The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-21

the morning of July g. 1891. with guides.
two brothers OF the convent, and a diagram
of the locality as laid down by Catherine.
We reached the foot of the mountain re-
ferred to by the seer in good season and,
leaving our mules behind, climbed to the
height over the path described by the
Westphalian peasant women.
FOUND THE HOUSE
There was nothing unusual so far-al-
most anybody might know that there Is
mountain in the neighborhood of Ephesus,
and most mountains can be climbed over a
certain route-but imagine surprise
when we found perched on the precipiee
the identical house mentioned with great
circumstantiality I'm GATHERINGS book. The
similarity between description and original
undeniable, and when afterwards we
made inquiries in the neighborhood we
learned that the edifice was known and
revered as the House of Mary, where the
mother of our Lord and the good apostle
John lived after the crucifixion many,
many years.
There was most perplexing case. APP
parently this ignorant. home-bound peas
ant woman had pointed out and described
sanctuary entirely unknown to the Chris
tan world at large. for records of the
Ephesus House of Mary are found nowhere
in literature. What is more, even we
Smyrna Catholics had no knowledge of the
place. But that ii existed now saw with
my own eyes, while the traditions OF the
people in the neighborhood. as we'll as the
building itself. indicated that it had stood
there a great many hundred years. prob
ably in the days when the Temple of Diana
spread below in wondrous beauty"
WHAT THE CHURCH FATHERS SAY.
Continuing. the prior said that he report
ed the case to Rome and received orders
to amplify his writings and continue his
Investigations. The reverend gentleman
seems to think that the delay in gaining
recognition for the house OF Mary is due
to the fact that the Vatican is not pre-
pared as yet to stamp Catherine of En-
merich's works with the imprimatur.''
If any portion of her writings were recog-
nized pious souls might think all of them
deserving of belief, thing to which the
Vatican objects. 1 was told. on account
of the visionary and mythical character
of GATHERINGS revelations, so called.
The matter. then, being stin in abey~
ance, the prior could give only his per-
sonal impressions as to the things he saw
and the strange writings leading up TO
their discovery. At the same time he al
lowed me to gather some facts as to Ephe-
sus and the life of Mary and John after
the crucifxion from the ample monastery
library. The extracts are given literally
without comment.
All the fathers of the church seem to
agree that the first seeds of Christian truth
were sown at Ephesus Immediately after
the great pentecost. Paul returned to Ephe-
sus, where John and the mother Mary may
have confirmed him in his knowledge Of
Christ's words and deeds.
According to Eusebius, John lived in
Ephesus a very long while. employing him
self most diligently for the spreading of the
gospel. He became bishop of Ephesus and
his gospel and epistles were indited there.
Baronias and Tillemont say positively that
the virgin accompanied John to Ephesus,
and others have il that John was buried
there. Numerous authorities point to the
fact that Immediately after the crucifixion
Mary went to live in Jerusalem under the
protection of the disciple whom Jesus loved
and to whom He had recommended. her al
most with his last breath. saying: Woman,
behold thy Son.
While it is variously reported Though
not in the Bible) that Mary died in Je-
rusalem in the place now known as the
mosque Of the tomb of David, great many
early Christian writer's say she died of
| extreme old age in the arms of John, who
had supported her. If Mary lived longer
than fifty years she must have witnessed
the episcopate of John at Ephesus, where,
according to some writers, her grave was
shown as late as the second and third CEN
| fury Of the Christian era.
| inquired on the site OF Ephesus for the
supposed graves of Mary and John. but
was told by the natives that they had been
destroyed sever so long ago."
| b. D'AGEN.