The record-union., 1899-06-11


Virgin Mary to preserve him, and prom
ised to devote bis life and fortunes to
the cause of Christ if his life were
spared. Instantly the maddened bull
fell to the earth with his legs broken.
and there appeared in respondent
cloud of dazzling wilderness the Holy
Virgin, seated upon a throne, with the
Christchild upon her knee. She gave
to the frightened farmer a message to
build upon the spot a sacred shrine. at
which all mankiSld might worship, and
where the faithful would be healed of
all physical infirmities."
The animal with its broken legs, and
rude drawing found near the spot, al
legged to have been the work of hands
divine, We're sufficient to>convince the
community Of the truth Of the farmer
assertions.
The now devout and believing tiller
OF the soil was true to the obligation
he had entered upon, and straightway
commenced to fulfill his obligations.
With the assistance of his friends and
neighbors he cut away the crest of the
mountain and erected of massive ma
sonry the Sanctuary of Montseriate. The
rude, inartistic sketch of mysterious or
igin was hung up on the walls, and a
porcelain statue of the Virgin Mary
and the Christ child installed under
meath upon a primitive altar Of wood
The church grew rapidly in power and
influence, and its wealth increased enor-
mously from year to year. Miracles
We're said to have been wrought within
it's walls, and the story of them spread
throughout Porto Rico, and even to the
neighboring islands Pilgrims from st.
Thomas, Sam Domingo, Santa Cruz,
Guadaloupa Martinique and Cuba have
for two hundred years journeyed to- the
Sanctuary of Monltserrate to be healed.
Here, 1T is declared, the blind are made
see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak
and the MANNED, diseased and disabled
are healed of their bodily intirmities,
provided they are faithful and believ-
ing.
The primitiveness of the interior of
the sanctuary has long since given
place to ornate decorations and furnish
ings Custom has made it an inviolable
law that every pilgrim must pay such
tangible tribute as his fortune or sta
ton in life will permit, and if possible
this tribute must typify the infirmity of
which he was healed. Besides money
and jewels each year deposited by pill
gr1ms, there may be seen gold and sill
yer legs, arms, fingers and hands. in
miniature. all of which have been left
or sent to the sanctuary by the pilgrims
as a tribute. From time to time these
valuables have been sent to Spain,
melted down and welded into altar dec
orations, candlesticks, church orna-
ments. etc. A massive silver altar.
weighing some 800 pounds; numerous
silver candlesticks seven feet in hight.
and candlesticls Of gold are seen. A
splendid specimen of the goldsmith's art
Is shown in a solid candlestick weigh
ing thirteen pounds, which has been
recently added to the collection.
The massive iron chests IN the ante
rooms contain vast treasures. the value
OF Which is known only to the worthy
padre in charge Superb vestments and
canopies of priceless value. as well as
the paintings and splendid altars. attest
the number and gratitude of the pill
grims. The wealth of the church is
now estimated to exceed 100000.
The priest in charge of the sanctuary
OF Montserrate, Father Antonio Con-
zales, has been stationed there thirty
four years. He is a courteous gentle-
man, and takes great delight in exhib-
lting the rare treasures oe his church
to Catholic and Protestant alike. and
in reciting tales of the wonderful mir
acles wrought at IT'S shrine. He is a
firm friend of Americans, and more par
tlcularly Lieutenant Colonel Burke. who
has diligently guarded the church
against plunderers since he has been in
charge Of the Department Of Mayaguez
under the American military rule n
Porto Rico
In the rear Of the church stands the
pilgrims house. This is we'll but
plainly furnished building, in which any
one is privileged to seek lodging free Of
charge for SO long a time as he may
desire. Clean beds and airy rooms
await the pilgrim, who is not permitted
to pay for the accommodate tons. but
must obtain his board at some neigh
boring cottage on the mountain side
The view from the front OF the sane
tuary of Montserrate is one of rare
beauty. The valley of the Juanailbos
and Boqueron Rivers is of wonderful
fertility, and forms SUPERB panorama
from the towering nights of Montser-
rate 1t was the scene of one of the
last deadly struggles between the arm
ed hosts of the Castilian kings and the
sullen, retreating aborigines. here. in
the end of the nineteenth century the
spanish army made its last defiant
stand In the Western Hemisphere.