The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-29
EASTER IN THE PENAL DAYS

i
MASS IN IRELAND IN THE DAYS
WHEN 1T WAS UNLAWFUL TO
CELEBRATE 1T.
/ AS early as five o'clock in the morn
ing, says Mgr. Benson, the houses
were stir in Padley; lights glimmered
in upper rooms; footsteps passed along
corridors and across the court; parties
began to arrive. All was done without
ostentation, yet without concealment
for Padley was a solitary place, and
had no fear of the authorities. For
| forms sake-scarcely mOre-a man
kept watch over the valley road, and
signalled by the flashing of lamp
twice every party with which he was
acquainted, and there were no others
than these to signal. A second man
waited by the gate into the court to
admit them. They rode and walked in
from all acknowledgement gentlemen,
such as the North Lees family, came
with a small retinue; few came
alone; yeomen and farm servants, with
| their womenfolk, from the Hathersage
valley, came for the most part on foot
Altogether perhaps ~ persons were
within Padley Manor-and the gate Sc
cured-by o'clock.
| Meanwhile, within, the priest had
been busy since ,half-past four with the
| hearing of confessions. He sat in the
chapel beside the unlocked altar, and
they came to him one by one. The
household and few of the nearer
neighbors had done their duty in this
matter the day before, and u good num-
Der had already made their Easter du-
ties earlier in Lent, SO by o'clock all
was finished.
Then began the hustle.
A group of ladies, Fitz-Herberts and
Fentons, entered. so soon as the priest
gave the signal by tapping on the par
Tor wall, bearing all things necessary
for the altar; and it was astonishing
what fine things these were; SO that
by the time that the priest was ready
to vest, the place was transformed
Stuffs and embroideries hung upon the
wall about the altar, making it seem,
| indeed, sanctuary; two tall silver
candlesticks, used for no other purpose,
stood upon the linen cloths, under
| which rested the slate altar-stone,
taken with the sacred vessels and the
vestments, from one of the privy hid
ing holes, with whose secret not liv-
| ing being without the house, and not
more than two or three within, were
familiar Half dozen such places had
been contrived within the precincts,
two Of which were great enough to hold
two or three men at a pinch.
Soon after o'clock, then, the altar
was ready and the priest stood vested.
| He retired a pace from the altar,
| signed himself with the cross, and with
| Mr.. John 1FitZ Herbert and his son
| Thomas on either side of him, began
| the preparation.
1t was strange and inspiring sight
that the young priest (for it was Mr..
| Simpson who was saying the Mass) !,
| looked upon as he turned round after
| the gospel to make his little sermon.
From end to end the tiny chapel was
| full, packed so that few could kneel
and none sit down. The two doors
were open, and here two faces peered
| in: and, behind, rank after rank down
| the steps and along the little passage
the folk stood or knelt, out of sight of
| both priest and altar, and almost out
| of sound. The sanctuary was full Of
4 f1li RI n xy1I 1o1Na
| faces looked up at him--children who
knew little or nothing of what was
| passing, except that they were there to
| worship God, but who, for all that re-
ceived impressions and associations
that could never thereafter wholly
leave them. The chapel was still COM
pletely dark, for the faint light Of
dawn was excluded by the heavy hang
ings over the windows; and there was
but the light of the two tapers to show
the people to one another and the
priest to them all.
1t was an inspiring sight to him
then, and one which well rewarded him
for his labors, since there was not a
class from gentlemen to 1aborer who
was not represented there. The Fitz-
Herberts, the Babingtons, the Fentons
these. with their servants and guests
accounted for perhaps half Of the folk.
From the shadow by the door peeped
out the faces of John Merton and his
wife and son; beneath the window was
the solemn face of Mr.. Manners, the
lawyer, with his daughter beside him.
Robin Audrey beside her, and Dick, his
servant behind him. Surely thought
the young priest, the Faith could not
be in it's final decay, with such gath
ering as this.