Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-15


Joseph's Catholic church in this city
and it's elegant and artistic presenta-
tion attracted general notice. The
Reverend Father Raphael Fuhr, Q. f.
M, pastor of that church, Is the
pioneer in this section of the country
in presenting religious plays, and ne
is congratulated on all sides 1or the
elevating and instructive lessons so
given.
The shrine Of Lourdes in France has
come to be a point of wonder to many.
as the cures said to be effected there
partake of the miraculous, and the fol-
lowing description of the place and Its
history, as given by Father Fuhr in an
interview, will be instructive. This
honored priest is leader In MS
church, man of high scholarly attain
ments, and an accepted authority on
religious matters.
'Lourdes," he said, may be called
the international sanctuary of the
world, the Bethesda of the nineteenth
century 1t is a small town in the
south of France, at the entrance to sew
eral deep gorges in the Pyrenees. Near
the town Is an almost perpendicular
cliff known as Massabielle, which
means, in the dialect of the country,
The old rocks In this cliff Is a natu-
raj grotto about twelve feet high ana
twelve feet deep, within which Is
niche about six feet high, of an oval
shape 1t was in this niche that on the
18th of February, 1858, the Virgin
Mother of God appeared to the little
shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous
Lourdes has been the scene of such
thrilling miracles, such inspiring
graces these forty-nine years that its
name now ranks with Loretto and
Parayle- Monial.
"A very poor place indeed was that
mountain hamlet in the year 1858.
Though 1t bore the title of Key OF the
Pyrenees' 1t had become a rusty and
lockless old key; though it's strong
castle chateau fort still made, and
makes today, an imposing feature in
the picturesque landscape, the little
mountain town had become only halt
in place for tourists to Cauterets or
Gavarni
I'm the year 1858 there was no such
thing as commerce or manufacturers, but
there was still faith in God. Even the
great French revolution had not de-
stroyed that Though the watchman on
the tower had ceased to call out on the
stroke of midnight as had been the GUS
tom for ages: Awake we who sleep.
and pray for suffering souls In purga-
tory yet at daydawn and long before
1t, as well as at the sunset hour the old
parish cnufCn tp tnOuSdrQ years sOlO II
is) was filled with worshippers, and
among them little Bernadette Soubirous,
the chosen child of Mary, who at the
age of fourteen was brought back from
the neighboring hamlet of Barties. where
her parents had kept her from early
childhood, in the vain hope that she
might develop into a healthy and ro--
bust woman. They brought her back
from her light work of tending scanty
L. d..k
ion. She was pious little girl and very
familiar wit her rosary, and as medi-.
tating on the mysteries at each decade
in the chain she would humbly ask for
some specia! gracs.
$50. when on the morning of Thurs
day, February H. 1858, she stopped before
the grotto to remove her shoes and
stockings, in order without wetting them,
to follow h r sister and companions into
its receSses, that she. too, might bear
her share OF the much-needed driftwood
it is not surprising that she should have
instantly fallen upon her knees and
drawn forth her precious beads, when
the oice, silent to all other ears, had
stirred lt' sensec, and, looking up, she
had beheld ne vision.
"The sigh that blessed the eyes of
Bernadette has become dear to us ALL
The radiant Lady stood in shining white
rope, Will Diu0 RlTule IdlllIlB TO Her I6oI,
ample sweeping veil and golden roses on
the feet which rested so lightly on the
eglantine that embowered the mossgrown
stones. The day and hour mark an
epoch in the nineteenth century. AS the
little maid knelt and gazed she saw that
the beautiful vision also held rosary
It's links shone like FURNISHED gold and
its beads were like alabaster; and while
she gazed the vision vanished smiling.
Al. l. IL n.
If they had seen anything; but no they
had not.
"Bernadette's visits to the grotto were
continued ard eac / time was followed by
ever-ncrearing numbers, who at first
were doubtful of the vision, but returned
convinced of the holy and, supernatural
nature of what the little maid beheld.
Thousands passed the entire night upon
the hillside opposite the grotto, that they
might have good place for the early
morning.
ION one Nof these visits Our Lady
bade BernaGette: GO and drink at the
fountain; wash in 1t and eat of the grass
that grows beside it. When she re-
ceived this command the obedient little
one turned toward the river Gave, but
the VISION pointed in the opposite direc-
tion, where there was neither spring nor
fountain; nothing but little mound in
spare tufts of grass were growing. To
their astonishment the multitude then
saw Bernadette stoop and scrape the
earth, when, slowly a few drops of wa
ter formed IN the hollow she had made.
and today all visitors at Lourdes drink
from this place, where a fresh, bubbling
fountain has grown
Eighteen times did our blessed lady
appear to Bernadette. the last of the
apparitions takini, place on the 10th of
July. Soon after she made her first
communion ard entered the school of
the Sisters of Charity of Nevers. and
from there Joined their community
'"The year 1869 saw the first public man
Hesitation in honor of the apparitions.
in which the church took part. An inn
posing procession, composed of four hun
dred surpliced priests with the bishop
at their head, made its way through the
town to the grotto of Massabiello, and
there amid the religious rejoicings of
the multitude. statue of the Blessed
Virgin was placed in the niche of the
rock which Bernadette had seen IL
lumined eighteen times as with a light
not of earth. Thus was the first step
taken in the realization of the Lourdes