Nuns in Peace and War.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 10, 6 March 1902, Page 3

Nuns in Peace and War.

Speaking a few Sundays ago at Liverpool, New South Wales, o n the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of a convent chapel, his Eminence Cardinal Moran paid a splendid tribute to the work of the Catholic Sisterhoods throughout the world. He said it must be a consoling thing for Australia that such good work is being carried on here by the devoted Sisters, who, wherever they went, carried with them the blessings of religion. Their work in Australia was only a perpetuation of the work of the Catholic Church in every land. They saw in each part of the world the abounding spirit of charity that animated Holy Church and everywhere the same grand results. He referred especially to the great work carried on by the Sisters of Charity on the battlefields during last century. It was the first time in history that nuns had appeared on the battlefield. But during the century just closed they found the Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy, and others facing the privationa of the battlefield that they might bring consolation to the sick and the suffering. They found them in the Crimea administering equally to the Russian, the Turk, the Frenchman, and the Englishman. In the schismatical States of Russia and elsewhere the Sisters had recently been doing a great work. At first they met with opposition, but they overcame it, and it was admitted that only the spirit of God could animate the wonderful charity and self-denial of their lives. They were found on the battlefield during the Franco-Prussian war ministering to the sufferings of both sides in the deadly conflict. One of the grand paintings of that time was a scene in which a lieutenant who had received his death wound was receiving the ministrations of two of these Sisters Suddenly one of them falls dead by his side. She had been struck by a bullet, and had received her crown which was the reward of her charity. At the present time the thoughts of our military men were turned to South Africa. The poor Boers who were fighting for their country were among the most deadly enemies that the Church had ever met. No other power built up such a barrier of opposition to the Church as they did. But what was it changed the Boers ? It was the work of the Sisters of Charity who went to minister among them. They recognised in the Sisters angels of charity, and gradually their opposition to the Church was broken down, and we heard to-day from South Africa, from the highest officer downwards, the one anthem of praise for the Sisterp, that in ministering to the sick and the suffering no human mind could estimate the charity of those nuns. That was only one phase of the charity that characterised them during the century just closed. When the yellow fever broke out in the Southern States of the American Union, an invitation was sent to one of the Sisterhoods to come and minister to .the afflicted. At once 25 Sisters volunteered. Within two days 20 out of the 23 had received their crown of charity, but that only tempered the heroism of the others, and in a few days instead of 25, they had 50 nuns to continue the work of the stricken. All through Christendom was seen the same efflorescence of charity. It was Been in promoting peace and harmony among all classes of our fellow -citizens. Sometimes people thought nuns brought the consolations of their mission only to their coreligionists. That was not the case. If they went to the hospitals they would find the Sistera administering to all classes. Everyone of our religious institutions was open to every denominations and race. The only passport required was that the applicant be afflicted

with some form of suffering. If they paid a visit to the Little Sistera of the Poor they would find some who had beeu bitter enemies of the Catholic Church in England, who had attacked her from the platform, receiving the Sisters' consolations. He had himself seen there many fine old Protestants receiving the consolations they would have denied in the old days to their Catholic fellowcitizens. So it was Catholics turned the tables upon those who persecuted them.