The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-07-14
INTERESTING Eax5P.E RIENcEs
GATHERED IN THE TRENCHES
calm HERoisM OF SISTERS
UNDER FIRE.

Among the soldiers at the front, the
religious reaction so noticeable when
the war broke out, has somewhat
changed it's character. 1t has lost its
novelty, and, therefore, something OF
it's attraction for shallow minds; but
in souls more deep and thoughtful it
has implanted habits that will survive
the war, to which they owe their ex-
istence
A symptom of the enlightenment
that these religious habits have fos-
tered is noticed by the well-known
writer and academician, M. Rene Ba-
Yin; the convert and believing sol
diers are no longer merely anxious to
save their souls by making their
peace with God; they are also eager
to Christianize their. country. M. Rene
Bazin is in touch with many unknown
soldiers; he willingly speaks Of his
experiences in this respect, and from
one so. highly conscientious they may
be received as absolutely true. He
notices, among his unknown CORE
spondents, who are mostly men OF the
people, a growing feeling that the Off
cial attitude of the French govern
ment with regard to religion is unsat-
isfactory. To arrive at this conviction
has been work of time; it is the re-
suit of experience and of reflection,
eous act of faith, prompted by fear OF
death, and it holds more promises for
the future. These soldiers clamor for
prayers. you are not doing enough
for GOd,'' writes one, who is only ESQ
metres from the Germans. Another
writes that, victory will. only be COM
plete when public prayers are offered;
a third that France must publicly re-
turn to Christ and then all will be
well. so
The writer's, adds M. Bazin, are
mere private soldiers. Many of them
are peasants; they have no interest
to profess feelings that are not theirs
in reality The Goddess attitude of
official France did not hurt them in
1914; in 1917 it alarms and pains
them, proof of the religious enlight-
eminent that has widened and eleyat-
ed their souls. Roughly speaking in
matters spiritual generalities are sell
dom accurate-we may say that, after
nearly three years war the soldiers,
like the civilians, have become from
moral standpoint, either better or
worse Those of whom M. Rene Ba-
nj be in tho fret
Their spiritual perceptions have been
intensified and an apostolic spirit has
been awakened, that, after the war,
may bring forth plentiful fruit
A Priests Return to His Parish.
A priest, who, before the war, was
cure of Antreches, village in the "de-
partement de rOise,' was in Novem-
ber 1914, removed as prisoner to
Germany, where he remained seven
| teen months. He has since been sent
back to France with other civilians,
but his parish being still in the en-
emy's hands, it was not till the other
day, after the French advance, that he
had leave to visit his old home. 1t is
no easy matter to obtain permission
to return to these liberated villages
where the retreating enemy has scat
| tered explosive bombs and where even
the unburied German corpses often
conceal engines of death, that have
more than once, killed the unwary
| French soldiers, who were told off tc
| bury the bodies. They are now for
hidden to touch them," said General
I'VE must, above all, keep our mems
lives safe, though those unburied
corpses are unpleasant to look at.