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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUiVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d parti" de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. rrata to pelure, 1 d D 32X i ^ 2 3 12 3 4 5 6 Its 4-^ ■ i u /# 37253 St Amne of Isle LMMot ? la LAKE CHAMPLAIN. Its History, Rules of the Confraternity, Prayers, Novena to St. Anne. A- ■%■■ '1 ' ■* By Rev. J. Kerlidou. rt Alburg, Verniont |H| BURI^INGTON: ^B VRHH PRESS ASSOCIATION ^B 1895. ^i'JI^B^ ■'/ 1 BiBLlOJNtQUE 1 1 2::ji«S*«»!*i 1 r'l' , ''^ \w >f»4j" E^ ^i"k. kn Uii ,t I Mr.- Erec lin of FORT ST. ANXK. TICKET OF ADMISSION. Mr.. IS ADMITTED IN THE CONFRATERNITY OF ST. ANNE IN ISIvE LA MOTTE, Erected March nth, 1895, ^Y ^^^ Bishop of Bur- lington aggregated to the Arch Confraternity of St. Anne de Beaupre. / E i STATUTES OF THE CONFRATERNITY OF ST. ANNE ERECTED IN ISLE LA MOTTE, VERMONT. The end of this confraternity is to honor St. Anne, to obtain an increase of devotion and con- fidence towards her and obtain the conversion to Catholic faith of those who do not belong to it. The vSeat of the confraternity to be the shrine of St. Anne already existing in Isle La Motte. The director of this confraternity is for the present Rev. Joseph Kerlidou, residing in Al- burg. The Bishop is at liberty to appoint whatever director he pleases. All Catholics may become members of this con- fraternity by having their names inscribed in its register which will be in keeping by the director. The members will endeavor to honor St. Anne by attending all the practices of piety suggested by the director. They are desired to wear a medal of St. Anne and to have in their house a picture of this great Saint, and to recite every day one Our Father and three Hail Marys for all the associates, and the ends of the confraternity ; also to say three times Good St. Anne pray for us. The above Statutes of the confraternity of St. Anne established in Isle La Motte, Vt., are by me approved this day, the eleventh of March 1895. Hh LOUIS, Bishop of Burlington, Vt. and the 'ee times ty of St. , are b>' f March :ton, Vt. I t iO tlie rMAC'.l«; (U' ST. ANNH. 5 INOVENA AND PRAYERS TO ST. ANNE. y (As the feavSt of St. Anne occurs on July 26th, llie following Novena may be begun July iStli :) A Novena to St. Anne is an excellent method [)f obtaining, through her intercCvSsion both tem- [)oral and spiritual graces, particularly that of ad- ancing in the practice of Christian virtue. The following exercises may be UvSed during this Novena. ist. A meditation every morning Du the virtues of St. Anne. 2d. Through the day lo make frequent aspirations to St. Anne and ^lary Immaculate ; the Immaculate Conception of I Mary redounds to the honor of her holy mother ; and nothing is more agreeable to St. Anne than pur honoring that privilege of her augUvSt daugh- ller. 3d. To practice interior mortification ; for example, to abstain from seeing or hearing llirough curiosity only, to live retired, to keep Isilence, to support the contradictions of life with [patience ; also it would l)e well to practice some L'xterior mortification. 4th. To try and correct [faults of dispOvSition. 5th. The bCvSt of all is [Holy Communion, which should be received as frequently as is permitted by the spiritual director. 6 EXERCISES. FIRST DAY. i I DIGNITY AND MERIT OF ST. ANNE. I St. She is the mother of the Mother of God. 2d. Testimony of St. John Damascene. 3d. Graces that her holy Daughter drew down on her. I St. The Holy Ghost in pronouncing the praise of the Holy Virgin, onl}'^ makes use of these words : Maria de qua natus est Jesus qui vacatur Christus ; Mary^ from whom was horn Jesus who was called Christ, Thus the greatest honor we can pay to St. Anne, is to say that of her was born the Immaculate Virgin Mary the Mother of God. This august quality includes all others, and is, in itself, the highest praise. 2d. *'If the tree is kngwn b)'^ its fruit, what a high idea," exclaims St. John Damascene, "must we not conceive of the innocence and sub- lime virtue of the blessed Joachim and Anna ! blessed couple, Joachim and Anna, the fruit which you brought forth makes us know how spotless your life was. ' * 3d. To the treasures of grace and virtue with which St. Anne was already enriched, let us add those which the Blessed Virgin must have brought her at the instant of her Immaculate Conception, and those she drew down during the nine months she passed in her mother's womb. If, at the mo- ment St. John was sanctified in his mother's womb, the son's holiness acted so powerfully on St. Elizabeth, it is easy to understand what treas- ures of benedictions and what abundance of graces the Blessed Virgin must have procured for St. Anne at the moment of her Immaculate Concep- tion. Hpw supernaturally, too, must that moth- er's spirit have been enlightened ! O great Saint, we rejoice, with St. John Damascene, at the mar- vels which the Lrord worked in thee: "Happy indeed art thou, and happy is the fruit of thy womb !" Practice. — Recite nine "Hail Marys" in honor of the time the Blessed Virgin dwelt in her moth- er's womb. See other prayers. SECOND DAY. DKVOTION TO ST. ANNE. We ought to love and honor St. Anne. ist. On account of her sublime dignity and power. 2d. Because this devotion is very pleasing to the Blessed Virgin. 3d. Because it is a source of graces to ourselves. I St. All the saints merit our homage, respect, love and confidence ; but among all the Saints a 8 who after the Queen of Heaven and her holy spouse, better merits these than St. Anne ! What a high place must she now occupy in Heaven ! What influence must she not have with the son of her holy daughter, with the Father of Mercies, who wrought such great things in her ? Happy the faithful who have such a protectress in Heaven. 2d. Honoring St. Anne is one of the best ways of pleasing the BleSvSed Virgin, who takes singu- lar pleasure in seeing her children pay honor and respect to that mother, to whom, "after God, she owes everything, " as is said in a revelation niade by her to one of her faithful servants. She her- self, says a pious author, is continually offering thanksgiving to God for having given her so holy and perfect a mother. 3d. God himself, who so highly honored St. Anne, by raising her to the dignity of mother to His only Son's mother, loves to see Christians offering a tribute of love and respect to her. He shows it by granting all that is asked through her intercession. How many sick have found health at the feet of St. Anne ! How many afflicted have there found consolation ! How many sinners owe their return to God to her pleading ! Happy the souls who have a true devotion to this great Saint! Many have acknowledged that, since they have entered into associations in her honor, the most wonderful change has taken place in them. ^ Practice, — Frequently invoke St. Anne, espec- ially in the time of trouble and temptation. Honor 9 [her CvSpecially on Tuesday's, the day held in re- membrance as that of her birth and her death, if possible in this intention, hear mass and receive holy communion. Prayers as on page 20. THIRD DAY. ST. ANNK'S SPIRIT OF PRAYER AND RECOI.I.ECTION. I St. In her infancy ; 2ndly, when she became St. Joachim's wife ; 3rdly, from the conception of the Blessed Virgin until her own death. I St. From her earliest childhood St. Anne vShowed an extraordinary amount of wisdom, modesty and piety ; retirement and prayer had marvellous attractions for her. Even those inno- cent amusements which were natural to her age and position never appeared to please her. So g^eat was her recoUectedness, that it inspired de- votion in all who saw her. This example con- demns those light and inconsiderate persons who only take pleasure in the frivolous amusements of the world. 2d. The virtues which had distinguished St. Anne when she was a child, shone with still brighter lustre when she became the spouse of the most holy man who then lived. These two holy spouses were perfect models of domestic life. Joachim on the mountain, says St. Epiphanus, and Anne retired in her own house, were continu- W fi ui ,i I'' 10 ally offering themselves to the Lord in the fervor of prayer. St. Anne passed five or six hours a day in reading the Holy Scriptures, and she con- secrated a part of the night to prayer. 3d. From the time that she had the happiness of carrying in her chaste womb her Immaculate Daughter, the life of St. Anne was passed in con- tinual contemplation, and her conversation was entirely in heaven. The years of her widowhood were passed in constant prayer, until, consumed with divine love, she fell asleep in the Lord, ac- cording to the language of the church in the office for the day of her feast. Practice. — Enter some confraternity established in her honor. Propagate devoti.^n to St. Anne, Prayers as on page 20. FOURTH DAY. HKR CONFIDENCE IN GOD. ist. St. Anne strengthened herself in this vir- tue from her earliest years ; 2ndly, she remained full of confidence in the midst of the greatest trials ; 3rdly, how God rewarded her confidence. I St. Confidence in God is, according to the language of Scripture, the measure of those graces which the Lord vouchsafes to us. "Let thy mercy. Oh Lord," says King David, '*be upon us as we have hoped in Thee." St. Bernard compares it to a vase dipped in an overflowing 11 fountain ; and larger the vase, the greater the amount of water that is carried away in it. In the same way, the greater the confidence with which we present ourselves before the Lord, the greater and more abundant are the graces we obtain. Constantly meditating the Holy Scrip- tures, St. Anne early understood the necessity and excellence of this virtue. By constant efforts, she arrived at such a high state of perfection in the practice of this virtue that she drew down the most extraordinary graces on her soul. 2d. To render this virtue still more pure, God sent many severe trials to St. Anne. For more than twenty years was she married without hav- ing any children. This barrenness was a re- proach among the Jews. St. Anne frequently found herself reviled for this and even publicly; but these htimiliations only served to render more complete her self-abandonment to the will of God. So great was her confidence, says St. Peter Chris- ologus, that it worked miracles. 3d. Whilst fervently praying in the temple, one day, the ignominy of her state moved her to tears; she then remembered that Anne, the mother of Samuel, finding herself in similar circumstances, had prayed with such confidence and ardor, that her prayers had been heard. Animated by the same spirit, St. Anne ardently besought the Lord to vouchsafe to cast a favorable eye on His hand- maid, promising, that if she became a mother, she would consecrate her child to Him by devoting it to the service of the temple. A few days after- -M-t Iff- : I i ■' 12 wards it was revealed to her that her prayer was granted. Promise to imitate the confidence of St. Anne. Remain quietly in God's hands in the time of trial, and never lose courage. Prayer as on page 20. FIFTH DAY. CHASTITY OF ST. ANNK. We know this; ist. By a revelation to St. Bridget. 2d. By means of reason aided by faith. 3d. By the testimony of the Saints. ist. St. Vincent Ferrier says, "We cannot doubt the chastity of those holy spouses Joachim and Anne." It was revealed one day to St. Bridget, by the Blessed Virgin, that her holy parents had practiced that lovely virtue to a sub- lime degree, and that they would have preferred death to transgressing it. She added that they had onl}'^ embraced the marriage state because they were ordered to do so by Heaven. 2d. The holy Fathers say that it was only chastity which could have rendered Joachim and Anne worthy of becoming the parents of the Virgin of virgins. The flower of virginity, the Immacu- late Mary, could indeed have only sprung from the holiest marriage in the world. The Holy Ghost could not have formed the mystic temple of the august Trinity in other than a chaste womb; 13 for it is in those that cherish this virtue that he takes delight, says St. Epiphanus. 3d. St. John Damascene in the congratulations which he offers to St. Joachim and St. Anne says: *'Oh blessed couple, Joachim and Anne, we must judge of your purity by the immaculate fruit which you gave to the world ! Whilst lead- ing a chaste and holy life you gave to the world the treasure of virginity !" Practice. — Have a special affection for the beau- tiful virtue of chastity. By that virtue it was that St. Anne merited the signal favor of becoming the mother of the Immaculate Virgin. Keep your heart disengaged from all love of creatures which may prevent its being entirely given up to God. Prayers as on page 20. SIXTH DAY. ST. ANNE'S I.OVK FOR GOD. s- I St, It was manifested from her earliest youth; 2ndly, it became perfect through trial; 3rdly, it was ever increasing. I St. Possessing these high graces which make the greatest saints, St. Anne began to love God from her earliest years. She only thought to please and glorify Him in all things. In order the better to know His will, she took care to ob- serve silence and interior recollection, carefully ..r 14 watching over her thoughts and affections, in order that nothing human might take that place in her heart, which she wished to reserve for Divine Love alone. 2d. God allows his most faithful servants to be exposed to the severest trials, in order to render their love more pure and ardent. These trials were not wanting to St. Joachim and St. Anne. The two holy spouses often had to endure scorn and this even publicly. Insults of whatever kind only served to detach them more and more from the world, and to fix their hearts more and more on God. They received these trials from the hands of the Lord with perfect submission to His holy will. 3d. St. Anne's love, already so pure and strong, increased continually during the nine months that she had the happiness of bearing the Immaculate Mary in her womb. From that time her heart was a very furnace of love, and her life was passed in perpetual contemplation, till she fell asleep in the Lord. Practice, — Keep alive in your heart great de- sire to love the Lord more and more. The prin- cipal marks of the love of God are, avoiding all voluntary sins and patience under trial. Prayers as on page 20. 16 SEVENTH DAY. ST. ANNE'S CHARITY TOWAKDvS HKR NKIGIIDOR. ist. It was thivS charity that made her sigh after the coming of the promised Messiah; 2ndly, she showed it by procuring her neighbors' spirit- ual welfare; 3rdly, and in solacing their bodily afflictions. I St. One of the best known virtues of St. Anne was her charity towards her neighbors. It was her desire to contribute towards the salvation of men that made her sigh, night and day, after the coming of the promised Messiah who had been announced by the prophets. Joachim on the mountain, said St. Epiphanus, and St. Anne in the retirement of her house, were incessantly offering prayers for the acceleration of the redemption of Israel. 2d. Everything in her house and in her con- duct was so well regulated, that everything she did was a cause of edification to others. It was her custom to remain retired, constantly occupied, either in reading the Holy Scriptures, or in the work of her hands. She kept silence from fear of her communings with God being troubled by use- less conversation. Whenever she appeared in public, she edified all who beheld her. Her re- serve, her modesty, her words, her looks, all in- spired not only respect, but even the love of vir- tue. Even her appearance inspired devotion in all who saw her. ii I ' , .1 16 3d. Her charity with regard to the bodily ne- cessities of her neighbor was equally admirable. It was the power of relieving the poor that con- soled her in her barrenness. St. Jerome tells us that Joachim and Anne divided their revenues into three parts : one was destined to the support of the ministers of the temple, another to the relief of travellers and poor, and only the third was re- served for the wants of the household. Her great charity made her look upon the poor as her own children ; and they always found a mother in her and shared her worldly goods. Practice, — The work of charity that is most agreeable to God, is that of working for the sal- vation of souls. Do your utmost, according to your position in life, by word and deed, by sea- sonable advice, etc. Love the poor, and contri- bute to the embellishment of churches. Prayers as on page 20. EIGHTH DAY. ST. ANNE'S GKNEROSITY IN THK SKRVICK OP GOD. This virtue shines conspicuously^ in St. Anne. I St. In the mortifications that she practised. 2nd. In the manner in which she supported the death of her mother. 3rd. In the sacrifice she made of her daugh- ter. 17 .^5>^" I St. When God calls any one to a high degree of virtue, or wishes to confide to them some ex- traordinary mission, He endows them with a courageous soul, and makes them capable of great sacrifices ; and these were precisely the character- istics of St. Joachim and St. Anne. By their he- roic actions they equalled the greatest patriarchs and prophets. St. Germain of Constantinople says, that, like Moses and Elias, they fasted en- tirely for forty days. St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Andrew of Candia add that their fasts were ' ' '.ompanied by perpetual tears. 2d. St. Anne's great generosity appeared with great lustre on the death of her mother Emeren- tiana, whom she tenderly loved, and on that of her holy spouse Joachim. These losses were in- deed great trials to her good and feeling heart, but, remembering the words of Ecclesiastes : ' 'We ought not to abandon ourselves to grief on the death of those dear to us," she resigned herself to the will of God. Following the example of the holy man Job, who did not murmur at the reproaches with which his friends assailed him on account of his great patience, Anne never allowed a word of complaint to escape her, no matter what insult was offered to her. 3d. The circumstance which the most fully re- veals St. Anne's greatness of soul, is the sacrifice she made of her admirable daughter when only three years of age. She had promised to conse- crate the child that God should send her to His Ill I Ihi I ml 18 service in the temple. The time being arrived for the fulfillment of her promise, she herself took her dear child and leading it to the temple, there con- secrated it to God. How this example puts us to shame when we draw back from the slightest pri- vations ! Practice. — ^Impose on yourself daily some mor- tification in honor to St. Anne. The best are those which come from the hands of God, such as con- tradictions, sickness, etc. Prayers as on page 20. NINTH DAY. ST". ANNK IS THK MODEL, 1ST OF WIVKS ; 2ND, OF MOTHERS ; 3RD, OF WIDOWS. I St. It might almost be said that the Holy Ghost drew a portrait of St. Anne when He drew the one of the wise woman. One thing certain is, that in whatever state of life we consider her, her life is a perfect model for those who are in the same state. As she was the model for daughters, so she was the model for wives. She only consented to be- come the wife of Joachim after having, by fervent prayer, obtained the grace of knowing what was really the will of God. Never was there a hap- pier marriage, for both had the same inclination to good, the same virtue, the same innocence. What an admirable union! St. Anne was, in every thing, submissive to St. Joachim, and he always 19 anticipated what would be agreeable to Anne. Perfect order reigned in their household. 