The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-25

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of thorns on her head. The sisters
take turns in this discipline
Twice or thrice each week they
scourge themselves with a whip,
composed of five lashes, with little
nails at the end, in memory of
the five wounds Of our Lord
on the cross, and they are
compelled 10 administer 10 them
selves thirty-three lashes in honor
Of the thirty-three years which our
Lord passed on earth.
The dormitory is Immediately
under the roof, and is divided into
small cells. This is probably the
most horrible portion Of the house.
In each cell there is an empty
coffin, which serves as a bed for
the sister, and the only covering
consists Of q mortuarv cloth. \
little bench, with a pitcher and
washbasin, 90 to make up the rest
of the furniture, in addition to
another small bench, which serves
as a chair.
Except in cases of illness each
one of these girls, the youngest as
we'll as the eldest, sleeps on the
bare wood without support for her
head. When they are seriously i'll
their coverlet is put between them
and the hard wood. At the end of
the passage which divides the cells
is a large cell for the penitent girls
women of the world who wish to
pass a few days in retreat and to
expiate sins committed. One OF
its ornaments is a skull, and while
there the penitents are compelled
to wear haircloth next to their skin
so as TO continually remind them
of their shortcomings.
DIR. JACQUES CELL.
The cell of DR.. Jacques, the
spiritual head and founder of the
institution, resembles that of the
others, but contains, besides, lit
tie pillow stuffed with grass collect
ed by him at Notre Dame de Lour-
des, in France, and ornamented on
top with a picture of the holy face
painted by a Carmelite nun at that
place. This pillow is supposed to
have been blessed by Pope Leo
NH. The institution is supposed
to contain several relics of wonder
full power, the principal one of these
being a medallion of the holy face
imported from the Convent of the
Precious Blood of st. Hyacinthe.
This picture at different times is
supposed to sweat blood.
Besides the apartments already
mentioned the building contains a
courtyard most Enthusiastically built.
The rear wall is arranged like the
side of a rock, and contains niche
in which the statue of the Madonna
is visible. Each evening a con-
cealed lamp placed on the top of
the niche throws a pale glamour
over the face of the statue. A little
further on is a grotto, the interior
of which has been made into lit
tie chapel, containing the statue of
CT Tnon RantiSta
WILL SOON BE ABOLISHED.
Pictures representing the Way
Of the Cross are placed on the
walls at intervals, and each after
noon the six sisters, with heavy
chains at their wrists, go the rounds
praying at each station and pros
trating themselves for several min
utes before the last of the pictures.
In the course of a statement
made by DIR. Jacques he said !:
'There is not the slightest doubt
that the religious authorities of the
catholic church have sanctioned
the institution for long time past.
1t is a fact that monsignor the
Archbishop of Montreal has never
officially given me authority to
continue the institution, but he has
never refused it, and l feel perfect
ly safe in my mind on that point"
The latest developments, how
ever, seem to show that it is the
intention of the catholic authori-
ties to break up forever this pecu-
liar institution. DR.. Jacques still
continues the practice of medicine,
and as a physician is very popular
among the poor of his district, but
even the French catholic papers
are of the opinion that his private
convent should be done away with.
N. y. Herald.