
Colonnas. In 1802 it left their gallery for that of Ferdinand,
King of Naples. It shared the changing fortunes of that mon
arch, and after his death it was sold to M. Sedelmeyer, from
whom it was recently purchased by our great magnate, J. Pier-
pont Morgan, for $500,000.
Not since the Ansidei Madonna was sold from the Blenheim
collection to the British National Gallery in 1884, at a cost of
over three hundred thousand dollars, has such a sum of money
changed hands at the sale of any one picture.
Even those of us who have but gathered of the crumbs and
fragments that fall by the way from the beautiful art world,
must feel our hearts burn with longing to know more of the
life and the work of this great painter of Madonnas, called by
those of his own generation "Raphael the Divine." And is he
not divine ? This great master of art, in whose pictures of the
Madonnas "there prevails now the loving mother, now the ideal
of feminine beauty . . . until he reaches the most glorious
representation of the Queen of Heaven."
MYSTIC MARRIAGE OF ST. CATHERINE
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 327
Many connoisseurs have divided the works of Raphael into
three classes : his first style, when under the influence of his
instructors' manner; his second, when he painted in Florence,
and his third style, distinguishable in his works executed after
he settled in Rome. The first manner is said to embody the
greatest purity and religious feeling; his last is held to have
attained the highest art, while his middle, or Florentine style,
exemplifies his powers freed from the manner of his instructors
and as yet untainted by conventionalism of classic art. The
Madonna now in J. Pierpont Morgan's possession is after the
Florentine style.
From the Plan Book, a work of public instruction, the fol
lowing interesting items are taken :
"Most of us know and love that most beautiful and famous
of all the Madonnas, the Sistine Madonna, and the Madonna
of the Chair, but how many of us know anything of the artist
who produced these masterpieces? Fie is said to have lived
the most perfect life and to have been most generally beloved
and praised of all the painters in the world. It is easy to be
lieve this when we look at his pictures and see his thoughts
pictured on canvas."
The writer tells us of Raphael's birthplace, Urbino, a little
town nestled among the Apenine Mountains, a section noted
for its landscape beauty. The house where he was born still
stands, and from its windows you can see the Adriatic Sea. We
are told of his father, who was an artist and a poet, and of the
mother, "a woman of unusual sweetness of disposition and
beauty of character." His home life was an ideal one, and
everywhere around him, in sky and sea and land, was beauty,
and the child Raphael's soul felt the impress. But when he was
twelve years of age he was left an orphan, and as he had shown
talent in painting, he was sent by his uncle to a painter by the
name of Perugino, who had a studio in Perugia, a town not far
from Urbino. When this artist saw the work of Raphael, he
was much pleased and exclaimed : "Let him be my pupil ; he
will soon become my master." Raphael remained nine years
in the studio in Perugia. He returned to Urbino only to remain
328 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
but a brief season. He had heard of Florence, its beautiful art
treasures, and he longed to go there. At last this wish was
realized. A lady who was much interested in the genius of the
young painter gave him a letter to the Governor of Florence,
asking that he be allowed to see the art treasures of the city.
"While Raphael was painting Madonnas in Florence," con
tinues the narrator, "a great honor came to him. The Pope
called him to Rome. He was given the commission to decorate
buildings which belonged to St. Peter's and apartments of the
Vatican."
Much stress is laid upon the sweetness and gentleness of the
character of Raphael by the writer, and his exceeding humility
is particularly emphasized. On one occasion, when Pope Julius
II. directed that certain frescoes should be erased and their
places rilled by Raphael — Raphael, forgetting the honor to his
own genius, set about copying as many as possible of the por
traits ordered to be destroyed.
Our Lady's special artist, her painter in ordinary, is Raphael.
"No artist," writes Darras, "has painted the Blessed Virgin
with more affection. It would seem that Raphael had conse
crated his genius to the Mother of God; and of the manifold
forms in which he has depicted her blessed image, there is not
one before which we do not feel constrained to kneel."
"The mere collection of all the Virgins painted or even de
signed by Raphael," says Quartremere de Quincy, "and the de
tail of the variations which he introduced into his compositions,
would form an abridged history of his genius."
At the approach of death, his love for his Blessed Mother
grew more ardent and more confiding than ever. He expressed
the desire of being buried in the Church of Sancta Maria ad
Martyres (the former Pantheon), and added a wish that a
marble statue of Our Lady should be placed above his tomb.
Finally, on Good Friday, in 1520, fortified by the Sacraments
of the Church, and loyally reliant on the good offices of Her to
whom in childhood he had been dedicated, and whom he had
so often glorified during his brief career, the artist-servant of
Mary passed away.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 329
Raphael died on his thirty-seventh birthday, and all the city
mourned for its best loved artist, for it is said he had friends
in every class of people. "By prince and peasant he was uni
versally beloved," is chronicled of him. "He had," writes one,
"what every living person may have, a spirit that did not find
fault; lips that spoke no censure of anyone, but praise where
praise was possible, and such self-control that not an enemy
was ever made by his temper or lack of consideration for
others."
So far we have glimpsed our painter through non-Catholic
eyes ; now let us turn to the writings of Eliza Allen Starr, and
view him through the Catholic vision, with the halo of his re
ligion about him. Of his home she writes :
"Come with me to it; knock at the modest door; enter the
spacious but unostentatious apartments. Still better, meet there
the pious, affable poet and painter, Giovanni Santi ; his lovely,
gentle, pious wife and the angelic boy, to whom they gave so
fitly the name of Raphael; from his very birth an angel of
beauty, of amiability, of tender piety. But the atmosphere of
the home — how shall we describe it ? An atmosphere of peace,
for it was an atmosphere in which Giovanni Santi could paint
Madonnas. The favorite pastime of the little Raphael was to
play with the brushes and colors in his father's studio, and his
first recollection went back to some Madonna on his father's
easel. The life led by this family of the Strada Del Monte
was not only a good Christian life, but an ideal Christian life.
Saints and angels, their feasts, their patronage came into the
daily routine of the household, which was not content with the
crumbs dropped from the Christian table, but sat as guests at
the board and partook of its heavenly delights. That charm
which invests the dogmas, the practices of a Christian's year
and a Christian's week, and even hour ; which makes the sound
of the Angelus bell so dear and the recitation of the Angelus
so consoling; which makes the Rosary a veritable string of
meditations as beautiful, as poetic as the roses of Persia; this
charm was felt and understood and fully valued by the family
of the Santi.
330 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"Nothing lovelier as a merely human habitation was ever
known on earth than this household on the Strada del Monte
in Urbino, but this did not save it from sorrow."
And here Miss Starr tells us of the death of the grandmother
and that of the mother only four days later, and of the three
years' companionship between Raphael and his saintly father
ere he, too, was taken from earth, and Raphael was left an
orphan. We seem to enter with singular sympathy into the
loneliness of the child as we read: ''At eleven years of age
Raphael was an orphan. No one can say what was the effect
of all this upon the imagination of the wonderful boy, to whom
God had given what God alone can bestow, not only life, but
the genius which vivifies the lives of others."
And further on we read with emotions of grateful relief:
"In the studio of Perugino all the most sacred traditions of
Umbria were faithfully nourished in the soul of his pupil, and
thus the aroma of his first tender years on the Strada del
Monte was never dissipated."
No attempt is made here to give any idea of Miss Starrs
tributes to Raphael and his work, but simply an effort is made
to see him surrounded by the halo of his religion, and particu
larly that of the early influences of his pious, beautiful home
life. And in regard to this she adds in conclusion :
"The home in which Raphael was born, endowed with the
heritage of Christian ideality, may well excite the emulation
of the mothers and fathers of to-day. It was not the occupa
tion of an artist, the mere handling of the implements of art,
which made that home so attractive; so powerful, too, as an
incentive to perfection. It was rather the sentiments of piety,
of veneration, which guided its avocations, refined its manners,
elevated its tastes; above all, it was the faithful cherishing of
the traditions of piety which had come down with the ages,
and which made each generation a participator in the heroism,
the sanctity of all which had gone before, even to the Apostolic
day and generation. It is only in such a society that such
works as the Madonnas of Raphael can be produced, or even
appreciated. We must come as they came, loving worshipers
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 331
to the Crib of the Babe of Bethlehem. We must kneel there
with Mary and Joseph, St. John Baptist and Elizabeth, if we
would enter into our possession as Christians of that poetry in
art which is an exponent of the highest faith as well as of the
highest culture."
Raphael's "Sistine Madonna" is always mentioned among
the greatest pictures of the world, and some places is at the
head of the list. The Mother with the beautiful Christ Child
in her arms stands upon the clouds. On one side is St. Bar
bara ; on the other, St. Sixtus. At her feet are two little
cherubs with unlifted eyes. The legends regarding these lovely
cherubs will probably interest my young readers more than
those relating to St. Sixtus or St. Barbara. The legends dis
agree ; each can choose for himself which to accept as the origin
of the beautiful little faces.
According to one legend, when the great artist was painting
this picture two pretty boys watched him as he worked, in the
attitudes of the cherubs, and so the thought came to him to
place them at the feet of the Madonna and Christ Child.
Another legend tells us that when Raphael was lying in bed
one night with his thoughts dwelling on his work, he fell asleep,
and in a dream seemed to see these cherubs leaning on the
footboard before him. When he awoke, this lovely dream
haunted him, and at last became a part of his great painting.
Another legend shows us the picture finished without the
cherubs and hung up for exhibition with a railing before it to
protect it from injury. It tells us that two pretty boys got be
hind this railing and leaned upon it ; that Raphael came in, and
seeing them, afterward added them to his picture as adoring
cherubs. But this painting was designed by the artist for a
standard or banner to be carried in procession and was used
by the monks as an altar piece; so its history does not har
monize very well with that legend.
The story I like best to associate with the cherubs is this :
that when Raphael was traveling over the country longing for
some models to represent the beautiful thoughts he had in his
mind, he saw a lovely mother with sweet twin boys looking up
332 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
into her face with the rapt expression of the cherubs, while
she told them the story of the Christ Child.
The artist won the love and confidence of these boys, invited
them to his studio, and they gladly became models for his
famous picture.
Several reasons are given for the name of the painting —
"Sistine Madonna/' Some say it comes from the six figures.
Others say it is so called because it was painted for the Convent
of St. Sixtus at Piacenza. Some think the name refers to one
of the figures, St. Sixtus.
This painting is now one of the treasures of the Art Gallery
at Dresden, having been bought by Augustus III., elector of
Saxony, of the monks of Piacenza for nearly thirty thousand
dollars. Its value has recently been estimated at over seven
hundred thousand dollars.
The little tower behind St. Barbara refers to her imprison
ment, the punishment she received for her steadfastness to the
Christian religion.
The halo about the Madonna and the little Child come from
many angel faces. The curtains drawn aside suggest a vision.
"An admirer of this painting declares with enthusiasm that
one might study it every day for a year, and on the last day
of the year find in it a new beauty and a new joy." — Lydia
Whitehead Wright.