2d. From the time that it pleased the Lord to give her a child, St. Anne became the model of mothers. Hardly had her holy daughter entered the world, than she offered her to the Holy Trini ty. She looked on her as a precious deposit that had been confided to her, and of which she would have to give an account. Therefore, what care did she not take to bring her up and teach her ! She herself taught her child to pray, to read the Holy Scriptures and to work with her hands ; more than all, she taught her by means of a good example. By going herself to offer her holy daughter in the temple she teaches mothers to make the sacrifice of their children when the Lord asks it. 3d. Joachim did not long survive the consecra- tion they had made to God of their daughter. We are told that he died shortly after in the arms of St. Anne and Mary. Our saint passed the years of her widowhood in still greater retirement and fervor. Her life was one continual prayer, an example worthy of being followed by all who find themselves in similar po- sition. Practice. — Consecrate your children to St. Anne, and beg of her to be a mother to them. Have a tender devotion towards her and implore her pro- tection for all who are dear to you. Prayers as on page 20. Ml L. il 20 INVOCATIONS TO ST. ANNE. St. Anne. St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary. spouse of Joachim. comfort of married persons. mother of widows. guide of Virgins. harbor of the mariners. way of the travellers. health of the sick . light of the blind. tongue of the dumb. ear of the deaf. help of all who call upon thee. >. u V. God loved St. Anne. R. And was enamoured with the beauty of her virtues. i,ET us PRAY. O Omnipotent, eternal God, who vouchsafedst to choose holy Anne for mother of her who brought forth thy only begotten son, mercifully grant that we who devoutly commemorate her name may, by her prayers and merits, obtain life everlasting; thou who livest and reignest one God, world with- out end. R. Amen. 21 PRAYER TO RECOMMEND SOME TEMPORAI, AFFAIR TO THE CARE OF ST. ANNE. Glorious St. Anne, full of goodness for those who invoke thee, full of compassion for those who suffer, overwhelmed with anxiety and trouble, I throw myself at thy feet, humbly begging of thee to take under thy direction the affair that is now occasioning me so much anxiety. To thee I recommend it, to thee, I pray to lay it at the feet of thy daughter, and our mother, the Most Holy Virgin, that vSlie may obtain for me, from the Divine Majesty of Jesus Christ, that succCvSs which I desire. Do thou intercede I pray thee, until my requCvSt be granted. Above all, Oh glorious saint, ob- tain for me one day to see my God face to face, that I may praise, bless and love Him with thee, with Mary and with all the elect. Amen. PRAYER OF A MOTHER TO ST. ANNE. O mother of the Holy Virgin, I place myself at thy feet with all those who are dear to me. Pray obtain for me from the goodness of God all graces necessary to accomplish the oflfice he has en- trusted me with. To thee I consecrate my fam- ily; watch over all my children, open their souls to the teachings of Jesus Christ, preserve them from everything which might tarnish their inno- cence, so that later in life they may always firmly stand by the truth ! Holy, compassionate Anne, 22 do thou bless us, listen to our prayers, so that- being members of thy family in this land of exile, we may with it rejoice triumphant in the glory of heaven ! Amen. f CONSECRATION TO ST. ANNE. O, good St. Anne, mother of our sweet mother, Mary, I choose thee for my patroness, I place under thy protection all those that are dear to me. Be thou a mother to me and to them during all the days of our life, but especially at the moment of death. Amen. AVE MARIS STElvLA. Gentle Star of ocean. Portal of the sky, Ever virgin Mother Of the Lord most high ! Oh ! by Gabriel's Ave, Utter' d long ago, Eva's name reversing, 'Stablish peace below. Break the captive's fetters; Light on blindness pour ; All our ills expelling, Every bliss implore. Show thyself a Mother; Offer him our sighs, Who for us incarnate Did not thee despise. 23 Virgin of all virgins ! To thy shelter take us; Gentlest of the gentle, Chaste and gentle make us. Still as on we journey, Help our weak endeavor; Till with thee and Jesus We rejoice forever. Through the highest heaven, To the Almighty Three, ' Father, Son, and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen, COME, HOI.Y GHOST. Come, Holy Ghost, send down those beams, Come, Holy Ghost, send down those beams. Which sweetly flow in silent streams From thy bright throne above. O come thou, Father of the poor, Thou, bounteous source of all our store; Come, warm our hearts with love divine, Come, warm our hearts with love divine, Thou, bounteous source of all our store. Come, warm our hearts with love. Come, Holy Ghost, etc. Come, thou of comforters the best, Come, thou the soul's delightful guest, ii W'' • 1 i - -^^ ^^m 24 \v:i Come, thou the soul's delightful guest, The pilgrim's sweet relief. Come, Holy Ghost, etc. Thou art our rest in toil and sweat. Refreshment in excessive heat. Refreshment in excessive heat, And solace in our grief. Come, Holy Ghost, etc. O sacred Light ! shoot forth thy darts; O pierce the centre of these hearts ! O pierce the centre of these hearts ! Whose faith aspires to thee. Come, Holy Ghost, etc. N ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD. Angels we have heard on high— Sweetly singing o'er the plains, And the mountains in reply Echo back their joyous strains, ||:Gloria in excelsis Deo.:|| Shepherds why this jubilee ? Why your rapturous strains prolong ? Say what may the tidings be, Which inspire your heav'nly song, ||:Gloria in excelsis Deo.: 25 Come to Bethlehem, come and see, Him whose birth the angeis &ing ; Come, adore on bended knee, Th' Infant Christ, the new-born King. ||:Gloria in excelsis Deo.:|| See, within a manger laid, Jesus, Lord of lieav'n and earth ! Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, With us sing our Saviour's birth : ||:Gloria in excelsis Deo.:|| THE SMIIvE OF JESUS. Sweet is the face of nature. When flowers deck the vales ; When air is filled with fragrance. Wafted by vernal gales ; Yet zephyrs vainly fan me. And flow'rs to groves invite ; Without the smile of Jesus, They give me no delight. Tho' crystal streams meander. And fertilize the plain ; Tho' gentle zephyrs wander. And waft each pleasing strain ; Tho' valleys, groves, and fountains Unite to charm my sight, Without the smile of Jesus They cannot give delight. li/l 26 ii! Sweet are the shady bowers, The silent, still retreat ; The sunshine after showers, And morning air are sweet ; But vain are nature's beauties. And lost her sweets to me ; Dear Jesus ! naught can charm me. Without a smile from thee. Jesus ! thy smile of mercy Can make my spirit whole. And drive the shades of darkness From my afflicted soul. Oh ! pardon my transgressions. And purify my heart ; Speak, all my sins forgiven. And bid my fears depart. W- AVE SANCTISSIMA. Ave Sanctissima ! We lift our souls to thee, Ora pro nobis ! *Tis nightfall on the vSea. Watch us while shadows lie Far o'er the waters spread : Hear the heart's lonely sigh, Thine too hath bled. Thou that hast looked on death, Aid us when death is nigh ; 27 Whisper of heav'n to faith. Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, hear ! Ora pro nobis ! The wave must rock our sleep, Ora, Mater, ora, Star of the sea. Ave Sanctissima ! List to thy children's prayer. Audi Maria ! And take us to thy care. O thou whose virtues shine With brightest purity, Come, and each thought refine. Till pure like thine ! O save our souls from ill ; * Guard thou our lives from fear ; Our heart with pleasure fill. Sweet mother, sweet mother, dear ! Ora pro nobis ! The wave must rock our sleep, Ora, Mater, ora, Star of the sea. 5 HAIL, VIRGIN, DEAREST MARY. Hail, Virgin, dearest Mary, Our lovely Queen of May, O spotless blessed Lady, Our lovely Queen of May, Thy children, humbly bending Around thy shrine so dear ; as i-ii § 0:. m ;i n With heart and voice ascending, Sweet Mary, hear our prayer. Hail, Virgin, etc. Behold earth's blossoms springing, In beauteous form and hue ; All nature gladly bringing Her sweetest charms to you. Hail, Virgin, etc. We'll gather fresh, bright flowers. To bind our fair Queen's brow ; From gay and verdant bowers. We haste to crown thee now. Hail, Virgin, etc. And now, our blessed Mother, Smile on our festal day ; Accept our wreath of flowers, And be our Queen of May. Hail, Virgin, etc. HAIL, HEAVENLY QUEEN Hail, heavenly Queen ! Hail, foamy ocean star ! O be our guide, diffuse thy beams afar ; Hail, Mother of God ! above all virgins blest. Hail, happy gate of heav'n's eternal rest. CHORUS. Hail, foamy ocean star ! Hail, heav'nly Queen ! O be our guide to endless joys unseen. "Hail, full of grace," with Gabriel we repeat ; 29 Thee, Queen of heav'n from him we leani to greet ; . Then give us peace, which heav'n alone can give. And, dead thro' Eve, thro' Mary let us live. Hail, foamy, etc. O break our chains, our captive souls releavSe ; O give us light, and let our darkness cease ; Let ev'ry ill that preys upon our hearts Fly at thy voice, which every good imparts. Hail, foamy, etc. Our lives unstain'd, in purity preserve ; Nor e'er permit our ways from truth to swerve, That when our time has rolled its rapid round We may, with Christ, in heav'nly bliss be crown' d. Hail, foamy, etc. , ;;■ n AS THE DEWY SHADES OF EVEN. As the dewy shades of even Gather o'er the balmy air, lyisten, gentle Queen of heaven, lyisten to my vesper prayer ! Chorus- -Holy Mother, near me hover, Free my thoughts from aught defiled ; With thy wings of mercy cover, Safe from harm, thy helpless child ! if 30 Chorus- Chorus- Thine own sinless heart was broken , Sorrow's sword had pierced its core ; Holy Mother, by that token, Now thy pity I implore. —Queen of Heaven, guard and guide me, Save my soul from dark despair ; In thy tender bosom hide me ; Take me, Mother, to thy care. Mother of my Infant Saviour, Spouse of God, my plaint, O hear ! Purest Virgin, gracious Matron, O relieve me by thy prayer ! —From thy happy seat in Zion, lyight me thro' this dark abode, Smile, O gently smile upon me ! Tell my sorrows to my God. THE IMMACUI.ATE CONCEPTION. This beautiful Hymn of Father Faber was written before the sol- emn definition of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, De- cember 8, 1854. O purest of creatures ! swtjet Mother ! sweet maid ! The one spotless woml) * /herein Jesus was laid ! Dark night hath come down on us, Mother, and we lyook out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world. And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurl' d. 31 And the tempest-tost Church — all her eyes are on thee, They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! The Chinch doth what God had first taught her to do. He look'd o'er the world to find hearts that were true ; Through the ages He look'd, and he found none but thee, And He loved thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea! He gazed on thy vSoul ; it was spotless and fair, For the empire of sin it had never been there ; None had e'er own'd thee, dear Mother, but He- And He bless' d thy clear shining, Sweet Star of the Sea! ' Earth gave Him one lodging, 'twas deep in thy breast — And God found a home where the sinner finds rest ; His home and His hiding- place, both were in thee. He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! Oh, blissful and calm was the wonderful rest That thou gavest thy God in thy virginal breast ; For the heaven He left He found heaven in thee. And He shone in thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea! :| !»' 32 To sinners what comfort, to angels what mirth That God found one creature unfallenon earth, One spot where His spirit untroubled could be- The depths of thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! So age after age in the Church hath gone round, And the Saints new invention of homage have found, New titles of honor, new honors for thee, New love for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! And now from the Church of all lands thy dear name Comes borne on the breath of one mighty acclaim ; Men call on their Father, that He should decree A new gem to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! Oh, shine on us brighter than ever, then, shine ! For the primest of honors, dear Mother is thine ; " CoNCEivKD WITHOUT SIN," thy uew title shall be. Clear light from thy birth-spring, sweet Star of the Sea ! So worship we God in these rude latter days. So worship we Jesus, our T^ove, when we praise His wonderful grace in the gifts He gave thee. The gift of clear shining. Sweet Star of the Sea ! Deep night has come down on us, Mother, deep night. And we need more than ever the guide of thy light ; For the darker the night is, the brighter should be Thy beautiful shining, sweet Star of the Sea ! 33 HOLY PATRON ! THEE SAI.UTING. of Holy Patron ! thee saluting, Here we meet with hearts sincere; Blest St. Joseph, all uniting. Call on thee to hear our pray'r. Happy Saint in bliss adoring Jesus, Saviour of mankind; Hear thy children thee imploring, May we thy protection find. Worldly dangers for them fearing, Youthful hearts to thee we bring. Grant, in virtue persevering, Vice may ne'er their bosom sting. Happy Saint, etc. Thou who faithfully attended Him whom heav'n and earth adore: Who with pious care defended Mary, Virgin ever pure. Happy Saint, etc. May our fervent pray'rs, ascending, Move thee for our souls to plead , And thy smile of peace, descending, Benedictions on us shed. Happy Saint, etc. 2 ill n 34 i' 1 1!;' l^ili'i' JERUSAI.EM. Jerusalem, my happy home, How do I sigh for thee ! When shall my exile have an end, Thy joys when shall I see ! Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, my happy home, How do I sigh for thee ! No sun, no moon, in borrow 'd light, Revolve thine hours away; The Lamb on Calvary's mountain slain Is thy eternal day. Jerusalem, etc. From every eye He wipes the tear, All sighs and sorrows cease; No more alternate hope or fear. But everlasting peace. Jerusalem, etc. The thought of Thee to us is given, Our sorrows to beguile; T' anticipate the bliss of heaven, In His eternal smile. Jerusalem, etc. HOLY GOD, WE PRAISE THY NAME. * Holy God, we praise thy name ! Lord of all, we bow before Thee ! All on earth thy sceptre claim, 86 All in heav'n above adore Thee; Infinite thy vast domain, Everlasting is Thy name. Hark ! the loud celestial hymn, Angel choirs above are vSinging ! Cherubim and Seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising, Fill the heavens with sweet accord: Holy ! Holy ! Holy Lord. lyO ! the apostolic train Join, thy sacred name to hallow ! Prophets swell the loud refrain, ^ And with white-robed martyrs follow; And from morn till set of sun. Through the Church the song goes on. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three we name thee, While in essence only One, Undivided God we claim thee; And adoring bend the knee. While we own the mystery. Thou art King of glory, Christ ! Son of God, yet born of Mary, For us sinners sacrificed, And to death a tributary: First to break the bars of death, Thou hast open'd heav'n to faith. 36 HYMN TO SAINT ANNE. 'li! I 1 if II ;l ill nn i!; $ ft '" h 1^ Written for St. Anne's, Ashton-under I^yne, and printed Jan- uary, i88o. Hail, Anne ! thronged in light above, To God and all His creatures dear ! Whene'r we name thy gracious name, Jesus and Mary seem more near. Raise, raise for us thy pleading voice, And bid our sorrowing souls rejoice; At Jesus' feet our suppliant be ! Mother of Mary ! pray for me. How great thy joy, at Mary's birth. No more to mourn disconsolate ! While angels hailed thee in their hymns, Mother of the Immaculate ! Raise, Anne, raise thy pleading voice, etc. 'Twas thine her earliest speech to form, And hear, while bending at thy knee, God's mother lisp the name of God, And call on Him who was to be. Raise, Anne, raise thy pleading voice, etc. In rapture up the Temple steps. While love and awe thy spirit stirred. Thou saw'st thy wondrous Child ascend, Herself the Temple of the Word. Raise, Anne, raise thy pleading voice, etc. m Dear Saint ! thy life is lonely now, The light that lit thy home is gone; But, still, in sorrow and in joy, The Mother and the Child are one. • Raise, Anne, raise thy pleading voice, etc. In mystic sympathy divine Thy loved one's heart and thine are bound; Like harps attuned to heavenly strains, Whose tones in unison resound. Raise, Anne, raise thy pleading voice, etc. Oh ! by that first Magnificat ! By Bethlehem's midnight burst of lyight ! By Egypt, and the wilderness. And the long anguish of the Flight ! Raise, Anne, raise thy pleading voice, etc. By those thy love held dear below, Who now are with thee where thou art ! By Joseph, and by Joachim, By Mary and the Sacred Heart ! Raise, Anne, raise th}^ pleading voice, etc. Spotless Anne ! Juda's glory ! Through the Church from East to West, Every tongue proclaims thy praises, Holy Mary's mother blest ! 