^' jm^ jj 
 
 LIBRA^^ONGRESS. 
 
 Chap......... CopjrM>f No... 
 
 Slielf..^.£^_:^ 5 I 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
THE 
 
 RBiVlirNISCBINCES 
 
 -OR A- 
 
 Texas Missionary. 
 
 REV. W^: R. PARISOX, O. iVl. I. 
 
 ST. MARY'S CHURCH 
 
 San Antonio, Texas. 
 1899. 
 
 PRESS OF 
 
 JOHNSON BROS. PRINTING CO 
 
 SAN ANTONIO. TEXAS. 
 
San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 22, 1899. 
 
 We cordially encourag-e the publication and circul- 
 ation of the "Reminiscences of a Texas Missionary" by 
 the Rev. P. F. Pai isot, O. M. I. 
 
 t John A, Forest, 
 
 Bishop of San Antonio. 
 
 San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 12, 1899. 
 
 We have authorized the publication of the book en- 
 titled 'Reminiscences of a Texas Missionary" written 
 by the Rev. P. F. Parisot, O. M. I. 
 
 Joseph Lefebvre, O. M. I. 
 2f>824 Provincial. 
 
 New Orleans, La., Dec. 5, 1896. 
 
 "The Reminiscences of a Texas Missionary" are 
 very interesting". I keep a clip-book for the history of 
 the diocese principally, and would like to have the whole 
 series. 
 
 t F. Janssens, 
 
 Archbishop of New Orleans. 
 
 The Rig-ht Reverend P. J. Hurth, of Dacca, Beng-al, 
 India, formerly President of St. Edward's College, Aus- 
 tin, Texas, writes: 
 
 "I readily recognized the venerable Father Parisot 
 in the 'Reminiscences of a Texas Missionary,' which 
 are very interesting-, and which will always remain g-ood 
 reading for the young clergy. 
 
 t P. J. HURTH, 
 TV/0 COPiei> RSC':iVEa Bishop of Dacca." 
 
 COPVRIGHT 1899, 
 BY 
 
 ' R'fe^. P. F. Parisot, O. M. L 
 
 1881 
 
 
PART I. 
 TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1852. Adieu to Belle France. Aspect of the 
 Diocese of Galveston. My first trip. Pen- 
 niless. General Chambers. Liberty. 
 Sour Lake. Prayer answered. Two 
 nig-hts inabox. Back to Galveston. Yellow 
 Jack. Second Mission tour. Raw Sweet 
 potato for my supper. Jasper. 
 
 In the month of March, 1852, six Oblate Fathers 
 and one Lay Brother, accompanied by four Nuns of the 
 Incarnate Word, two Ursuline Sisters, four Brothers of 
 Mary, and eighteen Seminarians, bade adieu to **La 
 Belle France" and went aboard the sailing vessel "La 
 Belle Assise," at Havre, en route for Texas. 
 
 " My native land adieu! adieul 
 
 I cannot always stay with you, stay with you." 
 The wharf is crowded, thousands are there, in ex- 
 pectation of an unwonted spectacle. The saintly Bishop 
 Odin, in his episcopal robes, blesses the band of mis- 
 sionaries from the pier and then goes back to Paris, in 
 the interest of his diocese. The ship leaves its moor- 
 ings, the cannon booms, the Ave Maris Stella is sung 
 by thirty-five voices. "Adieu ma belle France." The 
 sacrifice is made joyfully, "Hilarem datorem diligit 
 Deus." Some sing, "Partons pour la Syrie." I saw 
 tears trickling down the cheeks of a tender-hearted 
 seminarian, as he cast a last glance on the coast of 
 France disappearing on the horizon. "Adieu, mother." 
 Fifty-two days between the immensity of the firma- 
 ment and the immensity of the ocean taught us to ap- 
 preciate the fixity of mother earth. New Orleans at 
 
6 Reminiscences of 
 
 last. The seminarians ^o to Barrens, Missouri, to 
 finish their ecclesiastical studies. The rest g-o to Gal- 
 veston, a city of 6,000 souls. Here we find the episco- 
 pal residence, a rather poor-looking- place, a frame house 
 with six or seven rooms. The occupants were the 
 Very Rev. Chambodut, V. G., and Rev. M. Hue. 
 
 At that time there were in the whole State of Tex- 
 as, the following- Priests: the Rev. Clark at Houston, 
 the Rev, Miller at Brazoria, the Rev. Anstaett at Vic- 
 toria, the Rev. Padey at Refug-io, the Rev. Dubuis 
 at San Antonio, the Rev. Giraudon at Laredo, the 
 Rev. Borrajo at Eag-le Pass. In all nine Priests for 
 the whole diocese of Texas. In the course of a year 
 this number was increased by the Revs. Dixon, Heg- 
 g-arty O'Reilly, Sheehan, O'Driscoll and six Oblate 
 
 Fathers. 
 
 In the month of February, 1853, I was sent by 
 
 Bishop Odin to visit Eastern Texas. I had just $2.00 
 in my pocket and a heavy saddle-bag, containing all 
 articles necessary for the Mass and my wardrobe. I 
 went on board a steamer, crossed over Galveston Bay, 
 paid my fare, $2.00, and landed at Chambersville pen- 
 niless. I entered the town, which contained three 
 houses, the most conspicuous of which was General 
 Chambers' residence. I directed my steps thereto, 
 with my heavy saddle-bag on my shoulders, and met 
 General Chambers on the door steps. "Good morning, 
 General," said I, "I am sent by Bishop Odin to visit 
 Eastern Texas. I have no horse, no money, and do not 
 know the roads. Can you help me out?" 
 
 "How can your Bishop send you without money? 
 Go back to Galveston by return boat, I shall pay your 
 fare. You must come back better equipped." 
 
 "Much obliged to you. General, I think I will take 
 my saddle-bag on my shoulders and go ahead." The 
 
A Texas Missionary. 7 
 
 General, seeing- my obstinacy, lent me a big- American 
 horse and a colored man to accompany me. We reach- 
 ed a settlement six miles ahead, called Turtle Bayou, 
 where I sojourned three days. Here they lent me a 
 donkey. It took me the whole day to reach the next 
 settlement, fifteen miles distant. Here I prepared for 
 First Communion a sick g-irl, who died a few days after- 
 wards. I reached Liberty, where twenty-five children 
 made their First Communion, after an eig-ht days' pre- 
 paration. En route for Beaumont, half way, where the 
 road forks to the left, I saw a board stuck in the mud 
 bearing- the following- inscription, "Sour Lake." Led 
 by mere curiosity I went to see the lake. On arriving-, 
 a g-entleman asked me if I were a Catholic Priest, and 
 on my answering- affirmatively, he invited me to see a 
 dying- lady, who had been praying- to Almig-hty God to 
 send her a priest. 
 
 The following- day I said mass in her room and ad- 
 ministered the last Sacraments, blessing- God, who made 
 me quit the hig-h road throug-h curiosity. She died 
 shortly after. 
 
 At Beaumont, I could not find a sing-le Catholic; so 
 I went a few miles below, where lived a Mr. Chiasson, 
 with his numerous family and his father, ag-ed 103 
 years, who was as deaf as a post. I had to hear the old 
 man's confession half a mile from the house behind a 
 bush. After a few days spent in that neig-hborhood I 
 started for Orang-e, where I met an Alsatian, who had 
 arrived there a few days previous. He was the only 
 Catholic in the place. He had for a dwelling- place a kind 
 of hut, or rather a box six feet cube, where we both 
 slept comfortably, after partaking- of a supper, prepar- 
 ed in a small tin plate over a lamp. 
 
 The following- day being- Sunday, I was shown a 
 house where a German lady lived, supposed to be a 
 
3 Reminiscences of 
 
 Catholic. Here I said Mass. The whole place was out 
 just to see the Priest; but all behaved very well during- 
 Mass. 
 
 Out of ten settlements I visited, this was the only 
 place, where I did not administer a single baptism. 
 After calling- with all my heart the blessing- of God upon 
 the man in the box, I left the place and went back to 
 Galveston. The Alsatian, who tendered me his hut for 
 two days and two nig-hts, came to see me in Galveston 
 in 1856. He was dressed as a g-entleman, and bore the 
 title of Captain. He had come from Orang-e on a schoo- 
 ner loaded with lumber. "The schooner," he said, "is 
 mine, the cargo is mine, and the box six feet cube is 
 now a chicken coop in my yard. I have now a two-story 
 house. Come and see me, and we shall chat on the vicis- 
 situdes of human affairs." 
 
 After this, my first trip, I became convinced, that 
 my knowledge of English was very limited, so I sat 
 down to review my grammar. 
 
 Alas! alas! O woful year 18531 The angel of death 
 accompanied with the dread plague of yellow fever, 
 came hovering over Galveston, claiming 300 victims, 
 among whom were five Priests, Rev. Fathers Dixon; 
 Baudrand, O. M. I., Hue, O'Driscoll^ Metton,anda sub- 
 deacon, Rev. Bajar, all lately arrived. 
 
 The Vicar General and two Oblate Fathers were 
 spared. 
 
 The doctors advised the Priests, who were not 
 necessary for the ministry, to leave town and go to the 
 interior of the State. They answered that they would 
 rather die, than leave the post of peril and be looked 
 upon as cowards. 
 
 A protestant lady, inquiring who were buried in 
 these freshly opened graves in front of the Cathedral, 
 was told that they contained six Catholic clergymen who 
 
A Texas Miasionaiy. 9 
 
 had died of yellow fever. '* Why did they not leave the 
 place," said she, ''and save their lives as our minister 
 did?" "Their duty compelled them to stay and die, 
 was the answer." 
 
 The lady shed tears of compassion on the g-raves of 
 these martyrs of duty. It was ascertained afterwards 
 that she joined the Catholic Church. 
 
 The Catholic population of Texas at this time (1853) 
 was about 20,000. The number of Priests employed on 
 the mission was tripled since 1852. A new impetus was 
 given to missionary work. The Brothers of Mary had 
 opened their colleg-e at San Antonio under favorable 
 auspices. The Sisters of the Incarnate Word, lodged 
 in a private residence at Brownsville, impatiently wait- 
 ed for the completion of their convent then in course of 
 erection, and employed their time in teaching- a few girls 
 from Brownsville and Matamoros, Mex. Three Oblate 
 Fathers, with a lay Brother, commenced work on the 
 lower Rio Grande, visiting the ranches along the road 
 to Corpus Christi, and those scattered on the banks 
 of the river as far as Roma. Resident Priests were 
 stationed at some of the principal posts. But Eastern 
 Texas was still a foreign mission, and I was the mis- 
 sionary "in partibus infidelium." 
 
 After recuperating from a serious attack of yellow 
 fever I was again sent to visit those places in Texas, 
 which had no.t been visited by any Priest for a number 
 of years. This time I was out for nearly three months. 
 
 The first settlement I visited was situated on the 
 right side of Trinity river. When I arrived at the cross- 
 ing, the ferry-boat was on the opposite side of the 
 river, and there w^as no one to take me over. For full}^ 
 one hour I hallooed for the ferryman at the highest 
 pitch of my voice, until I became hoarse. In my dis- 
 tress, I got astride on two logs tied together and cross- 
 
10 Reminiscences of 
 
 ed the river, paddling with my hands. I brought the 
 ferry-boat over, but being carried some distance below 
 by the current, it took me a long time to return. Now 
 to ferry my horse over. Here was the rub. On arriv- 
 ing on the opposite bank the water was so shallow that 
 I had to jump into it and push the boat until I was satu- 
 rated with water and prespiration. When I arrived at 
 the house of the ferryman he was amazed at the recital 
 of my manoeuvre, and could not understand how I man- 
 aged to get over the river and cross with the heavy 
 ferry-boat, alone. Finally, I arrived at the settlement 
 and commenced work. An old man came from his 
 farm, situated a short distance from the settlement, to 
 see me. He had obtained a grant of 640 acres of land 
 from the Mexican Government years before. A provi- 
 so of the law was that a man with a family could obtain 
 the grant, provided he was a Catholic. This man had 
 been influenced by human motives to become a Catho- 
 lic, but was very ignorant of the tenets of the Church. 
 Upon asking me if I could forgive his sins, "Yes Sir," 
 I told him, "if you confess them with sorrow, for the 
 Priests are the ambassadors of Christ, the dispensers 
 of the mysteries of God, to whom Christ said, " Whose 
 sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, &c." 
 But the poor man would not submit and confess, and 
 went out sorrowful. He had not entered the fold of 
 Christ by the right door, or at least, with the right in- 
 tention. After I had finished my mission at that place, 
 I was advised to return by water. The river had of 
 late overflowed and left plently of water in the swamps. 
 The people furnished me with a boat and a colored man, 
 but in some places the water was so shallow that we had 
 to wade and push the boat through the mud. Some- 
 times wo were caught between two trees. To make the 
 story short we made nine miles in twelve hours. After 
 
A Tejcas Missionary, 11 
 
 recrossing the Trinity river it was after 9 o'clock p. m, 
 There was a house close by on the bank of the river. 
 Entering-, I asked the occupants to allow me to stay 
 thereuntil about midnig-ht, in order to recite mv Bre- 
 viary. They had neither lamp nor candle, so they made 
 a fire to enable me to read my office. At the conclusion 
 I asked the people, if they had anything- to eat. They 
 said they had nothing- but raw sweet potatoes. I put 
 one on the fire, and ate it half cooked, swallowing- the 
 last mouthful a few minutes before midnight. We bade 
 the people good night and going up the river one mile, 
 tied our boat, and reached a settlement three miles from 
 the river, where I said Mass at 10 o'clock. Starting 
 from that place, I passed through Liberty, where I stop- 
 ped one day to recuperate. I was furnished with a mare 
 accompanied by her colt, to take me to a Mr. Hardin's, 
 living some miles above Liberty. I got lost in the woods, 
 but after rambling to the right and left for five hours, I 
 arrived at 10 p. m. at Mr. Hardin's place. The gentle- 
 man received me very kindly, preparing my cold sup- 
 per himself. 
 
 The next day I said Mass for his three daughters, 
 who had joined the Catholic Church in Galveston, while 
 attending school at the Ursuline Convent. 
 
 After breakfast Mr. Hardin lent me a good horse 
 to carry me to a place fifteen miles farther on. There 
 I bought an old jade for $20, all the money I had in my 
 purse. One day wanting to cross over the river Neches, 
 I told the ferryman to choose between prayer and 
 preaching, for I had no money with me. "Well, pray 
 for my family," he said, and invited me to take dinner 
 with him. The following day I reached Jasper, and met 
 there a good Irishman, who was then working as a car- 
 penter, in the construction of a court house. "I am," 
 he said, "the only Catholic in the place, but one mile 
 
12 Reminiscences of 
 
 from here lives another Irishman with a numerous fam- 
 ily." The next day early in the morning", the whole 
 place was astir, anxious to see the Priest. Many had 
 not heretofore seen a Catholic Priest. I said Mass un- 
 der the g-allery in front of the Irishman's house. The 
 greater part of my audience were standing- in the yard, 
 some of them being- disappointed to see that the Priest 
 was just like any other man. 
 
 After crossing- the Sabine river, I visited Calcasieu 
 Parish, an immense district in Louisiana, in some parts 
 of which a Priest had not been seen for fifteen or twenty 
 years. After having- visited a few localities my old 
 jade refused to carry me any farther. I said g-ood-bye 
 to the poor beast and boug-ht a mustang-, a wild horse 
 that had been caug-ht a few days previous in the prairie 
 and was not "broken" as they say in that country. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Calcasieu. My Mustang-. Mary comes to my 
 Rescue. Lost in the Pine-wood. In the 
 nick of time. Laudanum did it. Drown- 
 ed g"irl swallowed by an Alligator. Cow 
 Boys. How I crossed bayous. From 
 Mensa Episcopali to a kitchen. Third 
 Trip. Fifty baptisms in a small Settle- 
 ment. Rivers Calcasieu and Mermenteau 
 Indians. 
 
 This first visit to Calcasieu was filled with many 
 unpleasant episodes, but with great inward consolations 
 in the discharge of my ministry. "Post nubila, 
 jubila." 
 
 Crossing bayous and marshes, bottoms and bogs, 
 sleeping out and getting lost in the pathless prairies 
 and timbers were of frequent occurrence. But my 
 mustang. Where is my mustang? There he is in the 
 
A Tejcas Missionary. 13 
 
 yard. His flowing- mane, his bushy tail; his fiery look, 
 and fierce appearance, made me proud of such a lucky 
 acquisition. He is prancing- throug-h impatience. Two 
 men can hardly hold him, while a third puts a wretched 
 saddle on his back and an old rusty bit in his mouth; 
 the bridle and reins were made of cords. My heavy 
 saddle-bag- makes him bound and stand on his hind feet. 
 A man asked me if I were skilled in the manag-ement of 
 horses, another if I were a g-ood rider, and a third said 
 that it was imprudent to ride such an unbroken horse. 
 The men then advised me to be cautious and tie the 
 horse, whenever I alig-hted; for, "if the animal once 
 takes to the prairie or woods, you may bid him g-ood 
 bye," they said, "you will never see him ag-ain." The 
 women were pitying- the poor Priest. It was only then 
 I beg-an to realize my situation. 
 
 I am in the saddle, trembling-, two men hold my 
 mustang- by the bridle. "Ready, let go." 
 
 My horse suddenly taking- frig-ht, ran away as if in 
 a panic. I saw stars all around me. I thoug-ht that my 
 last moment had arrived. For fully a quarter of an 
 hour my muscular power was kept up to its utmost ten- 
 sion. 
 
 Thank God! my horse is calm and my frig-ht is 
 partly over, but for some time I trembled involuntarily 
 with weakness. 
 
 The "Ave Maris Stella" was intoned and we went 
 along- g-ently for sometime, when suddenly one of the 
 reins broke; I shivered, but bending- on my mustang-'s 
 mane I mended it easily. Shortly after, the same rein 
 broke ag-ain but nearer the bit, I could not reach it. 
 Well, I said to myself, my beast is fatig-ued, I shall alig-ht 
 and proceed to mend it. I took the lariat attached to 
 the pommel of the saddle, and threw it to the g-round so 
 that I mig-ht easily take hold of it when I alig-hted. Scar- 
 
14 Reminiscences of 
 
 cely had I put my foot on the ground when lo! O woe- 
 ful momenti my mustang- ran away with my saddlebag- 
 and there I was in the midst of the forest alone, twenty 
 miles from any settlement. This happened about 3 
 o'clock in the afternoon. I sat on the g-round and wept 
 like a child. My poor mustang is gone, gone forever; 
 
 God, what shall I do? Ah! if I had only heeded the 
 forebodings of those people. 
 
 I fell on my knees and said three Hail Marys ad- 
 ding, "O Mother dear, Immaculate Mary, give me back 
 my horse, you see my distress. ' ' I got up, confident that 
 Mary had heard my prayer. I proceeded a short dis- 
 tance, when I saw my saddlebag lying on the ground. 
 Then a piece of the lariat, finally the saddle, all demo- 
 lished. After walking about two miles, with this heavy 
 weight on my shoulders, I became tired and threw all 
 my equipments upon the ground except the cord. I 
 then walked on, to see if, perchance, there were any 
 hope left of finding my horse. I proceeded fully three 
 miles constantly repeating the words: "O Mary, my 
 mother, restore me my horse; O please help me to re- 
 cover him." On I went, now hopeful, now sad, now 
 confident. Lo! there was my mustang, grazing at a dis- 
 tance. I fell on my knees and exclaimed: "Mary, my 
 mother, yonder is my horse, O help me to catch him." 
 
 1 then walked slowly, with a piece of rope in my hand 
 and repeated at each step, "Mary help me, Mary help 
 me." The animal did not stir, but continued grazing. 
 I slowly approached him and placed the rope around his 
 neck and then firmly tied it to a small tree. I trembled 
 all over. When I recovered a little from my emotion I 
 fell upon my knees to give thanks to God and his Bless- 
 ed Mother for such visible protection. I then went 
 back for what I had left behind. When I returned I sat 
 down near my horse and mended my saddle and bridle. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 15 
 
 After two hours work I was in the saddle ag-ain. About 
 11 o'clock p, m. I arrived at a house quite exhausted. 
 When I recited my adventures to the landlord he offer- 
 ed me a g-entle horse, in exchang-e for m}^ mustang", but 
 I placed my trust in Divine Providence and refused his 
 g-enerous offer. My mustang- g-rew g-entler and g-entler 
 every day. The next day, after having- said Mass and 
 baptized a dozen of babies and larg-er children, I started 
 according- to my custom for the next settlement. They 
 told me that it was fifteen miles distant, that there was 
 no road, and that I should be oblig-ed to pass throug-h 
 the prairie to a timber nine miles distantj where I 
 should find a path at the edg-e of the forest, which w^uld 
 lead me to a small settlement. When I arrived at the 
 edg-e of the forest I discovered the path and followed it 
 for some time. After awhile another path entering- in- 
 to the timber attracted my attention. I said to myself, 
 "perhaps there are some houses over there, I shall g-o 
 and see." When I advanced two or three miles into the 
 forest, the path ag-ain forked and rendered me perplex- 
 ed as to which of the two roads I should take. I called 
 out and heard a dog- barking- at a distance. After a 
 while I discovered a fence, and g"oing- around it I arrived 
 in front of a small house, out of which came a woman, 
 who asked me if I were a Catholic and if I knew how to 
 christen. "Yes, madam, that is my office." "Are you 
 a Catholic Priest?" said she. Upon declaring- that I was, 
 she cried out, "please come in quickly, there is a dying- 
 baby here." Going- in I saw the baby resting- on the 
 lap of a w^oman. He was really dying-, I immediately 
 baptized him, then prepared my surplice and stole, 
 opened the holy oils stock and approached the baby in 
 order to supply the ceremonies of baptism; but he was 
 dead. 
 
 Thanking- God for mv timelv visit I went back to 
 
16 Heminiscencea of 
 
 the path at the edge of the wood and reached the settle- 
 ment. There I found about fifteen grown children un- 
 baptized, and I remained a few days to teach my cate- 
 chumens. During one of my instructions there came a 
 young man on horseback. "Are you the Priest?" he 
 said: "My father, hearing that a Priest was around 
 here, sent me to ask you to come quick to see a negro 
 woman, who is dying three miles from here." I went 
 and saw a big stout woman suffering with the colic. I 
 administered forty drops of laudanum to her and she 
 became well in ten minutes. The women there said it 
 was a miracle. "Yes," said I, "it is a miracle wrought 
 by the laudanum." The master of that woman asked 
 me how much I wanted for my trouble. " Nothing sir," 
 said I; he then offered me a ten dollar gold piece for my 
 traveling expenses, as I had saved his housekeeper: a 
 slave, whom he would not have given for four thousand 
 dollars. I took the money as I needed it very much, 
 since the purchase of my mustang had made a big hole 
 in my purse. I then returned to my catechumens. A 
 married man had just arrived from his place seven 
 miles distant. He wished to be baptized, for he had 
 been born of Catholic parents and wished to follow their 
 religion. I told him that he would be obliged to come 
 to catechism with the children. He came from his place 
 and returned every day for five days. Then he was 
 baptized and married, for his first marriage by the 
 squire was null and void. A short time afterwards, the 
 poor man was accidentally drowned while crossing a 
 bayou. One day I met a young Creole, near a bayou, 
 and as we were riding along together he saw a young 
 alligator about three feet long. My companion alight- 
 ed, rushed upon the ugly beast, stamped his heel upon 
 its head and crushed it to death. Further on, we cap- 
 tured a beautiful turtle, weighing at least fifteen pounds, 
 
A Texas Missionary. 17 
 
 and we enjoyed a turtle soup at the next settlement. 
 
 One day on arriving- at a settlement I saw a whole 
 family in aifliction. A little g-irl had fallen into a bayou 
 and being" caug-ht by an allig-ator, had, by her piercing- 
 cries, aroused the neig-hbors, who seeing- the ripples on 
 the surface of the water, realized that the monster had 
 disappeared under the water with its prey. The bayou 
 was scoured. A larg^e allig-ator was killed and ripped. 
 In his stomach were found shreds of the poor g-irl's 
 dress and her pocket knife. 
 
 Since that day, when crossing- a bayou, I dreaded 
 the ug-ly amphibious beast. 
 
 It may not be without interest for the reader, to 
 note here my modes of crossing- swollen creeks and 
 bayous. At that time bridg-es in Calcasieu were yet 
 among- future conting-ents, and bayous are numerous 
 and deep. My first method of crossing- them was to 
 hold my horse by the tail with one hand and paddle 
 with the other. But one day seeing- cow boys in the act 
 of crossings a swoolen creek; some standing- erect on 
 their horses, others kneeling- on the saddle, I tried the 
 experiment, but my heavy saddle-bag-s, which, on such 
 occasions, I generally carried tied on my head, tog-ether 
 with my boots, prevented me from keeping- my centre of 
 gravity to the detriment of the laws of equilibrium. Ex- 
 perience taug-ht me that the securest method of cross- 
 ing- bayous, was for me to remain in the saddle, not- 
 withstanding- the inconvenience of taking- a half-bath. 
 
 After rambling- over Calcasieu for nearly two 
 months and a half I arrived at Lake Charles, where I 
 found three Catholic families and said Mass at the 
 house of a wealthy French lady and baptized eig-hteen 
 children. To day (1899) it is a flourishing- parish, with 
 two resident Priests and an academy for young- ladies. 
 From Lake Charles I returned to Galveston via Liberty 
 
18 Reminiscences of 
 
 and Houston, meeting- General Sam Houston on the 
 road accompanied by a Colonel and a Major; he was 
 stopping- at a Captain's house, some twelve or fifteen 
 miles east of Houston. On reaching- Galveston I sold 
 my mustang-, which had become as mild as a lamb, to a 
 Priest. My poor mustang-, how I missed him. 
 
 Upon my arrival at Galveston I found Father Vig- 
 nolle, O. M. I., supervising- the construction of St. 
 Mary's College, chatting- with bricklayers on the top of 
 the walls, which were nearly two stories hig-h. 
 
 A frame building, which was intended for a kitchen, 
 had been erected close to the college. The Oblate 
 Fathers, who hitherto had lived in the Episcopal resi- 
 dence, occupied this modest dwelling, where they could 
 better attend to the exigencies of community life. The 
 society for the Propagation of the Faith had for three 
 years allotted the Oblates a certain amount of money, to 
 enable them to establish their mission in Texas. This 
 subsidy was turned into bricks and mortar for the new 
 College. But Bishop Odin having done his utmost to 
 push the work was speaking of suspending the con- 
 struction of the college and putting off its completion 
 to better times. As the suspension of work would have 
 been a great pity, the writer of these lines offered him- 
 self to go collecting among the rich planters of Loui- 
 siana. 
 
 Bishop Odin took up the idea favorably and wrote 
 to Archbishop Blanc for the necessary faculties. 
 
 I started accompanied by Rev. Father Borias, who 
 was to be installed Pastor of Beaumont. We took pas- 
 sage on a vessel bound for Sabine Pass. After landing 
 we crossed the river to Johnson's Bayou to pay a visit 
 to Captain Green, a particular friend of Bishop Odin. 
 He made me a present of a beautiful, strong horse for 
 my long expedition. After having spent a few days 
 
A Texas Missionary. 19 
 
 with the Captain and his excellent wife, who was a high- 
 ly educated lady and a devout Catholic, we re-crossed 
 the Sabine river. A few miles from Beaumont the Rev. 
 Father Borias bought a horse, but before making- a bar- 
 gain he wished to try him. Forthwith he jumped on 
 the beast's back from the right hand side. When the 
 young'man, the owner of the animal, saw this, he said: 
 "Well I declare, my horse never saw that before." I 
 left my Rev. companion at Beaumont. His whole for- 
 tune was, — $40, for I had loaned it to him, to enable him 
 to pay for his horse. 
 
 Now let us go via Orange to my dear Calcasieu. 
 The man^whom I mentioned before as residing in a box 
 was there, living comfortably in a fine two-story house 
 with his wife and daughter, who had just arrived from 
 Alsace. During dinner we chatted on the "vicissitudes 
 of human affairs." After drinking to the health of that 
 prosperous family, I crossed the Sabine river to visit a 
 a few families I had not seen as yet, when to my suprise 
 I learned that, at the time of my first visit, I had not 
 seen one-half of Calcasieu. 
 
 In one settlement of five or six families where 1 
 staid three days I baptized fifty infants and grown chil- 
 dren, who had been brought from a distance of fifteen or 
 twenty miles. As soon as the people had learned from 
 the men who had been sent all around to announce it, 
 that the Priest was there, it was a pleasing spectacle for 
 the missionary to see men, women, and children arriv- 
 ing from every direction— ^some in carts, others on horse- 
 back, and some again on foot. The infants were imme- 
 diately baptized. QThe grown children were detained two 
 or three davs for instruction, previous to the reception of 
 this sacrament. Among my catechumens was a young 
 man twenty years old, who had never seen a^Priest and 
 who waS' 'Very .[anxious to accompany me "on my trav- 
 
20 Reminiscences of 
 
 els. A B^rench g-entleman by the name of Pu^o and his 
 wife, an American lady, rendered me invaluable ser- 
 vices. Mr. Pujo had a "coaster" just ready to sail 
 down the Calcasieu river. I availed myself of this God 
 sent opportunity and baptized on both sides of the river, 
 while the captain was selling his goods. When we ar- 
 rived at the mouth of the Calcasieu river, the.vessel sail- 
 ed through the Gulf of Mexico to the mouth of the River 
 Mermenteau, sixty miles distant, but I started inland, 
 and traveled sometimes on foot and sometimes on horse- 
 back. My first day on the road I said Mass at the bed- 
 side of a dying woman, to whom I administered the last 
 Sacraments. On the same day, it being Sunday, hap- 
 pening to pass by a Protestant church, I tied my horse 
 to a fence and entered. The minister invited me to 
 preach to his congregation. I did so, delivering a ser- 
 mon on the four marks of the Church, a sermon I had 
 already preached twelve times, — in fact, the only one I 
 had delivered in English during my missions, repeating 
 it whenever the occasion offered. The sermons among 
 the Creoles were generally delivered in French. 
 
 But to compare small things with great, when 
 Bishop Conway of Philadelphia, after having ordained 
 the Rev. John Hughes to the Priesthood, invited him to 
 accompany him on his pastoral visit, he advised him to 
 have good instructions prepared for the occasion. At 
 the first parish. Father Hughes, who afterward became 
 the Archbishop of New York, gave his first sermon. 
 "Well done Father Hughes, continue," said the good 
 old Bishop. At the second place Father Hughes re- 
 peated the sermon. At the third place, came the same 
 sermon. "You are like the cuckoo," said the Bishop, 
 "giving the same note all the time." "Bishop," said 
 Rev. Father Hughes, "Your Lordship told me, 'Well 
 done, well done, continue.' If my sermon is good in one 
 
A Texas Missionary. 21 
 
 parish, is it not as g-ood in the next, where they have 
 not heard it as yet?" " You are rig-ht, Father Hug-hes, 
 continue;" said the old Bishop. 
 
 After taking- dinner with the Protestant minister I 
 continued my mission. Two days later I arrived at the 
 Mermenteau river, where I found the coaster waiting- 
 for me and bound for up the Mermenteau. Going- up 
 the river I baptized a number of children on both banks. 
 Returning to Mr. Pujo's by land I started for the upper 
 Calcasieu, where I visited a tribe of Indians called Caran- 
 cawas. There I baptized eleven papooses. A Creole 
 g-entleman who spoke the dialect of the tribe, stood 
 sponsor. The chief of the tribe, a stout man of 85 sum- 
 mers, who knew a little broken Eng-lish, told me that a 
 long- time ag-o he was the owner of all the country 
 around. His tribe, he said, was then "plenty, plenty," 
 but now was "no more big-." I baptized his daug-hter, 
 ag-ed 50. She was the servant of the French Creole, 
 who had stood as g-od-father for the Indian infants. The 
 chief's g-rand-daug-hter came from a considerable dis- 
 tance with her two papooses, whom I also baptized. So 
 the chief had lived to see his great-g-rand-children. He 
 said that he was the doctor of the whole district, his 
 pharmacy consisting- of the herbs, flowers, and roots of 
 the prairie and forest of his old king-dom. Turning- to- 
 ward the Sabine river I met a crowd of Indians in the 
 woods, who nearly frig-htened the life out of me. Were 
 they g-entle or wild? I said my act of contrition, and 
 when they drew near I tried to look pleasant and bade 
 them g-ood evening. They muttered a few words and 
 passed by. My fright abated and my heart beat more 
 regularly. About sundown I reached a stream which I 
 found swollen and could not cross. I got off my horse 
 and walked up and down along the bank saying my bre- 
 viary, when I heard the voices of two boys on the oppo- 
 
22 Reminiscences of 
 
 site side, who were looking- for a cow. I hallooed to 
 them, and they heard me. They told me I could cross 
 the stream a short distance below, where a big- tree had 
 fallen across the river. My horse swam over, and I, 
 with my saddle-bag-s on my back, crawled on all fours 
 on the log- as far as I could across the river; but as the 
 last branches were too slender to rest upon, and think- 
 ing- the water shallow I jumped into the stream, and 
 found myself in five feet of water. On arriving- at the 
 nearest settlement' one mile distant, I went to bed to 
 give my clothes an opportunity to get dry. The next 
 morning I said Mass, baptized a few children, then 
 started for Grand Coteau, where I arrived on Ascension 
 Day, after four days' traveling, having been lost in the 
 forest thirty-six hours, and having crossed fifteen swol- 
 len bayous and creeks. 
 
 The Rev. Father Roccoford, S. J., (now stationed at 
 Washington, D. C.) looking at such a strange apparition 
 as myself, and seeing my boots and pants covered with 
 mud, the brim of my hat hanging over my ears, my coat 
 full of rents, exclaimed: "Where in the name of for- 
 tune do you come from?" "From Texas via Calcasieu;" 
 I answered. I remained with the good Jesuit Fathers 
 eight days, for the sake of recuperating. The Rev. 
 Father Superior made me a present of a new suit, I 
 bought a new saddle, a new hat, and a pair of boots. 
 Now I am ready for my begging expedition for the Gal- 
 veston college; hitherto I had traveled in search of souls, 
 now let us go for the dollars. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 An Ablegate sent by Pope Greg-ory XVI. A 
 Protestant Doctor. Bayou Pierre. Shre- 
 veport. Eig-ht Neg-roes Hang-ed. Back 
 to Galveston. Bishop Odin, Abbe Dubuis. 
 Father Neraz. 
 
 Always Texas and Louisiana? No, Senor. Wait a 
 little, Mexico will come in after awhile. Mexico? 
 Si, Senor. Then a few episodes of the civil war, and 
 my journey from Mexico to Rome via California and 
 New Mexico. Have patience. Deo volente, my travels 
 episodes, incidents, and accidents of nearly half a 
 century will be told. Traveling- is a g-ood teacher. 
 Well did a poet understand this, when he said : 
 
 "How much a dunce that hath been sent to roam 
 Excels a dunce that hath been kept at home." 
 
 Now to be serious, I departed from Grand Coteau, 
 bidding- adieu to the Jesuit Fathers with a vivid recol- 
 lection of services rendered to a poor missionary. My 
 boots, hat, clothes, and saddle were brand new and the 
 "Mendicant Friar" had a g-ood start with brig-ht pros- 
 pects. At St. Martin ville I was the g-uest of Rev. Fath- 
 er Jan, a venerable old Priest who had been sent by 
 Pope Greg-ory XVI as Ableg-ate to the Republics of 
 Hayti and San Domingo, to look after the condition of 
 ecclesiastical affairs there. But as his life was at stake, 
 he left the island and sailed for New Orleans. Archbi- 
 shop Blanc offered him the rectorship of St. Martinville, 
 which he retained until he died at the' advanced ag-e of 
 90. After I had seen the favorites of fortune here, I 
 visited the rich planters of Bayou Teche, and those on 
 the banks of the Red river up to Natchitoches, where I 
 stayed a week with the late Very Rev. Dichary, V. G., 
 and Rev. F. Duffo, S. J., now stationed at New Orleans. 
 
24 Reminiscences of 
 
 On the road to Shreveport, I stopped at a settlement cal- 
 led Bayou Pierre, where I was told, that fifteen miles 
 from the road there lived an American doctor, a Protes- 
 tant, who was in the last stag-e of consumption and had 
 expressed the wish of becoming a Catholic. I left 
 **nummos pro salute animae." I found the man a mere 
 skeleton. At the sight of the Priest, he exclaimed: 
 **Oh, blessed be God, who has heard my prayer." Af- 
 ter his bapsism he said: "Oh, now I shall die happy." 
 So true it is that he who prays receives lig-ht and g-race. 
 I went back to Bayou Pierre and proceeded to Shreve- 
 port. On entering- the town I inquired if there were 
 any Catholics there. "No sir, we are all heathens here," 
 was the answer. Later on I met a g-entleman by the 
 name of McCarthy, who was not a heathen, but a true 
 son of Erin. He introduced me to five Catholic families. 
 I said Mass in the court house to a larg-e cong-reg-ation 
 the following- Sunday, then baptized twenty-one chil- 
 dren, showing- that there were more than five Catholic 
 families in the place. Mr. McCarthy g-ave a g-rand din- 
 ner in honor of the baptism of his two children, to which 
 myself and fifteen others were invited. The people 
 showed themselves very kind and g-enerous to the 
 Priest. When I had visited all the plantations on the 
 Red river down to its mouth, I crossed the Mississippi 
 river. About dusk I arrived at a plantation where a 
 horrible spectacle presented itself to my eyes. Eig-ht 
 gibbets were erected there in the yard, where eight ne- 
 groes had been hanged the day previous for having plot- 
 ted against their master's life. O ! what a terrible night 
 I passed there, full of ghastly dreams. 
 
 I left that unhallowed spot early in the morning and 
 proceeded to Donald sonville where I sold my horse and 
 went on board a steamboat bound for New Orleans. 
 Here I paid my respects to Archbishop Blanc and then 
 
A Texas Missionarr. 25 
 
 started on the Gulf of Mexico for Galveston. Upon my 
 arrival there, I found the colleg-e almost completed. In 
 November 1854 it was opened for the reception of board- 
 ers and day-scholars. 
 
 In reg-ard to the mission of Texas in 1855, the young- 
 Levites, who had responded to the invitation of Bishop 
 Odin in 1852, and who had already been raised to the 
 dig-nity of the Holy Priesthood, were stationed in vari- 
 ous parts of the State. They had already tasted some 
 of the sweets promised them by Bishop Odin, namely. 
 "You will not always find something- to eat or drink, 
 you will be without ceasing- on journeys throug-h un- 
 known reg-ions where the distances are immense, the 
 plains boundless, and the forests of vast extent. You 
 will pass your nig-hts on the moist earth and your days 
 under the burning- sun. You will encounter perils of 
 every kind, you will have need of all your courag-e and 
 energ-y." Poor Bishop Odin. He had already experi- 
 enced these thing-s himself and knew of what he was 
 speaking-. The writer of these lines remembers having- 
 heard Mr. Nash say, "The Vicar Apostolic and I lived 
 in an old shanty and slept on a kind of shelf, similiar to 
 a sailor's bunk. The Bishop slept in the lower berth 
 and I in the upper." 
 
 This was in the first year of Bishop Odin's adminis- 
 tration as Vicar Apostolic. But who was Mr. Nash? 
 He was the faithful purveyor, book-keeper, Mass-server, 
 and g-eneral manag-er of the Bishop's business for many 
 years. The erection of a frame building-, known as the 
 Bishop's residence, g-reatly improved the condition of 
 affairs. Still a Priest describing- the manner of living- 
 in the Episcopal palace in a letter to a friend, said, "to 
 g-ive you an idea of the comfort and luxury of our life, 
 let it sufi&ce to say here in Galveston the whole amount 
 of the weekly expenditure of the Vicar Apostolic and 
 
26 Reminiscences of 
 
 the three Piiests, who live with him, is $4. Monsigrior 
 Odin chooses poverty and strictness and is only rich 
 and lavish toward the poor." In a letter which this 
 Apostolic Bishop, who lived upon a dollar a week, sent 
 to his parents, he said. "Sometimes discouragement 
 almost seizes me, when I know not what means to adopt 
 to procure even the most indispensible provisions; but 
 God is a good father and always comes to our help." 
 Abbe Dubuis wrote a letter from Castroville, which con- 
 cluded with these words: "To this hour I have never 
 known one moment of disgust or regret, and, if I were 
 still in France, I would quit it immediately for the mis- 
 sions of Texas, which I shall only abandon when 
 strength and life are taken from me." He and a Priest 
 companion were the joint proprietors of a single cas- 
 sock, and as they sometimes galloped eighty miles to ad- 
 minister the Sacranients to a sick person, their clothes 
 were in a dilapidated condition; so while' one said Mass, 
 the other was obliged to stay in the house. Even at this 
 hour, missionaries of the same class in Texas continue 
 the same valiant and patient apostolate. 
 
 One day, when traveling through Texas, (Aug 4th, 
 1855), I met Rev. Father Neraz all alone in the woods 
 100 miles from Nacogdoches, where he was residing. 
 Having traveled together for sometime, we camped on 
 the road and he prepared some coffee for me. When I 
 tasted it I exclaimed: "Eh! there is no sugar in your 
 coffee." "Sugar in my coffee," said he, "how could I 
 afford such a luxury, when I received only $92 during 
 the whole of last year." Father Neraz afterwards be- 
 came Bishop of San Antonio and died in 1894. He was 
 certainly of genuine Episcopal timber. 
 
A Te^as Missionary. 
 
 CHAPTER IV, 
 
 Father Verdet, O. M. I. The ill-fated Nauti- 
 lus. Nine Days Floating on a Door. 
 Father Keralum, O. M. I. Making- a Coff- 
 in. Lost in the Chapparals. Dies of 
 Hung-er. Remains found after ten years. 
 My Fourth Tour. A Baptist Minister. 
 Sour milk. How I Paid my Fare. 
 
 Au revoir luxuriant prairies, trees festooned with 
 moss, landscapes varied with fields of brig-ht g-reen 
 maize and with g-roves of dark g-reen pines I Au revoir I 
 From the depths of my cell I shall recall the memory of 
 the dead I the trag-ic deaths of Rev. Fathers C. Verdet, 
 P. Keralum, and P. De Lustrac, O. M. I. In the year 
 1856, the church at Brovnisville on the Rio Grande was 
 just emerg-ing- from its foundation. Rev. Father Ver- 
 det, Superior of the Oblate Fathers in Texas, in order 
 to hasten the construction of the much needed church, 
 decided to undertake a voyage to draw some funds due 
 the mission and to purchase the lumber required for 
 continuing the work. He embarked on the ill-fated 
 Nautilus at Brazos Santiago and arrived at Galveston on 
 the 9th of August at 10 a. m. At that time I was sta- 
 tioned at the college. How well I remember the down- 
 cast, gloomy countenance of Father Verdet as he en- 
 tered my room. He had suffered from the start for two 
 days, the steamer being tossed to and fro like a feather; 
 the Gulf being unusually rough and the weather being 
 stormy. It was with extreme dif&culty that the boat en- 
 tered the harbor at Galveston. We endeavored to induce 
 Rev. Father Verdet to postpone his voyage and wait un- 
 til the following Sunday, when it was announced that a 
 steamer would start for New Orleans. "No," said he, 
 **I cannot wait, I must go now." I accompanied him to 
 
28 Reminiscences of 
 
 the wharf. On the way we saw a g-entleman kissing- 
 his family g-ood-bye. His eyes were moistened. He 
 had never been seen so affected. When we arrived at 
 the wharf we heard a man saying-: "that steamer will 
 never reach New Orleans." Others said: "the wind 
 will subside about sundown." 
 
 The Captain was advised to stay in port for a day 
 or two, for the weather was very threatening-. He ans- 
 wered, that he could not delay his departure, having- on 
 board 200 head of cattle. We ag-ain asked the Father 
 not to proceed, but he said. "I must g-o, my fare g'oing- 
 and returning- is free. It is a God-send, our mission is 
 so poor! To-morrow we shall reach the Mississippi." 
 
 But the next day poor Father Verdet reached eter- 
 nity, and with him all the passeng-ers and crew, except 
 one, a neg-ro, who remained nine days at the mercy of 
 the waves, floating- on a door. He related the catastro- 
 phe as follows : 
 
 "A violent g-ale struck the steamer on the starboard 
 side, just as she was chang-ing- her course to make for 
 land and caused her to capsize. I saw Father Verdet 
 and the Captain, who were cling-ing- to an overturned 
 boat, swept into the sea by a blast of wind." 
 
 He also said that shortly before the wreck, he saw 
 Father Verdet baptizing- the Captain and his son, Ed- 
 ward. Poor boy! he had been prepared by me to be 
 received into the Church and was to be baptized on his 
 return from his vacation. How g-lad he was when 
 starting- to visit his mother in New Orleans. The ne- 
 gro had suffered terribly for the want of sleep and 
 nourishment. He had kept himself alive by sucking- 
 sea-weed. He was rescued just in the nick of time, for 
 then he was almost completely exhausted. It ^was the 
 opinion at the time that the wreck had happened about 
 fifteen miles from land opposite Derniere Isle, a place 
 
A Texas Missionary. 29 
 
 from which at one time 200 bathers were swept away by 
 the sea and drowned. 
 
 Owing- to this sad catastrophe, the work on the 
 church at Brownsville had to be suspended. The Rev. 
 Father Keralum afterwards took charg-e of the w^ork, 
 modified the orig-inal plan, and completed the building-. 
 Rev. Father Keralum, previous to his becoming- a 
 member of the society of the Oblates, had been an archi- 
 tect and had served in that capacity in several Depart- 
 ments of France. But he found himself called to a 
 hig-her state of life and beg-an his ecclesiastical studies 
 in his 28th year, and was ordained a Priest on the 15th 
 of February, 1852, being- then 35 years old. Being- a 
 g-ood designer and architect he was sent to Texas, to 
 superintend the construction of the building-s to be 
 erected in the mission entrusted to the Oblate Society. 
 The church of the Immaculate Conception at Browns- 
 ville, will stand as a monument of his architectural abil- 
 ity for years to come. In fact, it is to-day the most per- 
 fect piece of Gothic architecture to be found in Texas. 
 Father Keralum was an excellent relig-ious and scrupu- 
 lously exact in the discharg-e of his duties. He practi- 
 sed holy poverty to such an extent as to be frequently 
 rebuked by his superiors. His delig-ht was to wear the 
 old cassocks, which others had cast aside. He was 
 careful never to molest any one, and was ever ready to 
 help his brothers in relig-ion. Once, when he had re- 
 turned from a visit to 120 ranches entrusted to his care 
 and zeal, he reached Brownsville at 11 o'clock at nig-ht, 
 but in order not to disturb the community, he lay down 
 and wentto sleepnear theg-raveyard. His sig-htwas very 
 poor and on this account he frequently lost his way and 
 was oblig-ed to sleep upon the damp, cold ground. Once 
 he lost his way and had nothing to eat for three days ex- 
 cept mesquite beans, and the pears of the cactus plants, 
 
30 Reminiscences of 
 
 both growing- so profusely in southwest Texas, the for- 
 mer is food for cattle and horses, and the latter for cattle 
 when there is no grass or anything else for them to eat. 
 One day a Protestant saw him walking along the street 
 with some boards on his shoulder and a hammer in his 
 hand. He said to his wife, who was a Catholic: "I wond- 
 ered where Father Keralum was going with that strange 
 burden. I thought to myself that he must be bound on 
 a mission of charity. So, I followed him and saw him en- 
 ter apoor jacal, or hut on the border of the town. When 
 he arrived there, he immediately set to work to make a 
 cof&n for a poor dead woman, whose corpse was lying 
 on the ground." Poor Father! well do I remember the 
 last time that he went forth from our midst to visit the 
 distant and laborious missions assigned to his loving 
 care and apostolic zeal. Just before departing he said 
 to me: "I have a presentment that I shall never die at 
 home, but if I lose my way in the woods and find myself 
 on the point of death, I shall set my horse free, for it 
 would be a sad thing for the poor animal to die of hun- 
 ger and thirst." As he set out I heard his superior 
 say: "This is the last time I shall send him to the 
 ranches, his sight is too bad." His presentiment turn- 
 ed out to be too true for he never returned. 
 
 His horse was found grazing on the prairie with its 
 lariat hanging from its neck. The question was; what 
 had become of the poor unfortunate missionary. Father 
 Olivier, O. M. I., now Superior of the house at Eagle 
 Pass, was sent out with a number of men to search for 
 him. They searched every nook and corner between 
 the last place which Father Keralum had visited, and 
 the one which he intended to visit next. For several 
 days they searched, but all in vain. No trace of him 
 could be found. Again, what had become of him? 
 There were many suppositions, but nothing certain. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 31 
 
 The first, was, he had been murdered by a man, whom 
 he had refused to marry on account of an impediment 
 Qf "lig-amen." The second, that he had surprised a 
 band of rancheros, who were in the act of hang-ing- a 
 man, and that they killed him in order to silence the on- 
 ly witness of their crime. The matter remained a mys- 
 tery for ten years. 
 
 Aranchero one day sent two servants after four 
 cows that were missing-. His men found the animals 
 caught in a thicket and they could not be extricated ex- 
 cept by cutting- a way throug-h the cacti and bushes. 
 
 The next day, they returned with the necessary 
 tools to open a path through the thicket. After having- 
 worked for some time, one of the men exclaimed: "Ehl 
 what is this? an old rotten saddle hanging- from the 
 limb of a tree." They came nearer and saw some hu- 
 man bones and a chalice. "Oh," they said, "this is 
 certainly the place where Father Keralum died. They 
 immediately started to inform the Justice of the Peace. 
 Father Bretault, who was in charge of the district at 
 that time, happened to be in the neighborhood. He was 
 sent for. The Rev. Father, the Justice of the Peace, 
 and several other persons, went to the spot and found a 
 chalice, a holy oil stock, a small bell, a small holy water 
 bottle, a piece of a rosary, eighteen dollars, eight teeth, 
 some digital bones and a watch. 
 
 All these articles were religiously collected and 
 taken to Brownsville. So what had been a mystery for 
 ten years became an evident fact. The missionary had 
 got lost, and famished and exhausted, had lain down 
 and died. 
 
 Another Oblate, Rev. Father De Lustrac, originally 
 a secular Priest, joined the Oblates in Brownsville in 
 the year 1854. 
 
