Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-24
THEIR BED A COFFIN.
LIFE OF A SMALL RELIGIOUS COM
MUNiTY IN MONTREAL.

MUNiTY IN MONTREAL.
Rigorous Existence-At Certain Timca
of the Day Young Girls Wear Heavy o.
Chains About Their Neclxs--There Are
but Five Enthusiasts, However.
There are five women and one man
living in Montreal who sleep every night
in cofins. For some time past The EN-
pire correspondent has been told of a
certain DR.. Jacques, widower and
graduate of the Victoria School of Med
icine, who, without obtaining permits
sion from the ecclesiastical authorities,
had founded community, and in order
to verify the reports of the extraordinary
character of the house in question visit
was paid to the establishment. The re-
porter was received most cordially by
the doctor, and, while conducting the
correspondent through the different de-
partments Of his singular little monas-
terry, he related the history of the work
since its foundation.
Dr. Jacques has the appearance Of a
very sincere man, but is evidently
touched on the religious question, and,
in fact, he admits that Archbishop Fabre
is not pleased with the work he is carry
ing on, However, he believes God is
with him, and that the ecclesiastical ap-
probation will sooner or later descend
upon his head.
81 made a bargain with the bon Dieu, I"
began the Jealous doctor, "the year the
smallpox ragged in Montreal. visited
no less than 1900 cases, and in return
God greatly favored the mission l have
in hand, viz, the alteration Of the Holy
Face"
WEARING OK CHAINS.
Among these patients was a family
from st. Jerome named Aubin, and the
father and mother, with five daughters,
the eldest "a years, and the youngest 13.
now live under the doctors roof. The
parents live like ordinary mortals, but
the five children lead a life almost as Sc
we're as the terribly austere regime of
Carmelite nun. The house in question
is not of modern construction by any
means, and when the visitor was shown
into the court yard in the rear the elder
Aubin was engaged washing the doc
tors wagon, and his good wife was sim
ilarly occupied with the windows.
AS this worthy couple do not belong
to the community proper, and conse-
quently do not sleep in cof1ins, they were
left at their work, and the next floor
was reached. The five little sisters, as
the doctor calls them, were found robed
in red material, with white head dress
falling down over their shoulders. These
girls have no education whatever, yet
their medical protector says they are
very learned in things pertaining to the
celestial sphere They retire at half
past 8 and arise at 4, and although they
do all the work for the house, the greater
part of the day is spent in alteration and
prayer.
By the side of a nicely decorated altar
stands a post about six feet in height,
and upon the latter hangs an OK chain
ten feet long, the use of which was ex-
planned as follows by the good doctor:
When Montreal is given over to carni-
walls, to balls and parties, and when the
devil finds it easy to tempt frail man
and womanlxind, it is at these seasons
that the five sisters devote themselves
most intently to penitence and prayer.
This heavy chain is hung around each
sisters neck for an hour at time, while
they kneel in prayer for their sisters of
the world whom destiny has thrown in
way.
THEY SLEEP IN CoFFINS.
The doctor now draws aside curtain,
and a large, deep coffin, painted black
and covered over with gray cotton meets
the astonished gaze of the reporter The
cloth being removed the pillow is found
to be made of soft wood, and not single
article of clothing is visible The five
sisters sleep upstairs, the second floor be-
ing divided into a half dozen small, cheer
less rooms or cells. The furniture in
each of these sleeping apartments con-
sists of a black coffin, table and tin
washbasin, the same absence of clothing
being quite as marked as on the floor be-
low. In reply to question DR.. Jacques
stated that the girls would rather die any
time than leave the community, and he
ratified off the most wonderful miracles
that had been operated following brief
sojourn in his community.
A brother from Okla had left his own
establishment broken down with disease,
and after a sojourn of forty-eight hours
had returned to his monastic home in the
Otland weighing sixty pounds more than
when he left, and being quite unrecog-
nizable by his religious confreres. "In
FACT" concluded the doctor, "far more
miracles are performed here than at Ste.
Anne de Beaupre, and everything has
been done but bringing the dead to life
again"
The only recognition of this famous
community by the archbishop of Mon
treal is in the fact that the Rev. M. Fill
jatrault, of st. James church, is spiritual
director of the five sisters in question, of
whom three. go to communion every
morning and two three times week. =
Cor. Toronto Empire.