Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-09-06

THIS cnurch In New YORK attend ed
and supported by natives of this par
ish, and thousands of chape1s in diff
erent parts of the world. A village
of 1000 population has grown up
about the shrine, with hotels that
will accommodate 1900 guests, and
numerous clearinghouse that have
been provided for the accommoda-
ton of the pilgrims. There is mon
aStery, two nunneries, several
schools and a hospital for the &C
commodatiCn of poor people who
come here tG be cured. The Sisters
of the Rosary nave an academy for
young women; the San Franciscan
Sisters have a convent with about
100 inmates. The Redemptorist
nuns have a convent which is filled
with German sisters and there is q
seminary for the education OF priests
with about 300 students.
In the village of Beaupre is a
wood-pulp mill belonging to a New
York company and sawmill; both
are run by water power, but only
the most insignificant portion of the
power is used. There are seven falls
in the Saint Anne river in a dis
lance Of seven miles, the entire drop
being about 700 feet and the horse
power available is estimated at 100,-
600.
Around the bastilica, which is the
center of all activity, are several sac
red places. The fountain of Saint
Anne, at the foot of the hill, pours
;,;l Of
water which the faithful believe con-
tains miraculous qualities, but Broth
err Appolonaris says he is not sure
about it. The monks claim no spe-
cial merit except that it is pure and
wholesome and it certainly will do
no harm. Long lines of pilgrims
stand at the fountain from morning
to night with their jugs and bottles
in their hands waiting their turn to
catch a little from the life-giving
stream.
There is a rude imitation of the
Sacra Scala in Rome, which, you
know are the stairs in the house of
plate in Jerusalem which the Savior
climbed to His trial. From dawn
till dark and even through the night
devotees are continually climbing
these steps on their knees to kiss the
feet of gilded wooden image of
Saint Anne at the top.
Near by is a little graveyard of not
more than half an acre which con-
tains 1000 bodies, and, as Brother
Appolonaris said, there will not be
room for them to stand up within it's
walls on resurrection morning
Among them are about seventy In
dams.
All these shrines are in the Gus
tody of the Redemptorist Fathers.
who have a monastery in connection
with the basilica. Most of them are
Frenchmen who come and go be-
tween Saint Anne de Beaupre and
the headquarters of the order at
Brussels. There are sixteen priests
engaged in the basilica
holding almost continuous services
from 4 o'clocH in the morning until
8 at night. An average of six SER
mons are preached daily in French
and English
AS | have already told you, pill
grims have been coming here two
centuries and a half but when the
trolley line was completed from
Quebec in 1889 the number was
very largely increased. Nearly a mil
lion and half passengers were car
ried on this trolley last year.
The pilgrims no longer come on
foot leaning upon staff and carry
ing crust of bread in their wallet.
but they come by special trains of
Pullman cars. There was an excur-
sion of 1900 people from Troy with
a Pullman train of four sections last
and special train of Pull
mans from New York with 600 pas
sengers. The average during the
months is about 5000 dur
ing the week DAYS and on Sunday
from 1000 to 5000. The largest
ever 9,700-came
in the year 1908. Last year the total
was 1926, and this year, accord
ing to the present reckoning, there
will be more than 100000.
They come from every part of the
land and from Europe. Last year
sixteen different countries were rep
resented. 1t costs about $4,000 q
year to keep things going. There are
forty lay employees about the place,
and when the seminary, the hummer
les and the converts are in full blast
the ecclesiastical population is about
700"