LOUISE LATEAU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 214, 1 June 1877, Page 7

LOUISE LATEAU.

Moiß. Ckatakd, Rector of the American College in Rome, who is now on a visit to this country, recently visited Louise Lateau while on his way from Koine. A letter to some of his friends describing his impressions is published in the London Tablet, and from it we reproduce the following interesting extract : — " On the evening of the Bth of February, 1877, I reached Menage from Paris, and immediately walked over to the village of Bois d'Haiue. I went to call upon the Cure, M. Niels, to whom the rector of the Belgian College at Rome, Right Rev. Mgr. Vau dcix Branden de Eeeth, had been good enough to write in my behalf. The worthy Cure was very kind, and received me into his house, saying he was sorry I had nob come earlier, as he had just come from visiting Louise Lateau and I could have accompanied him. Two young French priests arrived at the same time, and arrangements were made for seeing the ecstatic of Bois d'Haine on the morrow. She was to receive Holy Communion at about half-past six o'clock. We were ready in the church at a quarter past six nest morning, and the Cure very considerately asked me if I wished to take her the Blessed Sacrament. I thanked him, and after receiving the Pyx with one Host, I started, accompanied by the two priests above referred to, JJM. Chabe, Principal of the College of Roubaix, and Gillet, one of his professors, the former with the lantern, and the other with the bell. After ten minutes' walk over the meadows, we came to the modest habitation of the servant of God, and found there several persons, women, sisters of Louise, and one or two of the friends of the family. The usual prayers

were at once said, during which the hard and anxious breathing of Louise was audible. She was lying in bed, not heeding any one in the room, though at the ' Ecce Agnus Dei,' M. l'Abbe says she slightly opened her eyes, and turned her head towards the Blessed Sacrament". When the Host waa presented to her she turned her head a little towards It, and opening her mouth, put out her tongue, and receiving the Sacrea Particle, closed her mouth, and remained perfectly quiet. She is not aware of what goes on when she receives, everything material being, as it were, done for her, or spontaneously — her ecstatic condition beginning and reaching its perfect state when she communicates. Her hands had been covered with a clean linen cloth, so that on entering we could not see the bleeding, which had begun the night of Thursday and Friday. As she was perfectly insensible, we were able to take off the linen cloth from her hands and examine them at our leisure. They had been bleeding profusely. I put the candle close to her right hand, and holding the light in various positions, was able to distinguish the defined lines of the wound, just such as a nail thrust through the hand would form, though the flesh in the centre of the hand was not wanting. The blood was oozing out and trickling down the back of the hand, as also from the palms. "We left her to return at ten minutes past two o'clock. At the appointed hour we were assembled before the door of the little house, about a dozen in all. After waiting until Louise had passed into her state of ecstacy, the Cure ushered ua in, and gave me a seat next her at the head of the bed. She lay on her back, her eyes fixed and wide open, looking at some object that, invisible to us, absorbed her. The pupils were largely dilated, the eyelids closed and opened as ordinarily, by spontaneous action. One could see her eye 6 moving quickly from side to side with the quick motion of one takingin a variety of things going on in the vicinity, one after the other. The expression of her face varied rapidly, at one time expressing slightly joy or pleasure, mostly compassion, concern, or horror. Occasionally she would slightly rise, extending her hands, then Bink back as if exhausted. Towards the end of the ecstacy she fell back, her arms outstretched, her mouth opened, gasping, her eyes glazed, with all the appearance of one about to give up the ghost. During this trance a number of interesting experiments were made. Any priest who put his hand near her, or over her face or hands caused her to smile with pleasure, though her eyes always remained the same. Persons not priests, or women when they did the same thing, could not produce the same effect. Relics had a still more marked effect, likewise sacred objects and prayers. At the ' Magnificat ' she sat up with an expression of joy on her face. A picture unblessed was not noticed by her ; not so the same picture after it hud been blessed by a priest. At three o'clock the trance ended. I was the only one permitted to remain to see Louise come out of it. It was painful to give her the trial. But for the good of others I waited to witness what occurred. She came to suddenly. I sat at the foot of the bei looking her full in the face. Her expression was that of surprise and embarrassment ; she looked at her hands, and seeing them uncovered, sought for the napkin that had concealed them, and which had been removed after she went into the ecstacy. She seized the sheet and finding that was not what she wanted let it go, and found the napkin or towel, which she raised to her eyes as if to wipe them, and then let it fall so as to completely cover her hands. All this was the work of an instant. I said to her — ' Que Dieu soit avec toi, ma fille ! II vous a donne bien des graces [the Cure told her who I was] Estce que vous seriez contente d'etre-privee de toutes ces choses /' She replied immediately — 'Oh! Oui, Monseigneur, de toutes le* choses exterieures.' The whole of this scene was marked by a simplicity and naivete that had all the sign of truth. She hid her hands in such a way as to prevent the impression that she was hiding them, letting fall the cloth from her face upon them. Her reply was without hesitation, and marked by humility and a desire of union with God — De toutes les choses exterieure-i. What she wished for was the essential thing, union with Ood — les chosev interieures. I had looked for some such answer, but not for one which so completely covered the whole ground. After a few words more of conversation, in which she, in answer to a question, expressed how glad she would be to see the Holy Father, if that were possible, from a sitting posture, she fell back on her pillow and began to show evidence of great suffering, both by her breathing and expression of countenance. At a word from the Cure I retired, after asking Louise to pray for the work I had in hand, and for myself, saying that of ourselves we could do nothing, but that the grace of God was our strength — a sentiment to which she gave very earnest assent. Thus ended my personal relations with Louise Lateau.''