The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-02-24
EINSlEDELN.
Switzeriand's Famous Pilgrim Resort,
Whose Wonderful Abbey Has Re
Gently Been Modernized and Reno
waited

LII the canton of SchWyZ, III YER
dant valley between the mountain
streams of the Sihl and the Alp, lies
the World-renowned pilgrimage place |
OF Elnsledeln, whose very name SUI
fees to awaken the innermost feelings |
of a good Catholic. While the little |
town itself numbers but $500 lnhabl-
tants, it is estimated that more than
100000 pilgrims and tourists journey
yearly to this sancitified spot.
The history of Einsiedeln begins In
the ninth century, in the period when
Pope Leo III hailed Charlemagne as
the Imperator of the Christians in the
Occldent. At that time a son was
born to noble couple, Won Sulgen,
descendants Of the house OF HohenZo1-
Tern. The boy, whose name was Mem
rad, showed marked religious tenden-
cies, and consequently studied to be-
come priest. However, the doings
of the world held no interest for him;
he yearned for solitude where his
thoughts could dwell with spiritual
matters. After obtaining permission
from his superiors he left his field OF
activity and retired to a lonely part
of the nearby Etzelberg, where a plus
widow supplied him with the little he
needed for his sustenance.
But secluded as Meinrad lived, the
reputation of his sanity life spread
into the outer world, and he very soon
received visitors from all parts OF the
neighborhood. This unsought publicity
induced him to withdraw into a still
greater solitude, and he thus selected
a spot in the depth Of the vast adloln-
ing forest. However, the world could
not forget him; Meinrad's devotion to
things divine became general topic,
and the Abbess Hildegard, of the Frau
munster convent at Zurich, showed
her admiration for the hermits mode
of living by erecting a cell and
wooden chapel for him, and for the
latter she donated what is now
World-famous miracleWorlNing image
Of the Holy Virgin.
At last the pious man was able to
live away from the world such as he
desired. At long intervals only he re-
ceived the visit of some of his breth-
rem from the monastry of Reichenau,
and two tame ravens were the only
companions he chose to have with
him. Then all of sudden in the
year SCI the news was spread that
Meinrad had been murdered by two
robbers who had been attracted by
! the silver lamps in his chapel, and it
| is related how the two tame ravens
| pursued the assassins as far as Zurich,
| flying about their heads and pecking
| at them in such a manner that the
authorities became suspicious, arrest
| ed the criminals and put them to
| death.
Meinrad's abode remained empty for
some time, but the people who lived
! in the vicinity Of the forest regarded
it as a sanctifed place. One day a
certain canon of the Cathedral of
Strassburg, Benno by name, heard OF
it, and as he, too, had been in search
| of such secluded spot, he and some
of his companions journeyed forth to
| the hermitage with the intention to
| hencefOrth regulate their lives accord
| ing to that of the late Meinrad. The
| Counts of RappersWil, who were the
| actual owners Of the land, generously
| turned it over to the ecclesiastical set
tiers. It was in the year 905 that they
actually began to live on the same spot
where Meinrad spent his last years.
| Owing to the barrenness of the soil
of that particular district, Benno per-
suaded the abbess of Sackingen to pre-
sent him and his fellow-settlers with
Lake of Zurich, the products of which
| sufficed amply for their simple needs.
| But is was only in the year 934,
when Eberhard, a provost from the
| Strassburg Cathedral and descendant
of a leading noble family OF Franks,
went to the late Meinrad's place, that
the settlement actually became per
manent abode of men who were de-
! sirous of spending their lives in pious
solitude. Eberhard devoted his whole
fortune to the building OF church, in
| which Meinrad's chapel was enclosed.
| dllu IL IOuSe LUZ Jllc l1ll HioSS
mode of living arranged according to
the rules of st. Benedict.
Divine blessings began to shower
upon this religious foundation. In the
year 946 it was formally recognized as
a convent by Emperor Otto !, who
honored it also with many privileges
The buildings were completed by Sep.
TENDER 94S, and Eberhard therefore
invited the Bishop Of Constance to Of
ficiate at the consecrs ion OF the
church. The Bishop arrived, but on
September IA, in the night preceding
the conservation day, lie heard voices
of angels, and this mysterious occur
renee filled him with an ineXplicable
awe, so that the foundation of the
famous firm of Benziger & Co., whose
"Einsiedler Almanach" is printed in
all the important languages. Various
industries are thus contributing tic
Einsiedeln's prosperity, and while il
cannot be classified as summer re
sort in the ordinary sense OF the word
the little town, nevertheless, receives
!, an annual afflux of about 10000 visi
: tors, consisting of pilgrims and plous
, Catholics who like to spend their vaca
!; ton in this sanctified place.
In a large open space between pri
? | inn