38 I Chorus. Gathered round thy sacred banner, In the Church that bears thy name, Mary's Mother ! gracious Anne ! We thy grace and favor claim. Saintly kings and priestly sires Blended in thy sacred line; Thou in virtue, all before thee Did'st excel by grace divine. Chorus. — Gathered round, etc. I hnve refrained from relating in St. Anne's life man> things that are interesting, but which seem not to be sufficiently authenticated. What I wrote about the life of St. Anne, T wrote with more pleasure than labor, as I visited Sephoris in Galilee, St. Anne's shrine at Jerusalem, St. Anne d' Auray in Britanny and St. Anne of Beaupre in Canada. Although the reading of this little book will, I think, be very interesting, my chief motive in writing it has been the hope that the work might help to vspread devotion to St. Anne in the Diocese of Burlington. Devotion to this great saint is indeed a precious legacy which I ardently desire to leave to my spiritual children. The Bishop of Burungton, Vt. 39 LIFE OF ST. ANNE. CHAPTER I. WHY DO CATHOLICS HAVK SO MUCH DEVOTION TOWARD ST. ANNK. St. Anne is the mother of the Blessed Virgin. Mary, therefore, is ever ready to hear the requests of St. Anne, and to turn towards sinners her eyes full of mercy. St. Anne was not a queen or great lady of the world. She spent her life in obscur- ity, employed in useful labor and she was tried by suffering and sorrow. She has a heart full of compassion ; she is accessible to all. She was a mother, extremely fond of Mary, her admirable daughter, yet she parted with that dear child, when she knew that God demanded that separa- tion. Do not you Christian mothers feel that Blessed Anne will pray for you and help you to raise your children in the fear of God ? Did you ever cast your eyes upon an image or statute of St. Anne without feeling that she is no strafiger to you ? Mary Immaculate was conceived in the womb of St. Anne — Oh how holy must have been that living temple which was the dwelling place of her who was herself destined to conceive and bring forth Him whom heaven a7id earth can not contain ! St. Anne is so closely united to the Son I 40 of God our Saviour Jesus Christ. Listen to these words of St. John of Damascus : "Oh blessed couple Joachim and Anne! To you every creature is bou^d by the deepest grati- tude, for it was through you that we could offer to God the most noble of all gifts, namely that immaculate mother, who alone was worthy of him!" CHAPTER II. UFK OF ST. ANNE. Our saint, who was issued of the royal house of David, was probably born at Sephoris, six miles north of Nazareth. At the age of twenty, she was given in marriage to a holy man named Joachim, also of the house of David, and both spent the greater part of their life in the same place (Sephoris in Galilee) , being in easy circum- stances, and possessed of large flocks. They di- vided in three parts the revenues of their prop- erty. One was for the poor, the widows and the orphans, the other for the temple of Jerusalem, the third for their own use. We have seen at Sephoris the place where during our pilgrimage to the holy land, this holy couple lived, and around which the crusaders had built a large Basilica. Joachim and Anne had also at Jerusalem a house situated north of the temple, adjoining the pond named Probatica (j. v.), it being in that part of 41 Jerusalem where vSheep were bought to be offered up in sacrifice in the temple. It therefore hap- pened that they lived sometime in one, some- time in the other place, and vSometimes Anne re- mained alone at Jerusalem whilst Joachim and his men attended their flocks in the mountains about Sephoris. Though they were beloved of God and esteemed by men, Joachim and Anne were very unhappy, for Almighty God had not been pleased to give them children, though they had now lived together twenty years. It happened that Joachim and Anne went on a certain feast day to present their offering to the temple, but the priest would not receive it, declaring they were unworthy to appear before God, since he had cursed them by refusing to them the honor of bringing forth children. In those days, indeed, when the promised Messiah or Saviour was ex- pected to be born in the world, barrenness was looked upon as a malediction amongst the Jews. Being thus publicly put to shame, Joachim went back to the mountains, remaining five whole months separate from Anne. The prayers and penances of this holy couple did at last move the heart of God, and they were promised a child who was to be the admiration of men to the end of the world. From this time Joachim and Anne lived chiefly in Jerusalem. In their house at Je- rusalem Mary was conceived and born, and here she was nursed by her holy mother until the day of her presentation in the temple. Anne, alone amongst all the daughters of men, was privileged a 42 I in ■ li I'm' \m to conceive a human being to whom the original stain was not transmitted. During the space of nine months the spotless blessed infant lived in the womb of Holy Anne. How great then must be the holiness of the mother of Mary ! If the mere salutation of Mary to Elizabeth, caused the mother of John to be filled with the Holy Ghost, and if now the recitation of one Hail Mary is the source of many blessings, what vShall we say of the blessedness of her who, during nine months, was so intimately united to the mother of God ? Who. can tell of the joy of Joachim and Anne, when that blessed child was born in the world ? Who will imagine the depth of Anne's gratitude to God, when after her long and humiliating bar- renness, she nursed at her bosom the mother of Him who nourishes all beings ? Joachim and Anne saw Mary kneel down when for the first time she gave expression to her love of God, when she uttered her first prayer in behalf of sin- ful men ! O blessed Anne ! Blessed is thy womb which bore the mother of God, blessed are thy paps which gave her suck ! Day after day as time went on after the birth of Mary she grew up in wisdom and grace. Day after day she also be- came the more dear to her aged and holy mother our St. Anne. As we are here writing chiefly for our Catholics of the Diocese of Burlington, we will invite them sometime when they will come to visit our Cathe- dral, to examine the first window of the chancel on the Gospel side. That beautiful stained glass 43 window represents Joachim and Anne presenting the child Mary in the temple. They had indeed made that promise to God, and it was probably to reward them for that promise, that God had given them this child of Benediction. Mary herself, yonng as she was, but wonderfully enlightened by the Spirit of God, ardently dcvsired to conse- crate herself irrevocably to His service. Yet how painful it was for Mar}^ to part with her admirable and much beloved parents, how painful, especially for Anne, to see her dear Mary retire from her modest house near the pond Probatica ! As we are writing these lines we are in spirit in Jeru- salem, which we visited two years ago, and see as it were before our eyes, this part of the Holy City which we then examined with much attention. The house of St. Anne was very near the north part of that very large place surrounded with walls, named the Temple, in the midst of which had been erected the Sanctuary, containing the Holy and the Holy of Holies. Adjoining this holier part of the temple there were buildings where, under the tuition of venerable matrons, young virgins wei^ taught the law of God, and employed in such work as was suitable to their condition, spending also much time in prayer. The temple of Jerusalem w.t x glorious place wherein to learn the law of God and the wonders of his power and mercy towards his people. There were the Priests, the Doctors of the law divinely appointed to teach the people of God. Here it W^^ that Christ hinvself was to come at the age of li: '1 u 12 to listen to them and ask them questions. Jerusalem was not far from Hebron, the dwelling of Abraham, from Bethlehem, the home of David, and only a few miles from the Jordan, crossed in a miraculous manner by the Israelites, and from Galgala, where the Manna had ceased to fall from Heaven. At Jerusalem Melchisedech had c /ed a sacrifice in bread and wine, at Jerusalem Abra- ham had built an altar to offer his son in sacrifice, at Jerusalem, in the glorious temple, close to the dwelling of Mary, there was offered to God the sacrifice of a lamb every morning and night, and on the recurrence of the Sabbath and of their great anniversaries victims in great number and of different kinds were immolated, whilst the children of Israel came from every part of the land to adore their God, to offer Him their ^s- ents, and unite their voices to those of theL^v->es in singing praise to the Lord in the language of their inspired prophets. Mary, therefore, the daughter of Anne, Mary, the virgin consecrated to God, grew up incessantly in the knowledge and the love of the Almighty. But although she had left the house of her parent, it is more than probable that they came sometimes to visit their daughter; and now it was the turn of Mary, if not to teach her venerable parents, at least to commu- nicate to them those extraordinary lights which she received from the Holy Ghost dwelling within .her. Oh, how the heart of Anne burned within her when Mary spoke to her and explained many passages of the Scriptures ! 45 If we remember well the place occupied by the house of Anne, the ground on which it vStood was slightly higher than that of the temple, so that perhaps from the terrace of her cottage, Anne could see the place w^here Mary dwelt in the tem- ple, and therefore there is no doubt in our mind but that Anne used to offer her prayers to God at the same time with Mary, and unite her intentions to hers. A time came whilst Mary was in the temple, and that was very soon after lea'/in^?r her parents, tvlien one thought took poSvSession of :j;er whole soul. This was the thought of the future Redeemer after whose coming she sighed day and night. She had understood that this Redeemer was to be a divine nerson. Emmanuel^ God with men. She had understood about His humilations. His voluntary sufferings. His death, the glory of His sepulchre and the salvation of men to be obtained by the same. As day after day she saw the priests lay their hands upon the heads of the victims, as she saw the blood of the lambs poured around the altar, how ardently she prayed that in place of these imperfect sacrifices, God might please soon to send the lamb of God who might take away the sins of the world. These sentiments Mary did not fail to commu- nicate to Anne, and Anne, would unite her prayers to those of her daughter, and supplicate the Redeemer to appear and not delay. However ardent were the prayers of Mary, that God might please to accelerate the sending of the Messiah, it had never entered into her mind mm. 46 i II that she might be the one chosen to be his mother, for she was the most humble of all creatures, but to us it appears most probable that holy Anne, apart from special inspiration, must have begun to suspect that her daughter was the one privi- leged Virgin who was to conceive and bring forth a son who was to be called Emmanuel. Mary, indeed, was of the house of David, she was a child of miracles, a child so holy ! What of the reality ? The Lamb of God who by his voluntary death was to glorify God and to save men, was born of Mary, the Daughter of Anne. Anne had often sold from her flocks near the Probatica some of the lambs that were sacrificed in the temple, and Mary brought forth at Bethlehem the Lamb which w^is immolated on Calvary. We remember here a remarkable coincidence. The house of Anne in Jerusalem was only a few feet from the place where our Lord was crowned with thorns and condemned to die. In that neighborhood Abra- ham had found amongst the briers sticking by the horns the ram which he immolated instead of his son Isaac. Our Lord was loaded with his cross immediately in front of the house of his grand- parent, and it is now the place where Catholic pilgrims begin the Way of the Cross. It was by following that road some 2,000 feet further, that the Redeemer arrived on the summit of the rock of Calvary and voluntarily shed his blood fcr us, very near the place where Abraham had erected the altar for the sacrifice of his son. The most probable opinion concerning St. 47 '■ ' Anne, is, that Joachim and herself died before the birth of Christ, but Mary was present at their death and closed the eyes of her parents. The tomb of the Blessed Virgin (which we saw during our pilgrimage to the Holy Land) , is at the foot of the Mount of Olives, yet at a short dis- tance from the house of Anne, which is within the walls of Jerusalem . The bodies of Anne, Joa- chim and Joseph were deposited during some time in the same family tomb, but a church having been built over the house w^here Anne had lived, her sacred body was placed there in a vault. Nineteen hundred years have elapsed since the death of St. Anne, but the spot where that house stood, contiguous to the pond named Probatica,\\2iS not forgotten by the Christians. The dwelling of Joachim, Anne and Mary, like that of Nazareth where Joseph and Mary lived, was a structure built abov^e the ground, yet connected with apart- ments under ground, either dug out of the rock, or made such by the hand of nature. The ex- terior house long ago disappeared, and was re- placed by other buildings at different periods. Churches and Convents stood around that spot consecrated by the birth of Mary. They were visited by pilgrims from far away, and many miracles were performed there, and there also mementoes of miraculous cures were hung around the walls, as they are in our days in shrines of Marv and Anne. 48 M' i 1;: I lit 111 m ST. ANNE OF JERUSAI^EM. The present church of St. Anne at Jerusalem, built many hundred years ago, profaned by Mo- hammedans, and finally given by Turkey to the French Government, after the Crimean war, was, if not rebuilt, at least almost entirely renovated by the said Government of France, and it is now in charge of a religious community of priests founded by Cardinal Lavigerie, Archbishop of Algiers. This church of St. Anne x Jerusalem is yearly visited by thousands of pilgrims, and you are shown in the crypt under it the very spot in which Anne brought forth the Sacred Virgin Mother of God, and also the place where the re- mains of Anne rested for some time. An altar stands over the place where Mary was born and we had the honor and consolation to say mass on this altar, and there, to recominend our children of America to the prayers of the good and great St. Anne and of her Immaculate daughter. We will now bid farewell to the house of Anne in Je- rusalem, by saying with St. John Damascene : *' O Mary, daughter of Eve and Mother of God ! Blessed the loins and the womb from which thou camest forth ! Blessed the hands which carried thee, blessed the lips which enjoyed thy chaste kisses ! On this day the salvation of the world is commenced for to-day there is born for us in the house near the Prcbatica, the Mother of God, from whom condescended to fee born the Lamb oif God who takes away the sins of the world." (St. John Damascene, In Nativitate B. M. V.) 49 CHURCH OF ST. ANNK, NEAR AURAY, FRANCE. We do not intend to trace the history of the de- votion to St. Anne through the whole world, but it is quite important for our purpose to inform our readers of the manner in which it was introduced amongst us. Keranna, in the language of Brit- anny (in the west of France) , signifies the House of Anne. The village which bears that name is situated a few miles from the city of Auray in the department of Morbihan. At the end of the seventh century there was in this village a chapel held in great veneration, as being under the spec- ial protection of St. Anne. No one can tell in what precise year it had been erected, though it had been there a very long time before the afore mentioned date. At this time the country was invaded and plundered by robbers. The people fled before them, and when they returned they found that their dwellings had been destroyed by fire, and with them the venerated chapel of St. Anne. The village of Keranna was rebuilt, but for reasons unknown, the chapel was not. Nay, as time went on it seemed to have been greatly for- gotten. They might, however, see here and there scattered over the ground or used in adjacent walls, some stones which had evidently been a part of a sacred edifice. Devotion to St. Anne did not however die in the country, for many churches were erected not far from Keranna under the invocation of St. Anne. There must also have m V^ 50 lliPi I; 'Mi: W: |$:v'; ill im. lingered in the memories of the people some con- fused remembrance of the former church of St. Anne. The Bocenno, was the name of one field in Keranna of which the people said, that one particular spot in it could never be ploughed up. They might work it with a spade, or otherwise, but no animal harnessed to a plough could ever be made to cross it, and whoever attempted was sure to fail and meet with mishap. Hence, when sent to plough in the Bocenno, the young people were always told by their parents, do not plough tip the place of the chapel. About the year 1620 the farm of which this field was a part, had been rented by a very good man named Nicolazic (Little Nicholas). Nico- lazic had inherited from his ancestors, sincere devotion to St. Anne, attended regularly to all the prescriptions of the church, was beloved and es- teemed by his neighbors who often took him as umpire in the difficulties which arOvSe between them. The father of Nicolazic had before him lived on this farm, and had (perhaps unknowingly) used in the basement of his barn, some of the stones of the former building of St. Anne. At this time (about 1620), St. Anne did, on several occasions, in several places, some times in the day, some times in the night, appear to Nicolazic. This has been ascertained by many regular inquests. At times Nicolazic heard a great noise, saw himself surrounded with great light in the midst of which St. Anne appeared to him. She appeared in the form of a venerable matron of dazzling beauty 51 » I dressed in garments white as snow. She made known to him that there had stood once in the Bocenno a chapel dedicated to her name which had been destroyed 984 years before, that is in the year 699 — and that it was her desire that the chapel should be constructed anew. On the sixth day of March money was found in the morning on the table of his house of which no one could tell where it came from. Finally the saint declared to Nicolazic that he must go to the Bocenno and that he would find there a statue representing herself, in a spot which would be indicated to him. This good servant of St. Anne did then on a certain night go to the Bocenno, taking with him four men as witnesses. A light appeared and went before them and stopped over a peculiar spot. Here they dug the ground and really found an image of St. Anne. Some time after this event the barn of Nicolazic, of which we have spoken, which was covered with straw, was destroyed by fire. Its contents, however, were not injured, neither were several vsheaves of rye which were heaped up close by, in the very direction of the wind. The image of St. Anne soon drew to Keranna a great crowd of pil- grims, and with the offerings which they brought, a church was erected in which the statue found by Nicolazic was placed. St. Anne of Auray has been ever since a celebrated pilgrimage, which is year- ly visited by thousands of devout people. During the long period of time which elapsed since the finding of the statue and the erection of the church 52 VI I till our times, such has been the number of graces of all kinds obtained through the intercession of St. Anne in this village of Keranna, that the immortal Pontiif Pius IX. permitted this statue to be crown- ed, at the request of the Bishop of Vannes to which Diocese St. Anne of Auray belongs. That impos- ing and very rare ceremony occurred on the 30th of September, 1868, and drew together an immense number of people, many of them from distant parts, but chiefly from Britanny. A magnificent Basilica has now been raised* in place of the more modest building begun by Nicolazic. It may be pleasing to the Catholics of our Diocese to know that their Bishop prayed more than once for them before the venerated image at Keranna, of St. Anne the mother