The Irish standard., 1896-12-26
Brann Visits Convent in New
j. Orleans and Relates His
Experience.
He Numerically Deals With the
Unfrocked Priests and
Escaped Nuns.
Pays a Glowing Tribute to the
Jesuits and the House of
the Good Shepherd.
rConcluded from last week

rConcluded from last week.
This is one Of the famous hospitals of
the South, and is in charge Of Sister Lu-
cia, of the Sisters of Charity. The most
remarkable thing about it is Sister Lucia
herself, q handsome woman with great
kindly eyes, who has cast her lot in one
continuous scene Of suffering, and is CIV
ing resolute battle to disease and death.
Through the long corridors the Sisters
were fitting from room to room, like
angels cf mercy. Don't go in there.
said Sister Lucia, quietly; f'they are per-
forming surgical operation. Men are
such towards. You would probably faint
and have to be carried OUT An hour
with this woman, so tender and yet SO
strong, were worth more thanAtons of
argument against the A. F. A.
The Convent of the Holy Family con-
tains only colored nuns, and occupies the
building formerly known as the Creole
Ballroom, place celebrated throughout
the South for the wildness Of it's orgies
and the duels resulting from it's debauch-
cries. There white men congregated to
carouse with colored women, qlarreled
about their dusky paramours and either
settled the controversy then and there or
repaired to the Oaks at daybreak and
fought with rapiers. In places the old
floors are. still blackened with the stains
of blood. The Sisters of the Holy Family
are especially devoted to works Of char
ity and the education of children Of color.
They have schools and asylums in vari-
GUS portions of the state and are doing
more for the elevation Of the Ethiop
race than are all the politicians this side
of Perdition. In che presence OF Mother
Austin, the superioress. one forgets her
color and remenb bers only that she is
sheltering the aged, educating the young,
feeding the hungry and clothing the
naked. There must be something divine
in a. religion that can transform such a
plague-spot as the old ballroom into
paradise.
One of the greatest eleemmosynary in
stitutions in the world is the Charity
Hospital of New Orleans. 1t was found
ed by Catholic in 1856, and last year
cared for nearly 10000 patients free of
cost. It is supported by the state, the
municipality and voluntary gifts of the
people, it's domestic economy, discipline
and training school for nurses being un-
der the direction of the Sisters of Char
ity. There, where it seems that the
physical wretchedness of the pauper
world concentrates, you find the devoted
Sisters battling night and day with the
grim Destroyer. It matters not to what
part of the world you belong; if in need
of medical or surgical treatment you will
be received. Mangled men, syphilitic
GERS, the groans of maternity-a score of
surgeons with arms barred to the elbow
--ambulances coming. hearses going-the
Sisters moving as serene through it all
as though there was no such Thing as
the A. P. A. on earth! Sister Agnes, the
governing power of this mighty house.
hold, kindly consented to be our guide.
The children all knew and clung to her.
Everywhere dull eyes frightened at her
approach. She seemed to be followed
by those blessed angels, Healing and
ro+h41to
stands like a Gibraltar! One such wo-
man is sufficient answer to ten thousand
infdels. What could Ingersoll say to
Sister Agnes? Imagine j. D. Shaw
preaching atheism in the House of the
Good Shepherd! !
The archbishop's place was next on our
list. Here" thought I, we'll see some
thing of that high life among the priest
hood of which I've SO long heard. An
archbishop holds the purse-strings, and
it is natural that man should be good
to himself"
His reverence was not at home, but we
inspected his house. The palace" is an
old pile dating back to French colonial
days, and the few rooms occupied are
very plainly furnished. It was originally
an Ursuline convent, the first established
in the United States. Feeling the need
of more commodious quarters for their
academy, the nuns abandoned it and it
became the residence of the archbishop.
Evangelist Abe Mulkey's residence-at
Corsicana, Tex, is far more elegant. If
a Waco woman furnished her home like
Archbishop Janssen's palace" she would
be cut by "good society" 1t was in the,
chapel Of this old building that the nuns:
prayed all night upon their knees before
a statute OF the Madonna that Gen. jack
son might be victorious in the battle Of
New Orleans. It seems that the Catholic
church had not then undertaken the sub
versioa OF the American government.
Old Hickory put Packenham in the