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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
A MATTER OF COINCIDENCE OR ?
BY P. H. D.
L
I would like to lay before your readers some
facts for whose absolute truth 1 can and do vouch,
and ask their judgment.
Father E., who has a number of missions to
attend, was preparing on Saturday morning for one
of his regular visits. He, as usual, wrote three
post cards informing some persons that he would
visit the places where they lived, after having said
Mass at F. He had done this regularly for several
years and always wrote the cards in time to give
them to the postman on his regular round. On
this particular Saturday the postman came as usual.
Father E. left F. on Saturday afternoon and after
arriving and getting a room at the Hotel, went to
the Church to arrange things for the next day’s
services. After dinner he called on some parish-
oners and then went to the Church to hear Confes
sions. After supper he took his breviary to say
his office and was amazed to find the three post
cards in it. He was positive he had given them to
the postman, and could not understand how he had
made such a mistake. It was now too late to send
word to the people of his coming. After Mass next
day at F. he returned home.
He had not been ten minutes in the house before
the telephone rang and the Superintendent of the
Hospital told him that one of his congregation, a
woman who had been out of the Church for over
twenty years, had just been brought in and was
dangerously ill. He went at once to the Hospital
and met a daughter of the patient, who said there
was no danger at all, and her Mother was at the
moment resting, that it would be best for him to call
the next morning. On his way out he met the Su
perintendent and reported what the woman’s daugh
ter had told him.
The Superintendent said: “Father, that woman is
seriously ill and I do not believe she will recover.”
He went up stairs to the room where the woman
was and had barely time to give her conditional
absolution and anoint her when she became en
tirely unconscious and died that night. She could
not speak when he entered the room, but was con
scious. Had he mailed the post cards, as was his
custom, the woman would have died without the
sacraments.
A Jesuit Priest, who attended a Mission some dis
tance from his home, was accustomed to go there
on horseback. A short distance from his home the
road forked and his way led by the right fork. His
horse was so accustomed to the road that the
Father never pulled the rein to his right at the
fork of the road. One Saturday afternoon he left
home as usual, but when he came to the fork the
horse took the road to the left. He pulled him
back into the right hand road, but just as soon as
he released the pressure on the rein the horse turn
ed back into the road to the left. This happened
three times. At last the priest made up his mind
to let the horse have his way, since he had often
been told of the wonderful acuteness of sense on
the part of horses, and he thought there might be
some obstruction on the road.
He went on at a rather leisurely pace, thinking
that both roads led in the same direction and he
would sooner or later arrive at his destination. He
knew if he was going in the right direction he
could not be very far from his destination, but he
grew a little uneasy as night was coming on and
he did not recognize any of his surroundings. At
last he came to a house in front of which was stand
ing a young man.
He hailed him, saying “Will you please tell me
how far 1 am from X. ?
The young man replied: “You have taken the
wrong road Sir; You should have taken the right
fork. There is nothing for you to do except go
back to the fork and take the other road.”
The Priest hesitated for a while and the young
man said: “Are you bound to reach X. to-night?”
“Yes.” replied the Priest: “I must say Mass there
at half-past six tomorrow morning.”
“Are you a Catholic Priest?” said the young man.
“I am,” he answered.
“Well, Father get down off your horse and come
into the house. There is a man here who is a Cath
olic and he is dying.”
The priest promptly got down off his horse and
entered the house. He found an old man who was
evidently near his end. He heard his Confession
and gave him Extreme Unction. As it was impos
sible for him to reach “X.” in time, he remained all
night and as he carried all the requisites for Mass,
he said Mass the next morning and gave the man
the Viaticum and the Plenary Indulgence. The man
died the same day. The priest went on to “X.” and
returned the day after and read the funeral service
for the man.
Years afterwards at a dinner party some one at
the table asked the Jesuit if he had ever had any
rather unusual experiences in his career as a Priest,
and, in response he told this story.
An elderly woman at the table asked in a casual
way if he had ever heard any particulars of the
man, and the Priest said: “I only heard his name
and know nothing of him.” He was asked by some
one the name and when he gave it the woman who
first questioned him burst into tears and said:
“Thank God, Father; that was my Brother. We
heard he was dead, but where, or how he died, we
could never find out. He had not practised his re
ligion for years, and we have always feared that he
died unreconciled to God.” Had the good Jesuit
forced the horse to take the right road, the man
would have died without the Sacraments.
Do you really think this was chance?
III.
Father “J.” was roused from deep sleep by the
ringing of the night bell over his head. He rose,
and putting on his cassock, went to thd front win
dow, which was raised as it was summer time, and
he saw a boy at the front door.
“Well, my Son, what’s the matter?”
“There’s a man at Mrs. Casey’s, on 10th St., who
is dying. Father, please go at once,” replied the
boy. •
It was a bright moonlight night and the Priest
noticed that the boy had light curly hair, as he
stood with cap in hand, and he wore a black velvet
jacket, with velvet knee breeches and white stock
ings. Father J. did not know the lad. He hurried
down stairs and went into the Church to get the
Blessed Sacrament, having ascertained from the
messenger that the sick man was fully conscious.
They walked to Mrs. Casey’s, who lived about a
mile from the Church.
When they reached the house the boy opened the
front door and stood to one side to let Father J.
pass him, and at the same time said: “Its the third
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