The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-10-05
PROTECTED BY THE HOLY SOULS

FnOI EOiEO 6Y HE HOLY SOOIS
A Jesuit Father relates: Some
years ago I accompanied a number
of prominent members of our Society
who had been summoned to Rome on
business of Importance. Our way lay
across the Apennines and we were
numerous enough to fill a large coach.
We knew that the mountains were
infested by outlawed bands, and we
had been careful to select an honest
driver. Before setting out it was
agreed that we should place ourselves
under the protection of the Holy
Souls by reciting De profundis
every hour. At a given signal the
psalm was to be recited aloud.
Luigi, the driver, had been in
structed, in case of any danger, to
tap our vehicles roof distinctly with
three strokes of the heavy end of
his whip. Just as evening twilight
began, we reached the summit of
lofty mountain when we were star
tied by three ominous knocks on the
roof of our coach. Before we could
ask any questions, Luigi had given
the horses such blow as nearly made
them throw us out of the coach, and
sent the animals at a breakneck
speed along the road. On looking out
we beheld, to our horror, about
dozen bandits on either side holding
deadly weapons as if ready and deter
mined to attack us. But, strange to
say, they all remained as motionless
as statues, with arms uplifted, until
we had gone on so far as to leave
them a mere speck on the horizon.
"At last our driver halted. A mir
acle!' he cried. May God and Our
Lady be praised! I tell you, Fathers,
it is a miracle that we are not dead
men
"Indeed a very special protection
of Divine Providence, replied the
superior of our party, and we must
all thank God from our whole hearts.
We must all say Mass in thanksgiv-
ing tomorrow We heartily assented,
and soon the danger with which we
had been threatened receded from our
memories.
"Holy Obedience afterwards sta
toned me- continued the Father,
"at the Gesu, our church and college
at Rome. About two years later I
was called upon to instruct prisoner
condemned to capital punishment I
visited him several times, and it cost
me great effort to make him open his
heart to me. Finally he told me that
his birth and parentage and the ad-
vantages of liberal education should
have brought him to widely differ
ent destiny. He had loved adventure
naturally, but had taken wrong d.
rection. To win him to God, I af-
fected to be interested in the daring
adventures which he related to me,
and succeeded in impressing him
with the sinfulness of his life and the
necessity of repentance. I visited the
prisoner often, and he was always
glad to see me. One day, as he was
speaking to me of the latest years of
his life, he described to me in the
most graphical terms the very Incl
dent with which I began my story.
He described to me the wonderful
manner in which his hands and those
of his comrades had been held by
all invisible, irresistible power. He
told me that they knew that the coach
was full of Jesuit priests, and that
they had been promised great re-
ward by the head of a secret anti
Catholic society if they succeeded in
Selling our luggage, and how dis
mayed they were when they found
themselves rendered motionless by an
invisible higher power. l then made
known to him that 1 had been mem.
Der of that party, and he at once fell
on his knees and asked my pardon.
ct prepared him for his dreadful
end, and believe he died at peace with
God. I asked his permission to re
late his portion of the story and he
willingly gave it, hoping to merit
some benefit for his sin-burdened soul
thereby. AS for myself, l was and
still am convinced, that our hourly
De profundis during that memorable
journey was rewarded by God, per
hitting the Holy Souls to come to ou1
aid in the moment of danger, and that
it was they who, with Gods permits
sion, rendered the robbers immovable
when they we're about to attack u.s.