of which contained thirty-eight pounds of| CONVENT OF THE GRAY NUNS. solid silver! On passing from the great After inspecting the bank and other altar to the entrance I was particularly buildings of note in the beautiful square of struck with the number of persons in the the great church, we proceeded to the conchurch, though it was mid-day, and long vent of the Gray Nuns. The name is from after the hour of late Mass. The Canadians the dress of gray stuff worn by the Sisters. are very pious and good Catholics. This wonderful establishment was founded In the side aisles were numbers perform- in 1692, by the citizens of Montreal and M. ing their devotions, "Stations of the Cross;" Charron, a native of Normandy, and inand before each altar (though there was then tended as an asylum for infirm, for orphans, no public worship or priests in attendance) and superanuated persons. The Sulpicians were groups kneeling in silent prayer. gave great aid to the project by granting the Coming up before the altar of Mary I saw necessary grounds, free of rent, with the many silently walking up, whispering a simple proviso that if the establishment prayer to the Queen of Heaven, and then failed it should revert to them. Under the as silently departing. There were the old first Superior it progressed wonderfully, and young, rich and poor, meeting at the and acquired, by purchase, considerable same altar. The young and richly-dressed property; it afterwards fell away, and the lady, with her dark eye, flowing locks, Brotherhood withdrew. In 1737, Madame Creole face, and jewelled fingers was there, Youville, then a widow with two children, bent before the altar, and praying, perhaps, and possessed of a large fortune, conceived for a father or brother, engaged in the busy the idea of founding a nunnery. Having walks of life. Near her was a mother made suitable arrangements for her two dressed in black, praying for the happy boys, who afterwards became priests, she repose of a loved but lost child-praying, was joined by a few ladies, and thus was perhaps, for grace to bear with Christian established the Gray Nunnery. It has now patience her deep affliction. There I saw about forty Sisters, who spend their lives the wife of the humble labourer who, passing either in attending those within, or visiting, from market, stole into church, and said a consoling, and instructing the sick without. prayer for him who enabled her to procure, It is more properly a house of repose for by his labour, the well-stored basket of the aged and infirm, of both sexes, than an meat and vegetables now deposited at her hospital. At the period of my visit, there side. The old man was there, whose grey were nearly one hundred aged and infirm locks told he had seen many winters; he men, calmly spending the evening of life in now aspired after a happier world; his this happy retreat, and making preparation clothing was coarse and worn, like that of for Heaven. The number in the female Sterne's "Monk;" his face was deeply department was greater. All were occupied, furrowed, which indicated that time and and their contented appearance made you sorrow had been long, and his fine brow, feel they appreciated their happiness. The now bared, had sufficient to indicate that orphan department was yet more interestsweat and toil had been his inheritance. ing, comprising several hundred well-clad He held beads, and whilst with one hand boys and girls in separate places. These he carefully marked the decades, the other are kept at school, and on attaining the pressed closely to his dried and wearied suitable ages, are sent to trades, or hired as heart that cross in which is prospective servants by the wealthy citizens, who know happiness. I have said his dried heart, how to appreciate the value of having but his eyes were not dry, for the pearly religiously trained servants. There is a tears coursed each other in quick succession as he thought on the goodness of that Father whose mercy he now craved through "Holy Mary," What a subject for a painter this venerable old man would make! To me, he afforded a subject of meditation, for he was a measure of time. Such scenes are never seen in Protestant conventicles; theirs is a barren religion, never reaching the heart. department for infants. Madame Youville, whilst visiting the sick, discovered two mur dered children, and resolved to have a portion of the institute set apart for infants. Such a thing as child-murder is now unknown in Montreal; for the Sisters receive the foundlings, and thus prevent those frightful crimes so frequent in England and other countries. The inmates are from On leaving the church I went to see the various nations, and the profession of a front of the edifice, and the two great towers different religion does not prevent the exon each side; they are 220 feet high, and tension of relief to those without the Church. afford, from the top, a view of the entire The Nuns are gentle and kind, and exceedcity, river, and country, for miles. The ingly loved by the inmates, as well as by eastern tower contains a chime of