RAPHAEL'S MADONNAS
"Even after his epic work in the Vatican," Armengaud ob
serves, "we may see that the Virgin remains the supreme cre
ation of Raphael. Upon her he concentrated all the effort and
all the progress of his art. His Madonnas resemble those
Hours which he painted more or less robust or delicate accord
ing as they go away from or draw nearer to the sun ; they gain
redoubled force, expression, and plenitude as they approach
the noonday of his genius — that noonday which had no even
ing. From the Virgin of Perugia to the Madonna of St. Six
tus, Mary traverses in his work a whole armament of beauty.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 333
At the end Mary no longer belongs to earth ; she appears to him
only across the incalculable distances of her Assumption. Her
human family has given place to the saintly and angelic court ;
her countenance lightens and becomes transfigured; the fem
inine and motherly smiles vanish from her lips : immutable
serenity, eternal peace, impassible felicity are the only senti
ments that her irradiated features henceforth express."
In the Madonna di San Sisto, Raphael has carried this form
of composition to the highest perfection. When Sir Frederick
Leighton was asked what work of art (as a painting) he con
sidered the greatest in the world, he answered at once, 'The
Madonna di San Sisto," adding that for grandeur of subject,
virility and simplicity in the composition and color, and above
all, for the poetic tenderness and grace that pervade the whole
work, he knew of nothing as a work of art that came within
measurable distance of it. It throbs with the thought of
"Divinity so near to humanity, that the Son of God could be
born of a woman and rest in the shelter of mother love."
It is estimated that Raphael left one hundred and twenty
pictures of Our Blessed Lady. They express in wonderful
variation the loveliness, tenderness and purity of the Virgin
Mother, and the beauty, grace and serene innocence of the
Divine Child. The most celebrated of Raphael's Madonnas are
the Madonna di Foligno, in the Vatican ; the Madonna of the
Fish, at Madrid; the Madonna di San Sisto, at Dresden; the
Madonna called the Pearl, at Madrid, and the lovely pastoral
Madonnas, the Belle Jardiniere of the Louvre Gallery; the
Madonna in the Meadow, in the Belvedere Gallery, Vienna,
and the Madonna of the Goldfinch of the Uffizi, Florence.
MOTHER AND CHILD
In vesture white, the Eternal Child
Lay on His mother's lap and smiled :
What joy to see the longed-for sight —
Her Spotless Lily of delight,
Her Love, her Dove, her Undefiled,
334 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
She recked not of her anguish wild,
The sorrow upon sorrow piled.
His dead form, swathed one awful night
In vesture white.
Oh, let our hearts this birthday bright
The sorrow and the joy unite;
While, by the twofold grace beguiled
Of suffering Man and Infant mild,
We walk with Him on faith's calm height,
In vesture white.
Richard Wilton.
"Mary is the glory of virgins, the joy of mothers, the support
of the faithful, the crown of the Church, the true model of faith,
seal of piety, the rule of truth, the ornament of virtue, the Sanc
tuary of the Holy Trinity."— St. Proclus.
PRAYER— "VIRGIN MOST HOLY"
Virgin most holy, Mother of the Word Incarnate, Treasurer
of graces, Refuge of us poor sinners; we fly to thy maternal
love with lively faith, and we ask thee to obtain for us grace
ever to do the will of God and thine own. Into thy most holy
hands we commit the keeping of our hearts ; beseeching thee for
health of soul and body, in the certain hope that thou, our
most loving Mother, will hear our prayer. Wherefore with
lively faith we say,
Hail, Mary, etc., thrice.
Defend, O Lord, we beseech Thee, us Thy servants, through
the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, from all in
firmity, both of body and soul ; and mercifully protect from the
snares of enemies those who, with their whole heart, prostrate
themselves before Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
100 days, once a day.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
335
APPARITION
TO
ST. CAJETAN [F. THEATINS]
LOMBARDY, ITALY
1517
Since Jesus is King
And Mary our Mother,
Then Mary is Queen,
And Jesus our brother.
Max Walter Mannix.
T. CAJETAN was born at Vicenza in 1480, and
was dedicated from infancy to the Blessed Mother
of God. After having made legal studies with
great distinction at Padua, he was appointed Pro-
thonotary Apostolic at the Roman Curia. But he gave all the
time he could spare to the wrork of pious fraternities, spending
his fortune in building hospitals and devoting himself in per
son to the nursing of the plague-stricken. Finally, his zeal for
souls led him to resign his office and enter the priesthood. In
1524, in conjunction with Bishop Caraffa, who was afterwards
Pope, he founded the first congregation of regular clerks,
which took its name from Chieti, or Theate, the See over which
his co-laborer had presided.
"They embraced a more than Franciscan poverty," says Mr.
Arnold, " for they bound themselves not only to have no prop
erty or rents, but to abstain from asking for alms, being per
suaded that the providence of God and the unsolicited charity
of the faithful would sufficiently supply their wants."
The Theatins devoted themselves to preaching the admin
istration of the sacraments, and the careful performance of the
rites and ceremonies of the Church. They have produced many
eminent, men, including Cardinal Thomassi and Father Ven
tura, The holy brotherhood lived in Rome on Mount Pincio,
336 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
and the year after settling there, the Constable of Bourbon,
commander of the army of Charles V., marched from Milan
to Rome, and took the city in May, 1527. Philibert of Chalons,
Prince of Orange, who succeeded in command after the wicked
Constable had been slain, plundered the city, and was guilty
0f great cruelties. The house of the Theatins shared the fate
of the rest, and St. Cajetan being recognized, and imagined
to be possessed of great wealth, was barbarously scourged and
tortured to extort from him his supposed treasure.
The mystery of the Nativity was his special subject of con
templation, in which the eternal love of God for man was made
so wonderfully manifest. It was in the year 1517, when, ac
cording to his custom, Cajetan was rapt in ecstasy before the
altar of the Crib on Christmas eve. Tears flowed down his
cheeks, so deeply was he moved by the mystery of the birth
of the Lord, whom he pictured to himself as a little helpless
Child lying in the arms of His Mother. Then arose in his
heart the great desire to entreat the venerable Mother of God
that she would lay the Divine Child in his arms, but his hu
mility permitted him not. Whilst, however, his heart longed
for this favor, behold! there appeared to him St. Jerome and
St. Joseph, who desired him to hold out his arms and approach
them to the Divine Mother. He did so, and the Queen of
Angels truly laid the Child Jesus in his arms. The happiness
which entered into his heart, passes description. The impres
sion which this vision left behind never departed from the holy
man during the course of his life, but so often as he received
the Body and Blood of the Lord in Holy Communion he paused
a little, believing that Mary herself was there offering him,
under the form of the most Holy Sacrament, her Divine Child
to caress.
St. Cajetan was the first to introduce the custom of the Forty
Hours' Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as a means of
counteracting the heresy of Calvin, who propagated a fearful
disrespect for the Eucharistic Presence of our Lord.
He always cherished a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin
and when, writes Father Bowden:
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 337
"He was on his death-bed, resigned to the Will of God, eager
for pain to satisfy his love, and for death to attain to life, he
beheld the Mother of God, radiant with splendor, and sur
rounded by the ministering seraphim. In profound venera
tion, he said: 'Lady, bless me!' Mary replied: 'Cajetan, re
ceive the blessing of my Son, and know that I am here as a
reward for the sincerity of your love, and to lead you to Para
dise.' She then exhorted him to patience in fighting an evil
spirit who troubled him, and gave orders to the choirs of angels
to escort his soul in triumph to Heaven. Then turning her
countenance full of majesty and sweetness upon him, she said:
'Cajetan, my Son calls thee. Let us go in peace.' "
When his hour of death came, his physicians told him not to
lie on the floor, but he replied, "My Saviour died upon the
Cross ; suffer me to die upon ashes." Thus died St. Cajetan on
the 7th August, 1547.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE PERPETUAL ADORA
TION AND THE EXPOSITION OF THE FORTY HOURS
Several Fathers of the Theatine Order, taking example by
the zeal of their saintly founder, could not endure that Our
Divine Redeemer, who in His love stays with us in the Most
Holy Sacrament under the form of an insignificant Host, should
be so little sought, honored, and praised with thanksgiving.
The thought, therefore, occurred to them to found a congrega
tion whose members should undertake in turns to pray before
the Blessed Sacrament. All the hours of the year were dis
tributed amongst the members, so that every hour of the year
the Most Holy Sacrament should be adored in deepest humility.
Besides the devotion of the perpetual adoration, which was
the result of the love of our Lord, the same congregation
founded that of the Exposition of the Quarent' Ore, or Forty
Hours, in honor of the forty hours during which the body of
Jesus lay in the grave.
338 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
IN MARY'S ARMS
He comes not to awe me —
To thrill me with fear:
He seeks but to draw me,
To woo me, to win me:
This frail heart within me,
He holds it so dear!
He conies not in splendor,
Though Fountain of light.
In guise the most tender
He hastens to meet me —
In babe-form to greet me
This calm Christmas night
The arms of Thy Mother,
How sweetly they hold Thee,
Divine Baby-Brother!
Ah, let me dare say it —
For fond looks betray it —
Mine too would enfold Thee!
But nay! Let Her press Thee
To that sinless breast:
Mine would but distress Thee!
So oft has it griev'd Thee,
And wrong'd and deceiv'd Thee,
'Twould trouble Thy rest.
My Queen, I adore Him
Enthroned on thy Heart:
And meekly implore Him
That I in its pleading,
Its pure interceding,
May ever have part.
Through thee, Blessed Mother,
He comes to be mine —
My Saviour, My Brother.
Through thee, while I take Him,
Return will I make Him,
My life-love in thine!
Edmund of the Heart of Mary, C. P.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
339
APPARITION
TO
GAVAN DUNBAR BP.
ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND
1520
"Forgive, great Mother, all the years
Wherein I passed thee by unknown;
Forgive the weak, unworthy fears
Of faithfulness to Jesus' throne.
Men say that loving thee, I dim
The glory of thy Son Divine,
But otherwise I learn of Him,
And call thee His, and find thee mine."
William C. Dix.
OT far from the shores of the German Ocean,
situated between two great rivers, — the Dee and
the Don, — is the ancient city of Aberdeen. In the
year mo, when David I. was King of Scotland,
it became the see of a bishop, whose cathedral was the Church
of St. Macarius. Although at that time this city was one
of the most important in the kingdom, it has since lost much
of its celebrity on account of its proximity to New Aberdeen,
which has sprung up almost at its side. It is now more gen
erally known by the name of Old Aberdeen, or the "Altoun."
What made this city so famous in times gone by was its
attachment to the Catholic religion. From the earliest times
the faith was preached there by saintly bishops and holy
monks who, by their example and piety, as well as by the
miracles which God wrought at their hands, converted the
followers of paganism to the true God. In after times a cele
brated university was founded there, from which, as from a
luminous centre, many men illustrious for their sanctity and
learning issued, to spread the light of the Gospel throughout
the whole kingdom, and even to countries beyond the seas.
340 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
It was only toward the middle of the sixteenth century, when
heresy devastated the land, that this fair spot also gave way
and yielded to the force of the tempest.
In the cathedral church of St. Macarius, there was a statue
of Our Lady made of wood. For more than six hundred
years this image had been an object of veneration to the faith
ful. Many miracles were wrought and many spiritual favors
were granted by Our Blessed Mother in behalf of those who
sought her aid at this venerable Shrine ; and immense multi
tudes of the faithful came, even from afar, to pray there, and
to implore the protection of Our Lady of Aberdeen.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century there lived in
Aberdeen a Bishop named Gavin Dunbar. His eminent sanctity
procured for him the esteem and respect of every one, even
of those who were enemies of the Catholic religion. His resi
dence was near the cathedral, and he never allowed a day to
pass without going to the altar of Mary and pouring out his
soul in fervent prayer. It was also by Our Lady's help that
he succeeded in erecting a bridge of seven arches over the river
Dee. After the custom of Catholic times, he constructed a little
chapel on the first arch of the bridge ; in it he placed the holy
image of Mary, which he caused to be solemnly translated from
the cathedral in the Altoun to its new sanctuary, in order that
those who were setting out upon a journey or returning home
might place themselves under her protection. The chapel has
now entirely disappeared, although its site is still pointed out;
and the fishermen who at the present day ply their craft on that
part of the river give it the name of "Chapel Nook," or the
"Chapel Corner."
