After morning Mass, the weather was so beautiful that our Reading Club met beneath the apple tree. Mini rested beside me while the leaves made dancing shadows across our books.
Father LeRoy asked me to read my chapter summary.
I explained that Bishop Laurence had scarcely issued his order when he received a letter from M. Rouland, the Minister of Public Worship.
The officials had sent greatly exaggerated reports about the false visionaries at Lourdes. No one knew for certain who had encouraged the children, so a careful historian could only tell the known facts and leave the rest for the reader to judge.
M. Jacomet and M. Massy tried to use the foolish visions to distract people from Bernadette, the spring, and the cures. But Abbé Peyramale quickly stopped the false visionaries, and the public was not deceived.
M. Rouland, however, trusted the official reports without examining them carefully. He urged Bishop Laurence to condemn what was happening at Lourdes, even though the Bishop was already studying everything patiently and wisely. It was strange to think that this same Minister would later approve the building of a great church at Massabielle.
Robert said, “He believed the reports because they came from important officials.”
Sister Mary Claire nodded. “Important people can still be mistaken.”
Father said it was a lesson about rumors. “The Bishop waited, listened, and examined the facts. That is always wiser than judging too quickly.”
After our discussion, I prayed:
“Dear Blessed Mother, help us to love the truth and never judge others by rumors. Keep our minds clear, our words kind, and our faith strong. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Amen.”
Father gave us his blessing, and we closed our books.
Then Sister Mary Claire and Robert hurried to the church basement and returned with a cart piled with Iowa loose-meat sandwiches, potato chips, baked beans, and vanilla pudding with whipped cream.
Robert grinned and said, “Well, it is Sunday dinner, you know.”
We ate beneath the apple tree while Mini watched every bite. Sister finally gave her a little dish of plain hamburger, which she ate very neatly.
It was a beautiful Sunday, Dear Diary—Holy Mass, a good lesson about truth, and Sunday dinner beneath the apple tree.
Kathy
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