of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. The last time we were there was in the begin- ning of February, 1880, on our return from the Holy Land. Permit us to record a pleasant inci- dent of our visit to St. Anne of Auray. We found in this place a community of devoted religious, who have here their novitiate, and we spoke to them of what we knew and had seen of devotion to St. Anne in the Holy Land and in America, ^fter our little address to the good nuns, their novices and their pupils, we were not a little sur- prised to receive from the mother superior an oflferiiig of $10.00 towards propagating devotion to St. Anne in our Diocese. This offering we have placed in the hands of the priest residing at Mil- t( r( 53 ton FalLs, of which the church is under the pat- ronage of St. Anne. SAINT ANNE OF BEAUPRE BELOW QUEBEC, NAMED ALSO ST. ANNE OF THE NORTH, AND LA BONNE SAINTE ANNE. We think it unnecessary to write much about this celebrated shrine of St. Anne in Canada, situ- ated twenty-one miles below Quebec. It was begun in the year 1649. Since then it has been visited by numerous pilgrims, not only from Can- ada, but also from the United States. Let us hear the beautiful relation of a well known writer re- garding pilgrimages to St. Anne de Beaupre. (Casgrain.) ' ' I saw unfold before me all that passed in this spot since the time of our ancestors. How touch- ing it is to see in this church, situated so peace- fully in the shade of that fair coast of Beaupre, those pictures, those sticks, those crutches, and all those other objects left there by pilgrims from all parts of the country, and suspended from the walls, the columns and cornices of the house of prayer ! *' How many pains of the body, hov much suf- fering of the mind, how much anguish of heart has come to find in this spot a cure or consolation. What remembrance of the evils of earth, and what sweet thoughts of heaven are not evoked by the aspect of this modest sanctuary ! Does it not seem l',,v \ '■* I to you that you see defile before you the long pro- cession of those, who, for two centuries past, have crossed the threshold of this abode of the good St. Anne ? They have come on foot, by carriage, by canoe, by land and by water, through the .snow, for ten, twenty, a hundred, two hundred leagues. See that poor mother who presses her sickly in- fant to her breast ! See this daughter who con- ducts by the hand her sightless mother ! The father who sustains his infirm child ! The son who carries in his arms his palsied father ! See this wife who comes to request the return of her absent husband ! The husband who begs the re- covery of a wife long since ill ! See the penitent who advances with bare feet ! Another who comes, likewise, to thank God for a signal favor, obtained through the intercession of the patroness of the afflicted. This person asks peace for his home ; that other, the end of the errors of a being, in spite of all, tenderly loved. See this traveller who has escaped from an imminent danger, that sailor saved from shipwreck, the soldier who returns from the combat ! Do you not seem to notice upon their bronzed features and upon their dis- ordered dress, the traces of the storm, of the brine, and of the powder of the field. They come from all directions : some supported or carried by be- loved hands : others alone, helping themselves along with their wooden legs ; others, bent beneath the weight of sorrows. Some ask, beg ; others give thanks ; some are sad but resigned ; others are joyous, but with a calm li 55 and recollected joy. They pass unceasingly ;^ their number is immense ; but this assemblage* of so many sor|:ows has no clamorous lamen- tations ; and this concourse of so many joys has no noisy outbursts. They are there by thou- sands, but they would be there by millions, and the peace of this retreat would not be troubled ; for the only somuls heard in the silence of the place, are the singing of pious canticles and the gentle munnur of prayer. But who are they, who contravSt with the others by their features and cos- tumes? Those are the first children of the soil, the members of the Indian tribes converted to the faith. See you in the midst of them those two noble aged persons ? They are the Chief of the Micmacs and his wife. They have come alone in their canoe of bark, notwithstanding the distance. They are old, and yet they have set out without providing themselves with provisions. From Rist- igouche here they have asked their food as alms from place to place. They have fasted each day during this long journey, and prayed continually. Do you know what they come to ask from St. Anne? They come to pray her to allow them to establish a pilgrimage to the good St. Anne, and to kindly aid their tribe in the execution of this project by the assistance of her intercession. " They tell that the Micmacs come, indeed, from time to time to the good St. Anne of the North, but that all cannot come; they live so far away, so far away; they would all, however, wish to invoke their good patroness in a church bear- i fW 56 ing her name. They themselves have come this time to beg, and in the name of the entire nation, this favor. * ** St. Anne has heard the Micmacs, as she has heard so many others. For the rest, if she does not always obtain all that we ask, because we do not at all times ask that which is best for us, she at least never fails to console. Blessed are they who believe. Casgrain." < ( CHAPTER II. DEVOTION TO ST. ANNK IN THK DIOCKSK OF BURUNGTON. It will be interesting to the Catholics of the Diocese of Burlington to know that the first set- tlement of white people in Vermont was started under the auspices of St. Anne. (See Vermont Gazetteer, art. Isle La Motte.) In the year 1665 a fort was erected on the north-west side of Isle La Motte, by Captain de la Motte, to which he gave the name of St. Anne, This fort was im- portant at that time when the terrible Iroquois of the South were continually going down Lake Champlain, making incursions against the weak colonies of Montreal and Quebec. In 1666 there was in this fort a garrison of sixty soldiers, forty of whom were sick with the scurvy. Two of them had already died without the sacraments of t J J 57 the church, when a courageous priest named Dolier de Casson, of Montreal, came to stay amongst them, and succeeded in restoring many of them to health by sending in sleighs to Mon- treal those who could stand the voyage, and pro- curing to those in the fort a sufficient quantity of salubrious food, of which they had been deprived. It is, therefore, certain that mass was at that early date said regtdarly at Fort St. Anne, in Isle lya Motte, that the country was placed under her protection, and that upwards of two hundred years ago there were here some devout Catholics who were cheered up on their death-bed by the remembrance of her who was the mother of Mary, the grand-parent of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom all Catholics love to invoke as the good St, Anne, It is a long time since Fort St. Anne has been destroyed, so that many persons in our own State know nothing about its history; to us, however, it is a pleasant recollection to know that devotion to St. Anne was inaugurated so many years ago in our Diocese. God grant us grace to see it spread amongst us ! On June the 5th, 1859, the corner stone of a small church to be erected to the honor of God, under the name of St. Anne, was blest, and laid down in the foundation at Milton Falls, in this State. The church itself was blessed on the 12th of September, 1866. From this it appears that St. Anne was not forgotten by the Catholics of Vermont, since a building in her honor was com- menced some five years only after the erection of k 58 ; ( the Diocese of Burlington. We do not know that God has been pleased to grant any extraordinary favor to those who have invoked His goodness in this church of Milton through the intercession of St. Anne. We record, however, with no little satisfaction, that the fea.st of St. Anne has always been celebrated in Milton Falls with due solem- nity and sincere devotion, many ofourpriCvStsand of the people coming thither on that day (July 26th) to implore her protection. Devotion towards St. Anne has been propa- gated in S wanton Falls, where our school build- ing is named St. Anne's School, and where her statue or image may be seen in all the class rooms. The facts which we have just mentioned dem- onstrate that devotion to St. Anne has existed in our Diocese since the time that the State began to be settled. It is, however, only two years ago that we became aware of the extent and depth of this devotion amongst our dear people. The number of those who went in pilgrimage to St. Anne of Beaupre, on June the 2otli of the year 1882; the extraordinary fervor of the same pil- grims; their gratitude to God after th'jir . Virn; the interest taken by the Catholic imunitv in the same pilgrimage; the resoluti« cxpresst by the pilgrims to go back to Beaupie or to send thither some friends with the next pilgrimage, and especially the spiritual advantages derived from it, show forth that the devotion exists, — that it is pleasing to God. % 50 On the feast of St. Anne following the pilgrim- age, that is, on the 26th day of July, 1882, the Bishop went to Milton Falls to celebrate the solemnity. There were fifteen prie.sts present there, two of whom were from Canada, one from Massachusetts, and the others from our Dioce.se. The Bishop presented to the church a relic of St. Anne in the shape of a stone which he had de- tached from her house in JerUvSalem, and brought from that place in 1880. On the .same occasion Mi.ss Anne Quinn of Burlington gave a fine reli- quary in which the relic is deposited. It was quite evident from the crowd of Catholics who attended that they were full of devotion towards vSt. Anne; and on lavSt year again (1883), on the same anniversary, a large pilgrimage had come from St. Albans to Milton, so that the church proA^ed to be too small for tlie occasion. In the City of Burlington we see that devotion to St. Anne has greatly increased, from the following facts: In St. Joseph's church a very large and beautiful statue has been placed, which represents the Saint in a sitting position, with the child Mary reading from a book held up by her mother. It is seldom we have seen an image whose aspect inspires more devotion. At last in the Cathedral a very fine marble altar has been erected which will be known as the Altar of St. Anne. It was built on purpose to receive the statue of the Saint; and the statue itself, the statue of the good St. Anne, is the gift of one 01 our lady members of the congregation, who gave it as a memorial to in i 60 her own mother. This Altar, D. V., we intend to consecrate on the 25th of this month — ^July, 1884 — and on the same occasion we intend to bless the statue. U AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO ST. ANNE, PRONOUNCKD BY THE BISHOP OF BURLINGTON IN THE CHURCH OP ST. ANNE, MII^TON FALI.S, ON JUI.Y THE 26TH, 1882. " O, glorious St. Anne, mother of her who brought forth our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, filled with veneration for thy sanctity, and pen- etrated with the deepest confidence in thy power and mercy, I, Louis, Bishop of Burlington, in this holy church which bears thy name, do place under thy protection my life and the end of my life. To thy mercy and powerful intercession I recommend in an especial manner the Reverend Clergy and the Religious of this Diocese, so that by their teaching and good examples they may be in reality the light of the world. " To thy protection I recommend the heads of families, that they may lead holy and peaceful lives, and bring up their children in the fear of God. ** To thee I recommend the children, the young people, the oijphans and widows, and all the poor itetid i to ST. ^ IN vho ist, €11- in ace my 1 I ;nd lat be of ful of or m P 1 ^1 1 61 and afflicted of the Diocese of Burlington, and I pray to thee to obtain for us all a sincere devotion towards thee, for we know that peace and per- severance in the faith are the blessings thou obtainest for thy children. * * In my own name, and in the name of all those who are here present, we promise always to venerate thee, to implore thy assistance in all our necessities, and to neglect no means in our power to propagate devotion to thee. " O, glorious St. Anne, listen to our supplica- tion. We desire to be thy children: be thou a mother to us and to all the inhabitants of the Diocese of Burlington. ' * W W I ISI.E lyA MOTTE. THE FORT AND CHAPKI. OF ST. ANNE IN SAID ISI.AND. Champlain is the first civilized man who saw the islands of the lake which bears his name. This happ'^tied in 1609, when he took part in an expedition ^i the Indians on the St. Lawrence against the Iroquois. He mentions only four of those islands. They are named to-day, the Grand Isle, Valcour Island, North Island and Isle La Motte. He says that they were uninhabited. The Indian tribes came here to hunt or in their warlike expeditions. The Iroquois, Algonquins, Hurons, Abanaquis and Mohegans had fought f w. 1 1 'i 'J : !i 1 1' i ' ■i ■ 02 for their possession, and at the time of Cham- plain, the Iroquois tribe which we call Mohawks, seemed to be in possession. In order to come here they had to come through Lake George, which had been named Le Lac du St. Sacrement by Father Jogues in 1646. After croSvSing the lake in all its length, they entered the Richelieu river, which for a long time was named the river of the Iroquois. They followed this water course down to the St. Lawrence, where they lay in wait for their enemies, viz., the Hurons, the Algonquins and the French colonists. The In- dians called Lake Champlain Patawabouke, that is, an alternation of water and earth. Later on the Hollanders named it Lake Corlar in memory of Governor Corlar who was drowned in it whilst on his way to Quebec. The French named it Lake Champlain in honor of its discoverer. When 57 years later, Pierre de St. Paul, Sieur de la Motte, built a fort on the island, which was the first visited by Champlain, and dedicated it to St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin, no doubt but the great discoverer would have cheer- full)^ approved the resolution, for he, Champlain, was a man of faith, who was wont to say that the salvation of one soul is a greater work than the conquest of a world. FATHER JOGUKS IN ISI.E LA MOTTK AND IN THE FORESTS OF VERMONT. Isle La Motte is seven miles long by two broad. In the north part of the island there is a point 11 aJ 03 which stretches out westward and is covered with maple, walnut, chestnut and pine trees, and here there is a hill from which there is an extensive view to the north and south. From the Relaliofis des Jesuiles, 16^6, we learn that it was a place of meeting for the Algonquin, and Iroquois Indians, and that they camped there often. The Iroquois returning from their expeditions on the St. Law- rence, came up the Richelieu river, and they had to cross a bay six miles in extent. The lake at the first island (Isle La Motte) leans from West to East, so that the point lay directly on their route. In a small bay of this point they found a safe harbor for their canoes. The sandy beach rose up gradually from the water, it was there- fore easy to dfaw them to land, to shelter them from the sun, and hide them from their enemies. There was no place in the whole lake better suited for a camping ground; and hence the French selected it for the building of P^ort St. Anne. At the beginning of the month of August, 1642, the Iroquois captured Father Jogues, Rene Goupil, Wm. Couture and 20 Algonquins. They returned by the Richelieu and entered Lake Champlain which they had to traverse in all its length. In the life of Father Jogues, we find that this journey was for them an occasion of new tortures. His finger nails had already been torn out, and at each halt tortures were renewed, and his blood continued to flow. It is probable that he suffered in the halt of the Indians iu the first island, where they undoubt- 64 I ! edly passed the night. We think that the soil of Isle lya Motte was sanctified by the blood of the saintly Jesuit, and that of his companion, Rene Goupil, who, according to Father Jogues, had the purity of an angel. Both of them were soon to suffer death at the hands of these savages. Rene Goupil was killed by the blow of a toma- hawk, and fell at the feet of the reverend Father on the 24th of September, 1642, whilst pronounc- ing the sacred name of Jesus. He died a martyr of his zeal to teach the Uttle children to make the sign of the cross. The hour of Father Jogues had not yet come. For thirteen months he served as the slave of an Indian family, accompanying the savages in their hunts, visiting the mountains and forests which he had sighted in former journeys, sanctifying * them by his prayers and sufferings. How often, he says, I have sung the canticles of the Lord in this strange land, and made them resound with the praise of the Creator which they had never heard. Often I engraved the name of Jesus on the tall trees of these primitive forests in order to cause the infernal spirits to tremble. Often I cut the bark which covered them in the shape of a cross of my Saviour in order to put the devil to flight, and that through it, O my Lord and King, Thou mightest reign in the midst of Thy ene- mies. After his deliverance and a voyage to France, Father Jogues came back to his dear missions among the Iroquois. Three times he went over the same route on Lake Champlain. n 2 65 on rto cut fa to ne- to lear he min. He went up to their country as ambassador to make a treaty of peace, between the i6th and the 28th of May, 1646, and returned to Quebec be- tween the 1 6th and 26th of June of the same year. He finally, upon their own invitation, went back to their settlements intending to live with them and teach them the Gospel. This was at the end of September, 1646. On the i8th of October he was killed like Rene Goupil, praying for his murderers. The prayers of Father Jogues were heard by Almighty God soon after his martyr- dom. Twenty years later. Fort St. Anne was constructed on the camping ground of the island, which was henceforward named Isle La Motte; and here they began to offer the unbloody sacri- fice of the Lord Jesus, whose mercy the saintly apostle had so fervently implored in behalf of the country. CHOICE OK THE SITE FOR A FORT. EXPEDITION OF MR. DE COURCELLES. Montreal at this time was governed by Mr. de Maisonneuve, and the Sulpicians sent by Mr. Olier of saintly memory, were beginning to estab- lish themselves there. The garrison consisted of v^ery few soldiers, and at Three Rivers they had to be continually on the w^atch for fear of a sur- prise. Quebec itself was more strongly fortified, but unable to repel an attack, if all the Indians had attempted a combined attack. It was for- tunate, however, that thev ignored the weakness 8' ill I' 66 M ' '• H \ I 11 of the colonists. They contented themselves with harassing