Not far from this chapel, near the end of the bridge, sprang
up a little fountain of limpid water, and many miracles are
recorded to have been wrought by its use through the inter
cession of Our Lady. One day a heretic, to show his hatred
for the Mother of God, threw a quantity of filth into the well.
But God's vengeance soon overtook him. On the spot he was
seized with a terrible malady; a hunger which nothing could
satiate seemed to consume his bowels, and he cried out : "I am
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 341
stricken by God for what I have done!" And he warned all
who saw and heard him never to speak against, or in any way
dishonor, the Holy Virgin, lest a similar evil should overtake
them. The heretics themselves, who were witnesses of the
crime and of the awful punishment which followed, were forced
to acknowledge that it came from the hand of God.
After this event, and in order to preserve the Shrine from
further profanation, the Bishop caused the statue to be carried
back to its former resting-place in the Lady Chapel of the
Cathedral. Here, as before, it drew together immense multi
tudes, and became more famous than ever on account of the
number of miracles which the Queen of Heaven wrought in
favor of her devoted clients.
One day, in the year 1520, the Bishop was on his knees pray
ing and weeping before the holy image, when suddenly he heard
a voice come forth from the statue, which said that, on account
of the sins of the people, great calamities were about to befall
the Scottish nation, and that Scotland would apostatize from
the true faith. "Alas, Gavin !" continued the voice, "thou art
the last bishop of this city, in these times, that shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven." The terrible corruption of morals
which soon afterward spread over the land carried with it
people of every age and condition, and opened an entrance to
that great heresy which even at the present day devastates that
unhappy country.
More than a century after the death of the holy Bishop, Al
mighty God, who is honored in His Saints, wished to glorify
on earth the memory of that great servant of Mary, even in
that very city where the light of the Catholic faith, which for
nearly twelve hundred years had shone so brilliantly, was now
almost extinct. A Protestant gentleman having died, his rela
tive chose for his interment the place where the remains of the
saintly Bishop had been deposited. Their astonishment was
great when, on digging the grave, the sexton came upon the
coffin of the holy prelate. Opening it, they found the body
robed in episcopal ornaments, without the slightest sign of cor
ruption, — as fresh and beautiful as the day on which it had
342 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
been interred. Surprised at the news of this wonder, the min
ister of the cathedral went in person to witness it. On exam
ination it was found that the body emitted no disagreeable
odor, and was perfectly entire. The minister, through a senti
ment of respect, commanded the grave to be closed at once,
and forbade anyone to touch what had been so wonderfully
preserved. Seven years afterward the Regent, accompanied by
thirteen schismatic bishops and a number of gentlemen of rank,
went to the tomb of the holy man, and ordered it to be opened
in their presence, that they might be personal witnesses of what
had been recorded. When the grave was opened, the body was
again found fresh and untouched by corruption, while from the
countenance issued rays of light, which filled the beholders with
astonishment, although their hearts still remained hardened,
and they refused to accept the teachings of the true faith.
It is impossible at this late day to ascertain the history of the
statue of Our Lady of Aberdeen. It is the constant tradition
of our forefathers that from the middle of the eleventh century
— that is, from the time when St. Margaret was Queen of Scot
land — this image was held in great esteem, and that even then
pilgrims came to offer up their prayers before it. During the
terrible days of persecution, when the enemies of God and
religion overran the country, desecrating the magnificent sanc
tuaries erected by our pious ancestors, their fury was especially
directed against holy images. They tore down the pictures of
God and His Saints which adorned the walls of the churches,
and broke or burned the statues of the Immaculate Mother.
But Our Lady of Aberdeen escaped their sacrilegious hands.
Mary wished to show in a special manner how dear to her was
this image, and historians tell us that it is the only one now in
existence belonging to Scotland previous to the Reformation.
The following is a brief account of how the Blessed Virgin pre
served her favorite image from the profanation of the icono
clasts.
When the report reached Aberdeen that the followers of the
apostate priest Knox were on their way to the city, some fervent
Catholics took the holy image from its altar in the cathedral,
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 343
and concealed it in a spot where they thought no one would
suspect it to be. Unfortunately, its hiding-place was discov
ered, and it fell into the hands of the heretics. Their rage at
the sight of this image was beyond expression. More than
once they endeavored to destroy it, but an invisible hand al
ways protected the statue, and their impious design was frus
trated. Some of the men, when on the point of raising the
hammer to break it, were so overcome by a sentiment of invol
untary respect that they left it untouched. Finally, one of them
took it with him to his home, and here again Mary manifested
her affection for this image by a twofold miracle.
The Calvinists, having discovered the house wherein the
statue had been placed, entered it several times with the inten
tion to destroy the image ; but, although it had been put in one
of the most conspicuous places in the house, they could not see
it, and had to withdraw without carrying out their evil design.
The second miracle was the conversion of the man who had
taken the statue under his protection. As in former times,
when the Ark of the Covenant was sheltered in the house of
Obededom, God showered down His blessings in abundance
upon him and his family, so the Immaculate Virgin poured
down upon this good man the blessings of Heaven. Penetrated
with wonder at the miracles of which he had been an eye-wit
ness, and touched by the grace of God, he and his family ab
jured the errors in which they had been brought up, and were
received into the True Fold.
After his conversion this good man resolved to place the
image of Our Lady, now doubly dear to him, under the care
of some one who would be able to afford a more secure pro
tection than he could give it. There happened to come to
Aberdeen at that time a noble Scottish Catholic named William
Laing, who was styled Procurator to the King of Spain. The
convert entrusted his beloved image to William, who received
it with sentiments of unfeigned devotion, and for a time suc
ceeded in concealing it in his house. The fanatics, however,
at length discovered its hiding-place, and once more determined
to destroy it. But to prevent this William had it secretly con-
344 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
veyed on board a vessel belonging to the King of Spain, which
happened to be in the Aberdeen harbor at the time. He gave
orders to the captain, Antony Rochahague, to convey it to
Flanders, and place it in the hands of the Archduchess (In
fanta) Isabella, then governess of the Low Countries, whose
devotion to the Queen of Heaven was known throughout Eu
rope. This was in the year 1623 or 1625.
Here again Satan, who seemed full of wrath because his
agents in Scotland had allowed the statue to escape destruction,
made a last effort to destroy it. But how vain are his schemes
against those who are under Mary's protection ! Scarcely had
the ship left the harbor when a terrible tempest arose, and the
bark was tossed to and fro by the violence of the hurricane.
The masts were thrown down and the sails destroyed, and when
the tempest abated nothing was left but the hulk on the surface
of the deep. A few hours later the ship encountered a pirate
vessel from Holland, which rapidly advanced to seize her. An
tony made a brave resistance, and, considering the disabled
state of his ship, the victory he gained must be attributed to the
protection of the Queen of Heaven, whose image was on board.
When the piratical craft had been put to flight, a favorable
wind and tide brought the other ship in sight of land, and in
a short time the anchor was cast in the bay of Dunkirk.
When the Governor of that city saw a ship entering port
without masts or sails, and was told that it contained the mirac
ulous statue of Our Lady of Aberdeen, he was struck at the
marvel, and a sudden thought entered his mind. He deter
mined to take possession of the statue, and, after a time, send it
as a present to the King of Spain. But Our Lady soon mani
fested her displeasure at this project, and sent him a dangerous
illness, which brought him to the brink of the grave. This
made him reflect on his conduct; he recognized his fault, and
immediately countermanded the orders he had given for the
seizure of the statue.
By a wonderful disposition of Providence, it happened that
the Archduchess Isabella came to visit Dunkirk at that time.
When the Governor heard of her arrival he sent at once for
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 345
Father de los Rios, her chaplain, and with tears in his eyes
told him what he had done, of the malady with which he was
afflicted in consequence, and begged him to go to the ship and
receive the sacred image, and convey it to the Archduchess, to
whom it had been sent. As soon as this had been done the
sick man was restored to perfect health, to the wonder and
admiration of all the people.
The Archduchess Isabella, full of gratitude to the Mother of
God for this special manifestation of her affection toward her,
received the sacred image with indescribable emotion. She
gave order that it should be at once taken to Brussels, and
placed in the chapel of her palace with great pomp. In the
meantime, to secure an exact and authentic record of the vari
ous wonderful events she had heard related with reference to
the statue, she charged William Laing to go to Scotland and
collect all documents relating to its previous history, and to
make strict and careful inquiry not only as to the honor and
veneration which centuries of faith had rendered to the image
in that country, but also concerning the miracles and favors
granted to the people through the intervention of Our Lady of
Aberdeen, that the glory of our Heavenly Mother might be
handed down to all generations.
In 1626 Father de la Rios requested the Archduchess Isa
bella to permit the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Aberdeen
to be transferred from the chapel of her palace in Brussels to
the newly built church of the Augustinian Fathers, that it might
be exposed once more to the public veneration of the faithful.
To make reparation, as far as possible, for the outrages which
the heretics of Scotland had offered to the Most Holy Virgin,
the Archduchess ordered that the translation of the statue
should be made with the greatest possible solemnity.
Sunday, May 3, Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, was
the day appointed for the ceremony. The evening before, the
bells of the city rang out a joyful peal for a whole hour, to
announce to the inhabitants of the surrounding country the ap
proach of the great festival. To induce the faithful to cele
brate the occasion with all possible devotion, Urban VIII., who
346 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
then occupied the Chair of Peter, granted a plenary indulgence
to all who, having communicated, would join in the procession
of the sacred image. And James, Archbishop of Malines, to
afford the clergy and people an opportunity of gaining this in
dulgence, issued a pastoral letter commanding the Holy Sacri
fice to be offered up in all the churches of Brussels from an
early hour.
At length the day dawned with unusual splendor, and was
ushered in by the ringing of bells and the thunder of artillery.
The new church of the Augustinians was beautifully decorated
for the occasion. Magnificent tapestry ornamented the walls,
the pillars were wreathed with garlands of evergreens and
flowers, while the altars shone with a splendor rarely witnessed
on earth. The pious princess, with her own hands, placed on
the venerated statue a robe glittering with gold, precious stones,
and her own most costly jewels.
All the clergy, nobility, and magistracy of the city were pres
ent, as well as the members of the different religious com
munities. The people, in holiday attire, flocked to the environs
of the palace, and the crowd was so dense that it was only with
the greatest difficulty the clergy reached the palace gates. The
streets presented a gay appearance. Exquisite banners and
oriflammes of every color floated in the breeze, and joy and hap
piness were depicted on the faces of the multitude.
At a given signal the procession moved forward. The pupils
of the college conducted by the Augustinian Fathers came first,
mounted on horses richly caparisoned; they bore aloft mag
nificent banners on which was embroidered the image of Mary.
