Christian Heroes

New Zealand Tablet, 27 December 1906, Page 9

Christian Heroes

Last week we detailed the simple but magnificent heroism— heroism to death— "displayed 'by eight Little Sisters of the Poor in their effort to save the life of

an aged • cripple during the. recent great earthquake at Valparaiso. These noble-hearted religious were plundered and banished from France for the crime of loving God*and serving the hapless poor for His dear sake. Here is how an English Protestant writer, Mr. Lord, describes the splendid charity of the exiled French Fathers of the-. Sacred Heart during the same dread catastrophe : €In the afternoon our little party moved to the Congregation de los Sagrados Corazones, where aie domiciled the French Fathers. Their kindn-ess and attention to 1500 homeless persons — to say nothing of the wounded and sick— will always live in my memory. Here' we were fed and housed, notwithstandingthe enormous loss^ they had sustained by- the partial destruction of their large edifice in Calle Indepcridencia. After what I have" seen during the past few days, 1 will take off ruv hat to every Roman Catholic priest as long as I live. They deserve it. I am not a religious man, as the ordinary term goes, but the priest follows the teaching of Christ in the" .hour of need.'