A MYSTERIOUS SICK CALL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLVI, Issue 18, 1 May 1919, Page 43

A MYSTERIOUS SICK CALL

The following remarkable story, which appeared in the Sunday Ex-press recently, has been verified by a Catholic Times representative in London, though the names are withheld at the request of the individuals concerned. The events have considerably exercised the minds of Catholics in London:

A Catholic lady, attended by a nurse, was lying seriously ill in a house a few days ago. During the night, observing her patient to be weakening, the nurse, knowing enough Catholic ritual to be aware that Extreme Unction should be administered, was anxious that a priest should be brought. But there' was no available messenger in the house, and she herself could not leave her charge. In her perplexity she picked up a prayer book and began herself to read the prayers. It was then well past midnight, and as she read the door suddenly opened and in walked one of the Fathers from the Brompton Oratory, who was an old friend of the family.

“Thank Heaven you are here!” the nurse exclaimed, fervently. “But who told you to come?” “You telephoned,” said the priest. “No,” said the nurse. “I should have done if I could, but it was impossible.”

“Well,” said the Father, “I was telephoned for by someone, and came at once,” and he proceeded to perform the solemn rites, remaining in the room until the end, which came in about two hours. The next morning he sent for the priest who had been on telephone duty the night before— for in case of such emergencies as these there is always one in attendance.

“I am sorry,” said the Father, “I was so abrupt with you last night when you called me. But I had been dreaming, and was barely awake.” “But I didn’t call you last night,” said the priest, who, it may be mentioned, is one of the- most striking personalities in the Catholic Church to-day. “There was no ring last night at all.” “My dear K— —,” said the Father, “collect yourself. Lo you mean seriously to tell me that you did not come into my room between twelve and one last night and say that Mrs. B was dying and I was wanted at once?”

“No.”

“Lo you honestly forget that I was a little brusque for the moment ?”

“No. There was no call; I never left my room.”