After them came the Cross, borne by one of the clergy, and ac
companied with lights ; then the various confraternities, re
ligious orders, and collegiate bodies, marching in two lines,
under their respective banners; these were followed by the
clergy of the different parishes, in their most precious vest
ments, and by the canons of the cathedral in copes of cloth
of gold. Then came an immense multitude of children clad in
white, some of whom carried baskets of flowers with which
they carpeted the streets, while others bore caskets of perfumes
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 347
which embalmed the air. Farther on, toward the end of the
procession, in the midst of unparalleled magnificence, placed
upon a portable altar borne by eight priests, appeared the statue
of Our Lady of Aberdeen, crowned with flowers and glittering
in the sunlight with dazzing brightness. Finally, under a
splendid canopy borne by four of the Augustinian Fathers,
walked the Archbishop of Malines, carrying the Blessed Sacra
ment. Immediately followed the Archduchess, accompanied
by his Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Patras, Apostolic
Nuncio of Belgium. At his side in grand military costume,
walked the commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, Ambrose
Spinola. The Archbishops of Cambrai and Cesaro, the court
of Mansfield, the nobility and magistrates, closed the
procession.
The streets through which the pious cortege passed were
densely crowded, and the people looked on with religious awe,
while hymns and sacred canticles filled the air. As the Blessed
Sacrament appeared the crowds knelt down to adore, and even
those who were least religious felt their souls filled with en
thusiasm and respect.
When the procession entered the church the statue was
placed on a magnificent altar prepared for it, and the Arch
bishop of Malines proceeded at once to offer up the Holy Sac
rifice for the intentions of the Archduchess. The scene at that
moment cannot well be described. The church all illuminated,
the altars decorated with richest ornaments, the priests robed
in vestments sparkling with gold, the statue of Our Lady sur
rounded with a halo of glory, the pealing of the bells, the swell
ing notes of the organ and lesser musical instruments, — all
combined to remind one of the glory the angels and Saints ren
der to God in Heaven. "On that day," says the historian,
"Our Lord was adored in spirit and in truth; and the Virgin
of virgins received the homage which her Divine Maternto
merited, and which had been refused her in a city she one
loved so well."
When the Holy Sacrifice was over the Augustinian Father?
went in a body to thank the Archduchess for her kindness, and
348 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to assure her that they would not cease to pray for her before
the holy image, that success might attend her in her temporal
and spiritual enterprises, all of which, they knew, she under
took solely for the honor of God, the welfare of religion, and
the good of her subjects. From that time the statue of Our
Lady of Aberdeen began to be generally known as Our Lady
of Good Success, on account of the many extraordinary favors
the Blessed Virgin obtained for those who prayed before it.
That same day the illustrious Archduchess, in honor of the
event, made generous offerings to the convents of the city, and
distributed as alms in each parish one thousand loaves of bread
and a large sum of money. When the poor people had partaken
of her generosity their joy and gratitude knew no bounds ; they
hastened to the church to pour forth their prayers before Our
Lady's image for their kind benefactress, and then repaired to
the palace to offer to her the thanks of their devoted hearts.
In the evening a grand display of fireworks closed the pro
ceedings of the day. But the gratitude of the people was not
yet satisfied. For ten days the solemnity lasted, and during
that time Archbishop Conruse, of Tuam, Ireland, and the
Abbots of Grimberghen and Dillingen, with several other
prelates, offered up the Holy Sacrifice at Our Lady's altar.
Each day some distinguished preacher mounted the pulpit to
proclaim, in glowing words to a devout multitude, the glories
of the Immaculate Queen of Heaven. These honors given to
Our Lady produced abundant fruit in the souls of the people,
some of whom obtained an increase of faith and piety, while
others found peace and joy for their souls wounded by sin.
The 1 2th of May brought this popular festival to an end.
On that day the Holy Sacrifice was solemnly offered up by his
Eminence Cardinal de la Cueva in presence of the nobility and
the court. At the Gospel Father de la Rios, whose name as a
preacher was known far and near, ascended the pulpit to speak
once more of Our Lady's glory and her maternal love. The
words he uttered went straight to the hearts of his audience,
many of whom were moved to tears.
In the evening a magnificent procession again formed, when
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 349
the image of Our Lady of Aberdeen was borne in triumph
through the city, and the mitred Abbot of Caudenberg, sur
rounded by the clergy and followed by the people, carried the
Blessed Sacrament. When the procession returned to the
church the organ and other musical instruments poured forth
strains of joy ; after which the Cardinal intoned the Te Deum
in thanksgiving to God for the glory He had bestowed on His
Most Holy Mother.
The Queen of Heaven did not delay long before testifying
to these good people how pleased she was with the reception
they had given her beloved image in its exile in a foreign land.
The noble Lord Henry Meullmans, Abbot of Cundenberg, who
carried the Blessed Sacrament at the closing procession, was
one of the first to experience the power of Mary's intercession.
For a long time this pious prelate suffered from a disease which
the physicians declared to be incurable. But when the solemn
ity began, on the 3d of May, he prayed to Our Lady with great
fervor that she would grant him a cure. On the octave day,
as he went to the altar to say Mass, all at once he was delivered
from the malady. After the Holy Sacrifice he told the people
what had occurred, and asked them to join him in thanking his
heavenly Benefactress. During the remainder of his life he
consecrated himself especially to her service, and published
on every side her great goodness and mercy.
But this was only the first of a countless number of favors
which followed. People from all parts crowded to this hal
lowed sanctuary ; some were bowed down under the weight
of physical sufferings, and had come to solicit aid from the
Health of the Weak ; whilst there were others whose perverse
dispositions had hitherto resisted every effort of grace, — men
under the tyranny of pride, avarice, hatred, and ambition.
Among the favors obtained through the intercession of Our
Lady of Aberdeen may be mentioned the cure of Catherine
Raes, who had the misfortune, in a fall, to dislocate the cap
of her knee. For months she suffered intense pain, and the
surgeons were unable to afford any relief. Seeing that all
human aid was useless, she had recourse to Heaven. A novena
35Q APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
to Our Lady of Aberdeen was begun, and on the third day, at
the conclusion of a Mass offered for the invalid, she felt a sud
den inspiration to rise. Without a moment's hesitation she,
who had not been able to leave her bed since the accident, rose
and began to walk about as if nothing were the matter, to the
great surprise of her family and other persons who were pres
ent. This extraordinary cure was testified to by several of the
clergy. The Archbishop of Malines ordered the circumstances
to be investigated with the greatest care, and the witnesses to
be rigorously examined; whereupon, finding their testimony
strong and unanimous, he declared the fact to be miraculous.
In the year 1633 there lived in the town of Amiens a magis
trate named Louis Clarisse. He was afflicted with a dangerous
malady, and so great were his sufferings that it was thought
his days on earth were numbered. Although the doctors had
given him up, the poor man did not lose courage. It was about
this time that the devotion to Our Lady of Aberdeen had
reached Amiens. He immediately had recourse to the Blessed
Virgin under this sweet title, and his prayer was heard. Not
only did he improve at once, but he afterward enjoyed better
health than ever before.
In the year 1695 Brussels had to sustain a siege; the battle
raged with intense fury outside the city, and the shells were
bursting in the streets and causing terrible destruction. All
the houses around the church of the Augustinian Fathers were
laid in ruins, while the sacred edifice itself remained untouched.
The Fathers attributed this to the protection of Our Lady of
Aberdeen, whose statue was in the church. Every year, on the
anniversary of the event, they held a special solemnity in
thanksgiving for their preservation.
One hundred years after Our Lady of Aberdeen landed on
the shores of Belgium the faithful of Brussels celebrated a
solemn festival with an octave. Nothing was spared to make
the occasion a memorable one. Large crowds flocked to the
church to honor the Immaculate Virgin, and their fervor and
joy knew no bounds. A sodality in honor of Our Lady of
Aberdeen was established, and people of every rank, from the
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
Archduchess Isabella, who governed the Netherlands, to the
poorest beggar in the country, hastened to enroll their names,
and to place themselves and all that were dear to them under
the protection of the Queen of Heaven.
In the year 1796 the terrible Revolution which swept over
France reached Brussels. The churches were pillaged and the
relics of the Saints scattered to the winds. The fanatics broke
to pieces sacred images, and put to death the priests of God
who remained faithful. But Our Lady of Aberdeen here again
took care of her beloved statue. In the midst of universal ruin
it escaped uninjured. The Augustinian Fathers had to fly from
their monastery, but before their departure they confided the
image to a man named John Baptist Joseph Morris, who con
cealed it carefully for nine years. In 1805 Napoleon I., Em
peror of the French, granted the Fathers permission to return,
and once more the statue of Our Lady was exposed to the ven
eration of the faithful. Some years later, on April 7, 1814, it
was solemnly transferred to the church of Finistere, not far dis
tant, and was placed in a niche near St. Joseph's altar, where it
remained till 1852. In that year a beautiful side chapel was
built in honor of the Blessed Virgin, in which, on a magnificent
altar of white marble, was placed the image of Our Lady of
Aberdeen, where it may still be seen.
ST. MUNGO'S BELL*
Of old in a Scottish city,
As the ancient annals tell,
A peal for the souls departed
Used to sound from St. Mungo's Bell.
It tolled from the high church-steeple,
On the midnight air it fell;
It vied with the birds at Vesper,
And at dawn rang St. Mungo's Bell.
*Until the Reformation a famous bell was preserved at Glasgow. It was sup
posed to have been brought from Rome by St. Kentigern. Hence the popular
appellation of St. Kentigern's or Mungo's Bell. It was tolled to invite the faith
ful to pray for the dead.
35* APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
"Remember the dead; remember
Their pains all our woes excel;
Give comfort of dirge and soul Mass,—
Oh, pray!" said St. Mungo's Bell.
It startled the lonely watcher,
And the reveller knew full well,
As he paused in his course to listen,
What portended St. Mungo's Bell.
The nun in her cloister heard it,
And the monk in his quiet cell;
They prayed with a holy fervor
At sound of St. Mungo's Bell.
While the soldier at lone camp-fire,
As the night shades round him fell,
Half shudd'ring whispered an Ave —
So solemn, St. Mungo's Bell.
The knight and the mail-clad baron,
With a fear no mirth could dispel,
Heard voices of souls departed
In the tolling of Mungo's Bell.
The poor in their hovels drew nearer
To the world of the dead at the knell,
And the evil-doer trembled
At the warning of Mungo's Bell.
When the blight of the Reformation,
Like a cold and a cruel spell,
Seemed to sever this world from the other,
It silenced St. Mungo's Bell.
Through shadows of past generations
Let its brazen tongue still tell
The sorrows of souls departed, —
Let us heed the St. Mungo's Bell.
Anna T. Sadlier.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
353
APPARITION
TO
ST. IGNATIUS DE LOYOLA, F.SJ.
MANRESA, SPAIN
1522
Beautiful Mother, we deck thy shrine,
All that is brightest and best of ours;
Found in our gardens, we reckon thine
God thought of thee when He made the flowers.
Rev. K. D. Beste.
N the summer of 1521 some Spanish soldiers were
holding the unfinished citadel of Pamplona, against
an invading army of the French. A cannon shot
from the assailants dislodged a fragment of stone
which wounded the left leg of a young Spanish officer, while
the ball itself broke his other leg. He fell, and, as he had been
the soul of the defence, the fortress fell with him. The con
querors honored the bravery of their gallant foe ; they dressed
his wounds, and carried him gently to his home not very far
distant, and there set him free.
