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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
3
APRIL 27, 1929
Marshal Foch’s Life Was Revelation of His Faith
Victory Came from God
Alone He Always Asserted
World Notables Mourn Marshal Foch
Virgin ,for Victory
Visited Lourdes Summer After
Armistice, to Thank Blessed
(By N. C. W. C. News Service.)
Paris.—All- that is being written
about Marshal Ferdinand Foch in
the French press since his death
furnishes additional proof of his
profound Catholic faith.
Perhaps the most striking instance
recently published is an account of a
visit paid by Marshal Foch, the
summer following the armistice, to
Lourdes, where his godmother liv
ed and where he often spent his va
cations both as a schoolboy and as
a young officer. This particular
visit, however, - was made to the
shrine of the Mother of God to ren
der thanks for her protection during
the war.
A former military chaplain, Canon
Belleney, recounts hdw the Marshal
having noticed the Legion of Honor
on his breast, approached him and
asked about his service in the war.
In the course of the conversation,
the Marshal said: “When I took
command of the Allied Armies,
France was exhausted. However, I
took the command with confidence.
I won. Why? Bismarck has spoken
of the imponderable factors. I have
always thought they depended up
on God alone.
“I never doubted my destiny, the
skill of my .generals or the valiance
of our' marvelous soldiers, but I
also always counted on the God of
Armies and I always expected the
victory to come from Him.”
Cardinal Mercier, in a sermon de
livered at Malines, recalled a con
versation that he had had with Mar
shal Foch at the Royal Palace at
Brussels one day following the war.
Foch had just been praised for his
genius.
“Bah!” he said to the Primate of
Belgium, "it was not my genius. I
simply did my duty and I was the
instrument of Providence.”
“Nevertheless,” remarked the
Cardinal, “it is well known that
Providence chooses His instrument.”
“No, no,” replied the man of war,
“I insist. I was merely the instru
ment of Providence. I had to make
decisions upon which depended thou
sands and thousands of lives. I
considered, I conferred, but in the
gravest difficulties I could not reach
a satisfactory solution of the prob
lem presented. Was it beuer to
launch into an offensive or wait
longer? Launch the offensive right
or left? There were things to be
said for both. Then, having consid
ered the means within my power, I
made an Act of Faith in Providence
and set forth.”
This picture of the funeral procession of the late Marshal Fer
dinand Foch shows some of the distinguished representatives of many
countries who paid homage to the Catholic soldier who led the ar
mies of the Allies to victory in the World War. In the foreground is
General Pershing, who commanded the American forces in France.
Walking directly behind the caisson is M. Painleve, the official chief
mourner. The inset picture shows Mrs. Foch (center), widow of the
late Generalissimo, and her daughters at the funeral.
(P. & A. and International Newsreel.)
The Crucifix which was placed on
the breast of the deceased General
issimo of the Allied Armies, clasped
between his hands, contained a relic
of the True Cross. The Christ there
on, a beautiful work of art, was
given to the Marshal by one who
loved him as a son and was for a
long period his co-worker—General
Weygand, his Chief of Staff, the con
queror of Warsaw.
Upon receiving news of the death
of Marshal Foch, Marshal Lautey
wrote to the editor of the Petit
Journal: “There can only be con
templation and silence when the
heart is bowed down with grief,
when the eyes are veiled. He has
gone, called back to the God whom
he, accepted with a profound faith.’
General Debeney, Chief of Staff of
the Army, in an article published in
Excelsior, evoked an image of Foch,
standing before the statue which
was unveiled last July 7 on the
Plain of Cassel, with these words
“His lips were tightly closed, his
shoulders trembled at times, but his
face remained immobile, obstinately
fixed on the horizon. Perhaps he
looked beyond the cavalier of bronze
on the immense plain of Flander’
and behold, his eye piercing eter
nity, the divine compassion await
ing his trusting soul.”
These two quotations bear test!
mony not only to the faith of Foch,
but to that of the two great soldiers
.Who wrote them.
chs
tha
No
Wh
An important wireless station in
Paris broadcasted a special program
in memory of Marshal Foch. Father
Lhande, S. J., well known radio
preacher and confessor of the great
soldier, was the speaker selected to
deliver the memorial address.
After reviewing the life of the
Marshal, Father Lhande concluded
With this appeal:
“For us, my brothers, there re
mains a last rite to perform for this
man to whom no one remains indif
ferent. As I have just hurled his
praise into the universe, so also in
to the universe I wish to hurl the
chant of my prayer. Even larger
than thousands upon thousands of
Notre Dame de Paris is the temple
Where my voice now resounds. It
in this temple whose vastness
can not be compared with any
boundary erected by the hands of
man that I cast to you my De Pro-
fundis. Christians who hear me, on
your knees! And you who do not
partake of our faith, stand! For
you join with us at least in sin
cere homage although you may be
unfamiliar with this prayer. On your
knees or stand, former combatants
who served under the fanion of Mar
shal Foch!