 In the year 1858 the yellow fever was raging in the 
 
32 Reminiscences of 
 
 town and neig"hborhood. I was called by telegram to 
 see a dying- Irishman at Brazos Santiag-o, thirty-two 
 miles from town. Father De Lustrac volunteered to g-o 
 in my place. Before starting- he said to me : '*If I catch 
 the yellow fever, please tell me frankly when I am in 
 dang-er of death." Three days later the news came 
 that the Father had caug-ht the fever, after having- g-iven 
 the last Sacraments to the sick Irishman. I rode down 
 to Brazos Santiag-o and administered Extreme Unction 
 to the sick Priest. Leaving- him in the care of Mrs. 
 Butler, an excellent Catholic lady, I returned to Browns- 
 ville. Two days later I went to see him and g-ave him 
 the Holy Vatic um and said to him: "Father, you told 
 me to speak frankly to you about your condition, if 
 you were to catch the yellow fever. Now, I am g-oing- 
 to speak to you frankly. You are g-oing- to die. You 
 have only a few hours to live." "Thank God," said 
 he." I then g-ave him the last absolution. Shortly after 
 he exclaimed: "Father, let us g-o there, it is beauti- 
 full" "Where?" said I. "To Heaven, of course," he 
 replied. An hour later he was dead. Blessed are the 
 dead who die in the Lord I His remains were interred 
 at Point Isabel the following- morning-, and eleven years 
 later they were disinterred and broug-ht to Brownsville, 
 where a larg-e and sympathetic cong-reg-ation came to the 
 church to look upon his remains and those of Father 
 Keralum, two martys of duty placed side by side on the 
 same catafalque. 
 
 In the saddle ag-aini Oh, how delig-htf ul it is to 
 roam once more over prairies, throug-h pine g-roves and 
 forests, after one has passed a session as teacher in a 
 college-class room. This year (1855) St. Mary's Col- 
 leg-e received its charter by an act of the Texas Leg-is- 
 lature and was empowered to confer University diplo- 
 mas and deg-rees. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 33 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 San Antonio. The Mysteries of a Convent. 
 The Girl is really Dead. What was found 
 under the Statue. Grasshoppers. Exor- 
 cism. 
 
 Since 1855 the Galveston College has borne the grand 
 title of St. Mary's University. During its first year's 
 vacation it was my lot and pleasure to travel over Texas, 
 on a half-breed American horse, with my saddle-bag, con- 
 taining five hundred prospectuses of the new University. 
 As I went along I was surprised to behold the progress 
 which the Catholic Church was making in Texas. My 
 starting point was Turtle Bayou, where I went to see 
 Father Baudre, the president of the new university, who 
 was enjoying his vacation in hunting cardinals or red 
 birds and fishing for young alligators. On I went for Lib- 
 erty, where, scarcely two years previous, I had held di- 
 vine service in a private residence. There I found that 
 a frame church had been erected and Rev. Fr. Eacour 
 had been appointed its first resident Pastor. 
 
 At Nacogdoches Father Hagerty was teaching 
 school, whilst Father Neraz was busy making his col- 
 lection of corn, going from ranch to ranch and driving 
 a Mexican cart. I accompanied him on one of his col- 
 lecting trips. In two days he had his two-wheeled ve- 
 hicle loaded with corn, which he carried home. The 
 people could not give money for his support, so they 
 gave him corn. 
 
 He repeated this operation until he had seen all his 
 parishioners, giving them his blessing after receiving 
 their "tithes of corn." H Esdras XHI, 5. Shortly aft- 
 er my arrival, there came from Arkansas Rev. Father 
 Martin, and from Spann's settlement, Rev. Father Gon- 
 nard. One had come from the north about 250 miles 
 
34 Reminiscences of 
 
 and the other about 100 miles from the South, to settle 
 their spiritual accounts. In those days it was strang-e 
 to see five Priests g-athered tog^ether in the same place, 
 in that sparsely inhabited country. The following- 
 Monday we sang- a Solemn Mass of Requiem for all the 
 Priests, who had died in Texas. The church was crow- 
 ded to witness that unwonted spectacle. 
 
 At Frelsburg-, in Colorado Co., there was a church 
 built of cheap materials, but the Pastor of that church 
 was one of the most extraordinary men I ever saw. He 
 ^was a g-ood painter, and mechanic, and a real g-enius in 
 reg-ard to inventions. I think he had conceived the idea 
 of the velocipede, long- before the velocipede itself was 
 ever manufactured. He could mend a watch as rapidly 
 as the best watchmaker, and could make toys "ad in- 
 finitum." At present he is the Pastor of Fredericks- 
 burg, and althoug-h 75 years of age attends to a widely 
 scattered parish. His name is Rev. Peter Tarrillion 
 and he is highly esteemed by all who know him. As a 
 man of the world he could have made a fortune, but he 
 preferred to consecrate his life and service to the church 
 in the wilds of Texas. I think he is the only survivor 
 of the eig-hteen seminarians, who came to Texas in 1852. 
 
 I passed through Brenham, Elling-er, Independence, 
 and LaGrang-e leaving- a few prospectuses at each place. 
 At LaGrang-e I crossed the Colorado river, and at the 
 place where a monument had been erected to the heroes 
 of Texas Independence I met a Baptist minister, who 
 was just coming- back from a camp-meeting-. Among- 
 other droll thing-s, he said that his church was older than 
 the Catholic Church, for it had been founded by John 
 the Baptist. I asked him if he could prove it, and he 
 said that he could. I asked him how the Baptists were 
 called, before they assumed the name of Baptists, and 
 he said they were called Anabaptists. I then asked him 
 
A Texas Missionary. 35 
 
 what they were called before there were any Anabap- 
 tists on the face of the earth; he replied that they were 
 called Waldeness and Albig-enses. "I know the orig-in 
 of these heretics, but where was your church before 
 their appearance in the twelfth century?" "Oh," said 
 he, "our church was hidden among-st the Lollards in 
 England." "But before the appearance of the Lollards, 
 where was your church?" "Well," said he, "to tell the 
 truth, I don't know." Later on I met another minister, 
 who assisted at my Mass, and who wanted to buy a mis- 
 sal, because, as he said, he knew Latin and would adapt 
 a few passages from the Mass-book to his divine wor- 
 ship. One day I took breakfast with a young man, who 
 a year previous had been a cow-boy, but who was now a 
 licensed preacher. "Preaching," as a lady remarked, 
 "was a better paying business for him than running 
 after cows, and required less trouble." 
 
 Arriving at Halletsville one evening at sundown, I 
 pushed on at a rapid pace to reach a place three miles 
 distant, where there was a church and a Priest. When 
 I arrived at the house the Priest could not be found. 
 Being hungry I opened the kitchen door and found a 
 panful of sour milk and a sack of dried apples. That, 
 at least, was enough to keep me alive for the time being. 
 My horse too was hungry, and for this reason I was ob- 
 liged to steal a few ears of corn for him out of the 
 Priest's cornfield, I then said my night prayers and 
 went to bed. The next morning I put a handful of dri- 
 ed apples in my pocket and went in search of the Priest, 
 who, as I was told, was at the Brushy settlement. I 
 traveled the entire day in a zig-zag manner, till at last I 
 saw a log-house in the forest and Father Faure with a 
 hatchet in his hands, giving a finishing touch to the 
 work. I asked his pardon for stealing his apples and 
 corn. The following day, I left for Victoria where, in 
 
36 Reminiscencea of 
 
 company with Father Anstaett, I enjoyed the hospita- 
 lity of Mr. John Linn, who came to Texas early in the 
 thirties and at that time was the only American south 
 of the Colorado river. After having- visited Goliad and 
 its old Mission Church, which recalled to my memory 
 Fannin's massacre, I started on my way back to Gal- 
 veston, passing- throug-h prairies and forests, crossing- 
 rivers and creeks, sometimes with something- and some- 
 times with nothing- to eat; sometimes sleeping- under a 
 hospitable roof and sometimes under thebroad canopy of 
 heaven; paying- my fare, w^hen in a hotel, with old news- 
 papers, for my purse was empty and newspapers were 
 a g-reat rarity in those days in the back-woods of Texas. 
 To a certain hotel keeper, whom old newspapers w^ould 
 not satisfy, I g-ave my razor and my compass in payment; 
 Finally, I g-ave a boatman my umbrella in payment for 
 taking- me from the main land to the south end of Gal- 
 veston Island. I was still thirty miles from the city. 
 Pinched by hunger I ate with g-usto a well-roasted wild 
 duck in the house of a family at the point of the island, 
 giving in exchang-e for it my pocket-knife, which hig-hly 
 pleased the landlady. 
 
 Fifteen boarders for the University was the result 
 of my tour through the highlands and lowlands of Tex- 
 as, together with the knowledge which I acquired of 
 things in general and the progress of the Church in par- 
 ticular. Still the progress of the Church was restrict- 
 ed to a certain limit, for, if a line were drawn from 
 Eagle Pass through Fredericksburg and up to Nacog- 
 doches, there would not be found a single Priest in Tex- 
 as north of this line, except one at Ysleta near El Paso. 
 If in 1855 a traveller had crossed the prairies and forests 
 where Sherman, Denison, Fort Worth, and Dallas now 
 stand and if he had been told that in the year 1890 there 
 would be a diocese with a Bishop, forty Priests, eleven 
 
A Texas Missionary. 37 
 
 academies, nineteen parochial schools, and 20,000 Catho- 
 lics he would have laug-hed at the idea and looked upon 
 the one declaring- such a thing- as a dreamer. What 
 would have been considered at that time as a dream is 
 now" an accomplished fact. 
 
 This is the end of my three years Mission throug"h 
 Texas and Western Louisiana. I w^as a happy man, in 
 the bloom of life, with a sound constitution and a hearty 
 appetite, having- sometimes an abundance of sweet 
 potatoes, corn-bread and bacon washed down by a certain 
 black liquid, they called coffee; sometimes nothing- but 
 pure air and water to refresh my lung-s and quiet the 
 cravings of the inner man. Fifty times I slept under 
 the canopy of heaven in the endless prairies and road- 
 less forests, but happy in the consciousness of doing- 
 g-ood. 
 
 Three hundred infants and ninety adults baptized 
 were the principal fruit of my wandering-s. These 
 baptisms are consig-ned in the church records of Gal- 
 veston, Beaumont: Texas; and Grand Coteau and 
 Natchitoches: Louisiana. 
 
 Three years in the saddle ! Now three years in the 
 chair of mathematics, but with nothing- worth relating- 
 beyond the daily routine of a colleg"e life. In October 
 (1857) the Oblate Fathers of Galveston w^ere ordered to 
 go to Brownsville, to take part in missionary work on the 
 frontier of Texas. Father Vignolle and I took the 
 steamer to Indianola, and w^ent from there to Browns- 
 ville by land. On the road our carriage was stuck in the 
 mud a number of times, and our horse w^as completely 
 worn out before w^e reached San Patricio. At San Pa- 
 tricio we purchased a strong horse to carry us through 
 the sandy district, where we became acquainted with 
 the tortilla. Bread in the Mexican ranches is not a 
 wheaten loaf, but thin tortillas made from corn meal 
 
38 Reminiscences of 
 
 without any yeast. The women soften the corn in lime 
 water and place it on a flat stone called a metate, and 
 then with another stone shaped like a rolling*-pin they 
 g-rind the corn into a paste. This paste is then patted 
 with the hands into thin cakes and baked quickly on a 
 metal plate. Tortillas and frijoles (beans) are the prin- 
 cipal food of the Mexican ranchero. This bill of fare is 
 hardly ever chang^ed by the poor, sometimes they have 
 frijoles and chile (red pepper), an eg-g- or two, chile con 
 carne (red pepper with meat), or soft red pepper. 
 The manner of eating- tortillas and frijoles is soon 
 learned by Americans or any others, who have been 
 among-st the poorer class of Mexicans. They spread 
 the beans or eg-g-s on the thin cake, using- it as a plate. 
 Then they double up another cake, which they use as a 
 spoon, and with this they convey the beans or egg-s to 
 the mouth. When the beans have been eaten, they con- 
 sume the plate and the spoon. 
 
 We arrived at Brownsville on a Saturday. I was in- 
 vited to sing- Mass on the following- day and to announce 
 that, for the future, I was to be the parish Priest of the 
 American cong-reg-ation, but "Man proposes and God 
 disposes." Just after Mass the following- day Rev. Fr. 
 Gaudet received a letter from Bishop Odin, asking- him 
 to send two Priests to San Antonio immediately, one to 
 take charg-e of the Mexican cong-reg-ation, which atten- 
 ded the church of San Fernando, and the other to take 
 charge of the American congregation, that attended St. 
 Mary's church. On the Monday following at 5 a. m. 
 my companion. Rev. Father Gaye and I, were on the road 
 to San Antonio. The journey lasted nine days; we lost 
 one day on account of a high fever, which had attacked 
 me. I recovered from it by drinking a bottle of wine, 
 sweetened with quinine. Nothing of importance hap- 
 pened on the road, except that one day we had to cross 
 
A Texas Missionary. 39 
 
 a swollen creek by going one after the other astride a 
 bundle of hay enclosed in a cowhide. This funny con- 
 veyance was directed across the creek by a Mexican, 
 w^ho was an excellent swimmer. We arrived in San An- 
 tonio on All Saints' Eve at 9 p.m. Bishop Odin invited 
 me to sing- Mass the following- day in St. Mary's church 
 at 10:30 a. m. and at the same time to announce to the 
 cong-reg-ation, that I had been appointed the parish 
 Priest pro-tem. During- the absence of Rev. Father Du- 
 buis, who was in France. At the same time I w^as Chap- 
 lain of the Ursuline Convent. One day a band of tour- 
 ists from the North came to San Antonio and hearing- 
 that I was the Chaplain of the Ursuline Convent, they 
 asked me if they would be allowed to see the inside of 
 the convent and to examine its secrets, as they had 
 never done so before. They were all Protestants. I 
 told them that they would be allowed with pleasure to 
 visit the convent, examine its secrets, and converse 
 with the nuns. I appointed the precise time when I 
 would meet them at the convent g-ate and introduce them 
 to the Sisters. At the appointed time, I found them at 
 the convent door impatiently waiting- to be admitted. 
 They entered and were introduced to the Sisters in the 
 community room. After talking- with the nuns for some 
 time, they were invited to visit all the apartments of the 
 building-. After doing- so, they came out satisfied that 
 there were no arms, no dark chambers, no dung-eons, 
 and no secret passag-e ways whatever, to be found in 
 Catholic convents. As they left, I said to them: "You 
 have seen one cloister, and in seeing- it you have seen 
 them all." Their conviction about the nuns was that they 
 were very amiable and hig-hly educated ladies. 
 
 In the month of December (1857) three g-entlemen 
 came to San Antonio from Austin. One of them was the 
 father of a young- lady whohad died six months previous, 
 
40 Reminiscences of 
 
 while she was a boarder in the Ursuline Convent. A re- 
 port was spread in Austin that the young- lady was not 
 dead, but that she had been secretly taken to another 
 convent, or had been sent to France. The father, in or- 
 der to silence this false report, had the g-rave and the 
 coffin of his dead daug-hter opened. Two witnesses and 
 I were present, when the white veil, which covered the 
 face of the dead g-irl, was removed by her father. "Oh! 
 poor child," said he. There were nosig-ns of corruption 
 as yet and her features were well preserved. An affi- 
 davit was written and sig-ned: this silenced the false re- 
 port. The young- lady was a Protestant, and had several 
 times expressed to her father her desire of becoming- a 
 Catholic. But each time her request was refused with 
 scorn. Shortly after her death as the Sister Sacristan 
 was cleaning- and dusting- in the chapel, she removed the 
 statue of the Blessed Virgin and beneath it she found a 
 letter written by this young lady to the Mother of God, 
 in which she besought her to obtain for her from her. Di- 
 vine Son, the grace of receiving Baptism and Holy Com- 
 munion. The Blessed Virgin granted the prayer, for 
 the young lady was baptized and received her First 
 Holy Communion three days before her happy death. 
 
 Onthe20thof April(1858), the MotherSuperiorof the 
 Ursuline Convent said to me in the morning after Mass: 
 "Thank God!. The grasshoppers have respected our 
 garden so far." Clouds of these insects had spread de- 
 solation far and wide throughout the city, and myriads 
 of these destroyers were to be seen, hopping along the 
 ground and laying waste in a few hours all the verdure 
 which they found in their passage. About 9 a. m. the 
 same day, I was called to go immediately to the convent. 
 The fell destroyers were there by the millions beginning 
 their work of destruction on the beautiful and valuable 
 garden. I immediately started for the scene of the dread 
 
A Texas Missionary. 41 
 
 visitation; there were thousands of these insects to the 
 square yard. I told the Sisters to go into the chapel and 
 say the Litany of the Saints, while I recited the Exor- 
 cisms of the Ritual. One of the Sisters, who is still alive, 
 seeing- one of these pests alig-hting- on her sleeve, crushed 
 it, saying- at the same time, "Lord, crush them all as I 
 do this one." After this we went to the garden and I 
 declare that not a sing-leone of these insects could be seen. 
 
 I am now g-etting- old. In the year 1858 I baptized a 
 young* lady 18 years of ag-e. I happened to meet her six 
 weeks ag-o for the first time since she had been received 
 into the Church. Seeing- this venerable old lady, I said 
 to myself , "I am g-etting- old." Two g-r and sons of this 
 lady, who is now about 58 years of ag-e, are altar boys at 
 St. Mary's Church. Who is the writer of these lines? 
 this is a question asked by many. Well, I am an O. M. 
 I., which means Oblate of Mary Immaculate, But who 
 are the Oblates? For the benefit of those, who do not 
 know and who are anxious to know who they are, here 
 is a compendium of their history : 
 
 The Oblates are a society of missionary Priests, who 
 were approved by Leo XII. This approval was g-iven on 
 the I7th of February A. D. 1826, and the letters of ap- 
 proval "in forma specifica" are dated March 21st, 1826. 
 The cong-reg-ation is at present divided into five provin- 
 ces and nine Missionary Vicariates. Moreover houses 
 have lately been established, namely, two in Holland, 
 two in the Island of Jersey, one in Madrid in Spain, and 
 two in Germany. 
 
 The Oblates have five missions in Texas, five in Mas- 
 sachusetts, and two in New York State. They have 
 charg-e of half the island of Ceylon and the greater part 
 of British North America. They have twelve establish- 
 ments in Eng-land, Ireland, and Scotland, and five in 
 Africa. The province of Canada has eleven establish- 
 
42 Reminiscences of 
 
 ments and Rome two. This ends the First Part of the 
 Reminiscences. Part Second will treat of episodes and 
 incidents which happened on the Mexican side of the 
 Rio Grande, Part Third of those on the American side 
 of the same river, and Part Fourth of my journey from 
 Mexico to Rome. 
 
A Texas Missionarj'. 43 
 
 PART II. 
 
 MEXICAN SIDE OF THE RIO GRANDE 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A Saint? The Whole Country Astir. Tatita 
 the Impostor. A Sig-ht. A dangerous in- 
 terview. The Hypocrite tries to Arouse 
 the Multitude. The Mayor Alarmed. 
 Tumult. Armed Protection Necessary. 
 Tatita Killed. 
 
 It occurred in 1860. The rumor had been current 
 for some time that a Saint had appeared in the 
 mountains of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and that he was 
 working- astounding- miracles, healing- all kinds of 
 diseases which man is heir to, and foretelling- future 
 events. Men, women, and children were seen on 
 the roads leaving- their homes and their occupations, 
 in order to pay their respects to the Saint, or to 
 be cured of some -disease. ^Many came to consult me 
 before undertaking- the journey. My answer was "The 
 hand of God is not shortened. What has been seen so 
 often may be repeated for the edification of the faithful, 
 and the conversion of sinners." 
 
 It happened at the time that Mg-r. Verea, Bishop of 
 Monterey, asked the Superior of the Missionary Oblate 
 Fathers of Brownsville to send one of his Priests to a 
 parish called Reynosa, situated sixty miles from Browns- 
 ville, to minister to the spiritual wants of that city which 
 was without a Pastor. I was sent. When I arrived at 
 the place, the Mayor of the city came to see me, saying- 
 that when it had been announced that I had arrived he 
 and the Aldermen, who were just g"oing- to see theSaint, 
 had resolved to go to Confession and Communion in a 
 
44 Reminiscences of 
 
 body before starting-. The Saint had just reached a place 
 called Mier, about sixty miles from Reynosa. I advised 
 the Mayor and the Aldermen to postpone their journey, 
 until I had seen the man myself. The following- day was 
 Sunday, and I said Mass, but the church was not well 
 tilled, for many of the parishioners had already g-one to 
 see the Saint. After Mass I also set out to see him, with 
 the sole intention of investig-ating- his claims and pre- 
 tentions. Was the man a Saint or an impostor? On ar- 
 riving- at Camarg-o, which is about half way between Rey- 
 nosa and Mier, I spent the nig-ht in the Priest's house, 
 where I heard of several acts and circumstances, concern- 
 ing- the man, which, if true, would clearly prove that he 
 was simply a hypocrite and an impostor. As I continued 
 my journey I saw crowds of pilg-rims on their way to 
 visit Tatita. I also saw invalids carried to him, in 
 vehicles of every description. I reached Mier at 8 p. m. 
 The streets were crowded with strang-ers, and the prin- 
 cipal plaza of the city was packed with human being-s, all 
 on their knees, reciting- the Rosary with this sing-ular 
 personag-e, who was looked upon as a Saint. With g-reat 
 difficulty I approached nearer and nearer, till I came in 
 full view of the man. He appeared to be about 60 years 
 old, with stolid features. His hair and beard seemed un- 
 acquainted with comb and brush. He wore a kind of 
 Franciscan g-arment reaching- to a little belowthe knees, 
 and a long- cord knotted at the end, hung- down by his 
 
 side as far as his feet. 
 
 A Rosary with larg-e beads hung- from his neck, and 
 he wore sandals on his feet. These were his principal 
 external characteristics. He was kneeling- before 100 
 lig-hted candles, which were stuck in the g-round in the 
 form of a cross. These candles he extinguished him- 
 self and g-ave as a reason for so doing-, that any one else 
 attempting- to exting-uish them would drop dead on the 
 
A Texas Missionary. 45 
 
 Spot. Close by was a coarse, wooden cross, about five 
 feet long-, which he used to carry on his shoulders dur- 
 ing his wandering-s, which were constantly performed 
 on foot. But here is the most curious part of the farce. 
 He stood up and began to preach, and this is a compend- 
 ium of his doctrine, which I heard distinctly: '*My 
 brethren! The new religion, which I am sent to deliver 
 to you, was revealed to me by Almighty God Himself, 
 for the Mexican nation. It consists exclusively in three 
 things: To adore the Eternal Father and the Holy 
 Cross, and to say the Rosary. Confession, Mass, and all 
 other religious practices are abolished. Follow me, adore 
 the Cross, and you shall be saved." This nonsense did 
 not surprise me very much, but I was pained to see 
 such a multitude paying the most respectful attention 
 to his false declarations. Oh, I said to myself, for the 
 honor of religion, this man's scheme must be frustrated. 
 I immediately directed my steps to the Pastor of the 
 place, who was exceedingly glad to see me. '' My whole 
 parish," he said, "has abandoned me to follow this char- 
 latan, this diabolical hypocrite. Last Sunday I had only 
 six women at Mass." I assured the Priest that I would 
 do all in my power to show the people that the man, 
 instead of being a Saint, was a dangerous impostor, 
 teaching a heretical doctrine. When I informed the 
 Pastor that I intended to go and see how things were 
 going on, he exclaimed: " Don't go, for if they suspect 
 your intention, you will not return to my house alive; 
 I have not left my house since he arrived here. The 
 impostor has 300 Hermanos (Brothers) armed to the 
 teeth, who draw their share of the profits. An Ameri- 
 can is the manager of the whole affair. Be prudent, 
 they are the dregs of society, who have found an easy 
 way of living comfortably and pleasantly without much 
 labor. This man, it is true, has performed some won 
 
46 Reminiscences of 
 
 derful cures, but all within the province of nature. His 
 medicines are pure water, mescal, herbs and roots. He 
 is quite successful in treating- ordinary diseases, and he 
 makes the people believe that all his cures are per- 
 formed throug-h supernatural ag-encies." 
 
 I understood at once, that the situation was not 
 at all smooth; nevertheless, I resolved to act with 
 the assistance of God, and recommending- the affair 
 to Our Blessed Mother, who always helped me in 
 difficult circumstances, I resolved to confront the 
 man and his followers. This man was called Tatita, 
 which is an affectionate term for g-randfather. The 
 following- day after having- said Mass, I went on my 
 self-imposed mission, thinking- I should render a 
 g-reat service to relig-ion, if I could succeed in expo- 
 sing- this hu^e imposture. I went directly to the 
 place where "Father" Tatita lodg-ed. It was a large 
 room, situated on an elevated platform, from which a 
 perfect view could be had of the plaza, or public square 
 below. I passed throug-h the crowd, and as I was doing" 
 so, I heard some of them saying-: "There g-oes the 
 American Priest, who is to confront Tatita." (They 
 called me so, because all who come from the American 
 side of the river, are called Americans.) The suspicion 
 that I had come to investig-ate the whole affair and pro- 
 nounce my judgment regarding it, had already entered 
 
 into the minds of the crowd. 
 
 It was 10 o'clock when I ascended the platform, 
 which was already crowded with inquisitive people. 
 Among them I recognized two of my acquaintances, 
 who offered to accompany me, for said they, "You 
 may need our assistance." I entered the room where 
 Tatita was awaiting me. He received me kindly, 
 and brought me to an altar, in the centre of which 
 was a large cross. He then lit two candles and in- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 47 
 
 vitedmetosay the Rosary with him. I refused to pray 
 with him, and unceremoniously blew out the candles. 
 I endeavored to convince the man of the evil consequen- 
 ces of his false doctrine, which cast odium on religion 
 and Priests, and led the ignorant into error, but his 
 demeanor revealed the perfect hypocrite and impostor. 
 When he heard of my arrival, he told his Hermanos 
 (Brothers) that the Eternal Father had revealed to him 
 that I was forthcoming. When I told him he was doing 
 the devil's work, feigning sanctity under the cloak of 
 religion, deceiving the weak and the ignorant, making 
 them believe that all his cures were the work of super, 
 natural agencies, the better to deceive the credulous, he 
 lifted up his eyes and exclaimed: "The Holy Cross is 
 my protection." Then I told him that the hand of God 
 would smite him one day, that he would die unshriven, 
 and be dragged to hell. " Oh I but I am going to change 
 my life," he said; "I am going to build a hermitage and 
 lead the life of a recluse in future and do penance." Oh I 
 the hypocrite! After lecturing the man for over an 
 
 hour, I went out of his room. . 
 
 The men who were at the door expressed their sur- 
 prise when they saw me put out the lights and not drop 
 dead. I spoke to the multitude from the platform. The 
 plaza below was crowded, the Hermanos and thousands 
 of others were there awaiting impatiently for the result 
 of the interview. Commanding silence and attention, I 
 said, "Brethren and Catholic Mexicans listen to me. I 
 have left my mission for your own sakes. Keep away 
 from this man, he is not a Saint but a hypocrite and an 
 impostor."— Here arose a tumult of angry disapproval— 
 But I continued:— "Our Savior said of His Apostles and 
 Priests, 'Those who hear you, hear me, but those who 
 despise you, despise me." Listen to my friendly voice. 
 If this man would confine himself toadministeringnatural 
 
48 Reminiscences of 
 
 remedies and not with a semblance of relig-ion, mix heresy, 
 superstition, and deception, with his dealing's in medi- 
 cines, he would be let alone. But when a man announces 
 himself as a messeng-er of God, and a framer of a new 
 relig"ion, different from the one, holy Catholic religion, 
 believe him not, he is a deceiver." Shortly after my 
 friendly admonition, the two acquaintances of mine 
 already spoken of, came to apprise me of a dangerous 
 commotion among- the crowd. They, perceiving that the 
 cries g-rew louder and louder, went to consult his honor 
 the Mayor, advising- me to remain quietly on the platform 
 until their return. After about a quarter of an hour my 
 two friends came back, telling- me that the Mayor wanted 
 to see me in the municipal palace at once. I stepped down 
 from the platform and accompanied by my two friends, 
 one on each side of me and each carrying a loaded car- 
 bine, passed through the crowd and arriving- at the palace 
 we found the Mayor and the Aldermen assembled to con- 
 sider the situation and save me from the perilous predica- 
 ment. I was received by the Mayor with the following- 
 consoling- words: "Father you are a disturber of the 
 public peace, and according to the law I can have you 
 arrested and put in jail. Now we are assembled to see 
 what is the best means to pacify the people." I advised 
 the Mayor to g-et 100 soldiers for protection, then by 
 appearing- before the crowd and talking- kindly to them, 
 we might be able to put down the tumult. "No," said 
 the Mayor, "among- the crowd you have desperate and 
 unprincipled characters whom we do not know, who come 
 from afar off and who know how to handle a stiletto, there 
 would certainly be blood shed. Stay here, I will g-o my- 
 self to the plaza and study the situation." Half an hour 
 later the Mayor came back bring-ing the news thatTatita 
 had addressed the crowd, calling- on them all to avenge 
 him, and endeavor to save his mission, terribly shaken 
 
A Texas Missiontiry. 49 
 
 by the words of that Priest from the other side of the 
 river. The Hermanos had sworn to take my life, and 
 were actually preparing- to come and do so. The Mayor 
 stopped them by raising- his rod of jurisdiction and tell- 
 ing- them to desist,otherwisehe would use military force, 
 and treat them according- to the law. Then the Mayor 
 told me to leave the place at once, and that he would g-et 
 fifty soldiers ready to accompany me on the road, until 
 all dang-er had disappeared, "if, "said he," ithadnot been 
 for my timely arrival among- the crowd you would now 
 be in eternity." The Pastor of the place seeing- the turn 
 thing-s had taken, left the city and accompanied me, fear-- 
 ing- for his life among- those desperadoes. We arrived 
 safely at Camarg-o, where we spent the nig-ht. The fol- 
 lowing- day I was at Reynosa. Three days later the news 
 came that on the day we left, if it had not been for the 
 timely presence of the Mayor those infatuated despera- 
 does would have taken my life, just as I was crossing-the 
 creek that runs by the city. We also received the news 
 that Tatita had been killed the day after my departure. 
 Three thousand admirers of the man had left Mier. The 
 poor man being- disheartened had resolved to abandon 
 the place, and seek for more favorable quarters. This 
 is how the killing- happened. A young- man from a neig-h- 
 boring- villag-e g-athered a certain number of comrades 
 and resolved to go and meet Tatita on the road and kill 
 him because he said, such a man as that would bring- 
 shame and dishonor on relig-ion and our country. Viva 
 Mexico! They met the man and his followers, sitting- 
 on the g-rass taking- dinner. Tatita and one of his fol- 
 lowers were killed, and four others wounded. Thus 
 ended the most tragical episode of my life. Had I been 
 consulted, my advice would have been; "Let the man 
 go back quietly to his mountains, gather herbs, and use 
 his knowledge for the benefit of mankind, but let him not 
 
50 Reminiscences of 
 
 bring- discredit on relig-ion by imposing- on the innocent 
 and the credulous the belief that he is an ambassador of 
 God to teach a new and easy religion. God have mercy 
 on his soul." 
 
 The parish of Reynosa had been sorely neglected 
 for many years, and the church was in a dilapidated con- 
 dition. It took me fifteen days with two men to restore 
 the edifice to a decent appearance. The spiritual work 
 was slower. The result of my first visit which lasted 
 one month, was one confession heard. On a second visit 
 I had the additional consolation of hearing- two confes- 
 sions. My third visit was on the occasion of the celebra- 
 tion of O. L. of Guadalupe; the national feast of Mexico. 
 I first announced a g-rand illumination. The money 
 poured in abundantly. In the evening- the church was 
 ablaze and two hundred lights on the tower illuminated 
 the plaza. After the nig-ht service, the young- people or- 
 g-anized a fandang-o, and danced to a late hour of the nig-ht, 
 in front of the church and I paid for the lig-ht!!! I 
 returned to Brownsville, but not at all discourag-ed. 
 During- my next visit which lasted two months, sixty-five 
 children made their first communion, and three hundred 
 souls performed their Easter duty. This example and 
 many others of the same nature which I witnessed dur- 
 ing- Missions g-iven in Mexico, prove that Mexicans may 
 be remiss, but without a doubt, their faith is built on the 
 rock of Peter. 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Leyes de Reforma. Exiles. The Bishop of 
 San Luis Potosi. Mg-r. Verea, Bishop of 
 Monterey. Tu quoque Ramirez!!! A 
 Bishop Who Never Entered His Diocese. 
 Sudden Death. Buried on Sand-Hills. 
 
 It would require a g-ood writer to do justice to this 
 chapter, and I do not undertake the task of relating- the 
 
A Tej^as Missionarj-. 51 
 
 complete history of those times, but only a few facts 
 which fell under my observation. The formal persecu- 
 tion of the Mexican Government ag-ainst the clerg-y 
 (both male and female) "el clero de ambos sexos" as 
 expressed in the "laws of reform," orig-inated in 1857. 
 One of the first acts in the order of time was the fol- 
 lowing- : 
 
 On the 30th of June, 1858, Zuazua, one of the chiefs 
 of " La Ref orma" besieg-ed and took possession of the 
 city of San Luis Potosi. As soon as the soldiers entered 
 the city they ran throug-h the streets vociferating-, and 
 ransacking- the houses of those whom they thoug-ht to be 
 opposed to their party. Some of these outlaws went to 
 the Bishop's house and knocking at the door with the 
 butts of their muskets, cried out, "Muera el Obispo!" 
 (Death to the Bishop.) The Bishop came out on the 
 balcony to confront these savag-es. When His Lordship 
 appeared they grossly insulted him and one of them 
 levelled his gun at him. The Bishop went down stairs 
 to the court-yard "el patio," numerous shots were dis- 
 charged against the door, which was finally burst open. 
 The frantic knaves entered, headed by an officer, who 
 cried out: "Mueran el Obispo y el clero." (Death to 
 the Bishop and clergy.) Six days later an attorney at 
 law, Licenciado Gomez, entered the Bishop's palace and 
 notified His Lordship, that, by order of Zuazua, he was 
 asked to bekindenoughtogivehimfifty thousand dollars. 
 "What!" said the Bishop, "Is it a dream? Miramon 
 asked me for the loan of three thousand dollars, and I 
 could not afford it for the simple reason, that Vidauri 
 left me penniless by confiscating the tithes of last year, 
 which was all that I had in my possession. The confra- 
 ternities had property, but it has all been confiscated." 
 
 Then the Licenciado changed his tone of conversa- 
 tion, and said he was one of the best Catholics in the land; 
 
52 Reminiscences of 
 
 that he knew all the precepts of the Church, but that he 
 saw with pain that the Bishops were the cause of the 
 revolutions in Mexico and of the bloodshed in the country, 
 and that Zuazua would feel highly indig-nant at His Lord- 
 ship's refusal. "I cannot help it," replied the Bishop: 
 "for the very simple reason thati cannotg-ive that which 
 I have not. So, g-ood morning", Senor Licenciado." The 
 conference had lasted two hours before they separated. 
 On the 14th of July, at 4 o'clock a. m., a band of soldiers 
 headed by an officer, came to the Bishop's house bearing- 
 an order from Zuazua, condemning- the Bishop and 
 twenty-six of his Clerg-y to exile. "Very well," said the 
 Bishop, "we shall be ready tomorrow." 
 
 "Not to-morrow," said the officer, "but to-day and 
 at this very moment, and if you hesitate I have orders to 
 shoot you dead." The ruffians did not even g-ive the 
 Bishop time to take his breviary. The Priests and other 
 clerics were furnished with jaded horses or donkeys and 
 were not even allowed time to take the most necessary 
 articles for travel. Some had nothing- on their feet but 
 poor sandals, others were without hats, and none could 
 g-et their breviaries. One of the Priests was 80 years 
 old, another declared that he could not possibly g-o on 
 horseback. "Then g-o on foot," said the rude and impu- 
 dent officer. Thus these poor men were doomed to exile 
 without knowing- the reason why. One hundred and 
 thirty soldiers were detailed to accompany them. It is 
 incredible, what the Bishop and his Clerg-y had to suffer 
 during- their painful journey. Upon their arrival at 
 Brownsville, the Oblate Fathers did all in their power to 
 mitig-ate their suffering's and their exile. 
 
 These details are taken from a seventeen pag-e pamph- 
 let written by the exiled Bishop, Mg-r. Peter Barajas, and 
 printed at New Orleans in the office of the Franco- 
 American, 136 Chartres street. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 53 
 
 Rt. Rev. F. Verea, Bishop of Monterey, during- the 
 political troubles of Mexico in 1859-1860, came to Browns- 
 ville, and was the g-uest of the Oblate Fathers for nearly 
 three months prior to his departure for Europe. His 
 Lordship was accompanied by his secretary and two 
 Franciscan friars, named Ramirez and Gonzales. The 
 Bishop preached all the Lenten sermons. His homilies 
 were very instructive and interesting-, so also were his 
 conversations, especially when relating- the many epis- 
 odes of his long- career in the ministry as a Priest and as 
 a Bishop. During- one of his Pastoral visits, he was 
 attacked by a band of robbers, who very respectfully 
 demanded his money or his life. The Bishop and his 
 secretary g-ave them what money they had, then the hig-h- 
 waymen knelt down and relig-iously asked the Bishop for 
 his blessing-. 
 
 After Easter the Bishop and his companions left for 
 Rome to ask His Holiness to erect a Vicariate Apostolic 
 in this State of Tamaulipas, then a portion of his vast 
 diocese, a request which was g-ranted by the Pope. 
 Shortly after his arrival, His Lordship and his compan- 
 ions were g-iven a special audience by the Holy Father, 
 who asked the Bishop, "Have you already selected a 
 worthy Priest to be presented for election?" " Not yet, 
 Holy Father, "replied the Bishop. Then the Pope looking- 
 at Father Ramirez asked the Bishop, "How would this 
 man do?" "Holy Father," said the Bishop, ''he is an 
 able man, physically, mentally, and relig-iously." Then 
 the Pope, addressing- Father Ramirez, said, "Thou art 
 a Bishop, g-o into solitude and prepare for your consec- 
 ration." The newly consecrated Bishop never entered 
 his diocese, but went to the City of Mexico, where he 
 espoused the cause of Maximilian and became an ardent 
 advocate of the Empire. Later on, he became the Grand 
 Almoner of Carlota. 
 
54 Reminiscences of 
 
 His Lordship was one of the four envoys chosen by 
 the Emperor, to arrang-e a compromise with the Pope 
 in reg-ard to the "laws of reform." His Holiness could 
 not accept the proposals of the Embassy, and emphati- 
 cally declared "non possumus." Then casting- an indig-- 
 nant look on the Bishop, he exclaimed, "Tu quoque 
 Ramirez.!!!" The Bishop told the writer of these lines, 
 that these words of the Pope fell upon him like a thun- 
 derbolt. The envoys then returned to the City of Mex- 
 ico, where Bishop Ramirez remained until the extinction 
 of the Empire. "Mais que diable allait-il done faire 
 dans cette galere!" (Moliere.) The Bishop spent some 
 time in Havana and then came to Brownsville, where he 
 remained eig^ht months, being- proscribed by the Repub- 
 lic of Mexico. His intentions were correct, but the fates 
 were ag-ainst him. 
 
 "Our wills and fates do so contrary run 
 That our devices still are overthrown." 
 
 On Holy Thursday, the sanctuary of our church at 
 Brownsville presented an unwonted spectacle. Thirty 
 tin vessels filled with oil and bearing* the names of Mex- 
 ico, Gaudalajara, Morelia, Puebla, Monterey, etc., were 
 there for consecration. All the Bishops of Mexico, with 
 the exception of the old Bishop of Durang-o, who was 
 secreted and fed by an old woman, were absent from 
 the Republic of Mexico. Bishop Ramirez consecrated 
 the holy oils for nearly all the dioceses of the Republic. 
 The exiled Bishop visited all our missions on the Rio 
 Grande, administering- Confirmation to people living- on 
 both sides of the river. One day His Lordship went 
 down to the seashore for the purpose of taking- a tew 
 sea baths, but unfortunately he took a bath immediately 
 after supper, which caused his death two hours later. 
 He was buried on the sand hills at Point Isabel. Later 
 on'his remains were removed by his successor, the Rt. 
 
A Tc^vas Missionary. 55 
 
 Rev. Yg-nacio Montes de Oca, the present Bishop of San 
 Luis Potosi, and placed in a more becoming locality. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Between Two Fires. Bagdad. Oblate Fathers 
 In Matamoros. A Hold up. Quick Justice 
 Another Hold up. No Money For You. 
 Stage Robbery. Remarkable Conversions. 
 
 We now enter upon a troubled period on both sides 
 of the Rio Grande river. On the American side the 
 whole country was in commotion; on the Mexican side, 
 three or four parties contended for the mastery, and the 
 Oblate Fathers were between two fires. This period 
 lasted from 1861 to 1866. Bagdad, a mushroom city, 
 near the mouth of the Rio Grande, in the State of 
 Tamaulipas, Mexico, became during the Civil War in 
 the United States a place of great importance to block- 
 ade runners, who from this point carried on a lucrative 
 trade with Western Texas. Many families, especially 
 from New Orleans, flocked to this place, from which 
 during that time most of the cotton of the Southern 
 States was exported. 
 
 During this same period Matamoras increased in 
 population to 60,000, and Brownsville with Cameron 
 County, to over 25,000. 
 
 Four Oblates, Fathers Olivier, Clos, Vignolle and 
 Jaffres, were the Pastors of Matamoros and of the coun- 
 try around within a radius of thirty miles. At that time 
 Brownsville, scarcely one mile distant from Matamoros, 
 was in charge of a large community of Oblates, who, for 
 this reason, were able to go to the assistance of their 
 brother Priests on the Mexican side of the river when 
 necessary. The writer of these lines was wont to visit 
 Bagdad from time to time, in order to assist the Priests 
 of Matamoros. 
 
56 Reminiscences of 
 
 The cosmopolitan city of Bag-dad was a veritable 
 Babel, a Babylon, a whirlpool of business, pleasure and 
 sin. A common laborer could easily gain from five to 
 six dollars per day, while a man who owned a skiff or a 
 lig-hter could make from twenty to forty dollars. The 
 saloon and hotel keepers were reaping- an abundant 
 harvest. The g-ulf, for three or four miles out, was 
 literally a forest of masts. Ten stag-es were running- 
 daily from Matamoros to Bag-dad. One day while 
 g-oing-to Bag-dad our stag-e was held up by hig-hwaymen. 
 There were eight passengers, all Americans except 
 myself. Upon asking- the robber what he wanted, he 
 said: "Your money!" "You shall not g-et one cent;" 
 replied one of the passengers, and the driver started off 
 at a full g-allop. The robber fired three or four shots, 
 but fortunately no one was injured. When we arrived 
 at Bagdad, only three miles distant, we informed the 
 commanding officer of the fact, and he at once sent a 
 number of soldiers in pursuit of the robber. They cap- 
 tured him about six miles from the city. He was iden- 
 tified, examined, found guilty, and sentenced to be shot 
 at 8 a. m., the following day. I spent the whole night 
 with him; at 5 o'clock I said Mass, and at 8 a. m. he was 
 led to the place of execution under a guard of two hun- 
 dred soldiers. I asked Col. Yglesias, the commanding 
 officer at Bagdad, to be kind enough to suspend the ex- 
 ecution as I wished to send a telegram to General Mejia 
 at Matamoros, asking him to grant a milder punish- 
 ment, since the man appeared to be somewhat under the 
 influence of liquor at the time of his attack on the stage. 
 Half an hour after sending the telegram an answer 
 came, saying "the sentence of death must be carried 
 out immediately." I then gave him the last blessing, 
 and at 9 a. m. he was in eternity. 
 
 Six months later as I was returning from my regu- 
 
A Texas Missionarr. 57 
 
 lar visit to Bag-dad, together with seven other passen- 
 g-ers on the American side of the river, our driver stop- 
 ped the stag-e in order to water his mules in the histori- 
 cal Resaca de la Guerra, some six miles from Browns- 
 ville. Suddenly three men approached, two on one side 
 and one on the other side of the stag-e, with revolvers in 
 their hands, which they pointed at us, while one of them 
 cried out in a stern voice: "Gentlemen, we want your 
 money! The least resistance will be death. Take it 
 easy, behave well, alig-ht all from this side of the stag-e, 
 fall in line, and be quick at it." I was the last in the 
 line. Two of the robbers remained on horseback, while 
 the third alighted and requested everyone to give up all 
 the money which he had. One old gentleman was terri- 
 bly frightened, and said with tremulous lips: "You are 
 welcome to my money, but spare my life." "My old 
 man," said the robber, "its your money and not your 
 life I want." The old gentleman then gave up all his 
 money, which amounted to about two hundred dollars, 
 and his gold watch. The robber then went through the 
 line and took all the money and valuables which he could 
 find. When he came to me I said: "My dear sir, I have 
 not a single cent for you; I am a poor Priest." "O, let 
 him alone," said one of the robbers. The highwayman 
 seeing the string of my cross, said: "Give me your 
 watch." Then taking my cross from under my coat, I 
 said to him: "That is only the cord of my cross. I do 
 not suppose that you have a great desire for it." Then 
 the robber on horseback repeated what he had said 
 before, emphasizing each word. "O! — let — him — alone. 
 Let us be off ! Good-bye gentlemen, if you want your 
 money back, come to Mexico." Then they started off 
 at full gallop. The old man recovered from his fright, 
 and the gentlemen who had lost their money and their 
 watches, began making calculations. It was discovered 
 
58 Reminiscences of 
 
 that the robbers had obtained eig-ht hundred dollars in 
 money, three g"old and four silver watches. 
 
 I then told them that I had one hundred and twenty 
 dollars in my possession, part of which belong-ed to Mr. 
 Anstaett, my schoolmaster at Bag-dad, a nephew of Rev. 
 Fr. Anstaett, who died at New Orleans, many years 
 ag-o, and the rest to a lady for the board and tuition of 
 her daug-hters in the Convent at Brownsville. "Father!" 
 exclaimed one of the passeng-ers, "You are smart, but 
 you escaped being- robbed by telling- a lie. You told 
 them that you had no money." My reply was, that I 
 had no money for them, and that I had told the truth, 
 the whole truth and nothing- but the truth when I said: 
 "I have not one cent for you." I had money, 'tis true, 
 but it was for young- Anstaett and the Convent, and not 
 for those rascals. 
 
 When we arrived at Brownsville, we immediately 
 informed the authorities of the adventure. A detach- 
 ment of soldiers was sent out, but it w^as too late, for the 
 scoundrels had reached the land of "God and Liberty." 
 
 During- these troubled times, the keen-eyed busi- 
 ness man availed himself of every circumstance to mul- 
 tiply his shekels. The hig-hwayman was constantly 
 lying- in wait for a g-ood haul, and was the terror of 
 
 travelers. 
 
 Two young- men, sta^e robbers, were in jail at Mat- 
 amoros, sentenced to death. One of them had a very 
 fine appearance and was w^ell educated. He was the son 
 
 of the governor of the State of . Fifty thousand 
 
 dollars had been offered for his liberation, but in vain; 
 and he was executed with his companion. On the eve of 
 his death he joined the Catholic Church and was bap- 
 tized by Rev. Father VignoUe, O. M. I. 
 
 A young- American, who held a commission in the 
 Mexican army and had become the commander of a reg-i- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 59 
 
 ment, received the grace of baptism at the hands of Rev. 
 Father Olivier. His conversion took place under extra- 
 ordinary circumstances. He had allowed himself to be 
 bribed by the offer of a larg-e sum of money on the part 
 of certain American agents, and had arrang-ed to assas- 
 sinate the Mexican g-eneral at Matamoros, and to hand 
 over the city to the Americans. A young- Irish Catholic, 
 who had refused to become a party to this wicked plot, 
 became the means of it being- frustrated, and of the cul- 
 prit who had desig-ned it, being- discovered. 
 
 The misg-uided young- officer was condemned to be 
 shot, and was led forth to the place of execution. At 
 that moment he flung- himself at the feet of the g-eneral 
 in command, to beg- as a special favor, that a Catholic 
 Priest mig-ht be sent for to prepare him for death. His 
 request was g-ranted. On the arrival of Father Olivier, 
 the young- officer earnestly requested to be baptized 
 and to be received into the Catholic Church. "The de- 
 votedness," he exclaimed, "of the Sisters of Charity, 
 which I witnessed in the hospitals of Louisiana, con- 
 vinced me that the relig-ion which inspired it must be 
 true. Therefore, I wish to die a Catholic." Father 
 Olivier obtained a delay of the execution for half an 
 hour, in order to have time to instruct and prepare him 
 for his death, which he met with calm fortitude and in a 
 truly penitential spirit. Rev. Father Clos, O. M. I., now 
 the Superior of the Mission at Roma, Tex., exercised 
 the same ministry in behalf of another unfortunate 
 youth, a young- Spaniard, who was condemned to death, 
 and who had resisted all the efforts of the military chap- 
 lain, that had vainly soug-ht to induce him to prepare for 
 death. The chaplain asked the Superior of the Oblates 
 to appoint one of the Fathers to attend to the youth, and 
 Father Clos was named for that sad duty. The con- 
 demned youth, in whose cell Father Clos had decided to 
 
60 Reminiscences of 
 
 Spend the nig-ht prior to the execution, received the 
 Priest's advances very coldly. Finally, he consented to 
 be placed under the protection of the Blessed Virg-in 
 Mary and to wear the medal of the Immaculate Concep- 
 tion in her honor. In a short time a marked chang-e 
 came upon the youth and he flung- himself at the feet of 
 the Priest to make his confession. During- the nig-ht he 
 confessed three times, in order to prepare for Holy 
 Communion, which he received with g-reat fervor. Early 
 the next morning- he was led forth to execution, and his 
 death was holy and resigned. 
 
 Bag-dad has fallen! On the 5th of January, 1865, 
 Escobedo, aided by 200 neg-roes from the American side, 
 ransacked the place and obtained supplies sufficient to 
 continue his expedition with his Lieutenant, Adolfo 
 Garza, and a few thousand men against the Emperor 
 Maximilian. He then started for the interior of Mexico. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Raid on Bag-dad. A Pandemonium. St. Joseph's 
 Protection. Bagdad is Fallen. Troubled 
 Times. Victoria Oblate Fathers Vic- 
 tims of the Revolution. Civil War In 
 Matamoros. Fall of the Maximilian. 
 