eight the citizens, who regard them as ministering bells; in the western, is placed the monster angels. At the time the parliament house bell, weighing twelve tons, and on which is was burned, the fire threatened the Gray the following statement, in raised letters: Nunnery, thousands of the citizens rushed "The most pious gift of the merchants, to the rescue, and saved the institution. agriculturists, and tradesmen of Montreal." One of the Sisters told me the Irish, on that night, lived amidst the flames, in their | The spire is 225 feet high, and, being in the efforts to preserve the Nuns. After visiting most elevated part of the city, it attracts the all the apartments, we proceeded to the notice of all visitors. It is about 200 feet chapel, which is exceedingly pretty; we long, and of proportionate width. 'Tis very were attended by two Sisters, one an Irish lofty, and not being spoiled by galleries, has lady, who has been for thirty years in the a truly grand appearance. The congregainstitute the other guide was young and tion numbers 8,000; they are all Irish, and very beautiful; she seemed to have charge attended by six Irish clergymen, members of the vestments, and delighted in exhibiting of Saint Sulpice. Attached to the Church the rich vestments of silver and cloth of of St. Patrick is a splendid orphange, lately gold. As she turned over the different erected at an expense of 8,0007. I am sorry the late disastrous fire, which consumed two miles in length, and one half mile in width of the city, has prevented me from noticing the bishop's church and costly palace, both of which are now a heap ornaments, her delicate hands, so frequently This institution owes its existence to the joined in prayer, were very remarkable; zeal of the Rev. Mr. O'Dowd, formerly of they were small, and of Parian whiteness; Drogheda, and who is, as I learned, about her voice, too, had in it a sweetness almost to be raised to the Episcopacy. unearthly-her converse was not with men, but with Angels, and hence it fell on the ear as the music of a lovely song. I felt a kind of humiliation in her presence, as in that of a superior being, and had almost imagined her the impersonation of one of of ruins. the angelic figures from the copy of Raphael transferred from the canvass. Having asked the prayers of this child of Heaven, I left the convent of the Gray Sisters, wishing to the institute every happiness. HOTEL DIEU NUNNERY. It along the Ottawa. On the brow of the mountain is the "Priest's Farm," or The Chateau des Seigneurs de Montreal." belongs to the Sulpicians, and forms a beau tiful summer retreat for the seminarists. Before leaving, I drove round the moun tain at the rear of the city, for a distance of twelve miles. The country is beautiful, and the mansions, cottages, and farms, quite in English style. From the former residence of the governor, near the summit This was founded in 1644 by Madame de of the mountain, we had a full and extensive Bouillon, and was the first religious institu- view of the whole island of Montreal, the tion in Montreal. It affords accommodation" Isle de Jesu," and the wooded expanse to hundreds of the sick and infirm poor. The community is large, and the whole establishment, like that of the Gray Nuns, is kept in the neatest order, and with the most scrupulous regard to cleanliness. The Congregational Nunnery, founded by MarI have now done with Montreal, and in guerite Bourgeois, of France, is a fine my next, shall condense my notes on the St. establishment; it is called the Black Nun- Laurence, Kingston, Toronto, and the Falls nery, from the Sisters' dress. The convent of Niagara, visited during my tour. Lake is large, having a community of sixty Ontario, Lake Erie, Buffalo, and other Sisters, 200 young ladies, boarders, and a places must be briefly despatched, in order large number of externs. The children had that your readers may hear something of vacation, and the Sisters were on re- the west, which I have just reached, and treat, hence we had little opportunity of which opens a wide field of useful and seeing anything but the chapel, which is interesting information for the readers of very neat. The altar was highly ornamented the Tablet and with vases of flowers, not those that Pugin condemns, artificial paper and muslin things; no, but real, fresh, fragrant flowers, reared, not in the drawing-room, but in the air and sunshine of heaven, the dew of morning resting on their perfumed leaves. There they were clothed in beauty exceeding that of Solomon; they were, indeed, nature's meek and beautiful worshippers of nature's God, and were well calculated to awaken in the hearts of the silent but meditative Sisters, emotions of high and holy love for the great Supreme Being who clad them with such loveliness. It would require several letters to describe the convents of the Sisters of Charity, that of the. Christian Brothers, the Bon Secours, and the other churches in the city. I cannot omit a short notice of the new church of Saint Patrick, a noble structure in the Gothic style of the fifteenth century. CATHOLIOUS. MOUNT MELLERAY. MIDST holy mounts by Heaven bless'd, Upon thy mountain-Melleray. The Church. CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK ENDING 26. SUNDAY (Vacant). St. STEPHEN, Proto-M., d. JANUARY. 