The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-02-07
Father Massardier Welcomed Home.

Father Massardier Welcomed Home
Right Rev. Canon J. NJ. T. Massar
| der, who, as We may well believe
was snatched from the hands O.
death by the fervent prayers of the
! little lambs of his flock, returned
Wednesday from New Orleans, where
| for the past several weeks he ha:
been under medical treatment a
the Hotel Dieu, following a surgica
| operation. His altar boys, vested il
cassock and surplIce, and member!
at the T. and ?. depot and escorted
him to the presbytery. where OF
the following day he was rendered
warm welcome home by the pu
pills of the two Catholic schools.
After an appropriate song by {
grand chorus of three hundred ant
sixty children, the following address:
Of welcome was delivered by Master
Paul Thibodaux, of the class of 1914
S. J. c. l.:
every Reverend and Dear Pastor:
"W h hearts trimming with JOY
in the qualification of this, your re
turn among us, we attune our voices
to notes of welcome.
sit is the welcome of children, the
bud and flower of life's springtime
| the hope and promise of home
church and state.
1T is the welcome of the children
Of your schools, who have listened
to and learned at the altar and fire
side of home and school, the story
of your love and devotion to our pa
rents dear; the story of your days
as pastor of this parish, full of mem
cries of precious deeds of fatherly
zeal and Christlike mercy.
1T is the welcome Of children who
have been christened, nursed and
fostered in the duties of our faith
in the church within whose shadow
we now stand.
Finally, it is the welcome of chill
dren who are fondly Catholic. cher
jshing sentiments of deepest love
and regard for those who have lis
tened to the voice Of Him who said:
Feed my lambs
Very dear Father Massardier. &C
WV thSoC Low 81 DIS d IT,
ken of the true sentiments of love
and affection entertained for you by
your boys of S. J. G. Z"
On behalf of the girls of st. Vim
cents Institute, Miss Enola Fernan-
dez, of the class Of 1914, addressed
Father Massardier as follows:
"The cordial greeting and the
heartfelt wish are feeble but truth
full expressions of natures hottest
and most beautiful feelings, though
the lips which utter them are those
of artless children.
Dear Father, we welcome YOU
Oh! that hea ven would enhance our
voices with the angels sweetest tones
that we might fifty bid you well
come in our midst once more. The
past month has been one of anxious
care and solicitude, and many fer
vent prayers have been waited .heav-
onward for our beloved pastor. Our
dear Lord has graciously heard our
prayers, and now, with grateful
hearts and gladstone voices, we raise
the strain of Welcome! Welcome
home! All, is there need of bidding
you welcome? Nay, for though the
language of the heart is silent, the
eyes speak it well. Look around on
all these smiling faces and you will
read what we vainly strive to put
in Words-the devotion of the chill
dren to their revered pastor and
friend
Still, a feeling akin to sadness
steals Ger US as We recall the dear
absent one whose gentle and en-
couraging smile always stimulated
us on just such occasions as this: but
since God has chosen the loved one,
for whom we weep, to dwell with
Him in a land of peace and rest, we
must lay aside all mourning and
think only of her happiness, while
we learn to love with grateful hearts
to be the guiding star of our future
school life, and who today, in union
with the children, rejoices in the
return of our beloved pastor to the
scene of his devoted labors.
May the Divine Providence, who
has so graciously restored you to
health and strength, continue to
bless your efforts in the work Of
Christian education, and when the
children of today are the women Of
tomorrow may you still receive the
grateful adulations Of the children
of st. Vincent's INSTITUTE
After thanking the children for
their prayers during his illness and
their affectionate welcome, Father
Massardier gave them his blessing,
and holiday from school,