R.F. Legrand
Media
Part of The Little Apostle of the Mountain Province
- Title
- R.F. Legrand
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1924
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- 119 t R. F. PAUL LEGRAND Missionar.11 o.f Bauco, Mt. Proi:frice, drowned in the Bauco rii:er. A few days ago we recei\"ed the sad news that Father Paul Legrand, missionary of Bauco, )fountain Pro\·ince, was accidentally drowned in the river near his mi!'sion, on Sunday, October 12. The dear Father was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1895. He received the H. Priesthooci'in the same town in 192'2. He arrived in the P.I. in November 1923. Was appointed to the mission of Bauco, in Jµne 1924, and died there on Sunday, October 12, 1924. Although accidentally drowned, nevertheless it may be said of Father Legri;.nd: ·'he has given his life for his ftock" and we, his confreres, although sad indeed at heart, we say with the Holy man Job: "God gave him, God hath taken him, may His Holy Will be blessed". Father Legrand started from Bauco on Saturday Oct. 11th in the afternoon on his way to Guinsadan, a hamlet of the Bauco mission, where he was to say mass on the next day. He would have gone on horseback, but on his way· he had to visit a sick dying person, which he could reach only on foot: so on foot he went to save a soul; for a soul he was ready to give his life. Had he not come last year from Belgium, abandoned his old mother and family in tears, to save souls in the Mountain Province? He could have lived an easy life in his country, but no, he wanted as Christ and with Christ to save souls. So, instead of his comfortable home at Brussels, he had since four months taken up his abode in the poor mission-house of Bauco. Young and strong, kind and gentle, already beloved by all the Igorrotes from Bauco and the surrounding ha1.1lets, he was the hope of the mission. Yes, he would save souls and manv. but God was satisfied with his good ~·ill, with the sacrifice of all that he loved most on earth: God took him on Sunday, Oct. 12th at 11 a. m. May God's Holy Will be blessed. On that Sunday, after Mass and an instruction at Guinsadan, Father Legrand came back on foot to Bauco. From 10 to 11 he walked hard. It was hot, "very hot" he said to his boy who was with him. Nevertheless under the burning sun ha.climbed the mountain and arrh·ed, exhausted from the march and the heat, at the Bauco mission. A little later he left his house and went riverwards. The boys thought he had gone to Vila to visit a sick christian, as he often did. It was four in the afternoon. The Christians of the mi..ssion waited on Father Legrand for the benediction. The Father had not come back. Where was he? The people were anxious and went in search of him. Near the river they found his cassock. Was it possible? Too terrible! Down the river they went, searching about in the little water the stream contained. Half an hour later they found the Father, in his bathingsuit, a meter and half under water. Blood flowed from his ears, mouth, eyes etc. Taken by a congestion the poor Father, unronscious, had been carried away by the river. Inst{lad of the expected refreshing bath after his tiring march, he had found death and he, who had begun to work to bring the souls of Bauco to heaven, had gone first. God had received his sacri fic.e and crowned his efforts and good will. l\lay God's Holy will be blessed. R. I. P.