Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and EducationAllies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and Education
Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
France -- Church history -- 19th century; Italy -- Church history -- 19th century
Afterwards M. Des Billiers walked with me to the Enfans Trouvés, Rue
d'Enfer. I had once before seen a house of this kind at Rouen, and
this renewed all one's feelings of admiration and love for S. Vincent
de Paul. If ever charity flowed in any human breast, it was in his.
When people scruple at admitting some material miracle, such, for
instance, as that mentioned above, wrought before his shrine, they
forget that the whole life of this saint was a spiritual miracle
infinitely more astonishing. It is a simple exercise of God's
_creative_ power attending, it is true, on the virtue flowing over
from our Saviour to His saints, that a malady is removed by the
intercession of a saint, whose relics are approached in faith, but
that man's naturally selfish and fallen spirit should become a shrine
of self-denying, patient, suffering, and conquering love, from the
baptismal font unto the grave, is a miracle of God's _redeeming_
power, of His election working in union with His creature's will,
which does, indeed, awaken the greatest astonishment. "Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he
do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto
my Father." It is said not to the Apostles, nor to those on whom
they laid their hands, nor to the first ages merely, but without limit
of time.
In the room where the infants exposed are first received there are
eighty-five cradles; many of them were tenanted, some by infants
apparently dying, or, again, only that day received; one was lying,
just arrived, not yet undressed, washed, and clothed,--the children of
shame and disease, too often; always, I fear, of misery; one could not
look upon them without the deepest commiseration, or the highest
regard to those sisters of charity, (for this hospital there are
thirty-two), who fulfil their mission towards these the veriest
outcasts of the world. The sister who took us round told us that
twelve a day were baptized on an average; sometimes as many as thirty.
If they survive the first few days, they are sent into the country to
be nursed; but they are brought up in different houses, instructed for
various trades, and kept, if necessary, till twenty-one years of age.
At present the use of the tower is suspended during the day, but at
night infants are so received, left sometimes without rags to cover
them; a little badge is put on each, and any particular marks about
them noted. In the day they are received upon the attestation of a
public officer. We went through the ophthalmerie, and infirmerie. It
was most interesting to see these little creatures of various ages,
but nearly all suffering, finding from those who had become
their parents in Christ the mercy which their natural parents had not
shown them. I said to the sister that I feared they had few English
among them: she assented. When will my country be foremost again in
these works of saintly charity, in this bearing of the cross amid the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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