The Irish standard., 1898-02-26
being a ministering angel to suffering

being a ministering angel to suffering
humanity.
The Catholic rector referred to her as
"one of the purest, beautifullest and
most beneticient souls Of this country"
and said she had put not only the Unit
ed States but the whole civilized world
deeply in her debt. Continuing, he said:
1T was the impulses Of her moral ma
ture. her passion for moral beauty, her
embracing love Of human kind, her tire
less zeal, her unique persistence in
teaching, intoxicating and forwarding
temperance. purity and goodns SIS in every
line, that best showed how highly heav-
Ell had answered her, and how rightly
and how UNNECESSARILY she claims the
respect and the gratitude of us all.
Her mind and heart had no rest day
or night from planning, prompting and
encouraging incentives, ways and means
for getting everybody to be good. She
lived a life not only without otfense that
any one could charge, but radiant with
signs of Christian graces. And not only
did She live Il Christian life, but she
taught it. She instructed multitudes in
the most essential doctrines of faith.
Whist | have never seen or heard a
word Of hers against us Catholics or our
creed, know, and it is notorious, how
uniquely active and successful she has
been in teaching the duty and worth OF
t,,,,
purity, and equal obligation OF chastity
for men and women, the doctrine Of a
white life for two"
The deceased lady merits the eulogy
bestowed upon her by the Minneapolis
priest. We have no recollection that
she displayed any sectarian prejudice
during her life of active beneticence. In
that respect she resembed Dwight NJ.
Moody, the Methodist evangelist an hon
orcd preacher of her faith, and hence
it was that she accomplished her work
so successfully. Therefore it is that the
members of the Immaculate Conception
church and the pastor united in the
beautiful prayer: Eternal rest grant
her, Oh, Lord, and let perpetual light
shine upon her"
Though Miss Willard belonged to the
Methodist denomination, yet she may
have been and probably was a Catholic
in desire. She evidently belonged to
what the theologians term the soul of
the church" She did not during life,
90 1i,t, ~ !, r,tI,
ship. because she was reared and in
structcd in another religious belief.
Nevertheless she might have been a
Catholic to all intcnts and purposes. She
was pure and undetiled in the sight Of
men. Let us hope she was stainless in
the all-seeing eyes of her Judge when
her spirit took its flight from earth, and
that she has earned an everlasting crown
in the regions of bliss. Her soul may
not yet be fit for the celestial abode and
may be undergoing publication in pur-
gatCry. 1t is with that belief that the
liberal Catholics Of Immaculate Concept
release from suffering Had they be-
ieved that the souls of Professionals like
Miss Willard go to the bottomless pit
Immediately after death, it would have
been inconsistent for them to pray for
her soul, for out of hell there is no
redemption If they believed her soul
was already in heaven, their prayers
would be unnecessary. But knowing
how few there are who are fit for heaven
into which nothing detiled can enter.
they reasonably implored her Creator to
mitigate her pains in the intermediate
state called purgatory. And they have
been quite rational in so doing.
1t must be admitted, however, that it
Is a new departure in the history of the,
Catholic church In the Northwest, as
far as we are aware. to pray for the
souls of deceased members of other de-
nominations.