The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-21
A slck-cALL.

One morning, having little to do,
set out to visit a brother priest some
thirty miles distant, intending to re.
turn in the evening. On my way back,
however, decided to take little side
| trip and visit some scattered families
belonging to one Of my former mis-
sionssa;I reached my destination at.
suppertime, expecting to take a late
train home. This, however, I missed,
and so made up my mind to. take
the earliest train on the morrow The
people with whom was to pass the
night assured me that there was "a
later train that night, but knew that
was a mistake and to settle the point
! suggested that they call up the sta
ton agent. He informed us that there
would be another train, but failed to
disclose whether it was Unbound or
outbound, and then some one volun-
teered to ring up the telephone opera
tor who stated definitely that the
next outgoing train. would be in the
early morning. Very WE'LL" was the
answer, I'VE wanted to know, as the
priest is here and CHANGED to miss to-
nights train for home.'''
In due time retired for the night,
but at about eleven o'clock l was
awakened and told that the exchange
girl had just rung up to notify mo
that she had overheard on the phone
that Catholic man was critically i'll
and was not expected. to survive the
night. Furthermore, he was in "a
boarding house among nom atholics
and had. been Unconscious for several
days. Yr
I, hurried to the, place, and when
I entered the, room the patient sud-
denly regained consciousness lie
recognized me ass a priest at once
and almost leaped from the bed when
he saw me. l Gained him and heard
his confession, telling him that l
would return in the morning after
securing the Blessed Sacrament and
Holy Oils from my home, and that
l would give him the Viaticum, .if.
he was able. to receive it; but that,
in any case, l. would be sure to.
anoint him. He then .relapsed into
Inconsistencies.
In the morning / administered Ex-
IRENE Unction, but was unable to give
him Holy Viaticum as he had become
raving maniac, so that while i was
amounting him had to call on those
present to hold his hands for fear
that he might break my fingers. He
never regained the use Of his facul-
ties, and died in that state the follow
ing day. 2
It was currently reported that be-
fore I came he had not received the
Sacramento or attended Mass for
many years, But when | began to
hold services there once month he
was always. present and made an Of
fering regularly, yet never approach
ed Holy Communion, and he continued
faithfully to attend Mass during the.
administration of two other priests.
have always fancied that he, per-
haps, merited special grace to re-
ceive some of the last rites, because
he had been singularly faithful to the
laws of the Church on the occasion
of his marriage. Although he was
one Of only three Catholics in the
place, he insisted. that the lady whom
he married, leading member of the
most prominent Protestant Church in
the community, should go with him
a distance oftninety miles by rail to
be joined in marriage before priest.
His wife, later, became Catholic
and positively disclaimed that he had
exercised any influence in her CON
version. Some time after their mar
riage,. she voluntarily began to study
the Catholic doctrine and abandoned
the Presbyterian sect only when by
| long reading SHE discovered that re-
ligious authority is confined within the
Catholic, Church.. an.
| | have ofttHnes marveled at the
series of circumstances that con-
spired together to obtain for him the
opportunity to make a death-bed con
fession. During life he had Willingly
deprived himself of the inestimable
graces of Holy Communion; in death
he was llnwillingly denied the same
graces But In life he had doubtless
ly done some goodadeed SO in death
God rewarded him for it. "Oh, the
depth of the riches, of the wisdom,
and of the knowledge Of God! How
incomprehensible are His judgments,
and how unsearchable His ways" .s,
Rep. H. p. WEIGH. in Extension Mo0osfne.