The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-02

LEANS, ANNOUNCING THE INAUGURATION OF o.
THE MONUMENT ERECTED IN HONOR OF OUR N
LADY OF LoURDEs, IN THE METROPOLITAN d
CHURCH OF NEW ORLEANS. lii
NAPOLEON JosEPH by the grace of God and favor OF
the Holy Ses Archbishop of New Orleans Preiate of
the Papal Household, Assistant OF the Pontihcal r
Throne, Roman Count, etc. t..
70 the Ssrgy in s5 jesus Christ Our Lord
Be,oved Fsllou-Laborers of the Clergy aud Dear i
Bre,hren of the Laity Oar Catholic popula- !
tion, always SO remarkable by a most ardent
devotion towards Mary, the Immaculate Vir- .
gin, the Mother of God, and the Queen Of An
gels and men, has been for o long time deeply
moved at the recital Of the wonderful miracles
constantly performed at the Grotto OF Lourdes,
q place sanctifed some sixteen years ago by
the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. On
several occasions, pious members OF the clergy
and Laity have manifested to us the wish that
the devotion to our Lady of Lourdes shoald
be established in our diocese in public and
solemn manner !; and As this wish conceded
with the inclination of our own heart and our
6lial love to that good and tender Mother, we
have determined to erect in the chapel of the
Blessed Virgin of our Metropolitan Church,
monument, which, in recalling as much as pos |
aible the Grotto of Lourdes, will transmit to
those who will come after ON enduring MEM
orial of our tender devotion towards her, who
said of herself: am the Immaculate Concep-
ton.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception,
which ia celebrated on the Sth of December,
being feast of obligation for all tho Catholics
of the United States, and being moreover the
patronal feast of the whole country, is ma
turally the most appropriate day for the lnau-
puration of the monument of our Lady Of
Lourdes it is the day we have selected for
this ceremony; and by this solemn Inaugural
ton we intend placing in special manner the
city and diocese Of New Orleans under the
powerful and maternal protection of the I'm
maculate Mother Of GOD.
Comfortably to the words which she herself
uttered in her apparitions at the Grotto, we
shall beseech her to restrain the arm of her Di-
vine Son, so justly raised against us; and to
obtain for us that spirit of penance which alone
can disarm the justice of the Lord and in or
der that our prayers may be more favorably
heard, We shall make to Him the sacrifice OF
our extravaganza, follies, vanities, and sensual
inclinations, and immoderate love of pleasure,
and of all other evil habits which have drawn
upon MS the chastisements of heaven, and pre-
pared for us, more than any other cause, the
ruin Of our beloved country.
We will beg of her to watch ovez our Holy
Mother, the Catholic Church, attacked by 81
many embittered enemies, and to cover will
her protection the glorious Pontid who, by tn
definition of tho dogma of the Immaculate
Conception has added 30 brilliant a flower t.
the diadem of the Queen of heaven and earth
We shall ask her to procure for the just tn
courage and firmness SO necessary in these evl
days to persevere unto the end, and to Obtain
for the sinner the grace of conversion, as wei
as for our wandering brethren tho happines
to return to the only true Church, out c
which there is no salvation.
AS for us, we shall thank her from the bo
tom of our heart for the striking Catholic pre-
gress, which manifests itself more and NOR
in our Diocese, and which we mainly attribut
to her powerful intercession; we shall be
of her to keep it up and develop it more an
more; for it is our sweetest consolation in th
midst of the trials and pains, which 1T hi
pleased Almighty God to send US. But at til
came time we shall beg of her, to have pity Q
on our dear Louisiana, now 30 severely trie'
and to avert all those evils by which we ST
her so miserabIy oppressed, and again
which all human efforts seem to be entirel
pewerless; we shall beg of her to restore
us our ancient prosperity, promising her
we have in the past.
You see, Beloved Brethren, that it is OF
dearest interest to unite our prayers on this SC
emn occasion, and being Frustrated at the fe
of that Mother of Mercy, to send forth to her o.
most earnest suppleations. that we may MOI
her, and obtain from he= that she may loo
upon us with eyes of compassion, filing oil
souls with hope and life.
Alas, among those we are now addressin
more than one will likely refuse to listen
our voice, or take notice of our appeal Ms
more, several will perhaps answer us only b
their impious sneers and injurious blasphemie
We shall pray for them particularly, De-
Brethren; we shall ask for them, through Il
intercession of Mary, those powerful grac
which open the eyes the most obstinate
closed against light, those graces that soft'
the hardest hearts, and incline wills to goo
in order that we may all, after celebrating Il
praise of the Immaculate Virgin on earth, d
serve to contemplate and praise her in heave
u