 On the 21st of December, 1865, Rev. Father A. Gau- 
 det, Superior of the Oblates Mission in Texas and Mex- 
 ico, landed at Bag-dad with an accession of three new 
 Oblate workers, to assist in the missionary labors, 
 which had become too heavy for the shoulders of the 
 present incumbents to bear. The population had quad- 
 rupled in two years. Father Gaudet started for Browns- 
 ville with his companions, and left at Bag-dad most of the 
 articles which he had broug-ht from France for the mis- 
 sions. On the 5th of January, 1866, the startling- news 
 came that Bag-dad had been raided by the combined 
 
A Texas Missionary. 61 
 
 forces of General Escobedo from the Mexican side anp 
 200 neg-roes from the American side. I was sent there 
 in order to rescue our goods, if possible, from the rapa- 
 cious raiders. When I arrived at Clarksville, a villag-e 
 on the Texas bank of the river, opposite Bag-dad on the 
 Mexican bank, I hired a boatman to take me over and to 
 bring- our merchandise to the Texas side, if it were not 
 already in the hands of the robbers. At first, the boat- 
 man shrank from my request with fear, remarking, "It 
 is hot over there." But when I offered him a generous 
 reward, he accepted my offer. Some friends of mine, 
 who had fled from the theatre of depredation, tried to 
 dissuade me from crossing over, because, said they: 
 "There is nothing but an utterly lawless gang of rob- 
 bers and a pandemonium over there." In spite of their 
 advice, we crossed the river and entered the warehouse 
 on the opposite bank unnoticed. There were our cases 
 of goods. We hastily put one on the skiff and set off 
 for the Texas shore, where we safely landed it, and we 
 had the same success with the second. But the third, 
 containing a large statue of St Joseph, when it was al- 
 ready on board the skiff and was on the point of being 
 taken over, was embargoed by an of&cer, who asked me 
 what I was doing. When I told him I was simply taking 
 w^hat belonged to me, he said, "You are my prisoner, 
 sir. Remain w^here you are until I return. I am going 
 to receive advice from the chief;" and he went off. It 
 was raining at the time, and I put on a rubber coat which 
 was near by, and which by the way, I returned the next 
 day. Since the rain was increasing and my captor did 
 not return, I took counsel with myself and decided to 
 escape. One! Two! Three! off we w^ent. Through 
 St. Joseph's protection, we reached the Texas bank safe 
 and sound without having been exposed to any real dan- 
 ger. When only a few-yards from the Texas shore wa 
 
62 J^^enlilJisccllces of 
 
 were fired upon, but since the shots came in a diag-onal 
 direction, we escaped uninjured. The people of Clarks- 
 ville thoug-ht that I had been shot, when they saw me 
 fall beside the- box where I sought protection, asking- St. 
 Joseph to protect me against the bullets of those des- 
 peradoes. 
 
 When we arrived at Brownsville the following- day, 
 we found that the most precious articles to the value of 
 $200 had been taken from our cases. Bag-dad was partly 
 rebuilt, but was finally completely destroyed by a hur- 
 ricane on the 8th of October, 1867, and the debris were 
 carried by the waves into the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 The following- sketch from the pen of Rev. Robert 
 Cooke, O. M. I., will prove interesting- and show the con- 
 dition and standing- of the Missionary oblates in Mexico 
 from 1860 to 1866: 
 
 "Though the Rio Grande was the boundary line of 
 the Oblate Missions in Texas, the expansion of the zeal 
 of the Fathers at Brownsville was not to be confined to 
 its northern banks. 
 
 "Mexico, that beautiful but harrassed land, ex- 
 tended its fertile slopes to the edge of the yellow waters 
 of the Rio Grande. Matamoros, the first frontier town 
 on its northeastern boundary, lay within one mile of 
 Brownsville. Matamoros was a river port, containing 
 at the time a floating population of from 40,000 to 60,000 
 inhabitants, but in its normal condition from 10,000 to 
 12,000, and was the commercial rival of Brownsville. 
 The venerable parish Priest of Matamoros was not slow 
 in appreciating the zeal and devotedness of the mission- 
 aries of Brownsville. He invited them to give missions 
 in several parishes in Tamaulipas. At the earnest re- 
 quest of the Bishop of Monterey, Mgr. F. Verea, the 
 Oblates established themselves at Victoria, the capital 
 of the State of Tamaulipas. They also undertook the 
 
A Texas Missionary. 63 
 
 pastoral care of Matamoros and of the sanctuary and 
 Mission of our Lady of Ag-ualeguas in the State of Nu- 
 
 evo Leon." 
 
 Mexico was at that time in the throes of the revolu- 
 tionary fever: nevertheless the bulk of the population 
 remained firmly attached to the ancient faith, but helps 
 to practice it were sadly wanted by them. Church prop- 
 erty had been plundered by a succession of upstart g"Ov- 
 ernments, the g-ood and zealous Priests were either in 
 prison or in exile, or if allowed to remain at their posts 
 were harrassed in the discharg-e of their ministry by 
 petty interferences, cruel exactions and a continued 
 system of threats and annoyances. Vast districts were 
 without Priests at all and other places were, if possible, 
 in a worse condition. Alas, their shepherds were 
 wolves, at least on the frontier. Such was the condition 
 of the persecuted church in Mexico at the epoch about 
 w^hich we write. What afield for devotedness opened up 
 for the labors of the Oblate missionaries on their first 
 arrival! 
 
 Victoriaand its surrounding-neig-h borhood awakened , 
 as it were, from a long- trance of faith, hope and love, in 
 vs^hichithadlain dormantfor years, under theg-race of the 
 mission g-iven in that important town by the Oblates in 
 1860. After the mission a small community of Fathers 
 w^as established in Victoria. During- one year they la- 
 bored in peace at their new missionary post, with g-reat 
 fruit for souls; but troubles and tribulations were in 
 store for them. An insurrection had broken out in 
 their neig-hborhood, and their expulsion was decreed by 
 the newly installed provisional g-overnment. The in- 
 habitants of Victoria were divided into different fac- 
 tions. The most numerous and best disposed part of 
 the population manifested their deep regret at the loss 
 they were about to sustain by the departure of the Fa- 
 
64 Reminiscences of 
 
 thers, but they were powerless to do anything- more 
 than to protest ag-ainst the wrong- that was being- in- 
 flicted on themselves and their children by the compul- 
 sory measures used against the missionaries. 
 
 On the day fixed for the departure of the Fathers, 
 an extraordinary assemblag-e filled the church to over- 
 flowing-. All were clad in mourning- g-arb to testify 
 their deep sorrow at being- deprived of the presence and 
 services of the g-ood Priests, whom they so much loved 
 and venerated. Before the congreg-ation separated after 
 Mass had been said, a venerable lady arose and ad- 
 dressed all present in the following terms: "We are 
 about to be deprived of our Priests who, because they 
 are unwilling to prove false to their duties and betray 
 their consciences, are to be persecuted. It may be ex- 
 pected that when we are deprived of the helps of relig- 
 ion, it will be easier to uproot from our breasts the 
 Catholic faith — the faith of our fathers, the faith in 
 which we were born and in which we wish to die. To- 
 morrow the doors of this church will be closed, the 
 house of God will be as a wilderness. From to-morrow 
 our sick will be left to die without the Sacraments; our 
 dead will be buried without the prayers of the Church. 
 But are we not Christians? Should we not insist upon 
 our rights to practice our religion, and should we not 
 boldly demand for our Priests the liberty to exercise 
 freely their holy ministry in our behalf?" At the close 
 of these noble words the whole audience burst into 
 tears. A deputation was then formed to wait upon the 
 new Prefect, to present an energetic protest against 
 the expulsion of the Fathers. The Prefect was 
 alarmed by these proceedings on the part of the Catho- 
 lic population of Victoria. He gave an evasive answer 
 to the demands of the people, but all the while he was 
 only temporizing in order to gain time to gather troops 
 
A Texas Missionary. 65 
 
 into the city, and be able thus to carry out with a strong- 
 hand, the anti-relig-ious prog-ram of his party. Several 
 leading- Catholics were cast into prison and the Fathers 
 were ordered to quit Victoria without further delay. A 
 g-reat concourse assembled to bid them adieu, and deep 
 emotion was manifested by all present; the Fathers 
 themselves were unable to suppress their tears. 
 
 On the 21st of December they started on their sor- 
 rowful journey. On Christmas eve they arrived at La 
 Gavia, a large hacienda, where they were received with 
 welcome by the inhabitants. Here they halted for some 
 days to celebrate the holy festivals of that season, but 
 news reaching- the g-overnment at Victoria of the Fa- 
 thers' presence at LaGavia, peremptory orders were 
 despatched for their immediate departure. Their jour- 
 ney back to Brownsville was a very painful one, morally 
 and physically. It occupied ten days. "We suffered 
 much during- that journey," writes Father Sivy, "the 
 hot days were followed by very cold nig-hts, and the rain 
 fell in torrents at frequent intervals. While bivouacking- 
 on the open plain, we frequently had not a particle of wood 
 or any other means to make a fire during- the nig-ht. With 
 the damp g-round for our bed and a saddle for our pillow, 
 it was not very easy to close our eyes in calm sleep." 
 
 Whilst the Fathers at Victoria were underg-oing- 
 these trials, a civil war was rag-ing- at Matamoros. The 
 inhabitants of that place refused to acknowledge the 
 newly appointed Governor of Tamaulipas. The latter 
 sent an army to besiege Matamoros. For three weeks 
 the siege was carried on with great fury; over 600 men 
 were killed, a shell struck the Fathers' house, piercing 
 the wall, and passing exactly through the place where 
 Father Rieux had stood one minute before. During 
 these three terrible weeks the Fathers scarcely had any 
 rest or sleep. 
 
66 Reminiscences of 
 
 For some time after these troubles, compara- 
 tive tranquillity reig-ned on the Mexican border. 
 Relig'ion beg-an to flourish at Matamoros. Alas! these 
 brig-ht hopes thus aroused, were not to be realized. 
 Father Clos writing- to tne Superior General says: "In 
 my last letter I wrote to you in hopeful words, expres- 
 sive of brig-hter prospects. I thoug-ht I was then announ- 
 cing- to you the end of our troubles, and the commence- 
 ment of an era of quiet and of established peace. But 
 since then, alas! revolution has followed upon revolution, 
 and we have been living- in the midst of continual tumults 
 and anxieties. On several occasions our lives were ex- 
 posed to the g-ravest dang-ers. During- the last sieg-e of 
 the city, we were on the point of losing- Father Olivier. 
 A shell, which caused g-reat destruction, burst quite 
 close to him, fortunately without injuring him. At 
 present there is a momentary lull." 
 
 Father Clos, in a letter addressed to the Superior 
 General, dated June 28th, 1866, wrote in the following- 
 sad terms to inform him that the work of several years 
 had been destroyed in a few days and that the labors of 
 the Oblate Fathers in Mexico were broug-ht abruptly to 
 an end. 
 
 "I write to you to-day from the fulness of a heart 
 overflowing- with g-rief. I have sadnewstog-ive you. The 
 mission of Matamoros is lost to us. Complete anarchy 
 reig-ns in that unhappy city. The party of disorder has 
 at last triumphed. The better portion of the population 
 had already left the town, but we held our g-round, still 
 imagining- that our work here being- of a purely relig-ious 
 character and colorless as far as politics were concerned, 
 we should not be interfered with; but we were g-riev- 
 ously mistaken. On the day following the seizure of 
 the town by the Liberals, a body of men styling them- 
 selves a commission, presented themselves at our door 
 
A Te.YRS Missionary. 67 
 
 to ask us in the name of the newly appointed Governor, 
 to abandon our post and to hand over to them the keys 
 of our church. Our Superior and Parish Priest, Father 
 Olivier, replied that we had been established at our post 
 by the Bishop of the diocese, and that we should not 
 willing-ly quit it except at his bidding-, and that it was 
 only to him or to somebody appointed by him, that we 
 would surrender the possession of the church. Onreceiv- 
 ing- this reply from Father Olivier, they immediately 
 seized him and led him away to prison. At 2 o'clock 
 p. m. the same day, some police ag-ents came to our house 
 and asked us to accompany them, under the pretext that 
 Father Olivier wished to speak to us. When we entered 
 the prison where he was confined, w^e were informed 
 that we also were prisoners. My first thoug-ht was to 
 ask Father Olivier whether he had had anything- to eat 
 since he had been arrested. 'I have not broken my fast 
 to-day,' he replied. Hearing- this, I at once asked the 
 chief of the band who had arrested us, to order some 
 food for the Father, which he refused to do. 
 
 "Alas! how little did I think w^hen passing- the nig-ht 
 in the cell with a poor man who was to suffer death on 
 the following- day, that I with my confreres was in so 
 short a time to be shut up in the same g-loomy dung-eon. 
 He had a chair to sit on, and water to quench his thirst, 
 but we were left to take our rest on the cold, damp floor 
 of our fetid cell, without food or drink. Fortunately 
 Father Parisot came from Brownsville to visit us. As 
 an American citizen, he had influence enoug-h to obtain 
 an order, that we should be allowed to receive food in 
 our prison. It seems that a cruel order to the con- 
 trary was g-iven with the intention of starving- the Fath- 
 ers into submission to the impious wishes of their per- 
 secutors." 
 
 O temporal O mores! The episode which I am about 
 
68 Reminiscences of 
 
 to relate, will be read by the principal actors in the 
 drama. Incredible as it may appear, they can testify 
 to the truthfulness of the narration. 
 
 The star of Maximilian was waning-. The United 
 States of America had notified Napoleon III that there 
 was no occasion and no room for a monarchy on the con- 
 tinent of North America. This was practically a notice 
 for Napoleon to quit, and he fully understood it in this 
 manner and withdrew the French troops. Maximilian 
 was then left to his fate. 
 
 Now, the liberals were advancing- triumphantly, 
 drunk with the wine of victory. They overcame every 
 obstacle which impeded their way to triumph. The Im- 
 perialists were completely overwhelmed, and, with their 
 master, they received the death stroke at Queretaro, 
 throug-h the treason of General Lopez, the Emperor's 
 compadre. (Maximilian had stood as sponsor at the 
 baptism of one of Lopez' children.) Juarez is on the road 
 from PasodelNorte, the whole country is in commotion. 
 
 As related in the previous chapter, the frontier 
 on the Rio Grande had its episodes, one of which was 
 the barbarous imprisonment of four Oblate Fathers. 
 The bare brutal fact has been described. Now I shall 
 undertake to give a full account of the savag-e manner in 
 which the innocent Priests, who had been imprisoned 
 and abused by an unprincipled soldiery, were treated. 
 As soon as the news reached Brownsville, that Fathers 
 Olivier and Vig-nolle were imprisoned, I crossed over to 
 Matamoros in order to inquire into and investigate the 
 reasons for such an action on the part of the new authori- 
 ties. I immediately directed my steps to the Fathers' 
 residence. When about two blocks from the house, I met 
 Father Clos, accompanied by a constable. "Where are 
 you g-oing-?" I asked. "I am g-oing- to jail," he answered, 
 "and I do not know the reason why. Look out for your- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 69 
 
 self. You know how you come here, but you do not 
 know how you are going- to get out." I then proceeded 
 on my way and entered the house, where I found Father 
 Jaffres and a lay brother. The Father seemed to be 
 jealous of his brother Priests, and remarked: "I do 
 not know the reason why they spared me, for I am just 
 as guilty as the others." After a few minutes, a police- 
 man entered, who approached me and said: "Excuse 
 me. Father, I have orders to arrest you and to bring you 
 before the prefect." 
 
 "You want to make me a prisoner too, eh! Show 
 me your warrant!" "Es por orden del Senor General 
 Garza." — "It is by order of General Garza." I replied: 
 "I do not belong to this parish, I have just come from 
 Brownsville. I am an American citizen." Then seeing 
 Father Jaffres coming out of the next room, he said: 
 "O! that is the man I want! Sir, I have orders to arrest 
 you; follow me." I was then left to my own reflections, 
 walking to and fro and taking counsel with myself. 
 After about ten minutes, I resolved to go and visit the 
 four prisoners. On the road I met Mr. Hord, of Browns- 
 ville, who at that time was living in Matamoros near the 
 Priest's residence. He asked me: "Are you going to 
 jail too?" "Yes sir," said I, "but of my owm accord, to 
 see the Fathers." "Go quick," said he, "and snatch 
 them from the grasp of those vandals, for I have heard 
 something said which forbodes evil designs." "But, 
 Mr. Hord, suppose they lock me in, too!" "O!, I wish 
 they would arrest you also and put you behind the bars; 
 I would cross over at once and bring the whole garrison 
 to rescue you." When I arrived at the prison, I asked 
 the Superintendent for permission to see the Fathers. 
 "No sir, you shall not see them; they are absolutely de- 
 prived of any communication whatsoever with anyone, — 
 son incomunicables." "By whose order? said I. "By 
 
70 Reminiscences of 
 
 the orders of General Garza," he replied. I started at 
 once for the General's quarters. When I arrived there, 
 I introduced myself and my cause, after the interchang-e 
 of the conventional compliments, in the following- terms: 
 "General I have come from Brownsville, the place 
 where I reside, for I heard that the Priests who are in 
 charg-e of the church at this place had been imprisoned. 
 Finding- this to be true, I now present myself before your 
 Excellency, to ask you to be kind enoug-h to inform me 
 of the nature of the crime committed by my brother 
 Priests, thatthey should be so unceremoniously cast into 
 prison and w^hy was the permission, which I asked to see 
 the prisoners, so flatly refused me by the Superintend- 
 ent?" His answer w^as: "The Priests in charg-e of the 
 church at Matamoros are imprisoned by order of Senor 
 Carvajal, Governor of the State. I merely obeyed his 
 orders in placing- the Priests in custody. The General 
 will arrive here to-morrow morning, come and see His 
 Excellency. With reg-ard to a written permission to see 
 the prisoners, my secretary w^ill attend to it at once." A 
 long- conversation on the condition of affairs followed, in 
 which I defined the rights of the Church, and in which 
 also the General defined those assumed by the State. We 
 then separated, and I turned my steps tow^ards the jail. 
 I first visited Father Olivier, who was shut up in a room 
 with a guard at the door. I found the Father in a deplor- 
 able condition. He was sad, worried, and beset with 
 anxiety at seeing his church on the point of falling into 
 the hands of an intruder. Rev. Zertuche, whom the Gen- 
 eral had brought from Tampico and appointed Parish 
 Priest of Matamoros by order of General Carvajal. 
 Father Olivier had beenordered togiveuphis church and 
 parish; to make an inventory of the sacred vessels and 
 other articles, and to deliver the keys of the church to 
 the intruder. Strict orders had been given to deprive the 
 
A Texas Missionary. 71 
 
 prisoner of food and drink, until he should submit to the 
 demands of his captors. Father Olivier said. ''They 
 may starve me to death, or kill me, but I shall never sub- 
 mit to their sacrileg-ious schemes or betray my trust." 
 Towards evening- lordered a lunch prepared for the pri- 
 soners, who were dinnerless. The comforting- basket 
 was soon ready, including-a bottle of good wine — "Bonum 
 vinum laetificat cor hominis." As I entered with my 
 basket, the jailor said to me: "Were it not you, I would 
 not let that basket pass. I only do so on account of ser- 
 vices which you rendered me." (He had been a school- 
 master at Brownsville.) The prisoners were perfectly 
 resig-ned to the will of God; remembering- the words of 
 their Divine Master: "As they have persecuted me, 
 they will also persecute you." After a while, I returned 
 to the Fathers' residence and packed up whatever pre- 
 cious articles they had and returned to Brownsville. The 
 following- day after having- said Mass, I recommended the 
 prisoners to the mercy of God and asking- the especial 
 protection of the Blessed Virg-in Mary, crossed the river, 
 hoping- that the Governor had arrived with the remainder 
 of the troops. I immediately directed my steps to the 
 prison to inquire of the Fathers, how they had spent the 
 nig-ht. But to my horror I was told that they could not 
 be seen, — "son incomunicables." As I was g-oing- out I 
 was told that they were "encapillados;" thatistosay, 
 they were placed in the dung-eon where those who are 
 sentenced to death are confined and await the day of their 
 execution. 
 
 On the road I met Dr. McManus, a friend of 
 ours, who told me that he had heard at a late hour of the 
 nig-ht, that the Fathers had no beds in their dungeon and 
 that he and his wife had provided them with comfortable 
 bedding. At the same time I learned that the Governor, 
 Gen. Carvajal, had arrived. I went to his quarters and 
 
72 Reminiscences of 
 
 asked for an audience, which was granted, but at a later 
 hour. I insisted upon havingitat once, for it was urg-ent. 
 His Excellency yielded. "General," I said, "I have come 
 from Brownsville to ask you to be kind enoug-h to inform 
 me what the motives are which have induced Your Ex- 
 cellency to imprison my brother Priests and what crime 
 they have committed." " When wearrived near the city," 
 said he, "I was informed that the g-reatest enemies to 
 our cause were the Priests and that they have consider- 
 able influence over the people." 
 
 "You must acknowledg-e. General, that this is not a 
 sufficient reason for having- ordered their arrest." "My 
 reasons are justifiable, sir, for the priests of this place 
 are imbued with monarchical principles and on many oc- 
 casions they have preached from the pulpit ag-ainst our 
 g-overnment and the cause we advocate." "I may assure 
 Your Excellency," said I, "that the priests have been 
 malig-ned and have never uttered a sing-le word from the 
 pulpit ag-ainst your cause, and they have always con- 
 tented themselves with preaching- the word of God." 
 "Ag-ain," continued the Governor, "your Priests are all 
 Frenchmen and I wish to replace them by a Mexican 
 Priest, whom I wish to appoint Parish Priest of Mata- 
 moros. He is favorable to our cause and is a very re- 
 spectable old man and has the g-rade of Colonel in the 
 Mexican army." "O General!" said I, "the fact of be- 
 ing a Colonel is a poor recommendation for being- ap- 
 pointed Parish Priest; moreover, my dear sir, the Bishop 
 alone has the power of appointing* Parish Priests." 
 
 It would take too long- to relate the whole conversa- 
 tion, which lasted over an hour. I demanded the uncon- 
 ditional and immediate liberation of the Fathers and I 
 told the Governor that if I were refused, I would imme- 
 diately g-o over to Brownsville and call upon the authori- 
 ties of the American Government to deal with the case 
 
A Texas Missionary. 73 
 
 and see that the prisoners did not psss another nig-ht in 
 custody. 
 
 The Governor asked me if I were an American citi- 
 zen and upon my giving- an affirmative reply, he said that 
 it was not necessary to take such a step and that the 
 question could be settled here, without the interference 
 of the Amei-ican Government. 
 
 "Let the priests who are in prison make an inventory 
 of the articles belong-ing- to the church and deliver it to 
 me, then I shall g-ive them their liberty." 
 
 "General," said I, "their conscience does not per- 
 mit them to make the inventory which you demand, but 
 if your excellency will be satisfied with the delivery of 
 keys to you, I shall take upon myself the oblig-ation of 
 having- them delivered to you." 
 
 "I accede to your proposition," said the Governor, 
 "and I shall immediately write to General Garza, order- 
 ing- him to set the Priests at liberty." 
 
 I took the letter to the General who straig-htway or- 
 dered the liberation of the prisoners. I then went to 
 the church for the keys, but not for the keys of the 
 church, as I was a strang-er and had no authority to de- 
 liver them. 
 
 I took the keys of a passag-e-way running- along-side 
 the church: for I had not promised to deliver "the keys 
 of the church," but simply keys in g-eneral and went to 
 the prefect. I had to deal with shrewd foxes, and to do 
 so, I had to show myself a g-entle one. I took the keys to 
 the prefect, tog-ether with the letter from General Garza, 
 ordering- the liberation of the prisoners. I remember 
 that one of the officers on hearing- that the prisoners 
 were free, tore his hair and turned on his heel to show 
 his disappointment. I then told the fathers to take the 
 first hack they met in the street and to cross to the other 
 side of the river at once, and that I would follow shortly. 
 
74 Reminiscences of 
 
 Half an hour later, orders were g-iven to g-uard all 
 the crossing-s and to re-arrest the Fathers, but it was 
 too late for they were already safe beneath the shadow 
 of the Stars and Stripes. 
 
 Before leaving- Mexico I wish to collect a few facts 
 under one heading-, in order to prove that the Mexicans 
 in general and as a nation, are truly relig-ious, kind- 
 hearted, polite and hospitable. If any difficulty arises 
 between the Church and the State, it is owing- to certain 
 laws, which, if they were examined critically before a 
 court of equity, would be found to militate against the 
 natural rig-hts of a certain class of men. 
 
 Scandals are to be found, it is true, but they are to 
 be found everywhere: " For it must needs be that scan- 
 dals come." (Math. 18, 7.) 
 
 Voltaire and Co. and the g-reat Orient are two pow- 
 erful ag-ents in the realm of Satan; still my task is not 
 exactly to moralize and dogmatize, but to relate facts and 
 
 episodes. 
 
 My first impression of Mexico dates back to A. D. 
 
 1858. The Holy Viaticum was then carried to the sick 
 in a most ostensible and solemn manner. The church 
 bells were chimed to announce that a Christian was pre- 
 paring- for the g-reat journey from time to eternity. The 
 Priest carried the Holy of Holies under a canopy. He 
 was accompanied by altar boys carrying- lig-hted tapers, 
 and by a larg-e number of men and women, all re- 
 citing- the Rosary in a loud voice. When the sick man 
 was in his agony, the bells were tolled, in order to call 
 the confraternities and other pious souls into the church 
 to implore the mercy of God on the departing Christian. 
 O, how consoling and imposing- were scenes like these! 
 But now they are no more, for God is forbidden by law 
 to appear in the streets. At present, processions in the 
 streets are reserved for magnates and the celebration 
 
A Texas ?Iissionary. 75 
 
 of certain national events. As Voltaire and the g-reat 
 Orient say: "Away with God!" But men pass away and 
 God exists forever. Mexicans will die rather than aban- 
 don the inheritance left them by their ancestors. 
 
 Do 3'ou see that crowd on the plaza and in the street? 
 They are all kneeling- down on the cold pavement or in 
 the mud,wdth their hats off. What is the matter? A coach 
 is passing- bv and in that coach there is a Priest with two 
 altar boys hidden behind thick curtains. The people 
 know that Jesus is there. What a diif erence between 
 1858 and 1897; yet the faith of the people remains the 
 same, for the true faith cannot die out in Mexico. 
 
 Once an old Priest, who w^as a Vicario Foraneo, and 
 had jurisdiction over a large portion of the State of 
 Tamaulipas, wished to have missions g-iven in some of 
 the distant parishes under his charg-e, and asked the Ob- 
 lates to take charg-e of this Apostolic undertaking-. Fa- 
 ther Olivier and your humble serv^ant were chosen for 
 the work. The old Dean was the purveyor, and Remi- 
 g-io, his driver, executed his orders. Before starting-, 
 we placed provisions for the journey in the big- ambu- 
 lance, which was to convey us to our destination: they 
 consisted of pepper, salt, coffee, bread, and a small bar- 
 rel of water. When we reached our first stopping- place, 
 the Dean called out: "Remig-io, g-o and g-et a kid and a 
 dozen of eg-g-s from that ranch yonder." The kid was ob- 
 tained, killed and prepared. The fire was lit and one- 
 half of the kid was placed on a pointed stick and broiled 
 over the coals, and the coffee was ready. The din- 
 ner was soon despatched. At nig-ht we slept under, and 
 the Dean in, the coach. The same prog-ram was re- 
 peated each day and nig-ht of the journey. 
 
 Do you see those twenty horsemen, wearing- heavy som - 
 breros? They were sent to meet us and to escort us to the 
 town. As we entered, the bells chimed joyfully, and both 
 
76 Reminiscences of 
 
 sides of the street were crowded with people. When we 
 cametothe church the Dean went into the pulpit and after 
 he had announced the opening- of the mission, he spokeas 
 follows: "You are expected to clean your streets, cut 
 the weeds on the plaza, and put your houses in order, 
 for the missionaries will visit all the families, and after 
 this, you will see to the cleaning- of your consciences." 
 The mission lasted twenty-one days. We had neverwit- 
 nessed such enthusiasm, and there w^ere very few who 
 did not comply with the Dean's request to clean their con- 
 sciences. A gentleman of considerable importance, who 
 was looked upon as the Solomon of the place, had re- 
 solved to remain unmoved by the g-race of the mission, 
 but the g-race of God g-ained a complete victory over him. 
 Confession, which had appeared to him like "a pass of 
 Thermopylae," proved to be the g-reatest consolation he 
 had ever experienced. "O Father," said he, the day he 
 received Holy Communion, "lam the happiest of men; 
 you took a heavy weig-ht f rom off my conscience. Pray for 
 me that I may persevere!" Shortly after the mission, 
 this reconciled Christian appeared before his merciful 
 Creator. He was accidentally shot. "Misericordias 
 Domini in aeternum cantabo," 
 
 I shall now relate what happened to a man who had 
 a yard too much of cloth on his back. 
 
 One day the Ven. Father Vig-nolle was sent from 
 Brownsville to Matamoros to say Mass there, and to as- 
 sist the Mexican Parish Priest, who for the time being- 
 had been left alone for the administration of the parish. 
 The Father was seen dressed in his cassock on the 
 porch of the church. A policeman arrested him and 
 took him to prison. When I heard that he was in prison, 
 I immediately crossed over to inquire about the case. 
 The answer was that he had been caught wearing- a cas- 
 sock and that in order to have him set at liberty,, we 
 
A Texas Missionary. 77 
 
 should pay $200. I at once tried to find the Mayor, but 
 could not. Some one told me that he had concealed him- 
 self. As a result, the poor Father had to spend the nig-ht 
 in prison with robbers, drunkards and desperadoes of 
 every description. The following day the Father was 
 summoned before the tribunal of the Mayor, where his 
 sacred character was far from being respected. He 
 was obliged to pay $100. Dr. McManus, of Matamoros, 
 of whom mention has been made in these Reminiscences, 
 stood security for him. The pious ladies were prepar- 
 ing to raise a collection to pay the fine, but they were 
 prevented from doing so by the venerable ecclesiastic 
 who had called Father Vignolletohisassistance, because 
 he feared to incur the displeasure of the authorities. 
 So our house at Brownsville was taxed $100 for a service 
 rendered to a neighboring Priest. 
 
 A short time after, Rev. Father Maurel, now Su- 
 perior of the mission of Brownsville, had a similar ex- 
 perience. He crossed the river with his cassock tucked 
 up and well hidden under his coat. He officiated in the 
 church at Matamoros and returned to the river. While 
 stepping into the ferry boat, he let down his cassock and 
 said; "I am allright, now." As soon as he had done so, a 
 policeman approached the boat and ordered Father Mau- 
 rel to come out and to accompany him to the police sta- 
 tionand from there to the jail. There he remained till 10 
 p. m., when he offered $25 instead of $200, the regular 
 fine, which was accepted. He wasliberated and gladly 
 returned to the land of the free. 
 
 On the 23rd of March, 1875, there came thelast batch 
 of twenty two Sisters of Charity. The Sister Superior 
 was Mother Lacour. They were accompanied by Father 
 Frias, Lazarist, of Mexico, and the Rev. Fr. Planchet, a 
 French Priest of Monterey. They arrived by the 
 steamer from Rio Grande City and remained the night 
 
78 Rcjnirjisccjiccs of 
 
 on the boat. The next day the clerg-y of Brownsville 
 went out to meet them and accompany them to the 
 church in procession. While on their way the church bells 
 pealed a joyous welcome. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Manucy 
 celebrated Mass, during- w^hich ceremony the church 
 was crowded with citizens. At the end of Mass the 
 Bishop delivered a very touching- discourse. The Sis- 
 ters were then conducted to the convent where break 
 fast had been prepared for them. Our Sisters of the 
 Incarnate Word g-ave up their beds, they themselves 
 retiring- to the upper story, w^hich they tenanted for a 
 whole week. The closing- account will be given in Part 
 in, where I speak of the affairs happening- on the Texas 
 side of the Rio Grande. 
 
A Texas M^issionarjr. 79 
 
 BART III. 
 
 ON THE TEXAS SIDE OF THE RIO 
 GRANDE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Bishop Odin. Difficulties about the Boundary 
 Line. His Honor the Mayor. A Crust of 
 Bread. Physical- Aspect. Relig-ious Ditto. 
 Field of Labor. First House of Worship. 
 First Residence. 
 
 In opening- this chapter, I dedicate a few words to 
 the memory of the heroic pioneer Bishop of Texas, Jean 
 Marie Odin, a name revered by all, a name to be ever 
 associated with the recital of heroic deeds of humility, 
 charity, faith, and zeal for the g-lory of God. 
 
 If the true conditions of zeal are, that it be prudent, 
 disinterested and intrepid, they were all exemplified in 
 this saintly Bishop. In this short sketch, I shall merely 
 narrate a few facts which I have never seen in print. 
 They will reveal the g-reat self-denial and sincere humil- 
 ity of Bishop Odin. 
 
 How well I remember his return in 1853 from a 
 visit to some of the remote parts of his extensive dio- 
 cese! He was poorer than St. Francis of Assisium, and 
 looked more like St. Benedict Labre than a Bishop. His 
 coat was torn and faded, and his hat and shoes were in 
 a wretched condition. 
 
 In the Summer of 1854, he set out upon a visitation 
 of some missions, which was to occupy four months. 
 During- this journey he traversed the valley of the Rio 
 Grande, where he confirmed 1,123 persons. While 
 making- this visitation Bishop Odin formed the ag-reea- 
 ble acquaintance of Bishop Verea, who at the same time 
 
80 Reminiscences of 
 
 was visiting- missions on the opposite side of the Rio 
 Grande. The two prelates met at a ranch called Las 
 Tortillas, where they considered the vexed question of 
 the boundary of the two countries with reg-ard to the 
 celebration of marriages. Before examining- the rig-ht 
 of jurisdiction it is necessary to explain the civil side of 
 the question. According- to the Treaty of Guadalupe, 
 the boundary line between the two countries is the mid- 
 dle of the river, that is to say, where the middle of the 
 river was at the time of the treaty. It frequently hap- 
 pens that during- a flood, the river chang-es its bed in 
 many places. Sometimes the torrent steals from Mex- 
 ico, and sometimes from Texas, tracts of land fifty and 
 100 acres in extent. According- to the treaty, that which 
 is taken from the Mexican territory remains subject to 
 Mexican leg-islation although it has been placed on the 
 Texas side of the river, and that which is taken from 
 Texas territory remains subject to the laws of Texas, 
 although it has been placed on the Mexican side of the 
 river. These tracts of land thrown on either side of 
 the river are called bancos. Now, the question was, 
 could a Priest, having jurisdiction on the Texas side of 
 the river, marry a couple living on a banco on the Mexi- 
 can side of this river, when the banco is considered by 
 the treaty, Texan territory? And, again, could the 
 same Priest perform this ceremony on a banco on the 
 Texas side of the river, although it was considered 
 Mexican territory, according to the same treaty? 
 
 After having settled this and other questions, the 
 two Bishops separated. Shortly after this amicable 
 meeting; Bishop Odin was invited by the Parish Priest 
 and the Mayor to visit the city of Reynosa, on the Mexi- 
 can side of the river. The Bishop, who was at the time 
 on the American side of the river at some distance from 
 Reynosa, accepted the invitation. In the meantime, the 
 
A Texas Missionary. 81 
 
 Mayor requested the best houses to be in readiness to 
 receive the Bishop and his retinue. Places were care- 
 fully prepared for the attendants and stables were pro- 
 vided for the horses and mules. On the day appointed 
 for the Bishop's arrival, His Honor, the Mayor, and the 
 Aldermen assembled early in the morning- at the munic- 
 ipal palace, and the horsemen on the plaza, ready 
 to g-o and meet the Bishop. Suddenly a voice was 
 heard, "the Bishop is coming*! " Looking- in the direc- 
 tion indicated, a man was seen driving- in an old bug-g-y. 
 "No," said they, "that cannot be the Bishop." A few 
 minutes later. His Lordship alig-hted on the plaza, with- 
 out a sing-le attendant, having- arrived sooner than he 
 had been expected. All this was related to me by Juan 
 Chapa, the Mayor of the place at that time. "I never 
 sav^," said he, "such an humble and amiable Bishop." 
 
 On his second visit to the lower Rio Grande, which 
 was in the month of September, 1858, I accompanied 
 Bishop Odin to Point Isabel, the seaport of Cameron 
 county, where he confirmed a g-ood number of children. 
 The following- day w^e started back for Browmsville, a 
 distance of thirty miles, by an old road and a muddy one 
 at that. It took us the w^hole day to return. During- 
 the journey, he saw^ a piece of bread in my g'rip and 
 asked me if I could part with it, for he was very hung-ry. 
 "Bishop," I said, "You are welcome to it, but I fear 
 that you will break your teeth if vou try to eat it. That 
 piece of bread has been fifteen days in my g'rip, that is,, 
 since my last trip." The Bishop made the sig-n of the 
 cross and ate the hard bread with relish, remarking- that 
 during- his first trips throug-h Texas, he always kept a 
 piece of corn bread in his saddle-bag-, in case he might 
 be unable to reach a house before night. " How many 
 times," said he, "have I slept out on the vast prairies, 
 or in the forests of Texas, spreading- my blanket on the 
 
82 Reminiscences of 
 
 ground and using- mj saddle as a pillow. In cases 
 like these," said he, "I always found a piece of corn 
 bread to beadelicioussupper, seasoned withag-oodappe- 
 tite." During- this same trip, the Bishop told me that on 
 one occasion he waded for six miles over a prairie cov- 
 ered with two or three feet of water, with his saddle- 
 bag on his shoulders and leading his horse by the lariat. 
 I do not remember the reason why he went on foot and 
 not on horseback throug-h the water, but I remember 
 he told me that he sat down exhausted when he reached 
 dry land. The reason why the Bishop went on foot mig-ht 
 very probably be explained by the following- accident 
 which happened to me in 1854 in Calcasieu, while cross- 
 ing- a large sheet of water, when my horse and myself, 
 fell into a hole, at least six feet deep. On reaching- the 
 opposite bank, I found that my vestments and altar linen 
 had been all soaked. To avoid a similar accident, was, I 
 suppose, the reason why the Bishop waded throug-h the 
 water, with his saddle-bag- on his shoulders. During- 
 that journey he visited the whole south-western portion 
 of his diocese, traveling- nearly 2,000 miles and confirm- 
 ing- 3,413 persons. 
 
 On another occasion, he told me that when he had 
 been knocked overboard by a shifting boom in sig-ht of 
 Indianolia, and remained twenty minutes in the water, 
 he was saved from drowning- — for he could not swim, — 
 by the special protection of Mary Immaculate, whom he 
 invoked in his dang-er. ^ 
 
 The Very Rev. Blather Chambodut, V. G. , relates that 
 when Bishop Odin left his residence in Galveston to take 
 possession of the Archiepiscopal see of New Orleans, 
 he refused to be accompanied to the wharf and went 
 alone, he himself carrying- his valise. Every act of this 
 saintly Bishop exemplifies his Christian simplicity and 
 profound humility. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 
 
 83 
 
 It is g-enerally admitted that the boy is father to the 
 man, and young- Odin inherited devotion to the Blessed 
 Virg-in Mary from his pious parents. During- his entire 
 life this venerable servant of God was remarkable for his 
 devotion to the Blessed Virg-in; his love for recollected 
 and devotional life, and his g-reat zeal for the relig-ious 
 advancement of others. His simplicity, ability and g-en- 
 tleness g-ained him a host of friends. By his missionary 
 labors he accomplished a vast amount of g-ood, which 
 places him among-st the most disting-uished missionaries 
 of our country. 
 
 Before relating- the many episodes and strang-e inci- 
 dents which occured on the Rio Grande, we invite our- 
 readers to accompany us to the south-western limits of 
 that territory where theRio Grande flow^s under skies of 
 cloudless blue,and empties itself into the Gulf of Mexico. 
 Texas has received the title of "Italy of the West," by 
 reason of its resemblance in sky and landscape to the 
 most beautiful and favored of European lands. Surely 
 one would think that amidst such cheering- accessories 
 of climate and scenery, missionary labor would become 
 a brig-ht and pleasant duty. But the trials of the Mis- 
 sionary Fathers will be shown to come more from men 
 than from thing-s. The chief promoters of their g-riefs 
 will not be the unbaptized, but men who have sin- 
 ned against the Holy Ghost by rejecting- their ancestral 
 faith. The following- description of men and thing-s we 
 take from the annals of the cong-reg-ation of Oblates, in 
 the "Life of Monsig-nor de Mazenod, and the labors of 
 the Oblatesof Mary," by the Rev. Robert Cooke, O. M.I. 
 "The unhappy frontiers of Texas were the battle 
 g-round over which rolled the full tide of war with all 
 its concomitant evils. Brownsville rose from a soil still 
 reeking- with the horrors of the battle plain. It received 
 its name from a victorious captain in the American army. 
 
84 Reminiscences of 
 
 Its population at the time our story beg-ins was of a 
 strang-e and motley character. Divers nations of Eur- 
 ope, the American States, and the cities, towns and ham- 
 lets of Mexico were represented at Brownsville, and notas 
 a rule by the wisest and best of their respective popu- 
 lations. Hither many came, it is true, with motives that 
 were praiseworthy, and with the laudable purpose of pro- 
 moting- the proper interests of life, but multitudes also 
 flocked hither as refugees from the pursuit of justice 
 or as adventurers who were as willing- to promote earth- 
 ly fortunes by foul means, as by those that were fair 
 and honorable. Public authority could scarcely be said 
 to exist at that time in Texas. Within a decade of years 
 almost as many different forms of government had 
 sprung up in succession, no time being given for any 
 system of public law to become established, or to ac- 
 quire the prestige necessary to gain authority. The 
 law of might prevailed widely over that of right. Great 
 crimes committed inopen day, remained unpunished and 
 men depended for protection more upon their own witty 
 brains and stout arms, than upon the shelter of the laws 
 of the country. This chaotic state of society was an 
 obstacle not only to moral, but also to material progress. 
 The situation of BroAvnsville, standing on a noble river 
 that placed it in easy communication with the towns and 
 cities of Northern Mexico ready to become purchasers 
 in its marts, with tracts of some of the most fertile lands 
 in the world stretching out in its rear to the north and 
 to the east in a wilderness of beauty and productiveness, 
 until hundreds of miles of landscape, rich in every va- 
 riety of fruit and flower, met the rolling prairie or lux- 
 uriant forest — the situation, we say, of Brownsville, 
 should already have secured for it, brief though the days 
 of its existence were, a place amongst the loremost of 
 the rising young cities of the West. But a moral blight 
 
A Texas Missiontiry. 85 
 
 was on the place, which marred its progress — the blig-ht 
 of irreligion. 
 
 "To remove this blig-ht, the public mind, thoug-h 
 deeply ting-ed with infidelity, bethoug-ht itself instinct- 
 ively of an efficacious remedy, — the restoration of the 
 Catholic relig-ion and worship, which had been suspend- 
 ed in Brownsville since the expulsion of the Mexicans. 
 In view of securing- this object the heads of the town put 
 themselves in communication with the Bishop of Galves- 
 ton. His Lordship was overjoyed at their proposal, giv- 
 ing- them credit for sentiments of which, unfortunately, 
 they were not possessed. He thought it was a religious 
 motive that had induced them to apply to him for Priests 
 and for the restoration of Catholic worship in Browns- 
 ville; whereas their object in making such an application 
 was of a purely secular character. They wished by the 
 introduction of Catholic missionaries into Brownsville, to 
 induce Mexican and American Catholics of position and 
 respectability to establish themselves in that city, and 
 thus contribute to its mercantile and social importance. 
 
 "Early in December, 1849, the first Oblate Mission- 
 aries, Fathers Telmon, and Soulerin arrived in Browns- 
 ville at the invitation of the Bishop of Galveston, 
 to take charge of a district which extended in length 
 from the Gulf of Mexico over 200 miles running west 
 along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. In width, it 
 stretched out in a north-easterly direction about 100 
 miles toward the interior of the country. We would here 
 anticipate what will become visible as our narrative of 
 the Oblate Mission advances, by acknowledging at once 
 that we have no widespread and extraordinary results 
 of missionary effort to speak of, — no fruits of zeal, com- 
 mensurate with the devotedness, the self-sacrifice, the 
 piety, and the learning of the Fathers engaged in that 
 difficult field of apostolic labor, to describe. 
 
86 Reminiscences of 
 
 "The most crucial test of apostolic zeal is that of de- 
 voted labour for souls not followed by any visible fruit. 
 To this test have the labours of apostolic men in divers 
 ag-es of the Church been subjected. Many devoted mis- 
 sionary spirits, from the days of the Apostles down to 
 our own times, have had no other post assig-ned to them 
 by the Divine Master in the vineyard of zeal, during- their 
 life's day, than that of being sowers only of the seed. 
 Their appointed occupation was to plough, to harrow, 
 and to plant, but seldom or never to reap. The seed 
 planted by them may take a score, or fifty, or a hundred 
 years to ripen, but it ripens in the end. They were 
 often perhaps, in their day, twitted because no visible 
 success followed their labors, whilst in their own hearts 
 they had to do battle ag-ainst a growing despondency; 
 but being- of the true Apostolic type, they still worked 
 on undaunted for God and souls thoug-h seemingly un- 
 successful. Going, the}^ went and w^ept, casting- the seed, 
 watering the g-round on w^hich they labored with their 
 tears, and often with their hearts' blood. 
 
 "It waslaboring- thus without much visible fruit that, 
 during the early ages of the Church, band after band of 
 martyr Apostles followed one another in the blessed 
 winter drudgery of Christ's vineyard under blast an^ 
 chill and drenching- skies, and reproach and taunt and 
 violent opposition of wicked men who hated the Word, 
 whose seed these holy workers were engag-ed in plant- 
 ing-. The sow^ers had done their appointed work and 
 they were called home at eventide to receive their hire. 
 The winter passes away, the harvest ripens everywhere, 
 Jerusalem beg-ins to bud forth and blossom, the voice of 
 the turtle dove is heard in the land, the desert rejoices 
 and flourishes like the lily, the fig- tree puts forth its 
 green fig-s, the vine flower yields its sweet smell. 'Arise, 
 arise, put on thy streng-th, O Sion! put on the g-arments 
 
A Texas Missionary. 87 
 
 of thy g-lory. O Cit}^ of the Holy One! loose the bonds 
 from off thy neck. O Church of Jesus Christ! come forth 
 from the catacombs, the harvest is ripe upon the plains, 
 send forth thy reapers in great numbers. The nations 
 are coming- to thee with their gifts, the kings of the earth 
 are to be thy foster-fathers.' Oh, blessed the hands that 
 have sowed the seed that has grown up into such glor- 
 ious harv^est fruits, the conversion of nations; and bles- 
 sed are they who at this hour are willingly, because God 
 wills it, engaged in some solitary missionary work, un- 
 cheered by comfort from without, who work zealously, 
 although without much result that is apparent, in the 
 field of some uninviting missionary duty. Such work is 
 highly supernatural, is productive of loftiest merit, re- 
 sembles very much the work of some of the greatest 
 Saints; yea, it resembles that of Jesus in Nazareth. Un- 
 fruitful it may seem for the while, but by and bv in God's 
 time the blossoming and the ripening will take place, 
 and other hands, if not one's own, will garner the fruits 
 of the goodly tree planted with such difficulty, and cared 
 for with such loving, patient, industry, during the long 
 winter tide." 
 
 Such reflections are forced upon us as we consider 
 the disappointments and mishaps, the trials and per- 
 secutions, and limited success of the first years of the 
 missionary labors of the Oblates of Mary in Texas. 
 
 The news of the arrival of the missionary Fathers 
 in Brownsville circulated rapidly through the town. A 
 meeting of some of the principal inhabitants took place, 
 to which the fathers were invited, on the evening of the 
 day of their arrival. The meeting, which was held in an 
 empty wooden structure was composed almost exclusively 
 of non-Catholics, -Jews, Mormons, professed Infidels, and 
 Protestants of different sects. An aged speaker, one of 
 the leading inhabitants, arose to bid welcome to the 
 
88 Reminiscences of 
 
 Fathers in the name of his townsmen. In doing- so, he 
 made it clearly understood that the object those present 
 had in view, in making- such a demonstration to welcome 
 the Fathers to Brownsville, had nothing- of a relig-ious 
 character about it. Before the meeting- separated, a 
 discussion ensued as to the measures to be adopted for 
 providing a residence and means of support for the 
 Fathers. The first resolution adopted by the meeting- 
 on this subject was not one that gave aug-ury of much 
 g-enerosity towards the Fathers on the part of the in- 
 habitants of Brownsville. The lodging- assig-ned to them 
 by the meeting- was the half-ruined shed, in which they 
 were then assembled. This consisted of one apartment, 
 unfurnished, without a fire-place, the dimensions of 
 which were twenty-five feet by twelve. It had been a 
 small cotton store; the floor was saturated with filth, the 
 place infested with rats, and with hug-e spiders whose 
 webs covered the walls and ceiling-. Such was the first 
 community residence of the Oblates of Mary in Texas. 
 It was f urthur agreed at the meeting- that a monthly col- 
 lection should be made in the town for their support. 
 
 The feast of the Immaculate Conception was ap- 
 proaching, and some place must be provided where Mass 
 could be said publicly on that great solemnity. With 
 some difficulty an empty shop was secured, the counter 
 of which became the first altar on which the Holy Sacri- 
 fice of the Mass was publicly celebrated by the Oblates 
 of Mary in Brownsville. The humble temporary altar 
 was fitted up with as much beauty of decoration as their 
 ability and the small means at their disposal enabled 
 them to impart to it. The attendance at the services 
 was very sparse at the outset; some slight improvement 
 however, began to make itself manifest, when the rising 
 hopes of the missionaries received a rude check by the 
 ^'notice to quit" which reached them from the owner of 
 
A Texas ^ Mission firy. 89 
 
 their temporary chapel. For some weeks they and their 
 little flock, were left w^ithout a place of public wor- 
 ship. At last a German Lutheran, whose wife was a 
 Catholic, allowed them to have the use, for a time, of a 
 small empty shop, which was at his disposal. In the 
 meantime, a piece of ground was purchased and a tem- 
 porary wooden chapel erected upon it. 
 
 The numbers attending- services beg^an sensibly to 
 increase and several sig-ns of brighter promise became 
 visible. On the other hand, the public subscriptions 
 which had been promised for their support ceased, and 
 a series of other difficulties presented themselves in suc- 
 cession; worry and anxiety began painfully to tell on the 
 health of the Fathers. Under these circumstances, 
 after much hesitation, Monsignor de Mazenod came to 
 the decision of withdrawing his missionaries altogether 
 from Texas, to the great regret of Monsignor Odin, the 
 Bishop of Galveston. One year after the departure of 
 the Fathers from Browmsville, the Bishop of Galveston 
 visited Europe. One of the principal objects of his 
 journey was to place before Monsignor de Mazenod the 
 great spiritual privations to which a large portion of his 
 flock were subjected, owing to the withdrawal of the 
 Oblate missionaries from his diocese. 
 