1. SATURDAY, The CIRCUMCISION of our LORD, double of 2nd class. white. Vesp. of the Feast. Com. of the Octave of St. Stephen. CONVERSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.-It gives us pleasure to state that the work of conversion, though quietly, goes steadily on. Among several very lately received at St. Ann's Church, by Dr. Forbes, we are happy to hear the name of Frederick W. Pollard, A.M., for some time Rector of the Epis copal Church at Nantucket, and more recently the associate of the late Dr. Croswell, of the Church of the Advent, and the Rev. E. M. P. Wells, of St. Stephen's Church, Boston. Mr. Pollard is spoken of by those who know him as a person of the most sterling integrity, deep earnestness, and real devotion to what he believes to be truth. By the Divine grace the example of Mr. Pollard has already, we are grati fied to learn, not been without its effects upon others. -New York Freeman's Journal. Ghost; he then returned to the nave, and made a short address, explanatory of the motives which should lead all to embrace the Catholic Faith. The young lady then pronounced the abjuration required by the holy canons. She then, a Catholic in heart, came forward, and without her veil, received conditional baptism, and took in her hand the lighted taper, so beautiful a symbol of that lamp of Faith she was ever to keep burning. The Priest then, from the steps of the altar, absolved her from the excommunication which she had incurred from heresy, and the sacrifice of the Mass was then offered, at which the newly-received Catholic had the happiness to be admitted to Holy Communion. LADVERTISEMENT.] BAZAAR AND BALLOT. Under the especial Sanction and Patronage of HIS LORDSHIP THE RIGHT REV. DR. DENVIR, Bishop of Down and Connor. A BAZAAR will be held upon SATURDAY, 1ST JANUARY, 1858, for the Benefit of the CHARITIES, under the Management of the Brotherhood of St. Vincent de Paul, Belfast. Each holder of a Ticket will be entitled to a Prize, many of which are Valuable. Contributions will be received by the Members of the Society, and at the COUNCIL ROOOMS, 7, HERCULES PLACE. TICKETS, 1s. To be had from the Members of the Brotherhood, and from the Secretary, JOSEPH MAGILL. Belfast, 16th November. 1852. To Correspondents. L terary communications to be addressed to " Hugh Harkin, Esq., the Editor of the Bulletin, Clarence Place, York." Business letters as hitherto, to the Publisher, Mr. W. E. Stutter, 7, Little Blakestreet, York. Those who wish to insert Advertisements in the Wrapper of the Monthly Parts, will please forward them not later than the 18th of every month. All communications relating to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which may be intended for publicaTHE COUNTESS IDA HAHN-HAHN.-The tion in "The Bulletin," to be forwarded to the Catholic world will learn with interest that the cele-President of the Council of Direction, 7, Hercules Place, Belfast. brated Countess Ida Hahn-Hahn, whose conversion A. (Birmingham)-You are right, in part; the lec to the true Faith was announced some time since, has entered the Order of the Good Shepherd at Angers. This lady, formerly the zealous advocate of infidel and republican principles, is now making the practical experience of the only true liberty, equality, and fraternity-the liberty of religious obedience, the equality of holy poverty, and the glorious fraternity of charity, and thirsting for the salvation of souls. This illustrious convert has chosen the Institute of our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, which has for its end, to rescue from the jaws of Hell the victims of sin, and binding up the broken heart and the wounded spirit-to restore to the poor weary one her long-lost innocence and virtue.-Correspondent. CONVERSION OF MISS STANLEY.--We read in the Univers that on Friday morning, November 19, a most interesting ceremony took place in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, at the Madelaine. Miss Stanley, a young English lady of distinction, presented herself to be received into the Catholic Church. Her father, already a convert, had engaged her to receive instruction, and accompanied her, along with her mother, who will shortly imitate her example. The neophyte was dressed in white, and with a long veil; the description of the ceremony is very beautiful. The Priest, in violet stole, invoked the aid of the Holy| ture on Westminster Abbey and its Associations, which recently appeared in the Bulletin, is an abridgment of two lectures delivered by Mr. Gawthorn, on the Feast and Ootave of St. Edward, which have just been published entire (with notes and an appendix, and a portrait of the Cardinal Archbishop,) by Mr. Stutter, of York, and Messrs. Richardson, London and Dublin. Continuation of the Conversion of Lady Hartwell, in our next. Printed and Published by W. E. STUTTER, at the |