Father LeRoy, Robert, Sister Mary Claire, and I met in the Readers Clubhouse again today. We had only just settled around the table when Father nodded for me to begin my chapter summary.
I had hardly read the first sentence when there came a tremendous clap of thunder. The whole clubhouse seemed to tremble, and then the rain began pouring down so hard that we could scarcely hear one another.
“When it rains, it pours in Iowa,” Robert said, looking toward the windows.
But we were perfectly safe and dry inside. The roof held tight, and the little clubhouse felt especially cozy while the storm beat against it.
I began my summary again.
The people of Lourdes were no longer willing to remain quiet while the authorities kept them away from the Grotto. Some climbed over the barriers and gave their names openly to the guards before kneeling to pray. Even a few of the guards believed in what was happening, although they still had to carry out their orders or risk losing the small wages that fed their families.
Others found hidden paths to the Grotto. One person would remain behind to watch for the police and give a signal if they approached. Some people even swam across the swift Gave River so they could pray near the Spring and drink its water.
The fines frightened many poor families because even a small fine could grow into a ruinous amount. Still, the faithful found other ways to pray. When they could not reach the Grotto, they knelt beside the boundary posts or gathered in the meadows on the opposite bank of the river, facing the place where Our Lady had appeared.
Night after night, the boards closing the Grotto were torn down and thrown into the river. The police tried to discover who had done it, but no one was found. Petitions were also sent to the Emperor, asking that the people’s freedom to pray be restored.
One day, after a higher court overturned a judgment against several women who had spoken about the Grotto, a great crowd surged through the barrier. The police stepped aside rather than struggle against thousands of people. Afterward, the authorities ordered even stricter watching and tried to frighten the faithful with false stories about imprisonment.
The saddest part was about the sick people who came from far away. Some were blind, paralyzed, or suffering from illnesses the doctors could not cure. They begged the mayor to let them go to the Spring, but he refused. Reports were even written against the sick themselves.
Since they could not reach the Grotto, many gathered across the river on privately owned land. The owners welcomed them, believing God would bless the fields where so many suffering people knelt in prayer.
Meanwhile, Bernadette’s asthma became worse. She was exhausted from sickness and from the constant stream of visitors who wanted to question her about the Apparitions. The Bishop quietly encouraged her family to send her away for a time to the baths at Cauterets. Bernadette went there with her aunt and remained for two or three weeks, drinking the waters and seeking silence and rest.
When I finished, the thunder was still rolling, though it had moved farther away.
“It seems the officials created more disorder by trying to prevent peaceful prayer,” Robert said.
Father LeRoy nodded. “People can endure many hardships, but when what they hold sacred is treated with contempt, their patience can be sorely tested.”
Sister Mary Claire said the guards must have been in a painful position. Some of them believed, but they also had families depending upon their wages.
“That does not make an unjust order right,” she said, “but it reminds us that not everyone carrying out an order has a cruel heart.”
Father said the people’s courage was admirable, though anger can quickly lead even good people into actions they may later regret.
“The strongest protest in the chapter,” he said, “may have been the people kneeling quietly beside the boundary posts. They could not enter, but no one could prevent them from turning their hearts toward God.”
By then Sister Mary Claire decided it was time for our refreshments. She said she was especially glad she had brought soda crackers and chocolate frosting before the storm began. She set Robert and me to work spreading frosting between pairs of crackers.
The milk was icy cold from the little refrigerator Robert installed in the clubhouse.
“If Kathy can supply the clubhouse,” Robert said, “I can at least supply the refrigeration.”
Everyone laughed, and Sister said that cold milk and chocolate-frosted crackers were exactly right for a rainy Iowa morning. Mini received a plain cracker and settled beneath the table, listening to the rain.
Before we left, Father asked me to read the prayer.
Dear Blessed Mother,
Please help us remain faithful when doing what is right becomes difficult. Give courage to those who are afraid, comfort to the sick, and wisdom to those who hold authority. Help us to defend what is holy without hatred or violence. Please watch over everyone traveling through today’s storm, and keep Shaggycoat safe in his lodge beside Indian Creek.
Amen.
Father LeRoy raised his hand and blessed us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. He dismissed the Reading Club, although we waited a little longer for the heaviest rain to pass before leaving our dear Reader's Clubhouse.
Good night, dear Diary.
No comments:
Post a Comment