The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-05
fCommunicatedI
First Communion at the Ursuline Day Schools

| [Communicated.I
First Communion at the Ursuline Day Schools
"Sutfer the little children to come unto me
| for of such is the kingdom of Heaven"
1t was my good fortune to witness, on the
morning of the 2nd, q scene the remembrance
| Of which will never fade from my mind. 1t
| was the ceremony of the first communion of
some Of the children attending the day school
of the Ursuline nuns. Ushered into q neatly
and very tastefully arranged chapel, took g
seat near a window, through which the cool
| refreshing breeze of the morning foated in.
Several ladies aud gentlemen, parents no
| doubt of the children, were presentlall seated
on one side of the chapel as the seats in the
middle were reserved for the first commuDi-
osnts and the scholars.
Shortly before the appointed hour for the
Mass His Grace, the archbishop, came in, Glad
in his violet robes, ami attended by a priest.
The harsh ringing notes of bell soon broke
upon the air, and ere it's tones had died away,
| the sound of distant voices chanting melodi-
ous hymn was waited in upon the breeze
through the windows, and soon a procession
composed of the com icants, preceded by a
cross borne by one of the school children, en-
tered the chapel. They were clad in spotless
white, and they bore lighted tapers in their
hands. Behind them came the school-children
dressed in white with blue ribbon belts and
neck-ties.
The procession fled into the chapel and Ia 9
children occupied the seals in tha middle.
There wGs simplicity and uniformity of
dress among them which was very pleasing to
the eye and it seemed to me that sweet essen
ces of purity and innocence hang around
them. AS looked upon their sweet angelic
faces, 1 thought of what happy age, the age
of childhood was. No regrets for the past, no
anxiety for the future. They knew not of the
cares and the troubles of life-everythin
seemed to them clothed in robe of trans
cendent whiteness-everythin seemed to
them happy and Joyous: Upon the horiz IN of
their life they did not as yet discern the clouds
of pain and SORROW, the roses of happiness
were blooming for them; they did not know
that perhaps in few years that sky as yet in
hected by q single cloud would be hung in
darkness, and those roses would be withered
and gone and have left but recollection be-
hind.
The Archbishop addressed them o few elo-
quent words upon the great deed which they
were about to perform, and he exhorted them
to persevere on the road Of virtue. He depict
ed to them the numerous temptations which
would beset them upon their path of life, and
showed the unhappiness and the misery which
would ensue did they have the misfortune to
stray from Virtues fold.
must confess that this ceremony deeply i'm.
pressed me. The remembrance of the day when
had knelt at the altar for the same purpose,
came rushing back upon full of the inci-
dents of the few years which had elasped since
theR and the present day. remembered how
supremely happy felt, and how miserable,
end how unhappy l had been at times since
then.
"Gentlemen," ;" said the great Napoleon, turn
ing to the officers who stood around him, "do
you know what was the hsppiest day of my
life 7"
Some ventured to assert that it must surely
have been the day following the battle Of Aus
terltS, others averred that it must have been
the day when the "diadem of the Caesars" was
placed upon his brow, bat he shook his head
and answered, "No, sire, it was the day of
my first Communion"
And 80 say all who have had the good for
tune and the happiness to pass that way.
Before concluding these hastily jotted down
fragments the writer cannot refrain from con-
grstnlsting the nuns upon the appearance of
their buildings, and the bearing Of their
scholars. To the Mother Superior much praise
should be given, for to her indefatigSble energy
and perseverance, the parents are indebted for
thoee sound principles Of religion and morality
which have been inculoated into the minds Of