them by frequent skirmishes, capturing and robbing the imprudent settlers who went too far from their forts. Fortunately the mother country sent them reinforcements at this time. During the summer of 1658 there arrived the Regiment of Carrignan with the vice Roy de Tracy and Governor de Courcelles. In view of the situation M. de Tracy sent immediately Mr. de Repentigny at the head of a few companies, with directions to select the most advantageous positions for the erection of forts. The first of these forts was erected at the mouth of the Iro- /quois (Richelieu) river, in the very spot where Mr. de Montmagny had occupied one during four years, between 1642 and 1646. The second fort was named Fort Richelieu as the first one had been. The second fort was erected 17 leagues higher up, and was named Fort Chambly. The third one was erected a few leagues from Lake Champlain and was named Fort Sainte Theresa, it having been finished on St. Theresa's day The site of a fourth fort had been selected by Mr. de Repentigny in the very lake, but the season was too far advanced to begin its erection that year. CONSTRUCTION OF FORT ST. ANNB. Pierre de S.t. Paul, Sieur de La Motte, a cap- tain of the regiment of Carrignan, was detailed to carry on the erection of the fort. Its plan, from the map and model found in the third volume ot ':ftiiiB.mmaiJia.ai'fe:M ' ' 67 |cap- idto from le oi the Relatio7is, seems to have been the same as that of the forts Richelieu and St. Theresa. The Richelieu Fort was 144 feet in length b}' 96 feet broad. In measuring the site occupied by Fort St. Anne, we find that it was also 96 feet broad, but its precise length cannot now be ascertained, since the water of the lake has eaten up one of its extremities. At Fort St. Theresa, according to Charlevoix, there was a double palissade 15 feet in height, and we surmise that this was the case also in Fort St. Anne. There was a bastion in each of the comers of th^ fort. We read what follows in the Jesuit Relations for 1642, regarding the first Fort Richelieu erected by Mr. de Montmagny in 1642, and burned by the Iroquois in 1646. On August 13th the governor arrived on the Iroquois river to begin the erection of the fort on the site which he had selected. When the place had been cleared, mass was said on it, and after it had been blest, cannons were fired, and they had a salve of musketry in honor of these beginnings. The same thing must have been done at Fort St. Anne. Mr. de La Motte had under him about three hundred men whilst the work was going on. We know not to any certainty on what day they began the work, but according to the Relations^ they were finished by the 20th of July. The construction of the Fort St. Theresa was begun in the first days of September and ended on the fifteenth of October. Supposing that the Fort St. Anne was coUvStructed in the same M ■■i 68 i :'' ill i 1 amount of time, we may infer thiat Mr. de La Motte took possession of it in the last days of May or the beginning of June, on which occasion the first mass was celebrated, and the ground was blessed. Reverend Dubois, chaplain of the regi- ment, was probably the priest who assisted Mr. de La Motte and his soldiers in the work, for there is no doubt that they had a priest among them, they being vso many, so far from other forts, and exposed to so many dangers. There occurred no important event at that time when the soldiers were deprived of the presence and concourse of a priest. THE FIRST MASS. Father Jogues is the first priest who came to Vermont and saw the Islands and shores of Lake Champlain ; but it is not probable that he said mass in the State of Vermont. When he was made prisoner by the Iroquois, they stripped him of all that he had, and whilst accompanying them in their hunting expeditions he says that his only treasures were a small office book of the Blessed Virgin, a small book of the following of Christ, and a little cross which he had made. On his second visit he went as official embassa- dor and passed on very rapidly, When he went a third time to the Iroquois country, he could have carried with him his chapel, but himself says that he knew that in the beginning he would be deprived of all the sacra- (iO nients, he would not have dared to offer the holy sacrifice before the Indians whilst they were still idolaters. He simply offered himself in sacrifice, and the sacrifice of his blood was accepted. I think that the first mass was said in Vennont during the summer of 1666, by Father Dubois, Chaplain of the regiment of Carrignan. As the fort was dedicated to St. Anne we sup- pose that July 26, the day of St. Anne, would be the most proper day to celebrate the anniversary of the first mass celebrated in our State. The day of the benediction of the fort, was a great and joyful day for the Catholics of the place. As yet there were no settlers about the fort, though it may be that some of the inhabitants of Quebec, Three Rivers and Montreal had accom- panied the soldiers of Captain de l^aMotte. These made up the first Catholic congregation of Ver- mont. They assembled about the altar at the sound of the bugle and drum. These were men of faith and prayer, and we ma}'' surmise how great was their fervor on that day, seeing them- selves so far away from their native country, in the midst of primitive forests, surrounded with daring treacherous enemies. St. Anne on that day became the protectress of our country. We think we hear the devout colonists sinp^ out as we do now ourselves. Good St. Anne, pray for us. :!! :M 70 Tun FIRST CHAPEL OF ST. ANNE. One of the first cares of the French when they founded a new fort, was to prepare everything necessary for the celebration of the holy mysteries. The missionaries were provided with portable altar, but the places fitted for the altar, were often made of bark and evergreen bushes, such as we see erected in country places for repositories on Corpus Christi. Chapels of this discription answered well enough during the warm season, but as Father Dolier de Casson spent three months of the winter in the fort, where he had many communions, and held devotions every day, it became necessary to construct a good warm chapel. To say mass in his own room was impossible, as he put on record, for this room was so small that he could hardly move in it. Again the erec- tion of a chapel of fair size was necessary for the exercises of a mission given to the soldiers by Fathers Freniin, Peyron and Bruyos who spent one month in the fort. Finally when the garrison found that Bishop de Laval was about to come and visit, they would certainly have built a chapel to do him honor, in case that there was not one there before. O'Shea, the historian, is therefore quite correct when he says that a chapel existed in fort St. Anne, which was one of the first in New Eng- land, the very first in Vermont, and the first Church of St. Anne in the United States. We 71 consider it probable that the site of this first chapel within the fort is the very same on which stands the shrine erected by Rev. Joseph Ker- lidou, (1893.) irst DEATH OF DE CHAZY. When the work on the fort was finished, the garrison in order to rest, betool% themselves to the pleasure of the chase. They formed several par- ties whose duty it was to provide game for the table. One day one of the officers, Mr. de Chazy, started with six companions to hunt on the bank of a river (the Chazy river) a short distance only from the fort on the other side of the lake. They had no suspicion of danger for nearly all the Indian tribes had just departed to Quebec, to bring pres- ents and swear eternal friendship to the French. Mr. de Chazy was not aware of the treacherous spirit of the Iroquois. These were irritated at the construction of forts along the river, but their anger knew no bounds when they ascertained that they were building fort St. Anne on the shore of the lake itself. They dared not, however, to at- tack the intrepid soldiers of the garrison who were well armed, but they watched for an opportunity to surprise them. When they saw the sportsmen leave the fort, they thought this was a chance to scalp some of their enemies. Their plan was soon made out. Not a word, not a noise was heard to indicate their presence ; noiselessly they glide through the m. HiM IS "'It '1 I IW'^; 72 brush, following the soldiers step by step, whwii on a sudden they rush upon them uttering fearful cries. De Chazy and two of his companions defended themselves bravely, but they were soon overcome by numbers and fell pierced by bullets. Their companions had wished to come to help them, but the Iroquois had soon bound their hands, and at the least motion they would have killed them. • Writers do not agree as to the name =» and num- ber of the victims and prisoners. Did Captain de La Motte carry the body of DeChazy to the fort and have it interred there, or did the canni- bals divide it among themselves for one of their horrible feasts, this is more than I could find out. The Relations for i666 merely says : Mr. DeSorel who was in command at Fort Richelieu made up at once a party of three hundred men whom he led by forced marches into, the country of the enemy ; but when within twenty leagues only of their settlement he met new ambassadors who brought back the French captured near Fort St. Anne, and offered every satisfaction for the mur- der of those whom they had killed. The name Chazy has been given to the river on the bank of which the officer of that name was killed, and also to two villages about the same locality. 73 RENDEZVOUS AT FORT ST. ANNE. m VICTOROIUS EXPEDITION OF MR. DE TRACY IN THE COUNTRY OF THE IROQUOIS. Vice Roy DeTracy, Bishop DeLaval, the mis- sionaries and the colonists had done all in their power to win the hearts of the fierce Iroquois and inspire them with better sentiments. They would make fair promises, and declare that the hatchet of war was buried for ever, but they would soon forget their promises, and commit fresh outrages. This explains why they treacherously killed the soldiers of Fort St. Anne. One of the victims was a relative of Mr. DeTracy. He was much aggrieved at the murder of the brave soldier, and made up his mind to attempt a great expe- dition in the very country of the Iroquois, not- withstanding all their protestations, for this he thought was the only way to subdue them. He called together all the chiefs of his little army and bid them to rendezvous at Fort St. Anne on Sep- tember 28, 1666. On the 14th of September the feast of the Ex- altation of the Holy Cross, every thing was ready for the start at Quebec. The troops saluted Three Rivers, the forts Richelieu, Chambly and St. Thersa, as they sailed past them, and landed at Fort St. Anne. Here they were welcomed by a salve of artillery, such as they had, and by joyous acclamations. The whole of the point 74 was vSoon covered with soldiers. The army was made up of 600 men of the regiment of Carrig- nan, 600 colonists, and 100 Indians of the Huron and Algonquin tribes. The commander-in- chief was Mr. DeTracy who wished to share in the expedition notwithstanding his great age. Under him was Mr. DeCourcelles, Saliere, Chau- mond, Chambly, Borthier and I,eMoyne. Rev. M. Dubois the chaplain at Fort St. Anne, Mr. Dolier DeCasson, apriest of St. Sulpice, the rev- erend fathers Albanel and Rafleix S. I., went along to minister to their spiritual wants. They were provided with every thing necessary to say mass, and the troups assisted with much devotion at the holy sacrifice. At the foot of .some trees they had put up confessionals, and these, ca^ Mr. Dolier DeCazon related, were besieged day and night. One*might think they had come on a pilgrimage to good St. Anne of Lake Champlain, and not to prepare for an expedition against the savages. (The cause of their animation, as mother of the Incarnation relates, was the con- viction that they were going to fight for the faith. "At least 500 soldiers have taken the scapular ; we have the honor and pleasure of making these.") Before starting from Quebec, Mr. DeTracy, with many officers, had gone on a pilgrimage to St. Anne de Beaupre, and had given to the church (August 17, 1666,) the much admired painting, which may be seen to this day day above the main altar. At St. Anne of Lake Champlain the Vice Roy and his army placed 75 themselves once more under the protection of this good mother. On September the 28th all the troops had not yet arrived. Mr. DeCourcelles. who knew the country best, and was anxious to obliterate the remembrance of his first disastrous expedition, started ahead with 400 men, the soldiers of Mon- treal with Charles LeMoyne opening the march. The bulk of the army, commanded by DeTracy, Salieres and DeChammot, remained a few days longer at the fort, and started on the 3d of October only. The rear guard followed him closely under the command of Messrs. DeChambly and Berthier. They had prepared all the boats needed for the expedition. Three hundred of them were ready, part of which were very light boats, and others were made of bark which had room for five or six perspns only . When they had crossed a lake or a river each party had to carry its boat, which was tedious indeed, but not so troublesome as the carrying of two small cannons which they took to the last settlements of the Iroquois in order the more easily to destroy their fortification. yRela- tions 1666.) Rev. Dolier De Casson being endowed with great physical strength did not spare himself, and helped some of his companions to carry their bur- dens. As a reward for ray services, he said, they would give me a small piece of bread, which was a welcome present indeed, owing to the scarcity of provisions at this time. Orders had been given to the troops to march '' (it? 76 silently so as to surprise the enemy. But the sentinels of the Iroquois had sighted the army from the hills along the lake, and they gave the alarm. No one was found in the first settlements of the Indians. They noticed great fires, how- ever, in the most distant of their villages, and they expected to meet there with strong resistance. They had to destroy a triple palissade twenty feet in height and dislodge the enemy from their four bastions, which the}'^ seemed determined to de- fend. The drum was beating the march, and the army Was advancing for a regular attack ; suddenly the Indians struck with fright fled to the woods. Later on they explained why they fled without fighting. They had imagined that the army of De Tracy was innumerable, and imagined that the sound of the drum was naught but the voice of demons, of whom they were much afraid. In the village they found none but some per- sons too old to follow their friends, and the bodies of two or three Indians of another tribe which tliey had partly burnt. The Vice Roy planted the cross there, and caused the Te Deuni to be sung and mass to be celebrated , in thanksgiving for a victory which had not cost them one drop of blood. The palissades were burnt and all the houses and provisions vere destroyed, and they prepared immediately to return. 77 SICKNESS AT FORT ST. ANNK. REV. DOUER DE CASSON IS SENT THERE. At the fort on Isle La Motte they waited with anxiety for the return of the troops, and great was the joy here when they learned of the success which had been so easily obtained. They had, however, to deplore the death of eight of the sol- diers, who were drowned in a tempest on the lake. One of them was Mr. De Luc, the lieutenant of a company which had often distinguished itself by its bravery in France and in Canada. At Quebec Mgr. De Laval, who had offered many prayers for the success of the expedition, caused a Te Deum to be sung in thanksgiving for its success. After this event the troops were ganisoned in Ihe several forts. Sixty men only were left at Fort St. Anne. For some time they were in con- stant fear of attacks from the Iroquois, as they were the nearer to their settlements. At this junc- ture they were visited by an epedemic, which spread desolation among them. Chambly was also visited by the same scourge at the same time. Rev. Father DuBois. the chaplain, was at the time in Chanibl}^ but there was no priest in Fort St. Anne. At this, De Tracy gave the informa- tion to Father Souart, superior of the Sulpicians, who told one of his priests to prepare himself to start. The priest was Rev. Dollier De Ca.sson, who was well worthy to serve the vSoldiers as chaplain. He had been captain of cavalry under Marshal ii^. m if »■& 1 78 ,1' De Turenne, before entering the ecclesiastical state. He was a man of remarkable physic- al strength, who could carry one man sitting upon each of his hands. Although he was af- flicted at this time by a sore knee, and much weakened by bleeding, he resolved to start at once, and as two soldiers from Fort Chambly had just arrived at Montreal, he went in their com- pany after only one day's rest. This was a very feeble escort, so that these brave colonists, Charles LeMoyne, Mogeon De Braggat and James LeBer, volunteered to accompany him and share in all his dangers. The brave missionary started in their company, wearing snow shoes, carrying a heavy load on his shoulders, and arrived at Fort Chambly, but the officers of this place were in such dread of the Iro- quois that for 24 hours they obstinately refused to give him an escort to Fort St. Anne. When, how- ever, they saw him determined to start, and as they felt " it disgraceful for officers to show less courage than a missionary, they decided to give him an escort of ten soldiers. On the journey to the fort he had another occa- sion to manifest his courage and the ardor of his charity. They had to walk on the lake which was frozen, and the ice broke under the steps of one of the soldiers. They all thought he was lost, happily, however, he put his rifle across the hole and did not go down at once, but in vain did he attempt to come out on account of his snow shoes. None of the soldiers dared to go and help him, but Id the Rev. Father helped by one Mr Darienne, went to save him, and succeeded afler much fatigue and being exposed himself to go through the ice. MR. DOI.UER AT FORT ST. ANNE. Out of sixty soldiers who composed the garri- son, forty were attacked with the scurv^y, two had already died without the sacraments and many seemed to be at the point of death. Hence the arrival of the priest was ardently desired, and when Captain DeLamotte, commandant of the fort, Mr. de la Duraiitaye and the the other officers saw him come at a distance, they hurried to meet him and kissed him. This epidemic was due to the fact that the garrison had no other food but salted meat, and flour which had been spoiled on the sea. When this became known to Father Souart, the superior of the Sulpicious, he sent to Father Dollier plenty of choice pro- visions, which enabled him to save the lives of many soldiers, and on the account of the pestilen- tial air of the fort, he caused the sick soldiers to be sent to the hospital at Montreal, as soon as they were strong enough to be removed. The same reverend father remarks in his History of Montreal thdX he experienced many spiritual consolations in Fort St. Anne in the midst of great corporal sufferings, because of the holy life they began to lead there. All the soldiers, whether sick or well, lived as if they had received com- munion every day, and in fact communions were very frequent. The time for mass and the Mill 80 prayers were regulated, and every one wa.s faith- ful to attend. No kind of improper language was heard in the fort, and the piety of the soldiers was a source of delight to their chaplain. He admin- istered the last sacraments to eleven of those sol- diers who were as well prepared to die as could be desired. At each return trip from Montreal he received a provision of delicacies, and the giving of these to the sick made them find him very elo- quent. When he was not in their room or in his own to take a little rest, he would run to and fro between the bastions, to inhale some fresh air to avoid the pestilence. *'They might have taken me for a crazy man," he says, *4iad they not known how necessary was this violent exercise to escape the epidemic. "About this time we thought we would be at- tacked by the Iroquois, but it turned out that what had been seen were ambassadors sent to sue for peace, being accompanied by some Frenchmen whom they brought back from their country. As soon as they saw them come they caused great fires to be lighted in all the cabins, and they closed the gates, so as to make them believe that the fort was full of people. They told them moreover that it was a wonder that they had not been killed, since there were soldiers in ambush everywhere along the lake. This the Iroquois believed to be true, for as they went from the fort to Montreal they saw 14 or 15 convalescents com- ing foward, and about to kill them, when one of 81 the returning prisoners exclaimed, "Friends, do not fire, they come on a mission of peace." 