The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-01-19
Saint Ahne9.

lt,0Q ~
tin surviye ID the hsSrt OF ana
49, n toree,siOn is daily invoked thiOooSA1
ma the world, In the a,solesD Oeze1nSnlAlSS
she Holy Catholic chSFeh: q. ...,.pLet1
Hsr name was Agnes, hsr psrOrtaGA the iAor
bJsss Ia Rome. Life was very fair ANA Pssc'
istpp-but You know the story. 10 10 . Shoft
enc and Jet mOst beautiful. AT tweNe 3s.ts
of ere she was strong enough to die for Chrias'
and the record Of her martyrdom tells us that
abe went to death as gladly as u Wedding
feast.
Her tomb to-day, two miles out frsm che city
Of her birth, 10 annually visited by thousands
who, turning from the ruins of pagan pride
and Roman opulence, throug to this saered
spot to rev eronce ono OF Coos s"eeSeS1 S"in'S |
tho child martyr, Agnes!
And ono of Rome's hAndsomest churches
bears her name. 1t is within the walls OF
Rome. on the west side of tho Piazza Navona' |
ON the spot to which she was dragged by brutal
men for the purposes Of insult and and infamy.
1t 10 related that light SO dazzling surround
I'D the gentle girl, that they whO looked upon
her Loaf their sight and were stricken to the
ground. She was also exposed to FIRE, and NIL
raculously preserved, and finally was con-
demuoS to be beheaded. We are told that she
fNlDtcd at D!Rnb Oh bA0 I9Sh, o-o AS~ 49, r.
oers. end other Instruments of torture, until
being told that they were to be used against
her, as q Christian, her young heart put on ltS
armor of faith, and with wonderful courage
and marvellous endurance she resisted all hui
man efforts to turn her from her Goo. nee
hand. her little hand, could not bo moved by
tho strength Of men, although they sought TO
mako it offer incense to their idols; but when
tho sentence of death at last was spoken, ehe
made, in sight of her tormentors, the saving
sign of the blessed cross, and then bowed JOY
fully to that ferce stroke which severed her
fair young head from her body and sent her
pure soul straight to the presence Of it's Coles
tial Bridegroem!
There Is SO much that is sweet and winning
connected with this young saint that it is not
strange her fame has spread among all nations
! and that hymns and praises, both In prose and
, verse, have been written of her In oil ages and
all Languages. Her feast in ON tho 2lst OF
{ January, and it was in connection with this
/ approaching festival that we commenced to
: speak Of opr gentle saint.
+ Three years ago, in this city, there was
+ jealous priest, who grieved over the want OF
/ church in his parish which should DO proper
for tho service of God and suited to tho needs
of growing congregation He desired to
build tenn pie to God, but everything appear
cd to oppose his design. The times were hard,
tho congregation was poor, friends diseounten-
D anced the attempt, and our good priest felt
: that, humanity speaking, there was NO hand te
3 come to his assistance
It was in this moment of gloom and desola
ton, that there arose in the heart Of tho pastor
Q o yesrning for the help and prayers Of Godt
Il little ones. Tho Saviour had said that so
d such ID tho Kingdom of Heaven" and there
. fore to them he would look for aid in worl
It most pleasing to their Heavenly Master. Ac
o osrdingly he appointed day on which h
. would say Mass for the dear children of hi
n psrish-all should como, and while he CAV
4 them the blessings of Holy Church, they woul'
y give him offerings for his cherished work, an,
It these innocent gifts should be tho Josmdatio
10 of Gods new homo.
10 And it was even so-the babies brought thei
n gifts, and on this pure and holy groundw
the pastor commenced to build his churcl
l. By an unforeseen, but most beautiful como
q, denee, tho dsy Of that first babies Mass wa
ct she festival Of Saint Agnes, the child marty
D the patroness Of all childrenl :, - ...
u, Since then the work has gone on bravely
Sc nay, slmess miraeulously . beautiful strul
= ture now Hits its gxscefal proportions befol
81 the eyes Of MI, and the walls Of the children
n CHURCH are already City feet high-and IL
u niche for SaintA gnss' statue waits for the GO
that is to all it's setting. ''7i .ta - o.
To many persons, the work accomplished
y bot o simple, matter of-fact affair: the needle
- :, funds came to hand, friends gave encourag
"a mont, and all things tended to the desired en-
y but to the faith illpmined mind, other tbs
q, human haads have aided in the great desig
~ Upon the foundation laid by tho innece,
"a children, angels have been silently at wor
70 while Saint Agnes, watching from abov
~ guides the laborers' hands and watts to crow
both priest and people with the fuh resliz
~ ton of their hopes. .5r a.. .. ~. l.,s
- Often through the misty twilight, or bensa
10 the bright moonbeams, we can trace from o
- window the growing proportions of our "a
'tr chnrch and mark hov1 eanh dav brinoa n