The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-05
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JOSEPH E. DONNELLY

sores on the leg, the victim in con- tinual agony-and he drags himself to Lourdes to beg the help of the Mother of God. T prayed, l begged pardon for ali the sins of my life and l begged for my cure in order that I might be able to support my family"
 Then in pr. Bossaire's detailed account: Suddenly Pierre felt dis- tress; he was almost beside himself; he arose, never thinking of the crutches though he hadn't taken a step without. them for eight years; he sets out and crosses the rows of pilgrims, and went to kneel before the statue of the Blessed Virgin. Then supplied at finding himself kneeling he cried: My Godl Where am I?' And he arose and without paying attention to his wife's re- peated questions, made the rounds of the 0rotto three times. He was cured"
 Then in many pages Dr. Bossaire describes the subsequent meticulous investigation, the culling of testi- mony from physicians, from rela- tives, from residents of the village where he lived, which the bureau demands before any cure can be certified.
 INVESTIGATIONS
 At Lourdes there exists a Medical Bureau In which over nine thousand doctors in all parts of the world have membership. EafN year hun dreds of these doctorA, who are members of faculties of medicine, specialists, professors, etc., visit Lourdes. But any doctor may go to Lourdes and having established his identity as a member of the medical profession, he will be welcomed to take part in the discussion of any cases that come under review. No restrictions are imposed because of sex, race, nationality or religion.
 How many cures occur2 It is esti- mated that up to two thousand cures occur there each year, but so strict are the requirements of the Medical Authorization Bureau less than five per cent of these are ever certified as genuine.
 LOURDES
 TO-DAY
 From saddeued France we hear lit- tie today of the story of Lourdes. In happier days Lourdes was 6 rendez- vous for the morally and physical ly sick who came in numbers as great as two million Q year, seeking aid for body and soul. The town, as Is commonly known, came into prominence in the year of 1888 in consequence of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Nt- tie French girl Bernadette Sobrious now St. Barnadette.
 As most of Gods chosen ones Ber- nadette faced the doubts of both believers and unbeNevers when she told the story of the visl- tations of "the beautiful lady in the white mantle with the blue sash" But God finds the means of accom- pNshing His designs and he con- firmed the story of the little child with such wonderous signs that to- day three great basilicaS surround the grotto of her visitationS, 6 grotto now lined with the crutcheS and braces from the healed bodies of Mary's suppliants.
 LOURDES AND THE SCEPTIC
 The modern mind" of the nine- teenth century was at work rewriting the Gospels with the miracles left out when God sent His Mother to the little girl in Southern France to confound the sceptics with repeti- ton of the 'unScientific" miracles. How explain the niracles2 Chauncey Depew on a visit to Lourdes saw 8 girl with a running sore that had eaten 6 hole in her leg placed in the waters, and when she was taken out the flesh was firm and whole where the sore had been. Asked to acc count for such a change he replied: T don't account for 1t. I just tell you what I saw."
 MT. Markey sums up the possibili- ties of explanation with the words of Father LaFArge: For those who believe in God no explanation Is necessary. For those who do not be- iieve in God no explanation is pos- sible."