The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-06-20
Letter From the Most Rev. Archbishop
Translated from the propaga.sur.l

CAMBRIA FRANCE, May 10th, 1875.
Although the French journals give you Ca
tholic news of general interest, desire, never
theless, to send some details of the grand cere-
mony which took place at Douai. last Monday,
18th May, in celebration of the anniversary of
the eucharistic miracle, which occurred in
that town in 1854. This anniversary was cole
brated this year with unusual pomp, because
the general committee on pilgrimages having
decided that this year should be specially oon-
secrated to eucharistic pilgrimages, it was
proper, frat of all, to celebrate the miracle
wrought at Louai, which is the most ancient
in the ecclesiastical history of France, of which
there are authentic details. Tho Feast of Mon
day was preceded by novena, during which
numbers Of pilgrims from the country around
came to approach the Sacramento and gain the
plensry Indulgence accorded by the Sovereign
Pontif on this occasion. During the two days
preceding the Feast, it is thought that more
than 40 900 persons arrived by the railroads,
on which the number of trains were doubled.
If the number of pilgrims who came by other
conveyances, and who were quite as numerous,
be added, it may safely be assumed that more
than $4,000 pilgrims were present to witness
the ceremonies.
From the break of day on the 18th the
churches were crowded, and during several
hours the clergy were engaged in giving Holy
Communion.
At ten o'clock there took place in the Church
of Notre Dame Eucbaristic Congress, COM
posed of the brethren of the Blessed Sacrament
from Paris, Cambria, Arras, Lille, valenciennes
and other towns.
Assembled there were two thousand Eve
hundred men, without counting two hundred
| ecclesiastics and the Bishops of Arras, Amiens,
LYDIA and Bucharest. The Cardinal Arch
bishop of Cambria being compelled to reserve
bis strength for the procession, was not present,
| and was forced by the Bishops to take the
chair president. After the delivery of
very fine address by Mgr. Leguet to, Bishop of
Arraa, two reports were read, one by Mr..
Champeaux, of Lille, on the eucharistic works
| in the province of Cambria; tho other by one
! of the directors of the Bank of France on the
| eucharistic works in all the Dioceees IF
France. To close the session, which
was very interesting to me, was constrained
to address this assembly, which was really
magnificent, allocution for which was IN
prepared.
| To judge of the preparations for the process
sion and of the disposition of the population,
accompanied by Father Mignot returned on
foot to my lodgings at st. Johns College.
| All the streets, even those on which the pro.
cession was not to pass, were decorated more
magnifcently than they had ever been for any
Sovereign. The pilgrims in crowds passed
through the streets with recollection of man
ner as though the whole city had been trans
formed into one vast chapel. All wore on their
breasts the insignia of the pilgrimage. As
passed along they either knelt or bowed their
heads to receive my blessing These excellent
Flemings, so profoundly Christian, recalled to
my mind the robust Catholic inhabitants of
Brittany and Vendee.
The procession began to form at two O'Clock,
and its head had been marching for more than
an hour when the Blessed Sacrament, which
was preceded by two hundred Seminarians,
two hundred priests and the Bishops 1 have
mentioned, left st. Peters Church. Fifty
thurifer- bearers and fifty hower-throwers per-
formed their ceremonials in front of the Blessed
Sacrament.
Behind the canopy walked the Cardinal
Archbishop of Cambria, who, notwithstanding
| his and eighty years, preserves all his
vger and activity and who made, VIC all
did, this march which lasted nearly four hours
Behind him walked the first President of the
the regiments garrisoned at Douai, which is
strong post, and the other officers.
Along the whole route of the procession,
which extended about two and a half miles,
the decoratio of the houses, the drapery, the
garlands, all were of the most marvellous mag
niicence, while the embems and the devices,
which were to be seen on a great number of
edi6ces, made manifest the enthusiasm and
the piety of the residents.
There were three Repositories-wich can
not describe here-which were constructed
with admirable art. 1 noticed particularly
the repository erected by the military on the
vast esplanade all the decorations, composed
of arms, rifles, pistols, sabres, bayonets,
artistoauy arranged, glittered in the rays of
the and produced magnificent effect
Mortars were transformed into perfume-paps
whence the smoke of incense arose in mighty
columns. Gabions and fascnes surrounded