The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-08-17
TWO MIRACULOUS MEDALS.

TWO MIRACULOUS MEDALS.
On a rainy winter night in 1881, the
second year of my priesthood, | was
called out of bed at St. Joseph's
Church, Mobile, Ala, to attend man
who was near death in the mansion
of Mr.. Patrick H. Pepper, on Govern
ment Street. The patient and peni-
tent was a brother OF Mrs. Pepper.
His name was William Averill Let
that landed him in Rome in the elev-
enth hour of his day of life.
Il was a soldier in the First Ala
bama Infantry under the gallant and
sanity Colonel Robert Sands.
served in all the campaigns of the
Army Of Northern Virginia. After
Appomattox l came home again from
four years of battles. How many Of
my comrades had fallen wounded or
killed on those bloody fields in Vir-
GINA, Maryland or Pennsylvania. l
had never received even a scratch.
My sister, Mrs. Pepper, had be-
come a Catholic before the war broke
out. AS she kissed me good-by, she
gave me Miraculous Medal on which
there is the prayer, Mary, conceived
without sin, pray for US who have
recourse to thee. That prayer APP
peals to the heart Of the soldier
marching into battle. Ny sister made
me promise on my word Of honor
never to give that medal away to any
one
L must tell you, Father, why |
specially want you to prepare me for
death. AS | learned from my sister,
| DR.. Edward Allen Semple, -~the sur
geon of our regiment, was your ia
theirs brother. Moreover, Thomas
Scott, my comrade and dearest friend,
was your mothers first cousin. Tom
and | loved each other not as brothers
| but as sisters. He and l were laid
up together for quite a spell in the
| hospital at Richmond. The Sister of
| Charity who had nursed us back to
! health, before discharging us from
medal like the one given me by
! Mrs. Pepper, and she too made us
| promise her on our word of honor
never to give our medals away to
any one.
in every fight, Tom and I kept
line for the first charge at Seven
Pines, Tom said to me:
Bill, l have lost my medal. You
have two Lend me one to wear for
this fight.
How it wrung my heart to be
forced to say to him:
AS you know, | love to do for
you anything | can. But I can't dc
that Even for you | can't break my
word given to those two good
women Imagine my relief at the
way Tom took my refusal to do the
favor he had then begged. Said he:
Bill that's the talk, like the SOU
of honor. l never loved you harder
than now.
I'VE dashed ahead, the enemy
shooting into our ranks from the front
! and some Of our own men from be
hind. After a few moments Tom fell
MORALLY wounded Later he died in
my arms.
Il have long believed in the Cath
Ole Church. | know | have only g
short time to live. I have never
been baptized. l beg you to give me
all the Sacraments.'
Being we'll informed on the articles
of Faith, he received Baptism, the
Holy Eucharist and Extreme Unctior
that night and died pious and happy
death few days after
Some thirty years later, | happened
to be at Mount Saint Marys, Emmits
burg, Md, for the dedication of the
beautiful college Basilica, which haC
just been completed under Monsignol
Flynn. A large number of White
Corvette daughters of St Vincent
and Mother Seton came over from ST
Joseph's, to add by their gracious
presence to the joys of us sons o.
the Old Mountain and of Dubois ant
Brute. | was deputed to entertain
them in the parlor before the cere
mony began / told them the above
story of the death of William Averill
An aged and specially queenly anC
angelic-looking Sister was standine
by my side I had scarcely finished
when she burst into tears ant
stretched her arms up to heaven ano
sohbed out:
Thank God, William Averill dice
Catholic"
1t was she who as a young Sister
in Richmond had nursed my cousin
and William Averill and had givel
them the Miraculous Medals Sh,
was a distinguished member of
distinguished Baltimore family. He
name was Sister Juliana Chatard.
Messenger ofthe Sacred Heart