 He pleaded his cause so well that the great mission- 
 ary heart of Mgr. de Mazenod was moved to reconsider 
 the decision relative to the mission of Texas, and forth- 
 with to send to that country six Fathers and alay brother. 
 After an interval of one year and six months absence, 
 the Oblate missionaries, including Father Gaudet, their 
 Superior, resumed their work at Brownsville, where 
 they arrived in the beginning of October, 1852. Three 
 years later they laid the foundation of a large and perma- 
 nent church, to replace the temporary wooden structure 
 which they were then using. This building was com- 
 
90 Reminiscences of 
 
 pleted in 1859, and was solemnly blessed by Mgr. Odin, 
 on the feast of Pentecost in that year. It was then 
 acknowledg-ed to be the finest public building- in Texas. 
 Attached to the church was a suitable community house 
 for the Fathers. 
 
 Educational works of considerable importance were 
 set on foot by the Fathers of Brownsville. A teaching- 
 community, the Sisters of the Incarnate Word, was 
 established there. Boys' schools were also opened. 
 
 The missionaries had now the consolation of seeing-- 
 crowds flocking- to the services of their new and beauti- 
 ful church. The attendance at public Mass on Sundays 
 in the early days of their temporary church sometimes 
 used to sink down to five or six persons, and on one 
 occasion there was only one person present; now the 
 church is crowded at several Masses. This awaken- 
 ing- of taith g-reatly rejoiced the hearts of the mission- 
 aries. Their labors, however, were not confined to the 
 population of Brownsville. Their vast district extend- 
 ing- along- the banks of the Rio Grande in one direction, 
 and in the other, stretching- far away into the interior of 
 Texas, was interspersed with numerous ranches, which 
 had to be visited at appointed intervals. Besides these, 
 there was a larg-e number of detached habitations scat- 
 tered over the wide plains and prairies or buried in 
 g-reatforests, which they had also to visit. Thelabor im- 
 posed on the Fathers in visiting- the inhabitants of these 
 plains and forests of their district was enormous. It is 
 true they performed their journeys for the most part 
 on horseback; nevertheless they had g-reat fatig-ue to 
 endure and sometimes g-reat dang-ers to encounter, espec- 
 ially in fording- sw^ollen and rapid rivers. When a mis. 
 sionary arrives, after a long- day's ride under a broiling- 
 sun at the ranch to which he has been journeymg-, g-reat 
 discomforts as a rule await him. The huts composing- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 91 
 
 the ranch are very miserable structures. A few poles 
 are fixed in the ground; these are interlaced with 
 branches of trees, and the whole interior is then coated 
 with mud. Such is the habitation which is offered the 
 missionary on his arrival by some poor family, who are 
 glad to give him a corner in their hut and share their 
 unsavory tortilla cake with him. He spreads his blanket 
 upon the mud floor of his humble abode, and using his 
 saddle for a pillow, tries to sleep, but often he fails in 
 the attempt, notwithstanding his fatigue. The stench 
 and filth of the place, the biting of mosquitoes, and the 
 attacks of other insects of a more hateful type prevent 
 him frequentl}^ from enjoying the rest he so much 
 needs. The inhabitants of these ranches are of Mexi- 
 can origin. They are full of reverence for the Priest, 
 but, owing to their isolation and the difficulty of giving 
 them religious instruction, they are often found to be 
 very ignorant, especially in remote places that can be 
 but seldom visited by the Fathers. During his stay in 
 their midst the Father gives instructions and hears Con- 
 fessions; baptizes; marries; corrects abuses, and adjudi- 
 cates quarrels. He leaves one ranch to pursue his Apos- 
 tolic labors in the next, and so on until he has completed 
 his circuit of visits. 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 From the Archives of the Vatican and Copen- 
 hagen. Interesting notes on America 
 Mexico and Texas. Correspondence be- 
 tween d'Alarconne and De la Harpe. 
 
 In this chapter I shall follow the Codex Historicus 
 of the Mission of Brownsville, selecting- the events which 
 may prove interesting to the readers. 
 
 Some historical data which I found on a sheet of pa- 
 
92 ReiJiiiiiscencvs of 
 
 per added afterwards to the codex, may be prefixed be- 
 fore I enter into the body of m}^ narration. 
 
 The archives of the Vatican and those of Copenha- 
 g-en reveal the following- facts: 
 
 1. In 829 America was visited by Catholic mission- 
 aries. 
 
 2. In 834 Pope Gregory IV granted to Ansgar, 
 Archbishop of Hamburg, jurisdiction over Iceland and 
 Greenland. 
 
 3. In 1004 those countries were Catholic, and it is a 
 well asserted fact that in 1055, Adalbert, Archbishop of 
 Bremen, Hamburg, consecrated as his suffragan, John, 
 Bishop of Skolhold, and sent him to Iceland. He also 
 consecrated Albert as Bishop of Gardar, and sent him 
 to Greenland. 
 
 4. In 1059 Bishop John of Skohold, a Scotchman by 
 birth, went to visit a colony of Icelanders, Norwegians, 
 Danes, and Swedes, established in Vineland, and 
 preached also to the natives of that country, co-exten- 
 sive with the present New England States. 
 
 5. This same Bishop of Skolhold became a martyr, 
 having been killed by the natives. A Priest by the 
 name of Thornwald, was also killed by the Esquimos 
 near the place now occupied by the city of Boston. 
 
 6. The first baptism was administered in 1009 in 
 the State of Rhode Island. The person's name was 
 Snowe, and the parents were Torfina and Gudrida. 
 They went back to Iceland, and Gudrida, having become 
 a widow, went to Rome, where, under her direction, 
 maps of these new countries were drawn. Gudrida re- 
 turned to Iceland, where she became a nun. Three of 
 her sons became Bishops in Iceland. The last of her 
 decendants was Magnus Stephenson, who died in 1833. 
 
 7. In 1121 Bishop Erick of Gardar visited Vineland 
 where he died. It is believed that the monument dis- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 93 
 
 covered near Newport dates from the time of Erick. It 
 is a baptismal font or baptistery of the same make as 
 those found in Greenland at Ig-alikho, Kakortok, and 
 Iglorsoit. 
 
 8. The Bishops of Iceland and Greenland, suffrag-- 
 ans of Hamburg- since 834, became suffrag-ans of Lund in 
 1099 by a Bull of Urban II, and subsequently became suf- 
 frag-ans of Drontheim in Norway by a Bull issued by 
 Pope Anastasius IV in 1154. 
 
 9. The Popes John XXI, Nicholas III, and Martin 
 V, speak of those churches as being- flourishino-. 
 
 10. In 1540 Christian, King- of Denmark, sent Lut- 
 heran preachers who poisoned Aug-mond, Bishop of Skol- 
 hold, and beheaded Arleson, Bishop of Horleim. The 
 last Bishop of Gardar was Vincent, who was consecrat- 
 ed in 1537. 
 
 11. A monument was discovered, fifteen miles from 
 Washing-ton, which attests the antiquity of the American 
 Church; it is a tombstone bearing- a Christian inscrip- 
 tion with the date 1051. 
 
 NOTES ON MEXICO. 
 
 1. Prehistoric ruins, ancient cities and temples un- 
 earthed, reared by primitive races, are seen in many 
 places. 
 
 2. The character of the monuments of the ancient 
 inhabitants of Mexico reminds us of the primitive civil- 
 ization of Eg-ypt. 
 
 3. The hierog-lyphics, imag-es, pyramids, temples 
 add to the indecision whether Mexico is older than Eg-ypt 
 or Eg-ypt older than Mexico. 
 
 4. Palenque, Uxmal and other ruins in Oaxaca and 
 Yucatan reveal a civilization anterior to the Toltecs. 
 
 5. The national traditions have preserved the mem- 
 
94 Reminiscences of 
 
 ory of an immense invasion of the Mexican territory by 
 the Toltecs in the 7th century. 
 
 6. Some Franciscan Friars, after inspecting- the 
 crosses, images, altars, and temples at Palenque, are of 
 the opinion that the inhabitants of Palenque and the 
 surrounding- country were Christians, and that prob- 
 ably their existence there dates back to the 3rd century. 
 
 7. After the Toltecs came other tribes. The most 
 notable are the Chichimecas, from whom came the 
 eleven King-s who ruled over Mexico until the arrival of 
 the Aztecs. 
 
 8. The Aztecs founded the City of Mexico in 1325. 
 
 9. The Aztecs, after an aristocratic reig-n of short 
 duration, elected a King- in 1352. 
 
 10. Montezuma and his successors from 1436 to 1482 
 extended their conquests to the farthest limits of the 
 country. 
 
 11. Montezuma II received Cortez on the 8th of No- 
 vember, 1519, and was subsequently killed. 
 
 12. Guatemozin is made prisoner. The City of 
 Mexico surrenders on the 15th of Aug-ust, 1527. 
 
 13. Guatemozin put to death by order of Cortez. 
 
 NOTES ON TEXAvS. 
 
 1. The first European settlement, within the limits 
 of what is now the State of Texas, was planted by La 
 SaUe in February, 1685. 
 
 2. Previous to this, the country had been occupied 
 only by scattered Indian tribes. 
 
 4. La Salle, entering- the Espiritu Santo Bay, built a 
 fort on the spot subsequently occupied by the Bahia 
 mission. 
 
 4. In the fort he left about twenty persons under 
 Barbier with Fathers Membre and Leclerq,and the Sul- 
 pitian Fathers, Rev. Chefdeville, Cavalier, and Doucey. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 95 
 
 5. For two years these five Priests offered the Holy 
 Sacrifice and administered the Sacraments. 
 
 6. The Spaniards in Mexico, hearing-that the French 
 had constructed a fort in Texas, sent Alonzo de Leon in 
 1689, with a small force ag-ainst the French colony, but 
 they found it destroyed by the Indians. 
 
 7. In 1691 Don Doming-o Teran, Governor of Coa- 
 huila and Texas, planted several settlements in Texas 
 in order to assert the claims of theSpaniardsto the land. 
 
 8. The Spaniards established the Presidio of San 
 Francisco Solano, San Ildefonso and San Jose on the left 
 side of the Rio Grande, which in 1718 were transferred 
 to San Antonio de Valero, the present city of San An- 
 tonio. 
 
 9. The French at Natchitoches led by La Harpe 
 and St. Denis advance westward as far as Nacog-doches. 
 
 10. The Spanish Viceroy in Mexico appoints Don 
 Martin D'Alarconne Governor of Texas. 
 
 11. Young- Hucherau de St. Denis proceeds from 
 Nacog-doches westward across the country to the Rio 
 Grande, on a tour of inspection. 
 
 12. All these manoeuvres arouse antag-onism on both 
 sides. The French are wroth to see the Spaniards en- 
 croaching- on Texas from the West, and the Spaniards 
 are incensed at the French occupyingTexason theEast. 
 Hence comes the following- spicy correspondence: 
 
 13. d'alarconne to monsieur la harpe. 
 "Monsieur: The orders I have received from the 
 King-, my master, are to maintain a good understanding- 
 with the French of Louisiana; my own inclinations lead 
 me equally to aiford them all the services that depend 
 upon me. But I am compelled to say that your arrival 
 at the Nassonite village surprises me much. Your Gov- 
 ernor could not be ignorant of the fact that the post you 
 
^6 Reminiscences of 
 
 occupy belong-s to my government, and all the lands 
 west' of the Nassonites depend upon New Mexico. I 
 counsel you to inform Mr. Bienville of this, or you will 
 force me to oblige you to abandon lands that the French 
 have no right to occupy. I have the honor, &c.; 
 
 D. A'Larconne. 
 Trinity River, May 20th, 1719." 
 
 14. REPLY OF LA HARPE. 
 
 "Monsieur: The order from his Catholic Majesty 
 to maintain a good understanding with the French of 
 Louisiana, and the kind intentions you have yourself ex- 
 pressed toward them, accord but little with your pro- 
 ceedings. Permit me to apprise you that Mr. de Bien- 
 ville is perfectly informed of the limits of his govern- 
 ment, and is very certain that the post of Nassonite does 
 not depend upon the dominions of his Catholic Majesty. 
 He knows also that the Province of Las Tekas (Las 
 Tekas, Las Tejas, Texas), of which you say you are 
 Governor, is a part of Louisiana. Mr. De La Salle took 
 possession in 1685 in the name of his most Christian 
 Majesty, and since then the above possession has been 
 renewed from time to time. 
 
 Respecting the post of Nassonite, I cannot compre- 
 hend by what right you pretend that it forms part of 
 New Mexico. I beg leave to represent to you that Don 
 Antonio de Minoir, who discovered New Mexico in 1683, 
 never penetrated east of that Province or the Rio Bravo. 
 It was the French who first made alliances with the 
 savage tribes in this region, and it is natural to conclude 
 that a river that flows into the Mississippi and the lands 
 it waters belong to the King, my master. If you do me 
 the pleasure to come into this quarter, I will convince 
 you that I hold a post I know how to defend. I have the 
 honor, &c., De La Harpe. 
 
 Nassonite, July 8th, 1719." 
 
A Texas Missionary. 97 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Cortina. Raid on Brownsville. Impromptu 
 Army. Took to Their Heels. Captain 
 W. G. Tobin. Col. Rip Ford. Cortina 
 Defeated. Three Men Hanged. Looked 
 upon as a Spy. A Lawyer Without a 
 License. 
 
 In the month of September, 1859, J. N. Cortina, a 
 ranchero whose residence was situated on the left bank 
 of the Rio Grande, about nine miles distant from Browns- 
 ville, came down at the head of fifty men and took pos- 
 session of the city shortly after midnig-ht. His object 
 was the assassination of twelve citizens. For some time 
 past his mind had been brooding- reveng-e on several 
 Americans who, he supposed, had taken unjust posses- 
 sion of lands belong-ing- to his countrymen, and who, he 
 imag-ined, were unfriendly to the Mexican race. For 
 three or four hours he occupied the city, during- which 
 time he killed six Am ericans. Organized resistance was 
 out of the question. The Americans, terror-stricken, 
 had only time to look for hiding places. At day-break 
 the assassin and his accomplices withdrew to his ranch. 
 There he did not remain inactive. His little army of 
 fifty increased daily and soon numbered as many as 200 
 well-armed men. The prospect was gloomy. Many in- 
 habitants had crossed the river to Matamoros to find a 
 place of security. The enemy had erected fortifications 
 or earth-works at a sharp turn of the road, about one 
 mile above Cortina's ranch. 
 
 The Brownsvillians, fearing a second attack, barri- 
 caded the central portion of the city with two cannons 
 for defense. 
 
 One day, stirred up by a bellicose frenzy, they re- 
 solved to enlist all the men capable of bearing arms, both 
 
98 Reminiscences of 
 
 old and young, then to go and rout the enemy; force them 
 to bite the dust or cross the river. 
 
 Two hundred men volunteered to go and meet the 
 eneiny. A General was elected to command the expedi- 
 tion. There were Captains; Lieutenants; Sergeants and 
 privates. The regular army of Fort Brown had been 
 reduced to only a few men, most of the soldiers hav- 
 ing fallen victims to that dread disease, yellow fever. 
 
 The expedition left Brownsville with two cannons 
 and provisions for several days. It took them three days 
 to reach the enemy. They advanced slowly, with the 
 greatest caution, sending men to reconnoiter, for they 
 apprehended an ambuscade from behind every bush. 
 Finally the enemy's fortifications are in sight. The ex- 
 pedition halts. Not one man is seen, no voice heard in the 
 enemy's camp. Hearing of the expedition, had they left 
 and crossed over to the Mexican side of the river? 
 
 Suddenly a tremendous volley of musketry revealed 
 the situation. Quick as thought the Brownsville braves 
 take to their heels, leaving one of their cannons behind 
 them, which fell into the hands of the enemy. 
 
 The situation grew more critical every day. Cor- 
 tina was receiving new recruits from both sides of the 
 river. Every day at day-break the booming of the cap- 
 tured cannon seemed to say: "Brownsville come up and 
 take me back, if you can!" thus setting the city at defi- 
 ance. 
 
 It was on December 27, 1859, that the frontier was 
 relieved of this desperate gang by the noble action of Cap- 
 tain W. G. Tobin, of San Antonio, who came down with 
 sixty Texans and joined Col. J. S. Ford. Cortina and 
 his men could not resist the combined forces of these 
 gallant officers, who had come to rescue Brownsville and 
 the frontier from the oppression and unrestrained law- 
 lessness of ignorant and unprincipled men. Cortina 
 
A Texas Missionary. 99 
 
 was badly beaten and was forced to cross the river. 
 
 He afterwards became the Governor of the State of 
 Tamaulipas, although his education was absolutely 
 blank — for he did not know either how to read or write. 
 Althoug-h expelled from Texas soil, his presence on the 
 frontier still caused fear and terror. But the Federal 
 g-overnment of the U. S. obtained from Mexico, his re- 
 moval from the frontier. Forthwith he was sent to the 
 Mexican capital under escort and kept there a life pris- 
 oner. He was, however, afterwards allowed some lib- 
 erty, but obliged to present himself every day and 
 report at headquarters. 
 
 Some years after these frontier troubles, three men 
 who had participated in the Brownsville raid, were 
 caught on the Texas banks of the river, arrested and 
 sentenced to be hanged. To prepare them for the pas- 
 sage to eternity devolved upon me. For fifteen days I 
 worked in vain endeavoring to bring them to repentance. 
 
 The day for the hanging came; I prepared to make 
 the last assault and endeavored to have them realize their 
 situation. "So you have resolved to go to hell?" I said, 
 "but remember this: after you are hanged, you will fall 
 into the eternal fire of hell, and at the first touch of it, 
 you will exclaim, ' Oh, I could have escaped from it, but 
 now I cannot! '" 
 
 "Father," said one of them, "please hear my Con- 
 fession." After giving him the Sacraments, I said, "I 
 thought that three would go to hell, but thank God, this 
 one will go the other way and meet his merciful Savior." 
 "Father," said the second, "is there any hope forme?" 
 "Yes,"Isaid, "evenif your sins were one thousand times 
 more grievous, if you repent and have confidence 
 they will be forgiven you." "Hear my confession," he 
 said. After giving him the Sacraments I repeated my 
 words. "I thought the three would go to hell, but thajik 
 
100 Reminiscences of 
 
 God these two are already reconciled with God and 
 men." Then addressing- myself to the third one I said: 
 "You rebellious soul, I abandon you to your fate; I am 
 g-oing- to take my dinner; I shall be here at 2 o'clock to 
 accompany you to the place of execution." "Father," 
 he said, "have we time yet?" "Yes," I said, "God says 
 at any time the sinner comes to me I will hear him and 
 heal him." He also received the Sacraments. 
 
 While g"oing to the place of execution, we recited 
 the Rosary. Arrived at the gallows, the three knelt 
 and received the last blessing-. Mesericordias Domini 
 in aeternum cantabo. 
 
 The venerable J. B. Vianney, the great winner 
 of souls, a wonder of humility and mortification, the 
 Thaumaturgus of the 19th century, was wont to say: 
 "I am dealing with sinners every day of my life. OhI 
 when shall I be in the company of the Saints! If there 
 were no heaven, how fooled I should be! " 
 
 Missionary life on the lower Rio Grande in those 
 days, was anything but pleasant. Our lot was cast 
 among outlaws and revolutionists from Mexico, seeking 
 a refuge under the Stars and Stripes. Four Oblates in 
 Matamoros, lived under the tyrannical rule of petty mas- 
 ters, subjected to all kinds of annoyances, except during 
 the Emperor's short reign, when they enjoyed perfect 
 liberty. Six Oblates in Brownsville were employed in 
 parochial duties and the visit of numerous ranches. 
 
 Our Texas mission suffered chiefly from peri- 
 odical revolutions in Mexico. Matamoros was generally 
 the starting point for those who strove for the guberna- 
 torial prize: Ruiz, Revueltas, Carvajal, Escobedo, Cor- 
 tinas, Canales and a score of other Generals are notori- 
 ous on the Lower Rio Grande. Revolutions were the 
 order of the day. The Rojos, the Crinolinos, the Colo- 
 rados, the Azules, were some of the appellations of the 
 
A Tejras Missioaarjr. 101 
 
 political parties of the time. The first question every 
 morning- was: "How many were killed last nig-ht?" 
 Many a time our mission on the Texas side was blessed 
 by the accumulation of the wounded and the vanquished, 
 sometimes by revolutionists, concocting- their schemes 
 and plots; by robbers, and generally by the scum of our 
 sister Republic. Our population was demoralized and 
 our lot was cast in that pandemonium. Add to the above, 
 that terrible plag-ue, the yellow fever, which several 
 times decimated our mission. Eleven Oblates fell vic- 
 tims to the terrific monster. 
 
 In those days of adversity and insurmountable diffi- 
 culties, the Oblates quailed for a moment, and the mis- 
 sion was to be abandoned. The Cardinal Prefect of the 
 Propaganda was advised of the project, and communi- 
 cated the fact to his Holiness, Pope Pius IX. The fol- 
 lowing- words came to us from Rome: "By order of the 
 Pope, the Oblates must remain on that desolated fron- 
 tier." Encourag-ed by the Vicar of Christ we continued 
 our work of zeal and abneg-ation. The above was writ- 
 ten by anticipation. I must now retrace my steps and 
 take up the thread of my narration of episodes. 
 
 During- the Confederate war, Texas seceded. The 
 Federal troops land at Brazos Santiag-o. General Bee, 
 the g-entlemanly commanding- officer of the Confederate 
 forces at Brownsville, sets fire to the g-arrison; blows up 
 the powder magazine and withdraws. The following 
 day the Federals arrive, but find Brownsville de- 
 serted. We keep our post. We are now under Federal 
 rule, and as gentle as lambs with our new masters. 
 Shortly after their arrival, I was summoned to a sick call 
 some twelve miles above the city. I applied to Major 
 Starck for a pass. "No sir; I cannot give you a pass," 
 said he. I forthwith went to General Heron, the com- 
 manding officer, to represent to him the urgency of the 
 
102 Reminiscences of 
 
 case. "Come back in about one hour," said he, ''and 
 I shall see that you g-et your pass." After waiting- an 
 hour I g-ot my pass and then started for the sick call. On 
 the road I met four different pickets of soldiers and was 
 thus addressed by each: "Halt; were are you g-oing-? 
 when do you expect to be back?" "Well, well," I said 
 to myself, "I am certainly looked upon as a dang-erous 
 
 man or a spy." 
 
 A few years after the war, when Major Starck, who 
 had become a citizen, came to see me. "Well, Major, 
 said I, "are you g"oing- to g-et married?" "What makes 
 you ask me that question," said he. "Because," said I, 
 "when I asked you for that pass, you remember, your 
 face was rather rigid, and now you are smiling-." "Well 
 Father, he said, "I will explain to you the reason of our 
 conduct. When we arrived at Brownsville, we were told 
 that the Priests were the staunchest adherents of the 
 Confederacy. You remember the four pickets of 
 soldiers you met on the road? We despatched them in 
 front of you at equal distances, before we delivered you 
 the pass. The enemy was only forty miles distant, and 
 you were g"oing- in that direction, etc." 
 
 General Heron being satisfied that I was neither a 
 suspicious character nor a spy, gave me a general pass. 
 Major Starck married one of our best girls; his esteemed 
 wife and family are still living in Brownsville. 
 
 A young lady one day came to see me. " Father," 
 said she, "the Yankees have stolen my 600 goats; would 
 you be kind enough to see the General about it and have 
 my goats returned to me?" I forthwith started for the 
 General's quarters. "General," said I, "some of your 
 men have stolen 600 goats from a young lady, one of my 
 parishioners." "I have no time to attend to such busi- 
 ness," said the General, "I will refer the case to my 
 military court." The following day I presented myself 
 
A Tejeas Missionary. 103 
 
 before the court. There was the prosecuting- attorney, 
 who asked me to state the case and endeavor to clear my- 
 self of what he considered an insult to the army. "For," 
 said he, "you told General Heron that some of our men 
 had stolen a number of g-oats." "Well," said I, "if you 
 object to the word stealing-, I withdraw it and say 
 that some of your men have taken away 600 g-oats from 
 the farm of a young- lady: this is ag-ainst the law of 
 justice." "Do you not know that in time of war, we are 
 allowed in strict justice to appropriate to ourselves the 
 goods of our enemy wherever we find them? Our men, 
 you know, have to be fed." "I understand your doctrine 
 perfectly well, but, my dear sir, the young- lady cannot 
 be considered, and in fact is not, one of your enemies, for 
 she is neutral." "Yes, buther father is a rebel." "That 
 cannot be," said I, "for her father died fourteen years 
 ago." "Is not Mr. Glavecke her father?" "No sir, he 
 is her step-father." "Can this be proved by two wit- 
 nesses?" "Yes, sir, immediately." ThenI wentinsearch 
 of the two witnesses required by the court. They ap- 
 peared and were sworn, and testified that the young- lady's 
 father had been dead for fourteen years. His Honor the 
 Judg-e with a smile on his face said, "the 600 g-oats shall 
 be returned to the rig-htful owner." And they were re- 
 turned. "After all;" said I to myself, "there is fairness 
 and justice among- our friends, the enemies." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A Funny Interview. What Chewing- Tobacco 
 did. A Protestant's Remarkable Conver- 
 sion. A Baby Baptized in the Nick of 
 time. General Banks wants to study 
 Spanish. A Poor Man Hang-ed. An 
 Ag-reeable Surprise. 
 
 We are now under military rule, and no one is 
 
104 Reminiscences of 
 
 allowed to leave the city without a pass. I shall continue 
 my narration with a comical incident, which happened 
 to one of our lay-brothers. He was g-reatly afflicted with 
 stammering-, and one day he was sent to cut some g-rass 
 in a prairie a few miles from the city. "Brother," we 
 said to him before starting-, "provide yourself with a pass 
 or else they will not permit you to g-ooutside of the line!" 
 His reply was: "M-m-me wa-wa-want n-no p-p-pass." 
 He mounted his horse, and placing- a long- scythe on his 
 shoulder, started off. On the road he met a picket of 
 soldiers, and he relates the encounter thus: "O-o-one 
 s-s-soldier c-cried h-h-halt, a-a-and m-me n-n-no s-s-s- 
 scared a-a-and m-m-m-me t-t-told h-h-him m-me n-n-no 
 b-b-bad m-m-man, m-m-me g'-g'-g'o c-c-cut g--g--g^rass, a-a- 
 and the s-s-soldier s-s-said m-m-me, p-p-pass a-a-and g-- 
 g-o t-t-to g-g--g-rass." The following- day he went with a 
 Mexican cart to g-ather the g-rass which he had cut, 
 and when passing in front of the picket of soldiers, he 
 held up his Rosary before them and said: "L-1-l-look, 
 t-t-this m-m-my p-p-pass." 
 
 Now to be serious. The streets were crowded, and 
 our Confederate homes were either occupied by Federal 
 officers or used for some of the various army offices. A 
 larg-e warehouse was used as a hospital for the privates, 
 while a fine residencebecametheinfirmaryof theofficers. 
 Outside the limits of the city there were two more hos- 
 pitals. At one time the number of patients was over 
 2000. A short distance from the city was an encamp- 
 ment of about 3000 colored troops, whose quarters re- 
 sounded every nig-ht with loud cacophonic song-s, as 
 though SOOtrombones were being- used. At first my cas- 
 sock attracted the attention of our new masters, for it is 
 the custom of the Priests on the Lower Rio Grande to 
 wear their cassocks outside the house as well as in it, 
 and during- visits to the ranches the cassock is found to 
 
A Texas Missionary. 105 
 
 be a g-ood counsellor and protector. So our new comers 
 had to become reconciled and accustomed to our special 
 g-arb. Tobacco was scarce in those days, and the men 
 would do almost anything- to obtain it. Hence I used to- 
 baccoasa means to rendermycassockpopular. Throug-h 
 the g-enerosity of Dr. C. Macmanus I obtained a g-ood 
 supply of chewing- tobacco, which I cutintoquids. When 
 passing- throug-h the men I used to g-ive them a quid of 
 tobacco, and in a shorttime Ibecameknownas the Priest 
 who g-ave tobacco. Soon both whites and blacks were 
 wont to crowd around me, and my cassock became a 
 pleasant sig-ht for them, for they knewthatitsbig-pockets 
 were well filled with tobacco. On the g-ulf shore at Brazos 
 Santiag-o there was a military hospital containing- two 
 very larg-e wards, where I was frequently called to attend 
 to the sick. One day an Irish soldier sent me word to 
 come down immediately to prepare him for death. I 
 jumped on my horse with the determination of g-oing- 
 straig-ht to the sick man, but my horse took the wrong- 
 road, and being- a little distracted at the time, I did not 
 perceive tf is till the white houses of Clarksville were in 
 sig-ht. While there I proceeded to visit a small detach- 
 ment of soldiers. As I alig-hted in front of Mrs. Clark's 
 house, I was startled by these words from the lady:" 
 "Father, g-o quick to that tent yonder, there is a dying- 
 soldier in it who is asking- Almig-hty God to send him a 
 Priest." I went immediately to the tent, and entering- 
 found the sick man lying- on the bare ground. When he 
 saw me, he exclaimed: "Blessed be God, who has heard 
 my prayer." "Father," said hein a feeble voice, "I am 
 g-oing- to die, and I have been praying- very hard, asking- 
 God to send me a Priest, for I do not w^ant to die a Prot- 
 estant." I found the dying- man well instructed in the 
 Catholic religion. He had suddenly been ordered from 
 the North to the South, on the very eve of the day ap- 
 
106 Reminiscences of 
 
 pointed, for his reception into the Catholic Church. 
 
 I performed all the ceremonies necessary in such a 
 case and then baptized him. When I told Mrs. Clark 
 how I had come there by my horse taking- the wrong- road 
 she exclaimed: "That was certainly an act of Divine 
 Providence." I shall also relate another providential inci- 
 dent which, although of a later period, coincides well with 
 the one above. One evening-, while the community were 
 taking" their evening- recreation, a man came for a Priest 
 to go and baptize a sick baby some miles distant from 
 the city. As the hour was al-ready late I asked the man 
 if the baby were in a critical condition, and he answered 
 that the baby was not yet in actual danger. I then told 
 him that I would go early the next morning. The man 
 n^ounted his horse and was ready to start back, when 
 the thought struck me, "what if that baby should die 
 during the night?" I then told the man that I had de- 
 cided to go immediately; I prepared my horse and 
 started. We both traveled at a good gait and soon reach- 
 ed the house, where we were told that the baby was dy- 
 ing. I alighted as quickly as possible and went into the 
 house, where I found that the baby was really in the 
 pangs of death. I administered private baptism and 
 while I was preparing my oil stocks, surplice, and stole, 
 to supply the ceremonies, the child breathed its last. 
 Some may ask the question, why do not the persons 
 present baptize in such an emergency? Well they gen- 
 erally do, but in many cases their mode of administering 
 baptism is null. For example, they say: "Joseph or 
 Mary, I pour water on thee in the name of the Father 
 and of the Son and of the holy Ghost," or in Spanish: 
 "Te echo el agua en el nombre del Padre, etc," which 
 form is certainly null and void. But now you will say: 
 "why not teach them the right form?" This is the very 
 first thing the Fathers do when they visit a ranch, but 
 
A Texas Missionary. 107 
 
 it must be remembered that the Mexicans are generally 
 nomadic. Many come from the wilds of the neig-hboring- 
 States in Mexico, they are here to-day and to-morrow 
 leave for parts unknown, g-iving- room to others of the 
 same categ"ory. 
 
 But leaving the interventions of Divine Provi- 
 dence in worldly affairs, let us return to the inter- 
 ventions of men in the same sphere. When Gen- 
 eral Banks took command of the forces on the Rio Gran- 
 de, he heard reports that the Priests of Brownsville had 
 government property. So,' one day, we had the honor 
 of a visit from this renowned ofiS.cer. He came, he said, 
 for the purposeof takinglessonsinSpanishandhe wasal- 
 lowed to visit the house. He never came back to take 
 his second lesson, but we received the visit of a detach- 
 ment of five men, who asked permission to visit all the 
 apartments of the house, which, of course, was refused. 
 
 Father Maurel, who was there with some other 
 Priests, forbade the men to enter our rooms, which had 
 been locked as a prevention and in prevision of what 
 might happen. The sergeant then ordered the men 
 to break open the doors. "We hold you responsible for 
 this savage act," said Father Maurel. Whereupon they 
 stopped, left our house, and never came back. 
 
 One day I received a communication from the Gen- 
 eral, ordering me to say prayers for the authorities of 
 the United States on Sundays before preaching, and to 
 say them just as they were said in the Catholic and Ep- 
 iscopal churches of the North. I sent the General the 
 following polite and short answer: "General, perhaps 
 you are not aware that with regard to divine worship, 
 we owe obedience to our Bishop only. So, please do not 
 request me to disobey my superior's orders." This 
 ended the controversy. Another time the military 
 authorities wanted to use our church as a military hos- 
 
108 Reminiscences of 
 
 pital. But upon my representation that, as it was a place 
 for public worship and consecrated in an especial man- 
 ner to that end, I hoped the authorities actuated by a 
 sense of propriety would not disgrace themselves by 
 rendering- the church unfit for divine worship. They 
 respected our church and did not carry that plan into 
 
 execution. 
 
 A poor father of a family, a Mexican, had been 
 drafted into the ranks and was stationed with his reg^i- 
 ment at a place called Como Se Llama, some fifty miles 
 from Brownsville. He felt very anxious about his fam- 
 ily and asked permission to come down and provide for 
 his children. But his request was refused; so he came 
 down one day without permission and after arrang-ing- 
 some family affairs was preparing- to return to his reg-i- 
 ment, when he was seized as a deserter and sentenced 
 to be shot. He received the last Sacraments of the 
 Church with perfect resig-nation and with lively sentim- 
 ents of faith and contrition: offering- up his life, as he 
 said a short time before he was shot, for the sins of his 
 
 past life. 
 
 Towards the end of the war we were ag-ain un- 
 der Confederate rule. As is well known, the last en- 
 gagement between the Confederate and Federal forces 
 took place at La Tolosa, which is about fifteen miles 
 from Brownsville. A small detachment of Federal sol- 
 diers had been left at Brazos Santiago to look after the 
 goverment property. The Confederate forces at 
 Brownsville were only a few hundred strong and it was 
 reported one day that the Federal forces, being aware 
 of the weakness of the Confederates, intended to march 
 against Brownsville. When the Confederates heard of 
 the intention of the enemy they marched out to meet the 
 Federals half way. An encounter took place, and the 
 Federals, about 200 strong, were obliged to retreat to 
 
A Te^as Missionary. 109 
 
 Brazos, having- been repulsed by about an equal number 
 of Confederates. This happened after the surrender of 
 General Lee and the downfall of the Confederacy, but 
 the news had not reached Brownsville at that time. 
 
 Shortly after the Civil War we were preparing a 
 sacred concert and I chanced to go to Matamoros to dis- 
 tribute some prog-rams. While there, I met the late 
 Capt. Mifflin Kenedy in his office, and he asked me if that 
 concert was to raise money. I told him that it was and 
 he went to his desk and handed me a draft for $2,000 in 
 g-old, saying-: "Father, this is to buy a chime of three 
 bells for your church." I was so astounded at the g-en- 
 erosity and mag-nificence of the g-ift, that I could not find 
 words to express my g-ratitude. I merely said, "O Cap- 
 tain, what g-ood news for Brownsville! Allow me to g-o 
 immediately, and communicate this extraordinarily 
 happy event to my fellow Priests," Then giving- the 
 Captain a warm shake of the hand, I departed. I had 
 gone but a few steps along the sidewalk when he cried 
 out: "Father, come back," Quick as lightning the 
 thought flashed into my mind, that the draft was but a 
 joke. When I returned to the office, the Captain receiv- 
 ed me with a hearty laugh and said: "Father, you have 
 become so excited that you have forgotten your hat and 
 cane," and in fact it was true; I had started for Browns- 
 ville, without either hat or cane. I was somewhat 
 ashamed of this predicament and it was some time be- 
 fore my mind recovered its equilibrium. 
 
 The war was over, and now came the work of recon- 
 struction. It took some time before we were readmit- 
 ted into the Union; for, being Confederates, we were 
 looked upon as inveterate rebels. Peace reigns on the 
 Texas side of the Rio Grande. But there is trouble on 
 the Mexican side. Matomoros is besieged: half of its 
 population crosses the river, and Brownsville becomes 
 
110 Reminiscences of 
 
 the refug-e of the frightened Mexicans, as on other oc- 
 casions, Matamoros had been the place of refug-e for the 
 citizens of Brownsville. During- those troubled times, 
 the life of the missionary on both sides of the river was 
 one of g-reat labor and exceeding- dang-er. 
 
 Now that peace reig-ned in Texas; the State went to 
 work reconstructing- its so called rebel citizens. We too 
 were busy repairing* the disasters brought upon us by 
 civil war on one side and the revolutions on the other side 
 of the Rio Grande. "The life of man is a warfare on 
 earth" and "throug-h many tribulations we must enter 
 into the kingdom of God." The spirit of God is not 
 for quietly sitting- down and permitting- the world to g-o 
 as it pleases; is not one for despondency in the time of 
 adversity. Nothing is more contrary to our prog-ress, 
 both spiritual and temporal, than trouble, vexations, 
 crosses and trials, if not properly endured. To become 
 downcast and lose heart in the time of misfortune re- 
 veals weakness, and a want of Christian fortitude. 
 Worldlings know that discourag-ement is the harbing-er 
 of complete failure. A General who loses courag-e and 
 becomes downcast after his first defeat, will certainly 
 never succeed as a military leader; a merchant who is 
 not g-ifted with a cool head and not prepared to bravely 
 meet with reverses and adversity will soon come to 
 both moral and financial ruin. A man who is crest- 
 fallen in the presence of his accusers is looked upon 
 as g-uilty, though he be innocent. In any emerg-ency 
 we should keep a stiff upper lip, as is trivially said, 
 and in the midst of prosperity be ever ready to meet 
 a sudden stroke of misfortune. The Indians of Peru 
 say," From happiness to misfortune there is only the 
 leap of a flea." 
 
A Texas Missionary. Ill 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Terrific Cyclone. Convent Destroyed. The 
 Sleeping- Girl Saved. Four Thousand 
 five Hundred Dollars Subscribed. An 
 Impromptu Sermon. A queer way of 
 Making Money. 
 
 But enoug-h of moralizing! Let us return to the re- 
 lation of facts and episodes. Our brave and devoted 
 nuns of the Incarnate Word, when peace and tranquility 
 were restored, saw that their institution was inadequate 
 for the reception of the continually increasingnumberof 
 pupils, so they devoted the earnings of fifteen years to the 
 erection of an ample and costly addition to their original 
 convent. Thisaddition wastwo storieshigh andonehun- 
 dredfeetbyfortylong. At the same time a beautiful cha- 
 pel forty by twenty-five feet was erected in front of the 
 old building. Now our good Sisters were certainly entit- 
 led to enjoy the fruits of their labors for many years to 
 come. Ample school rooms, music halls, studios for 
 drawing and painting, well ventilated dormitories, and 
 all requisites for a first class institution of learning were 
 at their disposal. The good sisters were now enjoying 
 the quiet of their cloister; the hammer and bustle of the 
 workmen no longer disturbed the peace of their abode, 
 and the work of enlarging their institution had 
 received its last touch. The aspect of the future was 
 certainly bright, when a dark and heavy cloud appeared 
 in the North. When it burst, a strong wind arose and 
 the rain poured down in torrents. Through the day the 
 wind became stronger and stronger. In the evening it 
 became more violent. The hammer was heard all over 
 the city. The doors and windows were fastened and 
 barred: everything forebode a terrible calamity. For 
 three days previous an Irish woman had foretold the de- 
 
112 Reminiscences of 
 
 struction of the twin cities, crying out in the streets, 
 *'Woe to Brownsville, woe to Matamoros!" She was 
 looked upon as a crazy woman and locked up in jail as a 
 disturber of the peace. 
 
 At 10 p. m. October 8th, 1867, a terrific hurricane 
 shook the city to its very foundations. It seemed rather 
 like a tremendous earthquake, which it would be useless 
 to try to describe. Suffice it to say that the next morn- 
 ing- the two cities were an unsightly heap of ruins. The 
 prophetess of woe was killed under the fallen walls of 
 
 the jail. 
 
 At day-break, I went out to survey the havoc made 
 
 by the cyclone. My first anxiety was about the convent 
 and its inmates. I found the new and costly building a 
 heap of ruins, the chapel and the old convent terribly 
 shattered and cracked: so damaged as to render 
 them unsafe for habitation. At the beginning of the 
 hurricane the nuns with their boarders had taken refuge 
 in the chapel; where, with uplifted hands, they cried out 
 for mercy and protection. One boarder was missing. 
 Where was she? One of the Sisters ran up stairs and 
 found the girl sound asleep in her cot. The child, 7 
 years of age, was wholly unconscious of the danger she 
 had been exposed to. The Sister wrapped her up in a 
 shawl and brought her safe to the chapel. One minute 
 later, say the nuns, the dormitory, where the little girl 
 had been found sleeping, came down with a tremendous 
 crash. There is certainly a special providence for in- 
 nocent souls. 
 
 The nuns, with their pupils were removed to St. Jo- 
 seph's college, whi ch had been spared by the fell destroyer. 
 Here they continued the course of studies for a period 
 of thirteen months. They were now without a house 
 of their own, and without the means to build one. Still they 
 did not lose courage nor become downcast. With re- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 113 
 
 newed energ-y and confidence in God, who never chastises 
 except to purify and prepare the soul for a more perfect 
 work, they selected a new site and built a new convent, 
 substantial, and as it was hoped : hurricane-proof. After 
 a few years the heavy debts were wiped out, and as an 
 act of g-ratitude, the good Sisters established a charity 
 school on the lot across the street, and, in order to main- 
 tain the laws of the cloister, they built a closed bridg-e 
 over the street: a franchise which they obtained from 
 the city council. 
 
 Our church was saved from destruction by the ex- 
 ertions of Father Maurel, O. M. I., who, in the midst of 
 falling- bricks and beams from the tower, placed a ladder 
 ag-ainst the larg-e window above the entrance door. Had 
 this window been burst open by the fury of the wind, 
 the church would have been doomed to complete ruin. 
 The only damag-e done was the demolition of two turrets 
 and the tower roof, which was carried off in one piece to 
 a neig-hbor's yard, 200 feet distant from the church. 
 
 Nearly all the poor Mexicans' huts were down. A 
 collection of $4500 placed in the hands of the Priests for 
 distribution, helped considerably in rebuilding- the poor- 
 est districts of the city. "Postnubila, Phoebus:" after 
 clouds, sunshine. Six months had scarcely elapsed since 
 the disaster, when the ladies undertook a big- fair, which 
 lasted four days. Three thousand four hundred dol- 
 lars were netted, which was spent in the erection of the 
 beautiful Gothic g-roined ceiling in our church. This 
 was an epoch of progress. Several chapels were built 
 at various points of our extensive mission. One day I 
 was sent to visit a small district containing three of the 
 above chapels, I spent the whole week out. Upon my 
 return the following Sunday, I found the Father 
 who had been detailed to preach at the High Mass sick 
 in bed. The church was crowded. After brushing my 
 
114 Reminiscences of 
 
 boots and shaving- myself, I ascended the pulpit and de- 
 livered an impromptu sermon, the text of which was, 
 "Seek ye first the king-dom of God and His justice, and 
 all these thing's shall be added unto you." After Mass 
 there came to the vestry the Hon. Jerry Galvan, the 
 wealthiest member of the cong-reg-ation, who abruptly 
 accosted me saying*: "Father, you preached us a mig-hty 
 g-ood sermon. Could I buy some ot those spiritual g-oods 
 youmentioned in your sermon when yousaid, 'Lay notup 
 for yourselves treasures on earth, where the rust and 
 the moth consume, and where thieves break throug-h and 
 steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven; 
 where neither the rust nor the moth doth consume and 
 where thieves do not break throug-h nor steal'?" "Mr. 
 Galvan," I said, "if you wish to do something- that will 
 redound to the honor and g-lory of the church and to 
 yours, g-ive me enoug-h of g-old to buy twelve larg-e chan- 
 deliers to hang from the ceiling- of this church." "Yes," 
 he said, "that would be the best ornament for your 
 church; come and see me at my office to-morrow morning- 
 at 9 o'clock." The next morning* I presented myself be- 
 fore His Honor, who handed me a cheque on London. I 
 forthwith ordered the chandeliers to be made at the fac- 
 tory of Messrs. Poussielg-ues & Co., Paris. They ar- 
 rived at Brownsville O. K. On our g-reat festivals of 
 Christmas, Easter, &c., when the ,400 lights are lit up, 
 the church presents a magnificent spectacle. 
 
 Our good ladies of Brownsville, always ready to help 
 a worthy cause, volunteered to raise money to get a 
 large pipe organ and I, to encourage them, tried an un- 
 wonted method to increase their exchequer. I got on 
 my horse and, accompanied by four good shepherds, 
 visited the wealthiest rancheros of the mission. In fif- 
 teen days we collected sixty-five cows, four horses and 
 two colts. At the head of that herd I felt as proud as a 
 
A Tejras Missionary. 115 
 
 General returning- home after a victorious campaign. 
 You laug-h, my friends, but I don't care; all my debts are 
 paid off, and our organ is still pealing forth for the 
 greater honor and glory of God, and I hope that it will 
 continue to do so for many years to come. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Bishop Manucy. Reception. Sisters of Char- 
 ity. Scribes and Pharisees. A Mob. The 
 Bishop's Palm Sunday. His Good Friday. 
 
 The section between the Nueces river and the Rio 
 Grande, which in the first quarter of this century was 
 the paradise of the deer and the garden of the cactus and 
 mesquite, commenced to be settled in the first days of 
 the Republic of Texas and received a great impetus after 
 the war with Mexico. Then the Republic became a 
 star in the constellation of the American galaxy, and im- 
 migrants, especially from the neighboring land of revo- 
 lutions, came in such numbers, that in the year 1874 the 
 Holy See erected a Vicariate Apostolic in this southern 
 portion of Texas. The first incumbent under the title 
 Bishop of Dulmen "in partibus infidelium" and Vicar 
 Apostolic of Brownsville was the Rt. Rev. Dominic 
 Manucy. He was consecrated on the 8th of December, 
 1874; took possession of the Vicariate and was installed 
 on the 14th of February, 1875. The feast of installation 
 was truly grand. The people of Brownsville contri- 
 buted $1,470 for the occasion. 
 
 At the first meeting of the ladies and gentlemen an 
 outline of the proceedings for the reception and installa- 
 tion of the worthy dignitary was presented to the sev- 
 eral committees for consideration. Mention was made 
 of a grand procession passing under triumphal arches 
 -and through the principal streets of the city, of a throne 
 
116 Reminiscences of 
 
 to be erected in the church for the forthcoming Prince 
 of the Church. The proceedings appeared in public 
 print and evoked an anonymous letter to my address 
 containing the following sweet expressions: "Sir: I am 
 delegated by the W. L. of W. M. G. R. P. A. O. of &c. 
 (what these initials mean I am unable to say) to announce 
 that if you attempt to have a procession through the 
 public thoroughfares of our city there is a bullet ready 
 
 for your worthless carcass and another for your d 
 
 Bishop. And if you erect a throne for your d Prince 
 
 of the Church (the d's prefixed above, perhaps, 
 
 mean "Domine," Do you think so?) Remember, sir, 
 that in this grand Republic there is no room for such 
 trash as a Prince sitting on a throne. Bullets are in 
 readiness, look out, &c." I pass over the rest through 
 respect for my readers. 
 
 On the arrival of the Bishop, nearly the whole popu- 
 lation went out to meet him. The cannon was booming, 
 the church bells were chiming, the military band was 
 playing a triumphal march when the Bishop came in 
 front of the church yard. Two addresses of welcome 
 were read; one in English and the other in Spanish. 
 
 A few days later, the installation of the Bishop was 
 enthusiastically hailed by the population. It was indeed 
 a triumph for the church of Brownsville. A large pro- 
 cession started from St. Joseph's College to the church, 
 which was decked in festive splendor. Nothing oc- 
 curred to mar the universal enthusiasm. The Bishop 
 ascends the splendid throne erected for the Prince of 
 the Church : no bullets so far. 
 
 A few days passed in peace and quiet, when sud- 
 denly there appeared in the local papers a most virulent 
 article, signed W. M., and directed to the Bishop and 
 to Catholics in general. This article contained the 
 elucubrations of a morbid mind, and only expressed the 
 
A Texas Missionary. 117 
 
 sentiments of the few demag-ogues; Pharisees and 
 scribes of the day. 
 
 At that time it seems that the press was in the 
 hands of this clique, for the Bishop's reply was refused 
 insertion, except by paying- ten cents a line. But this 
 was only the prelude to a drama that followed. 
 
 Twenty-two Sisters of Charity exiled from Mexico 
 arrived in Brownsville on the 24th of February, 1875. 
 The entire population sympathized with the poor Sis- 
 ters. They were escorted from the steamboat landing 
 to the church by the clergy and a numerous assemblage. 
 It was 8:30 a. m. His Lordship offered the Holy Sacri- 
 fice of the Mass and delivered a most touching address, 
 which brought tears to the eyes of the sympathizing 
 audience. 
 
 The Sisters, invited by the Nuns of the Incarnate 
 Word, made their home at the convent, where they re- 
 mained until their departure for New Orleans, March 
 
 4th. 
 
 During that time several ladies came to see the 
 Bishop, asking him to have compassion on the poor exiled 
 Sisters and to receive them in his diocese. His Lordship 
 answered that it was not advisable for the reason that 
 he had no resources, and that, being a new comer him- 
 self, he did not as yet know the wants of the diocese. 
 
 The Scribes and Pharisees seized the opportunity 
 to raise a mob. They worked in the dark, and on the 
 day appointed for the Sisters' departure, 300 men ap- 
 peared under the windows of the Bishop's appartments, 
 vociferating and calling to the Bishop to come down 
 The Bishop went down and confronted the mob, "My 
 children," he said, "what is the motive of this gather- 
 ing?" 
 
 "Bishop," said the spokesman, "we came to demand 
 
 that the Sisters remain with us." "Are you all Cath 
 
118 Reminiscences of 
 
 olics?" "Yes, your Lordship." " Then as dutiful and 
 obedient children of the Church, disperse immediately; 
 obey your Bishop; g-ohome and attend to your business. 
 The sisters cannot remain; they have to obey their 
 Superiors." The crowd dispersed at once like so many 
 lambs. I stood by his Lordship during- this short 
 speech and can certify that he spoke with such determi- 
 nation, firmness, dig-nity and majesty, that the few 
 words he said fell on those men like an electric shock. 
 They were surprised, but not vanquished. It was said 
 at the time that they had been hired by the clique to 
 cause a disturbance and annoy the Bishop. 
 
