New-York tribune., 1910-07-21
CR|pPLES CROWD CHURCH
IuyaIjds. Too. Penetrate Throng
Attending Novena of St. Ann
RICH MINGLE WITH POOR
PitifuI Sights Many as Little
Ones Hobble Along While
Mothers Hover Near.

T-re fourth day Of the novene Of St Ann
was 2 full one for the priests and othcers
oe The law az the Church OF St Jean Bap-
-is1e IN East 18th street The block be-
tween Lexington and Third avenues gave
the appearance Of a fete. choked as II was
with crowds which s1orTned the d-rerenS
church entrances and exits and with street
STANDS over which presided women se44lhg
z-7ule1s sratueIIes OF saints, rosarles anu
SO on To keep those anxious TO reach the
s,--sr. Of 81 Ann and her curative relic
from blocking the exit OF those VINO La~
sl-aa5v -se1errated TO those sacred PIE
cincrs was q task which kept several
Datrn9raen especially assigned very busy
The army OF cripples and 1nva1ics wFlch
hesieEed the little church al the week
was increased yesterday by the news that
q lame how 10 whom the relic had been
snrlied the DAY before had been cured
--,.e church building can accommodate
o-,sv i've hundred persons AZ z tine and
thousands waited patiently in the blazing
stuexsr during the day fo- a chance 70 kneei
a. 4sle rail while hundreds kept up the
vigil z,nril so O'Clock last night The en-
trance 70 the lower church, which contains
The shrine Of St AM. showed until late q
solid Irz1naan stream pressing up through
.he centre aisle 10 the altar. It's progress
fo-v-s~5 -zas as slow as the hour hand OF
a watch hui the patience Of its human n
E-edients zSas as great as their devotion
Scores OF them had foregone supper n
the hope OF an application Of the relic be
.ore bed-1-ne and shiny with peTspiratlon
and uzle with fatigue, stood their ground
In the 11ppe- church q similar crowd al
tended the simple service IN progress
there. choking The big central door and the
broad SHIPS leading from the street press
sne hack hose who wished 10 emerge and
try their .uck downstairs In both the
upper and lower churches the pews were
hacked anE Al standing room and oxygen
p-eempIed-
The rich were there as well as the poor
md out in the street coacLmen, footnen
and chau4feurs waited hoUr after hour IN
their different vehicles for their charges 70
come forth from The church which had
szUa1lcr1ed them. These carriages and
motors brought mostly crippled children
and their mothers OF nurses 10 look out
<or them n 1tse press The mothers o. the
poor brought their manned offspring Loo'
but on foot, II their arms
Most Of the c-ipples Saint Am attracted
were children. and i was pl1fn sight
70 see them hoobIing away from the
church. their parents or guardians hover
ing near, hoping the cures were real, 1ear-
Ing the collapse that might ATTEND the
DYING away OF the religious fe-vor that
sustained them The collection Of CTUtches
and braces n the rack beside the shrine
was augmented
Father LeteIlier, pastor OF the church.
vas assured by one mother who had
brought Ter e5zh-een-year-Old daughter 70
the shrine 70 te cured Of deafness that e
miracle had been wrought in her child S
case. The Ci-I had been stricken deaf and
dumb seven years ago. Ihe mother said,
and until TUESDAY night had not heard q
sound nor uttered q word Day before
yesterday she obtained Al application o.
The relic from the priest a the altar raj
and now could speak 5uteIIig1bly and heaE
loud sounds. according 70 the mother
Another mother. II was reported. brought
r-r ren-vear-old son 10 The church on
Monday. on Tuesday and again yesterday.
The bov suffered from tuberculosis OF the
spine. hut after the lasr application Of the
-e.5r stood VI without his mothers assist
z-ce and hobbIed ont 70 the street Father
Ier-elie~ could no- vouch for the authen-
r5ci-v of this case. nor for cures Of similar
degree alleged for z little boy Of six years
VINO had spinal trouble and another OF
fourteen suffering from paralysis
The pastor and the assistant priests are
10th 70 bear witness 70 the 'favors'' Of the
good saint unless in each case The extent
Of improvement Can be measured by per
EOaaI observaIlon- This IS 2 condition dif-
:7cuIt Of ful1unen- since the priest apply
:rg -ns relic must be moving swiftly from
one 70 Ihe other II the long kneeing line
a the rail which IS ever changing. as he
3nt0ness-the service