1HE REV. FATHERS FREMIN, PIERRON AND BRUYAS, SPEND ONE MONTH IN THE FORT. In the spring of 1667, when the scurvy had disappeared, Rev. Dollier de Casson returned to Montreal. As the garrison of the fort were now without fear from the Iroquois, the soldiers would now come out to hunt and fish and thus obtain wholesome food. The Iroquois after peace had been concluded, had asked for missionaries, and Mr. de Tracy cheerfully granted their request. They chose, says the Relations for 1667, Rev. Fathers Fremin and John Pierron for the Ajnier, and Father James Bruyas for the mission of Onnecouk. The three fathers, after receiving the blessing of the Bishop of Petrea, started in July last with the Indian ambassadors, and as they came to Fort St. Anne, they learned that a troop of fifty or sixty Mohicans were waiting in am- bush along the lake in order to kill the ambassa- dors of the Iroquois, with whom they are at war. The fathers regretted much this delay; but the soldiers considered it as a blessing, as they had the pleasure of their presence for a longer time, and the occasion of celebrating worthily the feast of lli^ir patroness. They could have mass every day and the occasion to receive the sacraments. The missionaries remained in the fort about one 82 :l : % I I'- ,:j! * i i:' month. This delay, according to the /delations for 1668, permitted us to be somewhat useful to the soldiers by giving them some kind of a mis- sion. We at last started on the eve of the Saint Bartholomew, about four o'clock in the afternoon, and rested for the night about one league from the fort, and ever since, both by night and day, we went on prosperously with our journey with- out finding a clue to the enemy. They went on the south side of the lake on their return to their country, and we kept to the north side. Though working at th^ oar from morning to night in order to relieve our companions, we gaily trav- ersed this great lake — too well known by the shipwreck of many of our countrymen, and quite lately by that of Mr. de Corlar, commandant of a fort of the Hollanders, near Agnier. We ar- rived at a point three-quarters of a league from the falls of Lake du St. Sacrement. We all stopped at this place, not knowing the reason for it, when we saw our Indians picking up flints for their guns on the shore. This we did not mind at this time; but we were told since by the Iro- quois that they never fail to stop here in order to do homage to a nation of invisible men who dwell there at the bottom of the lake, who make it their business to prepare flints for the rifles of voyageurs, provided they do them homage by presenting them tobacco, and their gift of these flints is in proportion of what they receive. These submarine dwellers travel in canoes like the Iro- quois, and when their great captain throws him- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I I ■- IIIIM ~ 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 M 6" — ► <^ '^ y. '/ M Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) 873-4S03 \ iV ^9) V SJ :\ \ <» \ ^ 6^ ":lfl ill ¥1 I il D2 S. J. began to preach the gospel to them. They received the Word of God with joy, were soon converted, and to this day, have kept the faith. They had great devotion to St. Anne, having taken her as the patroness of their tribe. The church that was built for them, on the Penobscot in 1688 by Father Thury of Quebec, was dedi- cated to St. Anne. So was their church in the St. Johns river visited by Bishop Plessis in 18 15. Their principal settlement in Canada was on the River St. Fran9ois. The church built in 1 701 was dedicated to St. Francis of Sales. Father Jacques Bigot was their pastor there for seven years, 1701 to 1708, then Father Lagard lor one year followed by Father Joseph Aubery, who remained with them forty-six years. The Abanakis were great travellers, going to camp from one place to another, according to the season, for fishing and hunting, or making war on their enemies. prom 1687 to 1760 we find them often on Lake Champlain, on the Missisquoi river, on the Wi- nooski and on Otter Creek. On their great expeditions they always had the missionaries with them, and Father Joseph Aubery must have said mass in many places in Vermont as Father Druillette did in Maine. Father Druillette says (Relat. 1666): " I accom- panied them in their hunting expeditions and said mass as often as I could in the forests. The Abenakis have a particular devotion to the night, Qri which the Son of God was born. On Christ- n o o • 11 cl m' 98 ^'^\^ mas night, they built a small chapel with branches of cedar and spruce, to remind them of the stable of Bethlehem. They asked the priest to perform in it all the ceremonies that they have in the churches on that day." They had a permanent chapel on the Missis- quoi river, near Swanton, on the Highgate side, for a good many years, it being there yet when the first English settlers came, 1775. When in 1757 Mr. de Vaudreuil made his expedition against Fort William Henry, il'ere were in the army 600 Abenakis. They came iirst to St. Johns and then went to Lake Cliari jlaiii in : 00 canoes Many priests accompanied then. At Carrillon (Ticon- deroga) , high mass wr s celebrated and the Aben- akis gave to all the example of great piety and devotion. In 1 73 1 the French, anxious to become masters of Lake Champlain, built Fort St. Frederic on the Pointe a la Chevelure (Crown Point) and for 28 years they had the control of the lake. The Recollect Fathers were appointed chaplains to the army and lived with the soldiers in the fort where they had a large chapel. In the same year, 17311^ a wind-mill was built on the point called then Pointe aux Algonquins (Point of the Algonquins) and to-day, Wind Mill Point, in the town of Alburg. Here also there was to be a chapel 40 feet by 20, according to the deed given to Sieur Foucault 1 73 1, 1733, approved by the Bishop of Quebec, and recorded in the (Books of the In- ' ' 'S 1 • ' m !!; 11: m fiiii 94 tendance, Quebec) ; there were fourteen families living on the Point in 1734. We have the names of twelve Recollect priests who were chaplains of Fort St. Frederic and signed their names in the Register, Rev. Jean Baptiste Lajus in 1732, Peter Rescle 1733, Bernadeis de Garner 1734, Emmanuel Crespel 1735, Pierre Verquaillie 1736, Daniel 1741, Alexis du Buron 1743, Bonaventure Carpentier 1747, Hypolite Collet 1747, Didac Cliche 1754, Antoine Deperct 1758, Father Denys Caron who died there Nov. 6, 1758. There was then a large sail boat which made regular trips between Fort St. Frederic and St. Johns. Parties of Abenakis Indians traveled from place to place camping on the islands and on the shores of the rivers accompanied by their priests. We may thus conjecture that the Holy Sacrifice was offered in a great many places in Vermont from 1731 to 1759. Fort St. Anne was directly on their way, and dear to them as an old place of meeting. They must have stopped there often and prayed on the site of the old chapel, •putting themselves under the protection of good St. Anne. Montcalm, Levi, Bourlamarque, Bougainville, with their army, passed through there on their way to Carillon and back. Like Vice Roi De Tracy they were men of faith. After his great victory at Fort Ticonderoga, 1758, Montcalm had a cross planted on the hill with this inscription upon it : " Is it the general, is it the soldier, is 95 u r was it the fort we must thank for this victory? No. But in this cross is the sign, is the victory. It is God, God Himself, who gave us- the triumph." The next year, 1759, when he died at Quebec, he received the sacraments with great piety and his last words were a prayer to God for mercy. It is during this period that grants of land were made on the shores of the lake by the French gov- ernment. In 1757, Bishop de Pontbriand, the sixth bishop of Quebec became the owner of a piece of land of two leagues front by three leagues deep, in Chazy, opposite Fort St. Anne. It was the grant made to tieut. dela Gauchiere on April 20th, 1733. When dying Bishop de Pontbriand left it the Seminary of Saint Sulpice, Montreal. Shea says of Bishop de Pontbriand that he de- serves mention in the history of the church in the United States, because he thinks he was the first Bishop of Quebec who performed any episcopal function in the United States, having conferred con- firmation at Ogdensburg and Detroit. According to the letter of Mary of the Incarnation, Bishop Laval gav^e confirmation in Isle la Motte in 1668, and has then in this respect, precedence over Bishop de Pontbriand. But he deserves especial mention for his great devotion to St. Anne, being born in a diocese of Vannes in Britanny, where is the celebrated church of St. Anned'Auray. Com- ing to Detroit in 1755 he blessed there the church of St. Anne, the first church solemny blessed by a bishop in her honor in the United States. Bishop de Pontbriand was the last bishop of New H I ( Ui "I ill h ■ i' if ; r.j I iwai i'M ■I ! M U 96 France for he had the sadness to see Canada pass into the hands of the English. But they did not keep possession of Lake Champlain and Isle la Motte very long. In June 1760, Major Rodgers sent by General Amherst, with about 300 men to try and surprise St. Johns and Chambly, stopped a few days in Isle La Motte with his men. In May, 1775, Ethan Allen took Ticonderoga, and in September, Major Gen- eral Shuyler and Brigadier General Mont- gomery marching against St. Johns and Mon- treal, met at Isle La Motte. On the 17th of February 1776, Congress appointed as commis- sioners to Canada, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and Charles Carroll. They requested also Rev. John Carroll to join the commissioners. In a letter to his mother Bishop Carroll des- cribes his journey. After speaking of the travel from Philadelphia to New York, and thence to Albany, Saratoga, over Lake George to Ticonder- oga, he says: "From his latter place we embarked on the great Lake Champlain about 140 miles to St. Johns. We had a passage of three days and a half. We always come to, in the night time. Passengers generally encamp in the woods making a covering of the boughs of trees, and a large fire at their feet, but as we had a good awning to our boat, and had brought with us good beds and plenty of bed clothes, I chose to sleep on board." After staying in Montreal from the last of April to May 12, Father Carroll returned with Franklin who was not well. When a few years 97 iiJh- I pass Id not [sle la dgers len to mbly, with took Gen- Mont- Mon- th of nmis- amuel i also • 1 des- ;ravel ce to nder- irked les to and a time. king e fire 3 our and ,rd." \pril with rears later, the question came to choose the first bishop for the United States, Franklin remembered his companion on lake Champlain, recommended him and he was chosen and appointed by the pope as first bishop of Baltimore. A few months after these commissioners re- turned from Canada, Arnold aiid General Sullivan, who had taken possession of Montreal and Sorel, determined to come back. The army was in St. Johns on June ist, the sick and the wounded were vSent immediately to Point au Fer and Isle La Motte. From the 6th of Sept. 1776 to the 19th of the same month, the fleet with which Arnold fought the battle of Valcour against the English was at anchor at Isle La Motte. During the war of 181 2-' 15, when the English invaded the United States by Lake Champlain, Captain Pring was sent to Isle LaMotte with some gunboats to erect a battery of three long 18 pounders. Sept. 4th, 18 14, he placed it so as to cover the landing of the supplies for the English vSoldiers, who were preparing for the battle of Beekmantown and Plattsburgh against the Amer- icans under Lieutenant Thomas McDonough and General Macomb. At the end of the year peace was obtained, and travel again resumed on Lake Champlain. Bishop Plessis, one of the most remarkable bishops of Quebec, passed through Lake Champlain and by St, Anne's Point in 18 15. Monsignor 4 m '. m 'm\ I: f IN i;S: h I r Hi 98 Gagnon, secretary of the Archives of Quebec had the kindness to send me a copy of the letter in which the bishop gives himself an account of his journey. He had come from Halifax to Boston, New York, Whitehall. There with two Canadian priests and Father Matignon of Boston, he em- barked on the Boxer which made regular trips from Whitehall to St. Johns, P. Q. The Bishop says : * ' The Boxer arrived at last in Burlington in the evening at sunset. This city is half way between Whitehall and St. Johns, so that in three days, we had made only 25 leagues. They can- not say that we travelled too fast. A lady from Burlington, who keeps there a good hotel, had come down with us in the boat from Whitehall. On the way she had become acquainted with the priests and found out that by her husband she was the aunt (grande tante) of Father Gauvreau, (one of the priests who accompanied the bishop) . She took occasion from this, to invite us to her house. We indeed went about eight o'clock in the evening to take tea with her. The simplicity and kindness of this lady, who was born a Prot- estant, and did not know much what she was now, mad^ us hope, that she would easily become Catholic, if she had some one to instruct her. Her nice children would undoubtedly follow her example. There are also in Burlington some Canadian families, who would make up about a hundred Catholics. With two or three weeks' mission every year, it would be easy to form here a Christ- *09 ►ec had itter in of his Boston, nadian le em- ir trips Bishop iirlgton df way ti three ty can- y from el, had tehall. ith the nd she vreau, shop) . to her ock in plicity Prot- was ecome !t her. m her ladian Indred lission Ehrist- ian community, which would give consolation to whomsoever would try to work for it. But this place belongs to the diocese of Boston. The Bishop of Quebec will only urge Father Matignon to stop there a few days when he comes back from Canada. This he has done indeed. On his return to Boston he has been able to tell his bishop what can be expected from this far-away portion of his fold. The city of Burlington is in a very favorable location, on one of the most beautiful spots of the shores of Lake Champlain. Its streets, squares, public buildings, foretell that some day this city will become one of the most important of the State of Vermont. Burlington is probably now the most prosperous city, although it is Montpelier that has been chosen for the capital. Until to-day it is the only city on the lake, and here the lake is not less than eight leagues wide, if we take the oblique line to Plattsbufgh. It was between nine and ten when the Boxer sailed again with tho wind good but too light, and a bright almost full moon. September i6th, 1815. (Archives of Quebec) . On his return Father Matignon gave a mission in Burlington. On Sunday, October 15th, 18 15, he baptized there seventeen children, from the age of one year to the age of eleven. Rev. Father Neagle, chancellor and secretary of the Arch-dio- cese of Boston, kindly copied the register for me. Their family names were : Beaulac, Pelletier, \\l m i 100 Desjardins, Allaire, Archambault, I,ongueil, Denauld, Prudhomme. From 1818 to 1853, ^ missionary priest, who says Bishop DeGoesbriand had for his compatri- ots the true heart of a father, went from one set- tlement to the other on the shores of Lake Cham- plain. It was Father Mignault of Chambly. He first built a church opposite Fort St. Anne at Cor- beau (Cooperville) . He visited often Isle La Motte and probably said mass on Sandy Point. Bishop De Cheverus, first Bishop of Boston, afterwards cardinal, went by Lake Champlain to Montreal in 1821. Bishop DuBois of New York, after visiting his diocese went as far as Montreal and returned to New York by Isle La Motte, Plattsburgh and Burlington. In August, 1831 , Bishop Fen wick second Bishop of Boston, traveled by boat from Burlington to St. Johns and Montreal. In October, 1 841, he sailed along the lake, having come by way of Whitehall. He blessed the second church in Burlington, as- sisted by Bishop Janson of Nancy, France, and from St. Albans they went together to Longueil's mountain, where a large cross was erected. When Arch-bishop Hughes of New York came to bless the church of Plattsburgh, September 25, 1842, he made a trip along the lake and admired its beauty. The third Bishop Of Boston, Right Rev. John Bernard Fitzpatrick, was on Lake Champlain in 101 gueil, , who patri- le set- 'ham- . He tCor- e La int. )ston, ain to ig his led to and ishop to St. jailed shall. 1, as- and ueil's came ir 25, nired John lin in 1844 and 1848, when he made his visitation in Vermont. In August, 1849, Bishop McClosky, who was Bishop of Albany, and became later arck-bishop of New York and the first cardinal of United States, came over the lake to St. Albans, where he blessed the corner stone of the Catholic church. Let pilgrims, when Jhey come to St. Anne of Isle La Motte, remember all the holy mission- aries and illustrious prelates who passed by the same way, and implore their intercession in heaven where we hope they are now. CHAPTER XVI. ST. ANNK SENDS AS FIRST BISHOP OF BURUNG- TON, RIGHT RKV. I.. Dp; GOBSBRIAND, 1853-1895. From Oct. 