 They forthwith, started for the depot, waiting- there 
 until the arrival of the Sisters. As soon as the latter 
 had entered the car, the only passenger car attached to 
 the train; the 300 men lifted the coach off the track with 
 the Sisters inside and carried it to a distance of twenty 
 feet from the track. The Mayor of the city, Mr. Parker, 
 tog-ether with a larg-e force of policemen, could not pre- 
 vail on them to put the car back on the track; where- 
 upon the Mayor came to consult the Bishop as to the 
 best means to be used, in order to have the car replaced. 
 The Bishop said to His Honor, who requested him tog-o 
 and talk to the men himself. " No, Mr. Mayor, it would 
 not be prudent on my part to expose myself to be 
 insulted by those unprincipled and roug-h men; you 
 had better go yourself and tell them that the Bishop 
 promises them, that as soon as circumstances will per- 
 mit, he will call the Sisters back, etc." His Honor 
 returned to the depot, spoke gently to those ill-advised 
 and misled men, telling them to put the car back on the 
 track, so as to avoid the rigor of the law, etc. Forth- 
 with, the 300 men placed the car' back on the track, the 
 engine whistled, and off went the train. There were 
 
A Texas Missionary. 119 
 
 over 3,000 people present to witness this strang-e drama. 
 
 But the trouble was not yet over. Gathering's of 
 strang-e men, many of whom, it is said, were from Mata- 
 moros, caused alarm. Some ill-omened rumors were 
 circulated in the city. Three persons were marked out 
 as being the ones especially opposed to the Sisters re- 
 maining-. During the day many warning-s came to us 
 from friends. His Honor, the Mayor, and the whole 
 police force were prepared to maintain order dur- 
 ing the night. An additional body of guards were 
 stationed around the Bishop's quarters, and also 
 around the college for my own protection. But as I was 
 a "brave" man I ran away and hid myself. I put a 
 Mexican hat on my head and donned a white coat, and 
 under the cover of the night went to sleep in a jacal at 
 a distance from the college. The next morning we were 
 all found alive, and our foes had vanished with the dark- 
 ness. 
 
 His Lordship in a letter to Bishop Quinlan of Mobile, 
 to whom he related his splendid reception, together with 
 the late episode, remarked: "I had my palm Sunday 
 when the hosannas resounded all around me, it was 
 soon followed by my Good Friday, when the "tolle 
 tolle eum" was belched forth out of the foul mouths of 
 a few Pharisees;" 
 
 A few days after this dramatic episode, the Bishop 
 took a pleasure trip to the neighboring ranches, where 
 he for the first time saw the poor Mexicans in their 
 primitive ways. 
 
 During Lent the Bishop delivered before a large 
 audience, a course of very interesting lectures. The first 
 subject treated was, *'The Primitive Man;" the second 
 was "Fallen Man;" the third, •' Man Regenerated;" the 
 fourth, "Means of Regeneration;" the fifth, "Confes- 
 sion," and the last, " The Holy Eucharist." These sub- 
 
120 Reminiscences of 
 
 jects were treated in a masterly manner and revealed 
 the sound-logician, the exact and learned theologian, and, 
 at the same time, a man who had at his command the 
 most appropriate words, to convey his ideas to the minds 
 of his hearers. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Mule's Tail. Up to the Hub. "Try, Try 
 Again." "There She Goes." Bishop 
 Hunting. 
 
 Bishop Manucy was a profound thinker, an inter- 
 esting conversationalist, but a man who was somewhat 
 melancholy and this made him unpleasant when under 
 the influence of discouragement. It may be said of him 
 what the famous St. Augustine said of many others, 
 "his heart was restless until it settled in God." 
 
 In August, 1879, the writer of these reminiscences 
 was sent to Corpus Christi, to accompany Bishop Man- 
 ucy on a journey through at least eighty ranches, which 
 had not been visited by a Bishop for many years. 
 
 Father Bretault, O. M. I., the missionary par excel- 
 lence, had been previously dispatched to prepare the 
 rancheros for the Bishop's visit. We left Corpus Christi 
 about September 5th, in a heavy ambulance, loaded with 
 ten or twelve boxes and trunks; the driver was an inva- 
 lid Mexican, and the two mules, which were to draw us 
 through the mud and sand for over two months, were in 
 very bad condition. The whole equipment was so heavy 
 that it would have required at least four mules to draw 
 it, and an able-bodied driver to manage them. 
 
 We started, "in nomine Domni," and Father Booker, 
 S. J., who had just preached a mission at Corpus Christi, 
 cast a significant look on our equipage, and said with a 
 wink of the eye: "I wish you good luck." "Arre," said 
 our sickly driver, and a crack of the whip sent our mules 
 
A Texas Missionary. 121 
 
 a-kicking-. We soon reached our first station, which 
 was nine miles from Corpus Christi, and spent the nig-ht 
 there. 
 
 The following- day, after traveling* about one mile, 
 we broke down in the middle of a marsh. "What shall 
 we do? " said the Bishop. "The best thing- to do" said I, 
 "is to send back to the ranch and g-et a couple of mules 
 to pull us out." We did so, and to his surprise a negro 
 came with one mule and a long rope. " What! " said the 
 Bishop, "that mule will be of no use to us." His sur- 
 prise was even g-reater when the neg-ro unhitched the 
 two mules from the ambulance, and then fastened the 
 long- cord to the end of the tongue of the wagon, and 
 attached the other to the tail of his mule. "Are vou 
 crazy?" said the Bishop. "No, sah; I knows my busi- 
 ness. Dis heah mule will land de whole business on the 
 other side of de mud," said the negro with self-assur- 
 ance. He mounted the mule; gave the beast a crack 
 of his whip, and down went both in the mud. "Stop! 
 StopI" said the Bishop, "hitch on my two mules 
 and put yours in front." "No, no. Bishop," said the 
 negro, "dis heah mule am all right." So he remounted 
 and gave the mule a vigorous stroke of his whip, and 
 with one grand effort, the poor beast drew the ambu- 
 lance from the mud. "My," said the Bishop, "I feared 
 that the mule's tail was going to come off, but now I see 
 that it is all right." "O, yes. Bishop, its all right; I 
 knew it would be all right. Dis heah mule has been in 
 dis heah business for many years and he has never lost 
 his tail yet." During the trip we had many a laugh over 
 the incident. 
 
 Three miles further on, we were bogged in the mid- 
 dle of another marsh. The mud was so soft that the 
 wheels sank to the very hubs. "Now, now," said the 
 Bishop, "what is to be done. Father? "Lj The poor driver 
 
122 Reminiscences of 
 
 was an invalid, whom the Bishop had, throiig^h charity, 
 eng-ag-ed for the trip, and he was so feeble that he could 
 not whip the mules. After repeated and useless efforts 
 on the part of the driver and myself, we could not g-et 
 the mules to advance an inch. I then took off my boots 
 and stockings, turned up my trousers, jumped into the 
 water, and beg-an to unload the ambulance, so as to ren- 
 der it lig-hter. When this was done, I went behind to 
 push the vehicle, while the driver urged on the mules, 
 but all our efforts were in vain, for the driver was too 
 weak and the mules knew it, and they were resolved to 
 take thing's easy. Seeing- this, I said, "Bishop, — salva 
 reA^erentia,— take off your boots and come down behind 
 the ambulance!" His Lordship put his dig-nity aside 
 for a few minutes and came down into the mire and 
 united his efforts with mine, but all to no avail. The 
 vehicle did not move an inch. The Bishop said in de- 
 spair: " Let us send back for assistance to the settle- 
 ment, which we have just left, and let us return to Cor- 
 pus Christi, and we shall continue this visitation next 
 week, or as soon as the roads are in better condition." 
 "But Bishop," said I, "itis impossible for us to post- 
 pone our trip, for Father Bretault is in the ranches 
 below, making- preparations for Confirmation. More- 
 over, I have told him that we should meet him at the first 
 ranch of the Oblate mission, to make out our prog-ram 
 for the visitation, and to postpone the trip now for eig-ht 
 days would render the undertaking- a complete failure." 
 But the Bishop replied: "To advance is impossible; 
 for the conditions of traveling- are completely adverse to 
 us, and it is absolutely necessary for us to postpone our 
 visit until the roads become dry." To avoid such a re- 
 sult, I recommended the trying condition of affairs, in 
 w^hich we found ourselves, to the intercession of the 
 Blessed Virg-in Mary. "O Mary," said I, "you know 
 
A Texas Missionary. 123 
 
 full well the difficulties which surround us and how nec- 
 essary it is for us to make this visitation; so aid us, by 
 thy benign intercession. If we do not arrive on the 
 appointed day, I fear that Father Bretault may become 
 impatient and return to Brownsville." I then recited 
 three Hail Marys in honor of the Immaculate Concep- 
 tion, and turning to the Bishop, I said to him: "Place 
 your confidence in God, and say a short prayer to the 
 Blessed Virgin Mary, asking her to aid us, and we shall 
 conquer the elements." "My dear Father," said the 
 Bishop, "your theology is correct, but it will not dry 
 the roads." By this time, the Bishop had put on his 
 boots and mounted into the ambulance. I did the same 
 and then we recited our Little Hours. We had about half 
 finished, when he put his breviary on his knees and ex- 
 claimed: "Father, do you not see something approach- 
 ing in the distance?" "Yes," I replied, "that is a drove 
 of cattle, with four men on horseback." We continued 
 our office until the drove arrived; we then asked the 
 cowboys to help us out of the mire, and two of them im- 
 mediately hitched their horses to the tongue of our 
 ambulance. In a few minutes the air resounded with 
 the cracking of whips and expressions, which it would 
 not do for me to repeat. But all their efforts were in 
 vain; for, the ambulance remained as firmly fixed as 
 ever, and finally the cowboys departed, saying that they 
 could not remain any longer as they had to follow their 
 drove. 
 
 "There now," said the Bishop, " did I not tell you 
 that the only thing for us to do is to return to Corpus 
 Christi and to remain until the roads become dry? But 
 the question at present is, how shall we ever get out of 
 this swamp before nightfall, as it is growing very late." 
 
 "Bishop," said I, "let us try again." 
 
 "Try again," said His Lordship, "when four ani- 
 
124 Reminiscences of 
 
 mals and two strong- men could not cause the ambulance 
 to budg-e, how can you imag-ine that my poor driver and 
 two thoroug-hly fatigued mules can succeed in removing" 
 
 it?" 
 
 "Well, Bishop, I will tell you what is to be done. 
 Come down ag-ain and push with me behind the vehicle." 
 The Bishop consented to do so for the second time; he 
 took off his boots, went down into the mud, and placed 
 his shouder to the wheel. 
 
 We said three Hail Marys, the invalid driver whipped 
 his mules, theBishop and I pushed with all our streng-th, 
 repeating- at the same time, "Mary, help us." At last 
 the ambulance moved. "There she goes," cried the 
 Bishop, "whip up your mules, boy," and in a few min- 
 utes we were on the other side of the mud. The Bishop 
 then recovered his natural good humor, never suspect- 
 ing what was in store for him during the two following 
 
 months. 
 
 About 5 p. m. on the same day, we arrived at a 
 creek, which was greatly swollen and whose banks were 
 very steep; for this reason we did not venture to cross 
 over alone. So I went to a house, which was about one 
 mile distant, to find some one who could inform us 
 whether it would be possible to cross the creek or not. 
 On entering the house I found three cowboys, who were 
 taking a lunch. When I told them of our present diffi- 
 culties, and previous adventures, one of them har- 
 nessed a good team and aided us to successfully cross the 
 creek. We were then about eighteen miles from Collins, 
 the next station, which we intended to visit. The Bishop 
 asked the cowboy about how long it would be before we 
 could reach our destination. To the Bishop's dismay 
 he answered: "In case you are not bogged in the mud, 
 you may possibly arrive there some time to-morrow." 
 Fearing to meet with difficulties, if we endeavored to 
 
A Texas Missionary. 125 
 
 proceed alone, we hired the cowboy to accompany us. 
 By applying- his whips well and using- words, which we 
 could not understand and which are too unharmonious 
 for pious ears to listen to, he so managed that we reach- 
 ed Collins about 9 o'clock the following- nig-ht. The next 
 day we went to San Dieg-o, where we remained for a few 
 
 days. 
 
 We set out from San Dieg-o, accompanied by Rev. 
 Father Jaillet,and went to the Concepcion Ranch, where 
 the Bishop blessed a chapel. It was almost a daily oc- 
 currence for our coach to become stuck fast in the mud 
 or some low marshy place, and for it to remain there 
 until a team of oxen or horses could be obtained from 
 some neig-hboring- ranch to pull it out. 
 
 One of our great distractions during- this laborious 
 journey, filled with so many incidents, was hunting-. It 
 was in the month of October, and g-ame was very plenti- 
 ful. The Bishop had an old fashioned muzzle-loading 
 musket, which he valued very highly; and whether it 
 was due to the accuracy of the musket or the precision 
 of the marksman, I can certify that during the two 
 months of our journey, I hardly ever saw His Lordship 
 miss a shot. Whenever any game appeared, he would 
 tell his driver to stop the coach and then we were cer- 
 tain of having a savory morsel of some kind for our next 
 meal. 
 
 One evening we arrived at a ranch, just about dark; 
 the place was composed of about a dozen Mexican jacals. 
 We immediately went to the jacal occupied by one of 
 the best families, and asked the woman, if she could 
 prepare supper for us. Her reply was, that she would 
 do the best she could, but that she had not much to 
 give us, as the only food which she had in the house 
 were a few cold tortillas, (cakes made of pounded corn, 
 soaked in lye.) These, we willingly accepted, because 
 
126 Reminiscences of 
 
 we had a g-ood condiment ^to season them with, in the 
 shape of a ravenous appetite. In the meantime, we re- 
 membered that the Bishop had killed about a dozen doves 
 on the road, and we got theladytoroastsomeof them,and 
 these, with the tortillas, furnished us with a delicious 
 supper. The next question was where we were to 
 sleep during- the nig-ht. The only place available was a 
 wicker and g-rass roof, supported by four poles. So 
 that if we were to spend the nig-ht there, we should be 
 the sport of the four winds. Father Jaillet went around 
 the ranch looking- for better accommodations, but none 
 were to be found. Finally we were told that there was 
 a school-house, which would be a fine place to sleep in; 
 but the schoolmaster, who lived about three miles away, 
 had g-one home and taken the key with him. We sent 
 a boy on horseback to his house, who soon returned 
 with the key, and we spent the nig-ht in the school- 
 house. The Bishop slept on a table about two feet 
 shorter than his body, and Father Jaillet and myself on 
 school .benches. We could not sleep on the floor, be- 
 cause it was composed of a substance known as Mother 
 Earth, and was exceedingly damp. When the Bishop 
 placed himself on his short bed, he jocosely remarked: 
 "It will go better now, for I have added two feet to it," 
 meaning his own feet. We spent a miserable night, 
 and many and varied were the exclamations which 
 broke its silence. 
 
 Bishop Manucy said several times that he would be 
 pleased to have all the happenings of this miserable 
 journey written and forwarded to Lyons for publication 
 by the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, in order 
 that people might know what the Bishop and his Priests 
 had to undergo while working for the salvation of souls 
 in this poor diocese and be edified thereby. Four times 
 our coach was stuck in the mud, and four times two 
 
A Texas Missionary. 127 
 
 horsemen providentially came to our aid. This is not 
 poetry, but solid plain facts; some of those, who witnessed 
 these events, are still alive and can bear testimony 
 to the truth of what I say. One Sunday w^hile the Bishop 
 was going- to a small ranch, about half a mile from where 
 we then chanced to be staying, we passed by a lake and 
 near it was a flock of curlews. Seeing them the Bishop 
 exclaimed: "I hope those people we have just left behind 
 will not be scandalized, but at all events we must have 
 something to live on." So, bang! bang! went the musket 
 and fourteen curlews were killed or crippled, and the 
 Bishop walked knee-deep into the water to pick them 
 up. But some were too far out and he had to send his 
 driver for them. Our provisions were assured for 
 the following day, as we had plenty of birds for our- 
 selves and some to distribute amongst the poor people 
 whom we visited. Up to this time the Bishop had shot 
 about one hundred doves and other birds, some rabbits, 
 and quite a variety of other game and many a time the 
 game thus brought down by the Bishop's gun replaced 
 the hard, stringed, sun dried meat used by many a poor 
 ranchero. Never before had we seen such quantities 
 of game, but, as I have already said, the season was fa- 
 vorable to us, for we were traveling during the months 
 of October and November. After spending fifteen days 
 or so in visiting the settlements belonging to the Mis- 
 sion of Corpus Christi and San Diego, we entered the 
 district under the charge of the Oblate Fathers. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Father Bretault. A Lesson in Astronomy. 
 Rustic Scenes. A Sight. 
 
 This portion of the Bishop's travels was very inter- 
 esting and pleasant. The roads were in fine condition 
 
128 Reminiscences of 
 
 and the rancheros came from all directions to welcome 
 His Lordship and to show their appreciation of his 
 visit. 
 
 After visiting- several ranches we came to one called 
 Las Palomas and found everything- in readiness for a 
 solemn reception of the Bishop. Father Bretault, O. M, 
 I., had g-one there on the day previous to our arrival and 
 beg-un to prepare the g-rown people for the reception of 
 the Sacrament of Confirmation. A neat altar had been 
 erected and decorated with a beautiful collection of wild 
 flowers, which had been g-athered by the g-ood people of 
 the ranch to adorn the altar as richly and tastefully as 
 possible for the sacrifice of the Mass, which was soon 
 to be offered up thereon. As we drew near this ranch 
 we found quite a g-athering- of men, women and children 
 awaiting- us and in expectation of something- exceeding-ly 
 g-rand, but as to what it was to be they could hardly say. 
 
 The babies were present in this g-athering- and were 
 giving- a concert of their own, but with little reg-ard to 
 harmony and the smooth blending- of sounds. The 
 larg-er children looked with profound amazement at the 
 Bishop's mitre and g-olden crosier, which were g-littering- 
 in the sunlig-ht. Some of them were even filled with fear 
 and ran to their parents for protection, crying- out: 
 *'He is coming-I He is coming-!" After confirming a 
 number of grown up persons and children and bestowing 
 his blessing on those present, the Bishop started for the 
 ranch called Don Juan McAllen's. 
 
 Dona Salome, the wife of Don Juan, did everything 
 which could possibly be done to render our stay pleasant 
 "Now," said the Bishop, "we have reached civilization 
 at last, this is truly an oasis in the desert through which 
 we have passed." Here for the first time since he had 
 set out on his journe}^ the Bishop enjoyed a good sleep 
 in a soft, clean bed. Rev. Father Jaillet now returned 
 
A Texas Missionary. 129 
 
 to San Dieg-o, and since he bad been our companion amid 
 so many trying- vicissitudes we missed bim greatly. He 
 must well remember bow one nig-ht we slept in tbe Bis- 
 hop's ambulance with the dome of heaven for a canopy. 
 The stars twinkled in the firmament and recall- 
 ed to our minds many of the astronomical lessons, 
 which we had learned during- our colleg-e days. We 
 spoke about several of the planets and their move- 
 ments, and were discussing- the question whether or not 
 Mars in its movement of circumvolution is at times as 
 near the earth as Venus, when the rooster put an end 
 to this discussion by vehemently announcing the Au- 
 rora. Father Bretault always went a day ahead of us 
 to instruct those who were to be confirmed, and heai 
 their confessions. On our arrival at the places which 
 he used to indicate by saying-, "I g-o North, South, East 
 or West," we invariably found a list of the names of the 
 persons whom he had prepared for Confirmation, writ- 
 ten on a paper which he placed upon the altar, tog-ether 
 with the indications of the road leading- to the next 
 ranch. Sometimes as we went along- we had to stop at 
 small ranches to confirm babies. Many persons who had 
 not been to Confession for a long time, availed them- 
 selves of the Bishop's visit, to make their peace with 
 God. Some of the newcomers whom we met, were from 
 those districts of Mexico, where the word of God is sel- 
 dom preached. They required considerable instruction 
 before being-able to approach theSacraments properly. It 
 was extremely difficult to ascertain when they had made 
 their last Confession. To the inquiry, "How long- is it 
 since your last Confession?" the answers would be: 
 "Since the coming of the Yankees;" "Since the siege of 
 Matamoros by General so and so;" "Since the great 
 fire;" "Since the yellow fever," and so on. Hence, if 
 the Priest wished to know the time of their last Confes- 
 
130 Reminiscences of 
 
 sion, he would be oblig-ed to find out the time of these 
 local events: by no means an easy task. 
 
 When we arrived at Los Federales ranch we were re- 
 ceived with the g-reatest attention and display which we 
 had yet witnessed during- this journey, and I deem the con- 
 duct of the people of this ranch worthy of special men- 
 tion. As we approached, several g-uns were discharg-ed, 
 to announce the Bishop's arrival. As we looked at the 
 ranch from a distance we saw what appeared to be num- 
 berless fiag-s, floating- on the breeze. But as we drew 
 near, we found out that they were but handkerchiefs 
 attached to long- poles which were arrang-ed along the 
 fences. A triumphal arch had also been erected and 
 decorated with trinkets, flowers, and g-reen branches. 
 We found some of the women g-rinding- corn, and others 
 preparing- tortillas under a larg-e shed; a kid was being- 
 roasted over g-lowing- embers; a larg-e tent covered with 
 hides, canvas, blankets, or some other pieces of strong- 
 cloth had been erected in the yard. Under this rural 
 arrang-ement an altar had been placed, and a silk reboso 
 (shawl), which had been worn 20 years previously by 
 the landlady at her marriag-e, served as a canopy. The 
 altar itself was decorated with a profusion of wild flowers 
 and adorned with "santitos," (literally, little Saints) and 
 otherstatues, which had been handed down as heir-looms 
 from father to son and, thoug-h old and stained, were 
 precious in the estimation of their owners and were 
 looked upon as g-rand decorations by the Mexicans. The 
 walls were covered with pictures of every kind, which 
 had been cut from newspapers and fashion journals. A 
 picture of General Jackson hung- on one side of the altar 
 and one of General Lee on the other. On the walls were 
 pictures of steam engines, birds, horses, cows, sheep, 
 and g-oats, and in fact papers representing- nearly every 
 animal contained in Noah's Ark. The four candles 
 
A Tejcaa Missionary, 131 
 
 for the Bishop's Mass were stuck in four cups filled 
 with corn. At last supper was announced, the table was 
 spread beneath the tent and was laden with hot tortillas, 
 roasted kid, baked chickens; egg's; hot coifee, and rich 
 milk, in fact it was a supper fit for a king-. 
 
 Father Bretault, or as he is called by the rancheros, 
 "Don Juan de la Costa," which means "John of the 
 Coast," because he had been for many years the mission- 
 ary in charg-e of this district which was composed of 180 
 ranches, remained with usonaccountof the vast amount 
 of work to be done at this ranch. When we had finished 
 our supper; heard what Confessions were to be heard, 
 and made the necessary preparations for the morning, 
 we retired to a school-house where we were to spend the 
 night. A comfortable bed had been prepared for the 
 Bishop, but we poor Priests were left to our ow^n resour- 
 ces. I saw an old cot lying amidst a pile of rubbish. 
 After some manoeuvering I managed to repair it, so as 
 to be able to stretch myself upon it. During the first 
 part of the night the heat was quite oppressive, so I gave 
 my blanket to "Don Juan de la Costa," telling him to 
 place it on the bare bench where he had retired to rest. 
 But for so doing I had to pay dearly, for at 2 a. m. a cold 
 norther suddenly arose and I began to shiver like a pop- 
 lar leaf in a stiff summer breeze, and there was "Don 
 Juandela Costa," comfortably wrapped up in my blanket. 
 Some time after the arrival of the norther, he awoke, and 
 discovering my situation, he began to joke me, saying, 
 "Father, are you too warm, have you another blanket to 
 throw over in this direction?' If so, I can oblige you by 
 receiving it." I saw that I had been caught, but all I 
 could do was to grin and bear it. "Don Juan de la Costa" 
 left us early the next morning to go ahead and prepare 
 the next ranch for our arrival. The morning was cold, 
 still the Mass in the tent was well attended. Silence 
 
132 Reminiscences of 
 
 and decorum reig-ned on every side. The tent was so 
 completely filled that there was no room for pig's; dog-s; 
 roosters; kids, or other domestic animals. The only 
 thing- which disturbed the solemnity of the occasion 
 was the lowness of the tent, which prevented the 
 Bishop's mitre from observing- a perfect equilibrium. 
 We left this memorable ranch to continue the visit 
 of smaller settlements, where work was abundant 
 and food scant, because game had become scarce on 
 the plains. After seventy days we reached the last 
 ranch, where we accidentally found a young man who 
 had severed an artery and was bleeding freely. We 
 stopped the flow of blood by applying bandages. We 
 then set out for Brownsville, taking the boy with us, and 
 arrived there that same day. We immediately called in 
 medical aid to save the boy's life. After eight days he re- 
 covered and we sent him back to his ranch, clad in a suit 
 of new clothes and with two dollars in his pocket. He 
 afterwards turned out to be a bad man and became the 
 terror of the ranches. After spending fifteen days in 
 Brownsville his Lordship went up the river, working as 
 hard as his Priests: hearing Confessions and instructing 
 the ignorant. During the entire visitation, that is, from 
 Corpus Christi to Brownsville, and from Brownsville to 
 Roma, on the Rio Grande, the Bishop confirmed 2,862 
 children and grown people. Many notable conversions 
 took place during this time, and the Bishop's instruc- 
 tions everywhere produced a visible impression on his 
 hearers. He acknowledged that never before had he 
 witnessed such eagerness on the part of the poor ranch- 
 eros to see a Bishop. "Life among them," said he, 
 "is a little hard and food at times a little scarce. But 
 thank God! my musket has supplied for any deficiency 
 in food." "After all," said the Bishop, "St. Peter went 
 fishing after he was called by our Saviour to the Apost 
 
A Texas Missionary. 133 
 
 late, and since this is so, could not a Bishop, even in the 
 nineteenth century, be equally justified in hunting, 
 especially, in that dreary part of his diocese where com- 
 mon food is scanty and the little which is to be obtained 
 is unsavoury?" Be that as it may our pastoral visitation 
 was remarkably blessed by Divine Providence. Great 
 credit is due to Father Bretault, who for over twenty 
 years has led a miserable life, humanly speaking, in that 
 poor region and who has been doing a vast amount of 
 good unknown to the world but which is recorded in 
 heaven in the Book of Life. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Right Rev. Bishop P. Verdaguer. Revis- 
 iting the Scenes of my Younger Days. 
 Oh! Quam mutatus al illo. 
 
 The Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville, after the 
 appointment of Rt. Rev. D. Manucy to the See of Mobile, 
 remained vacant for some years until the Rt.Rev. Peter 
 Verdaguer of Los Angeles, Cal., was appointed Vicar 
 Apostolic. I sent the happy news to a Priest at Los 
 Angeles, who, among other encomiums, wrote the fol- 
 lowing laudatory words: *' Father Peter is a zealous, 
 pious man and an orator." It had been my pleasure, 
 five or six years previous, to have made the acquaint- 
 ance of Father Peter at Los Angeles, where I was his 
 guest for a few days, and I willingly vouch for the truth 
 of the above words. 
 
 His Lordship took formal possession of his Vicari- 
 ate at Corpus Christi, but not long after he fixed his 
 residence at Laredo. His reception at this place was 
 so grand and magnificent, that had the President of the 
 United States visited the city, a better reception could 
 not have been given him. The religious, the civil and 
 the military authorities mingled their joyous hosannas 
 
134 Reminiscences of 
 
 with the acclamations of a delighted and exultant peo- 
 ple and rendered it a real triumph. 
 
 Since this memorable event, Bishop Verdag-uer has 
 built a g-ood number of churches and chapels, and an 
 hospital; formed new parishes, and all this with 
 scanty resources. He has several times visited his Vi- 
 cariate in all its nooks and corners. He is well liked by 
 his Priests. "Ad multos annos." 
 
 Oh I when shall we see the long- wished for iron 
 horse traverse the immense plains of the lower Rio 
 Grande; then such an impulse will be g-iven to immigra- 
 tion, ag-riculture and commerce that the cacti and mes- 
 quites will give place to luxuriant cotton fields and sugar 
 plantations. So be it. Such is the ardent wish of a 
 former inhabitant and friend forever of the Lower Rio 
 Grande and its people. 
 
 After forty-four years, I had the pleasure of revisit- 
 ing, in company with Rev. Father McSorley, then Parish 
 Priest of Beaumont, some of the places which I had vis- 
 ited during the travels of my younger missionary days, 
 when Priests were scarce in Texas. I came to one of 
 the portions of my former missionary labors, with the 
 fond expectation of renewing many pleasing reminis- 
 cences of the days that are past and gone. And, how 
 well I recalled the spreading plains, studded here and 
 there with trees; the lofty pines beneath whose shade I 
 so often sat and ate a piece of corn bread and a cold 
 sweet potato; the pure air which I so often loved to 
 breathe; the little feathered songsters which so often 
 charmed my ears with their beautiful melodies! What 
 joy it brought to my heart! The crane, as it raised its 
 head above the high undergrowth and gave forth its dis- 
 mal cry, reminded me that I was once more in the deep 
 solitude, and at a distance from the homesof men. Still, 
 I knew that God was near, and meditation was the natu- 
 
A Tejras Missionary. 135 
 
 ral outcome of my surroundings,, But now those dis- 
 tances, which were once so harrassing- to the traveler, 
 are traversed by the iron steed, which in a sing-le hour 
 covers as much g-round as could formerly be covered in 
 a day. Hail "Liberty ! ", the former home of a brave and 
 noble race of Creoles; the Lacours, the Gillards, the De- 
 blancs, the Blanchettes, etc., who now are dead, but 
 whose children still remain, and possess the same char- 
 acteristics as their forefathers. Their heads are al- 
 ready gray, and their forms are already bending beneath 
 the weight of years. I met Jerome Deblanc: the sheriff, 
 upon whom the flight of years had left its trace. He took 
 us to his home, and as I related the events of former 
 years. Rev. Father McSorley saw tears coming to his 
 eyes. During breakfast an old lady about 70 years of 
 
 age, asked me if I knew Father ? "Oh yes, Madam," 
 
 said I, "he is my best friend." But when I told her that 
 
 I was Father himself, she rushed from her seat and 
 
 embraced me. We visited two venerable ladies, whose 
 heads were white as snow. They were two of the young 
 ladies that sang at the First Communion of twenty-five 
 chilcfren, whom I had prepared for the reception of this 
 Sacrament during one of my missionary visits nearly 
 half a century ago. Strange to say, we had dinner in 
 the very same house where this ceremony took place 
 forty-four years before. We were very pleasantly en- 
 tertained by Judge D. and his amiable wife, who are the 
 present occupants of this hallowed residence. 
 
 A strange circumstance was related by a lady, 
 who learned that I was the Priest who had form- 
 erly visited that section of the country. It was as fol- 
 lows: One day in the month of February, 1853, I was 
 traveling some thirty miles above "Liberty," where 
 I lost my way and wandered about for lan entire 
 day and night. It was very cold and the ground 
 
136 J^eminiscences of 
 
 was covered with an inch of snow, something- un- 
 usual for that part of the country. At daybreak I saw 
 a house in the distance, near the edg-e of a timber. 
 Thither I directed my steps. I was cold, sleepy and hun- 
 g-ry. A larg-e dish of fresh pork was placed before me 
 for my breakfast, but I refused to partake of it. The 
 people were very much surprised, and were at a loss to 
 know why I refused to eat of it. I told them that 
 the day was Friday, and that it was forbidden by the 
 Church to eat meat on that day. But I found the corn 
 bread so savory and the sweet potatoes so palatable, 
 that I consider that meal as one of ths best I ever en- 
 joyed. The lady told me that from that day forth, meat 
 had never appeared on the table on Friday, This caused 
 me to say to myself: "Example is a powerful preacher." 
 
 But let us g-o to Beaumont. As the landscape looms 
 up before me, how each memory of the past revives! 
 How clearly I recall the spot, which I left early in the 
 morning- and to which I came back to it at evening-! after 
 wandering- about the \yhole day. The city appears in 
 sig-ht! What a change! Is this Beaumont? The few 
 shanties"on the bank of the river Neches are nowhere to 
 be seen. They have passed and gone, and upon their site 
 there stands a beautiful city of 10,000 inhabitants. The 
 Catholic church here is too small for its cong-reg-ation,and 
 near it stands a mag-nificent convent under the direction 
 of the Dominican Sisters. The five weeks which I re- 
 mained at Beaumont convinced me of the thoroug-hness 
 of their system of education, and of the perfect discip- 
 line which they maintain. It requires a good amount of 
 experience and tact to keep 200 children in perfect order 
 during- the entire time of study and recreation. 
 
 During- one month we heard over 150 confessions in 
 that place, where formerly I could hardl}^ find a Catholic 
 home wherein to spend the night. Still I perceived one 
 
A Tejras Missionnry. 137 
 
 stumbling" block in the way of the Church's progress, a. 
 stumbling- block which is universal — it is the falling off 
 from the Faith of the children of mixed marriages, and 
 the sad result of Godless education. Again, how many in 
 remote places, which are not attended by Priests, have 
 become apostates, and joined the nearest Protestant 
 church ! These and their children and their children's 
 children are lost to the faith of their Catholic forefathers. 
 The Catholic Church has made g-reat progress, it is 
 true; its churches, its Priests and its- institutions have 
 multiplied throughout the land, but if it had not such 
 obstacles as I have just mentioned to contend against, it 
 would number 20,000,000 instead of 10,000,000, as it does 
 today. But withal the Church has fought a good fight, 
 audit will continue to do the same until victory is perched 
 on its banner. We shall now visit Orange on the Sabine 
 River. 
 
 At the time of my first visit to this place, I found 
 about twenty shanties, and only one Catholic — an Alsa- 
 tian — who had lately arrived. He lodged me under his 
 shed and cooked two eg-gs for me on a tin plate which 
 he held over a lamp. This was the only place where I 
 found nothing- to do. I did not even administer a sing-le 
 baptism. During- my visit I tried to locate the place 
 where I had spent two nights with the Alsatian, but 
 such changes had taken place that it was impossible. 
 The whole neighborhood is now covered with beautiful 
 residences. The lofty pine trees of '53 have all been 
 turned into building material and only young- shoots are 
 to be found. 
 
 We shall now start for Galveston along the newly 
 constructed road from Beaumont to Bolivar Point. As 
 I passed along- the route I recalled how on one occasion 
 I started from Beaumont at 3 a. m., took breakfast at 
 Sabine City, and arrived at Bolivar Point about 11:30 
 
138 Reminiscences of 
 
 p. m., the same night. At that time there were no 
 houses on the beach, but when I passed over the same 
 route this last time I counted nearly 200 there. At the 
 time of my first visit the only practical mode of travel- 
 ing was on horseback, under a scorching- Sun; and noth- 
 ing could be found on the way but brackish water, with 
 which to quench one's thirst. But traveling is easy 
 now. There are plenty of coaches with soft cushions 
 and the railroad accommodations are splendid. Yet 
 travelers sometimes complain because there is no ice in 
 the cooler, or chide the porter because he does not 
 attend to their demands as readily as they wish. Since 
 this is so, I wonder what they would do if they were 
 obliged to travel over this route as others did forty-four 
 years ago? Well, how the times have changed I "O tem- 
 poral O mores!" We spent two pleasant days at Gal- 
 veston with the Rt. Rev. Bishop Gallagher, who was very 
 kind to the "Old Missionary." While in Galveston, I 
 visited the old frame house which had been the home of 
 the good and saintly Bishop Odin. The sight of this 
 old building brought back to my mind how on the 2nd 
 of November, 1853, Dr. Jourdan had me taken from it to 
 the new one at the rear of the Cathedral so as to remove 
 me from the infectious atmosphere of the old one, where 
 six Priests had already died from yellow fever. In this 
 way I became its first occupant. On the 3rd of Novem- 
 ber I was taken down with this dreadful disease, and on 
 the 5th I received the last Sacraments. I recovered rap- 
 idly, God reserving me for further works and troubles: 
 "Per multas tribulationes." 
 
A Texas Missionary. 139 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 FROM MEXICO TO ROME. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Apparition of our Lady of Guadalupe. Au- 
 thentic Documents. Aspect of The Mir- 
 aculous Picture. 
 
 This will be the last part of the Reminiscences, and 
 in it I shall speak of the items of religious interest, which 
 fell under my observation during- my voyag-e from Mex- 
 ico to Rome, 
 
 Althoug-h Mexico is so rich in antiquities, beautiful 
 in natural scenery, romantic in history, venerable in 
 ruins, and luxuriant in its tropical veg^etation, I shall not 
 describe any of those, but shall confine myself to its 
 relig"ious phases. The same will be done in reg^ard to 
 Rome. 
 
 The most stupendous events recorded in the history 
 of any nation are revelations and apparitions from 
 Heaven. The Old Testament is replete with the rec- 
 ords of events of this nature. The New Testament 
 opens with a reference to the apparition of the Son of 
 God made man: 
 
 "And the word was made flesh and dwelt among-st 
 us." 
 
 As the ag-es passed. His Blessed Mother also ap- 
 peared at various places and times to remind man of 
 his sublime destiny. The g-randest and most illustrious 
 event of this nature in the history of Mexico is the 
 apparition of our Blessed Lady on the Tepeyac near 
 the City of Mexico. 
 
 From all the narrations of this apparition I have select- 
 ed one published in 1649 in the NahuatUang-uag-e by Blather 
 
140 Reminiscences of 
 
 Luis Larra de la Veg-a, who found it in a manuscript writ- 
 ten a century previous, and for this reason it is almost 
 contemporary with the event itself, The authentic 
 document itself is to be found in the archives of the Col- 
 leg-iata of Guadalupe. It was translated into Spanish, 
 by the able historian Boturine. Althoug-h the narration 
 is long-, I prefer it to many others of a later date, for the 
 reason that the more contemporary a document is the 
 more reliable it is. This will possibly be the first time 
 that this document has been translated into Eng-lish: 
 
 1. Herein it is related and explained how the illus- 
 trious Virg-in Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady, lately 
 miraculously appeared in a place which is called Tep- 
 
 eyac. 
 
 2. She appeared directly to a native called Juan 
 Dieg-o, and indirectly throug-h an apparition of her sacred 
 image to Father Don Juan de Zumarrag-a, first Bishop 
 of the City of Mexico. Many miracles are said to have 
 taken place. Ten years after the work of introducing 
 water from the mountain into the city, Mexico began 
 to grow; peace dawned in every part; the light and know- 
 ledge of Him, who is the author of life and the true God, 
 began to shine forth and become manifest. 
 
 3. In the beginning of the month of December 1531, 
 a poor native, who lived in Quahutitlan and belonged to 
 the district Tlaltelolco, where he was instructed, early 
 one Saturday morning as he approached the hill 
 called Tepeyac, heard the singing as it were of many 
 birds, the echo of whose voices resounded from every 
 
 side. 
 
 4. Juan Diego instantly stopped and listened to the 
 joyous songs and said within himself: "Is this a dream? 
 How enchanting! Is this the terrestrial Paradise spo- 
 ken of by our ancestors?" 
 
 5. He was looking in admiration towards the top of 
 
A Texas Missionary. 141 
 
 the hill whence came the songs, when suddenly they 
 ceased and he heard a voice calling-, "Juan;"! and Juan 
 Diego remained stupefied. 
 
 THE FIRST APPARITION. 
 
 6. Recovering- from his emotion, he went up the hill 
 whence the voice came. When he reached the top he 
 saw a lady whose beauty was beyond his compre- 
 hension. Her dress was as brilliant as the Sun. Every- 
 thing- around her was as resplendent as the purest g-old 
 and more beautiful than the rainbow. He bowed rever- 
 ently and heard the following- words: 
 ■ ~ 7. "My beloved son, Juan! Where are you g-oing-?" 
 He answered: "I am g"oing- to Tlaltelolco in Mexico, to 
 learn the divine truths which our Fathers are teaching- 
 there." The Lady added: "My son, my proteg-ee; 
 know that I am the Virgin Mother of the true God. He 
 is the Creator of heaven and earth. My ardent desire 
 is that a temple be erected on the spot which I shall point 
 out to you, and where those who invoke me will find out 
 how I love them and how I shall aid them in their wants. 
 I shall show them that I am a tender mother to them; 
 but in order that this may be accomplished, go, my son, 
 to the palace of the Bishop of Mexico and tell him that I 
 myself sent you to make known to him my desire of 
 having a temple erected here. You may tell him all you 
 have heard and seen. Go, my son, and to show my grat- 
 itude toward you I shall obtain for you the reward of 
 
 eternal glorv." 
 
 8. Juan'immediately prostrated himself at the feet 
 
 of the Virgin and exclaimed: "I shall go, my Lady, and 
 I shall do exactly as you have requested me to do." 
 
 9. He set out for Mexico and directed his steps 
 towards the Bishop's palace. When he arrived, he 
 told the servants to inform the Bishop that he wished 
 
142 Reminiscences of 
 
 to speak to him. jThe servants, seeing- that he was a 
 poor Indian, did not pay much attention to him and he 
 was oblig-ed to wait for a long- time at the door. Finally 
 the Bishop beckoned to him to come in. Juan Dieg-o 
 immediately fell upon his knees and related to the Bishop 
 how he had seen the Queen of Heaven; repeated the 
 words which he had heard from her lips, and made 
 known the messag-e which she had confided to him. The 
 Bishop hardly believed what the Indian had told him, 
 yet he said to him: 
 
 10. "My son, you must come back again; I must hear 
 you ag-ain in order that I may examine into the matter 
 from the very beg-inning-." Juan went out, quite sad, 
 because the Bishop would not believe his messag-e. 
 
 THE SECOND APPAMTION. 
 
 The Indian .left that same day and went straight to 
 the same hill; where he again beheld the Queen of Heaven 
 on the very spot where she had appeared to him 
 before. Juan, when he saw the Virg-in ag-ain, threw 
 himself flat on the g-round and exclaimed: "O my Lady I 
 my noble lady, I delivered your messag-e and I was re- 
 ceived with difficulty, and finally when I was admitted 
 into the Bishop's apartment, I delivered my message in 
 the same words in which you expressed it to me. He 
 received me with benig-nity and listened to me with at- 
 tention; still he told me that he did not believe me. How- 
 ever, he requested me to return at another time as he 
 would be pleased to see me ag-ain and to examine into 
 my message from beginning to end. According to what 
 he told me I understand that he considered that the tem- 
 ple, which you wish to have built here, was but an imagi- 
 nation of mine. I beg you, my Lady, to send some of those 
 great men who are known and revered, and they will de- 
 liver your message and be believed. I am a poor man 
 
A Tejeas Missionary. 143 
 
 and for this reason unworthy to g-o where you sent me. 
 Forgive me, my beloved lady, and be not angry with me." 
 
 12. The ever noble Virgin answerd: "Listen to me, 
 my beloved son. I have other ambassadors who could 
 carry my messages and give testimony to the truth of 
 my wishes. But this thing is in your hands, and it is 
 my wish that you go yourself tomorrow and see the 
 Bishop, and inform him that it is my wish that a temple 
 be erected here. Tell him once more that I, the Virgin 
 Mary, Mother of God, send you." Juan Diego replied: 
 " My kind Lady, Queen of Heaven, be not angry, for with 
 all my heart I shall again repeat your message. I do not 
 refuse to do so once more; I merely feared that I should 
 not be listened to. I shall give you an account of my 
 
 mission." 
 
 13. After these words he set out for his home. The 
 following day, which was Sunday, Juan went toTlaltelolco 
 to hear Mass, and immediately after his devotions, he 
 started for the Bishop's palace. He had the same diffi- 
 culty in being admitted as before. He fell on his knees; 
 wept bitterly, and gave an account of his mission from 
 
 the Queen of Heaven. 
 
 14. Many were the questions which the Bishop asked 
 the poor Indian. "Where did you see the Lady? How 
 did she look?" Juan related all he had seen and all he 
 knew about the affair. He spoke plainly and asserted 
 that the Lady was truly the Immacculate Virgin, Mother 
 of God. The Bishop refused to believe him, add- 
 ing: "Your word is not sufficient proof. If the Lady be 
 truly the Mother of God, go and request her to give you 
 a sign by which I may certainly know her to be such." 
 
 15. Juan Diego replied : ' ' Bishop, what kind of a sign 
 do you wish me to obtain of the Virgin; I shall go at 
 once to ask for it." His Lordship seeing that the Indian 
 was in earnest, told him to go and bring him a sign. At 
 
144 Rezniniscencea of 
 
 the same time he sent some of his servants to watch the 
 Indian and see to whom he was going to speak. Juan 
 started at once and the Bishop's servants followed him 
 at a distance. When they arrived at the bridge built 
 over the creek which runs at the foot of the Tepeyac, 
 they lost sight of the Indian; they searched for him in 
 every direction, but were unable to find him. They 
 grew impatient, angry, and returned to the Bishop's 
 palace. They told his Lordship that the Indian was a 
 fraud, an impostor, and that they had decided to seize 
 him and chastize him were he to call again. 
 
 16. The following day, Monday, which was the day 
 appointed for Juan to bring the promised sign to the 
 Bishop, he failed to appear for the reason that when he 
 returned home he found his uncle Juan Bernardino very 
 sick with a burning fever. The next day, Tuesday, 
 finding his uncle in a critical condition, he ran to Tlal- 
 telolco to request one of the priests to come and admin- 
 ister the last sacraments to his uncle who was in great 
 danger of death. 
 
 17. When he arrived at the Tepeyac hill, he chang- 
 ed his route saying to himself; "If I take the path I fol- 
 lowed the previous days, undoubtedly the Lady will see 
 me, and cause me to lose time by giving me the sign re- 
 quired by the Bishop." 
 
 18. Juan went up by the other side of the hill in order 
 to avoid a meeting with the Lady and said to himself: 
 "She cannot see me here." 
 
 THE THIRD APPARITION. 
 
 Suddenly he saw the Queen of Heaven coming down 
 from the top of the hill, and approaching him. She said 
 to him: "My son, where are you going?" Juan frighten- 
 ed and blushing, fell prostrate to the ground and said: 
 "Oh, my Lady! how are you, mi Diosa; mi xocoyota; 
 
A Te^aa Misaionary. 145 
 
 Dios te g-uarde; your heart will grieve when I tell you 
 that my uncle is g-rievously sick and is g"oing- to die, I 
 am hastening- to Mexico to g-et a Priest, permit me to 
 fulfill my mission, and I will return to-morrow. 
 
 19. The Virgin kindly listened to Juan, and when he 
 had finished making- excuses, said, "My dear son, do 
 not be excited, do not fear; be of good heart; am not I 
 your Mother? Heed not your uncle's infirmity, he will 
 not die, he will recover and become as hale as ever." (It 
 was known afterwards that Bernardino was cured at 
 that very hour.) 
 
 20. Juan Dieg-o was delighted and consoled when he 
 heard these words from the Queen of Heaven, and he 
 asked her to give him the sign which his Lordship re- 
 quired as a proof of the truth of his message. The 
 Virgin then said to him: "Go, my son, to the top of the 
 hill where you saw me before; there you will find a vari- 
 ety of flowers; cut them and bring- them here to me." 
 
 21. Juan obeyed and was surprised to find such beau- 
 tiful flowers and Roses of Castille at that season of the 
 year, and on that sterile spot. So great was their fra- 
 g-rance that the entire mountain was perfumed by them. 
 The Indian immediately began to gather the flowers 
 and to place them in his tilma (a kind of mantle). When 
 he had filled it, he went down the hill and presented 
 them to the Queen of Heaven, who took them in her pure 
 hands, put them back in the Indian's tilma, and said to 
 him: " My beloved son, go to the Bishop, and give these 
 blossoms to him in my name, and tell him that they are 
 the sign which I send to him as proof of the truth of 
 your message regarding the church which I wished to 
 have built on this spot." 
 
 22. Juan started at once for Mexico, but when he 
 arrived at the Bishop's palace he found all the servants 
 indisposed towards him; they made him wait for a long- 
 
146 Reminiscences of 
 
 time at the door; they even insulted and struck him, 
 and only ceased when they beheld roses in his tilma,for 
 they were surprised to see such beautiful flowers at that 
 season of the year, and they were even more surprised 
 at the sweet fragrance which they emitted. 
 
 23. When the Bishop heard the confusion, he came 
 out of his apartment and beckoned to the Indian to enter. 
 Juan g-ave a lengthy relation of all that he had heard and 
 seen. 
 
 APPARITION OF THE MIRACULOUS IMAGE. 
 
 He then spread on a table, the beautiful flowers 
 which he declared he had plucked, at our Lady's re- 
 quest, from the bosom of a barren rock. It was while 
 in the act of delivering- these miraculous blossoms to 
 the still doubting- Bishop, that a greater miracle took 
 place. A flash of supernatural light revealed to the pre- 
 late a picture of the Queen of Heaven herself, sketched 
 upon the mantle of Diego. Falling down in venera- 
 tion before it, the Bishop vowed his life to the fulfillment 
 of Our Lady's mandate. (This precious cloak was 
 placed in his oratory. The picture is wrought upon a 
 course textile fabric and appeals alike to the eye of faith 
 and to the eye of artistic appreciation.) 
 
 24. Juan Diego remained that whole day in the Bis- 
 hop's palace. The next day he started for his home, 
 accompanied by several men who were sent by the 
 Bishop in order that they might see and inspect the 
 place where the Queen of Heaven had appeared, and 
 also to pay a visit to Juan Bernardino. 
 
 When they entered the home of Bernardino they 
 found him in good health. Juan Diego revealed the cir- 
 cumstances of the apparition and of his visits to the 
 Bishop, when suddenly Bernardino exclaimed that he 
 also had seen the Queen of Heaven who had cured him 
 
A Texas Missionary. 147 
 
 of his infirmity and told him that he also must g-o to 
 Mexico to see the Bishop. At the same time the Queen 
 of Heaven told him that the Holy Imag-e was to be called 
 Santa Maria db Guadalupe. 
 
 25. Bernardino was broug-ht into the presence of 
 the Bishop to whom he related under oath, all the cir- 
 cumstances connected with the above facts. Juan and 
 Bernardino then remained in the Bishop's palace for a 
 few days. In the meantime the Holy Imag-e was trans- 
 ferred from the Bishop's oratory to the Cathedral, that 
 all the people might see it. 
 
 26. The whole city was aroused and ran to the Cathe- 
 dral to see the Holy Imag-e painted not by the hand of 
 man, but by that of the Mother of God on the mantle of 
 Juan Dieg-o, which mantle was woven with ayate (a kind 
 of stuff manufactured out of the thread of the agave). 
 
 27. This ayate mantle on which was imprinted the 
 Sacred Image of the Immaculate Virgin is composed of 
 two pieces joined together with cotton yarn, and its 
 length is about "seis cuartas y una cuarta de muger," — 
 about one yard and three quarters. 
 
