The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-24

St. Louis Cathedlal-w where he had slept.
good soul! since t82g-he built himself rude
hermitage. 1t was q hideo1S little hut OF
planks and boughs, much more tlncomforta
bic than 8 dog kennel, and much more .ex-
furniture but bed, made Of two hard boards,
g stool and o holy water font. But here the
good priest slept and ate and prayed; bless
ing God alike whether it rained or freezed;
dispensing aims to the poor and fighting the
devil and his angels. Although at his death
he left little or nothing, his income must cer-
tainIy have been enormous; for he never WIS.,
tied scene of birth, of marriage, or OF death,
without receiving some gift OF the wOrlfbs
goods; and his daily visits were .a many His
his Income; and his purse. like
that of the fairy tale, was being forever
emptied, though fresh gold always Uttered
there in the place OF that taken out. Inns
with blinking coin and carried at the girdle.
Whenever Father Antonio appeared upon the
street, with cowl and sandaled feet, and that
delightful purse, all the children OF the French
Of HameIin after the Pied Piper. They would
always kneel down beside him in the mud TO
ask for his blessing when opportunity offered,
and they never failed to demand that a
lngninppe, in the shape OF @ small coin, be
thrown in with the blessing. | suspect that
they cared much more for the lagniappe than
they did for the blessing: but the good father
never refused either
So great was
THE INFLUENCE OF THIS CAPUGHIE,
who could never even learn to, speak good
French, over the CreOes OF New Orleans, that
he Occasioned serious anxiety TO the local
government at the time OF the Aaron Burr
excitement. It was feared he might lend aid
and sympathy to the traitor. Gov Claiborne
spoke Of him as very dangerous man in
letter to the Secretary OF Var; and as one
who had rebelled against his church and would
therefore have little hesitation in rebellng
against the government. The Governor adds
that he took care to administer TO Father
Antoine f'who was great favorite with the
ladies") the oath OF allegiance, and had taken
measures to have him closely watched. The
old priest, however, gave the civil government
very little trouble.
But to the religious government OF the
Catholic church In Louisiana, this celebrated
Capuchin gave great deal Of trouble. Be
fore he had given any anxiety to Claiborne ne
had q tremendous quarrel with q rev Vicar
General Of the diocese, Father Walsh, who
happened to b can freshman, and determined
pended; but he appealed to his parishionerss,
aud they elected him their pastor by q unanf-
nous vote. The Marquis of Casacalyo,
who still resided in New Orleans, lent the
weight of his social influence to the Spanish
Capuchin; and the whole Catholic community
bid defiance to Walsh, who, firm as ne was,
finally found himself obliged to yield. Father
ds Setiella was reinstated; but opfy rev
years later he got into another ana q mucn l
more serious quabble with his ecclesiastical
superiols, 50 that Bishop Dubourg suspended
him again from duty. For q few days Father
Anti MO disappeared from the narrow streets
OF New Orleans, and the children looked In
vain for the white beard, tbs sandaled leet.
the brown Franciscan habit and the bag OF
Finally the good folks became uneasy and
| resolved to find out what had become OF the
| pere Antoine Gberi. There were fifteen babies
| to be christened; there were q dozen couples
| to be married; there were many repentant
sinners to be shriven; there were sick people
| to be visited, and dying people TO pc absolved'
| Yet Padre Antonio remained Invisible. Fer
villain for the sake of that leather purse he
| forever carried in his girdle. The hermitage
| at the Cathedral was empty; the mass hm
not been said for many days at the altar OF st:
| Francis Butat last Father Antoine was found
without the city limits, praying In the shadow
If cypress trees and closely environed by
legions OF gray allgators. They seized him
| Il mean the parishioners, not the aillgators)
and bore him back to the city in triumph.
| They took him into the church, to the sane
tuary itself, to the altar, and insisted that he
should say mass for them. They told him
| all the good work of christening and marry.
| ing and STRIVING that he had to do; they told
him that the bishop was 1901; they y, i I. Td
!
| firmly answered that he could do nothing I'M
! til the bishop recalled him to duty.
Then the fury OF the mob became great;
They rushed out OF the church and poured
Convent, where the bishop dwelt. They pro
cured axes and ropes, and they swore, in their
different languages, to hang the prelate from
the roof OF the piazza. Probably they would
but the bishop, luckily for himself, had dis
covered the approach OF the storm and taken
precipitate flight. He left the city altogether
and many months elapsed before ne dared !, &c
return. Of course Father Antonio de Sedella
was promptly restored to duty; and thereaf
ter none ventured to interfere with his splr
itual Jurisdiction Perhaps it was on account
of these things that Catholic opinion is stil
somewhat divided on the subject OF the ole
| monks claim to sanctity.
Sometimes, but not often, meet with some
venerable Creole, who recollects having re
ceived the blessing Of Father Antoine, ant
perhaps q bright coin from the big leatne
purses some very aged nan, full Of GUAM
; memories and faithful to the old costume w
are familiar within the portraits OF Madison
. or Jefferson.
When Gen. Lafayette visited the city il
1925, he was visited by Father Antonio, ther
veterans-aged in the good fight Of a Lifetime
for faith and fatherland-met with such mu,
tual respect and esteem as the Knights anl
prelates Of olden time ever feltfor one another
1t Is pity tnaL we 40 HOt huo" 1ia on'
passed between them, for the Courier OF thai
day april Is, 1926, informs us that the Gen
eral and the aged monk had q long talk to
gether. But we know the General stated thai
he was proud to be about the same age az
Father Antonio, who was old as three gener
ations-"For there is not much difference be
tween u.s. said Lafayette; II am man !. Of 81, r.,
The good father died at the. age Of eighty
one years, amid the lamentations OF the entire
community Of the city; and l much doubt
whether any one will ever SO live in this gen
GRAFTON that his death will be mourned by the
whole city of New Orleans.
So beloved was the old priest by all classes
and denominations that we even find in the
papers of that day published call to attend
the funeral issued by the Masons OF al
branches. And here are some telling extracts
from that printed summons, which was, per
haps, the greatest honor ever paid to Father
Antonio's character:
THAT venerable pastor, as tolerant as viz
tuous, as charitable as enlightened, is not
| tal It, INN nGnIlafjnD