His name was Inigo or Ignatius de Loyola, one of the sons
of a nobleman of ancient family, whose old castle lay in the
broad and beautiful valley from which the family surname was
derived. Young Inigo had been sent as page to King Ferdi
nand the Catholic, the first monarch of a united Spain. But the
youth wearied of the soft life at court ; he longed to be a sol
dier. His relative, the Duke of Najera, took him into his ser
vice and he won his spurs in actual war at the conquest of the
town from which the Duke took his title. He was as true as
he was brave, and universally popular. Though a man of the
world, and fond of society, his lips were never sullied with a
foul word, nor his life by a disgraceful deed. He was a poet,
354 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
too, in his own way, and sang the praises of St. Peter in a long
epic.
The army surgeons had very unskilfully set his broken leg,
and he had to go through such horrible operations that his life
was despaired of. On the eve of SS. Peter and Paul he re
ceived the last Sacraments. But that very night St. Peter ap
peared to him, and he perfectly recovered his health. Still he
was deformed and crippled ; for not only was the leg that had
been broken much shorter than its fellow, but the bone stood
out with an unsightly lump. The fashionable hose of those
days would reveal the deformity, and the young officer bade
the surgeons, at the cost of any torture to himself, to reduce
the disfigurement and to stretch the limb. He bore without
flinching a very martyrdom of vanity. For an active mind like
his the sick room was itself a torture ; and to quiet his mind
and to kill time, he asked for a novel of the period — some ro
mance of knight-errantry. But books were rare in those days,
and there were none of that kind in the Castle of Loyola. They
brought him a Spanish translation of Ludolf of Saxony's Life
of Christ, and a volume of the Lives of the Saints. For want
of anything more to his taste, these he read and read again.
Inigo, with the spirit of a soldier who never flinched before any
odds, said to himself : "What St. Francis did, and St. Dominic
did, why cannot I do?" What most attracted his fearless soul
were the self-inflicted penances of the Saints. This seemed to
him the point which he ought most to try to imitate, and he only
longed to gather strength and to leave his bed, in order that he
might put in practice his stern resolve to leave house and home
and all the world holds dear to lead a life of austerity and
seclusion.
Those were days of tremendous issues for God's Church.
The riches and the luxury of the time, the ferment of new ideas
which the learning of the East and the invention of printing
had produced, the newborn paganism and laxity of life, all had
made the soil ready for a rank crop of evil within the Church,
and even of revolt against her teaching. At this very time
Luther, the apostate monk, had thrown aside the mask and
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 355
publicly burnt the Pope's Bull as a sign of open rebellion. In
England and in France, as in Germany, error was lifting its
head, and everything presaged a mighty moral convulsion, of
which even the most foreseeing could not measure the results.
One night Ifiigo, stirred by his longings for higher things,
leapt from his bed ; and, kneeling before a picture of Our Lady,
dedicated himself in an ardent prayer to his Blessed Mother.
A tremor as of an earthquake shook the castle, and split the
solid walls with a rent, which can be seen even to this day. Hell
seemed to have realized how great a recruit had been enrolled
in God's army. Mary appeared to her servant with the Blessed
Child in her arms, and accepted by her presence the offering
thus made. Long before his strength had fully returned, Ifiigo
bade good-bye to his brother, who was then the head of the
house. The lord of Loyola had half divined the purpose of
Ignatius, and strove in every way to retain him. But he tore
himself away under the pretext of being obliged to pay a visit
of compliment to his relative, the Duke of Najera. No sooner
had liiigo fulfilled this duty, than he sent back his two attend
ants, and on his mule, for he was still very lame, he pushed
right across the North of Spain to that great sanctuary of Our
Lady which nestles under the crags and peaks of Montserrat.
On his way he bound himself by a vow of chastity in honor of
Our Lady. Shortly after he fell in with a Moorish gentleman,
many of whom were still in Spain. The Mohammedan denied
the virginity of Mary after the birth of Our Lord, and Ifiigo
strenuously upheld it. When the Mussulman had left him, it
seemed to the converted cavalier that he had done wrong in
letting the blasphemer go unpunished ; and in doubt as to what
he ought to do, he let his mule go its own way, ready to re
venge the honor of his Lady if it should follow the Moor. How
ever it turned off by another road, and Ifiigo was saved from
staining his hands with blood under a misguided impulse.
When our Saint had scaled the precipitous mountain, he
made a most exact and general confession to one of the Bene
dictine monks, a saintly Frenchman. It was so broken with
sobs and tears of contrition that it was not completed for three
356 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
days. Then, at nightfall, on the vigil of the Annunciation, he
stripped himself of all his fine clothes, to his very shirt, and
gave them all to a poor man, putting on a rough dress of sack
cloth, which went down to his feet. In this his new armor,
like the squires of those days before receiving knighthood, he
spent the night at the statue of Our Lady, on his knees or lean
ing on his pilgrim's staff, within the old church. There, at
Mary's Shrine, in the first light of dawn, he hung up his rapier
and dagger — the badges of a gentleman in those days — and
then approached Holy Communion.
Before day had fully broken over the huge spires of Mont-
serrat, with one foot bare, but the other, still swollen and sore,
in a rough sandal of esparto grass, such as the Spanish peasants
wear to this day, he came down the rough mountain side. He
had given his mule to the monastery. Some kind souls showed
him the road to a shelter in the nearest town, and there, in the
poor-house or hospice of St. Lucy in Manresa, he went to live
among the poor of Jesus Christ. He made himself the poorest
of the poor. Once so particular about his appearance, he now
let his hair and nails grow, and tried to conceal under squalor
and neglect all signs of his noble birth and breeding. He
begged his food from door to door, and gave the best he got
to the sick and hungry. His only food was bread and water ;
save that for his Sunday dinner he added a few herbs savored
with ashes. The most fetid and loathsome of the sick were the
object of his tenderest care, and no service was too revolting
for him. Seven hours of his day were spent in prayer, with
out counting those which he gave to hearing Mass and attend
ing the public services of the Church. But Ignatius, as he now
began to be called, wished for a spot where his prayers and
penances might be unobserved. He found it in a long narrow
cavern in a defile not far off running down to the swift river
Cardoner. Its entrance was hidden by a rich growth of thistles
and thorns, while from a fissure in the rock he could look out on
the jasfged heights of Montserrat. There he was free to pass
his time in prayer, there he could spend his days in absolute
fast, there he could wield the scourge unseen or unheard, and
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 357
bind his waist with a cruel girdle of prickly leaves, still to be
seen at Manresa. But there, too, in return, God communicated
to him His choicest gifts. Within that cave was revealed to
him that system of Christian perfection which is known by the
name of the Spiritual Exercises, taught him by Our Blessed
Lady and impressed on his soul by practical experience and
fidelity to grace.
There is hardly a spot in that picturesque town which does
not remind us of God's dealings with St. Ignatius, and of the
heroic penance and profound humility which prepared him for
the great work God destined for him.
There is the Cross of Tort, looking out over the bright river
and rich valley, with Montserrat rising up dark and weird be
yond. On his knees before this sacred sign the mysteries of the
Catholic Faith were made known to St. Ignatius with such
vividness, that in after life he used to say that even if those
truths were to be made known to him in no other way, he was
prepared to die a martyr's death for each doctrine of the Church
from the knowledge of it he received in Manresa. There, too,
is the Church of the Dominicans, such kind friends to the
Saint, where the ineffable depths of the Blessed Trinity were
opened to him, and where he was privileged to understand the
mystery of the presence of Our Lord on the Altar. There in
the adjoining convent, now, alas! a theatre, he was tenderly
nursed by the good Fathers through a severe illness which was
the result of his awful austerities and his still more terrible
scruples. There again within the ruins of the hospice, covered
by a fair chapel, is the spot where was his little room which
looked out on the old Church of St. Lucy. This was the scene
of the marvelous rapture, like to the sleep of death, lasting for
a whole week and more, during which, in spite of the reserve
under which Ignatius hid the favors of God, it seems certain
that he saw the future of the Society which he was called to
found.
Temptations of disgust at his squalid, hard, cruel life ; tempta
tions of vain-glory at the honor which his marvelous virtues
began to win for him ; doubts about the genuineness of his past
35$ APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
confessions — all these trials and many others gave him a prac
tical insight into that mysterious warfare which is waged with
more or less violence in every soul.
A year or so had now gone by since Ignatius came to Man-
resa. He had passed through a fiery probation, by which the
old life was burned away, and the soul purified and free was
ready to receive like molten metal a new form. The life of Our
Lord had, by prayerful study and painstaking practice, become
his life. It was time for work. Longings which had not yet
taken perfect shape, the seeds of mighty works for God, were
stirring in his soul. And so he left Manresa, and made his way
alone, though many would have gladly borne him company, to
the beautiful city of Barcelona, with its church towers rising
from gardens of myrtles, and cedars, and orange groves, there
to take ship for Civita Vecchia, and for the Holy Land. While
waiting for a fair wind, a fortnight or so went by. Through
a fierce storm, in the early spring, Loyola crossed the
Mediterranean.
They were wild and lawless times for the weak and defence
less, but Ignatius, on landing at Gaeta, pushed forward to Rome
and there he spent Holy Week and Easter week. On Low Sun
day he was admitted to receive the blessing of that great and
good Pope, the Belgian Adrian VI. Everyone told Ignatius
that it was useless for a poor man to think of going to the Holy
Land. The Crescent was everywhere victorious, and the brave
knights of St. John had just been forced to yield up their for
tress of Rhodes. But our Saint, who had learned for Christ's
sake to love poverty and pain, went on to Venice, and even
gave away what had been forced upon him to pay his passage.
He begged his food by day and slept by night like a vagrant
under the arcades in the great square of St. Mark. One of the
Council of Ten, Mark Antony Trevisano, a Venetian noble
man, was wakened up at night by hearing words like these:
"While you are sleeping in a soft bed, My servant is lying on
the bare ground !" He got up at once, and went to look for
this servant of God. He stumbled upon the sleeping stranger,
and made him come to his palace. But Ignatius disliked its
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 359
luxury and splendor, and succeeded in obtaining a free passage
on a Venetian man-of-war bound for Cyprus. So boldly did
he reprove the bad life of some on board, that, but for a con
trary wind, the sailors would have cast him away on some
desert island. At Cyprus Ignatius found a pilgrim ship, and on
the last day of August he landed at Jaffa. To be in Jerusalem
was to him such a happiness that he would have stayed there
all the rest of his life, if God, by means of the Provincial of
the Franciscans, had not bade him leave.
Two months brought Ignatius back to Italy, and he set off
from Venice poor as ever and on foot for Genoa.
Ignatius had at last efficiently completed his preparatory
studies and, in the October of 1529, he entered the College of
St. Barbara, which was close by his former College of Mon-
taigu. He was given a room in an old turret, where he found
a young Savoyard, Peter Favre, who had already taken his
degree in Philosophy, and who, at the request of his professor
Pefia, undertook to help him in his course. His room was
shared by a young professor, Francis Xavier, from the North
of Spain, in the neighborhood of Loyola. He was of high
family, very gifted in body and mind, but he cared little for the
pious sayings and unworldly ways of Ignatius. However, con
stant acts of kindness, the power of example, the often repeated
reminder, "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole
world ?" broke down the stubborn will of the young professor,
whose dreams of earthly glory made way for an all-absorbing
thirst for suffering and humiliation, in order to be like his
Lord. Two other Spanish students, who had known St. Igna
tius at Alcala, James Lainez and Alphonsus Salmeron, followed
him to Paris, and soon renewed their acquaintance with him.