 Here ends the relation of Luis Lasso de la Vega in 
 1649, translated in Spanish from an old manuscript, 
 almost contemporary with the event. In the above 
 translation I gave the substance ot the document, and 
 avoided many repetitions found in the original which 
 add nothing to the clearness and trend of the subject. 
 
 The picture is wrought upon a coarse textile fabric 
 and though 366 years old, retains its original freshness 
 of colors and strength of outline. An examination of 
 the garment shows no difference in fashion or material 
 from the cloaks or blankets usually worn by Indians of 
 Diego's days and nation; but no test to which the paint- 
 ing has ever been submitted can reveal by what medium 
 the celestial artist's hands transferred the holy outlines 
 
148 Reminiscences of 
 
 to such seeming-ly rude canvas. It is neither distemper, 
 water color nor oil. 
 
 The beholder is astonished by the grace, tend- 
 erness and dig-nity of the picture. Clothed in a sun- 
 like garment and wrapped in a mantle embroid- 
 ered with stars, the majestic yet benign figure 
 stands upon the crescent Moon in exquisite pose, 
 and the hands are clasped as if in prayer, upon the 
 breast. Even those who have no belief in the miracu- 
 lous origin of the picture can hardly look upon it with- 
 out a deep religious impression. So attractive is the 
 charm of the blended sweetness and majesty of the pic- 
 ture, that no one can wonder at the ecstatic love with 
 which the Mexicans gaze on the image of her, who 
 appeared to one of the poorest of their race, and im- 
 pressed her radiant likeness upon his blanket as a mar- 
 vel and token for all generations. 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Office Approved by Benedict XIV. New Office 
 Approved by Leo XIII. Two Distichs by 
 the Pope. Indian Festivities. Maguey. 
 Pulque. Mescal. 
 
 The proofs of the wonderful apparition of the Queen 
 of Heaven are so numerous and convincing that no 
 doubt can reasonably be entertained regarding their 
 authenticity. 
 
 In each order of proofs there is an irresistible convinc- 
 ing criterion of their truth. In the historical order, there 
 are the contemporaneous records of the fact. In the monu- 
 mental order there are the Colegiata; the churches, and 
 other monuments erected in commemoration of the 
 event. In the traditional order there are the decisions 
 of all the prelates of the Mexican church. In the relig- 
 ious order there is the history of the cult rendered to 
 
A Texas Missionary. I49 
 
 the Queen of Heaven under the invocation of our Lady 
 of Guadalupe. 
 
 The Holy See: the hig-hest authority in the world, 
 has approved a special Of&ce for the Feast, and Benedict 
 XIV himself composed the prayer for the Mass of Our 
 Lady of Guadalupe, and Leo XHI ordered a new Office 
 for the Feast, with the fourth, fifth and sixth lessons of 
 the second Nocturn containing- the narration of the 
 apparition. His Holiness also composed two distichs 
 in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I give them as they 
 were written in Latin, tog-ether with a Spanish transla- 
 tion by the Archbishop of Guadalajara: 
 
 Mexicus heic populus mira sub imag-ine g-audet 
 
 Te colere, alma Parens, praesidioque frui. 
 Per te sic vig-eat felix, teque auspice, Christi 
 Immotam servet firmior usque fidem. 
 
 —Leo. p. p. XIH. 
 (Imagini aug-ustae Mariae D. N. Guadalupensis in 
 Mexico subscribendum.) 
 
 Romae, ex aedit. Vatic, die XXVI febr, an, 
 MDCCCVC. 
 
 Spanish translation: 
 
 En admirable Imag-en, 
 O Santa Madre nuestra 
 El pueblo Mexicano 
 Gozosa te venera, 
 
 Y tu gran patrocinio 
 
 Con gozo y gratiud experimenta. 
 Feliz y floreciente 
 Porti asi permanesca 
 
 Y mediante auxilio 
 Que benigna leprestas 
 La fe de Jesucristo 
 
 Fija, conserve con tenaz firmeza. 
 The literal English translation is: 
 '*In this wonderous picture, O Holy Mother, the ^ 
 Mexican nation reveres thee, and joyfully experiences 
 
150 Reminiscences of 
 
 thy protection; happy and flourishing- under thy aegis 
 may they be constant and firm in the faith of Jesus 
 Christ."— Leo P. P. XIII. 
 
 In every city, town, villag-e, hamlet, hacienda and 
 rancho, there is either a church, a chapel or an altar in 
 honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In a word, in almost 
 every house of the Mexican Republic you will find the 
 traditional picture of her apparition. 
 
 The devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe has re- 
 ceived a still greater impetus by the fact of the corona- 
 tion of the Sacred Imag-e, ordered by His Holiness Leo 
 XIII. One of the g-reatest of the literati of Mexico said: 
 "Mexican nationality is doomed on the day when devo- 
 tion to the Virgin of Tepeyac ceases." 
 
 Previous to the Feast of Guadalupe, which takes 
 place on December 12, the Indian tribes have each, a day 
 appointed for their celebration in honor of Our Lady of 
 Guadalupe. On the days selected by the ecclesiasti- 
 cal authorities, each tribe comes led by its chief. As 
 they arrive they may be seen carrying- on their shoul- 
 ders immense wheels loaded with pyrotechnics; all kinds 
 of musical instruments, of their own make, and every- 
 thing- necessary for the celebration of the day. Every 
 one carries something. Babies, bags, boxes, fruit, corn, 
 etc., are carried on the head or back. The little chil- 
 dren are carried on the shoulders of their mothers, and 
 are supported by their reboso or shawls. When every- 
 thing has been unloaded, the women take charge of the 
 food, and the men attend to the placing of the wheels 
 for the pyrotechnic display. This being done, they all 
 march to the church to assist at solemn Vespers. At 
 night the fire works are splendid. The following day 
 the whole tribe assists at Mass, after which comes the 
 traditional dance called Matachines. In this ceremony 
 they dance; bow to the Virgin, kneel down, pray and 
 
A Texas Missionnry. 151 
 
 sing". All this is done in the sanctuary in honor of Our 
 Lady of Guadalupe. 
 
 On the 12th of December, I left for Puebla. As the 
 train passed in front of the sanctuary there were over 
 25,000 people in the plaza. We passed Otumba where 
 Cortes won the miraculous victory over 200,000 Indians! 
 
 About half way from Otumba to Puebla is Apam, 
 celebrated for its pulque, which is considered the best 
 in the Republic. I shall briefly explain what pulque is. 
 There is a wonderful plant called the mag-uey or "cen- 
 tury plant." It is said that there are thirty varieties of 
 the plant. It flourishes best at an elevation of about 
 7,000 feet. At this elevation miles of maguey plants may 
 be seen. In its numerous leaves, often eight or ten 
 feet long, a foot wide, and half a foot thick, its stores its 
 sap for ten or twelve years and finally produces its 
 flowers and dies. This flowering is prevented by cut- 
 ting out the heart and stem of the plant. The reser- 
 voir thus formed at the base of the great leaves receives 
 the sap, and this sap is gathered by the Indians. It is 
 sweet, and hence it is called agua miel (honey water.) 
 After a process of fermentation, it becomes pulque. 
 By distillation, a liquor is obtained, called mescal, which 
 is very fiery and intoxicating. It is pronounced to 
 be the best remedy for incipient consumption, and 
 pulque for diabetes. As I have said, pulque is the 
 fermented sap of the maguey. Tequila is simply a 
 brand of mescal. A famous hacienda named Tequila, 
 produces the best mescal, and for this reason almost all 
 mescal is called Tequila just as almost all cigars are 
 called, Havana or brandy. Cognac. 
 
 CHAPTER m. 
 
 Puebla on December 12. Splendid Scenery. 
 Misa de Aguinaldo. The Pastores. 
 
 Leaving Apam we arrived at Puebla at 12 a. m. AU 
 
152 Reminiscences of 
 
 the church bells of the city were chiming- and the streets 
 looked like so many profusely and admirably adorned 
 churches on account of the number of altars erected in 
 front of the houses, and the bunting-; streamers, banners 
 and flags displayed. The pictures of Our Lady of Gua- 
 dalupe were seen hanging- from every balcony, or in 
 tastefully adorned windows, and there were many mot- 
 toes like these: *'The city of Puebla to her Patron 
 Saint," "Guadalupana bless our home." Bands of sing- 
 ers were heard in every corner, singing alabanzas in 
 honor of Mary Guadalupana. Bands of music and or- 
 chestras were playing all over the city. The City of the 
 Ang-els, as Puebla is called (Puebla de los Angeles) re- 
 sembled an immense cathedral on the 12th of December, 
 Feast of Guadalupe, Patronal Feast of all Mexico, rather 
 than a mart of commerce. 
 
 A few days after my arrival I went to a country 
 church about four miles from the city, where a "func- 
 ion" was celebrated. The church was so crowded that 
 I found it impossible to enter either throug-h the large 
 front door or the sacristy. I met a Priest, who like my- 
 self, was unable to g"ain admission. "Padrecito," said 
 he, "if we cannot get in, let us go on the roof." A stone 
 stair-case leading to the flat roof, was soon climbed. 
 There we stood. Beneath our feet we heard the solemn 
 singing of the Vespers, interrupted at times by an occa- 
 sional cantata accompanied by an orchestra. The view 
 from this elevation was so g-rand and picturesque, that 
 it still remains fresh in my memory. In the West, 
 the setting Sun lit up with gold the summit of the huge 
 Popocatapetl, while in the East towered high the snow- 
 capped peak of Orizaba, and in the South, a luxuriant 
 and fertile valley extended as far as the eye could reach. 
 At last the bells rang for the Benediction of the Blessed 
 Sacrament, and we knelt down in adoration of the Om- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 15» 
 
 nipotent God of Nature and the Eucharist. 
 
 One day in company with a Lazarist Father, we vis- 
 ited the Church of St. Francis and the adjoining g-arden, 
 the property of the Bishop, situated in one of the sub- 
 urbs of the city. There I perceived an apple tree loaded 
 with fruit; yielding- to the temptation I ate forty apples 
 in a very short time. I hear some exclaim: "Horrorl 
 Did you g-et the cholera?" Not at all, and if the bells 
 had not called us to the church, I could have eaten double 
 the quantity. I had never seen such a diminutive apple 
 in my life; about the size of a small cherry. 
 
 . Nine days before Christmas, the Misa de Ag-uinaldo 
 is celebrated at 3 o'clock a. m. in all the churches in Mex- 
 ico. Every day for nine days, crowds are gathered at 
 that unusual hour to assist at the Mass of the Infant 
 Jesus. Led by curiosity as much as by devotion, I as- 
 sisted at one of the Masses. A splendid orchestra pre- 
 luded and the Office commenced. At the " Kyrie" there 
 was a burst of enthusiasm, a real explosion, which caused 
 me to exclaim in surprise: "Hello! what is this?" to a 
 neighbor Priest, "Padrecito," said the Priest, "they 
 are the birds announcing the coming of the Child Jesus." 
 What was it? Nearly every member of the congrega- 
 tion, not only children, but men and women, were fur- 
 nished with a whistle, and at the ' ' Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, 
 Agnus, &c.," there went the explosion of 500 or 600 whis- 
 tles accompanying the organ and the singers. One day 
 during the Novena I visited another church, where I saw 
 near the entrance of the sanctuary four personages, life 
 size, dressed as travelers, with white straw hats on their 
 heads. These were theBlessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, 
 one man holding a drum and the other a violin. On 
 Christmas morning I visited the same church in order 
 to see what had become of the four travelers. They 
 were attired in festive clothes, but their hats were off. 
 
154 Reminiscences of 
 
 The Infant Jesus was upon the altar, and the four 
 were prostrate in adoration around it. 
 
 It is known fact that the Franciscan Friars who car- 
 ried the Catholic religion into Mexico, seeing- that the 
 Aztecs were fond of solemn rites, g-littering- shows and 
 mysterious ceremonies, instituted a series of religious 
 plays and scenes drawn from the stories of the Bible. 
 
 One of the most remarkable performances is that of 
 the "Pas tores," which is still dramatized about Christ- 
 mas in the Mexican Republic and on the American side 
 of the Rio Grande. 
 
 The drama is admirably described in the "Gulf 
 Messenger," by Miss Cordelia Fish Brodbent, who so 
 vividly represents what I have seen rendered by the 
 Mexicans, and read in two printed copies in Mexico, 
 that I insert the following extracts: 
 
 "As we sit musing and comparing we hear the faint 
 tinkling of bells, which becomes clear and more distinct 
 as the "pastores," led by Mary and Joseph, march into 
 the courty ard two by two, singing in soft musical voices: 
 
 "Volemos pastorcitos, 
 Volemos con violencia ! 
 Que en el portal esta 
 La grande Omnipotencia. 
 
 "Let us fly, dear shepherdsl 
 Let us fly with swiftness I 
 For on the porch there is 
 The great Omnipotent. 
 
 "Their costumes are unique. Mary wears a blue 
 dress; alight blue mantilla spangled in gold and silver 
 falls over her body, while a golden half circlet rests on 
 her forehead to represent the halo surrounding her head, 
 with which the great masters generally honor her. Jo- 
 seph, with a dark blue tunic, and a long blouse of cor- 
 responding color, with gilt bands on hem, sleeves and 
 
A Texas Missionary. 155 
 
 neck, appears with a g-olden crown on his head and a 
 staff of many colors in his hand. 
 
 "Back of these come the two angels Michael and Ga- 
 briel, the former in a blue tarleton dress, with g-olden 
 wings and crown; and a sword at his side, while the lat- 
 ter is dressed in pure white, a wand composed of white 
 flowers in his hand, and with golden crown and wings. 
 
 "ThenfoUowsthe gila (shepherd's cook) in ordinary 
 dress, very much bespangled, and a shepherd's crook 
 in her hand. She is accompanied by the Priest, who is 
 robed in the ordinary dress of to-day. The next in line 
 hold our attention. They are the pastores (shepherds) 
 and the principal actors of the evening. Their clothes 
 are ordinary, but their crooks (ganchos) and lunch bas^ 
 kets (alforja) require particular mention. The crooks 
 are five feet long entirely covered with paper of every 
 color, and on the top, instead of one hook, there are four 
 hooks which come together, having the appearance of a 
 crown. This crown is also covered with colored paper, 
 while bright ribbon streamers give them a gay and 
 gaudy appearance. Inside the crown of the crooks are 
 suspended many small bells. These staffs are struck 
 on the ground to keep time with the music, and conse- 
 quently the jingling of the bells is added to the melody 
 of their songs. The lunch baskets are small — about 
 eight inches long by four inches deep — and are trimmed 
 to correspond with the crooks, being suspended from 
 the shoulders by bright-hued streamers. 
 
 "After the chorus, upon entering, the first act opens 
 with the meeting at the temple of the patriarchs, who 
 have assembled to elect a husband for Mary. Fortu- 
 nately, from the inference drawn as the play advances, 
 though she had no voice in the matter of selecting a hus- 
 band, the election exactly suited her taste. 
 
156 Reminiscences of 
 
 "The shepherds open this act with the Crier's Call, 
 and sing- in loud voices: 
 
 "Occurran todos al templo 
 En este dichoso dial 
 Para ver quien es elejido 
 Esposo de Maria, etc. 
 
 "Proceed all to the temple 
 
 On this auspicious day 1 
 
 To see who will be elected 
 
 To be husband to Mary, etc. 
 "After the election of the husband, Mary and Joseph 
 appear tog-ether, come forward and kneel down before 
 the Priest who meets them in the center of the square 
 and performs the marriag-e rite. Hardly have the last 
 words of his blessing- descended upon the two, when the 
 entire company come forward and join in song-s of mer- 
 riment and rejoicing-. The feast is spread and all are 
 g-ay and happy, unconscious of the presence of the dark, 
 sinister fig-ures off at one corner, who are looking- upon 
 the scene with perturbed countenances. 
 
 "There is a commanding- form with dress of sable 
 hue. He wears knee breeches with large buckles at the 
 sides, hunting- boots, a round cloak over his shoulders, 
 and a black cap with two black plumes. A few spots of 
 g-ilt illumine this sombre attire, and at his side a sword 
 hang-s in its scabbard. He wears a black mask with the 
 face of ^ lion and two long- horns protrude from under 
 his cap. This is Prince Lucifer with his imps Satan, 
 (Satanas); Sin (Pecado) and Leviathan (Leviatan). 
 These imps are in sombre black, nothing- relieving- its 
 intenseness, and with the exception of Satan, who is 
 sometimes burdened with a very long- tail made entirely 
 of fire-crackers, their suits are exactly alike. This tail 
 of Satan is set on fire when Lucifer and his imps are 
 banished from earth (a ludicrous imitation of thunder, 
 smoke and sulphur ). 
 
A Te^as Missionary. 157 
 
 "As the merry-makers disappear Lucifer comes for- 
 ward and draws his iaips around him. He announces 
 to them the fact that it has come to his knowledge that 
 a maiden is to g-ive to the world a Redeemer of mankind. 
 He tells them that the prophecies of Ezekiel are accom- 
 phshed, that he has read the signs and that she is a vir- 
 gin. He locates the birthplace in or near Bethlehem, in 
 an humble spot. Hence, he commands them to depart, 
 first telling by what signs they will know her and search 
 the world over for the maiden, bring her to him and he 
 would kill her, They all disappear and Lucifer departs, 
 when Mary appears in deep meditation. 
 
 "She is suddenly confronted by Michael, who an- 
 nounces to her her conception by the Holy Ghost. He 
 tells her to fear naught, as he is her guardian angel, and 
 she.is the instrument of God. The shepherds come in 
 singing songs of praise and exultation that the time ap- 
 proaches for the fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah 
 chapter 7. "Behold I A virgin shall conceive and bear 
 a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel." At this 
 juncture Lucifer returns followed by his imps, who com- 
 municate to him their inability to locate the maiden. 
 They also inform him that the whole world is expect- 
 ing the coming of the Messiah. They beg of him 
 to give them her name to aid them in the search of her. 
 At the pronunciation of her name, Michael appears up- 
 on the scene, reminds Lucifer of his former downfall 
 proclaims himself Mary's guardian angel, and advises 
 Lucifer to desist from his evil intention, warning him 
 of the consequences that will follow should he insist up- 
 on his evil course. 
 
 "After vigilant search Lucifer locates Joseph and 
 Mary, and though through fear of Michael, he dare not 
 injure the person of Mary, he poisons Joseph's mind 
 against her, and Joseph becomes suspicious and jealous 
 
168 Reminiscences of 
 
 of his wife. Mary appears heavily grieved at Joseph's 
 treatment of her, and recites that she finds no comfort 
 day or nig-ht, and passes her time while Joseph is absent, 
 in prayer and devotion. 
 
 "Nig-ht approaches and Joseph lies down to sleep, 
 when he is awakened by an ang-el, who reassures him of 
 Mary's faithfulness to him. He also makes known to 
 Joseph the conception of Mary by the Holy Ghost. 
 Joseph repentant, hastens to Mary's presence, falls up- 
 on his knees before her, implores her pardon for his 
 treatment of her and reasures her of his love and con- 
 fidence. The shepherds sing-; 
 
 "Lloren alia los demonios, 
 
 Y lloren con afliccion, 
 Que ya se abre misteriosa. 
 
 El admirable encarnacion, etc 
 
 "Let the imps of darkness weep. 
 
 And may they weep with anguish. 
 
 For there has been disclosed mysteriously 
 
 The admirable incarnation. 
 "The shepherds pass out and Lucifer enters,, furious 
 at being again balked in his designs, giving vent to his 
 rage. He is confronted by the angel Gabriel, whom 
 Lucifer fails to recognize, but who shows by his conver- 
 sation that he is an adversary who knows Lucifer's past 
 and present history on earth, and he prophesies Luci- 
 fer's final defeat and his banis hment: 
 
 "Y asi no sabras, villano 
 
 Que lo que el tiempo te advierte, 
 
 Tu rabia sera la muerte, 
 
 Y moriras triste sifano, etc. 
 
 "And thus you shall not know, villianl 
 What the times would warn you against. 
 Your fury shall be your death, 
 And you shall die sorrowfully, braggart I 
 
 "Gabriel vanishes and Lucifer calls up his imps, 
 
A Te^as Missionary. 159 
 
 with whom he holds counsel, and they plot the capture 
 of Gabriel. They are surprised by Mary and Joseph 
 who are on their journey to Bethlehem, and at sig-ht of 
 whom Lucifer and his confederates flee, saying-; 
 
 " Ya Maria sale del templo, 
 Y Jose viene a su lado, 
 Abra su boca el abismo, 
 Sepulta a un desdichado, etc. 
 
 "Already Mary leaves the temple. 
 And Joseph is by her side. 
 Open your mouth, Hell! 
 And bury an unfortunate. 
 
 "Upon their arrival at Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph 
 g-o from door to door, beg-g-ing- shelter for the nig-ht, 
 while the shepherds are sing-ing*: 
 
 '*Un pobre hombre y una doncella, 
 Que al lug-ar hemos venido, 
 Abran nos de caridad. 
 Den nos siquiera posada, etc. 
 
 "A poor man and a maid 
 Who to this place have come, 
 Open to us for charity's sake, 
 Give us at least a shelter. 
 
 "And they invariably received for reply: 
 
 "Pues ning-uno puede entrar, 
 Porque no quiere mesonero. 
 Solo que traig-a dinero. 
 Con que lo pueda pag-ar, etc. 
 
 "No one can enter here, 
 
 Because the innkeeper does not wish it, 
 
 Unless you bring- money. 
 
 With which to pay for it, etc. 
 
 "At last they find shelter in the stable, and are 
 g-lad to rest their weary feet, and the shepherds beg-in 
 sing-ing-": 
 
160 Reminiscences of 
 
 "Abranse las puertas, 
 Rompanse los velos, 
 Que viene a posear, 
 El rey de los cielos, etc. 
 
 "Open the doors, 
 
 Tear away the veil — 
 
 For there comes to seek shelter 
 
 The king of the heavens, etc. 
 "The scene now changes. Lying around a camp fire 
 are shepherds, some asleep, others in low conversation. 
 Suddenly one discovers a bright star in the East, which 
 he joyfully announces to the others, when all in one 
 voice, break out with hallelujahs and songs of praise." 
 
 "En el portal de Belen 
 
 Hay muy bella claridad, 
 
 Porqua ha nacido el Mesias 
 
 Y nos pondra en libertad. 
 
 Chorus: "Guerra y guerra le daremos, 
 
 Y guerra le hemos de dar 
 Al demonio y su infierno, 
 Ahora le haremos temblar, 
 
 "In the porch at Bethlehem 
 There is a beautiful illumination, 
 Because the Messiah was born there 
 And he will set us at liberty. 
 
 Chorus: "Battle upon battle we will give him, 
 And war again shall be given 
 To the devil and his infierno. 
 Now we will make him trouble. 
 "Two of the shepherds: Fevano and Parrado, con- 
 tinue singing and telling what beautiful presents of 
 precious stones and jewels they will take as offerings to 
 the church, until they are reminded by the gila (cook), 
 to get their food ready, fill their knapsacks — as day is 
 approaching and they must make an early start. 
 
 "Lucifer enters, filled with anguish and torment as 
 he sees his power tottering. His emissaries have 
 
A Texas Missionary. 161 
 
 located the Christ child, and his plots and intrig-ues to 
 entrap mother and child have proved fruitless, as they 
 are constantly g-uarded by Michael and Gabriel. When 
 still deliberating^ on what to do, shepherds approach on 
 their v^ay to Bethlehem, guided by the "star in the 
 East." They are singing-: 
 
 "Al respaldo, hermanos mios, 
 
 De un encumbrado cerro 
 
 Pues dicen ya nacio 
 
 El Redemtor de los cielos, etc. 
 
 "Back, my dear brothers, 
 Of a lofty hill 
 They say there was born 
 The Redeemer of heaven. 
 "Gila finishes the singing with the advice; 
 "Pastores ya llega el dia 
 En que alegres nos partamos 
 Para el portal de Belen 
 A ver un f eliz milagro, 
 Prevengan sus bastimentos, 
 Dispongan muy bien sus jatos 
 Para caminar alegres, 
 Festejandonos con cantos. 
 
 "Shepherds: the day has arrived 
 
 On which we will gladly depart 
 
 For the porch of Bethlehem 
 
 To see a happy miracle. 
 
 Prepare your lunches. 
 
 Pack well your lunch baskets 
 
 So as to travel pleasantly, 
 
 Entertaining ourselves with songs. 
 "Luciferhails themand in conversation advises them 
 not to go to Bethlehem, as the road to it is dangerous, in- 
 fested by beasts of prey, and covered with snow and ice, 
 and says they have been deceived, as the Messiah had 
 not yet come. They pay no heed to his advice, but con- 
 tinue their journey, selecting the best road for their 
 sheep, which thev take with them, As they near the 
 
162 Reminiscences of 
 
 mountains, a hermit comes out of a cave and joins them 
 in their pilg-rimage. He is old and bent, hair and beard 
 are long- and heavy, and he wears a long- w^hite tunic which 
 is girdled with a thick white cord. From his neck hangs 
 a rosary composed of white spools, to which is attached 
 a crucifix, He is the clown of the company and with his 
 merry jokes and jests keeps the shepherds in good 
 humor on their tedious journey. They continue sing- 
 ing and must have covered quite a stretch before they 
 come to the end of a song, the first verse of which is: 
 
 "En risuenos cantos 
 
 De los ruisenores 
 
 Caminemos alegres 
 
 Hermanos Pastores, etc. 
 
 "In merry songs 
 
 Of the nightingale 
 
 Let us travel gladly 
 
 Dear brother shepherds, etc. 
 "They stop on the road to take supper, and invite the 
 hermit to partake of tortillas, cabrito (kid), pinole mes- 
 quite bean flour) and tamales (shuck dumplings.) Par- 
 rado leaves them while he goes to see the sheep. He re- 
 turnsandtellsthcm thatif each give him albricias (apres- 
 ent),he will tell them some wonderful news. After exact- 
 ing a promise from each, he tells them that while out with 
 the sheep, an angel appeared to him who said: "Gloria in 
 excelsis, the Christ is ccme." Some tell him he has been 
 dreaming, others that he is deceiving them and that they 
 will not believe him. But at this juncture, Michaelhimself 
 appears and confirms Parrado's slory, and assures them 
 of the birth of the Christ. He also warns them that Luci- 
 fer is again coming to confuse them, but that they must 
 not be afraid of him, as he (Michael) will be with Ihem. 
 Lucifer arrives, asks for feed and shelter because he is 
 a stranger in a strange land. He further states that he 
 is very rich and will divide his wealth with them. He 
 
A Texas Missionary. 163 
 
 and the hermit g^et into an altercation, and the hermit 
 defends himself against Lucifer's attacks by merely 
 holding- up the crucifix in front of him. Lucifer is un- 
 successful with the hermit, so he departs and visits the 
 two shepherds, Bato and Cocharon, whom he tempts into 
 partaking- of a meal with him. These two are watching- 
 the sheep and hung-er induces them to feast with the 
 strang-er, though they do not like his countenance. The 
 other shepherds turn out to look for Bato and Cocharon, 
 as the time for their coming into camp has past. They 
 find the two very sick and bring them into camp, sing- 
 ing: 
 
 Venid, Miguel, dichoso, 
 
 Del lado cortesano, 
 
 A sacar de prisiones 
 
 A todo genero humano. 
 
 Come, happy Michael, 
 
 From that gentle side, 
 
 To free from prison 
 
 All mankind. 
 The shepherds have stopped to rest for the night, 
 when an angel again appears, saying aloud: ''Glory to 
 God, the Christ is come." The hermit falls upon his 
 knees in prayer while the shepherds join in songs of 
 praise and thanksgiving. 
 
 Lucifer appears and is about to destroy them when 
 Michael and his hosts appear, give him and his imps bat- 
 tle, vanquish him and put him in chains. Lucifer changes 
 his tactics, and his repentance and promises seem so sin- 
 cere that Michael's pity is aroused and he relents. He 
 has the chains taken from Lucifer. Immediately Lucifer 
 rallies his imps and begins combat against Michael and 
 his hosts. Lucifer is again vanquished and is banished 
 from earth forever. At this juncture Satan's tail is 
 ignited and Lucifer and his host vanish amidst the noise 
 made by the exploding firecrackers. 
 
164 ( Reminiscences of 
 
 " The shepherds at last arrive at the mang-er, each 
 one in turn praying- before the imag-e of Christ, and sing-- 
 ing- a verse in adoration; at the same time each presenting- 
 some offering-, excepting- Bartholomew, who is a ridicu- 
 lously sleepy fellow and cannot shake off his drowsiness. 
 Each one of the shepherds, even the cook, goes to him 
 and pleads with him to g-et up and adore the Christ 
 child; but he has some excuse for each one until at last 
 patience ceases to be a virtue and two shepherds take 
 him and deposit him in front of the altar. Either the 
 fall, or the bright illumination falling upon him has the 
 desired effect and he falls upon his knees in contrition 
 and joins in the adoration. Two shepherds then come 
 forward, take the streamers on either side of the cradle, 
 and swinging the cradle to and fro, are joined by the 
 others singing the Lullaby: 
 
 "Ah! que hermosura de nino! 
 
 Que boquita de coral! 
 
 Quieres que fe tape 
 
 Con las telas de mi amor? 
 
 "O, quieres venirte a mi pecho? 
 
 Tu quieres que me arrime. 
 
 Al pesebre y te arrolle, 
 
 Al-or-or-or-or-or-or, etc. 
 
 "Ah! what beauty in a child! 
 
 What a little coral mouth. 
 
 Did you wish that I shall cover thee 
 
 With the weaving of my love? 
 
 "Or will you come to my breast? 
 
 You want me to approach 
 
 The crib and rock you? 
 
 Al-or-or-or-or-or-or. 
 
 " They then, each one in turn, kneel before the image, 
 ask a blessing- on Mary and Joseph, kiss the image and 
 depart singing." 
 
 The Pastores were originally intended by the holy 
 Friars to impress upon the minds of the rude untutored 
 
A Texas Missionary. 165 
 
 Indians the truth of the principal mysteries of religion, 
 but in the course of time, the religious drama passed 
 through the unscrupulous hands of ignorant men and 
 degenerated into a worldly show, now restricted to 
 Mexican jacales or the opera house. This drama under 
 the management of the old Friars was pure and dog- 
 matic, but now, in order to render it more poignant, 
 spicy and better adapted to worldly taste, new person- 
 ages have been introduced, as for example, Gila (the 
 Shepherds' Cook), a female, forsooth I as if these poor 
 shepherds had the means to carry along with them a 
 whole assortment of kitchen utensils. Then comes the 
 grotesque and anachronistic hermit with his funny 
 rosary made of spools. The substitution of St. Michael 
 for St. Gabriel as the Archangel who announced to the 
 Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to become the Mother 
 of God, is also a grave scriptural error. When these 
 objectionable innovations have been removed, the drama, 
 as above described, deserves credit. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Cathedral of Puebla. The Venerable Palafox. 
 Process of Cannonization Failed. 
 
 Before leaving Puebla let us pay a visit to the cathe- 
 dral, the pearl of Mexican churches. It is not as large as 
 the Cathedral of Mexico, being about 323 feet in length by 
 101 feet wide. By the richness of its decoration, distrib- 
 uted with faultless taste, it far surpasses all the large 
 churches in America. It is almost impossible to give even 
 a faint idea of the impression felt on first entering this 
 beautiful building. Everything within it appears fresh 
 and new. The corner stone was laid in 1532. Like 
 all the cathedrals in this country, it stands apart in the 
 midst of extensive grounds, and is located in the centre 
 of the principal plaza, which is surrounded by a great 
 
166 Reminiscences of 
 
 number of ang-els standing- on elaborate pillars. The 
 most striking- features of the exterior are the two mas- 
 sive towers flanking- the main entrance. On one of these 
 towers is an inscription declaring- that it cost $100,000. 
 In this tower there are eig-hteen bells, the largest of 
 which weighs upwards of nine tons. With regard to the 
 interior, it would be impossible to enter into details. 
 
 The whole work of ornamentation was carried out 
 under the direction of a Mexican of Indian extraction. 
 The sound judg-ment and excellent taste displayed in 
 this work, as well as in many other works of art, are an 
 evidence of the artistic instinct of the Mexican people. 
 The high altar and onyx baldaquino above it, also the 
 work of a Mexican, cost more than $300,000. This altar 
 is composed of every variety of Mexican marble, the 
 onyx peculiar to Puebla being- used in the greatest pro- 
 portion. The interior architecture is massive, but all 
 heaviness disappears in the presence of its rich and 
 bright decorations. There is not a square foot of wall 
 or ceiling- that is not covered with gilt carving-, exquisite 
 paintings, or high marble reliefs. Its ,sacristy, as larg-e 
 as an ordinary church, is in keeping- with the cathedral, 
 and contains the portraits of all the Bishops of Puebla 
 who have governed that See for 360 years. Standing- in 
 the midst of such g-randeur and treasures, all gladly do- 
 nated for the glory of God by this Catholic people, who 
 would think for a moment that Protestantism, with its 
 soulless formalities, which are all it has to oifer its 
 neophytes, could ever hope to seduce the Mexican peo- 
 ple from the Catholic faith? 
 
 Puebla is celebrated not only for its splendid cathe- 
 dral, but also for the immense edifices which compose 
 the Bishop's palace, the Major and Minor Seminaries for 
 ecclesiastical students; the College of San Ildefonso, and 
 the school for the Infantes (altar boys), attended by 
 
A Texas Missionarj^. 167 
 
 about one hundred brig-ht intellig-ent boys. All these 
 edifices are in the same block and are chiefly the work 
 of the Venerable Palafox, formerly Bishop of Puebla and 
 Viceroy of Mexico. Among the many eminent members 
 of the Episcopate of ancient Mexico the name of Palafox 
 stands conspicuous. The process of his beatification 
 was introduced in Rome, but was set aside by the argu- 
 ments of the Devil's Advocate. This requires a few ex- 
 planations. The process of beatification is a long, labor- 
 ious and expensive one. First, all the information which 
 can possibly be procured, must be gathered regarding 
 the life and actions ot the candidate. This must be the 
 sworn testimony of competent witnesses before the 
 proper authorities. When we take into account the num- 
 ber of places in which a saint has been, and the number 
 of persons who must be summoned from a distance, and 
 then the writing out; the classifying, and the printing 
 in huge folios of their accumulated evidence; we may 
 form some idea of the trouble attending the very prelim- 
 inaries of beatification. These ponderous tomes will not 
 be admitted into the court unless there be petitions from 
 Cardinals, Bishops, Generals of Order and various note- 
 worthy persons for the institution of the suit, if we may 
 so call it. Then there is the Devil's Advocate, a sharp 
 learned theologian, whose business it is to cavil at every 
 bit of evidence, and reject the facts if they be not suffi- 
 ciently authenticated. Many a cause is stopped in its 
 very beginning by this worthy gentleman. When the 
 processes (such is the name given to the mass of evi- 
 dence collected) have passed these scrutinies and leave 
 is given for the introduction of the cause, the servant of 
 God receives the title of Venerable. There are various 
 questions to be discussed then: namely, whether relig- 
 ious worship has been offered or whether he has been 
 called a saint. Any of these things would be a serious 
 
168 Reminiscences of 
 
 objection, and many causes stop here. His works are 
 examined, and then there is a process reg-arding- his 
 sanctity in g-eneral. If these pass, the apostolic pro- 
 cesses are formed. Then fifty years after the death of 
 the Venerable, and not before, unless by dispensation, 
 the examination of his every virtue is instituted. This 
 may prove a failure; if so, the cause is finished. Three 
 sessions are held upon this point of the question, and 
 when it is carried, there is a decree published to the 
 effect that the venerable servant of God did possess the 
 theolog-ical and Cardinal virtues i|i a heroic deg-ree. 
 Then comes the discussion on the miracles. This is so 
 severe that it has passed into a proverb that it is a mira- 
 cle for a miracle to pass the sacred cong-regation. 
 
 Althoug-h the Venerable Palafox had practiced vir- 
 tue in an eminent deg*ree, worked miracles, written 
 beautiful treatises on Christian perfection and on vari- 
 ous other subjects, forming- twenty folio volumes, the 
 process of his beatification failed. Yet the monuments 
 of his zeal; the Cathedral at Puebla, the numerous edi- 
 fices erected by him for the education of youth, his 
 numerous and pious treatises of devotion, history, and 
 other branches of ecclesiastical lore will remain to pro- 
 claim him one of the g-reatest and most illustrious men 
 who ever trod on Mexican soil. 
 
 Another monument of interest is the Jesuit's Church 
 called "La Compania," which has a coUeg-e attached. 
 Twenty-one Jesuits are occupied in this Colleg-e, where 
 they teach all the branches of education besides a school 
 of trades, comprising- printing-; watch making-; type- 
 writing-; short hand; cabinet making-; blacksmithing*; 
 mining, etc. 
 
 With regret we departed from Puebla, the cleanest 
 city of Mexico, where tourists enjoy a sight not soon to 
 be forgotten. How delightful to see in the early morning 
 
A Texas Missionary. 169 
 
 the snow-capped Popocatepetl g-ilt by the first rays of 
 the rising- sun!! Adios. 
 
 Not far from Puebla, a short distance from the road 
 to Mexico, stands the town of Tlascala. There is seen 
 the church of San Francisco, the foundations of which 
 were laid in 1521, two years after the arrival of Cortez. 
 Amongst the rich and historic relics in this church is 
 preserved the pulpit from which the faith was first 
 preached in the New World. Here also is the baptismal 
 font where the four Tlascalan chiefs were baptized in 
 the year 1520. Allaboard! " VamonosI" "ParaMejico?" 
 "Si senor." 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 City of Mexico. Arrival of the Monks. The Hand 
 of God is There. Predictions. Protes- 
 tantism a Failure. Don Pancracio. 
 
 "City of prodig-ies, hail! From thee irradiated the 
 rays of faith." In order to understand the present state 
 of relig-ion and to be able to account for the multiplicity 
 and splendor of the mag-nificent temples, convents and 
 monasteries in Mexico: the work of over three centuries 
 of Christianity and civilization, it is necessary to look 
 for the causes which produced such wonderful results. 
 
 Pag-anism once reig-ned supreme in Mexico, but now 
 the country is thoroug-hly Christian. We can only g-ive 
 a brief explanation of this fact. An object, which Cortez 
 never lost sig-ht of, was the conversion of the natives. 
 It was Cortez who first requested that relig-ious be 
 sent from Spain. "I supplicate your Imperial Maj- 
 esty," he says in one of his letters "that you would have 
 the g-oodness to provide religious persons of g-ood life 
 and example for the conversion of the natives." And 
 when the Franciscians arrived, it was in the following- 
 words that he presented them to the people of Mexico: 
 
170 Reminiscences of 
 
 "These are men sent from God, and ardently desiring- 
 the salvation of your souls. They ask neither your g-old 
 nor your lands, for, despising- all the goods of this world, 
 they aspire only after those of the next." 
 
 In 1531, when there were only one hundred Fran- 
 ciscians and Dominicans in the whole country, the Audi- 
 tors wrote to the Emperor, beseeching him to send out 
 more monks, being doubtless of the same mind with a 
 subsequent Viceroy of Mexico, who, when there was 
 much question about building- forts throughout the coun- 
 try, said that "towers with soldiers were dens of thieves, 
 but that convents w^ith monks were as good as walls and 
 castles for keeping the Indians in subjection." 
 
 Quiroga filled with admiration of what the monks 
 had already done, exclaimed: "I offer myself, with the 
 assistance of God, to undertake the establishing of 
 Christian communities similar to those of the primitive 
 Church; for God is as powerful now as then, and I pray 
 that this plan may be favored." 
 
 At the instance of Bishop Zumarraga, Queen Isabella 
 sent out some pious women to instruct the young g-irls, 
 but as they were not bound by vows, they soon married. 
 Up to the year 1600, more than 150 Franciscianshad 
 suffered martyrdom in the New World. "The blood of 
 martyrs," said Tertulian, "is the seed of Christians." 
 Who does not see the hand of God in the conversion 
 of Mexico! So marvelous was the conquest of Cortez, 
 that he seems to have been an instrument in the hands 
 of Providence for the accomplishment of its great de- 
 signs with regard to Mexico. History contains noth- 
 ing parallel with respect either to the boldness of the 
 attempt or the success of its execution. The circum- 
 stances of these extraordinary transactions are authen- 
 ticated by the most unquestionable evidence. Still they 
 appear so wild and extravagent as to go beyond the 
 
A Texas Missionary. 171 
 
 bounds of fiction. Take for example the great battle 
 of Otumba, which has no parallel in the annals of 
 Rome or Greece. Prodig-ies of all kinds seem to indi- 
 cate that the hour set by Divine Providence for the con- 
 version of Mexico had arrived. 
 
 Supposed prophesies existed among the Aztecs 
 reg-arding- the coming- of white men and friars into Mex- 
 ico. We read in St. Anthony's Messenger that ''the 
 natives of Espanola are said to have received an oracle 
 shortly before Columbus' arrival, announcing- the coming* 
 of bearded men with sharp brig-ht swords. The Yuca- 
 tan records abound in predictions to the same effect, 
 more or less clear. The most widely quoted is that of 
 Chilam Balam, high Priest of Mani, and reputed a great 
 prophet, who foretold that ere many years, there would 
 come from the direction of the rising Sun a bearded 
 white people, bearing aloft the cross,which he displayed 
 to his listeners. Their gods would flee before the new- 
 comers and leave them to rule the land; but no harm 
 would fall on the peaceful who admitted the only true 
 God. This Priest it was who erected the stone crosses 
 found by the Spaniards, declaring them to be the true 
 tree of the world. It is recorded that a Priest of Itsalan 
 urged his people to worship the true God, whose word 
 would soon come to them." 
 
 *'Among the Mexicans," says Mendieta, "predic- 
 tions were current, some four generations befoie the 
 conquest, of the coming of bearded men, dressed in rai- 
 ment of different colors, and with helmets on their 
 heads. The idols would perish, leaving but one supreme 
 God; war would cease; roads would be opened; inter- 
 course established, and the husband would cherish but 
 one wife." 
 
 The testimony is so abundant and explicit that many 
 of these and other prodigies were at the time received, 
 
172 Reminiscences of 
 
 not only by Montezuma and his people, but by theneig-h. 
 boring nations, as the distinct announcement of the com- 
 ing- of the white, bearded men, who in truth appeared 
 at the proper time in the person of the Spaniards. 
 
 Whatever may be thought of these forebodings, the 
 fact stands, that for 360 years, the Mexicans have been 
 and are Christians and Roman Catholics. They pro- 
 fess the true faith and are satisfied with it, for they know 
 they are right. The broad seal of heaven is stamped 
 on their faith. There is no room for doubt. This ex- 
 plains why Mexicans have adhered to the Catholic 
 Church and no heresy has ever originated among them. 
 This also explains why the several attempts of Protest- 
 ant ministers in Mexico have always been a failure. 
 Who has not heard of the Episcopal Bishop Riley? The 
 American Protestant Bishops sent him to Mexico with 
 a well filled purse. Since the promulgation of the " Leyes 
 de reforma," there are excellent bargains to be had 
 when one's conscience is not particularly tender on the 
 subject of sacrilege. It appears that this Episcopal 
 Bishop so comported himself as to fall under the censure 
 of the American Bishops, who had sent him to Mexico; 
 whereupon he defied their authority and set up a Mexi- 
 can Episcopalian Church for himself. They protested 
 against him, and he in turn protested against them in 
 good Orthodox Protestant fashion. He refused to give 
 an account of his administration. The church of San 
 Francisco, one of the most beautiful in Mexico, having 
 been confiscated by the government, was sold to Bishop 
 Riley, but for some reason or other it was afterwards 
 sold at auction, and Don Antonio Escandon became the 
 owner of it. It is now under the control of the Arch- 
 bishop of^Mexico. The church has been reconsecrated 
 and is now used by Catholics for divine service. 
 
 The Quakers, the Methodists, the Baptists, and 
 
A Texas Missionary. 173 
 
 others have tried the experiment and failed. The Mexi- 
 cans to become Protestants? No, never! Protestant mis- 
 sionaries may catch an occasional poor devil, but experi- 
 ence will teach that they have caug-ht a tartar. 
 
 "Carramba!" exclaims Don Pancracio, "How many 
 relig-ions are imported to Mexico by the Yankees. We 
 thoug-ht that Christ had instituted only one Church when 
 He said 'My Church and not churches.' Now there 
 come the thirteen different sects of Baptists, each of 
 which says, 'we are the true church, and unless you 
 are immersed neck deep in the river, you shall be 
 damned.' 'No,' says the Quaker, 'baptism is not nec- 
 essary at all.' We Mexicans, in our simplicity, prefer 
 to believe Christ, who says: 'Unless a man be born 
 ag"ain of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter 
 into theKing-domof God.' By immersion? Carrambal 
 How did St. Peter baptize his fellow-prisoners, when we 
 know that the water he obtained by a miracle was 
 scarcely sufficient to immerse a tom cat. Now there 
 come the eight different sects of Methodists, fig-hting" 
 with each other on the dog-mas of original sin and jus- 
 tification. The Presbyterians, old and new school, 
 have no need of bishops, if they be predestinated. Epis- 
 copalians have bishops by the grace of Big Henry and 
 Queen Bess, not by the grace of God and favor of the 
 Holy See. The Univ^rsalists say ' that all shall be saved 
 in the end;' then the eternal fire spoken of by Christ is a 
 lie II O Senores ProtestantesI we do not hate you, but we 
 hate and abhor your new-fangled doctrines; we are Chris- 
 tians, we are Catholics, go among the heathens, the Chi- 
 nese and the Hindoos, who need Christianity. Why do 
 you come to disturb us in the faith of our fathers? You 
 say we are idolaters 1 1 1 Caramba, idolatras I ! ! when we 
 Mexicans can say amen to the following curses, without 
 incurring the displeasure of Mother Church: 
 
174 'Reminiscences of 
 
 "'Cursed is he that commits idolatry; and prays to 
 images or relics and worships them.' Amen. 
 
 "'Cursed is he that believes the Virgin Mary. to be 
 more than a creature, that worships her or puts his trust 
 in her more than in God.' Amen. 
 
 "You are welcome to work our mines, and get as 
 much gold and silver as you can, but as to our faith, it is 
 as impregnable as the fortress of Gibraltar." 
 
 Don Pancracio is rough in some of his expressions, 
 but he gives the key-note of the situation of Mexico with 
 regard to the religious question. A few hungry peons, 
 or some ignorant upstarts may join one sect or another 
 for the time being and for some temporal notions, but in 
 time of trials and sickness you will see these poor prod- 
 igal sons come back to Mother Church. 
 
 The converts to Protestantism in Mexico as de- 
 scribed to me by gentlemen of high standing in Church 
 and State, consist of those who had never learned one page 
 of the Chatechism. A few enterprising individuals, in the 
 hope of a lucrative sinecure, join the Protestant busi- 
 ness as they would a commercial firm, for there is money 
 in it and very little to do. Is there one single instance 
 of a Mexican becoming a Protestant in order to be a 
 better Christian? Not one. Protestant preachers, be- 
 sides disturbing the faith of a noble nation, put addi- 
 tional work on the Priests' shoulders when they are 
 called upon at the hour of death to reconcile these stray 
 sheep with the Church of God. 
 
 The mother of Melanchthon, at the hour of death, 
 asked her son the following question: " My son, for the 
 love of you I joined the new religion, now that I am go- 
 ing to appear before God, what do you advise me to do? 
 "Mother," said he, "the new religion is the easiest to 
 live in, but the Catholic religion is the best to die in." 
 
 If there are instances of Mexicans among the igno- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 175 
 
 rant and lower class becoming- Protestants, they are 
 moved by temporal considerations only, like that poor 
 man, who previous to joining- a sect, went to the foot 
 of the hig-h altar, there to make a compromise with 
 Almig-hty God. "Lord!" said he, I am going- to leave 
 you and tell you g-ood-bye, but be not ang-ry with me, for 
 I promise to return as soon as times are better; those 
 heretics over there promise me food and shelter for the 
 children. Be patient, g-ood Lord!" Or like that Mexi- 
 can woman who" had joined a sect for the same motives. 
 The first time she went into the Protestant church the 
 minister perceived a rosary in her hands and heard her 
 saying the beads. "Oh, horror!" the minister exclaimed, 
 "no idolatry, no superstition allowed here," and he 
 snatched the rosary from her hands. "No se reza el 
 rosario aqui? Adios, me voy:" "Is the rosary not re- 
 cited here? Good-bye, I quit," said the woman, and she 
 left after returning the money she had received that day. 
 
 No; Mexicans shall never become Protestants. 
 
 But the mill must be kept grinding out money, and 
 more money is necessary for the spread of the gospel 
 among the benighted Mexicans. A female missionary 
 writing from Monterey, years ago, revealed the astound- 
 ing fact that half of the population had been already con- 
 verted to Protestantism, and if the brethren of the North 
 would only send more material means, the whole popu- 
 lation would soon be gained over to God and the pure 
 gospel ! ! I 
 
 Agents and missionories of the sects may send to 
 their Northern brethren glowing reports of the progress 
 of the Gospel! how anxious the Mexicans are to hear the 
 word of God and how eagerly they yearn for Protestant 
 doctrine!! But, the real fact is, Mexicans are dis- 
 gusted with the cold Protestant religious service. The 
 reports forwarded from Mexico to the credulous breth- 
 
176 Reminiscence's o/ 
 
 ren have been proven not only exag-g-e rated but abso- 
 lutely false, which explains the fact of the scarcity of ma- 
 terial means sent to these pseudo-apostles of the Gospel. 
 
 When a fanatical pulpiteer has anything- to say about 
 Mexico, we may be sure that it is not possible for him to 
 put down the big-otry that is in him. Mexico is a Cath- 
 olic country, therefore there can be nothing- g-ood in it. 
 That is his style of reasoning. Not long- ag-o the chap- 
 lain of the Ohio penitentiary, a person named Wing-et, 
 preached on Mexico to a cong-reg-ation of convicts. His 
 anti-Catholic prejudice was so marked that even the 
 prisoners hissed him. This personag-e had visited Mex- 
 ico and he told his hearers that "the deg-redation and su- 
 perstition he witnessed there appalled him." He had 
 much more to say in a similar strain, all to the effect 
 that Mexican civilization was of the most deg-raded char- 
 acter. Fortunately for the cause of truth and justice 
 a g-entleman who took a trip throug-h Mexico at the same 
 time as Chaplain Wing-et also had something- to say 
 about what he saw in that country. This g-entleman is 
 General Brinkerhoff, President of the National Prison 
 Cong-ress and a member of the Ohio Board of State Char- 
 ities. His statement is a complete refutation of the min- 
 isterial calumniator's assertions. For instance, this is 
 what General Brinkerhoff, who is not a Catholic, has to 
 say of the civilization of Mexico: 
 
 "Mexico was a revelation to me, as indeed, it was 
 to the majority of our party. We labored under a wrong- 
 impression of the country, as do also the g-reat bulk of 
 the American people. What we found was surprising-ly 
 and interesting-ly unique and instructive. The condi- 
 tions were entirely different from what we had expected, 
 and the country as a whole, at no point what had been 
 g-enerally promised. It is due to the Catholic Church 
 that Mexico has evolved from a chaos of savageness to 
 
A Texas Missionarj'. 177 
 
 one of the greatest nations of the g-lobe. I am full of 
 Mexico and her wonderful future, and I believe honestly 
 that it is the one country for the man who has some mod- 
 est capital and an unbridled energ-y." Preachers may 
 rave and lie about Mexico, but honest men will make the 
 truth known to the world, to the confusion of the calum-- 
 niators. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Rambles throug-h the city. Relig-ious Aspect 
 on the road to Toluca. Grand Scenery. 
 The Passionists. 
 
