, 1876-09-24
RELIGIOUS.
Tho Miracle Season---A Trip
to Lourdes.
Uhat the 'EStandard'' Thinks
Concerning g FilioQue.''
Sturgeon and Stanley---An Attack
on Church Sociables.
Kotcs and Personals at Home and Abroad
-..Chureh Services.

fotcS and PERSONALS at Home and Abroad
..-Church Services.
THE MIRACLE SEASON.
THE SHRINE AT LouRDEs.
london 7s'nes, Sept. 2.
The French miracle season has agnin COM
reneHd The U'iveTs, as We stated yesterday,
has received news from Lourdes Of an unusually
rucccssful week. No less than 1000 pilgrims
yisited the place last Wednesday, and further
distant detachments we're on the road A
roung girl, deaf and dumb from her birth, has
been completely cured already, and VIC may be
1ure that similar effects in other cases will
shortly follow the use Of the wonder-working
yprins. The prospects Of the season are there
fore encouraging, and the results Of the pil-
rims visits are, it is clear, In certain sense
most substantial A golden palm is to be pre-
,euted By the pilgrims from Italy as an Offering
On behalf Of the Hoiy Father, and VIC may pre-
sume that some Of the band will be at least
equally anxious and equally inclined to be
liberal On their own account, and will add
something, accordingly to their joint votfve
gft. The little village Of Lourdes has certain
+ every reason to feel grateful to the powers
Who have chosen it for its present distinction.
It has thriven wonderfully since; its buildings
are Of quito another character from what tler
ge1e 20 years ago; its lands have risen enor-
mousIy in value, and its streets are thronged
By crowds who would never have visited It, and
probably would never have heard of It, If it had
been lett to rely upon its merely mundane at
fractions. There Is no need to inquire too Gu
riously into the reality OF all that has been re-
ported to have happened at Lourdes. We had
cure. It is quite enough for us that such things
are stated. We are sure that no dcmonstra-
lion Of their untruth would convince those who
now believe in them, or those who are interest
81 in Keeping up the belief Of Others.
We We should + Iks H. to S;1 know, I, however, to
crowds OF deyotees who visited Lourdes last
Ecck hold, to their own satisfaction, that the
place On which they have gazed is as holy as 1t
prctends to be! DO their spiritual guides be-
iieve it! Do the Inhabitants OF the village be-
heyeit! Does anybody, In short, believe it,
Now, these are questions to which we must not
expect too precise an answer Skepticism may
exist, We know, In quarters where it is least
likely to be suspected, and SO, doubtless, may
faith. We cannot read mems thoughts. We
must Judge as We best can from their words or
actions, and We may find, after all, that we have
been in error. But the attempt, nevertheless,
may be worth masking, the rather as we may
chance to pick up something Of interest by the
way.
Now the special claim Of Lourdes upon the
gratitude Of some part OF the Catholic world,
and upon the faith aud reverence Of the whole,
consists III the special influence which the Virgin
has been pleased to exercise there, and which
she has, SO to say, domiciled in the place. It is
not only in the past that the spring which she
has blessed and the shrine which she has raised
In her honor have had their good effect upon
the bodies Of her faithtul worshipers~ As our
latest news informs us, they still continue to
work in the same fashion, and they are, We may
safely say, just as potent as they ever hare
been. 4 strange part Of the affair is, however,
that the supplicants for the Virgins favor
are drawn entirely from a distance, and that
most qualified to pronounce on the case, or most
boun1 by the verdict they have pronounced al
ready. The people Of Lolrdcs, it is well known,
make no secret OF their belief that the whole
the evidence on which the miraculous chapter
first rested, and Of the credibiity OF the wit
nesscs to whom the first supernatural appear
snrc was revealed. They see, too, all That Is
from time to time announced as occurring in
their very midst and they yet remain upper
suaded. But these Door peasants, it may be
said, can hardly be thought worth talking
about. Persons who are better instructed, and
who have had Just IS good opportunities OF
Judging. hare taken the contrary view. The
afair is of class which belongs pecul-
iarly to the priests, aud those are Ia no
doubt as to the truth of what has been
seen and done. One would suppose, however,
in such case, that this body of select witnesses
rhaer> .nd 1srts IN advontanes ,rh;s.,, +he1 ore
~ onr;n,,s ~ ~. axt.nd tn GtIors T. III 40
sases howcver1 Is 1.onedes freoncnted hv
ecStos;ast;.nt ~ r,+har IN: lav 1vnrshincrsa ~
tha 1snt;re nfrer;,1s n,adr +herr Lnx nnanu
Lere 'o,,,a fr,n, a,-:iss;as4;ca, h.n1s1 M the
c7res xrh;ch ~. Virgins nrosance hoe wrnnrht
how ,'.nS " hsr.. 1,eeS aona 1,nnn fhe hndifs II
thoss n,.,st a.nn.;aliv dcvoted tn her servca9 It
is NO. that fsatbaj;a 1ecsts ore ,nvsrfshlv carr-
iess shnIt +ho;r haa1fh ~ tbat ,lav ar- mr. ahie
IT, afTnr;s ~. a~rcnss of a v;sit tn the holy
snr;n1 .iraA0 r;thar ~ ha +he c.se sometimes.
hrt 1So faats ~ +ha sse hefI,ro nc are Mt thns
~ - "~,1o;,,'a s.,sa, h. Prranean 1rotar;no
nIaces arr hx ~, man. chcan heaith-rasorts. BIT
fons,,,d h13 ~ - - - he saon there hv thc hnn
drad Hea1tt, e +hr thinr so,ipht for.
hnt T. ss so,,y,t MT at i,onri1es'
~ os e,,nars,a+,,r,1 o;ft h,,+ NJ III
o,ot ~ - ~ ,,ah ,,,,e hi ne mos+ ~
ainsr, aots,s.I aHan+s hara hea, ot+r;hntcd.
TIER ,nev he res1ie as oreot cref1litv shown in
the .',n 80 ~ - =. tt,e - d;her W. Wished onIV
r. tnn1r ~ .'i,a1bar ny the rerer.nd n;rertors at
Fren@h p;'.e;,a.as na,, ho tho,,ght r. share the
he1;aT +ha.e ;m,.9sa ofTc;oi1v ~ others and We
hsvs f1a ra'; ..asar, - srnnose thst thev 40
nnt Wa ~. bardIv a,connf e1sn fnr the M
tor;ons sI,.t acja ~ With flss Prrenees every wear
nrasant Gantorcte ranv Hnnnes md oiher
pp1s+~sa a. 80 I1a~ eaan snorn;ny WITH
pres*s y. ~. hra ~ s,enr3" mhn ro;rht
r. thn,,fIht l'o1,I,S -, +as+; nerson tn tj5ejr
sonr;.s;5,n - ~ s',f,;e;en.v If Tn1rles and of