'I, 1674, when Mgr. Laval became Bishop of Quebec until Nov. 5, 1789, when Mgr. O' Carroll became Biishop of Baltimore, Vermont was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Que- bec. From 1789 until 18 10 Vermont was a part of the DiocCvSe of Baltimore, but Bishop Carroll had requested the Bishops of Quebec to continue to give their spiritual care to the Catholics who were there and they did so. In 18 10 Bishop Cheverus i 102 being appointed to the See of Boston, Vermont became a part of his diocese with the Metropol- itan See, Baltimore. The jth. Council of Baltimore, considering the great increase of .Catholics, had solicited the Holy See, to erect new provinces within the do- main which once formed the Diocese of Balti- more. New York was erected by Pope Pius IX on the 19th of July, 185 1, into an Arch-episcopal See, with metropolitan power over the Bishop of Hartford, Albany, Buffalo, and after 1853, of Brooklyn, Newark and Burlington. Archbishop Hughes and his successors were the Metropolitans of the Diocese of Burlington until Feb. 7, 1875, when Boston became the Metropolitan See, with Most Rev. John Joseph Williams as first Archbishop. In the National Council of Baltimore held in 1852, the bishops decided to have a bishop in Vermont, with the Episcopal See in Burlington, and through the recommendations of Bishop Fitz- patrick of Boston, Father L. de Goesbriand was chosen to be its first bishop. Right Rev. L. DeGoesbriand was bom Aug. 4, 18 16, in the province of Brittany, France, so devoted to St. Anne, and (says the Courrier of Ogdensburg, Feb. 22, 1890) **a province that has yielded its full share of the French mission- ary legion, whose achievements adorn Catholic history.'* As he approached manhood, the lofty but dimly defined aspirations of earlier years began to 103 rmont ropol- ig the d the le do- Balti- usIX scopal bishop 53. of were ngton e the oseph :ld in op in gton, Fitz- was e, so er of that sion- lolic but n to take permanent form, began to unify, to whisper the mysterious message, to call him irresistably to the missionary field. After a thorough drill in the rudiments of languages and sciences, he entered at an early age upon a regular course in a college of his native province. Here by care, talent and untiring zeal, he won distinction and with a mind well equipped for theological study he entered the renowned Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris. His ability, zeal and piety made him the welcomed companion of eminent divines, and after a course of three years in this institution he was ordained priest by Bishop Rosati, July 13, 1840. It was at this period that the powers of dark- ness periled the church in America. Know- nothingism was then rampant. A priest's life was not safer in the avenues of Boston than in the narrow streets of Pekin. Thousands of Cath- olics scattered throughout the Republic, from a want of spiritual guidance, were rapidly losing the faith. Catholicity had been pushed to the very verge of destruction. At this juncture, the American bishops sounded the call for volunteer priests to the seminaries of Europe. To this call, none responded with greater alacrity than j'oung Father DeGoesbri- and. Apostle-like he hastily quitted the comforts of France to share the privations of the New World. Nor did he pause in the seaboard cities, where his erudition and accomplishments would have won him immediate distinction, He went l>. !' M m 104 across the Alleghany Mountains into the partially organized province of Ohio. He was cordially welcomed by Bishop Purcell of Cincinnati, and was immediately assigned to the charge of Louisville in Northern Ohio. Success blessed his efforts, and he was soon called to the charge of the rapidly growing cities of Toledo and Maumee. Irish, German and French Catho- lics were pouring into Ohio. Cleveland on Lake Erie was erected a diocese with Rt. Rev. Rappe as its first Bishop. Bishop Rappe wisely appointed the active Father De- Goesbriand his Vicar General. He remained Vi- car General of the diocese and Rector of Cleveland Cathedral until 1853, when he was chosen to be- come Bishop of Burlington, Vermont. Bishop DeGoesbriand was consecrated with Bishops Laughlin and Bayley in the Cathedral of New York, on the 30th of October, 1853, by Mgr. Bedini, assisted by Bishop Rappe of Cleveland and Bishop Fitzpatrick of Boston. Archbishop Hughes of New York preached the sermon. Bishop Fitzpatrick accompanied him to Burling- ton, where he was duly installed Nov. 6th, in the old cathedral built and enlarged by good Father O'Callaghan. Bishop DeGoesbriand found in Vermont 10 churches and 5 priests. In Burlington, St. Mary's Church with Father O'Callagan for the Irish, and St. Joseph's Church with Father Quevillon for the Canadians. Father Daly attended the churches of Castleton, Middlebury and Brandon. 105 In this last place the church was not completed. From St. Albans, Father McGowan visited the churches of S wanton, Fairfield and Highgate. Father Drolet was in Montpelier with the charge of the Catholics of the neighboring towns. According to the census made by the Bishop of Boston, the Catholic population of Vermont was 591 1 in 1845, eight years later in 1853 there must have been between 9000 or 10,000, for immigra- tion brought every year hundreds of Irish and Ca- nadians. Bishop Fitzpatrick who knew Burlington and Vermont, exposed to Bishop DeGoesbriand the first wants of the diocese and the most necessary work to be done. In a worldly point of view, the prospects were far from being encouraging, but for a missionary Bishop who was looking only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls it was a consolation to know that there was plenty of work and much good to be done. In him Bishop DeGoesbriand put an entire confidence and he took for his motto, " Deus Providebit" '*God will provide." Of the many bishops and priests, Sons of France, who helped to establish the church in the United States, Bishop DeGoesbriand was to be spared the longest. He quickly perceived the need of more priests and made plans to find some as soon as possible. Ad- i^ m fi M r 1' fj 106 I dressing himself to the Patroness of the Diocese Mary Immaculate, he begged of her to help him by her intercession. He had the invocation printed and spread through the diocese : * * Queen of the Apostles, conceived without oiiginal sin, ask the Master of the Harvest that He may send laborers iuto his Harvest. ' ' Bishop DeGoesbriand made journeys to France and Ireland and obtained many priests who have worked faithfully with him to organize the diocese and form parishes. He received also help from Canada, particularly after 1864 when the great emigration began from that country to the United States. After a few years priests began to be or- dained for the diocese and to-day there are 62 priests who labor in the diocese of Burlington. There are 78 churches and a Catholic population of about 53,000. Brothers and Religious Ladies take care of many academies and parochial schools. The Sisters of Providence have in their beautiful asylum 107 orphans. An Hospital has just been established in Wi- nooski under the name of * * Hotel Dieu of Fanny Allen'* in charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph from Montreal. They come from that house of the Hotel Dieu where the soldiers of Fort St. Anne received such good care in their sickness. Father DoUier de Casson said that, if it had not been for the good provisions sent by the Sisters to the sol- diers, and their solicitude for them, many more would have died. m BISHOP RAPPE. 107 CHAPTER XVII, m BISHOP RAPPE IN ISLE LA MOTTE. THE BISHOP OF BURUNGTON CEI.KBRATES THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS PRIESTHOOD AND TAKES FOR CO-ADJUTOR, RIGHT REV. J. S. MICHAUD. Among those who worked in Vermont under the jurisdiction of Bishop DeGoesbriand, especial mention is due to Rt. Rev. Amedeus Rappe, in the history of Isle La Motte. He was bom in the diocese of Arras, France, February 2, 1801, ordained priest in 1829 and came to this country with Bishop Purcell of Cincinnati in 1840. Sent to Toledo, he toiled alone in a wide district for five years, then Father DeGoesbriand became his fellow- worker, amid malaria and sickness he at- tended his scattered flock, instructing carefully the children in their religion. Being consecrated bishop of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1847, he took pos- session of the only church that was then in the city of Cleveland. His visitation of the diocese impressed him with the necessity of a seminary. He opened one in a building which had been a stable, Rev. L. DeGoesbriand being the first superior. Humble as this seat of theological learning was, the young men who entered, all per- severed and became priests. In a few years he had doubled the number of churches and priests. i 1| !i ii!! 108 Father DeGoesbriand had become his Vicar Gen- eral and occupied that charge until 1853. When his diocese was well organized Bishop Rappe left the honor of governing it to Right Rev. Richard Gilmour. Speaking of him, John Gilmary Shea writes: "He was a man of singular eloquence, speaking several languages with fluency, but de- voted himself especially to the poor and to the education of children . Malice did not spare even so excellent a bisbop. A time came when Bishop Rappe, finding that his presence might prejudice the cause of religion, resigned his See August 2, 1870, with no repining and no rancor. He retired to the diocese of his old friend and Uow-laborer in Ohio, Bishop DeGoesbriand of Burlington, where he labored as a zealous missionar}'^ and an apostle of temperance, till his death, vSeptember 8, 1877." In Vermont where he was welcomed by Mgr. DeGoesbriand, Bishop Rappe made his head- quarters in St. Albans, at the house of Very Rev. Father Druon. From there he extended his work to all the poor missions around leaving marks of his great charity in Bakersfield, Enosburgh, Franklin, Richford, Swan ton. Grand Isle and particularly in Alburg and Isle Lt been be de- ) those w one d with [e sent ith to ^vinec jr him n, for rence- 1 with , and these house op De write )ooks. Med- > itations for the Use of the Secular Clergy," from the French by Father Chaignon, a work in two large volumes, and ' ' The Manual of the Clergy in the U. S." The others are made for the fam- ily library : * * Catholic Memoirs of Vermont and New Hampshire, " * ' The History of Confession, ' ' *' History of the Worship of God," and his most precious and valuable work, rendered yet more attractive by Benziger Brothers of New York, who published and illustrated it, '' Christ on the Altar." It is very instructive for the intellect, consoling to the heart, and an ornament in the parlor. Years have passed by since Bishop DeGoesbri- and began his apostolic labors in the United States. He was only thirty-seven years old when he was made a bishop and he appeared younger yet. This gave occasion, one day, to an incident which he narrates in his usual pleasant way of telling a story : He was making his visitation in the parish of Highgate, with Rev. Father Cam, when a good Canadian looking at him with a suspicious air made the remark: " You are very young, sir, to be a bishop," and as there was silence, added gravely, " but I suppose you are old enough to know what you are doing." When in 1890 the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood was celebrated, with fitting pomp and ceremonies, the bishop still en- joyed very good health. Bishops, priests and all his spiritual children in' Vermont, congratulated him. He received, as it is usual on such occa- ^BSl 114 sions, many valuable gifts. One of the most precious was a crosier, or a bishop's pastoral staff, of solid silver filled with precious stones, presented by the priests of his diocese, as a token of their love and respect. Five years have elapsed since. The bishop is now going on seventy-nine. He has. been fifty- five years a priest, forty-two years a bishop. His labors and his life remind us of the labors and lives of Bishop Laval, Cheverus, Flaget and Brute, holy prelates whose names have a glorious place in the history of the church in America. The bishop continues to work, but now he has a co-adjutor, one of his children of the diocese of Burlington, Right Rev. J. S. Michaud. Bishop Michaud was born in Burlington, No- vember 24, 1843. His father, Mr. Stephen Michaud, who was born in the parish of St. Andre, Isle du Portage, in the Province of Que- bec, tame to Burlington about 1836. His mother, Catherine Rogan, from the Cojinty of Connaught, Ireland, anived in Burlington about the same time. They were married July 11, 1841. Mr. Stephen Michaud (as the bishop, his son, told us on the day of his consecration) , had contributed generously towards paying the expenses of the first St. Joseph's church, Burlington ; and his mother, having become a widow in 1847, gave also her share for St. Mary's Cathedral. Paying to his parents the homage of filial love, he at- tributed, in part, to their generosity to the church, the great honor conferred on him on that day, as "^ f 115 God, who has said: "That a glass of water given in His Name shall not go unrewarded," always blessed the parents who make sacrifices for Him, and also blesses their children. Bishop Michaud began his college studies with the Sul- pician Fathers at Montreal College, and finished rhetoric and philosophy with the Jesuit Fathers at the College of the " Holy Cross," Worcester, Mass. He entered St. Joseph's Provincial Sem- inary of Troy, N. Y., and upon the completion of his theological studies was ordained priest June 7, 1873. In September of the same year, Bishop DeGoesbriand sent him to Newport, Vt. There was no church nor parsonage. When he left in May, 1879, on the slope of the mountain above Lake Memphremagog, could be seen the pretty church of " St. Mary, Star of the Sea," with a house for the priest in a beautiful location. As- sisted by Rev. J. M. Coathuel, he also attended from Newport, Lowell, Albany, Island Pond, Barton, Wells River and Ely, living the life of a true missionary. Trusting in his ability as a business man and a builder, and knowing his great love for the or- phans, the Bishop called him to Burlington to su- perintend the work of the new orphanage, while at the same time he took charge of the Irish par- ish in Winooski and dedicated a church for them in honor of St. Stephen, in memory of his father's name. The Congregation of Bennington was increasing every day and their church was too small. Ap- 116 pointed pastor of St. Francis of Sales, Benning- ton, in October 1885, Father Michaudsoon began the construction of a new church, and in a few years, he had up one of the finest churches in the diocese of Burlington, his latest monument to earnest parochial work. For two or three years, Bishop DeGoesbriand, felt more than usual, the weight of his many pas- toral duties, as he was advancing in age, and his health failing, he thought he would ask for him- self a faithful co-adjutor, and secure for Burling- ton, if God called him away, an able and revered Bishop. Rev. Father Michaud was elected co- adjutor in Rome, with right of succession April 7th, 1892. His consecration took place in the Cathedral of Burlington, June 29th, 1892. The consecrating prelate was Most Rev. J. Williams, Archbishop of Boston, assisted by Right Rev. H. Gabriels, Bishop of Ogdensburg, and Right Rev. D. M Bradley, Bishop of Manchester, N. H. It was a day of joy for the venerable Bishop DeGoes- briand, for the newly consecrated Bishop, for his old mother, who was the first to receive his bles- sing, for the people of Burlington where he was bom, for the people of Bennington whose pastor he was and for the people of Vermont in general, as he was universally known and esteemed by Protestants as well as Catholics. Now Bishop DeGoesbriand, conforming himself more and more to the Divine Model who has said: " Learn of me that I am meek and humble of heart" continues to govern the diocese. Bishop 117 lop Michaud makes the pastoral visits, gives confirm- ation, and does all the most fatiguing work. Every morning at six Bishop DeGoesbriand says mass for the orphans of St. Joseph's Asylum, he then spends the day, always occupied at the Episcopal house. When there is any great celebration in the parishes, he is happy to go to preside at it. Very happy was he when on the 5tli of August 1894, four arch-bishops, eight bishops and many priests, with thousands of people, some from every parish of the diocese, gathered at the Cathedral of Burlington for the translation of the relics that he had brought on his last journey to Rome and the Holy Land : A ring of the chain of St. Peter that had been given him by Pope Leo XIII ; and a large fac-simile of the whole chain. To see the Bishop of Burlington and after him, Archbishop Williams of Boston , Archbishop Corrigan of New York, the celebrant of the mass, Archbishop Fabre of Montreal, Archbishop Duhamel of Otta- wa, Bishop Gabriels of .Ogdensburg, Bishop Brad- ley of Manchester, who preached such an elo- quent sermon. Bishop La Rocque of Sherbrooke, Bishop Decelles, co-adjutorofSt. Hyacinth, Bishop Michaud, co-adjutor of Burlington, to see all these distinguished prelates, surrounded by many priests and thousands of people carrying the relics to the beautiful shrine prepared for them in the Cathe- dral was a noble sight. It brought to mind the remembrance of those grand ages of faith when Christian kings and princes, traveled hundreds of miles to go and venerate the relics of the saints, 118 and prized as much tlie gift of a relic, as the pos- session of a kingdom. To revive the faith and to increase it, there is nothing better than such de- monstrations, where human respect is banished away, and the belief in the Communion of Saints is publicly proclaimed. CHAPTER XVIII. BISHOP DK GOKSBRIAND FOSTERS DEVOTION TO ST. ANNE IN VERMONT. HE PRESIDES AT THE FIRST PILGRIMAGE AT ST. ANNE OF ISLE ' LA MOTTE, BLESSES THE NEW CHAPEL AND CONSECRATES HIS DIOCESE TO ST. ANNE. Bishop DeGoesbriand had not been long in Vermont, when he found out that the first settle- ment by Catholics had been dedicated to St. Anne. After reading the history of New France he took notes and published then a small book on the de- votion to St. Anne in the diocese of Burlington, giving a summary of the information which he had found and adding: " It is a long time since Fort St. Anne has been destroyed, so that many persons in our own State know nothing about its history. To us, however, it is a pleasant recol- lection to know, that devotion to St. Anne was inaugurated so many 3^ears ago in our diocese. God grant us grace to see it spread amongst us. ' ' 119 ) > One of the the first churches built in the dio- cese, five years after the bishop came, was dedi- cated to St. Anne, in Milton, Vt. The corner- stone was blessed June 5, 1859, ^^^ ^^^^ church Sept. 12, 1866 ; just two hundred years after the first chapel of St. Anne in Isle La Motte. This