 Here is the Plaza Mayor, a g-reat rectangle 270 yards 
 long- by 200 yards in width, one side of which is occu, 
 pied by the Cathedral, the grandest structure upon the 
 continent of America. The National Palace, a hug-e, 
 long- building- stands on the other side. Stone building-s 
 of two or thee stories flank the plaza on the two remain- 
 ing- sides, The upper portion of these building-s are 
 supported by massive pillars, forming- arcades, and the 
 ground floors in front are open. Throug-h the colonnad- 
 ed walks thus formed, called "Portales," crowds are 
 continually streaming-. One never tires of strolling- about 
 and watching- the ceaseless movements and kaleidoscopic 
 colorsof theshiftingmassof picturesque humanity. Now 
 and then we notice a native woman with the Astec feat^ 
 ures. Again, come the peddlers carrying- around trays 
 of dulces, cakes and fruits, such as chirimoya, or ang-els' 
 food, the most luscious fruit of Mexico; and the zapote^ 
 of which there is a great variety. Strawberries are sold 
 the whole year round. Passing through the beautiful 
 streets of Plateros and San Francisco we visit the 
 Church of "La Profesa," the most beautiful of the city. 
 Thence we pass to the street of Cadena where the Presi-- 
 dential Mansion stands. It was my good fortune tot 
 
178 Reminiscences of 
 
 pay a visit to Dona Carmelita, the President's wife, who 
 kindly and considerably helped me to carry out the ob- 
 ject of my visit to the city of Mexico. The "Alameda," 
 the "Paseo de la Reforma," the castle of Chapultepec, 
 the historical Molino del Rey, Churubusco, and Contre- 
 ras are favorite resorts for tourists. 
 
 Excepting the Freemasons — a pernicious sect, dan- 
 gerous to Church and State, the military and civil offi- 
 cials — with a few honorable exceptions — and the clique of 
 upstarts, both young and old, who pretend to know all 
 "de omni re scibili et de quibusdam aliis" and relegate 
 the science of salvation and the knowledge of God among 
 women — Mexico is a religious city. 
 
 Every Sunday the 200 churches are crowded during 
 Masses, which are celebrated for the convenience of the 
 greater number, and even the 12 o'clock Masses for the 
 benefit of stragglers and sluggards are well attended. 
 Even on week days I have seen churches crowded with 
 devout Christians, and from twenty to fifty approach- 
 ing the Holy Table. Truly, the city of Mexico is a city 
 of churches; chapels, and of sincerely devout Christians. 
 
 Our Lady's feasts in Mexico are especially splen- 
 did. Besides the Church devotions, the people further 
 honor their sweet Mother by decorating their balconies 
 with draperies of silk, embroidered in silver threads. 
 Even in the poorer streets one may see a bit of calico 
 and a strip of cheap lace, hanging from many a humble 
 balcony. Every church, even the poorest, is then radiant 
 with decorations and redolent with flowers. In the 
 wealthier edifices, blue and white silk or satin, inter- 
 sperced with silver or gold, is draped about the altars, 
 the pillars, and the pulpit; and choice flowers and plants 
 peep out between gorgeous jeweled candelabra and my- 
 riads of gleaming tapers. Add to this, a mass of kneel- 
 ing, supplicating people; grand orchestral music and 
 
A Texas Missionary. 179 
 
 the deep resonant voices of a male choir; a more heaven- 
 ly scene can scarcely be imag-ined: these feasts resem- 
 ble a beautiful dream of heavenly visions. Adios! 
 
 In the early morning- we left the city of Mexico. 
 The atmosphere hung- heavy over our heads, clouds hid 
 the sky, the valley was impreg-nated with the mephitic 
 exhalations of the nig-ht. The "Vamonos!" with its 
 peculiar accent from American lips unused to the sweet 
 Castilian, announced that the iron steed was in readi- 
 ness. "Vamonos." "Si Senor, cuandog-uste," answers 
 a mocking- bird close by, but one without feathers. The 
 valley of Mexico is soon passed and we enter the up- 
 grade with the assistance of an additional eng-ine. The 
 twenty-three bridg-es, built over the meandering- and 
 rapid stream running- throug-h wood and dale, reveal a 
 mag-nificent work of eng-ineerinsf. The surrounding- 
 scenery enraptures the soul, and makes us look from 
 nature to nature's God. Meditation becomes natural. 
 "God is admirable in His works?" As we ascend, the 
 sky g-rows clearer and the atmosphere cooler. Our 
 eng-ines appear exhausted when we reach "Las Cruces," 
 the hig-hest point. The down g-rade opened to our view 
 one of the grandest scenes I ever enjoyed. As our train 
 emerged from a dense thicket, lo! on our left, 1200 feet 
 below, an immense plain stretched out through a vary- 
 ing panorama of wonderful and enchanting scenes. 
 Scattered about the verdant plain below are seen villages 
 with churches, steeples, and domes, numerous hacien- 
 das and ranchos extending far beyond our view. In 
 front of us, a few miles south of the city, stands the 
 majestic, snow-capped "Nevada de Toluca," which is an 
 extinct volcano 15,000 feet high. It is said that on a 
 clear day, both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico 
 may be distinguished from its summit!!! 
 
 Toluca is well built and its climate cool and salub- 
 
180 Rerniniscetices of 
 
 rious. At the time of the Conquest it was an important 
 Aztec pueblo and tradition assig-ns its foundation to the 
 
 Toltecs. 
 
 There are several beautiful churches in the city, all 
 built by the old B^ranciscan Friars. In the heart of the 
 city may be seen enormous pedestals and foundations 
 filled with hug-e blocks. What are they? A certain man 
 with ideas broader than his exchequer, conceived the 
 idea of reproducing- the Cathedral of Mexico, adopting- 
 the same style of architecture and exactly the same 
 dimensions as that unique ecclesiastical edifice of the 
 New World; but as there was no King- of Spain to back 
 him, his undertaking- was a failure, notwithstanding- that 
 he was an extraordinary man and a g-enius. But some- 
 times there appears something- nobly wild and extrava- 
 g-ant in g-reat natural g-eniuses. 
 
 There are two relig-ious communities of Priests 
 here; the one is composed of Passionists, who occupy a 
 beautiful monastery built on a tract of sixty acres, the 
 g-if t of two sisters of the City of Mexico, who donated at 
 the same time, $50,000 for the erection of a fine Gothic 
 church. The place is called "El Ranchito," and is situ- 
 ated on the outskirts of the city. The Fathers call it 
 "The Retreat," because it is a place where men g-ather 
 for a week to meditate on the " eternal years." From 
 my room in the monastery I could see, every morning-, 
 Indians, men and women, carrying- on their shoulders 
 heavy burdens of wild fruits which they had g-athered 
 on the side of the "Nevada." I was g-reatly edified to 
 see those simple souls enter the house of God, there to 
 perform their morning- devotions before carrying- to the 
 market the fruits which they had g-athered from the 
 field of God. The second community is composed of 
 thirteen Priests from Spain. These two relig-ious houses 
 -enjoy perfect liberty and are unmolested, notwithstand 
 
A Texas Missionary. 181 
 
 ing- the tyranical "Leyes de Reforma." There exists 
 in this city, the capital of the State of Mexico, strong- 
 evidences of a vigorous Catholic faith! 
 
 I visited a wealthy g-entleman, a cripple, who invited 
 me to enter the next room, where the Blessed Sacrament 
 was kept; he had obtained that special privileg-e from 
 Pope Pius IX, on the condition that a Chaplain be 
 attached to that domestic sanctuary to say Mass once 
 a week. There exists in the Mexican Republic a g-reat 
 number of domestic chapels, sumptuously adorned, 
 some few enjoying- the same privileg-e as the one just 
 referred to. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Morelia. A Remarkable Episode. Pazcuaro. 
 Indian Work of Art. A Famous Picture. 
 The River Lerma. Lake Chapala. A 
 Fish Story. 
 
 Leaving- Toluca we took the branch road at Acam- 
 baro. At the start we entered a very circuitous up 
 g-rade, now seeing the city at the left, then at the rig-ht, 
 which caused a lady traveler to exclaim: "Oh I how 
 many villages around here." Morelia is one of the most 
 beautiful and romantic cities of the Republic, Here, it 
 is said, are found the most remarkable specimens of 
 beauty, both male and female. But as I am no judge of 
 beauty, I leave the question to the court of Aesthetics. 
 
 It was my good fortune to take up my lodging with 
 a Monsignor, canon of the Cathedral, to whom I had a 
 letter of recommendation. I spent twelve days very 
 agreeably with him. I transcribe the following facts, 
 known by all the inhabitants of the city, exactly as I 
 received them from the lips of the Monsignor himself. 
 
 Shortly after his election as Canon of the Cathedral 
 of Morelia, Father Velez had the misfortune of being 
 
182 Reminiscences of 
 
 totally deprived of his sig^ht. He remained blind nine 
 years. One day, at 9 o'clock, just before retiring- to rest, 
 he knelt on his prie-Dieu and offered the following- 
 prayer and vow to Our Lady of Guadalupe: "Oh my 
 Heavenly Queen and Mother! it is now exactly nine 
 years since this affliction fell upon me. I always sub- 
 mitted to the infliction sent me by your Divine Son, but 
 ohi Mother, how I wish to be able to render some ser- 
 vices to the Church of your Son! I am strong- and my 
 pecuniary means are abundant! Oh Mother dear! if 
 you obtain from your Son the return of my sig-ht, I 
 promise and vow to use all my fortune for the education 
 of the orphans and the poor g-irls of the city, and further- 
 more I will make use of my restored sig-ht only for the 
 g-lory of God!" After this the holy man retired to his 
 couch. The following- morning- he went to his lavatory, 
 washed his face, and behold! he saw! He fell on his 
 knees, gave thanks to Jesus and Mary, and ran to the 
 Bishop's palace without his customary attendant. 
 "Bishop," he said: "I see your Lordship, and I came 
 alone; my sig-ht is as perfect as it was ten years ag-o." 
 He then related to his Lordship all the circumstances 
 of his marvelous cure, and when he asked all faculties 
 to carry out the object of his vow, the Bishop answered 
 him: "Nothing- can be refused to one so well privileg-ed 
 by Heaven." Now, there stands in the middle of the 
 city, theg-r and institution of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with 
 its hundred orphans and 2,500 g-irls, who receive a g-ratu- 
 itous education imparted by seventy female teachers, all 
 expenses being- borne by this prodig-ious benefactor; 
 and I am able to certify that during- the few days it was 
 my pleasure to be his g-uest, I never saw him raise his 
 eyes whilst walking- in the streets or visiting- his institu- 
 tion. Such a modest and unassuming- man I never met 
 in my life. 
 
A Tejcas Missionary. 183 
 
 Twenty-two miles from Morelia is Pazcuaro, built 
 on an eminence surrounded by hills from which is seen 
 the most picturesque lake in Mexico; much resembling- 
 the famous lake of Gerarmer in the mountains of the 
 Vosg-es in Lorraine, but much larg-er. A steamboat is 
 continually plying- on its limpid waters for the pleasure 
 
 of tourists. 
 
 On one side of the lake there was formerly a city of 
 50,000 Indians, and it was an episcopal see, but it is now 
 an insignificant villag-e, remarkable only for its numer- 
 ous ruins. 
 
 In the sacristy of the Church of San Francisco at 
 
 Pazcuaro where the Priests vest for Mass, there is a 
 larg-e table of peculiar workmanship. It is the work of a 
 poor Indian and a sort of mosaic, composed of seventy 
 kinds of wood. There are birds, crosses, chalices, an- 
 g-els, and many other beautiful desig-ns inlaid in its sur- 
 face. The Indian worked eig-hteen years at it. He 
 undertook this tedious task as a labor of love in thanks- 
 giving- for his conversion to Christianity. This master- 
 piece is valued at $85,000. 
 
 At Celaya in the Church of "El Carmen," there 
 exists a picture which has attracted the attention 
 of both American and Eng-lish notabilities. It is a 
 larg-e painting- by a Mexican artist, representing- the 
 Immaculate Conception. The Blessed Virgin stands 
 majestically on a brilliant chariot, surrounded by a mul- 
 titude of angels and supported by the four great doc- 
 tors of the Church, Saints Gregory, Augustine, Jerome, 
 and Leo; under the four wheels of the chariot are seen 
 the grim faces of the four "arch-heretics Arius, Nes- 
 torius, Luther, and Calvin, who are being crushed by 
 the huge vehicle. The parish Priest, Rev. Father Gon- 
 gora, told me that an American gentleman had offered 
 him $20,000 for the picture. "My predecessor," said 
 
184 Reminiscences of 
 
 the Priest, "refused ^20,000 sterling-, which was offer- 
 ed by an English Lord for the same picture. That 
 masterpiece shall not leave my church as long- as I live," 
 Celaya possesses four mag-nificent parochial schools built 
 by a pious and rich lady, who also pays the teachers' 
 salaries. These schools are admirably equipped. 
 
 On the way to Guadalajara, at a short distance from 
 the railroad are three points of the hig-hest interest to 
 travelers who visit them for the first time. The lovely 
 valley of the Lerma, recalled to my memory some of the 
 scenes which had been the delig-ht of my young-er days 
 in the valleys of the Moselle and Meuse in Lorraine. 
 The Lerma river, which cuts its way from a plateau to 
 a lower level, forms an enormous canon, the perpendic- 
 ular sides of which are two thousand feet hig-h. At the 
 top of the chasm, you are in a temperate climate; but at 
 the bottom you g-et a taste of the torrid temperature 
 which must be felt to be appreciated, Here the veg-et- 
 ation is vig-orous, and nearly all the tropical fruits such 
 as the banana, orang-e, mamey, chirimoya and zapote, 
 abound on every side. This place is called the "Bar- 
 ranca." 
 
 The next place of interest is the falls of Juan- 
 acatlan, which resemble the Niag-ara Falls. They are 
 really a miniature of that mig-hty cataract. There 
 is the horse shoe, the island on the brink of the 
 precipice; the rapids above and below, and the awful 
 roar as at Niag-ara. The Lerma seems to be trying- to 
 pour all the waters of Lake Chapala over the falls at 
 once. The river here is 560 feet wide, and falls sixty- 
 five feet. The Chapala Lake, the larg-est in Mexico 
 1,300 square miles, is very interesting-. A small steamer 
 makes the tour of the lake daily. The depth of the lake 
 has never been ascertained and it is filled with fish. 
 The small fry especially are delicious, A basket con- 
 
A Texas Missionary 185 
 
 taining- 100 fried fish with a few tortillas thrown in, may 
 be bought at the stations for 50 cts. As we were enjoy- 
 ing- the contents of such a basket, one of the travelers, 
 an old Frenchman, related the following- fish story: 
 
 "Voltaire and Piron were enemies. One day the 
 literati of Paris were invited to a social feast. Voltaire 
 had said, 'If that rascal Piron is there I will not go, un- 
 less he gives his word of honor that during the meal he 
 will say only four words.' Piron consented. The two 
 enemies were seated at the same table opposite to one 
 another, the one loquacious, and the other as mute as a 
 post. A large dish of small fried fish was put on the 
 table, Voltaire remarked: 'Of these fish I can eat as 
 many as Samson killed of the Philistines.' 'With the 
 same jawl' added Piron. There went the four promis- 
 ed words agreed upon. The next day, Piron called on 
 Voltaire, rang the bell, but as no answer came he with- 
 drew, after writing in large letters the word 'rascal' on 
 a dusty desk close by. A few days after the two men 
 met on the street. 'I called on you the other -day,' said 
 Piron. 'Yes,' answered Voltaire, 'I saw your visiting 
 card on the desk!'" 
 
 Hoping I shall be forgiven for this digression, I re- 
 turn to my subject. 
 
 CHAPTER Vm. 
 
 Guadalajara. Leon. A great painting. Guan- 
 juato. Our burros. The Valencianamme. 
 Zacatecas. 
 The beautiful city Guadalajara the Florence of 
 Mexico, lies in the valley of the Lerma. It is the second 
 city of Mexico in population, and was founded in 1542. 
 It is justly called the Athens of Mexico. Many Bishops, 
 occupying Episcopal Sees in the Republic, as well as 
 eminent lawyers and doctors hail from Guadalajara. 
 
186 Reminiscences of 
 
 North of the Plaza de Armas is the Cathedral, a 
 noble edifice with a rich facade, twin towers, and a beau- 
 tiful dome. 
 
 The manufacturing- interests of Guadalajara are 
 important, and every stranger is interested in its pot- 
 tery which has attained a world-wide fame, being- the 
 finest in Mexico. In almost every city or village in Mex- 
 ico, pottery of some sort may be obtained, but the beau- 
 tiful article turned out at Guadalajara excites the envy 
 of every other place and commands the admiration of 
 every person who sees or uses it. Water kept for half 
 an hour in a Guadalajara jug, is almost as cool as ice 
 water. About four miles from the city is the pictures- 
 que village of San Pedro, on an elevation from which may 
 be obtained a magnificent view of the city below and the 
 surroundings. 
 
 In my visits to clergymen in the city, as well as in 
 Morelia, Mexico City, Puebla, and Leon, I was agree- 
 ably surprised to find immense libraries ranging from 
 two to ten thousand volumes, treating on Pathology, 
 Theology, Civil and Canon Law, Science, Aesthetics &c. 
 The clergy as a class are generally highly educated and 
 learned. In my first audience with archbishop Lopez, 
 I was singularly struck by his personal appearance. 
 His Grace reminded me at once of Pope Leo; the resem- 
 blance is striking; the same age, the same stature and 
 noble bearing. 
 
 After a thirteen days' sojourn in Guadalajara, where 
 I was the happy guest of a compatriot of mine from Lor- 
 raine, the manager of the splendid hotel "Humboldt," I 
 started for Leon. This city which once was the second 
 of the Republic, but is now the fourth in population, has 
 many points of interest. The CalzadaorPaseo, about a 
 mile from the main plaza, isfinely shaded by a triple avenue 
 flanked by rich fields and gardens. The gardens of many 
 
A Texas Missionary. 187 
 
 of the poor residents in the outskirts of the city arefenced 
 by rows of the "Org-anos" or tree cactus, which presents 
 as impenetrable a barrier as a barbed-wire fence. 
 
 The manufacturers of Leon are principally leather 
 and leather g-oods. Another industry is the weaving of 
 the blue rebozos, or shawls, which are everywhere worn 
 by the women of Mexico. 
 
 It is stated that Leon is the most relig-ious city of 
 the Republic. The place is styled "the city of refug-e." 
 
 There is in the Cathedral of Leon a beautiful pic- 
 ture representing- the Queen of Heaven, the orig-in of 
 which was relatedto me as follows: "A venerable Jesuit, 
 Father John Anthony Genoveci, a manof g-reat piety and 
 zeal for the salvation of souls, lived at Palermo, Sicily, 
 where he was considered a Saint. There also lived in the 
 samecity a pious woman, who was by her prayers, a g-reat 
 help to the Jesuit missionary. These two holy personages 
 worked wonders of conversions. One day in the year 
 1722, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the woman and 
 commanded her to have an imag-e of her, the Queen of 
 Heaven, painted on canvas. The woman obeyed and 
 forthwith started for the studio of a celebrated painter 
 of Palermo who went to work and produced the picture 
 according- to the directions g-iven him by the woman. 
 This picture did not please the Blessed Virg-in who ap- 
 peared a second time, and ordered another to be paint- 
 ed. The second picture was also rejected. A third at- 
 tempt was made by the same artist according- to the 
 minutest details g-iven to the pious woman by the Queen 
 of Heaven herself. This third picture received the ap- 
 probation of Mary, who seeing- it smiled benignly and 
 bleesed it with her own hand. Father Genoveci carried 
 this sacred painting- in all his missions and wroug-ht 
 wonderful conversions for the space of ten years throug-h 
 out the King-dom of Sicily. 
 
188 Reminiscences of 
 
 On the 2nd of July, 1732, this same painting- was 
 placed in the Jesuit church called 'La Compania' which 
 is now the Cathedral of Leon, Mexico. It was sent by 
 Father Genoveci himself from Sicily. On the reverse of 
 the painting- is the following inscription: ''This picture 
 is the orig-inal which came from Sicily and was blessed 
 by the Holy Virgin herself." Signed by the Jesuit 
 Fathers Joseph Mary Genoveci, Joseph Mary Monaco, 
 Joseph Xavier Alagua, and Francisco Bonilla. 
 
 The picture's invocation is "Our Holy Mother of 
 the Lig-ht," and it is universally known that since the 
 advent of the holy likeness, Leon has been exempt from 
 epidemics, or any other public calamity. It may justly 
 be called "The City of Mary." 
 
 Guanajuato is certainly the quaintest city of the 
 Mexican Republic. It was founded by the Spaniards in 
 1554, and occupies a narrow ravine upon each side of 
 which are high, rocky cliffs. No city in Mexico is more 
 picturesque. Entering- at Marfil, the rocky ravine, the 
 bottom of which barely affords room for the road, and 
 the little Rio Guanajuato, which has been walled in to 
 save every inch of space, the visitor passes between tier 
 after tier of adobe or stone houses which seem to have 
 g-rown out of the earth itself, or, as an old Spaniard told 
 me: "Guanajuato was built in the sky, and the houses 
 were let fall pell-mell." 
 
 One morning we hired two burros and went up to 
 the Valenciana mine, the richest ore vein in Mexico. 
 After one hour's assent throug-h cliffs over a circuitous 
 rocky road, we reached the summit, from which we had 
 a full view of the city below. 
 
 We visited the superintendent of the mine, a special 
 friend of my companion, a Priest of the city. We were 
 offered the privilege of being- let down in a large bucket, 
 and visiting- the subterranean citv, in which there are 
 
A Texas Missionary. ^^ 
 
 over seventy streets, all bearing; the names of Saints; 
 we respectfully declined the kind offer, awed by the 
 immense depth. We were satisfied with an inspection 
 of the plan of the mine. It is simply wonderful. 
 
 The villag-e close by, inhabited by 5,000 miners, pos- 
 sesses a church built by the owners of the mine. It is 
 of immense dimensions, of a correct Moorish, style of 
 architecture, and cost over one million dollars. 
 
 In the larg-e yard of the mine we saw 300 women and 
 g-irls, each provided with a hammer and a basket, sepa- 
 rating- the richest ores from the poorest. Their salary 
 is twelve and a half cents a day, some g-et as much as 
 eig-hteen, and a few, being experts, are paid the larg-e 
 amount of twenty-five cents!! Upon my asking- them 
 how they could live on such scanty pay, they answered: 
 "Senor, one cent's worth of coffee, one cent's worth of 
 sug-ar, and one cent's worth of tortillas for breakfast, 
 the same for dinner and the same for supper; thus we 
 save three cents and a half every day." Still these peo- 
 ple are happy and strikes are unknown among: them II 
 After having- accepted a few specimens of the rich- 
 est ores from the superintendent, we bestrode our 
 jaded burros, and the descent of the mountain was more 
 
 harrassing- to us than its ascent. ^ n . ^ 
 
 Zacatecas is a very interesting- place, full ot strange 
 sig-hts. Away up upon the mountain called "La Bufa" 
 is the shrine which the Mexicans love to visit, some 
 of them even scaling its steep sides upon their 
 hands and knees as an exceptional penance which they 
 have imposed upon themselves, in order to obtain some 
 special favors. Guadalupe, some six miles distant, is 
 reached by a tramway, The cars, operated by the 
 "gravitation system," start slowly, but soon whirl down 
 the steep hills, pass by thequeer adobe houses, nowcros- 
 sing over a bridge, then dart through a gulch around 
 
190 Reminiscences of 
 
 some hug-e boulders, or by the yawning- mouth of some 
 mine. In this city of Guadalupe is seen the convent 
 from which the Franciscan Friars departed who tog^ether 
 with their brethren of Queretero, evangelized Texas. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Back to the City of Mexico. Tula. At the Sta- 
 tion; Maguey Tostado^ Marquez; Pulque^ 
 Gtiayavas. Queretero; Opals. Celaya; 
 Cajetas. Irapuato; Fresas. Ag-uas Cal- 
 ientes; Frutas. Chihuahua; Leche. Ari- 
 zona, California. 
 
 Returning- to the city of Mexico on business concern- 
 ing- the object of my tour throug-h this romantic and pic- 
 turesque country, I took a train of the Mexican Central 
 en route for Paso del Norte. Before leaving- this land 
 of wonders, it may be of interest to transcribe here a 
 few of the notes from my memorandum book. 
 
 The first place of interest on this road is the "Tajo 
 de Notchistong-o," a g-reat canal commenced in 1607 for 
 the purpose of draining- the valley of Mexico. A fine 
 view of this remarkable work may be had from the train. 
 Tula, the next station, is one of the oldest towns of the 
 country; it is called "the Ancient of days." It is noted 
 for its Toltec ruins and relics. Here the Indian vend- 
 ors run around the train crying out "Maguey tostado!" 
 "Pulquel" very refreshing and medicinal. 
 
 The next place of any importance is San Juan del 
 Rio, a very pleasing little town of 18,000 inhabitants. 
 From here the train in climbing the sides of the mountains 
 gives the passengers a fine view of the beautiful valley 
 below, and at Marquez station reaches the highest point 
 of the line 8,000 feet above sea level. Barley and other 
 cereals, I saw harvested in February. Preserves of 
 "Guyavas" are the specialties sold at the station. For 
 fully an hour the train passes through orchards covered 
 
A Texas Missionary. 1^1 
 
 with fruit trees in great variety. The celebrated haci- 
 endo and factories of Hercules are now reached, and in 
 afew minutes Queretero, an old city datingback to the Az- 
 tecs in 1445, comes in view. Here we beholda grand stone 
 aqueduct fourmileslongandin many placessupportedby 
 
 lofty arches often reaching to a hundred feet in height; 
 it is a marvel of skillful and substantial work and brings 
 pure water to the city. A small stream flows through 
 the town furnishing irrigation, all that is needed in this 
 whole land to make it prolific in grain and f-ruit. 
 
 At the station opals and a great variety of fruit are 
 sold for a trifle. Celaya, a station two miles from the 
 city is noted for the manufacture of "Cajetas." As soon 
 as the train arrives, a crowd of men, women and chil- 
 dren beseige the passengers, crying out in all the notes 
 of the scale, "Cajetas de Celaya." This delicious food 
 is composed of milk and other ingredients put up m 
 wooden boxes and sold for twenty cents. 
 
 The next place of importance is Irapuato, the para- 
 dise of strawberries, which grow in immense fields un- 
 der the gentle rays of a semi-tropical sun and are nour- 
 ished by irrigation. They are offered for sale at the 
 railway station every day in the year, and there is no 
 hour of day or nightwhena passenger train reaches this 
 point that the cry of "fresas" is not heard. When you 
 buy a basket of strawberries at this station, look out or 
 else you may find more straw than berries in the basket. 
 
 At Aguas Calientes the passengers are offered beau- 
 tiful flowers and a great variety of tropical and semi- 
 tropical fruits. Beautiful drawn work is brought to all 
 trains by the vendors and sold at very low prices. 
 
 Chihuahua station offers the passengers the best 
 milk and honey in the country, owing to the surround- 
 ing hills being covered with thyme and other odoriferous 
 plahts and flowers. 
 
192 Reminiscences of 
 
 Farewell, land of sunshine and flowers! 
 
 We crossed the Rio Grande at Paso del Norte and 
 trod ag-ain on Texas soil after a six months' absence. El 
 Paso, Texas is comparatively a new place. Once I heard 
 the late Col. John Ford relate that in early days he, accom- 
 panied by another American g-entlemanandsomelndians, 
 had opened the first road from San Antonio to El Paso. 
 At that time El Paso consisted of one family who culti- 
 vated a cornfield on the bank of the river. 
 
 Passing- in front of Fort Bliss, the train took us to 
 Tucson, Arizona, where I was the g-uestof Bishop Bour- 
 g-ade. During- my sojourn there I visited the celebrated 
 mission and church of San Xavier del Bac, distant from 
 Tucson about ten miles. The church is a large and 
 beautiful building- of Byzantine architecture, with rich 
 interior, ornamental painting-s and bas-reliefs around the 
 principal altars. There are more than forty statues in 
 niches on each side of the altar. The villag-e is divided 
 between two tribes of Indians of different nations. Mass 
 is celebrated there every Sunday and Thursday by a 
 Priest from Tucson. The soil of Arizona is covered 
 with monuments of the Franciscan missions and the 
 blood of martyrs there also became the seed from which 
 sprang- the conversion of many thousand Indians. 
 
 California, at present so renowned on account of 
 rich g-old mines, was no less remarkable for its Francis- 
 can missions, and the name of the g-reat patriarch is in- 
 seperably joined to the Queen City of the Pacific — San 
 Francisco. The missions of Upper California were 
 founded exclusively by the Franciscans, and the trav- 
 eler who, from Los Ang-eles to San Francisco, visits the 
 twelve or more half-ruined monuments, which were 
 erected by the zeal of the sons of St. Francis, cannot 
 help exclaiming-; "the hand of God was there;" and 
 75,000 converted Indians are the proof of the assertion. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 193 
 
 The hand of man passed there also and destroyed the 
 work of the holy friars. Some of the missions are 
 partly restored, especially those of Santa Barbara and 
 San Gabriel, the former being- now occcupied by a com- 
 munity of Franciscans whose Prior was assassinated by 
 a crank a few years ag-o. Now let us visit the ancient 
 city of the Southwest. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Santa Fe. Archbishop Lamy. To Europe. 
 Ditched. Niag-ara Falls. Across the Ocean. 
 Brest. Terrific tempest. Grande Char- 
 treuse. 
 
 Santa Fe is without doubt the oldest city in America, 
 having- been occupied in 1550 by the Spaniards and before 
 that by the Indians: but when it was built, no one can tell. 
 
 The Governor's palace, the Church of San Mig-uel, 
 an old dwelling- under the shadow of the church, and the 
 church of "El Santo Rosario" are the most precious 
 relics of the past. San Miguel church, which I could 
 see from the room I occupied in the Colleg-e of the Chris- 
 tian Brothers, has wi'^hstood the storms of more than 
 300 years. The Governor's palace is nearly as old. It 
 is a one-story adobe building- with inner partitions five 
 or six feet thick, a portal in front and a "tout ensemble" 
 which it is impossible to reconcile with the commonly 
 accepted idea of a palace. 
 
 In 1692, Don Diego Varg-as of Spain, with a force of 
 300 men, was sent to conquer New Spain, of which Santa 
 Fe was the most important city. 
 
 Borne upon the back of a mule in the midst of his 
 army, was an imag-e of the Virg-in Mary which Varg-as 
 had broug-ht from Spain. Outside the city an altar 
 was built; the image was placed upon it and here 
 Vargas knelt while he besought the Virgin's help 
 in the forthcoming battle, vowing that if she should grant 
 
194 Reminiscences of 
 
 him success, he would at once erect a church in her 
 honor. The contest soon followed, and ag-ainstg-reatodds 
 he came off victorious after a terrible strug-g-le lasting- 
 eleven hours. The church was erected at once. This 
 edifice was called "El Santo Rosario," and it still stands, 
 a well-preserved old adobe in which services are fre- 
 quently held. 
 
 During- my sojourn in this city of ancient memories, 
 in 1887, Archbishop Lamy related to me many thrilling- 
 episodes too numerous tobe described here. TheSpanish 
 and Mexican Priests whom he found on his arrival in his 
 newly erected diocese had hitherto been under the juris- 
 diction of the Bishop of Durang-o, and with reluctance ac- 
 cepted the new Bishop's authority. Upon this. Bishop 
 Lamy undertook a long- and tedious trip to Durang-o on 
 horseback to settle the difficulties with the Mexican 
 Bishop. 
 
 About this time I was preparing- to g-o to Rome as 
 a Deleg-ate to the General Chapter of our Order. The 
 greatest and most lasting- impression I experienced 
 during- my trip to New York, from which port I should 
 sail, was the following-: At 4 o'clock a. m. we were 
 suddenly awakened from our sleep and the next mo- 
 ment we found ourselves in a ditch with" the whole 
 train, composed of seven coaches and freig-ht cars. No 
 one was very seriously injured. My skinless elbows 
 and knees required a two months' dressingtoheal. One 
 mile from the wreck was a farmer's house, where we 
 took our breakfastat 10, consisting- of bacon, biscuits and 
 coffee. At 6 o'clock p. m. we were on board a new train. 
 
 The superstitious class among- the passengers at- 
 tributed the wreck to the presence of a Catholic Priest; 
 but four rotten ties and the softness of the road-bed oc- 
 casioned by heav7 rains, were the real cause of the 
 derailment. 
 
A Texas ?IissionHrr. 195 
 
 We now reach Niag-ara Falls. Sublime! Silence! 
 this wonder is beyond description. Among- the latest cala- 
 mitiesthe following- evoked tears from my eyes. A lady 
 from Eng-land with her three little children, two g-irls 
 and a boy, were standing upon the bridg-e which leads 
 from the American side to Goat Island. They were ad- 
 miring- the foaming water as it rushed forward to the 
 brink of the American falls for its final leap into the vast 
 chasm below. Suddenly the boy lifted his little sister, 
 about 6 years of age, and held her over the railing- of the 
 bridg-e, and said to her, "I am g"oing- to throw you into the 
 water." This was done in boyish sport, but it had a fatal 
 result. The little darling- was seized with fright, gave one 
 piercing- scream, made one violent eif ort to g-rasp the rail- 
 ing*. This caused her brother to lose his hold of her. 
 There was a splash, the mother sank in a faint upon the 
 bridg-e, uttering- as she fell: "My God ! my child, my dar- 
 ling- child!" With one bound the boy cleared the railing- 
 and plunged into the seething- waters in the vain effort to 
 save his sister, but the cruel water swept both with lig-ht- 
 ning- -speed over its awful brink: two little lives were 
 lost, and a mother's heart was broken. Those who were 
 present will never forg-et that poor mother's heartrend- 
 ing- cries, as she passed from her faint, exclaiming- in the 
 supremeag-ony of g-rief : "My children, my darling* child- 
 ren! Oh! where are my darling- children!" 
 
 My first voyag-e across the ocean had nothing- 
 worthy of note. Our cabin passeng-ers numbered 
 sixty-three. The Brest lig-ht-house came in sig-ht after 
 breakfast. There emerged from the steerage a young 
 Frenchman in an advanced stage of consumption, 
 a mere skeleton, with just $2 in his purse. He was 
 going to Pau, in the south of France, there to die 
 among his own. We raised $45 among the passengers 
 to enable him to reach his destination. 
 
196 Reminiscences of 
 
 On reaching- Brest, my fellow travelers, all Ameri- 
 cans, asked me to look for the best hotel, and to order 
 a dinner, table d'hote. I made the bargain for 300 
 francs. When my friends heard of the price, they looked 
 disappointed. "What kind of a dinner are we g^oing- 
 to g-et for one dollar a piece? We want a real g-ood , g-enuine 
 table d'hote, French style." "Gentlemen," I said, "the 
 barg-ain is made, the maitre de cuisine is already at work 
 with his aides." After the dinner, which consisted of 
 three courses, with two kinds of wine at our discretion 
 and a splendid desert, all my companions were hig-hly 
 pleased and told the landlord: "Nous reviendrons." 
 (We will come back and patronize you ag-ain.) 
 
 On my way to Paris, I had with me in the same com- 
 partment of the train two young- Frenchmen, who beg-an 
 to converse in broken Eng-lish on topics rather irrelig-- 
 ious and sometimes tresspassing- on the limits of com- 
 mon decency. "Young- gentlemen," I said, "your con- 
 versation is disag-reeable to me." • 
 
 "Oh, we did not expect you would understand us." 
 
 "Well, my young- fellows, your conversation is just 
 as bad in Eng-lish as it would be in French; desist, or 
 else I will report you at the next station." They became 
 as mild as lambs. 
 
 On my return trip across the Atlantic, in the month 
 of November, we experienced such a tremendous tem- 
 pest, that for three days we were in imminent dang-er. 
 On the third day we were so furiously tossed to and fro 
 that I was deprived of all control over my movements. 
 I tried to go on deck, but the sailors opposed my pro- 
 gress. The huge waves rushed by at a furious pace; 
 great seas rolled into the ship at the bow and filled the 
 air with spray. The wind rose higher and higher; it 
 roared louder and louder; then came the hurricane; the 
 sailors clad in shapeless garments of oil cloth, ran with 
 
A Texas Missionary 197 
 
 extreme difficulty to and fro, the boatswain's whistle or 
 his loud voice directing- their movements; all portended 
 a disaster. Rev. Father Montillot, a Jesuit and fellow 
 passeng-er, who is now stationed at the College of Grand 
 Coteau, Louisiana, came to me and exclaimed: "Father, 
 we are doomed; this is our last day; let us prepare and 
 be in readiness to render to the passeng-ers all the spir- 
 itual assistance we can." At once, with g-reat difficulty, 
 I went on deck, and casting a miraculous medal into the 
 sea, I exclaimed: "Oh Mother, appease the waves." 
 Then crawling- on my knees, I reached the windlass at 
 the prow, where I pinned another medal, saying-: "Oh! 
 Mother, guide our ship." A sailor seeing- me, exclaimed 
 in a distressing- tone of voice: " Malheureux, que faites- 
 vous la? (Unhappy man, what are you doing there?) A 
 jerk of the ship may throw you into thesea." I wentdown 
 to my berth. The next day all danger was over. How I 
 sighed for solid ground I Oh! give me the plains of Tex- 
 as! ! The plains of the Atlantic are too treacherous. 
 
 Yet, after many years I undertook a fourth voyage 
 across the sea. The General Chapter of the Congrega- 
 tion of the Oblates was to take place in Rome, and I was 
 invited to the solemn assembly. The thought of Lour- 
 des, Loretto and Rome at once dissipated the terrors of 
 the ocean. To see Rome and die was one of my great- 
 est aspirations. 
 
 Cheerful I started. This time the sea was perfectly 
 calm. Nearly everyone was on deck, and we were 
 thrown very much together. In fact, we got thoroughly 
 into the fraternizing spirit, and all the passengers were 
 on the most familiar terms. One day the wind fell 
 to our stern. All the sails were hoisted and the ves- 
 sel looked very important in her full dress, and we ad- 
 vanced very rapidly during the night. The next day 
 after breakfast, I hap'pened to remark, "At noon the 
 
198 Reminiscences of 
 
 bulletin will show over 400 miles." Immediately twenty^ 
 four passeng-ers came forward to bet ag-ainst me. I in- 
 vested. A pool of $25 was made. The understanding- 
 was as follows: If the number of miles be above 400, 
 the pool falls to the priest. Chances were taken by 
 my twenty-four opponents, ranging- from 377 to 400. At 
 noon the bulletin marked 412 miles in the last twenty- 
 four hours. The pool was mine. The rest of the trip 
 was equally pleasant till we landed at Brest. 
 
 After a few days of rest I chose some of the most 
 remarkable points of interest to visit, and chief 
 among- them was "La Grande Chartreuse." I shall 
 merely notice the interior life and mortifications of 
 the monks at the Grand Chartreuse. The Carthus- 
 ians are the only relig-ious who are never allowed to 
 eat meat. They have a great monastic fast, which lasts 
 from the 14th of September to Easter; and during- that 
 time, with few exceptions, they have only one meal a 
 day. They are frequently interrupted in their sleep. 
 The night service begins at 12 and lasts till 2. The 
 dress of the Fathers is entirely of white wool. The use 
 of linen is forbidden. Even their sheets are of wool. 
 The Carthusians are a living example of the fact that 
 asceticism is not injurious to health, for they reach a 
 great age. I have seen several who looked to be over 
 80. The world may say: "They are murderers; they 
 commit suicide." The fact of longevity contradicts this 
 erroneous idea. Excess in eating and drinking kills 
 more human beings than wars and epidemics ever did. 
 
 One of the Popes offered to relax the rule of absti- 
 nence and fasting. The Carthusians sent a protest, a 
 deputation of twenty-seven of theirnumber, the youngest 
 of whom was 80, while the others varied between 90, 93 
 and 95. Such an appeal was more eloquent than words, 
 and the Pope was convinced. Abstinence and fasting are 
 
A Texas Missionary 199 
 
 the best physicians. Who does not know the story of 
 Cornaro, a celebrated Italian physician? At 40, fast living- 
 had reduced him to the appearance of a skeleton. His 
 friends had lost all hope. Cornaro began a new life and 
 a new diet consisting- exclusively of veg-etables, fruit, and 
 ag-lass of g-ood old wine. He died at the ag-e of 99 years. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Lourdes. Fr. Domenech. Cardinal Langen- 
 ieux. She was cured. Power of Mary. 
 Protestant Lady Cured and Converted. 
 Marseilles. 
 
 Haill rocks of Massabielle. The instant you reach 
 the hallowed spot you feel at once the touch of the super- 
 natural. I shall simply relate my impressions. 
 
 The first impression on my arrival at Lourdes, was 
 produced by the sig-ht of afflicted and praying- pilg-rims. 
 The g-eneral spectacle was one of suffering- invalids who, 
 unable to obtain alleviation from natural ag-ents, had 
 come to ask their deliverance from a supernatural one. 
 Directing- my steps to the scene of the apparition, I 
 entered the g-rotto and saw stacks of crutches, canes 
 and mechanical appliances of every kind and shape for 
 the relief of lameness and distorted limbs; ex-votos by 
 the hundred; all presenting- vivid evidences of the most 
 wonderful cures. Then there is the spring- which had 
 issued forth under the hand of Bernadette in obedience 
 to the Blessed Virg-in. 
 
 A short distance from the grotto is a marble slab, 
 on which I knelt and prayed. It bears the following in- 
 scription: "From here Bernadette saw the Virgin and 
 prayed." Near by knelt devout Hungarians 200 strong, 
 headed by a Bishop and thirteen Priests, all singing in 
 unison a plain chant Mass. Oh! how pious, how animated, 
 how solemn and how devotional was the very atmosphere 
 
200 Reminiscences of 
 
 of the place! One of the pilgrims, a paralytic for many 
 years who was carried on ar stretcher, was instanta- 
 neously cured by bathing- in the holy spring-. 
 
 In the evening- of that first day I visited the g-reat 
 Basilica and the splendid Church of the Rosary, with its 
 fifteen hig-hly ornamented chapels representing- the 
 fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. 
 
 While rambling- on the banks of the Gave under the 
 lofty trees so well known to the pilgrims, I met an old 
 Priest who saluted me by my name. It was Rev. Father 
 Domenech, a missionary whom I had met in Galveston at 
 Bishop Odin's residence in the year 1852. He is the 
 author of several books, some of which relate to mission- 
 ary life and doing-s in Texas and Mexico. They are well 
 written and hig-hly interesting-, but they are too roman- 
 tic to deserve the name of history. Gilmary Shea, the 
 historian of the Catholic Church in the United States, 
 calls them "extravag-ant." 
 
 The news of the arrival of Cardinal Lang-enieux, 
 Archbishop of Rheims, accompanied by the Bishop of 
 Tarbes and 100 seminarians, was announced, and pil- 
 grims by the hundreds gathered at the basilica. The 
 following- day His Eminence celebrated Mass, and the 
 seminarians executed in a masterly manner a beautiful 
 and soul-stirring- solemn Mass in Greg-orian chant. OhI 
 how that church music speaks to the heart and elevates 
 the soul! There were no solos, no duets to act as damp- 
 ers on the devotion of the pious assistants. The Amen 
 was never sung- twice. Too often modern church 
 music serves only to tickle the ear and stifle devotion. 
 
 Two days in Lourdes was the time fixed upon for 
 my stay in that city of wonders, but as new pilg-rimag-es 
 were constantly arriving-, and new prodig-ies were in ex- 
 pectation, I resolved to prolong- my sojourn in order to 
 see the praying- multitude, and enjoy the pious atmos- 
 
A Tejpas yiissionary- 201 
 
 phere so well known and appreciated by the devout 
 pilgrims. 
 
 I can never forg-et the delight of those specimens of 
 suffering- humanity, declared incurable by the- medi- 
 cal faculty; men, women and children with bandag-es 
 or wadding- on their wounds and sores — cancerous 
 for the most part — and nearly all carried on hand-bar- 
 rows, stretchers or hand carts. There was the con- 
 sumptive, the blind, the deaf, the cripple, the paralytic, 
 and some apparently were in their ag-ony. 
 
 I was told of two cases which had baffled medical 
 science and experience. The first case was that of a 
 young- lady from Paris, the only daug-hter of pious and 
 rich parents. She was in the last stage of consumption. 
 When she was apprised of her approaching- dissolution, 
 she exclaimed: "To see our Lady of Lourdes and die.'* 
 Doctors were consulted and they declared she was too 
 weak to undertake the long- journey and mig-ht die on 
 the road. She prevailed on her father to let her go, and 
 he was not able to refuse this last favor to his dying- 
 child. Mattresses and other precautionary appliances 
 were soon in readiness for the perilous enterprise. 
 With great anxiety and difficulty Lourdes was reached. 
 Fervent prayers were recited and the girl was carried 
 into the piscina. When, behold! She came out of the 
 sacred font perfectly cured, and she, who for eighteen 
 months had been bed-ridden and unable to taste of any 
 solid food, went on foot to the basilica where she re- 
 mained kneeling for a quarter of an hour. Then she 
 repaired to her hotel, accompanied by her father and 
 mother, where she partook of a hearty breakfast. 
 
 The other case was declared a hopeless one and 
 beyond the reach of the medical faculty. The sick man 
 entered the piscina; prayers went up to Mary, and the 
 sick man came out of the water instantaneously cured. 
 
202 Reminiscences of 
 
 The doctors had declared the man incurable, but one of 
 them exclaimed: "He is certainly cured, no one can 
 deny it; by what ag-ent we know not, but certainly not 
 by any natural agency." 
 
 The miraculous cures at Lourdes are reckoned by 
 thousands. They are well attested; they are facts 
 that cannot be denied except by infidels or by disciples 
 of the Pharisees of old, who, being unable to deny super- 
 natural facts, attributed them to Beelzebub, the prince 
 of devils. 
 
 A man might as well turn his face to the Sun at 
 noonday and deny that it shines, as to look upon Lour- 
 des with its wonderful history and development and say 
 that it is not what it is claimed to be — a living testimony 
 to the power of God, manifested through the Blessed 
 
 Virgin Mary. 
 
 The apparition of Lourdes confirms our Catholic 
 faith. It is a historical fact that the numerous appari- 
 tions of the Queen of Heaven on this sphere, and her 
 myriads of supernatural interventions in human affairs^ 
 were uniformly in behalf of the Catholic Church. Who 
 ever heard of a miracle or of a supernatural apparition 
 in favor of the numberless sects? Outside of the Church, 
 Mary is not invoked. 
 
 St. Thomas Aquinas asks the question: "Could the 
 Almighty God create worlds and creatures more perfect 
 than those that actually exist?" and answers it: "Yes, 
 excepting the humanity of Jesus Christ, Heaven and the 
 Blessed Virgin Mary." St. Augustine says equally of 
 these three creatures that "God has exhausted his 
 science, his power, and his goodness," saying, "Plus 
 dare nescivit. Plus dare non potuit. Plus dare non 
 habuit." Imagine, now, what may be the greatness and 
 the power of Mary. "All good comes through Mary,"' 
 says St. Bernard. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 203 
 
 When I visited the Grande Chartreuse, the Superior 
 General told me that the solemn baptism and reception 
 into the Church of an Eng-lish lady, an Episcopalian, 
 was to take place at La Salette the next day. These were 
 the circumstances of her conversion. The lady in ques- 
 tion was an invalid who had for many years, soug-ht in 
 vain, relief from the most celebrated doctors in London, 
 when she resolved to come to La Salette saying-: " If I 
 recover my health throug-h the intercession of Mary, I 
 promise and vow to join the Catholic Church." After 
 two novenasof prayers, she was radically cured. Faith- 
 ful to her promise, she was instructed by a Bishop, re- 
 ceived conditional baptism, made her First Communion, 
 and was confirmed, all on the same day. After a six 
 ■days' sojourn, I left Lourdes with supreme reg-ret. 
 
 Oh! land of beauty, of holiness; no wonder that man's 
 soul on thy fair bosom and beneath thy g-olden skies, 
 feels itself lifted up to the Creator and pours forth its 
 love and worship in ecstatic hymns. Adieu, adieu! We 
 passed throug-h Marseilles where many years ag-o I had 
 received the unction of the priesthood from the hands 
 of the saintly Bishop Monseig-neur, Joseph Eug-ene de 
 Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immacu- 
 late, whose cause of beatification is in preparation. 
 From that city we passed throug-h Monaco, the smallest of 
 the independent principalities of Europe, on the Mediter- 
 ranean. The army consists of five officers and seventy 
 men. Hail Genoa, the birth place of St. Catherine! San 
 Marino, the oldest independent republic of the world, is 
 soon reached. It is said to have been founded early in 
 the fourth century by the monk St. Marinus. We passed 
 the nig-ht at Ancona. The next day we said Mass at 
 Loretto, in the house formerly inhabited by the Holy 
 Family. 
 
204 Reminiscences of 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Loretto. A Soldier Says Mass. History of the 
 Translation of the Holy House. Proofs 
 of the Miracle. 
 
 The comfort of modern railway traveling- cannot 
 g-ive an adequate idea of a pilg-rimag-e. We should have 
 felt more like real pilg-rims had we slowly and painfully 
 climbed the blue Appennines on foot, with staff and 
 scrip; but our faith was in no way lessened, even thoug-h 
 we went to Loretto by rail, and did not toil along- the 
 hig-hway, or over the mountain passes. We can never 
 forg-et the first g-limpse of the g-reen, smiling- hillside of 
 Loretto, rising- so majestically ag-ainst the blue sky. 
 The feeling-s of the heart cannot be described, as one 
 g-azes for the first time at Loretto, and strives to realize 
 that under yon noble dome stands the cottag-e of the 
 Holy Family. We hastened to enter the Basilica and to 
 pass under the portal over which is written the inscrip- 
 tion: "The house of the Mother of God wherein the 
 Word was made flesh." Within the Basilica is seen the 
 Holy House, the dwelling- place of the Son of God and 
 His Virg-in Mother, for so many years. 
 
