The Irish standard., 1907-12-28
| CURES At. loUROEs
gA Michigan Priest Witnesses an
ssS. sS.ss Extraordinary
Manifestation of the Power
and Goodness Of God.

Sacred Heart, church, Au Sable, Mich.
& has just returned from a trip in Eu-
rope. Rev. Father La Montague visit
ed England, France, northern Italy
u and small portion Of Switzerland
h and Spain. He had the pleasure OF
seeing the Holy Father and Of address
ing to him few words in French. He
also visited the famous shrines and
4 sanctuaries of Ste Anne of Auray,
Our Lady of Fourvieres, Paray-le- Mon
* ial, and Our Lady of Lourdes.
Connected with his visit to Lourdes
is a recollection and a privilege never
to be forgotten by Father La Mon
S ta8ne. He was at Lourdes during a
pilgrimage of some $4,000 people from
northern France. The people of
France, despite the impiety Of their
headers, continue each year to pay
homage. invoke the aid of. and bring
their sick to Our Lady of Lourdes.
Next year Lourdes will celebrate it's
hftieth anniversary of the apparitions
! Of the Blessed Virgin, and while the
4 enemies of Christianity are waging
war against the Church in France and
are employing every means to close
& this famous shrine in order to prevent
this celebration, the Immaculate Vir-
gin is, In a special manner, inviting
the French people by an augmentation
n HR, 1y&~ IN
demonstration capable Of awakening
slumbering France. The authorities
declare that the miracles wrought
have been unusually numerous this
year and of such unquestionable char
acter as to leave no room for criticism.
The Blessed Virgin, it may be said. is
: herself preparing the f1fticth anniver-
4 aary. of Lourdes.
Rev. Father La Montague was a
hanpy witness to the following:
8 Among upwards Of 400 invalids
brought there by the pilgrims, was a
young girl from the neighborhood of
Paris, who had been suffering for a
long time from b disease affecting the
bones Of her spinal column. The dis
ease spreading through her whole
body caused blood poisoning, covering
her body with ulcerous eruptdons
which put her in a frightful state of
4 decay and suffering. On being exam
ined by the attending physicians at
the Bureau Of Examinations, the
young girl was declared absolutely in
durable by any means Of human sci
ence. We might add here that this
young girls parents were incredulous
In the miracles of Lourdes. looking up
Il on them as mere superstitious fanci3s,
and therefore their daughter was cob
veyed to the shrine very much against
their wishes. During the solemn and
impressive procession of the Blessed
Sacrament, this unfortunate person
was carried in and placed in line with
the other invalids. The attending
bishop bearing the Blessed Sacrament
passes between the rows of cots upon
which the sick are lying, and blesses
them with the Ostensorium, whilst a.
priest standing in the open terrace,
4 cries out in a loud voice invocations
taken from the Holy Scriptures,
I sJesus, Son Of David, have mercy on
me; Lord if thou will, thou canst cure
me-" etc. Thirty thousand voices, agi-
{ tated by emotion. repeat the invoca-
ti0ns. After the procession Of the
d BLESSED Sacrament the Tantum Ergo
/ 50 sung. At the end of the first verse
suddenly a great cry Is sent up from
the immense throng present. and
q arnidst the indiscribable tumult, the
young girl arises and walks with firm
Y stop to the open space between tho
sick and faces the Blessed Sacrament
Il she was miraculously cured. The
/ guards surround the favored one whom
every one wanted to see and touch.
Unmindful Of the Benediction they
were attending this grateful throng,
now weeping, now shouting. chant the
.14agnificat" in an endeavor to relieve
h their hearts Of their emotion and graft
Il tsfde. Not being able to stay such a
wave Of human emotion, the Tantum
y Ergo is not resumed until the last
verse Of the Magnifcat is sung. But
twice again the service is interrupted
81 as two more sick persons arise from
4 their cots cured and the same exciting
scene is again enacted. A French
Hest, who afterwards assisted at an
lnnination by the physicians, re-
S@ lated to Father La Montague that not
SSysnly had all traces of the disease dis
II Esjaippeared and the young girl recovered
perfect use Of her limbs, but also all
u MSIuptions and sores that formerly COW
Sied her body were entirely healed
skYing only slight scars; seemingly,
q testimonial of the miracle