tice might plausibly be denied a place in our English services-that the contrary system, namely pandering to Protestant prejudice and ignorance, has proved a mere chimera: we gain nothing by it for ourselves, and lose a great deal, whilst not one soul the more is drawn into the Church-that our Confraternity has received the approval and encouragement of every Bishop, to whom application has been made for erecting it,that several Bishops have been most anxious about it, and that no authority has spoken against it. Amongst these authorities I may include that of the good Curé of Ars, who is considered by every one to be a Saint, and whose testimony, therefore, carries with it great weight. When in the south of France, during the summer months of last year, I made a journey purposely to Ars, in order to witness the extraordinary sight this village presents through the apostolic labours of a living Saint. In the conversation which I was permitted to hold after Mass with this holy man, I took the opportunity of distinctly asking him whether we might establish the devotion to La Salette with advantage in England, and his answer, which he gave decidedly and with an emphasis I can never forget, was, that we could not MANUAL OF THE CONFRATERNITIES OF LA SALETTE, ESTABLISHED IN ENGLAND, PART I. ACCOUNT OF THE APPARITION OF OUR BLESSED LADY ON THE MOUNTAIN OF LA SALETTE. Any one who wishes for a circumstantial relation of all that has taken place at La Salette itself, or in any way referring to it at the time of the vision, or since, may find abundant details in the work, of which the Bishop of Birmingham is the author, called, "The Holy Mountain of La Salette, by a Pilgrim of 1854." For such as desire to pursue further their enquiries, the following list of works, published in French on the subject, will be useful. "La Verité sur l'évènement de La Salette, 1846" "Nouveaux Documents sur l'évènement de La Salette, 1850" 66 Un nouveau sanctuaire à Marie, ou Conclusion de l'affaire de La Salette" "Manuel du pélerin de La Salette"-all by the Abbé Rousselot, Canon and Vicar-General of Grénoble, in France. "Pélèrinage à La Salette, ou examen critique de l'Apparition de la Sainte Vierge à deux bergers, 1847"-by the Abbé Bez. "Un Pélèrinage à La Salette"-by the Abbé Gobert. "Nouveaux récits de l'Apparition de la Sainte Vierge sur les Montagnes des Alpes"by the Bishop of La Rochelle, in France. "L'Echo de la Sainte Montagne visitée par la Mère de Dieu, ou un mois de séjour dans la société des petits bergers de La Salette"by Mademoiselle Brulais. "Lettre de Monseigneur Dupanloup, évêque d'Orleans, sur La Salette"-and lastly, "Mandement de Monseigneur l'évêque de Grenoble, portant condamnation d'un livre intitule: La Salette devant le Pape"-(30th Sept. 1854.) "Instruction Pastorale et Mandement de Monseigneur l'évêque de Grenoble, portant condamnation d'un livre intitule: Affaire de La Salette, Mémoire au Pape, etc."—(4th Nov. 1854.) Besides these, many other recitals have appeared, identical in tendency, but of minor significance. The publications mentioned above contain all the information, which the most anxious enquirer may wish to possess on the subject. As such books, however, are not within the reach of the majority of English readers, it has been thought well to commence this Manual with a condensed statement of the facts relating to the Apparition of La Salette. The mountain of La Salette is situated in the diocese of Grenoble, at about sixty or seventy English miles distant from the city of Lyons. That particular portion of France. was formerly the province of Dauphinè. It is now known as the department of Isère. From Corps, which is the nearest town of any importance, to La Salette, is a distance of seven miles; and the road upwards, which discloses alpine scenery of the highest beauty, is so exceedingly rugged, and so ill adapted to traffic and social purposes, that for a considerable part of the way a mule path is the only means of proceeding. The village of La Salette forms one of ten hamlets, which lie together in a sort of craterlike basin, and immediately above it is the mountain of the With this village, the traveller leaves behind him the last trace of civilizationa few sickly-looking trees. In a few moments he has penetrated into a region of silence, beyond the dwellings of men, beyond the abode even of birds: the ascent has assumed a wild and terrifying aspect, which increases with every step, and surrounds him on all sides with its dread enclosure, till, after a journey of exceeding toil, he mounts on to the terrace called Sous les Baisses. Here is a complete change. From the terrace up the entire side of the mountain, the ground is covered with the loveliest verdure. Wonderful feat of nature, no doubt: but not without its peculiar meaning for us. On this terrace our Blessed same name. |