Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-25
?. DAY IN A CONVENT.
Experiences of Theodore Parker in the
Convent of the Passionists at Rome

The lay-brother appeared at day
break, and told me that in fifteen min
utes | was to join the Italians in re.
treat, and 90 with them to mass. The
mass was followed by another sermon,
after which we were all summoned to
coffee in the room where we had taken
tea the evening before. The report of
my heresy had got abroad, and | found
myself an object of curious attention.
Several young Italians expressed SYM
pathy for my unhappy condition, and
one of them said that he would pray
the Virgin to convert me. He spoke
In genuine kindness. ard | thanked
him.
After coffee we were dismissed to
our chambers for an hour. and then
listened to another sermon in the
chapel. This consumed the morning
till eleven o'clock, when a bell rang
for dinner, and monks and laymen to-
gether moved in solid procession to
the refectory. The monks went first,
the superior at their head, then fol-
lowed the laymen, and while the pro-
cession was forming in the corridor
they all kept up dismal, unintermit-
ted chanting. The refectory was
long, high dimly lighted hall. A ia
bic Of bare wood was stretched across
the farther end for the dignitaries of
the convent, and was continued down
both sides. Here, on right and left,
sat the rest of the monks forty or fifty
in number, and the laymen sat below
them. nearer the door. The seats were
wooden benches, placed on the inner
sides of the table only. On the wall
over the heads of the dlgnitaries was
fresco of the Last Supper, as usual in
refectories. while on the side walls
hung grim pictures of saints with up
turned eyes and palms pressed togeth-
Ell. The entire hall was whitewashed
above and panelled with oak below.
At the head of the tables stood the
Superior, who was General of the
whole order, tall, portly man with Il
stern and austere countenance. The
monks, motioness and in dead silence.
stood ranged on right and left. robed
in black from head to foot, and wear
ing on the breast the badge of their
order-a heart surmounted by cross.
Their harsh, cadaverous faces bespoke
the rigor of their discipline, which is
extremely severe. When all were in
their places. the Superior raised his
finger, and the whole assemblage
broke out into another chant When
at last it was ended. the finger was
raised again, and all took their seats
Not Il word was spoken: but a monk
entered the pulpit from narrow door
in the wall, and in drawing, monoto-
nous tones read Latin sermon, which
lasted throughout the meal.
He had hardly begun when a file of
lay-brOthers entered each carving a
receptacle formed of three travs, one
above the other, connected by an up
right wooden rod, and holding great
number of bowls and small dishes.
The monks were served first. Before
them were set bowls of a dismal-look-
ing vegetable soup, along with dishes
of dried pease boiled whole, and swell
ell to wonderful size bV the process.
Each then drew a cup, a fork, and
wooden spoon from Il drawer in the
table, and with a rueful countenance
proceeded to eat, first filling the cup
from all earthen bottle of cheap wine
which stood on the board before him.
We of the laity Jared better, being
served with rice, eggs, fish, and dried
fruit. The Italians seemed little edi-
fled by the Latin sermon, which few
Of them could have understood. The
meal was followed by a prayer. with
low responses from the monks, after
which they all filed off through the
dim galleries to their dens, looking like
living originals of the dreary portraits
ranged Il ong the walls.
When | had got to my chamber and
was refreshing myself with the Pioneers
one Of them came to convert me. My
father" said [, Il am afraid your kind
ness will be thrown away"
But he clapped me on the knee, and
exclaimed, cheerfully: 'Ah, tiglio,
you will be a good Catholic soon. No
doubt of it,
There was an amusing vivacity in
him, quite different from his extreme
solemnity when at dinner. In the
course of his talk. which was ram bling,
though pious. he kept offering me his
snuff-boX, freely using it himself mean
while; and when he thought he had
made good hit in his argument, he
would wink at me with a comical look
of triumph, on which we both fell to
laughing. At length the bell rang for
more prayers and sermons in the chap
ell; and this sprightly old apostle went
back to his cell.
After the sermon the laymen were
turned out to walk for while in the
convent garden. attended by Padre
Luca. He was not. | think, one of the
Passionist brotherhood but a secular
priest, and his pleasant, plumb, good
humored countenance contrasted
strangely with the dry, leathery WIS.,
ages of the monks. As we walked up
aud down the paths, shaded with olives
and oleanders, he took me by the
arm and talked of matters of faith.
stopping from time to time at the little
groups of Italians. who. after reverent-
II kissing his hand, began to chat and
laugh with him in an easy familiarity,
gracefully tempered with respect. He
seemed to have their full affection and
confidence, at which, judging by what
| saw of him, | did not wonder. No
cant twaddle, or camp-meeting long
faces here" | find recorded in my
diary. Next came vespers, monks,
laymen, and all crowding the little
chapel, which shook with the din of
hundred voices joining the service
DR.. Francis Par&mah IN Harper's Mag