Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-10

- ~ regard TO the faith OF Christ
ms zeal was not without fruit. for
u,utinE the thirteen months of his cap
uvity' he conferred baptism on more
'han seventy persons.
Conversion of ondeaonis.
. While he was visiting the cabins TO
uaptise the dying children and instruct
the well disposed among Tho sick he
met a young man Ia tho last stage
o. painful disease. He addressed the
tather by his Indian name, and asked
nm IT he did not remember one who
me year before at Tionnontoguen,
When the suffering from the cords with
Mnlcn ne had been tied had become
unenuurable came forward in the midst
VI me general derision and cut the
ponus. The missionary exclaimed:
Often have prayed 10. thee to the
Master of Life"
God.
The sick man could only say, what
must | then do in order to please the
Master of Life?"
Father Jogues told him TO believe and
tian.
The missionary went to France for
snort time, but returned In 1914, and
Two years afterward established the
mission of the Martyrs. He was taken
prisoner by the Mohawks. and once
more ne crossed the river and went UP
blows.
Wonder not" they said, ''you shall
ole tomorrow: but take courage; we
VIII not burn you. We will strike you
with the tomahawl5 and put your head
on the stockade so that when we take
Your brothers they may still see YOU"
one of the Indians, seizing hold of
the father, sliced Off pieces of flesh
from his arms and shoulders and de-
Voured II, saying. Let us see II this
white flesh Is the flesh OF an Okton"
Zone of their spirits).
great council met at Tionnonto-
guen, several miles away, the next day
IN the evening Father Jogues, still in
the iirst village, was invited to sup in
the cabin of the Chief of the Bear. As
he entered the door a tomahawk was
buried In his heaJ, which was at once
cut Off and put upon the stockade, the
race turned In the direction from which
he had come.
Many Christinns Tortured.
The thlrty-eight years following the
death of Father Jogues were eventful
In the extreme for the Mission OF the
Martyrs. Many priests visited the mis-
sion, and many Christians were tor
tured and slain. Father Poncet, who
exercised the ministry OF Catholic
priest for the first time at Albany was
captured and tortured there, but after
ward returned to Canada. The year
1856 was signall2ed by the birth OF Ka-
teri Tekakwitha, In St Peters, now
Fonda. five miles west OF AuriHville,
but she was not baptized till Easter
sunday OF the year 1876, by Father do
Lambervllle. This fair flower of the
west. the Lilly of the MohawlSs,"
bloomed here in the valley OF the Mo-
hawk II was through one of the muir
derers of Father Brcbeuf that she after
ward escaped to Caughnawaga, near
Montreal, where her remains are kent
TO this day as q precious treasure by
her own Indian people. At the begin
ming or the year 1854 the missions
among the Mohawks were abandoned
on account of the French and English
war and thus closed the old Mission of
the Martyrs.
The attempt to reopen the mission
was made two centuries later. Nearly
the whole site of the old village. COM
prisng ten acres. has been purchased
A small octagonal oratory, large enough
for an altar and for a priest and his
server, stands on the brow of the hill
where the Indian torture platform once
Was-and the gilt cross that surmounts
1t may be seen from far down the val
ley. A glass plate in the front door
enables visitors to pray before the
altar during the seasons when the ora
tory is closed. Over the altar IN II
beautiful statue of the Virgin, in plas-
ter, that has just replaced a Pieta.
This statue will soon be cast In bronze.
South of the oratory is a great cruel
fix, with heroic sized figure of Christ,
and statues of the Virgin and st. John
at the foot. This is called Che Cal
vary"
The Way of the Cross.
Around this in circular form is the
Way of the Cross, with each station
marked by large wooden cross, Yves o
ward. at the top OF the Hin OF Prayer,
wooden steps lead up the bluff Into the
grounds at the entrance of the Indian
village, where Rene Goupil was struck
down with tomahawk. Here is erect
ed a memorial cross, recalling the early
missions; on the panels of the base is
inscribed:
The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of
Christians.
Near this spot Rene Goupil was slain
for the Sign of the Cross, September
80, 1912, and before and after in differ
ent years, many other Christians. men
and women. companions and disciples
of the missionaries, of French and va
ri0us Indian races.
In memory Of the nativa converts or
the Mission-Hurons, Algonquins and
Irouuois-whose virtues, like those OF
the primitive Christians. shonc in cap
tivity and prosecutions; especially OF
the Lily of the Mohawk. Koteri Tekals-
wltha, Iroquois Virgin, born here IN
1856; baptized in the Mission church,
Easter Sunday; died In Canada 1850.
or this Indian village site the MIS-
sion of the Martyrs was founded in
his blood by Father Isaac Jogues, S. j.,
slain October 49, 1916. In this, the FIRST
and chief Iroquois mission, fourteen
priests OF the Society Of Jesus. toiled
and suffered till its destruction in 1854.
Erected for the 200th anniversary.
There were more than 5000 pilgrims
at the shrine last August, and 1t is
hoped that the number will be far
greater this year. Many improvements
are contemplated including an open
chapel, large enough 10 accommodate
1900 persons. A Jesuit father VIII say
mass every morning in August, and at
intervals during the month pilgrim
ages will come from various places in
the neighborhood of the shrine. On Au-
gust IS, the Assumption OF the NirSin,
and the anniversary Of the fl st prphc
torture of Father Jogues AMI Rere
Gouull, the chief pilgrimage VIII be
held
Committeeman Conger Talks.
Washington Dispatch.
Hon. A. L, Conger. who has been for
some time the member from Ohio on
g. 49,