THE MIRACULOUS IN IRELAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 249, 20 October 1880, Page 4

THE MIRACULOUS IN IRELAND

A Limerick paper gives the following account of the miraculous appearance at the church of Mount St. Vincent, in the western suburbs of the city, which will provs a formidable rival to Knock i — " On the western side of the building is n large and finely conceived fieure of the Blessed Virgin carved in Caen stone, and underneath is a window which gives light to en oratory of our Blessed Lady, situate in that part of the convent. This statue is 30ft from the earth, and in front of ifc are the playground aod open field extending to the boundary wall, the land thus enclosed "being quite level, and including about one aore or more extent. To the north of the ccnveot gardens ia a belt of houses which ekirfc the wall five or six hundred yards away, nnd which enclose the grounds in that direction. We have given these particulars that the facts we are about to relate should be belter understood, ood to Bhow, too, that what was seen could not be produced by accidental or artificial moans such as " magic lanterns," or such like apparatus. It will be remembered that on Sunday, the 15th of Augusi, the feast of our Blessed Lady, ihe weather in this locality was magnificently fioe, yet the thunder pealed with crashing sound and the lightning flashed with startling vividness. On the evening of the day the orphans left the convent to play in the grounds in front of tbe new buildings, and they were told not to be alarmed by the thunder, but to pray to Our Lady of Succour •hould they be frightened. With whole faith of Our Lady's protection with which the little once, like their elders, are possessed, they passed into the grounds, and pro. ceeded in tbeir innocent amusement in the usual manner. Soon after the thunder rolled along the Bky, and the children at once piously offered up their prayers for safety to the Blessed Virgin. Then they raised tbeir voices end sang the touching hymn, • Look down, Mother Mary,' and while the beautiful mußic of tbeir young fresh voices was ascending, one of tbe children suddenly called out, " Ob, look there!" and instantly tbe eyes of 200 others, her companions, were turned towards the belt of trees to the north of the convent, and in the air above them the figure of tbe Blessed Virgin was beheld by all attired in a white robe, with a blue sash around her waist. The infant Saviour was borne on her right arm, and a rosary depended from her left. She seemed to rest on a white cloud upheld by two angels, who carried in their disengaged hands branches of some description covered with foliage. The children were spellbound, and involuntarily offered prayers to the Blesaed Virgin. After they had gazed on the vision for about ten minutes some of them rah to the convent to acquaint tbe nuns, but before the good ladies had arrived at the spot the Divine Apparalion had gone, the Virgin disappearing in the heavens. The children were found in a pale, terrified, trembling state, but all tallied in their aocounts of what was seen, even to the description of the rosary, wnich they stated was large and white, and the beads of which were far asunder from each other. More startling still was to find that children distant from them in another part of the premises had also seen the vision. There was no wavering and no contradiction among them. Several were from thirteen to fourteen years of age, and it

WBS impossible not to be convinced of their truthfulness. So much for Sunday evening; but on the next day thej manifestation waa still more decisive, j While the children were again at play; one of their number called out to look; at the Blessed Virgin, and instantly almost fainted. AU eyes were directed towards the statue on the top of the building, and above it in the air the children saw the immaculate Mother vested altogether in white, her hands raised as if in tbe attitude of invoking or expressing a blessing or prayer, her eyes were cast down, and a silvery light surrounding the beatific figure. Some of tbe children again hastened to the convent to communicate what they saw, and one of the nuns who arrived first on the spot beheld the Virgin also. The children were unanimous in their descriptioa of the strange apparition nnd the little one who first saw tbe vision was absolutely rigid from ihe astonishment. The other members of the holy community did not see the miraculous spectacle, but they saw as the sun set globes of light, come white, come a beautiful azure, more a brilliant red Bnd otber hues, come floating through the air frora the direction ol the setting ia tbe west over and around tbe convent, and in some cases ap parently passing through the windows. The next night the vision of our Blessed Lady was not seen, but the events at tbe convent were sufficiently wonderful to justify further record. We have already stated that the reports throughout the city as to heavenly ', visions led to great excitement, and numbers of men and others clambered on tbe walls facing the new buildings while hundreds made their way into the field by the same route, and lay; anxiously watching in tbe direction oi the statue. The form ofthe Blesßed Virgin was not beheld, but a porter in the institution, while passing in front of the new building, saw a flood of light rise from the direction of the entrance under the oratory, and ascending, envelope the statue in brilliant radiance. He ran towards -the men in the field, to ask if they bad seen it, when he saw them gazing towards tbe building, haviug also witnessed tho ascent of the light. We are impressed ourselves by the reports brought to ub from various sources, including several of the eye-witnesses, and we feel convinced of the truthfulness of those to whom we have spoken."