church of Milton was accidentally burnt January 18, 1894, and rebuilt larger and more beautiful by Rev. Father Mathieu, and blessed on St. Anne's feast of the same year. There are few churches now in the diocese which have not a statue of St. Anne. The school in Swanton is dedicated to St. Anne, and ht r statue can be seen in the chapel and in evei school-room. Father Cam was the first, aftt two hundred years, to become the pastor of Isle lya Motte. Like the first pastor. Father Dollier, he is also a Breton. In St. Joseph's church, Burlington, a beautiful altar has been built to receive the statue of St. Anne. This statue, bought by Rev. J. Cloarec, is very large, and probably one of the finest in the country. It represents the Saint in a sitting position, with the child Mary, reading from a book held up by her mother. Seldom can be found an image whose aspect inspires more devo- tion. The ladies of St. Anne forming a confra- ternity in the parish, love to come to pray before it, and have good care that tapers and flowers are never wanting around it. In the Cathedral, St. Anne has also a fine mar- ble altar. It was consecrated on July 25, 1884, u i 120 by the bishop. The statue is a gift of one of the lady members of the congregation, who gave it as a memorial to her' own mother. St. Johnsbury, St. Albans, Winooski, Ver- gennes, Rutland and many other churches have their altars, statues and societies of St. Anne. For many years it had been the wish of the bishop to see the cross erected to mark the spot where stood the first chapel of St. Anne in Isle La Motte. In 1892 Mr. H. H. Hill sold him the piece of land that he owned on Sandy Point and contains that part of the fort where the first chapel was located. He told the priest who had charge of Isle La Motte, Rev. J. Kerlidou, to have the ground cleared and to erect a small sanctuary with the statue of St. Anne for the 26th of July, 1893. This was done with the help, freely given, by the Catholics of Isle La Motte. The children of the vSchool with their teachers, Miss Mongeon and Miss Weber, doing their good share. These school children with those of the Catholic school of Alburg, were the first after two hundred years to take possession of the ground and to sing there hymns to the good St. Anne. The little chapel, 13 feet by 9 feet, was built by Mr. David Vincelette of Swanton, during the month of June, 1893. He also made a large crOvSs 32 feet high. The quarry men of Mr. Fisk gave the stone to make a platform and steps around it. While they were doing this work on St. Anne's 121 Point, Bishop DeGoesbriand was in Jerusalem, and sang mass in the church built over the house of good St. Anne, and prayed that she might bless in his diocese, thousands of miles away, the little spot that he would soon once more dedicate to her. As stated before, while he was in Rome, Rev. Father Cap tier, who is now the Superior general of the Sulpicians, gave him a relic of St. Anne, and a small piece of the garment of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in a small silver case, with authen- tic papers proving that the relics are true and genuine. On his return to Burlington he gave them to the shrine of St. Anne of Isle I^a Motte to be venerated by the pilgrims. Although just arriving from such a long jour- ney, Bishop DeGoesbriand came himself on July 26, 1893, to bless the chapel of St. Anne, the statue, the high cross erected on the Point, and also the well dug inside of the old fort. As a Sulpician priest, Father Dollier had been the first Chaplain of St. Anne, 1666, the father superior of Montreal, Rev. Father Colin allowed one of the priests of Notre Dame, Rev. Father Chevrier to come and sing mass, and as the Jesuit missionaries had been the first to give a mission to the soldiers in 1667, the father Superior of Jesuits allowed Rev. Father Jones to come to preach. Two boats had been liired for the occa- sion. *' The Reindeer," v/ith Bishop DeGoesbri- and, Rev. Father Cloarec and many other priests brought the pilgrims of Burlington and Winoos- 122 ki ; * ' The Williams ' ' brought the pilgrims of Swan ton and St. Albans under the direction of Father Cam and many other priests. After land- ing its passengers ' ' The Williams ' ' proceede^l to Rouses Point and took the pilgrims of Champlain, RoUvSes Point and Cooperville with Rev. Father Chagnon, Charbonneau and Thomas. The first mass was said by Rev. J. Kerlidou of Alburg, assisted by Rev. Jean Marie Gelot of Fair Haven, and hymns were sung in French and English, Miss Dunning of Swanton playing the organ. During high mass the Burlington choir sang. Rev. Father Chevrier had Rev. Jean Marie Coathuel of Burlington as deacon, and Rev. Father Cartin of Pike River as sub-deacon. There were around the chapel about 2000 people, although the weather was not favorable in the morning. After Father Jones had delivered his eloquent sermon, our good bishop said a few words in Frenc.i and read the following consecration to St. Anne : ** Oh, great St. Anne, who through an admira- ble privilege wast chosen to be the mother of the Holy Virgin, mother of Christ, on this thy feast day, we raise our eyes to thee in heaven, we behold thee in spirit seated near the throne of thy glori- ous daughter, full of grace, crowned with glory. We joyfully unite our hymns of praise to those of the saints and angels in heaven, and with them all we return thanks to God, for the blessings he con- ferred upon thee. ' ' Behold thy children prostrate before thy 1 123 image ; iu this spot which has been placed under thy protection more than 200 years ago, on this spot where the Holy Sacrifice was offered for the first time in that part of America which now forms the diocese of Burlington. Over 200 years ago was the vSpot on which w^e stand sanctified by the prayers, the suiferings and the death of many fer- vent Christians, and by the privation and labors of many prelates and missionaries. ''Bless anew, O great St. Anne, this spot of ground which is dear to thee. Vouchsafe to renew here the favors, spiritual and temporal, which are daily obtained in thy most celebrated sanctuaries. ' ' Be pleased to accept once more the offering which the bishop makes to thee, on this day, of his person, of all the inhabitants of his diocese. ' ' Hear the prayers of all those who will come here to obtain relief in their temporal necessities, but more especially pray for the conversion of sin- ners and the perseverance of the just, who will in- voke thee before thy image in this shrine. " Behold us prostrate before thy statue, O St. Anne, thou whose soul is now in heaven. Accept the resolutions which we now form ever to love, ever to venerate thee ; and to do all in our power to make thee known and venerated by others. * ' With these prayers and sentiments we will now kiss the relic of thy blessed body, which was once the dwelling of thy most holy daughter, the Holy Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ." The bishop read this consecration with much emotion and strength, kneeling down on the steps 124 1 1 ii of the chapel, his emotion being shared by the pil" grims who listened in silence, and when he had finished, said with their whole heart, Amen. Rev. Father Cloarec gave them the relics to kiss. In the afternoon the cross on the Point was sol-- emnly blessed by the bishop, after a few earnest words said in French by Father Millot, one of the Oblate Fathers of the Sacred Hearts from Keeler's Bay. Then the bishop blessed the well and many drank of the water and carried some home with them. About four, the pilgrims left, happy to have spent a day for God, singing as in the morning hymns to the good St. Anne. The Pilgrimage had brought to the Point, be- sides the pilgrims and the Catholics of Alburg. and Isle LaMotte, a great number of strangers. They generally behaved in a gentlemanly manner, Some had come to see the crowds and the boats, some to witness the ceremony and hear the ser- mon, and some also, ignoring probably the law of the State, which on such occasion, protects all re- ligious societies, even Catholics, had come to set tables and run opposition to the Catholic ladies who had provided and prepared plenty of every- thing necessary for the wants of the pilgrims. Conspicuous among those who enjoyed the sight, was Mr. Watson, one of the oldest and best known citizens of the Island. His land also extends on the Point, it being now in the name of his chil- dt'en. Taking a great interest in everything that I 125 may bring spiritual and material improvement to Isle LaMotte, without bigotry and prejudice, and not too greedy for money, he gave a hearty wel- come to all, in his genial and kind way. The first pilgrimage landed on the old dock tem- porarily repaired, which is on the Messrs. Pike's land, they kindly giving permission to use it that year. During the winter of 1893 — 1894, a good dock was built on St. Anne's land by Mr. Frank Cas- avoy of Burlington. A house was also built near the chapel as a fu- ture residence for the chaplain, and a large pa- vilion to shield the pilgrims from the sun and the rain. In 1894, there were five different pilgrimages. On June 27th, "The Maquam" with Captain Hawley brought the children of St. Anne's school, S wanton, under the direction of Rev. J. L. M. Cam and their teachers. The children of the Catholic school's of Alburg and Isle LaMotte were waiting for them. They all formed in procession and went before the chapel where Father Cam said mass while the children prayed and sang hymns. On July eighteenth, the pilgrimage of St. Jo- seph's parish, Burlington, prepared by Rev. Father Cloarec, arrived on " the Reindeer." Bishop DeGoesbriand was again with the pil- grims. He felt happy to see the piety of his chil- dren who in great numbers received Holy Com- munion, and remarked that this was a true and A 126 holy pilgrimage. Rev. Father Cloarec had in- vited the orphans of St. Joseph's Asylum to come with the pilgrims. It was a beautiful and consol- ing sight to see them all, boys and girls, so neat in their purple dresses and so pious during the office, the Sisters of Providence watching like good mothers over them. The procession in the afternoon was very fine, the readies of St. Anne with their insignias, be- ing very numerous. They sang and recited the rosary during the procession. Some remarkable favors were obtained through St. Ani/iC's intercession at this pilgrimage. The Parish of the Nativity of Swanton came this yci-.' Oil July 25th, by the Steamer " Ma- quam." Kev. Father Robillard, assistant of Rev. D. Sullivan of St. Albans, many pilgrims from St. Mary's parish having accompanied him, sang mass. After the procession in the afternoon, benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given, it being the first time since 1666 that our lyord solemnly blest St. Anne's Point and its pilgrims. Among those who came this year was a father of family, who had made the pilgrimage to thank God for a special grace received a year ago and to ask also the grace of perseverance. St. Anne's day, July 26th was particularly for the parishes of Isle LaMotte, Alburg and North Hero. Rev. Father Meloche, S. J. of Montreal, had given a retreat of a few days as a preparation. Three masses were said at the shrine by Rev. J. M. Ker- lidou at seven, by Rev. J. M. Gelot at 8.30 and 127 by Rev. Father Videloup, oblate of the Sacred Heart at lo.oo. Two sermons were given by Rev. Father Meloche one in French and one in English. Although the crowd was great there was no disturbance. A lady of Isle I^a Motte, Mrs. Cyprien Peron, left on this day one of her two crutches in St. Anne's chapel. Rev. Father Fournier, Superior of the Oblate Fathers of Plattsburgh and rector of St. Peter's parish, had proposed to come in 1893, with his people, but could not on account of bad weather. In 1894 he chose Sunday, July 29th for his pilgrimage day. Arrangements were made with Superintendent Rochelot for the steamer " Chateaugay," one of the finest steam ers on Lake Champlain. The pilgrims landed at about ten. The order for the procession had been given and it was easily formed by the Reverend Fathers. They had everything to make it splen- did : the processional cross, the society of the Sacred Heart of Mary, the Ladies of the Immacu- late Conception with their banners, a statue of St. Anne to be carried b}^ four ladies, the Ladies of the Rosary, the Choir, the Altar boys and the clergy. High mass was sung by one of the fathers. The choir under the direction of Father Petit, rendered perfectly well the Royal Mass harmon- ized. It was a real pleasure for the people of Isle La Motte to hear such fine singing. Father Chagnon, who had come with a party of twelve 128 friends in a small steamer from Champlain gave a very appropriate sermon in the morning. Vespers were sung at three o'clock and Rev. Father Fournier was giving his people an elo- quent instruction, when a great storm came which interrupted the ceremonies. All had time to re- tire to the boat before the rain began, and when the weather cleared again, it was time to return. Besides this large pilgrimage, there were dur- ing the summer and fall, hundreds of Catholics who came nearly every day to pray in St. Anne's chapel, and drink of the water of the well. Right Rev. Bishop Michaud, co-adjutor of Burlington, after making his visitation in Al- bufg and Isle I^a Motte, made a particular pil- grimage in 1893 and 1894, to the shrine of St. Anne. Bishop DeGoesbriand having erected a confra- ternity of St. Anne, and named Rev. J. Kerlidou director of this confraternity for the present, the director will live at St. Anne's house during the summer. He will keep there the register of the confraternity and will inscribe on application, the names of those who desire to become members. He will also say mass at St. Anne's altar for the intention of any person who will personally or by letter request him to do so. ve a iev. elo- iiicli re- hen m. iur- )lics ne's of Al- pil- St. fra- dou the the the the ers. the by St 120 THE I^INK FROM THE CHAIN OF ST. PETER. It was by accident, or rather through a kind intervention of Providence, that a few days before starting for Jerusalem, toward the end of April, I discovered that there were in the church of St. Cecelia, in Rome, a few links of the chain of St. Peter, wherewith he had been bound in the Mam- ertine privSon. No attention seemed to be paid to this fact, probably because of the more remarka- ble chain kept in the Basilica of the chains of Si, Peter. I, however, became convinced that these links were of undoubted authenticity. What a blessing if I could obtain one of them, and carry it to Bur- lington ! But in this case I was plainly told by the Cardinal RampoUa, protector of St. Cecelia church, that only on an order of the Pope could I obtain the coveted precious relic. I did not, how- ever, lose courage, and on the eve of my departure from Rome to Jerusalem, having obtained an au- dience from his holiness, I made bold to ask for one of the links. I remarked to L,eo XIII that the presence of such a relic in Burlington, would be a means to instruct our people about the life and mission of St. Peter, and the authority of his successors. The Pope did n* =: seem inclined to grant the request, but said that on my return from Jerusalem the decision would be given. On the 4th of this month, June, 1893, I was again in the presence of our august Pontiff, Leo m -itrrMMMMMfai 180 XIII. His Holiness did not recognize me, but he remembered his promise, and when I men- tioned the link he said : "Is it you ? — The deci- sion is favorable. Tell the Cardinal Protector of St. Cecelia to detach one of the links, and give it to you with authentical letters.^'' Those who love the great shepherd of the sheep y will easib lagine what our feelings were when we heard those blessed words ! Glory be to God — we now pos- sess in Burlington the great chain, a fac simile, and the more, much more precious link of the original chain. I can hardly refrain from tears when I think on this matter, for I see before my eyes, the horrible, damp, dark dungeon at the foot of the Capitol. I vsee in spirit the pillar to which Peter and Paul were chained, by order of Nero, in thi^ orison. The link which we possess is not a fac He, it has reall}^ come in contact with the emaciated body of Peter, and perhaps cut the flesh of his arms or feet to the very bone, and this torture lasted nine whole months ! Oh how valiant were the soldiers of Christ ! But for the church, for ourselves, it was that they suffered. We intend, as soon as possible, to have a pre- cious shrine, or reliquary, made for the reception of the great chain and of the link, and they will be presented a few times in the \'ear to the vene- ration of the faithful. An indulgence of seven years, to be gained once in the day, is granted to those who, venerating either of the two relics, will devoutly sa}^ five 181 Paters and Aves, according to the intentions of the Holy Father, being sorry for their sins. To those who, after Confession and Communion, will devoutly visit the Cathedral Church of Bur- lington, on the first clay of August, or on either of the seven following days, and then pray for some time, according to the intention of the Holy Father, plenary' indulgence is granted. i % # PRAYER. God, who didst cause that the blessed Peter, having been freed from his chains, should escape uninjured ; free us, we pray thee, from our chains of sin, and drive uway from us all evils. Through our L/ord, etc., etc. St. Peter pray for us. Laus Deo. Notice. — The great chain and the link ma}' be venerated during the octave of Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29th, also from August ist to August 8th, inclusively. Provided pilgrims come accom- panied by a priest. Ti^BLE OF CONTENTS. TICKET OF ADMISvSION. PAGE. statutes 3 Novena 5 Prayers 20 Ivifeof St. Anne. Hymns 22 CHAPTER I. Why do Catholics have so much devotion . 39 CHAPTER II. I^ife '■ St. Anne 40 St. Aune of Jerusalem 48 St. Anne near Auray 49 St. Anne of Beaupre 53 CHAPTER III. Devotion to St. Aune in the Diocese of Burlington 56 Isle lya Motte 61 Father Jogups in Islel«a Motte 62 Choice of a site for the fort 65 Con.stniction of the fort 66 The first mass 68 The first chapel ... 70 Death of de Chazy 71 Reudez-vous in Fort St. Anne 73 Sickness at Fort St. Anne 77 Mr. Dollier at the fort 79 Three Fathers at the fort 81 Bishop de I^aval at the fort 83 Distinguished travellers 90 Iv. de Goesbriand first Bishop of Burlington loi Bishop Rappe in Isle t,a Motte 107 Bishop de Goesbriand fosters devotion to St. Anne 118 APPENDIX. The lyink from the chain of St. Peter. .. 129 ILLUSTRATIONS. Iraageof St. Anne 5 Isle I^a Motte 61 Bishop de I^aval 83 Bishop Rappe 107 The present chapel 120 The lyink from the chain of St. Peter. 129 Table of contents 132 PAGE. ... 3 -- 5 ... 20 ... 22 --- 39 J ... 40 .. 4B ... 49 .- 53 - 56 .. 61 .. 62 .- 65 .. 66 .. 68 -- 70 -- 71 -. 73 -- 77 -- 79 .. 81 -. 83 .. 90 .. loi - 107 .. 118 .. 129 -' 5 .. 61 .- 83 . . 107 . . 120 . . 129 -- 132 lo