The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-31

-
to pious souls. Surely such faith in
God, such love for Jesus Christ could
sot exist in soul without lifting that
soul by the pious practice Of prayer
far above itself and its surroundings
Bishop Michaud was man of
prayer His mind was continually
with God in prayer His heart
throbbed for Him. The perfume of
his pious prayers permeated and hung
round his whole life. What respect
for Christ in the tabernacle When
celebrating the Divine Mysteries his
thoughts became so deeply absorbed
as to shed oven his presence the re-
Election of heavenly things. "A wise
man shall be filled with blessings"
Why not recall here his hlial de
yotlon to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He had full confidence in the Mother
of God Many times a day he recited
his rosary in her honor for the vel
fare OF holy church, for this diocese,
for the suffering souls in purgatory
He has said, he could not remember
the day, no matter how Ill or exhaust
ed, in which he failed TO say his ros.
airy in honor of Mary, Was II not
his faith i'm God and devotion to His
Blessed Mother that determined him
to undertake his last pilgrimage to
the shrine OF the Immaculate Concep-
ton at Lourdes, conscious that, If ii
were not the will of Divine Provi-
dence, as he stated in his last pas
toral letter to his clergy, to restore
him to health, he knew of no better
place to lay down his life than at the
feet of Mary Immaculate at her favor
ed shrine
On the 10th Of November. he as
sisted at the holy sacrifice Of the mass
offered by Monseigneur Schaepfer,
bishop of Tarbes. for His Holiness,
Plus the X, on the occasion OF his
sacerdotal jubilee. From that time
to the 23rd of November. he found
himself failing and having, so to
speak, a premonition that death was
nigh. he called for the sacraments
which he received from Bishop
! Schaepfer with so much devotion
with so much faith and piety that the
latter broke down and wept Then
calling his companions de voyage, the
Father Plamondon and DR.. Shea OF
this city to his bedside, like Jacob OF
4 old, he made his last will and tesla
ment; | am going to die. | want to
be buried in Burlington. VI | wish
that Bishop Beaver Of Springfield
sing my requiem, yes Bishop Beaver
his lifelong companion and friend. q
man after his own heart And II am e
speak his eulogy TO day It is 10 com
ply with the dying request Of my
father in Christ, my intimate friend
have said that Bishop MichauC
had a great devotion for the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
BY a charm, by an attraction which
the events OF his life explain. he wal
drawn more perceptibly to homo
Mary as the afflicted mother, as tn
mother OF sorrows on account of he
SON In fact, was he not a man o
sorrows? Has he not borne for man,
years the cross of a most severe aiiiiC
tion which brought him all too 500
TO the grave Has he not suffered Il
flesh and in spirit pains and trial
more severe than generally fall TO IN
lot Of a bishop
In speaking OF our deceased bishop
i / have applied TO him those words {
the Holy Ghost a wise man shall b
i filled with blessings Is It right
speak of blessings where there ha
been so much suffering and pain2
4 IL just TO speak of blessings In III
4 presence OF a life crushed out by n
weight OF the most depressing inf
mites and yeXation OF spirit?
All II is here, my dear Christia
brethren. we see the futility OF h
man wisdom and the incomparab
superiority OF Christian wisdoI
While the wisdom OF the world
vexed. annoyed. respondent Christie
wisdom looks up and above this wor
and describes the hand OF Divine Pro
idence disposing all things for o.
great good II blesses with equal To-
the hand that gives and the hand IN
takes the hand that heaps favors u
on us and the hand that oyerwhelr
US with misfortune
The imperishable merit of Bish
Michaud consists In having Chos
this divine wisdom for his guide.
having studied we'll the lessons
ltNiWtnt III nav JUS klNWH ~ W A'AA
and In grace In the midst OF the
iections of life; In having made
his sufferingS and trials OF body a
soul the stepping stones to Writ
and the pedestal OF his glory.
Let me say Of our sanity bish
whose death we mourn that as
bodily faculties grew weaker.
faith In Gods providence grew strol
er. and his soul becoming more a
more spiritualized assembled TO
highest moral plane tried by sun
ing and consecrated by sacrifice.
scared up to those realms more
gellc than human where the heart
tached from all earthly things a
conformed to the divine will has
one thought, one desire. the thoul
and the deisre OF St Paul: ITO
dissolved and be with Christ
There is true glory there Is
mhrk OF a sanity soul there is
perfection OF virtue. and with IL
pledge OF those blessings with VIII
God will sooner or later crown
furrowed brow traced In sorrow a
In tears.
IN clohluk say JUN D WIN"
was a noble bishop and great Chi
tian, a noble bishop whose wol
proclaim a mind filled with wisd
and a heart flowing with zeal for
glory of God and the sanctiiicatioR
souls. a great Christian whC
heoric virtues are now, and shall ca
be the admiration of his fellow men
From heaven where doubtless.
u merit of mis- toll and tears has alrea
borne him. or where your prayi
and suftragcs will surely watt
spirit. he will extend over this d
cese protecting hand He will ed
Il by the remembrance of his gri
Christian life. he will heln Il by
aid and efficacy OF his prayers.
T. lii .tt,t,, from, Cod TINT this dton,