The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-19
Our Messed Lady Of Leurdss.

Sir-May beg OF you 20 DC 30 KirU %
to insert the accompanying letter ! naso
just received from the Very K1v. Can" J
Tandy, d. D. I am sure IT VIII % Ie1"
with interest by very many of your read
0''' Tnos. wALMsLET.
Bayswater, Jan. l6, 1871.
81 send you the following account OF sae
favors granted last year to two OF the SIS
ters of Charity of st. Paul, through ehe IN
'tercession of our Lady of Lourdes.
Of these one bad injured her leg, 10 tne
month of October, 1869, by sl!pp'ng ron shnt :
step-ladder as she was busting the smut
ters in the community-room. ExternaIy
the injury appeared to be very slight oot
she soon began to suffer acutely, % that IL
was necessary to call in medical aid. The
doctor at once pronounced the case TO oe
serious one, as he feared that one OF tne
principal nerves had been grievously
Wounded. He tried various remedies, but
withont much effect. Sometimes slight
amelioration took place, but it was not
lasting. Twice he infused opium into the
injured part of the leg, but each TING, aI1er
a day or two of comparative ease, Tue pam
returned with greater violence. inc ies
now began to shrink and wlther away, tiie
pain ascended above the knee, evidently
following the course of the nerve till 1t
reached the hip and the side, and even at
fected the spine. The knee-joint, TOO, be-
came contracted, SO that the Sister could
not straighten it, and the flesh became so
tender that she could not bear any one
even to touch the injured parts. lq tins
state she continued until the beginning OF
the month of May, being able to get about
only with the aid of Stick and clutch,
and then with great anguish. The doctor
declared that it was q hopeless case and
that he feared she would altogether lose
the use of both her legs.
"The other Sister had been afflicted for
q long time with sores and abscesseSin her
back and thigh, but had been able 10 con-
duct a large school till about the m idle of
1869, when it became necessary tl recall
her to St. Paul's. For several weeks she
was confined to her bed, as fresh assesses
kept forming and breaking, so that she was
reduced to a state of great weakness. To-
wards the end of April she had become
somewhat better, SO as to be able to sit up,
and even to get from ono room to ahother
with the aid of the infirmarian. Bht she
could neither walk nor stand without aid,
and her pains were at all times very acute.
"Such was the state Of the two Sisters
when it was resolved to have recourse to
our Lady of Lourdes. Having received
notice that two bottles of the water from
the grotto had been forwarded to St. Paul's,
May, hoping that the packet would'arrive
before the end of it, but in day or two
letter came to say that an accident had
happened to the case, and that one at least
of the bottles was broken, SO that the
agent did not like to forward it to it's desti-
nation. Still the Sisters continued their
Novena, asking our Lady to bring the un-
broken bottle safe to St. Paul's. Their
prayers were heard. The Doctor came
on Thursday, May 5th, and saw both the
Sisters. He particularly examined the
bruised leg OF the first named Sister, and
found it as small as ever. She could not
straighten it, nor put her foot to the
restless night between the 5th and 9Th of
May. The one with the XoAnasas1as d
nsiorning, Friday, May 9Th, the HGbf&len
bottle arrived. The capsule with mono
gram of our Lady of Lourdes was unbroken,
SO that it was evident that all was right. /
immediately took it up to the infrmary. 1
found the two Sisters lying on two touches
opposite each other dressed, but quite as
unable to move without assistance as they
had ever been. 1 gave them the bottle con-
tanning the water, and left them highly de-
lighted with the treasure, supposing, how
ever, that they would not take the water
till the end of the Novena. But as soon as
was gope they begged of the lithuanian
to let them drink some of it at once and
having obtained her consent and said the
prayers of the Novena, each at the same
moment took small glass of the blessed
water. In an instant the one who had been
suffering from the Assesses exclaimed, Il
feel that l can walk > and the other said,
= And 30 do > and suiting the action to the
words she jumped off the couch without
assistance, ran over, then danced round the
room, went into the next room, where an
other sister was lying i'll, and then to the
chapel. Every vestige of pain had left her,
and she could walk and run without any
Inconvenience. Then she went down
stairs without any extraueous support, to
present herself to the Rev. mother, and beg
of her to come to the chapel and recite the
Te Deum in her own name and that of the
other sister. For she had also got up from
her couch, unassisted in any way, and was
walking about without the aid even of a
stick. The emotion of the Rev. mother
may be better conceived than described.
But having convinced herself of the reality
of the favors granted by our Lady, she
summoned the community to the chapel.
and sent for me. need not say how
heartily we joined in the TIE Deun. in graft
tude for such wonderful favors. 1t is now
nearly eight months since the event, and
ever since the two Sisters have bid adieu
Er,i,