“On your knees or stand, you who
in the absence of man cared for the
land and home, reserved the vital
forces of the country! On your
knees or stand, you widows and or
phans ! And since the' voice which
summons you from the North Sea to
the Mediterranean is the same voice
that spoke the last words, in tile
name of God, into the ears of the
great chief whom we mourn, join
your voices with that same voice as
it pronounces to the world the great
prayer for the dead.”
Father Lhande then recited the De
Profundis in which were united mil
lions of unknown voices, from the
depths of populous cities, from cha
teaus in great parks, or from ham
lets' lost in the mountains.
tomorrow.” But the morrow was
too late.
The news of his brother’s death
was kept from Father Foch for a
while because of his state of health.
It was announced to him the fol
lowing morning just after he had
received Holy Communion. Accom
panied by Father Lhande, he went
to view the body of his beloved
brother and to offer prayers for the
repose of his soul. He is reported
to have said, “What God has done
is well done; blessed be His Holy
Name.”
In compliance with the Christian
wishes of the deceased, the family
of Marshal Foch refused to consent
to his burial’ under the Arch of Tri
umph beside the Unknown Soldier.
They insisted that he rest in a con
secrated spot in an atmosphere of
prayer and meditation.
BISHOP OF LAFAYETTE
CONSECRATED 10 YEARS
(Special to The Bulletin)
Lafayette, La.—The current issue
of St. Mary’s Voice is the “tenth
anniversary edition” in honor of the
tenth anniversary of the consecra
tion of Rt. Rev. Jules H. Jeanmard,
D. D., Bishop of Lafayette. Bishop
Jeanmard is the first bishop of the
Diocese of Lafayette, which was
erected in 1918.
PEACE ESSAY CONTEST
WON BY CATHOLC BOY
(By N. C. W. C. News Service.)
New Orleans, La.—Gerald McCur
dy, a high school sophomore student
of the Brothers of the Congregation
of Holy Cross, at Holy Cross Col
lege, has just been notified that his
essay is the winner of the Interna
tional Peace Contest sponsored in
this city by the Tulane-Y. M. C. A.
essay contest committee.
The greatest affection always
bound Marshal Foch to his younger
brother, Germain, the Jesuit priest.
When the great soldier’s son was
born (only to die on the field of
battle in the first days of the war),
he gave him the name of Germain.
Throughout the terrible struggle, the
Marshal corresponded assiduously
with his brother at Montpellier.
Tho^e who have been privileged to
read those letters praise their vivid
description, the wisdom of decisions,
and their striking clearness of pre
cision.
After having been master of no
vices for a long period, Father Ger
main Foch retired to Montpellier
about 15 years ago. He no longer
teaches, but devotes much of his
time to the confessional. Unfortu
nately, he is now ill and infirm.
With a great deal of difficulty he
undertook the voyage to Paris to
see his brother. A private car was
provided for the trip by the railway
company, but his state of fatigue
was such that he could not go im
mediately to visit his dying broth
er. Told of the arrival of his broth
er, the Marshal said quietly, “Let
him rest first, then come to see me
The mortal remains of the victor
of the World War were therefore
placed under the dome of the church
of the Invalides, where Napoleon I
also lies buried.
The Hotel des Invalides, erected
during the reign of Louis XIV as a
shelter for aged soldiers wounded
in the service of the King, contains
a church dedicated to St. Louis.
From the walls of tis church today
there still hang banners captured
during the wars of the Monarchy.
In its tombs are interred the re
mains of many illustrious warriors.
The choir of the Church of St. Louis
was part of the original construc
tion, but the dome was not added
until the 18th century. It is the
work of the famous architect Har-
douin Mansart and is the most per
fect piece of architecture construct
ed in France since the Renaissance.
The interior beneath the dome is
about 194 feet high. The golden cu
pola has a high elevation, the cross
at the top being 345 feet above the
ground.
Through a large opening in the
center of the main floor may be
seen the tomb of Napoleon in the
crypt below. Five chapels about the
circular space shelter the remains
Of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Na
ples, Jerome Bonaparte, Turenne and
Vauban, and the heart of La Tour
d’Auvergne. The sixth chapel, ded
icated to St. Ambrose, was empty
and it is there that Foch will be
placed eventually. While the sepul
chre is being prepared, the casket
has been placed in a vcault of the
i crypt. __ . i ..
THOS S. GRAY,
President.
BOWDRE P. PHINIZY,
Vice-President.
R. M. RILEY,
Cashier
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