CHAPTER XXVI.

THE ORDER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD IN HELENA. BISHOP BRONDEL'S SILVER JUBILEE.

February 12, 1889, saw the establishment in Helena of a new Sisterhood, that is, of a house of what is commonly known as the Order of the Good Shepherd, one of the biggest among the many precious jewels that encircle the brow of the Spouse of Christ on earth, His church divine.

For those of our readers not familiar with the history of the Order we give here an outline of its origin and its object.

Our Lord came on earth to save sinners. This was His mission. Of all sinners, however, women fallen from virtue seem to have been special objects of His tender mercies, as appears from the Magdalene, the Samaritan women, and the other woman whom He delivered from her accusers. While walking on earth, He conversed with women on but few occasions, yet on three of these few occasions, as we read in the Gospel, He spoke with women of this unfortunate class.

Following in His footsteps and imitating the example of her Divine Bridegroom, the Church in all ages has ever looked on fallen women with tender solicitude and the greatest compassion. But it was reserved to Blessed John Eudes, who has been raised to the honors of the altar by Christ's Vicar on earth, to institute a Religious Order of women, whose aim and principal object should be to devote their lives to reclaiming from waywardness the fallen of their sex, and forming them to habits of virtue and Christian piety.

By its very nature, chastity, more than any other moral virtue, shrinks from what is tainted by the contrary vice. This may partly account for the lack of sympathy manifested towards the outcasts of society. Strange to say, women are even less compassionate then men in this matter. They cannot bear to have as much as the shadow of one of their fallen sisters cross

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their paths, and this, even when the latter show signs of repentance and strive to lead a letter life.

But the spouse of the Heavenly Bridegroom, in her spotless robe of purity, can afford to be merciful without risk of tarnishing its beauty and luster, she can stoop down and reach her helping hand to the fallen, and yet remain herself firm and unshaken in her integrity, clean in mind and body in the presence of what has been defiled.

The circumstances that led to the institution of the Order were the following: One day while Blessed John Eudes was returning from church with some friends, a pious woman, Magdalene Lamy, who took great interest in poor simmers, met him and cried out to him and his companions: "Oh, Reverend Father, and you, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you would pray a little less and think instead of some plan to shelter your unfortunate penitents. I am a poor woman, and if I am obliged to abandon them it will not be my fault, but yours." The good woman's appeal had its effect. The party before separating resolved to establish a house of refuge.

A dwelling being secured, some ladies who were unmarried took charge of watching over the penitents. One of them of matured age, Madame Morin, was placed at the head of the band as matron. The house was opened at Caen in Normandy, France, December 8, 1641.

Things, however, did not go on satisfactory. With all her piety, the matron was willful and hard-headed, and the Blessed John had more difficulties with her and the other ladies than in governing the penitents. Hence, he came to the conclusion of founding a Religious Community to carry on the work.

When his plans became known, the ladies who had charge of the new institution were indignant. They looked upon the new project as a reproach to themselves, and without giving the holy man any motive of their intention, left the house, taking along whatever belonged to them. And now two young girls, one of them a niece of Blessed John and only fourteen, and the other very young also, had for a time the full charge of managing the house and the penitents.

Later on, Venerable Mother Patin and two other Nuns of the Visitation Convent were assigned by the Bishop of the place

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to form a new Community. The two young girls remained as novices, and they were soon joined by a number of other young women. In 1651 the Bishop gave canonical institution to the Sisterhood, allowing its members to bind themselves by vows. But it was not until 1666 that the new Order, with the Constitution drawn up by the servant of God, received the solemn approval of the Holy See. Sixteen Sisters made then their solemn vows, adding a forth one, as approved by the Church, of devoting their lives to the care of the penitents.

The Sisterhood soon spread into various part of Europe. Until 1834 its convents were independent of one another. But from that year on the House of angers obtained from Gregory XVI the authorization to exercise a generalate over all the convents it might found. Thus 140 foundations in Europe and America recognize today the Angers Convent as their Mother-house.

