The Irish standard., 1909-01-16
The ITALIAN SUFFERERS.


THE ITALIAN. SUFFERERS.
The American people of every de-
nomination have responded generously
to the appeal made in behalf of. the
survivors ui the terrific earthquake i"
Italy. The president of the United
States. with all the censure to which
he is being subjected during the clos
ing weeks of his administration, was
touched by the disaster and immeii-
ately ordered our warships to rush to
their rescue, besides asking congress
to make an appropriation for the re-
lief of those who lost everything but
their lives.
The governors of states and tie
mayors Of cities made appeals for the
afflicted, and they were responded t.,
with alacrity by Catholics and non
Catholics alike. In the day Of distress
and trlbulation to any people, whether
Jew or Christian, the inhabitants of
the United States can be depended on
to contribute generously and renter
prompt assistance. That is one of The
grand characteristics of the American
people for which they are noted the
world around.
In the midst Of stories of horror
coming from the stricken cities of
beautiful Italy, which everybody was
reading with fearful eyes, the Am eri-
cans were told by the agent Of the AS
ISOLATED Press that the survivors Of
the catastrophe were beside them.
selves and carried pictures Of saints
through the streets, to which thy
prayed with frenzied devotion and SUI
perstitious zeal, or words to that eff
feet. An is, GRANT bigot, unacquaint.
ed with thu Catholic religion, rep::.-
scented the Associated Press, and wir-
ell for the American papers what he
thought Of the proceedings. He re-
ferred to the Italians as "supersti-
tious," because they prayed to God
and the saints for protection. Is it
possible that the Associated Press could
not employ an intelligent, broad mind
ed man to report Catholic professions
in a Catholic country without implt-
ing superstition to q suffering people,?
Rev. d. s. Phelan, editor of the
Western Watchman, of st. Louis, who
has travelled through Italy, explains as
follows tho 'superstition' referred to
by the correspondent:
All the cites of Italy have patron
saint who l., supposed to watch over
item and prote It them from evil. IL
Southern Italy these patron saints a.0
held in high honor, because of the prev
alence of earthquakes and other ills
consequent upon seismic disturbances.
On certain days in the year the stat.
ues Of these saints are carried through
the streets, and in times Of great dis
tress they are exposed to the venera-
ton Of the people. In Naples they
have st. Januarius; in Messirla they
have st. Agnes; in Reggie they have
st. Agatha. We are told that after
the late terrible earthquake in the last
named city the bishop carried the
statue Of tho saint through the streets.
This is a corollary Of the honor the
Church pays all the saints of God. If
it is right to honor them, it is proper,
to honor their images. If we can adj
dress them eur prayer puts on new
and force when we are in.
spired by the image of the blessed one
before our Eyes. We know. a distin"
suished Protestant minister, now a
convert to our holy faith, who was
first shake, i'll his prejudices by tho
conduct of q dying servant girl in his
house. lie took down little statr-
cite of the Madonna that the girl had
placed above her bed and offered it to
her. She told him to put 1t Jack as
she could see 1t from where shs lay.
She was telling her beads with her
eyes relsed to Heaven. DON. you ad-
dress your prayers to the statuc?" he
asked hel. A smile of pity was her
only reply. THAT woman is in com
munion with the heavenly spirits; now
I know what praying to the saints
means" Years afterwards he told his
beads also.
WILLIAMS GOES OUT.