OCR Text |
Show PRAYED FOR A YEAR AND GAINED USE OF HER LIMBS i Mrs. Josephine Hasam of New Orleans, With the Assistance of the Prayers of Her Devout Catholic Friends Is Made to Walk Again I One of the most remarkable instances in-stances of the efficiency of prayer ever verified is the case of Mrs. Josephine Hasam of New Orleans, who, after a year of constant devotion, both on her own part and on that of others in her behalf, had the power to walk restored to her, after being for many years a cripple, says the Tribune. The extraordinary story of her cure has been written by Mrs. Hasam herself her-self for this paper. It forms a remarkable remark-able illustration of what all truly religious re-ligious people believe to be an integral principle of the Christian faith. ' The sudden impulse "to pray to walk" seized me on the morning of Ascension Thursday, 1899. Before commencing the mass for that intention inten-tion I sent to my dying old confessor, Father De Ham, asking,- "Will you I join me and pray for certain intentions that I will write to you about when I get home?" The return message was, "Yes." After the service was over, two ' strangers came to me, thinking the sexton, Joseph, had forgotten me, and offered to wheel my chair home. I consented, delaying a moment on the sidewalk, when a young priest, Father Robinson, came across from the presbytery, pres-bytery, saying, "What are you doing with this lady?" They told him, and I added: "More than that, father; I stayed at the altar of 'Our Lady of Perpetual -Help' to make my very first prayer to walk, and I wish it for the glory of God and of St. Alphonsus Church, to whom I owe so much; do you think it selfish and wrong?" He answered, "By no means," and when I asked them to join me they willingly did so; thus the devotion commenced with two priests, two Catholic gentlemen gentle-men and myself. A day or two afterward I spoke of it to a lovely Catholic lady, uho explained ex-plained to me the devotion in our Re-demptorist Re-demptorist churches to our Lady of Perpetual Help, the many miracles ascribed to her intercession with our Lord, and advised burning a lamp on ner altar uuring tne year, wmcu a Kinu brother has faithfully done. The Sisters of the Convent of Mercy, near St. Alphonsus church, joined me later in the prayers. Last summer a kind father and the Sisters of Mercy at Pass Christian joined me, as well as the Catholic ladies whom I met in the hotel. Thus throughout the year, as our Catholic friends learned of it, our band grew larger and continued praying pray-ing for the Intention that I should recover re-cover the power to walk. The last month of the year. I asked the fathers for a dally prayer In church for our devotion. The last ten days we made a movement in unison. The rector, Father Weber; the young priest. Father Fath-er Robinson: the Sisters of Mercy and friends made special visits to me, and we pleasantly talked the matter over. On Wednesday morning Father Robinson Rob-inson brought me holy communion at my bedside. The day following, Ascension As-cension Thursday, the last day of our year of prayer, I was wheeled to church and Father Robinson came down the chancel steps and gave me commtmion, some of our band communing at the rail. I was suffering locally than, and during the last two weeks evn more than usual, occasioned by nerexercion in my extra devotions. T joked pbout my way of getting well, and, although suffering, I did an unusual thing for me went with my son and family to a musicale near by on the evening of Ascension As-cension Thursday, They wheeled me home after 11 p. m., and before my very door we met Father Robinson returning from a pick tall. The occurrence impressed im-pressed me deeply and I said: "Bless me, father, as you pass." He answered, an-swered, "You always have my blessing." bless-ing." Being rolled within, I said, "That is a strange coincidence." My children asked. "Why?" I could not resist telling tell-ing them ' of our year's prayers, and that the young priest had commenced then with me the first hour, and ended them with his blessing the closing hour fo the year, and I said,. '-'I-jhink it,, mm..,..!,, , .1.1 LM . 111,1 """ means something." They laughed incredulously. in-credulously. Three days after, on Sunday before going to church to be present at confirmation con-firmation service, I wrote a letter of thanks to the priests and all who had joined me in praying during the year, saying, "I am not disappointed in not walking; I feel about as I felt about our Easter poem which the editor asked me for and then did not publish that-the spiritual favors that came to me through the composition of it were worth more to me than its publication. publi-cation. So likewise the blessings of such united sympathy were worth more to me than walking. This was at 8 a. m. and I wae content The confirmation services were very impressive. The congregation passed out, leaving only myself at the chancel end of the aisle to receive the arch- j bishop's blessing: I felt It gave me an impulse toward him and think probo- bly I could have walked then. But God chose best the time and place. Arrived home the sexton wheeled me up my platform and into my room. I paid him, removed my hat and placed my prayer book, etc., on the bed, putting put-ting my feet over the footpiece of my chair preparatory to getting on my bed when suddenly I walked off rapidly hands crossed on my breast, saying, "Oh, Joseph, praise be to God! What does this mean?" Walking rapidly from one room to the other, back and forth, touching nothing, I sent for my nearest son, who came speedily, with his wife: I crossed the two rooms and met them at the door before he could enter, and I continued walking thus at frequent intervals for my children and grandchildren until 9 p. m. Monday, on the morning or the 28th, of May, I awoke early, dressed on my bed as usual, wakened my family, and prepared to watch the total eclipse, when it occurred to me that I should go to church and make thanksgiving for Sunday's walking before taking another an-other step. I sent for Joseph, we went alone, as usual, I with smoked glass in hand, presenting It to those we met. One gentleman and a lady said to me: "Are you not the lady mentioned in the morning's paper? Did you walk yesterday? yes-terday? "I answered, "Yes, I am now going to church to make thanksgiving before I try if I cm walk today." I proceeded on my way, presenting it to several passing us, for the eclipse had already commenced, and I certainly meant to watch it myself; but was rolled within the church of St. Alphonsus, Alphon-sus, and the marvel of walking unaide, mounting and descending the four marble mar-ble chancel steps and walking three times in the.aisle of "Our Lady of Perpetual Per-petual Help," "the length of that long church and after my return home a portion of every hour until night are past all imagination, a real thing and so far permanent. I have attended mass each of the two Sundays since, walking up the aisle with my wheel chair rolled behind me and the crowded church people glad for me. I am widely known and my friends numerous, and my door has been open to all without regard to sex, or color. My physician and confessor have tried to prohibit over-exertion, but I have withstood the strain on muscle and nerve in a manner that Is beyond comprehension com-prehension or description. : Two priests from two different states congratulated me thus the first day: "Undoubtedly your power to walk was a gift from your deceased father confessor con-fessor which he gained for you in heaven." heav-en." And I most happily accept that as a fact not as an 'honor to myself but as the climax to our year of prayer; pray-er; a beautiful and perfect answer sent by him to whom I first appealed when I commenced the devotion. To me the gift comes through his intercession with Our Lady of the Perpetual Help at the throne of God. And besides bringing us in communion with the Holy Ho-ly Father de Ham, it gives us a confirmation con-firmation of heaven and hereafter and the efficacy of prayer! -. , . JOSEPHINE HASAM. |