In the Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Good shepherd there are three classes of Nuns, namely, the Choir Sisters, the Lay Sisters, and the Outdoor sisters, all living in common. The sisterhood enjoys the privilege of being cloistered, but some members of each convent are allowed to g out to attend to necessary business, such as soliciting work, contributions and the like, whence their name of Outdoor Sisters. Their religious garb or habit differs somewhat during life, but at death they are all clothed and buried in the habit of the Choir Sisters, which is spotless white, to symbolize the purity of their lives.

In the true spirit of their holy Founder and to carry out more fully his intentions and object to the class of the penitents is added another m namely, of you girls exposed to the danger of losing their innocence. Thus, there are four classes of persons in the Sisters' keeping, that is, the Magdalens or Penitents, who follow the religious life, observing the Carmelite Rule, ordinary penitents, reformatory inmates, and lastly, very young girls who are confined to the Nuns' care for preservation.

With the Order of the Good shepherd, Blessed John Eudes founded also a Religious Community of men, who take their name from him and are known as Eudists Fathers.

With this brief sketch of the Order, its origin and object before him the reader will better understand the boon which

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Bishop Brondel bestowed on Helena when he invited a Community of Good shepherd Sisters to establish themselves here.

Quarters for them had been previously secured by the purchase of grounds and a neat brick residence on the corner of Ninth Avenue and Hoback Street, where they were installed the day of their arrival. The new Community was composed of six members with Mother Margaret at the head. Very soon the premises were found too small, and their capacity has already been enlarged a couple of times. It is further becoming every day more and more apparent that their present location will prove utterly inadequate before long, and that it will have to be replaced by a more convenient site.

But it is indeed much to be regretted that in such an enlightened and liberal-minded community as Helena there should have been found a scribe who could out-pharisee the Pharisees of old by stoning, not the sinning woman, as would they, but the brave and noble woman who sacrifice their own lives to uplift the members of their sex from the thraldom of sin and degradation. The stand taken by the Helena Journal (since happily defunct) in the Linnie Connor incident, its threats, its appeals to passion and its utter disregard of parental authority were all a piece of pharadaical hypocrisy. "If Connor"--the father who had placed a daughter of his in the keeping of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd--"escapes a dose of tar and feathers, he will be playing to good luck," wrote the Journal. And again: "The girl will be released from the House of the Good shepherd or the walls of that establishment will come down." It was not, however, the House of the Good shepherd that the Journal pulled down, but its own concern, which is not a thing of the past.

We opened the preceding chapter by recounting a sad event, but God be praised for enabling us to close the present one with an event full of joy and festivity. We refer to the twenty-fifth anniversary of Bishop Brondel's priestly ordination, or his Silver Jubilee in the priesthood, which was celebrated December 17, 1889. It was indeed a red-letter day and long to be remembered.

The joyous occasion brought together all the clergy of the

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Diocese, ten in number, and nine Regulars, three Redemptorist, and six Jesuit Fathers. The religious part of the celebration began with solemn Pontifical Mass at 10 o'clock, the Cathedral being crowded to its utmost capacity. Father McLoughlin, C. SS. R., preached the sermons, a masterly treatment of his subject, "The Catholic Priesthood." In the afternoon the pupils of St. Vincent's Academy rendered an excellent program in honor of His Lordship, and at the thanksgiving service in the evening, appropriate addresses were presented to him by the Rev. E. W. J. Lindesmith, U. S. A., Chaplain at Fort Keogh, on the part of the clergy, and by Hon, Martin Maginnis on the part of the laity.

The religious ceremonies of the evening were followed by a general reception at the Episcopal residence, at which throng after throng of callers came to present their respects and congratulations to His Lordship. Substantial expression of devotedness in the form of choice and valuable presents were not wanting, among which may be mentioned a purse of $1,500, made up for the occasion by the faithful of the Diocese.

One of the features of the day was also a brass band of youthful Indian players, from 12 to 16 years of age, who, as related in Part I, had come to the Indian School of St. Ignatius to do honor to their Bishop. The presence of those ducky lads, no less than their musical proficiency and excellent playing, was, decidedly a pleasing surprise to the whole community.

A few words now by way of resume on the men and women who have helped to make Montana Church history in the period of which we have been treating.