The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-10-15
WONDERFUL LOURDES.
Afflicted Pilgrims Obtain Relief al
Famous Shrine.

Famous Shrine.
Writing of this years national nil
grimage at Lourdes. special cor
respondent of ave Maria" says:
The storm of persecution raging
over France did not spare Lourles,
and the enemies of the church loudly
boasted of prohibiting this years pill
grinage. The material prosperity of
that Pyrean region, however. is so de-
pendent on the sanctuary that Pre-
mier Combes was compelled to allow
Our l-ady's worshipers to pray I'M
mGlested ut the Grotto. DIR. Boissarie
declared that up to the 9th of August
there had been ~ trains more than
ut the same date last year. Thus the
national pilgrimage took place with
its accustomed splendor-nay. with in
creased faith and enthusiasm.
Almighty God mercifully granted
many a request. One of the first i'm
date and Importance was the cure
almost resurrection-of Francis
can nun residing at Rue Dombaslc,
Paris. Sister Anne-Marie. aged %,
belongs to a congregation of nurses
of the poor. These sisters accom-
plish much good in the working dis
trict Of Vanguard and are beloved by
the suffering poor, who look upon
them as real ministering angels. Need
less to say their task is wearing.
Sister Anne-NIarie, after series of
night watches in June. 1903. began to
suffer from irritation of the stomach
and loss of appetite. On the 10th of
November just after dinner, she was
seized with violent stomach palms, like
the plunging of a knife. accompanied
by severe fit of retching. Later, on
November "a, there came a vomiting
of black blood, a symptom that re-
turned frequently. the blood flowing
sometimes in considerable quantities.
The stomach rejected all food, the sis
ter's only means of sustenance being
vegetable broth. DR.. Doury, who
attended her, diognosticated an ulcer
| of the stomach, and advised that she
he examined by the celebrated sur
geon, DR.. lie Bee. The latter deemed
an operation urgent. and said that tile
patient, whose emaciation and weak
ness were extreme. must be taken
without delay to the Catholic hospital
st. Joseph.
Sister Anne Marie, in her terrible
suffering, put all her hope in the in
tercession of the Blessed Virgin. The
national pilgrimage was at hand; this
would be her chance. DR.. Doury.
seeing her so often in a swoon. strong
ly disapprOved of the plan. and the
superior. half shaken by the medical
mans argument, reluctantly gave
permission to the dear sufferer to set
out.
On Wednesday, August II, the sick
nun was conveyed to the Orleans depot
OH a mattress and carefully placed in
a third-class car-like all the other
sick-with three sisters to attend her.
The parting from the rest of the COM
munity who had come to see her off
was really affecting. AS she fcebly
waved her hand in a sign of adieu,
the train moved on and the nuns re-
| manned weeping on the platform,
fearing that they should never again
see their gentle companion alive. Her
death seemed so imminent that her
nurses took with them everything
necessary for such an emergency. No
sooner had the white Train steam
ed off than the superior. fearing Il
fatal issue, rcproa ched herself bitter
ly for not having gone herself to as
SiSt to her spiritual child, and she
could not resist taking the next train
On arriving at Lo,lrtlcs, she saw
the three nurses without the invalid,
dead. but cured! The journey, though
broken by Poitiers. had been one long
| agony, the exhausted patient fainting
away continually: she was just alive
on reaching Lourdes, Saturday, Aug
ust 20, and was Immediately carried
upon her mattress to the grOttO. and
then to the piscina. During the pro-
ccssiOn in the afternoon. she lay al
most inanimatc. Just as the blessed
sacrament passed before her. the sis
ter felt an cXcruciating pain in her
stomach, lasting about two minutes,
followed by delightful sensation of
relief, and at the same moment a de-
sire for food. She rose to her feet.
and after being bcd-ritlhcn for several
months. found herself able to walk.
She returned to the hospital, where
she ate a hearty meal of meat and
vegetables, which was dgcsted with
out the slightest difficulty. Sister
Anne-Maric enjoyed night Of calm
sleep, an ineffablc blessing after her
long snfferings, Next morning. Sun
day. she took 9 substantial breakfast;