 A pilg-rimag-e to Loretto had been for a long- time 
 the object of our ardent desires, and when the long- 
 looked for opportunity came at last, how joyously we 
 ascended the hillside of that privileg-ed city to Loretto, 
 where King-s, Cardinals and Popes have lowered their 
 dignity and cast aside all earthly pomp, to go and kneel 
 as humble pilgrims under the roof of the Virgin of Naz- 
 areth and kiss the walls which heard the first "Ave 
 Maria," and within which "the Word was made flesh!" 
 
 The day previous we had arranged, by telegram^ 
 the hours for our Masses in the Holy House. Very Rev. 
 Father McGrath, O. M. I., late provincial of the United 
 
A Texas Missionary- 
 
 20b 
 
 States province of the Oblates, and Father Lefebvre, 
 now provincial O. M. L, and myself had our time fixed 
 from 7 to 8:30. Exactly at 8 o'clock I was vesting- for 
 my Mass when there came a soldier who asked me if I 
 would not allow him to say Mass in my place, as he was 
 in a hurry to regain his regiment. I saw at once that 
 he was a soldier-Priest in the service of "Umberto." 
 For Priests, like laymen, were obliged to serve their 
 time in the army, an evil which still exists m some of 
 the nations of Europe. Of course, I gave him my place 
 and commenced my Mass at 8:30. But ohi how can I 
 express my sentiments, my feelings, my enthusiasm, 
 duiing that hour. "The Son of God was made flesh in 
 this very house, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin 
 Mary, over eighteen centuries ago, and I, a poor mis- 
 sionary, in the same place cause the same Son of God 
 made flesh to descend from heaven and come into my 
 
 '''" Aith^u^h'ttVistory of the translation of the "Holy 
 House" is well known by many, yet, for the information 
 of others who may not be so favored regarding the par- 
 ticulars of this stupendous prodigy, I shall relate as 
 briefly as possible the facts of this marvel: 
 
 On the morning of May 12, 1291, some wood-cutters 
 went to work on a little hill called Raunissa, between 
 Fiume and Tersatto in Dalmatia, and where there was 
 nothing but an open space the evening before, they saw 
 a house surmounted by a belfry containing two small 
 bells The sight of it filled them with awe and aston- 
 ishment, especially when they observed that it had no 
 foundations, but was simply resting on the soil where 
 it had been laid down during the night. After a while 
 when they became bold enough to enter it, they found 
 that it was to all intents a little chapel, with an altar, a 
 crucifix, a statue of the Blessed Virgin, etc. We can 
 
206 J^eininisccnces of 
 
 easily imagine the commotion created in the neig-hbor- 
 ing- towns and villag-es as the news spread. Astonish- 
 ment chang-ed into veneration when their worthy pastor, 
 Alexander, appeared among- the people and declared to 
 them the mystery of the Holy House. Our Lady 
 appeared to him and assured him that it was no other 
 than her House from Nazareth. "There," she said, "I 
 was born; there the Son of God was made man, and 
 lived with me for a long- time; and there, after His g-lori- 
 ous Ascension, the aug-ust Sacrifice was offered up by 
 the Apostles. To remove this sanctuary from the pro- 
 fanation of the infidels, God had it transported to this 
 place." The Blessed Virg-in then freed him from his 
 malady, a dropsy of three years' standing-, and com- 
 manded him to g-o immediately to venerate her earthly 
 home. His very appearance among- the people prepared 
 them for the revelation he had to make known to them, 
 a truth which bore the stamp of verity on it, confirmed 
 by the miracle of his restoration to health. Veneration 
 for the Holy House was thereby intensified, and the joy 
 at possessing- such a treasure was g-reat, indeed. 
 
 At that time a noble Roman, named Nicholas Fran- 
 gipani, was Lord of Tersatto and Governor of Slavonia 
 and Croatia for the Austrian Emperor, Rudolph I. When 
 he heard of the prodiofy of the arrival of the Holy House; 
 he visited the spot, and, after considering- it attentively, 
 knelt down in holy reverence. Wishing- to employ all 
 human means to ascertain the truth of the miraculous 
 translation, he chose four deleg-ates and sent them to 
 Nazareth with the measurements of the Holy House. 
 Comparisons of cement and materials all showed the 
 foundations at Nazareth to ag-ree in every particular 
 with the house at Tersatto. 
 
 When they questioned the few Christians who yet 
 remained in Nazareth, the story they told of the disap- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 207 
 
 pearance of the Holy House put it beyond all doubt that 
 it was the treasure which had come to them. The doc- 
 uments proving- all this were deposited in the public Ar- 
 chives of Tersatto. 
 
 But on the 10th of December, 1294, three years and 
 seven months after its appearance in Dalmatia, the Holy 
 House again took flight across one hundred and forty 
 miles of sea and landed in the marshes of Ancona, in 
 Italy. It rested near the shores of the Adriatic. Some 
 shepherds watching- their flocks in the territory of Re- 
 canati, beheld a house, which seemed to be carried by 
 invisible hands, crossing- the sea to them in the early 
 dawn. It g-radually descended into a little wood about 
 a mile and a half from the shore. The news soon spread 
 abroad, and, as before, the Blessed Virg-in chose her 
 special messengers to confirm the truth. These were St. 
 Nicholas de Tolentino and the hermit, Paul de Selva. 
 
 Soon the fame of the shrine attracted many pilgrims, 
 who brought rich gifts, and the place being solitary, it 
 soon became the haunt of robbers and assassins. 
 
 For the third time the Holy House was myste- 
 riously conveyed from its resting place and it suddenly 
 made its appearance upon an eminence near the public 
 road that leads to Recanati. The owners of this place 
 were two rich brothers. Counts Stephen and Simon Ri- 
 naldo de Antici, who, being devout and God fearing men, 
 W3re overjoyed at finding such a treasure on their prop- 
 erty. But when they realized that they might become 
 wealthy by reason of the great concourse of pilgrims 
 and the rich offerings they made, greed of gold so stifled 
 their sentiments of piety and brotherly love that they 
 quarrelled over the possession of the sanctuary site and 
 the division of the spoils. To put an end to this un- 
 seemly contest and to make the Holy House accessible 
 to all, the municipal authorities of Recanati sent a peti- 
 
208 Reminiscences of 
 
 tion to Rome to have the site declared common property. 
 Before an answer was received, Heaven itself settled 
 the difficulty in a manner they little expected, for, the 
 Holy House was again miraculously transferred, 
 months later, to the public hig-hway, where it stands 
 to-day a stone's throw from its former position. 
 
 Such if: the abridged history of the translations of 
 Holy House of Loretto. Its history and its wonders 
 have occupied the attention of long- ag-es and deserve 
 more than a superficial study. 
 
 To dismiss with a smart saying or to deny the mir- 
 acle of the repeated translations would be to dismiss 
 and deny one of the best attested historical facts. Few 
 historical facts are backed by so many traditions, docu- 
 ments and moral proofs. To account for its existence 
 in Loretto without admitting a miracle, is impossible. 
 To maintain that it was brought over by human hands 
 would complicate and multipl}^ without lessening the 
 miracle. To prove a second time its identity with that 
 of Tersatto and Nazareth, a committee of sixteen men 
 were sent in the year 1296, at the public expense. The 
 stones and mortar when analysed were shown to be the 
 same as those in common use in Nazareth and quite dif- 
 ferent from those found in or about the marshes of An- 
 cona. Thevery factthatitstandswithoutfoundationshas 
 been admitted by competent architects to be sufficient 
 proof that it was not built on its present site by human 
 hands. Before the tribunal of those who regard miracles 
 as proof of imposture, the Holy House of Loretto must 
 protest very strongly. To one who has not the faith it 
 must seem an improbable tale, worthy of the "Arabian 
 Nights." "Were there no truth in the whole story," 
 says a modern writer on Loretto, "then it would be a 
 series of wholesale deception, of inexplicable events, of 
 superhuman trickery, impossible to have been invented. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 209 
 
 executed and maintained for centuries; a thing- far more 
 
 extraordinary than all we explain by ang-elical agency." 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Rome. First Impressions. The Quirinal. My 
 Cicerone. The Obelisk. Fontana. The 
 Colonnade. St. Peter's Church. Michael 
 Ang-elo. The Cupola. The Confession. 
 Hail city of the Pope ! ! Behold that beautiful dome, 
 yonder, hig-h up in the air ! ! How mag-nificent the sur- 
 rounding- historical hills, with their ancient palaces and 
 villas, exquisitely constructed for the kings and emper- 
 ors of old! These ruins speak of past g-randeur I There 
 stands the Coliseum where so many noble, pure and in- 
 nocent Christian heroes were sacrificed to wild beasts 
 to satiate the horrid thirst of Nero for the blood of 
 Christians!! Here stands the well preserved Arch of 
 Titus surrounded by the newly discovered truncated 
 columns and arches ! There is the Roman Forum I I 
 beheld around me the monumental history of twenty-five 
 centuries. On the ruins of ancient and pag-an Rome is 
 built the Rome of the Popes, the Eternal City. The 
 immortal Peter is there, thoug-h a prisoner by the hands 
 of iniquity. Eleven times he has been brutally driven 
 out of the Holy City, and ten times he has returned tri- 
 umphantly to his Estates. 
 
 There is the Pope's palace where the conclaves 
 were held for the election of the Popes. In this palace 
 there is a spacious dining- hall which is called the hall 
 of canonization. Now, this palace is occupied by a rob- 
 ber King-, a worthy son of his sire. While standing- in 
 front of the Quirinal built by Greg-ory XIII, Sixtus V, 
 and Clement VIII, I recalled the atrocities committed 
 within its walls ag-ainst Pius VH by order of Napoleon 
 the First, and ag-ainst Pius IX by modern infi- 
 dels occupying- hig-h places. The Psalm, "Quare 
 
no Reminiscences of 
 
 fremuerunt g-entes" flashed into my mind as I continued 
 my way throug-h the city . " The kings of the earth stood u p 
 ag-ainst the Lord saying: Let us break his bonds asunder 
 and let us cast away his yoke from us. But He shall 
 rule them with a rod of iron andbreak them in pieces." 
 
 As my sojourn in the Eternal City was limited to 
 twenty-one days, I used my time to the best advantag-e. 
 Therefore I looked first to my spiritual interests in say- 
 ing my Mass every day in one or other of the principal 
 Basilicas or Sanctuaries, and then devoted all the availa- 
 ble moments of the day to visiting Rome, its monu- 
 ments, and places of interest. 
 
 In order to accomplish this twofold end, I felt the 
 need of a good "Cicerone." The Very Reverend Cassien 
 Augier, who, at the time was the Oblates' General Pro- 
 curator in Rome, and who is now the Superior General of 
 the Congregation, showed me a kindness and rendered 
 me a service which I shall never forget. One of our 
 students, a Roman by the name of D' Eramo, was im- 
 mediately dispensed from his regular studies and placed 
 at my call any time I might require his services. This 
 young man knew all the nooks and corners of the city, 
 and every day at the fixed hours I invariably found 
 the young "Cicerone" at the gate with a hack ready to 
 take me through the city. 
 
 My first visit was devoted to a superficial view of 
 St. Peter's Church and the Vatican. Three subsequent 
 visits completed the notes which I now transcribe. 
 
 The immense "piazza" in front of St. Peter's Ba- 
 silica is adorned with an Obelisk, the only one which 
 has been preserved entire, axid which was transported 
 from Heliopolis by order of Caligula. It is one hundred 
 and twenty- four feet in height and was erected by Six- 
 tus the Fifth under the direction of Fontana, who, 
 to raise it out of the earth in which it lay buried, con- 
 
A Texas Missionary. 211 
 
 trived forty-one machines, and though all the powers of 
 these machines was applied at once by means of eig-ht 
 hundred men and one hundred and sixty horses, it took 
 over eight days to accomplish the stupendous work; and 
 to transport the Obelisk to the place where it now 
 stands, though only three hundred paces from the spot 
 where it lay, it required four months' labor. But the 
 greatest proof of Fontana's skill in mechanics was dis- 
 played when he erected this ponderous mass and fixed 
 it in its present position by the aid of fifty-two machines, 
 all of which were applied at the same moment. When 
 set at its proper height it was placed, without any ce- 
 ment, on the backs of four lions, amidst the acclama- 
 tions of the people and the discharge of cannon from the 
 castle of San Angelo. Its own ponderosity is sufficientto 
 prevent it from falling. Report says, however, that Fon- 
 tano nearly failed in the end, because the ropes having 
 stretched much more thanhe expected, the Obelisk could 
 not have been raised high enough to be placed on its pede- 
 stal, had not a sailor named Bresca, at the time when 
 •every spectator was restricted from speaking under the 
 severest penalty, called out, in defiance of this order: 
 ^'Acquaallefune," "Wetthe ropes." Whenthiswasdone 
 the Obelisk was immediately raised to its destined height. 
 This enormous monolith weighs 893,537 pounds. 
 
 Two beautiful fountains adorn the piazza; one was 
 -erected by Innocent VII and the other by Clement VIII. 
 The colonnades were built during the Pontificate of Al- 
 exander VII. They are the admiration of all visitors. 
 Their form is semi-circular, and they consist of 284 
 large columns, interspersed with eighty-eight pilasters, 
 and form on each side of the piazza a tripple portico, the 
 center one of which is wide enough for two carriages to 
 pass one another. The height of these colonnades is 61 
 feet, and on the entablature is a balustrade adorned with 
 
212 Reminiscences of 
 
 292 statues, each being- eleven feet and a half in height. 
 Beyond the colonnades are two magnificent covered gal- 
 leries, 360 feet long-, leading- to the vestibule of the Ba- 
 silica, which stands on the summit of a noble flig-ht of 
 steps. The vestibule is 439 feet long- by 37 feet wide and 
 contains equestrian statues of Constantine and Charle- 
 mag-ne at each end. Five doors open into the Basilica. 
 
 On entering, I exclaimed; "Is this St. Peter's Ba- 
 silica? Is this the most mag-nificent, the g-randest 
 church in the world? Is this in reality, the masterpiece 
 
 of human g-enius?" Hooked disappointed "Father," 
 
 said one of my companions who was already well ac- 
 quainted with Rome and its monuments. "Do you see 
 yonder those statues of ang-els which support that mar- 
 ble holy water font? How hig-h do you think they are?" 
 "Well," I replied, "they look to be three feet." "Let us 
 g-o near them," said he. As we advanced nearer and 
 nearer, ^he statues appeared to become hig-her 
 and hig-her, until, to our surprise, we found them 
 to be seven feet hig-h. Our Cicerone then told us 
 a story about a certain Eng-lish lady who with her hus- 
 band was visiting- St. Peter's. Becoming- fatig-ued, she 
 told her husband that she would like to g-o and sit down 
 on what appeared in the distance to be alow bench. But 
 when she reached the bench, she found to her dismay 
 that it would require a ladder to reach it. So admirably 
 proportioned is this church, that, notwithstanding- its 
 immense size, no one, at first sig-ht perceives the mag-ni- 
 tude of its dimensions. 
 
 Our admiration increased at every step. An at- 
 tempt at description is out of the question. The inter- 
 ior of this wondrous temple is incrusted with rare and 
 beautiful marble, adorned with the finest existing pic- 
 tures in mosaic; the statues are numberless, and are 
 the work of great masters. The number of columns 
 
A Texas Missionary. 213 
 
 and pilasters is very g-reat. The pavement is in rich 
 marble and very handsome. The leng-th of the largest 
 churches in Chrtstendom is marked by g-old stars in- 
 crusted in the pavement. The first we examine g-ives 
 the leng-th of St. Paul's, London. In looking- back to- 
 v^ards the doors, the distance that is in excess of St. 
 Paul's would make a grand church by itself. The next 
 star indicates the length of the Duomo of Florence. 
 Then comes the Cathedrals of Milan and of Bolog-na, 
 then the stars showing- the length of St. Paul's, outside 
 of Rome, then Our Lady of Antwerp and lastly St. Sop- 
 hia of Constantinople, which star is not far from the 
 gigantic pillars upon which rests the dome of St. Pet- 
 er's. We are now under the immense cupola, the heart 
 of the stupendous work of Michael Angelo. We now 
 understand the words of a corypheus of the infidel phil- 
 osophers of the last century, "Under St. Peter's dome 
 I become a believer." Far up at the four corners of the 
 cupola are the four evangelists twenty-two feet high. 
 The pen which St. Luke holds in his hand is six feet 
 long. Let us now go up into the dome and inspect that 
 miracle of architecture. There are two galleries inside 
 and around the dome. The height from the pavement 
 to the first gallery is 194 feet and to the second 270 feet. 
 We reach those galleries through narrow openings in 
 the rotunda. But oh! Who can look down on the pave- 
 ment below without trembling! Very few dare go around 
 the dome because the galleries are slender and narrow. 
 These words, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will 
 build my Church, and I will give unto thee the keys of 
 the kingdom of heaven" are written in mosaic around 
 the interior of the dome. They are seven feet high al- 
 though when seen from the pavement below they ap- 
 pear to be only one foot. The height from the pave- 
 ment to the lantern where the Eternal Father isrepres- 
 
214 jReminiscences of 
 
 ■ented in mosaic is 417 feet We now come down and 
 take another direction to make our ascent to the ball 
 above the cupola and under the cross, the hig-hest point 
 attainable. We ascend a staircase, consisting- of 142 
 steps, by which mules mig-ht mount, so easy is the as- 
 cent. We arrived at the immense platform on top of the 
 church, at the foot of the g-reat dome, where the work- 
 men and artists of the Basilica live with their families in 
 beautiful residences. Here we met the custodian of the 
 dome, who asked us to show our permit. We beg-an the 
 ascent throug-h narrow and winding- staircases till we 
 arrived below the ball, where as many as seventeen vis- 
 itors may be admitted at the same time. The ladder 
 leading- to the ball is of iron and nearly perpendicular. 
 The aparture throug-h which one has to pass, is of small 
 dimensions, and can safely admit only those of ordinary 
 rotundity. My two companions, morexareful than I, 
 remained at the foot of the ladder. After casting- a 
 rapid g-lance around the ball throug-h small windows, and 
 enjoying- the beautiful panorama below, I quickly left 
 the place and went down to join my companions, for the 
 heat in the ball was so .oppressive that I feared being- 
 suffocated. 
 
 Under St. Peter's is a subterranean church about 
 twelve or thirteen feet high. The chapel which con- 
 tains the body of St. Peter is just under the hig-h altar. 
 We descended to that crypt by a very fine marble stair- 
 case. The corridors and chapels are all hig-hly orna- 
 mented with mosaic statues and candelabra. The lig-ht 
 of day never enters into these long- corridors and chap- 
 els. I had the happy opportunity of offering- up the 
 Holy Sacrifice of the Mass near the body of St. Peter. 
 Ninety-three lamps are continually kept burning- around 
 the relics of St. Peter. They are extinguished only on 
 Good Friday. 
 
A Terras Missionary. 215 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The Vitican. The Mamertine Prison. The 
 Catacombs. St. Stanislaus Kotzka. Mon- 
 torio. The Pincio. St. Peter and St. 
 Paul. Separation. 
 
 This palace of the Popes is the g-reatest in the un- 
 iverse. It contains 11,000 rooms. There are eight 
 enormous marble staircases and two hundred of minor 
 dimensions. Near the gardens of the Vatican, there is 
 a neat little villag-e containing- the residences of those 
 employed in the Pontifical post-office and of the secret- 
 aries of the twenty Roman Cong-reg"ations with their 
 workmen and servants. There also reside the Swiss 
 and the Noble Guards and over five thousand men who 
 are employed in the numerous departments of the Papel 
 g-Qvernment. Wag-on loads of mail matter, from the 
 four quarters of the globe, daily pour into the Vatican. 
 Its museum is the most considerable in the world; so is 
 the library with its immense collection of manuscripts. 
 The palace contains twenty court yards. 
 
 Under the church of St. Peter inCarcere is an ancient 
 prison called the Mamertine;it is well worth seeing, thoug-h 
 coldanddamp. St. Peterand Paul were confined here for 
 eight months. Above the church of St. Peter in Car- 
 cere is another church, called St. Joseph of the Carpen- 
 ters. Going- down throug-h these two churches, which 
 are one above the other, a long- flight of stairs leads us 
 to a dark crypt of elliptical form. From this g-loomy 
 place we descend into the Mamertine prison, which is 
 still more sombre. It has no windows, a small aparture 
 in the vault above was formerly the only opening- throug-h 
 which the prisoners were let down. A staircase was 
 built in the beginning of this century, for the conven- 
 ience of pilg-rims. Near a small column is a spring- of 
 water which issued forth miraculously at the prayer of 
 
216 Reminiscences of 
 
 St. Peter that he mig-ht baptize the two jailors, Proces- 
 sus and Martinianus, and forty-seven other prisoners, 
 all of whom afterwards suffered martyrdom. It was 
 then that the light of charity, for the first time, penet- 
 rated into this dark and horrid dang-eon. With diffi- 
 culty, I obtained permission to say Mass in that hideous 
 cold, and excessively damp hole, sanctified by the first 
 martyrs of Catholic faith. This g-ave me an idea of the 
 Catacombs. The evening- 'of the same day saw me in 
 the chnrch of St. Agnes outside the walls of Rome. 
 After having- visited the relics of the beautiful young- 
 virgin lying under the high altar: the Saint, beloved 
 above all by the Romans, we entered the Catacombs. 
 We were five, each furnished with a lighted torch, and 
 led by a guide. It was often necessary to stoop while 
 going through these caverns, but, generally speaking, 
 they are neither very damp nor difficult of access. The 
 passages are from two to three feet wide. In the walls 
 are cavities, many of which are open and empty, others 
 closed with a piece of marble, sometimes containing an 
 inscription. Sometimes a monogram, signifying "Pro 
 Christo," is found upon a monument. This is deemed 
 a sure indication of a martyr's sepulchre. A cross on a 
 monument is also considered as a sign that a Christian 
 lies buried there. The extent of these Catacombs can- 
 not be accurately known, because it is impoosible to ex- 
 plore every part of them, as their communications with 
 each other are so intricate that several persons have 
 been lost in these subterranean labyrinths. While vis- 
 iting these necropolises, crypts, and subterranean 
 sanctuaries I fancied myself living in the first cen- 
 turies of the Catholic Church. At every -step we 
 met ancient monuments or symbols giving evidence that 
 the Church was in the first centuries, what she is now 
 and will be unto the end of time, the work of God, un- 
 
A Te.ras Misaionfiry. 217 
 
 chang-eable, unalterable and indefectible. "Behold," 
 said Christ, "I am with you all days even to the consum- 
 mation of the world." Of two thing^s it may be said 
 with absolute certainty that they will rise to-morrow: 
 The Sun and the Catholic Church. 
 
 My next Mass was celebrated in the beautiful 
 church of St. Ig-natius, on the altar of St. Aloysias Gon- 
 zag-a. The urn containing- his relics is of lapis lazuli. 
 Near the church is the Roman Colleg-e, the g-reatest es- 
 tablishment of public instruction in the city of Rome. 
 There I visited the rooms once occupied by St. Aloysius 
 Gonzag-a and by St. John Berchmans. The students from 
 Mexico and South America follow the full course of ec- 
 clasiastical studies in this celebrated university. They 
 are a very intellig-ent gathering- of young- clerics. 
 
 On the following: day I said Mass on the tomb of St. 
 Ig-natius of Loyola in the church of "di Gesu." Above 
 the altar, in a niche trimmed with lapis lazuli, is a larg-e 
 statue of St. Ignatius accompanied by ang-els. The re- 
 mains of the Saint repose under the altar, I made my 
 thanksgiving- after Mass at the altar of St. Francis Xav- 
 ier, where his right arm and hand are seen. On the 
 two following days I had the good fortune of saying 
 Mass in the rooms of St. Aloysius Gonzagaand St. Stan- 
 islaus Kostka. Near the altar of St. Stanislaus is 
 his statue which represents the saint reclining on 
 his death bed, in the very spot where he rendered 
 his spotless soul into the hands of his Creator. This 
 statue is considered a masterpiece. The head, hands, 
 and feet are of the purest white marble. The expression 
 is admirable. The body of the Saint is covered with a 
 sombre blanket. To be certain that this is marble and 
 not a woolen fabric, it is necessary to touch it with the 
 hand, the illusion is so perfect. 
 
 One beautiful Sunday evening we visited Montorio, 
 
218 Reminiscences of 
 
 where St. Peter was crucified, and St. Paul of the Three 
 Fountains; where St. Paul suffered martyrdom. The 
 hill of Montorio is extremely picturesque, From the 
 terrace in front of the church we enjoyed the magnifi- 
 cent panorama of the city, the mountains of Latium and 
 the plains extending- beyond St. Paul outside the walls. 
 
 Near the church of Montorio there is a convent of 
 Franciscan Friars, where an elegant liitle round temple, 
 a master-piece of Bramante is to be seen. It is a cupola 
 supported by sixteen columns of black granite and covers 
 the place where the cross, on which the Prince of the 
 Apostles died, was erected. A few paces from Montorio 
 and on the Janiculum heights is the Pauline Fountain, a 
 monument worth seeing. It was erected by Paul V. 
 When we arrived at the end of the Janiculum hill, we 
 •enjoyed a spectacle which I shall never forget. Before 
 us stood St. Peter's and the Vatican in all their splendor 
 and magnificence. Crossing St. Peter's piazza and the 
 bridge of St. Angelo, we passed in front of the Fountain 
 of Trevi, the most sumptuous in Rome and perhaps the 
 largest in the world. When we arrived in front of the 
 Quirinal, one of my companions humorously .asked me 
 how I should like to go and offer my respects to King 
 Umberto. "I had rather wait," I replied, "until he gets 
 out of Rome and restores his ill-gotten goods." We 
 rode through the Roman Forum and reached the Pincio 
 and the Villa Borghese, a most beautiful park of four 
 and a half miles in circumference, adorned with lakes, 
 fountains and a great number of marble statues. From 
 the terrace we enjoyed another excellent panorama of 
 the city. This is the rendezvous of the Roman nobility, 
 who are to be seen riding there every afternoon in sump- 
 tuous carriages with uniformed drivers and lackeys. 
 
 From there a drive of four miles brought us to St. 
 
A Tex^as Missionary. 219- 
 
 Paul of the Three Fountains, the place where the Apos- 
 tle St. Paul was beheaded. 
 
 From the Mamertine prison, where they had been 
 kept during- eig-ht months, St. Peter and St. Paul, on the 
 day when they were to be executed, walked forth to- 
 g-ether between two companies of soldiers. On the road 
 they met St. Plautilla., a noble Roman lady, who, in 
 tears, had come to meet the holy Apostles, marching- to 
 their places of execution. After consoling- the lady, one 
 of his numerous converts, St. Paul asked for her veil 
 in order to cover his eyes with it at the moment of his- 
 execution. A short distance from here is seen another 
 small edifice called the Chapel of Separation, erected on 
 the spot where the Apostles exchang-ed the last kiss of 
 peace before separating-; St. Peter being- led to the Jan- 
 iculum, and St. Paul to the Aquae Salviae, now St. Paul 
 of the Three Fountains. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 St. John Lateran. The Scala Santa. St. Mary 
 Major. St. Paul. St. Benedict Labre. 
 Holy Cross of Jerusalem. Domine Quo 
 Vadis? St. Peter's Chains. 
 
 On entering- this church the visitor is struck by the 
 mag-nificence and majesty of the middle nave. Althoug-h 
 there are defects in the details, yet the g-eneral aspect 
 is pleasing-. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, pos- 
 sesses, from its orig-in, a prominence which it stillenjoys. 
 Saint Sylvester ennobled it with the title of the "epis- 
 copal church of the Roman Pontiff." It is here that the 
 Popes used, until lately, to take possession of their see. 
 As the authority of the supreme head of the universal 
 Church is inherited in the office of successor of St. 
 Peter, vicar of Jesus Christ and Bishop of Rome, the 
 episcopal Church of Rome or Saint John Lateran is the 
 
220 Reminiscences of 
 
 first of all the churches of Rome and of the whole world. 
 The following- inscriptions may be seen on its walls: 
 "Sacrosancta Lateranensis ecclesia omnium urbis et 
 orbis Mater et caput." 
 
 The treasury of this church contains the following- 
 precious relics: The table on which our savior instit- 
 uted the Holy Eucharist, (in close proximity to which 
 it has been my happy lot to offer the Holy sacrifice of 
 the Mass); one arm of St. Helena; the cup in which, by 
 order of Diocletian, poison was presented to the apostle 
 St. John; a part of the chain with which he was bound 
 when brought from Ephesus to Rome; a piece of the 
 scarlet cloak that was put about Jesus Christ, in deris- 
 ion; the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul. 
 
 The Scala Santa is the staircase of Pontius Pilate's 
 palace in Jerusalem which our Savior ascended and de- 
 scended four times on the morning of his Passion. It 
 has twenty-eight steps. St. Helena ordered it to be 
 broug^ht from Jerusalem to Rome. It is in a church 
 erected near the church of St. John Lateran. The pil- 
 grims ascend that holy staircase on their knees and 
 gain several indulgences. There may be seen on three 
 of the steps stains of the Divine blood protected by glass. 
 
 The obelisk on the plaza of St. John Lateran is the 
 highest of the eleven that embelish the various piazzas of 
 Rome. This monolith is 142 feet high, and was trans- 
 ported from Heliopolis, in the year 357. 
 
 The Basilica of St. Mary's Major owes its origin to 
 the miracle of the snow on August 5, in the beginning- 
 of the fourth century. In this church is preserved the 
 cradle of the infant Jesus, transpor4:ed from Palestine 
 A. D. 642, together with the body of St. Jerome. These 
 precious relics are deposited in the chapel of the Cruci- 
 fix where I had the happiness of offering- the Sacrafice 
 of the Mass. Here my young " Cicerone" played a trick 
 
A Texas Missionary. 221 
 
 on me. He left me to g-o and visit his uncle, a Canon 
 of the Basilica who lived close by. "I shall be back in a 
 fev7 minutes," said he. But he delayed so long- that I 
 had time to meditate on the "eternal years" and visit 
 the church in all its details before he came back. Here 
 are the tombs of St. Pius V. Clement VHI, and Paul V. 
 
 St. Lucine. a noble Roman lady, of a senatorial fam- 
 ily, and a disciple of St. Paul, possessed a villa v^^here 
 she deposited the body of her master, on the spot where 
 now stands the sumptuous Basilica of St. Paul outside 
 the walls. 
 
 On the 16th of July 1823 St. Paul's church was des- 
 troyed by fire. It was rebuilt by Leo XII, Greg-ory 
 XVI and Pius IX. On the 10th. of December 1854 it 
 was solemnly consecrated by Pius IX in the presence of 
 185 Cardinals and Bishops who ,had come to Rome for 
 the definition of the dog-ma of the Immaculate Concep- 
 tion. Their names may be seen on two marble slabs 
 inserted in the walls of the apsis of this Basilica. How 
 pleased I felt when I read there the name of the founder 
 of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Charles Joseph En- 
 g-ene de Mazenod. 
 
 In the Basilica of St. Lawrence outside the walls 
 may be seen the monument erected over the remains of 
 Pius IX. T^he only inscription seen on this mausoleum 
 is the following-: "Ossa et cineres Pii IX" The next 
 Mass I celebrated was over the body of the most extra- 
 ordinary Saint of these latter times, St. Benedict Labre. 
 Who was he? A personage illustrious by his birth or 
 by his wealth? A learned man? No. He was appar- 
 ently a vulg-ar and worthless individual, covered with 
 rag-s and barefooted, who voluntarily reduced himself to 
 the condition of a poor beg-g-ar, without a dwelling- place. 
 He left his comfortable home in France to visit all the 
 principal sanctuaries of Italy, and finally settled in Rome 
 
222 J^cmitiisceTices of 
 
 where for fourteen years he slept on a stone bench un- 
 der one of the arches of the Coliseum. His was a life of 
 penance and prayer. He beg"g-ed for his food and gave 
 to his fellow- beg-g-ars the best morsels he received, re-- 
 serving- for himself a few raw veg-etables or some decay- 
 ed fruit. His principal occupation was to visit the 
 churches where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, 
 and there to remain in contemplation for hours. Such 
 a life is beyond the comprehension of this sensual and 
 voluptuous epoch. 
 
 This church of the Holy cross of Jerusalem derives 
 its name from part of the true cross which St. Helena 
 broug-ht from Jerusalem and deposited here with other 
 precious relics, which are: One of the nails which held 
 our Savior to the cross, two thorns of the crown of our 
 Blessed Lord, the finger which St. Thomas put in the 
 wounds of Jesus, ("Put in thy finger hither," said Christ, 
 "and be not incredulous,") the title of the cross I. N. R. 
 I. We had the privilege of being shown these sacred 
 relics, which are publicly exposed only on the fourth 
 Sunday in Lent, on Good Friday, and on the 3rd of May. 
 
 This church, "Quo Vadis,"is situated on the Appian 
 way where St. Peter by the advice of the Christians, 
 was fleeing from the persecution of Nero, when our Sav- 
 ior appeared to him. "Lord" said St. Peter, "where 
 are you going?" "I go to Rome," answered Jesus, 
 "there to be crucified anew." St. Peter at once retrac- 
 ed his steps, and remained in Rome, until he suffered 
 martyrdom on the cross. 
 
 When St. Peter was arrested and kept in prison by 
 order of Herod he was bound with two chains. An 
 angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: "Arise 
 quickly" "and the chains fell off from his hands." (Acts 
 chap, xii.) These chains were religiously kept in Jer- 
 usalem by the Christians. 
 
A Texas Missionary. 223 
 
 In the year 436 the Empress Eudoxia, wife of Theo- 
 dose the young-er, having- visited Jerusalem, obtained 
 these chains from Juvenal, Bishop of the city, and sent 
 them to her daughter Eudoxia, wife of the Emperor 
 Valentinian. ^ At that time the church in Rome possess- 
 ed another chain with which St. Peter had been bound 
 by order of Nero. Pope St. Leo, having received the 
 precious g-ift from .Eudoxia, put the two chains near 
 one another when behold! they were miraculously join- 
 ed together so as to form only one chain. In honor of 
 St. Peter and in memory of this prodig-y, the Pope and 
 Eudoxia erected the Church of St. Peter's chains, which 
 also bears the name of theEudoxianBasilica. Four links 
 from the chain of St. Paul have been added to that of St. 
 Peter. A solemn feast is celebrated in the whole Cat- 
 holic world on the first of Aug-ust, in honor of this mem- 
 orable event. It was my happy fortune to say Mass on 
 the altar where these chains are preserved. 
 
 St. Peter came to Rome in the year 42 and lived 
 there twenty-five years. -This is an historical fact. 
 How is it that some Protestant writers deny it? Should 
 any one deny that the Sun is shining, this denial, al- 
 thoug-h repeated 10,000 times, would not be able to blot 
 out the old planet from the firmament. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 In Rome, the Stones Speak. Audience of the 
 Pope. Pause. The Gates of Hell Shall 
 Not Prevail. 
 
 In Rome the stones speak. My next Mass was cel- 
 ebrated in the baths of Saint Cecilia, on the very stone 
 where this beautiful and noble virgin was decapitated. 
 This altar was never consecrated, except by the blood 
 of the holy martyr. 
 
 The Church of St. Praxedes possesses the column 
 
224 Reininisce.'jcos of 
 
 to which our Saviour was bound during- his cruel flag"ella- 
 tion. Close to that precious relic it was my good fortune 
 to say Mass. In that Basilica are the remains of 2300 
 martyrs taken from the catacombs, and deposited here 
 by Pascal I. In a collateral chapel is seen a long marble 
 slab on which is read the following- inscription: "On 
 this marble stone the Virg-in Praxedes was wont to 
 sleep." In the center of the church is a well where 
 Praxedes used to bury the remains ot martyrs. 
 
 On the piazza Scossa Cavalle is the church of St. 
 James, where are seen two stones brought to Rome by 
 St. Helena. Tradition.has it that on one of these stones 
 Abraham placed his son Isaac, to sacrifice him to the 
 Lord. On the other stone the Blessed Virgin on the day 
 of the Presentation in the temple, placed the Infant 
 Jesus, the true Isaac, the victim of the new dispensation. 
 In the catacombs; in the recent excavations; in the 
 mosaics, paintings and statuary, we have the history of 
 the church in marble and stone. There is the history of 
 the supremacy of St. Peter and his successors. Saints 
 Linus, Cletus, Clement, etc. There is the history of the 
 seven Sacraments, of the intercession of the Saints, of 
 the Mass and Confession during the first four centuries 
 of the Church. The Church of God does not change. 
 "You change, therefore you err," says Bossuet, in his 
 celebrated "Variations," addressed to the numberless 
 sects of dissenters. True Catholics feel at home in 
 Rome. In a few days they travel over nineteen centur- 
 ies, and like the first Christians, are ready to shed their 
 blood for the "one God, one faith, one baptism." Rely- 
 ing on Christ's promise: "Behold, I am with you all 
 days, even to the consummation of the world," they are 
 never troubled by the least shadow of a doubt. 
 
 The audience of the Pope was fixed a few days pre- 
 vious by the Monsignore Maestro di Camara, for 4 
 
A Texas Missionary. 225 
 
 o'clock p. m. We were all g-athered near the Pope's 
 apartments at the given hour. 
 
 When the Pope appeared accompanied by the Mon- 
 signore Majordomo and two of the Noble Guards, 
 twenty-seven Oblate Fathers fell on their knees to re- 
 ceive the first blessing- of the Vicar of Christ on earth , 
 The majestic appearance of the Pope filled our minds 
 with awe and profound veneration. Here was the im- 
 mortal Peter, the center of unity, the mouth-piece of 
 the Almig-hty, and the infallible teacher of mankind. "I 
 prayed for thee, Peter, that thy faith fail not; confirm 
 thy brethren." 
 
 We must believe firmly that the prayer of our 
 Saviour was heard; therefore, the faith of Peter has not 
 failed and is exercised by his successors to the end of 
 time. 
 
 The Pope had a g-ood word for each one of us. Very 
 Rev. Father McGrath, the late Provincial of the Province 
 in the United States had asked me to address the Pope 
 in French, and to ask -his Holiness certain facul- 
 ties. When the Pope approached me he said: **And 
 you, Father, where is your mission?" "In Texas, Holy 
 Father." *'AhI a hard mission; zeal and perseverance, 
 my son." This was the moment to ask for the faculties. 
 So, taking- the hand of His Holiness and pressing- it, 
 "Holy Father," I said, "May I ask of your Holiness a 
 favor?" "Yes; my son, what is it?" "The faculty of 
 g-iving- the Papal Benediction, on our return, in all the 
 churches of our province." "Oh, my son you ask too 
 much." Then perceiving- the movement of the Pope 
 towards the next Priest, I added: "Holy Father, may 
 I ask your Holiness the faculty for three churches 
 only?" "Ah, this is more reasonable; where is your 
 Provincial?" "Here, Holy Father, I replied, pointing 
 to Father McGrath. "Father Provincial," said thePope, 
 
226 Reminiscences of 
 
 "I give you the faculty of giving- the Papal Benediction 
 in three of your churches, but only once in each church." 
 After receiving the last blessing of the Pope, we retired. 
 
 Here I must pause. I had seen Rome with its 
 crumbling monuments of antiquity; I had seen pagan- 
 ism and its thousands of idols buried under the debris 
 of ages. Where is ancient Rome? Where is the Roman 
 Empire, that colossus bestriding the earth? The poor 
 fisherman of Galilee has conquered it. Is this the work 
 of man? The w^orks of man begin, progress, flourish, 
 decline and die. Where are now to be found the Arians, 
 the Manicheans, the Pelagians, the Nestorians, the 
 Albigenses? They disturbed the Church for a time. 
 They are dead and their work has perished with them. 
 Protestantism is on the decline, weakened by its 300 
 discordant sects. It may continue to protest against 
 the Church of God for a time, but it will finally disap- 
 pear from the face of the world. And w^hy? Because 
 it is the work of men. The Church of Rome will endure 
 to the end of time, because it is the work of God. We 
 rest the issue on the words of the Pharisee Gamaliel, a 
 doctor of the law. ''And now, therefore, I say to you, 
 refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this 
 design or work be of men, it will fall to nothing; but if 
 it be of God, you are not able to destroy it; lest perhaps 
 you be found to oppose God." (Acts of the Apostles, 
 chapter v, verses 38, 39.) It is useless to fight against 
 God and His Church. "For the gates of hell shall not 
 prevail against it." The words of Julian, the Apostate, 
 "Thou hast conquered, O GalileanI" shall resound until 
 doomsday. 
 
 "But the scandals in the Catholic Church; the scan- 
 dals in Romel" If there were no scandals it w^ould be a 
 miracle. Our Saviour says: "It must needs be that 
 
A Texas Missionnry 227 
 
 scandal come, but nevertheless, woe to that man by 
 whom the scandal cometh." The scandal of Judas did 
 not destroy the Apostolic CoUeg-e; neither will scandals, 
 how g-reat soever they may be, destroy the work of the 
 Almig-hty. The divine side of the Church will always 
 remain pure and true like its Divine Author; the human 
 side is subject to the weaknesses of our fallen human 
 nature. "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will 
 build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
 ag-ainst it." This sufdces; Peter is still there, and shall 
 abide there until the judgment day. 
 
 Years ag-o the following- caricature fell under my 
 eyes. It represented Bismarck and his imps holding- 
 along- cable, which was around the cupola of St. Peter's' 
 and pulling it with all their might. Satan appears, crying 
 out, " Hallo Bismarck! what are you doing?" "I want to 
 pull down this Church," answered the Chancellor. "Bah I 
 you waste your time," said the devil, "I have tried that 
 job myself, these 1800 years, and have failed." 
 
 Returning to my mission, I imparted to my parish- 
 ioners the blessing of the Pope, and continued my mis- 
 sionary work until a paralytic stroke rendered me an 
 invalid. I was then ordered to leave my dear mission of 
 Brownsville and make San Antonio my home for the 
 future. Encouraged by the clergy and many of the 
 laity, I wrote my Reminiscences with the authorization 
 of my Superiors. 
 
 When you hear that I am dead, please pray for me. 
 I must now prepare for the long voyage of Eternity. 
 
i]Nii3t::x:. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Texas and Louisiana. Pagp:. 
 
 CHAPTER I.— 1852. Adieu to Belle France. 
 Aspect of the Diocese of Galveston. My first 
 trip. Penniless. General Chambers. "Lib- 
 erty.'' Sour Lake. Prayer answered. Two 
 nig-hts in a box. Back to Galveston. Yellow 
 Jack. Second Mission tour. Raw sweet pota- 
 to for my supper. Jasper. 5 
 
 CHAPTER II.— Calcasieu. My Mustang-. Mary 
 comes to my Rescue. Lost in the pine-wood. 
 In the nick of time. Laudanum did it. Drown- 
 ed girl swallowed by an Allig-ator. Cow Boys. 
 How I crossed bayous. From Mensa Epis- 
 copali to a kitchen. Third trip. Fifty bap- 
 tisms in a small settlement. Rivers Calcasieu 
 and Mermenteau. Indians 12 
 
 CHAPTER III.— An Ableg-ate sent by Pope Gre- 
 g-ory XVI. A Protestant Doctor. Bayou 
 Pierre. Shreveport. Eig-ht Neg-roes hang"- 
 ed. Back to Galveston. Bishop Odin, Abbe 
 Dubuis. Father Neraz. 23 
 
 CHAPTER IV.— Father Verdet, O. M. L The 
 ill-fated Nautilus. Nine Days Floating- on a 
 Door; Father Keralum, O. M. I., making- a 
 Coffin. Lost in the Chapparals. Dies of 
 hunger. Remains found after ten years. My 
 fourth tour. A Baptist Minister. Sour 
 milk. How I paid my fare 27 
 
 CHAPTER v.— San Antonio. The Mysteries 
 of a Convent. The Girl is really dead. What 
 was found under the Statue. Grasshoppers. 
 Exorcism 33 
 
Index. a, 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Mexican Side of the Rio Grande. 
 
 CHAPTER I.— A Saint? The Whole Country 
 Astir. Tatita the Impostor. A Sig-ht. A 
 dang-erous interview. The Hypocrite tries 
 to arouse the Multitude. The Mayor alarm- 
 ed. Tumult. Armed protection necessary. 
 Tatita killed. . 43 
 
 CHAPTER n.— LeyesdeReforma. Exiles. The 
 Bishop of San Luis Potosi. Mg-r. Verea, 
 Bishop of Monterey. Tu quoque Ramirez I ! I 
 A Bishop who never entered his Diocese. 
 Sudden death. Buried on Sand-Hills. 50 
 
 CHAPTER HI.— Between Two Fires. Bag-dad. 
 Oblate Fathers in Matamoros. A Hold-up. 
 Quick Justice. Another Hold up. No money 
 for you. Stag-e Robbery. Remarkable Con- 
 versions. 55 
 
 CHAPTER IV.— Raid on Bag-dad. A Pandemo- 
 nium. St. Joseph's Protection. Bag-dad is 
 fallen. Troubled times. Victoria. Oblate 
 Fathers victims of the Revolution. Civil 
 War in Matamoros. Fall of the Maximilian. . 60 
 
 PART III. 
 
 On the Texas Side of the Rio Grande. 
 
 CHAPTER I.— Bishop Od.n. Difficulties about 
 the Boundary Line. His Honor the Mayor. 
 A Crust of bread. Physical aspect. Reli- 
 g-ious Ditto. Field of labor. First House of 
 Worship. First Residence. 79 
 
 CHAPTER II.— From the Archives of the Vati- 
 can and Copenhag-en. Interesting- notes on 
 America, Mexico and Texas. Correspond- 
 ence between d'Alarconne and De la Harpe. 91 
 
Hi. Index. 
 
 CHAPTER III.— Cortina. Raid on Brownsville. 
 Impromptu Army. Took to their heels. 
 Captain W. G. Tobin. Col. Rip Ford. Cor- 
 tina defeated. Three Men hang-ed. Looked 
 upon as a Spy. A Lawyer without a license. ')7 
 
 CHAPTER IV.— A Funny Interview. What 
 Chewing- tobacco did. A Protestant's re- 
 markable Conversion. A Baby baptized in 
 the Nick of Time. General Banks wants to 
 study Spanish. A Poor Man hang-ed. An 
 ag-reeable surprise. 10.^ 
 
 CHAPTER v.— Terrific cyclone. Convent de- 
 stroyed. The sleeping- Girl saved. Four 
 thousand five hundred Dollars subscribed. 
 An Impromptu Sermon. A Queer way of 
 making- Money. Ill 
 
 CHAPTER VI.— Bishop Manucy. Reception. 
 Sisters of Charity. Scribes and Pharisees. 
 A Mob. The Bishop's Palm Sunday. His 
 Good Friday. . 115 
 
 CHAPTER VIL— The Mule's Tail. Up to the 
 hub. "Try, Try Again." "There She 
 g-oes." Bishop hunting- 120 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL— Father Bretault. A Lesson 
 
 in Astronomy. Rustic scenes. A Sight. 127 
 
 CHAPTER IX.— The Rig-ht Rev. Bishop P. Ver- 
 daguer. Revisiting- the scenes of my young-er 
 days. Oh I Quam mutatus ab illo. L^3» 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 From Mexico to Rome. 
 
 CHAPTER I.— Apparition of Our Lady of Gua- 
 dalupe. Authentic Documents. Aspect of 
 the Miraculous Picture. .. l.V) 
 
Index. /V. 
 
 CHAPTER II.— Office approved by Benedict 
 XIV. New Office approved by Leo XIII. 
 Two Distiches by the Pope. Indian festivi- 
 ties. Mao;"uey. Pulque. Mescal. 148 
 
 CHAPTER III.— Puebla on December 12. Splen- 
 did scenery. Misade Aguinaldo. The Pas- 
 tores 151 
 
 CHAPTER IV.— Cathedral of Puebla. The 
 Venerable Palafox. Process of Canoniza- 
 tion failed. 165 
 
 CHAPTER v.— City of Mexico. Arrival of the 
 Monks. The Hand of God is there. Pre- 
 dictions. Protestantism a failure. Don 
 Pancracio. 169 
 
 CHAPTER VI.— Rambles through the City. Re- 
 lig-ious aspect. On the road to Toluca. Grand 
 scenery. The Passionists 177 
 
 CHAPTER VII.— Morelia. A remarkable epi- 
 sode. Pazcuaro. Indian work of art. A 
 famous picture. The River Lerma. Lake 
 Chapala. A fish story 181 
 
 CHAPTER VIII.— Guadalajara. Leon. A great 
 painting-. Guanajuato. Our Burros. The 
 Valenciana Mine. Zacatecas. 185 
 
 CHAPTER IX.— Back to the City of Mexico. 
 Tula. At the station; Maguey Tostado. Mar- 
 quez; Pulque, Guayavas. Queretero; Opals. 
 Celaya; Cajelas. Irapuato; Fresas. Ag-uas Cal- 
 ientes; Frutas. Chihuahua; Leche. Arizona, 
 California. 190 
 
 CHAPTER X.— Santa Fe. Archbishop Lamy. 
 To Europe. Ditched. Niag-ara Falls. Across 
 the Ocean. Brest. Terrific tempest. Grande 
 Chartreuse. 19<^ 
 
V, Index. 
 
 CHAPTER XL— Lourdes. Fr. Domenech. Car- 
 dinal Lang-enieux. She was cured. Power 
 of Mary. Protestant lady cured and con- 
 verted. Marseilles. 199 
 
 CHAPTER XII.— Loretto. A soldier says Mass. 
 History of the Translation of the Holy House. 
 Proofs of the Miracle — 204 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL— Rome. First Impressions. 
 The Quirinal. My Cicerone. The Obelisk. 
 Fontana. The Colonnade. St. Peter'sChurch. 
 Michael Ang-elo. The Cupola. The Confes- 
 sion - 209 
 
 CHAPTER XIV.— The Vatican. The Mamer- 
 tine Prison. The Catacombs. St. Stanislaus 
 Kotzka. Montorio. The Pincio. St. Peter 
 and St. Paul. Separation. 215 
 
 CHAPTER XV.— St. John Lateran. The Scala 
 Santa. St. Mary Major. St. Paul. St. Bene- 
 dict Labre. Holy Cross of Jerusalem. Do- 
 mine Quo Vadis? St. Peter's Chains. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XVI.— In Rome, the stones speak. 
 Audience of the Pope. Pause. The Gates 
 of Hell shall not prevail. 223 
 
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