The Catholic bulletin., 1916-01-15
A NOTED CONVERT
THE STORY OF FRAU DAvIN's
! CHANGE OF FAITH--AN ARTIST,
LINGulsT, WRITER AND COM.
POSER.

LINeulsT, WRITER AND COM.
POSER.
How / Became Catholic" is the
story, in pamphlet form, of the con-
version from Lutheranism of Olga
Maria DAWN, an accomplished artist,
linguist, writer and composer.
Frau DAWN was born in ST. Peters
burg, of German Lutheran parents.
The religious ceremonies, which the
Russian Orthodox church had taken
over from the Catholic Church, made
profound impression on her. A COM
parative study of the tenets Of faith
Of the various denominations revealed
to her the weakness of the Protestant
sects and the strength of Catholicism.
In the course of time, her leaning
to the Catholic Church prompted her
to visit a Catholic Church occasion
ally. / Concerning such visits to the
Catholic Church in Ems, she says:
There was no one in the church;
therefore, examined it to my hearts
content, after which / knelt once
more and prayed long and earnestly.
Then / went out again into the street.
thought, Thou dear, hospitable
Church. that openest thy door so will
ingly to the weary strangerl Here
in Ems thou shalt be my friend |
will visit thee daily; in thy holy peace
full atmosphere I will see rest and
meditation And so | went day after
day-sometimes twice-to that lovely
house of God to pray; / had all my
time at my own disposal. Occasion
ally there would be another worship
per, but often knelt and prayed
alone.
"On the third or fourth visit, as I
was kneeling and rejecting, / felt a
hand upon my shoulder. I turned
and found myself gazing into a pair
of earnest, dark eyes, belonging to
distinguished looking and handsome
woman, who in a low, hushed voice
inquired: Do you speak English? 1
replied that I did. Do you know
whether the priest of this church
speaks English? / thought the lady
was in search Of the English Protest
ant church, and / answered: This is
a Roman Catholic Church. You prob
ably are looking for the English
church oh, no!' said the lady I
am Catholic. Are you not one also?'
No. replied, i am a Lutheran
And you are praying in this church
though not Catholic?' Then | an
swered: Catholic and Protestant
alike believe in the Triune God and
the Redemption. prefer those points
in which the churches agree to those
in which they differ Come with me-
whispered the stranger. We must not
speak here, but / have something to
say to YOU
eve went outside, and the stranger
and foreigner enlightened me for the
first time on the grandeur Of the
Catholic Church. She spoke practical
ly as follows:
There is but one true Church on
earth, which Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, founded, and the Apostles
preached. She, alone, possesses the
treasure Of the true faith as revealed
by Almighty God She alone has
Visible Head as guarantee Of her
unity with God. She alone is the
burning lamp, the City on the Noun
tain. Come to see me at my hotel
am staying at an English boarding
house with my husband We are
Californians, stopping here for while
in Ems. / will give you book to
read. Come, beg you, tomorrow at
L."
This meeting with the American
lady prompted Frau Davin's first def
mite step on the road to Rome.
Though her husband and friends tried
to dissuade her from entering the
Catholic Church, Frau DAWN could
not be deferred from following the
voice Of conscience and reason. On
the feast of st. Boniface she was re-
ceived into the Church.
Not content with having herself re-
ceived the light of faith, Frau DAWN
| has been instrumental i'm bringing
about as many as 20 known CONVEX
sions. Thus the seed planted into the
heart of Frau DAWN by an American
lady has yielded abundant ffuit Very
properly the translator Of Frau Da-
wins pamphlet alludes to this happy
fruitfon in the foreword
1T is no wonder that the American
lady, herself convert from the Bap-
tist sect, who was the first to reveal
the truth, the beauty of Catholic doc
trine to Frau DAWN, should rejoice
over her conversion, or that she her
self should be instrumental in leading
SO many others into the True Fold. 1t
is not given to every Catholic to exert
such great influence as hers; how
ever, it is well to remember that good
example and fervent prayer are never
without effect upon the witnesses and
subjects Of them, though such effect
may not always appear