The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-09-12
LETTER TO The EDITOR.
LAST HOURS IN THE OLD CATTLE
ORAL.
Dear Father Reardon:

Dear Father Reardon:
| attended the Requiem Mass at the
Cathedral on Monday and at its close
went on with my daily avocation.
Half-past five found me, work done
and on my way home; but, with a
yearning for the Courts of the Living
God and with the almost audible
wish that might still find the ven
cradle building open, | turned my
steps thitherward. 1t was a dull,
lowering evening with threat of rain.
AS / approached the Cathedral found
a little knot of women gathered in
front and upon my asking whether or
not it was still open, they explained
that the doors had just been closed,
as they supposed, for good. | stayed
and talked awhile and found that one
and all Of us felt it would be blessed
to kneel once more and talk with the
Beloved.
We were rejoiced, therefore, after
awhile to find that the north door
was opened and we, with several
others who had gathered there in adj
dition to those already mentioned,
went in to visit our Lord in the Holy
Sacrament. How good to see the lit
tie red fame burning and to know
that the King of Kings was still on
His Throne!
Many people came and kept on COM
| ing till think it is safe to say that
at least two hundred had visited the
church between six o'clock and the
time when the Host was taken away,
about eight. / shall never forget
those hours spent in the sacred old
shrine, the last hours of it's existence
as a Christian Temple. Darkness
came on till we could scarcely see
each other and still the forms of
worshipping men and women fitted
about, visiting the Stations and the
several Affairs. But most every one
failed not to kneel for few minutes
before the statue of the Sacred Heart.
Nothing in my whole religious life
has ever effected me exactly as those
moments spent before the Image of
my Lord. All about me were men
and women some with tears stream
| ing down their faces, and when finally
| some one stopped and picked up with
reverent care the petals fallen from
the red roses recently placed before
the statute, and laid them reverently
in a prayer book, I could no longer
restrain the happy tears that we're
so near to overlooking, and my heart
| went out in great wave of thanks
| giving, praise to God that men and
women so loved their Lord and felt
His love that they could prize even
the flowers that had been near His
Image. Once the movement began
tiny pieces of asparagus fern, and
rose leaves were taken from the al.
ready faded bouquet until nothing was
left Faded flowers! And yet who
shall say that in years to come Our
Lord may not choose to use them
as instruments in turning some soul
to Him in the Love of His most
Sacred Heart!
And so the last hours of the old
| CathedraPs life witnessed the loving
devotion to it's Master it had done sc
much throughout all the years to pro
mote. AS for myself, I could not
bring myself to leave. l started away
several times but before had reached
the inside door, it was as though a
Voice pleaded with me to stay and
watch until the very last And so
did, And how glad l am Dec
Gratiasl
Yours sincerely,
F. r. RANDALL.
September 3, 1914