A Portuguese, on the endowment of St. Barbara, Simon
Rodriguez, and the Spaniard Nicholas Bobadilla, who was at
tending the lectures of Xavier at the College of Beauvais, were
joined to this close circle of friends.
One story must be told out of many of what Ignatius did for
souls. A young man was carrying on a criminal intrigue, and
our Saint knew that on his way the sinner used to cross a bridge
360 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OP
over a branch of the lake of Gentilly. It was a bitter night,
and Ignatius stood up to his neck in the icy water, and there
awaited his coming. "Go," cried the Saint, as the youth passed
by, "I will do penance here every evening till you amend."
The sight touched the sinner's heart, and he turned home a
penitent.
Ignatius finished his philosophy in 1534, when he took his
degree of Master of Arts. He began at once his theological
studies at the great Dominican College close by. Meantime
he saw the hour had come to give some permanent shape to
his work, and so to prevent the new band of followers from
drifting away under any storm of difficulty that might arise.
Five of the six companions had made the Exercises with extra
ordinary fervor under Ignatius, which Xavier's duties as pro
fessor alone had debarred him from doing; and to each our
Saint commended his rules for the choice of a state of life. To
none but Favre had he revealed his own design of going to
work for God in the Holy Land. He invited each separately
and under promise of secrecy to make up his mind by a certain
time, and on that day to come to him with his decision. To
their surprise, the six friends when they met found that they
were all of one mind, ready to go with St. Ignatius to the end
in close following of Christ, their King and Captain.
Their resolve was to bind themselves by vow to perpetual
poverty and chastity, and to visit the Holy Land; and if, as
had happened to St. Ignatius, they could not remain there, or
were even prevented from going, they would put themselves
entirely at the disposal of the Pope.
In the beginning of January, 1537, after a journey full of
hardships, through hostile armies, through the snows and frost
of the Alps, and through countries and towns full of hostile
Protestants, the companions whom he had left in Paris came to
forget all their sorrows in being once more with their father
Ignatius. To him and to them it was an additional pleasure to
see their little band increased by two fresh recruits from Pans,
and others from Venice. The hospitals were their home, and
the scene of their marvelous devotion and victory over self in
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 361
the service of the sick and poor. When Lent arrived, St. Ig
natius sent them all to Rome to spend the Holy Week there,
and to get the Pope's blessing and the leave from him to re
ceive Orders and to preach and hear confessions. He did not
dare to go himself, for he feared to meet Dr. Ortiz, who was
then at Rome as one of the agents of Charles V., pleading the
cause of our brave Queen, Catherine of Aragon. Ortiz proved
the very best friend of the pilgrims, for he presented them to
the Pope, Paul III., who sent them back with all and more than
they had dared to ask or hope for. On the Feast of St. John
the Baptist, St. Ignatius and those of his companions who were
not priests, were ordained priests at Venice, and then one and
all retired into solitude to prepare for their Apostolic work,
and wherein the newly anointed might make ready for their
first Mass. St. Ignatius, B. Peter Favre and Father Lainez
took up their abode in a ruined monastery outside the walls of
Vicenza. There were neither doors nor windows-frames in the
building, and their food was the hard, dry crusts which they
begged. But the forty days in that desert were turned into
Paradise by the glimpses of heavenly things which made all
suffering forgotten. That period over, the Fathers went out
into the streets of Vicenza to preach and to instruct, and though
they knew but little Italian, their zeal, the sight of their wearied
and wasted forms, and the power of their holiness wrought
wonders among the people.
All the companions then gathered together at Vicenza ; and
there it was agreed that, as the way to the Holy Land was in
definitely closed by the war between the Catholic powers and
the Turk, they should offer their services to the Pope. Accord
ingly, St. Ignatius, with B. Peter Favre and Lainez went on to
Rome, to put themselves and their brethren entirely at the dis
posal of the Pope. As they drew near the city, close by the site
of ancient Veii, in the broad Campagna which spreads around
the capital of the Christian world, there is a wayside chapel at
a place called La Storta. As St. Ignatius had journeyed along,
the two Fathers who were with him had said Mass, and the
Saint had approached Holy Communion each day. His heart
3^2 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
was full of thoughts of love towards his Sacramental Lord.
He entered the chapel to pray, and when he came out, it was
evident that he had been deeply stirred. "I know not," he said,
"what awaits us in Rome. Perhaps we shall be crucified there."
In fact, as he went on to tell, Jesus had appeared to him bearing
His Cross, and the Eternal Father had commended Ignatius
to the care of His Blessed Son with these words, "Receive this
man as Thy servant." Then Our Lord had turned to him and
said, "I will be favorable to you in Rome."
It was during the Lent of 1537 that St. Ignatius arrived
there with his two companions. Those whom he had left be
hind were busy gathering in the harvest of the souls in various
cities of Italy, nor could St. Ignatius remain idle in face of so
much to be done. Pope Paul III. received him and his com
panions with the greatest kindness. He appointed FF. Lainez
and Favre as lecturers in the Roman university, while he left
Ignatius free to exercise his zeal.
By the Easter of 1538 God's time had come for laying broad
and deep the Constitutions of the new Order, and St. Ignatius
in his wise humility summoned around him all his brethren, to
aid him by their prayers and counsel in this most important
work. By the orders of the Vicar of the Pope, Cardinal Carafa,
the pulpits of various churches were assigned to them, and
marvelous was the change wrought by their burning discourses
and bright example.
But none had the power of St. Ignatius' words, simple and
straightforward, without adornment, a soldier's speech, but
irresistible because the expression of deepest conviction and
the fruit of perpetual prayer. He preached in his native tongue
in the Spanish Church of Our Lady of Montserrat, hard by the
English hospice, which is now the venerable English College.
So engrossed were these Apostolic men with their work, that
it sometimes happened that night came upon them before they
had had time to remember that they had not yet broken, their
fast.
But a sudden tempest arose. One of the many whom the
moral corruption of the time and the widespread attacks against
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN
the faith had led astray, an Augustinian Friar from Piedmont,
had come to preach in Rome, under the patronage of persons
of high rank. The followers of St. Ignatius soon detected that
his sermons contained, under a careful disguise, the errors of
Calvin and Luther. They began at once to treat in their in
structions, without any allusion to the preacher, upon various
points on which the Piedmontese Friar was leading the people
astray. His defence was to retort upon St. Ignatius the accu
sation of heresy, and openly to assert that, over and over again,
our Saint had been convicted of false doctrine. His assertions
were supported by a group of men who came primed with false
evidence. The accusations were destructive of all prospect
of future good, and St. Ignatius, so willing to court contempt
and ignominy when only himself was concerned, boldly de
manded a public enquiry and a sentence in the public courts.
God took the matter in hand; the four ecclesiastical judges be
fore whom he had been tried were all, for one reason or other,
in Rome just at that very time, and their evidence was con
clusive. An attempt was made to hush up the affair in order
to shelter some persons high placed, who would have been
compromised by an official sentence. But St. Ignatius was con
vinced that an authoritative recognition of his innocence and
freedom from error was absolutely necessary to prevent the old
accusation from continually reappearing. He went to the Pope,
then at his country house at Frascati, and boldly laid the whole
matter before him. A full and judicial sentence was published
in due form in his favor. The Friar escaped to Geneva, and
there openly professed Lutheranism.
On Christmas night that same year, 1538, in the subterranean
chapel of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the relic of the
Holy Crib of Bethlehem was kept, St. Ignatius said his first
Mass. He had not thought a year and a half too long a
preparation !
Now that peace had been restored, it was time to settle defi
nitely the form and shape of the Order. Ignatius recommended
the others to seek in prayer and penance and at the Holy Sac
rifice the light they required ; and there is still existing a sort
364 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
of diary in which he used to note down the thoughts vouch
safed to himself at that time in prayer. There are, too, at
Rome the minutes drawn up and signed by the Fathers during
their careful and prolonged deliberations. Not to interrupt
their labor for souls, they only met at night-fall, and then dis
cussed at length the various subjects which were before them.
The resolutions of the Fathers were laid before Paul III. on
September 3, 1539, by the fast friend of St. Ignatius, the great
Cardinal Contarini, who was also the friend of our Cardinal
Pole. The Pope gladly gave a general approval. But St.Igna-
tius was desirous of a still more explicit recognition. The
scheme was handed over to a commission of three Cardinals, of
whom one especially was strongly opposed to the approbation
of any fresh religious order in the church. But the prayers
and penances of our Saint won the day, and even Cardinal
Guidiccioni, who had been most determined, owned that some
irresistible impulse forced him to give a consent against his
own wishes. Paul III. read over the scheme himself with great
attention, and exclaimed on doing so : "The ringer of God is
here !" On the 2;th of September, a Bull of the Pontiff set the
seal of Christ's Vicar on the work of St. Ignatius.
Already B. Peter Favre had been sent as the counsellor of
Ortiz to the conference on religion at Worms, while at the sug
gestion of Gouvea, the old rector of St. Barbara's, John III. of
Portugal, had asked and obtained St. Francis Xavier and F.
Rodriguez as missionaries for India. Four of the other Fathers
had been called away to labor in various parts of Italy. It was
absolutely necessary, before they were scattered over the world,
at once to elect a superior. The four were recalled to Rome,
and in the Lent of 1541 they were all gathered into the narrow
and poverty-stricken house beside the little Church of Santa
Maria della Strada, which had been given to them. Three days
were spent in prayer ; no discussion was allowed ; the result
was to come from God. On the day fixed the votes of those
present and of those who were absent were opened, and all,
save the vote of the Saint himself, fell on Ignatius. He de
clared most positively that the sins of his present and past life
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 365
totally unfitted him for such a post ; and, in spite of the protest
of his brethren to the contrary, insisted that a new election
should take place, after four days of fresh prayer and consid
eration. The second voting had the same result. Ignatius re
fused as absolutely as before; no persuasion could change his
mind, till at length, as a compromise, he volunteered to lay
bare all his defects and crimes to his confessor, a Franciscan
Father, and abide by his decision. He never doubted what the
result would be.
Accordingly, he spent the last three days of Holy Week in
the Franciscan house of St. Peter in Montorio, the traditional
scene of St. Peter's crucifixion, which looks down from the
Janiculan hill upon the domes and bell-towers of Rome. Ig
natius spent the time in earnest effort to paint his own char
acter in the blackest colors and so to prove his utter unworthi-
ness for the office of General ; and then on Easter day he went
triumphantly to his father confessor to hear his verdict. "By
your refusal you are acting against the Holy Ghost," was the
Friar's only reply. Even then Ignatius begged him to recon
sider his opinion, and when he had done so to write his answer
to the Fathers. Then and then only did St. Ignatius bow his
head and, in accepting the painful burden of superior, his life
henceforward was merged in the sorrows and successes of the
Society.
