The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-08-17

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teams which brought them with no
house nor hut to shelter them, camped
out all night, and next morning started
in an unbroken forest "where the
sound of the woodman,s ak" had never
before been heard, to make clearing
and to build log houses and church
in which TO live, and in which to offer
up the daily sacrifice of the mass in
houor of Him who created the world;
will all be absent.
From that date until some time in the
early seventies, when the good and
widely known Father Oschwald died,
loved and respected by all, ST. Nazianz
slowly grew, more substantial build
ings took the place of the old primitive
ones, trials and troubles came which
nearly wrecked the organization, but
it weathered the same and the commu-
nifty still lives as founded by Father
Oschwald, though other religious or
ganizatlons are also located there, and
all are well supported and flourish.
The writer can well remember his first
visit with his father while | was still
a mere boy, to this inland village with
its narrow and winding streets, and
how difficult it was for rs TO gain any
information IS we could not talk Ger
man nor its inhabitants English.
Later | often worsriped there, at
tending mass in the old church up.
stairs, Father Oschwald celebrant,
while back in the church was a small
rallied of gallery in which the choir
sang the responses to the mass, and
above the music of h e organ and
the voices OF the choir, there rose and
fell soprano voice of sweet faced
sister Of charity" member OF the
choir, covering the entire gamut, and
it was at times so low, sweet and trem'
l,lous, and at others reaching easily,
seemingly without an effort, the higher
notes in the scale that one felt none
but an angel could sing rs she sang IN
those DAYS in that old log church in
that village, which stands still just as
it was then with its little steeple and
small bell in it to summon those good
inhabitants to prayer in those days
when inhabitants were very few in the
village and surrounding country. That
good nuns voice made such an impress
sion on me that | have never forgotten
it, and the pleasurable emotions it
awak ened in my mind, and | am sure
[ never heard any voice in song to any
where nearly equal it in range, power,
sweetness and expression. | never see
one of those black-robed sisters, who,
casting aside the world and all its joys
and alurements, devote themselves to
their calling and serving without pay
or hope of reward, save one in Heaven,
afflicted humanity; and who will with,
out hesitancy nurse cholera or leprosy
patients, when because of the danger
Gus diseases, relations forsake the af-
llicted. Surely such women are Gods
noblest handiwork, and deserve univer
sal honor and respect. Life may end,
death is welcome at any hour in her
vocation when in the discharge Of duty
God may send it. Father Damen and
those sisters in the leper colony in the
Pacific are proof to the doubling of the
existence of a God, of the creation of
the universe 10y Him, and of the divine
foundation of the religion which can
prompt human beings to thus for these
suffering outcasts of humanity, minis.
ter unto their needs and wants even TO
self sacrifice Of priests and sisters of
charity. What say you my rich minis
ter well-paid and fed in some large city
church, what say you my ATHEIST friend
TO such religious faith and practices 10y
those good priests and sisters2 They
teach by example as well as words a
religion SO high, holy and noble that TO
the mumbling critic should bring sill
ence and confusion, as well as shame.
Any man would rather take the chance
Of such priest or sister Of charity, to
gain eternal happiness IN Heaven,
than that of any carp-criticor prince or
potentate Of earth.
Such religion, such examples OF
religion, are surely born Of God,
Such priest was sanity Father
Oschwald who also rs a doctor who
often relieved bodily, as well as spirit
ual ills, and whose whole life was as
that of an infant just born. May he
rest as white and blameless in peace.
Strangers and the young will gather
at the "Home Coming" but Father
Oschwald and the early founders OF St.
Nazianz will not be there, and good
speakers will talk of early life in early
days, but | fear that this good priest
and his associates will not receive the
measure OF praise they 50 richly merit
A MEEMEIIE.
August IA, 1916.