The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-25
HOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY
LAZARIST FATHERS THINK THEY
HAVE FOUND 1T AT EPHEsUS.
Discovery Made from a Description In
an Old German Book Written by
Woman Who Was u Fanatic.
New York Journal.

New York Journal.
The Lazarist Fathers of the Mission o.
+ Ephesus believe that they have found tbs
| house in which the Virgin Mary lived il
that city. Their discovery is receiving The
attention Of many experts engaged II
| archaeological research in Asia Minor. Al
that they have said so far tends to con-
firm the belief that the house of the mother
of Christ has really been found. The dis
covery is one of greater interest to the
Christian world than any that has beer
made in centuries.
The Lazarists are a French order, and
the discoverer of the sacred ruin is Father
POulain. superior of the Mission of Ephe-
sus. The headquarters of this mission is
at Smyrna The territory in which the mis-
scenarios labor includes the site of the once
great city of Ephesus. which is now occu-
pied by few Turkish villages.
The manner in which Father Poulain was
led to the discovery is very extraordinary
On the shelves of the mission library he
found work entitled THE Life of the
Holy Virgin" by Catherine Emmerich
This woman was a strange religious mys-
tic, who lived at the end of the last GEN.
fury at Dulmen, in Germany. She pro-
generally believed insane. The father did
not regard her as worthy of consideration
He threw the book on the floor in the cor
ner, expecting that the servants would
carry 1t away.
AS it remained untouched for several
days he picked II up again In a leisure mo-
nent and glanced over its pages. Final
his eyes rested on a chapter which told
about the last years of the Virgin, which
she passed in q house built for her by st.
John the apostle.
This house, she said, sis about eight
miles from Ephesus, on mountain which
is reached by narrow paths, which are TO
the south of Ephesus. From the summit
one sees Ephesus on side. the sea on
the other, the sea being nearer to the hill
than it is to Ephesus.'
THE HOUSE DESCRIBED.
This statement struck the reader as won
derfully precise for a woman who had
never been to Ephesus. 1t Was followed by
q detailed description of the plan Of the
house, of it's furniture and of its smallest
contents. The account went on to say that
the house was built of stone and was
square; but in the rear it was round or
octagonal.
AS the alleged site was so near the
priest thought it would be worth while to
nake~a personal investigation. He con-
suited Nj. II. Jung, professor of mathe>
mates in the College of Smyrna, who also
read the interesting passages in Catherine
Emmerich's story. He was at once dis
posed to treat it worthless, but, as a
man of science, was willing to investigate.
The priest and the professor organized
an expedition. In this part of the Sultan of
Turkeys dominions it is no small danger
to wander out of the beaten track. party
was made up, consisting of a servant, q
railroad employee ana a well-armed negro
meant by the Visionary iona was the Bulbul
= Dag, or hill of the nightingales. The party
went by railroad to Aya-Soulouck. one of
the villages that occupy the site of Ephe-
sus. and then started for the hill.
The first day was spent in gathering in.
formation. The country was inhabited
were numerous. One of them, Captain An
drea, informed them that there was ira
dition Of immemorial antiquity among the
Inhabitants of a great. lady who had
died there. On the 18th of August of every
year the peasants made a pilgrimage to a
part of the Bulbul Dag, which they called
the Panaghia Capoul or gate of the Nir-
gin The brigands abounded there. The
party passed the second day IN ascending
On the third day they reached the summit
of the hill, a plateau covered with a. dense
growth of oak. fig, olive and laurel trees.
Hey were then feeling exhausted.
All day they wandered here until they
came to a field of tobacco In which some
women were working. Asking for water
they were directed to a clump of trees
There to their surprise, they found the
ruins of old stone house Looking
that indicated by Catherine Emmerich
There was the sea one side nearer tc
them than Ephesus. and the ruins of that
city on the other side. The house Itself an
swered exactly to the description.
THE RUINS EXPLORED.
The ruins were afterWard explored by
Mgr. Timoni, Archbishop of Smyrna, who
drew up a report which showed that, ex
cept for its ruinous condition the house was
exactly like that described by Catherine
| Errmerich. This she said consisted OF :hre9
| parts. The central one was divided int
| three rooms, of which the last was semi
circular. and served as an oratory for the
| Virgin. On the left the vestary, which
| is now fallen to the earth, and on the
/ right was the bedroom, in which the bee
was a plank fixed a foot and a half from
the ground. The house is NOW preceded by
| a square vestibule which is admitted tt
! be several centuries later than the time O.
| Christ.
| dents from the school of Athens. They
! made a careful comparison of the ruin!
with those Of the gymnasium at Athens.
| Roman building WHICH is known to dat,
| They decided that the two buildings wer'
! of exactly the same period. 1t is, the refore
| proved by reliable scientific evidence tina
| the house is old enough to have been tina
| of the Virgin. Much remains yet, to b.
done to prove its identity completely.
The dwelling place of the Virgin in he
| latter years has, for Centuries, been n sub
| ject of controversy. There has, however
! been a persistent tradition from the earl
| est centuries that she went from Jerusa
! lem to Ephesus, where she lived TO an ex
/ treme old age.
The last mention of her IN the New TIES
! lament is that she remained in the uppe
! chamber with the apostles and holy womei
| after the ascension. Christ had committee
| her to the care of st. John. 1t is certain
] that he went to Ephesus and it is believed
| that he died there.
! Ephesus, then one of the greatest cities
| in Asia Minor was the capital of the Ro
! man proconsuar province of western Asia
| Its temple was one of the seven wonder
! Of the world, and ST. PaLls saying, area.
| is Diana of the Ephesians,' Is familiar Z
| Of one Of the strongest Christia churches
| The Goths sacked it A D. 200. and In tn
| thirteenth century it fell under TIE rule o
| the Turks ard was utt erly DESTROYED.
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