The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-27

| furniture are of the same stuff, while the
| frames are of gold and carved marble. The
/ Jesuit brother allowed us TO inspect the
reliquaries containing st. Ignatius's bones,
| then others filled with sacred garments,
| prayer books, rosaries and crucifixes that
! at one time belonged to the great man, all
encased in a wealth of precious metals and
stones-enough TO pay off Kingdoms debt,
should say.
When through sightseeing in this unique
| apartment French father took all over
| the big house. He was a man with a fine,
| open face, cordial, natural and good
! humored. The monastery is of vast pro-
portions. far more extensive even than the
immense complex of buildings suggests.
! "Novices," said the father, "often get lost
in the labyrinth of corridors. rooms, halls
and staircases.' / can readily believe that,
for the walls throughout the building are
bare and covered with white paint, as in
most closters.
On both sides of the almost limitless corri-
doris live the fathers in small cells, the
windows of which afford enchanting views
of the romantic and picturesque mountain
Gus country. I noticed in particular the
names over the cell doors. The English
speaking countries. Great Britain and the
United States, appear to have sent many
sons to Loyola, France, Germany and Rus
STA following as here set down.
The most extraordinary thing about this
immense pile is that it encloses and en-
shrines the old feudal castle, or fortress
palace of the noble family of Loyola, the
house where St. Ignatius born and
reared. The residence appears to have been
one of those impregnable cyrics of the
thirteenth century. ruins of which are oc-
| casionally met with in ancient Spanish
towns or villages. 1t has immense walls
and battlements. turrets and bastions, cur
iously put together of mixed red rocks and
bricks. The architects of the cloister had
to arrange their plans according to the
whims of their colleagues of centuries ago
| and encased the ancient residence in the
| new one, as a jeweler mounts precious
| stone in a larger vessel.
| Naturally, the disciples Of Loyola hold
| his former residence in the highest esteem;
| il must not be disturbed or changed under
| any circumstances. The outward walls of
| the castle are preserved in their original
state even where they intrude upon other
wise highly decorated apartments built on
or connected with the ancient pile.
Twice / made the rounds of Loyola' S
birthplace. Ii is no larger than the aver
| age suburban home of to-day, yet was
considered a mighty palace in its time.
Compared with the monastery. that sur
| rounds it on all sides, it seems like one of
the toy fortresses our children built OF
blocks.
In the ancient castle, holy lamps, some
times called eternal lamps, are burning
night and day. and the sweet odor of in
cense is everywhere. The monks estab-
lished here for several hundred years were
! pleased TO gid and decorate the place all
over. They turned the very stables into
magnificent corridors. with painted ceilings.
marble columns and mosaic floors. Be-
! fore leaving. I went once more into the
| great apartment that 1 have likened to a
| pagoda. The French father tells me that
| 1t used to be the banquet hall of the
Loyolas and, no doubt. was furnished and
| decorated originally in the simplest style.
| To-day the old massive beams are smoth-
cred under aarlAnds OF gold.
PIERRE LOTTI