The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-05-28 00:00:00

RECEPTION OF A POSTULANT INTO
THE ORDER OF MERCY,

On Tuesday afternoon a very interesting and im-
posing ceremony was performed in the chapel attached
to the Roman Catholic Hospital of "St. John of
Jerusalem and St. Elizabeth of Hungary," in Great
' Ormonedstreet, Bloomsbury, London. The Right Rev.
Dr. Morris, Bishop of Troy in partibus, officiated on
the occasion, which was the reception of a young lady
as a " postulant " into the Order of Our Lady of Mercy
to the Prioress and sisters of which Order the care of
that hospital is intrusted. The Bishop wore his mitre ;
he was supported on either side, during the service, by
two monks of the Dominican Order, who, like himself,
were dressed in gorgeous robes of gold and white.
The Prioress and sisters, in other words "the re.
ligious" being assembled, and the postulant being
dressed as a bride, a solemn procession was made into
the chapel, the sisters bearing lighted candles in their
hands. The postulent then kneeling asked the
Superioress for her blessing, and for the new name
which she will henceforth bear 'in religion." The
hymn "0 Gloriosa Virginum" was next sung, while
the postulant knelt in devotion before the altar.
After the antiphonal singing of some versicles, fol-
lowed the blessing of a wax candle, which was laid
by Bishop Morris on the altar, then sprinkled
with Holy water, and given into the hand of the toe.
tlant, who rose from her knees and remained seated
in the middle of the choir during the sermon. This
was preached by the Very Rev. Monsignor expel,
who expatiated at considerable length and with great
eloquence upon the beauty, holiness, and dignity of
the religions life, butat the same time dwelt on its great
responsibilities, and be concluded by urging the youth-
ful po4nlant- who, by the way, is an Irish lady
named Gallagher, and who takes in religion the name
of Sister Mary Clare—to consecrate to God those affec-
tions which in the world women consecrate to their
homes, and to act up to the yaws which she was this
day about to take.

At the end of the sermon the postulant was led by the
Prioress and an assistant sister to the Bishop, kneeling
before whom she made answer to the appointed ques-
tions as to the intention with which she sought "the
holy habit of religion, and whether she sought it by
her own free choice and will." This ended, she was
led away to put off her secular dress, and while the
Psalms 113th, 15, and 83rd were sung in Latin, the
celebrant formally blessed the habit and veil of the
postulant, and sprinkled them with holy water. After
the chanting of a few antiphons the habit and veil
were placed upon the postulant by the Bishop and
Prioress, and the postulant prostrated herself ltsfore
the altar while the " Veni Creator" was sung. Some
further genuflexions followed, after which the postu-
lant, or, as she must now be called, "the novice,"
embraced the religious sisterhood, and was saluted with
a kiss by the Prioress. The singing of the Inorl
Psalm. "Behold how good and joyful a thing it is,"
followed by the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament,
brought the religious service to an end. A collection
was made, which, it was understood, was to he devoted
to the funds of the hospital. Lady Lothian and a
large number of the English Roman Catholic aristo-
cracy were present at the ceremony.
The Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth was
establinhed in 185 G by the late Cardinal Wineman,
Lord Gairusborough, the late Duke of Norfolk, and
other Roman Catholic noblemen and gentlemen, who
formed themselves into a committee, undertook its
management and intrusted the nursing duties to the
sisters of this Order. In 1862, through the aid of Sir
George Bowyer, the hospital was enlarged and im-
proved, and the adjoining church and convent were
built. It was cloned, however, for a time, and re-
opened in 1868. The honpital receives both adults and
children ; it is not confined to the relief of Roman
Catholics, but opens its doors to Papists and Protest-
ants alike ; and it differs from mod other institutions
of a similar character in one especial point—namely,
the fact that it does not decline to take in incurable
canes. It has three spacious and airy wardn, one above
the other, the centre ward being devoted to little
children, several of whom we saw, in various stages of
debility, amusing themselves in their little cots with
toys, and showing by the smiles that played upon their
pale sick faces how happy and comfortable they were.
There are about thirty female invalids at present in
the hospital; but if funds were forthcoming it would
be siossible to make up beds for between forty and
fifty patients.