The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877Various
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
With the arrival of the nuns a new order of things began. Without
entering into a detailed account of all the labors performed by the
sisters since their arrival, it is enough to state that cleanliness and
order prevail and true charity shows itself everywhere. The poor
creatures, who formerly revelled in filth and disorder, now see about
them decency and cleanliness. They are induced to be submissive and
obedient by the hourly example of the sisters; their modesty and
reserve, their virtue and careful speech, their watchful care and
devotion, their tender attention to the sick, teach the inmates of the
hospital the best of lessons. It is easy to imagine with what joy the
poor lepers welcomed the nuns who came to consecrate their lives to this
service, and also to understand with what affection and respect these
holy women are regarded.
“The enclosed grounds of the lazaretto,” says Governor Gordon in his
_Wilderness Journeys_, “consist of a green meadow three or four
acres in extent. Within these limits the lepers are permitted to
wander at their will. Until recently they were confined to the
narrowest limits—a mere yard about the lazaretto. I entered these
dreary walls, accompanied by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Chatham,
by the secretary of the Board of Health, by the resident physician,
and by the Catholic priest of the village, who is also the chaplain
of the institution.
“Within the enclosure are several small wooden buildings, separated
from each other, consisting of the kitchen, laundry, etc. A
bath-house has recently been added to these, which will be a source
of infinite comfort to the patients. The hospital contains two
larger halls—one devoted to the men, the other to the women. Each
room has a stove and a table with chairs about it, while the beds
are ranged against the wall. These halls are both well lighted and
ventilated, and at the time of my inspection were perfectly clean
and fresh. At the end of these halls is a small chapel arranged in
such a way that the patients of both sexes are able to hear Mass
without meeting each other. Through certain openings they also
confess to the priest and receive the holy communion.”
Many changes in the interior arrangements of the lazaretto followed the
arrival of the sisters. The patients and the nuns now hear Mass at the
same time. The male patients occupy two rooms twenty-five feet square,
while similar apartments above are reserved for the females. The grounds
of the lazaretto have also been enlarged.
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