The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-12-25
Letter from Father IHyacintiae.

At the meeting of the American evan
gellcal alliance at New York, on Thurs
day, Rev DIR. Leonard W. Bacon an
nounced that he was now translating for
publication several discourses Of Father
Hyacinthc, aud read lengthy letter
from the distinguished visitor, of which
the following are the most interesting
passages | remain faithful to my
church, and ii have lifted up my pro.
test against the exceses which dishonor
it and seem bent on its ruin, you may
measure the intensity of my love for
it by the bitterness Of my lamentation
When He who is in all things our mas.
and our example armed himself with
the scourge of cords against the prota.
ncrs of the Temple, His disciples re.
mcmbercd that it was written, The
zeal of Thy house has eaten me up
| co .tinue faithful to my church. but am
none the less sensible of the interest
which will be taken in other churches
in what | may say or do within the pale
of Catholicism. Furthermore, | have
never denied that the Christian commu-
nicns separated from Rome were disln-
herited of the Holy Ghost, and without
a part in the immense work Of the pre-
para,iou of the kingdom Of God. In my
relations with some Of the most pious
and the most learned of their members
| have experienced in those depths OF
the soul, where illusion is impossible, the
unuterable blessing of the communion
of saints. Whatever divides US exter-
nal]y in space and time vanishes like a
dream before that which unites us with
iu-the grace Of the same God, the
blood of the same Christ, the hopes of
the same eternity. Whatever our pre-
iudice, our alterations Or irritations, I'M
der the eye of God who seeth what we
cannot SEE, under His hand which lead
eth US whittier we would not 60, we are
laboring in common for the upbuildiDg
of that church of the future, which shall
be the church of the past in its original
purity and beauty; but shall have, be-
sides, the depth of its analysis, the
breadth of its synthesis, the experience
of its tolls, its struggles and its grlets
through all these centuries. In the sad
days of sclism and captivity the
word of the lord came to the prophet
Ezekiel saying; Thou son of man,
take the one stick and write upon it,
for Judah and for the children of Israel,
his companions': For Joseph the
stick of Ephraim and all the house of
Israel, his companions; and join them
Que to another into one stick, and they
shall become one in thy hand 10 me
likewise, who am the least of Christians,
in those visions of the soul which arc
never refused to our devout aspira-
tious, the Lord hath spoken. He has
placed in my hand these two sundered
and wi;hered branches-Rome and the
Children of Israel vino follow her; the
churches of the Reformation and the
STATIONS tha, are with them. l have
pressed them together on my heart, and
under the outpouring of my tears and
payers have SO joined them that hence
forth they might make but one tree
But men have laughed to scorn my
effort, seemingly SO mad, and have asked
If me, as of that ancient seer, VIII
thou not show US what thou meanes'
by these things'' And I, looking up
on that tree that seems still barren and
mu;ilated. even now behold the brilliant
flower aud the savory fuit. "One God
one faith, one baptism" "Aud there
shall be one flock and one shepherd.