On the Friday in Easter week St. Ignatius and his com
panions went on that touching pilgrimage, trodden by so many
millions of Catholics, to the Seven Churches of Rome. It
brought them at length to the solemn Basilica of St. Paul, so
stately in its solitude, with its forest of marble pillars and its
glittering mosaics. There at the altar of the Blessed Sacra
ment, before a picture of Our Lady and Child, then at the left
of the venerable high altar, St. Ignatius said Mass, and at the
Communion, with the paten in one hand and the formula of
vows in the other, he made his solemn profession, sealing it
with the reception of his King and Captain, and the five other
Fathers then followed his example. After Mass, they went
to visit each of the privileged altars of the basilica, and then
366 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
meeting round the high altar, which is still standing, they gave
each other the kiss of peace, their hearts full of gratitude that
it had been given them to fulfil publicly and in face of the world
at the Shrine of the Apostle of the Gentiles, what had been
begun in the secret vault of Montmartre.
The remaining sixteen years of his life were chequered with
many clouds of trouble, cheered though they were by the steady
progress of the Society in unwearied struggles with vice and
with error. Ignatius himself never left Rome, save on two
occasions, when he went as peacemaker to Tivoli, and once to
a castle of the Colonnas in the territory of Naples. But he fol
lowed with the deepest interest the labors of St. Francis Xavier
in India and Japan, of B. Peter Favre and his other Fathers
in Italy, Germany, the Low Countries, in Savoy, in Spain, Por
tugal and elsewhere, cheering them with frequent letters. B.
Peter he welcomed home when at length, after eight years' ab
sence and hardship, obedience brought him back to Rome to
die in his arms. St. Francis Borja, Viceroy of Catalonia, and
Duke of Gandia, left his state and broad lands to fill the void
caused by Favre's death. St. Ignatius made every son of his,
however distant, in India or in Brazil, feel the warm beatings
of a Father's heart in those wonderful letters which tell better
than anything its tenderness, its courage, its strength, and when
needs be, its sternness.
To far off Japan, to mysterious Abyssinia, to Ireland torn
by heresy and faction, to Scotland tottering to its ruin, to the
Congo, opened out long before the days of modern travel by
the children of Ignatius, the General from his little room at
Santa Maria della Strada, sent his brave sons on the message
of peace. To England he would have sent them if his zeal had
not been baffled by politicians. Then as ever his children had
to suffer even from Catholic hands and in Catholic countries,
and every sorrow of theirs found its echo in his soul, so jealous
for the glory of God, and so sensitive to their sufferings, so
indifferent to his own.
The walls of his humble rooms still exist, their holiness is
still respected, and they could tell that the source and spring
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 367
of all he did was his constant union with God, a prayer which
found its food in every creature of the Creator. For each
flower, each star, each beautiful object in creation lifted his
heart up to Heaven. He loved to step out at night on a bal
cony, which has been preserved, and to gaze upon the calm still
ness of a southern starlit sky, as if lifting his eyes longinghr
towards his home, and he would sigh and say "How vile the
earth is when we look at Heaven !" So constant grew this his
habit of looking upwards that he was known familiarly to pas
sers-by as the man whose eyes were ever heavenward. Such
was his devotion at office that his tears flowed in such streams
that there was peril of his losing his sight ; and it was at length
found necessary to obtain for him a dispensation from the Pope
and a prohibition to say his breviary. At Mass his devotion
got the better of him so completely that he often spent an hour
at the altar, and was forced to celebrate in private, while the
saying of two Masses on Christmas night threw him into a
fever.
St. Ignatius was naturally very fond of the chants and ser
vices of the Church, but he sacrificed this pleasure and departed
so far from the practice of former days as to lay no obligation
of choir on his Order. He felt the absolute need of devoting
all its time to the active work of teaching, of preaching and ad
ministering the Sacraments, and he would leave to others that
sublime duty of echoing on earth the perpetual service of the
blessed before the Throne. Still he valued at its full the
Liturgy, and when the ceremonies of Holy Week were to be
gone through in his church, he was so anxious that they should
be done as well as possible, that he used to send for those who
were to take part in them, and make them rehearse them several
times in his presence.
Much as the Saint valued prayer, much as he sought in it
the light and grace which he needed for himself, and which
he asked for others, yet he ever taught by his own practice how
necessary it was to join to it self-conquest; for otherwise, as
he remarked, persons given to prayer easily become too wedded
to their own ideas. His constant prayer was "Grant me, O
368 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
God, humility and loving reverence." His lowly opinion of
himself was shown, not only in his first refusal of the office of
General, but in his effort to resign the post, even long before
his health had so far incapacitated him that pity for his feeble
ness forced his children to accept the resignation. His plea
was that it was easy to find one who would fill the post better
or less ill than he. He ever feared that others should take him
for anything more than he was. His confessor had hinted that
if he outlived the Saint he would have marvels to disclose. The
Saint gave him a severe public penance ; and when the Father
died before his penitent, his friends suspected that this was in
answer to the prayer of St. Ignatius.
The holiness of our Saint stood the test of the Apostle's say
ing, for never did he offend by the tongue. He was most care
ful not to exaggerate or to use superlatives, so common in
southern speech. Never did he say a word against another nor
use a harsh word of reproach, nor did he allow himself to ex
press an unfavorable judgment of anyone. He always pre
ferred to get those who were in fault to acknowledge their
error, so the more successfully to be able to correct them. What
was perhaps most notable in him was the complete control
which he had obtained over his naturally fiery temper. He was
sweet and gentle, when sweetness and gentleness were needed,
and yet could at the right time speak with such severity as to
make the offender tremble before him, though the next moment
he would return to his usual calm. He adjusted this severity
to a nicety, according to the virtue of the person with whom he
had to deal, and while considerate and gentle with the weak,
he might have appeared hard and exacting to a fault when deal
ing with men of tried virtue, like Lainez.
A proof of St. Ignatius' wise foresight and of his blindness,
when needs be, to thoughtless faults, was best seen in his long
suffering the freaks of the boy novice Ribadeneira, whose
grateful pen WP.S afterwards to give us the charming biography
of the Saint. In one of his fits of juvenile waywardness the
youth showed the power which Ignatius could exert over hearts,
by walking all the way from Louvain to Rome in the midst of
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 369
a cruel winter to seek comfort in his troubles in the sight of
his friend and father. The sick had a special place in the heart
of St. Ignatius. When he had ordered some extra comforts
for the invalids and the bursar told him there was not money
in the house even to buy food for the community, he bade him
sell some of the very small supply of crockery and furniture
which the house then possessed and get the delicacies for the
sick.
His hidden life is told us in the more than human wisdom
of his Exercises, of which it was ever the outward expression.
Therein we can read the maxims which he carried out in every
detail of his life. The secret of his success, the source of the
courage which supported him are to be found in his quiet trust
in God. Yet he fully recognized how God demands that man
should do his part. However, stiff and decided he might be in
carrying out his resolves when once he saw it was God's wish,
his action was wisely slow, and he studied carefully and chose
the best times and the seasons. At all other times he anxiously
sought and readily followed the opinion of others.
He had also a Saint's discernment when to lay aside human
prudence and cast his care on God. His hands were already
well rilled with pious works, beyond and above his care of the
Society, and yet he undertook the whole responsibility of the
refuge for fallen women at St. Martha, and braved the scoffs
and vile insinuations of the wicked, and the worldly-wise criti
cisms of the good. No labor was too great, he urged, to pre
vent one single mortal sin, or to promote God's glory in any
way; and once, when that was at stake, he stayed fourteen
hours waiting without food for an audience at a great man's
door.
The reward came at last. Ignatius was now sixty-five. He
was constantly prostrated by illness. Age had not bent his up
right form, nor blanched his hair, his face was winning and
full of a noble dignity. Yet the responsibilities of his world
wide work, and the heats of a more than unusually hot Roman
slimmer brought on a fever. But it did not seem serious. On
the last day but one of July, 1556, he suggested to his Vicar
370 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
that it was time to go and beg for him the Papal blessing, as he
was near his end. Neither the doctors nor the Fathers could
believe this, and so the message was delayed, even the last Sac
raments were not administered. Next morning was Friday,
and at early dawn St. Ignatius was found actually dying, and
before the holy oils could be brought, about an hour after sun
rise, he expired with the words, "Jesus, Jesus" on his lips.
In 1622 Gregory XV. canonized our Saint. His relics lie in
a sumptuous chapel, within the Church of the Gesu which was
built in the place of Santa Maria della Strada.
YE ANGELS, NOW BE GLAD
Ye angels, now be glad,
And thou exult O earth!
Loyola's happy shade
Rejoice at thy Saint's birtK.
Loyola's son, all hail,
By angels crowned above^
Ignatius, father dear,
Accept thy children's love.
On Pampeluna's walls
The leader of the band,
Behold our youthful Saint
Defends his native land.
Stretched on a bed of pain
Christ's holy life he reads,
While for his mis-spent youth
His heart now sorely bleeds.
"Begone, Oh sinful world,
I'll never serve thee more,"
He cries, "I'll bear the Cross
Which Jesus for me bore."
Manresa's sacred grot
Beholds him prostrate lie,
Communing with his God, ^
And hears his fervent cry.
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 371
At Peter's sainted throne,
Behold its champion kneels,
The sword of truth resolved
In its defence to wield.
A champion of peace
On many a well-fought field,
His victories left no stain
On his untarnished shield.
His conflicts now are passed,
His mission here is done,
.With Saints he reigns above,
And Heaven's forever won.
APPARITION TO
B. DOMINICA, V.O.S.D.
FLORENCE, ITALY
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 373
APPARITION
TO
B. DOMINICA, V.O.S.D.
FLORENCE, ITALY
I525
We beg for pardon, and we know 'tis granted,
We see in Thy Face, oh, Babe Divine,
Thy Mother's gentle voice has pleaded for us,
Redeemed once more we leave Thy sacred shrine.
N a village near Florence there lived a young- girl,
the daughter of poor parents, named Dominica.
From her childhood she honored the Holy Virgin,
fasted with that intention every day in the week,
and on Saturdays distributed amongst the poor the food of
which she had deprived herself. She placed the flowers of her
garden before the image of Mary, who, from her earliest youth,
loaded her with the most signal favors. At the age of ten years,
being one day at the window, she saw in the street a beautiful
woman, holding by the hand a child whose feet and breast were
wounded. "Who has wounded that child?" asked Dominica.
"Love," replied the mother. Dominica, charmed with the
beauty of the child, asked him if his wounds were painful. He
made no answer, but the mother said : "Tell me, my daughter,
what induced you to crown those images with flowers?" "My
love for Jesus and for Mary," replied the girl. On the instant
the Holy Virgin appeared under the form of a great Queen,
surrounded by light : the Child shone like a sun. He took those
same flowers and laid them on the head of Dominica, who, rec
ognizing in these august personages, Jesus and Mary, had pros
trated herself before them. Thus ended the Vision. Dominica
subsequently took the habit of St. Dominic, and died in the
odor of sanctity in the year 1552.
-~From Year of Mary,
374 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
A STORY OF ITALY
Where the silver waves of Arno past the towers of Florence flow, —
Where in verdant fields of Florence, scarlet lilies bud and blow, —
Dwelt a poor and saintly maiden, full three hundred years ago.
For the love of Mary Mother, she had fasted every day,
To the poor of Blessed Mary she had given the food away,
And on Mary's joyous Saturdays had gathered garlands gay.
Then, where Mary Mother's Image made her dwelling always bright,
Clasping close the dear Child Jesus all the day and all the night,
She had laid the brilliant garlands as an offering in their sight.
One day, looking forth, beheld she a woman wondrous fair,
With her, waiting in the street, a little child was there;
Both stretched forth beseeching hands, as asking food and care.
