The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-10

| and friends had long known and admired hia
fondness for prayer, for the besuty of Gods
house, for the ceremonies of the Church.
above all, his ardent devotion for the Imma.
| culate Mother of God-hence none were sur
prised when he openly manifested his de sire OF
abandoning the world and consecrating him.
self to the service of the Altar in the Society
of Mary.
| The favor he SO earnestly sought was readily
| granted, and he was received into the Marst'a
| Novitiate in France. Even before leaving hi.
| own country he had mastered the French Ian.
guage, which he already spoke with the great.
est Of ease, with remarkable purity of accent
and correctness of diotion. He remained /,
France from 1870 to 1874, during which TINA
| he went through the exercises Of the NovitAte
| completed the usual course of Mental Philoso
| ply with the preliminary studies of Theoloey
| when he was admitted to the Religious Profes
| sion, and made the first vows on the Feast of
| St. Michael, September 29sb, 1874. Those who
| were present at the touching ceremony saw
| his countenanoe beaming with delight as he
uttered the triple vow which made him a
privileged child and q consecrated servant of
Mary. he was then sent to finish his theologi.
cal course in the Fathers Scholasticate Ire.
land, where he was ordained Priest on the
Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, 1877.
The chosen field of his priestly services was
Louisiana, whittier he wss led by the voice of
obedience two months after his ordination.
Appointed Professor at Jefferson College, he at
once gained the love and esteem no less of the
pupils than of his fellow Priests and Religious.
At the close of the aoademicAl year it was his
deliubt fo az fha Eatb in kha;r ~,
istrations at the Church of st. Michael, where
he occasionally preached both in English and
French, and in both almost equally we'll.
Most of our readers know what heavy blow
lately befel three neighboring parishes in
Bayou Lafo1rehe. One Of the Pastors was
suddenly carried off, whilst his two survivors
were at the same time laid prostrste by the
plague. What an appalling thought One
parish without q priest, and the two nearest
for q time threatened with like fatsi The
goodness of Gods with the dsuntless courage
of their heroic Pastors, Revs. FIs Bouohet and
LIE Saioherve, alone saved these two model
parishes from being deprived of the Saoraments
and the Adorable Sacrifice of the Altar. Few
knew how both more than once dragged them
selves from their beds, whereon yellow fever
had stretched them, to prevent their afflicted
focka from dying without the last rites of the
Church. It was then that Revs. Frs. Keynes and
Durel generously volunteered their services to
their zsalousIy imprudent confreres, FIR. Kemp.
nick, who, with Fr. Durel, had the charge
of st. Michaeps during the forced absence of
FIR. Remainder, was suffering from the effects
Of the fever; consequently the sole charge fell
fer q while upon the shoulders of Father Mum
caster.
In the meanwhile the epidemic made its sp-
pearance in st. James, the civil parish of st.
Miohaers The President Of Jefferson College
was at Donaldsonvile, to visit one Of his
Fathers there down with the fever. unwill.
ling to leave till the Father was fully convs.
1escent, he, of course, offered his services to
the jealous priests, then we'll nigh worked to
death.
At the outbreak of the tcourge in the parish
of st. James, Father Manesster fearleasl5 fol-
lowed the noble example given him elsewhere
by so many fellow priests, who, night and day,
were exposing their lives for the glory Of God
and the salvation of souls. Though unscoli-
mated and warned of the danger he ran, at the
first intimation of any new case, he rushed to
the spiritual relief of the plague stricken peo-
pie. On the return of the Fathers from Don
aldsonville and the Bayou, our young Father
was, much to his regret, Withdrawn by his
superiors from his perilous, post and recalled
to the College.
Wednesday, Oct. %, he begged to be allowed
to proceed to Donaldsonville, in company with
the Rev. NJ. Welte, who had been spendings .
few days in the College to recruit his strength,
impaired by the sickness. The permission was
granted, though somewhat reluctantly, for
fear of the dangers which, however, was said
to be no greater in the little town than at ST.
James, it's immediate vicinity. He left that
same day, in seemingly excellent health, but
alasl he had already imbibed the germs ofthe
fatal disease, for, on his arrival at DonaldSon'
Vile, more than one experienced person de-
olared that they already beheld them working
within him.
Father Ceuppens who throughout the whole
of the epidemic has displayed the true virtues
of q 81 NJ opffaF his