The old priest to whom I applied was Father Rocque. He is still alive.
He was at that time the oldest priest in the Seminary, and carried the
Bon Dieu, (Good God,) as the sacramental wafer is called. When going to
administer it in any country place, he used to ride with a man before
him, who rang a bell as a signal. When the Canadians heard it, whose
habitations he passed, they would come and prostrate themselves to the
earth, worshipping it as God. He was a man of great age, and wore large
curls, so that he somewhat resembled his predecessor, Father Roue. He
was at that time at the head of the Seminary. This institution is a
large edifice, situated near the Congregational and Black Nunneries,
being on the east side of Notre Dame street. It is the general
rendezvous and centre of all the priests in the District of Montreal,
and, I have been told, supplies all the country with priests as far
down as Three Rivers, which place, I believe, is under the charge of
the Seminary of Quebec. About one hundred and fifty priests are
connected with that of Montreal, as every small place has one priest,
and a number of larger ones have two.
Father Rocque promised to converse with the Superior of the Convent,
and proposed my calling again, at the end of two weeks, at which time I
visited the Seminary again, and was introduced by him to the Superior
of the Black Nunnery. She told me she must make some inquiries, before
she could give me a decided answer; and proposed to me to take up my
abode a few days at the house of a French family in St. Lawrence
suburbs, a distant part of the city. Here I remained about a fortnight;
during which time I formed some acquaintance with the family,
particularly with the mistress of the house, who was a devoted Papist,
and had a high respect for the Superior, with whom she stood on good
terms.
At length, on Saturday morning about ten o'clock, I called and was
admitted into the Black Nunnery, as a novice, much to my satisfaction,
for I had a high idea of a life in a Convent, secluded, as I supposed
the inmates to be, from the world and all its evil influences, and
assured of everlasting happiness in heaven. The Superior received me,
and conducted me into a large room, where the novices, (who are called
in French Postulantes,) were assembled, and engaged in their customary
occupation of sewing.
Here were about forty of them, and they were collected in groups in
different parts of the room, chiefly near the windows; but in each
group was found one of the veiled nuns of the Convent, whose abode was
in the interior apartments, to which no novice was to be admitted. As
we entered, the Superior informed the assembly that a new novice had
come, and she desired any present who might have known me in the world
to signify it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account