But behold ! when food she brought them, needed they no opened door,
In the room they stood beside her. Lo, on hands and feet He bore; —
That fair Child who noiseless entered — deep, dread wounds that
pierced them sore.
Then she spoke unto the woman : "Who could wound this little child ?"
"Love it was," the woman answered, and her voice was sweet and mild ;
"Doth it hurt thee?" asked the maiden. He for answer only smiled.
Wounds on tender hands; ah, pity! wounds on tender tiny feet,
On the young Child's breast a deep wound where the gentle heart doth
beat,—
Yea, but from the awful wound-prints comes a fragrance passing sweet.
"Is this ointment? what can buy it?" "Faith and works," the mother
said,
Humbly then the maiden offered unto child and mother bread,
But it was by love for Jesus that the little Child was fed.
Even the word itself refreshed Him, all His face with gladness shone,
Quoth He : "Love Him, love Him ever. That shall lead thee safely on,
Teach thee how to serve Him truly, till thou stand before His throne."
Sweeter, sweeter came the fragrance from the wounds so dread to see,
"O my God !" exclaimed the maiden, "what can Heaven's fragrance be,
$irtcc th* orlor in my dwelling makes me die of love to Thee!"
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 375
And then radiant, changed and glorious, robed in garments of a queen,
All enshrined in brilliant brightness was that wondrous woman seen;
And the little Child, resplendent as the sun in Heaven His mien.
Jesus, Mary, stood before her. Down upon her knees she fell,
Ah! the rapture of that vision, who may think and who can tell?
Needs saint's pen for saintly story, and what saint could write it well,
Like that holy little maiden, low upon my knees I lie,
Unto Jesus and to Mary with an aching heart I cry:
Hungry, thirsty, faint and weary, feed me, feed me, lest I die.
Banish from me earthly riches, take all earthly love from me,
Love Divine is all I ask for in my shame and misery;
I will never cease to ask it till the Face of God I see.
What doth feed Thee, Child of Mary, make my own and only food!
Though He slay me, make me love Him, Mary, Mother of my God;
By thy Mother-heart I ask it, and by His Most Precious Blood.
Child whose Sacred Heart was riven, Child whose hands and feet have
bledl
Give me deep, sincere repentance wherewith Thou art comforted;
Then by my love let me feed Thee : by Thy love let me be fed.
Susan L. Emery.
OUR LADY OF ITALY
Longfellow makes Prince Henry in the Golden Legend solil
oquize as he and Elsie come into Italy :
"This is, indeed, the Blessed Mary's land
Virgin and Mother of our dear Redeemer."
Yet we must not claim too much even for lovely Italy. Spain
is also "the land of the most holy Mary." In the vision of
Catharine Laboure, the rays from the outstretched hands of
the Blessed Mother of God fell most abundantly on her native
France. Even in England of to-day, it is easy to find from her
ancient churches and the customs and traditions which linger
among her people, a reason for her olden title, "Our Lady's
D^wer."
376 APPARITIONS AND SHRINES OF
The humblest woman or child in Italy understands Our
Lady's place in the Church as well as the theologian. Look at
yonder young peasant mother, with the cruel grief in her tear
ful dark eyes ; listen to her as she lifts imploring hands and
sways back and forth in the passion of her prayer, seeking the
intercession of her dear Madonna for a sick child or a way
ward husband at some favored Shrine : "Help me ; you can do
it, you understand my need, because you are a woman and a
mother."
To the Italian, "the dear Redeemer" is always the Son of
His Mother, alike on Calvary as in Bethlehem ; and to their
logical minds he who praises the Son, be it ever so fervently,
and disparages the Mother, is not a good Christian.
In Rome alone nearly one hundred churches are dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin, from the Basilica of St. Mary Major's
in the Esquiline, one of the four patriarchal basilicas, to the
little circular chapel of Our Lady of the Sun in the Velabrum,
supposed to be an old-time Temple of Vesta.
St. Mary Major's is a very ancient church, dating from the
reign of Pope Liberius, A. D. 352. The story of its origin is
the vision of John the Patrician and his wife, the chosen site
covered with snow in summer, in memory of which miracle
the Church keeps the feast of Santa Maria ad Nives — Our
Lady of the Snow — on August 5, when rose-leaves fall through
the dome of St. Mary Major's during Mass, in token of that
wondrous snowfall of old.
In this church is the Borghese Chapel, the largest and most
magnificent family chapel in the world, whose decorations are
an exposition of the Catholic teaching in regard to Our Lady
conceived Immaculate, Mother of Christ, ever Virgin. One
of the Madonnas, attributed to St. Luke, is above the altar.
The four great prophets, leading with Isaiah, who foretold the
Virgin Mother, are in the pendatives of the dome. Aaron and
David, her priestly and her kingly ancestors; St. Joseph, her
spouse, and St. John the Evangelist, her adopted son, are com
memorated in statues; St. Luke, who gives the sufficient
foundation of all Catholic devotion to her in the first chapter
HEAVEN'S BRIGHT QUEEN 377
of his Gospel, is the subject of a large fresco. The Doctors of
the Church who wrote best of her, the spiritual and military
conquerors in her name, the defenders of her Immaculate Con
ception, her poets, and the women-saints who, like her, were
wedded virgins, are all depicted in this chapel.
The forest of white pillars in the nave of the Basilica, the
first American gold in its ceiling, speak eloquently in fact and
symbolism in Our Lady's honor. Yet St. Mary Major's in its
vastness and whiteness, oppressed and dazzled me. Much
more appealing and devotional was Santa Maria in Trastevere
— titular church of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons — which,
for the mosaics in the sanctuary and some other points of fam
ily resemblance, I called a little sister of St. John Laterals.
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 Ill 163
Angelus Domini and Regina Coeli, The II 227
"Angelus," The Ill 145
Annunciation, The I 9
Annunciation, The (Poetry) I 10
Antiquity of Shrines I 61
Apparition of Jesus to Our Blessed Lady, The I 32
" Our Blessed Lady I 251
" Our Lady of Wroxhall I 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 299
" " 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, O.S.D II 305
" " 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
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Apparition to B. Edmund Campion Ill 67
" Francis M. Shanuboga IV 35
" Gavan Dunbar, Bp II 339
" B. Hermann Joseph I 3H
" B. John Massias, Lady Brother, O.P Ill H7
" Juan Diego HI 13
" King William the Good I 257
" B. Lucy of Narni, O.S.D II 305
" B. Magdalen Pcnnatieri, 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 I7S
" " Peter De Basto, Lay Brother, SJ Ill 97
" Rev. Michael De La Fontaine, SJ 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, SJ Ill 91
" St. Alphonsus Maria De Liguori, L>.CV S.S.R. Ill 251
" St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ Ill 59
" St. Angela of Foligno, W.OS.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, V M 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.Q.S.F,. . , • • • , H 3*
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Apparition to St. Gertrude, V. Ab. O.S.D II 127
St. Gregory Thaumaturgas I 103
" St. Henry I 249
" St. Hyacinth II 25
" St. Ignatius De Loyola, F.SJ 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, M.M I 149
" St. Mechtilde, V. ab. O.S.B II 115
" St. Monica, W I 157
" St. Nicholas Tolentine, OS. A II 171
" St. Norbert, Abp. F I 273
" St. Peter Celestine II 107
" St. Peter Nolasco II 47
" St. Philomena, VM I in
" " St. Raymond Nonnatus, O.M II 53
" St. Rose of Lima, V.O.S.D Ill 125
" B. Stephana Quinzani, V.O.S.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
" Yen. Joan of Arc, F 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
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 I 195
Cathedral of Chartres I 76
Child of Mary II 19
Childhood of Mary I 8
Christmas I 14
Christmas Day Ill 100
Christmas Masses, The I 206
Christmas Legend, A I 205
Christ in the Temple I 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 i?
Girlhood of Mary I
God Our Father II 168
Good Use of Time Ill 255
Graces Obtained through the Intercession of Blessed Mar
garet Mary IV 290
Grove of Laurels, The II 158
Guardian of America, The Ill 236
Guida's Queen IV 239
Hail, Holy Queen I 296
Hail, Mary! II 283
Hail, Star of the Sea I 102
Heavenly Trinity on Earth I 28
Heaven's Bright Queen I 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 1 1
Herman's Gift I 317
Holy Family, The II 290
Holy Name of Mary IV 193
Holy PicUre, The IV 309
How Advantageous It Is to Hear Holy Mass II 119
How St. Mechtilde Prepared for Death II 118
Hymn to Our Lady, A IV 4
Hymn to St. Aloysius Ill 95
Hymn to the Virgin II 320
"Immaculate." II 162
Immaculate Conception II 324
Immaculate Conception, The II 283
Immaculate Conception, The II 316
In Lone Premontre's Valley I 278
In Mary's Arms II 338
Innocence Rescued I 26
Invocation of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament IV 300
Invocation to the Prioress Tale I 181
Ireland's Offerings to Our Lady of Lourdes IV 32
Irish Lamp at Lourdes, The IV 33
Judea — Palestine I 7
Knight of Our Lady of Mercy, The IV 277
Last Advice of Blessed Angela and Her Happy Death II 167
Lead, Kindly Light Ill 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 114
"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
Muzarabic Chapel of Toledo, The I 199
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
Mystical Rose, The I 42
Mystical Rose, The (Poetry) Ill 201
Mystic Bridal of St. Catharine, The I 147
Mystic Marriage of St. Katharine II 207
My Lady's Ways I 250
My Medal Ill 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 365
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 Ill 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 HI 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 HI 201
Prayer for Peace II J45
Prayer for Victory in Temptations IV 317
Prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Prayer to Our Lady HI lSl
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 256
Prayer to St. Ildephonsus Ill 256
Prayer to St. Joseph HO
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Ill 4°
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
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin IV 3*1
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin IV 3*5
Prayer to the Holy Virgin 271
Prayer to the Madonna 1 12
Prayer to the Most Holy Sacrament II 212
Prayer to St. Philomena II 237
Prayer to the Queen of Peace IV 31°
Prayer— "Pietate Tua" IQ6
Prayer : "Virgin Most Holy" II 334
Purification, The 17
Purification (Poetry) l8
Queen Above All Other Women IV 250
Queen Immaculate IV 258
Queen of Purgatory II 17&
Queen of the Rosary IV 150
Queen of Seasons, The HI 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 Ill 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 Lady 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 117
" 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 209
" Our Lady of Lourdes (New Mexico) IV 183
" Our Lady of Lujan Ill 155
" 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 319
" " Our Lady of Perpetual Help IV 73
" Our Lady of Pilar I 70
" 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 I5i
" 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 Ill 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.OS.F II 73
Sixth Apparition to Estelle IV 130
Song of Praise to the Blessed Virgin IV 308
Sphinx, The 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 35
St. Gertrude's Speaking Crucifix II 145
St. John the Baptist 3
St. John Damascene I 220
St. John the Evangelist 59
St. John of Matha II 6
Star of the Sea I 3O2
Star of the Sea, The 190
Statue, Shrine and Pilgrimage IV 188
Stella Matutina T4
St. Lawrence of Dublin Ill "9
St. Mungo's Bell H 351
Story of Italy, A 374
St. Stanislaus . m 57
INDEX.
VOL. PAGE.
St. Thomas a Becket 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
"Victimse 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 1 1
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.
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