the priest-sacristan

Irish Jesuit Province

The Priest-SacristanAuthor(s): Clifton MooreSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 41, No. 485 (Nov., 1913), pp. 628-631Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20503481 .

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[ 628 ]

THE PRIEST-SACRISTAN

By CLIFTON MOORE

x; 'T HIS,'J said Mrs. Bellicer, laying down the newspaper, 1 " ought to be a lesson to Elsie."

Her husband looked up from his letters. "I wish you'd be so kind as to tell me what you are talking about," -he observed irritably.

Mrs. Bellicer resumed her glasses and her newspaper. " I will translate," she observed.

Mr. Bellicer was not good at Italian. ' The police have recovered the celebrated picture of the

Madonna and Chi]d," attributed to Mantegna, which formerly hung in the Basilica of San Girolymaio, and was supposed to have been destroyed in the sacristy fire in I9I2. Only portions -of the massive gilt frame were found among the ashes.

" ' A couple of months ago the authorities discovered that photographs of the masterpiece were being circulated among

English visitors, with a view to finding possible purchasers. The Government procured copies, which were sent to the export stations, with orders to keep a sharp look-out to prevent the picture leaving Italy.

" ' To-day the Rome police arrested the priest-sacristan of the Basilica while he was lunching in a city restaurant. He is charged with having himself fired the sacristy for the purpose of ,concealing the theft of Mantegna's canvas.f"

" Very interesting," observed Mr. Bellicer, " if it's true."' " True ? " echoed his wife. " True ? What do you mean,

Lionel ? Of course, it's true. You know what these Italian -priests are 1"

Mr. Bellicer smiled, "I've always found them decent enough fellows when I've talked with them," he commented. "Still, I admit, they may be great ruffians."

Mrs. Bellicer fixed a penetrating glance upon her husband. Lionel," she said in solemn tones, "don't tell me you are

going to turn Roman Catholic f" " My dear Laura, pray don't be absurd !" was the unsym

pathetic reply. The Bellicers had come to Rome to see the sights. Thai

was their ostensible purpose. But at the back of Mrs. Bellicer's



THE PRIEST-SACRlSTAN 629

mind was the hope that Rome would cure her daughter of a tendency towards Romish error.

"'.Let her see everything, my dear Mrs. Bellicer," the rector had said to the lady on the eve of their setting out. "Let her see the Romish Church at close quarters. And if that doesn't open her eyes to the fact that it is nothing but a great money

making machine, nothing will!"'. So far-most distressingly-the fact that the Church of Rome

is a great money-making machine had entirely eluded Elsie Bellicer. Her Romish tendencies became more pronounced daily.

"'You may scoff, Lionel,". observed Mrs. Bellicer, after a long and painful pause; "but if this "-and she tapped the

newspaper-'' doesn't open Elsie's eyes to-to their goings-on, why"-she adopted the rector's phrase-"nothing will !"

" Perhaps," she added, now on the verge of tears, " when you see your own daughter a Roman Catholic you'll realise how serious the position is!"

Again Mr. Bellicer smiled. He knew that his daughter would never do anything so preposterous as to turn Roman Catholic, Fancy a sweet English girl, brought up in that haunt of ancient

peace, Shipton Yardley, doing anything so outlandish as to iturn Roman Catholic !

Elsie Bellicer was at an early Mass. When she returned her mother placed the newspaper paragraph severely before her.

The girl read the paragraph through, and then returned the newspaper with the single comment:

"It's very odd I' "Odd! " exclaimed Mrs. Bellicer. "Odd, you call it ?

For a priest, who is supposed to be so perfect " Rubbish," murmured Elsie, gazing meditatively into her

coffee cup. "Priests are supposed to be sinners, like you and me."

"Thank you ! You heard that, Lionel ? Calls her mother a sinner !"

Mr. Bellicer got up. "If you two women are going to

tsquabble about religion," he said, " I'm of" A stony silence ensued, till, at last Mrs. Bellicer could bear

it no longer. " Odd! " she cried. " Yes, I should think it was odd, setting fire to a sacristy and stealing a picture."

Elsie was moved to explain. "I merely meant that the paragraph was odd in itself. It says the authorities have recovered the picture, but it does not say when or where or

AOL. XLZ.-No. 485



630 THE IRISH MONTHLY

how. It says they have arrested a priest, but it does not say that they actually have any evidence against him. There's a vagueness about it-I've noticed that before in these para graphs about wicked priests."

Mrs. Bellicer cast her eyes up to the ceiling, as -who should say: "Was there ever such perversity!"

But she was patient. She was patient with her child. " What possible advantage could it be to anybody to make:

such a charge if it was not true ? " she demanded. " Who knows? " murmured Elsie. " There are so many

advantages to be derived from attacking the Church. There's. always the plunder, you know, and the satisfaction of making good men suffer; and then, besides, priests and monks and nuns are such useful scapegoats-like Nero and the early Christians, don't you know ? "

Mrs. Bellicer, like her husband, got up. "I think you forget. the respect that is due to your mother," she remarked.

The paragraph had interested Elsie. She determined ta make inquiries. She had often prayed in the Basilica of San Girolymaio, and she had noticed there an old fatherly priest,. whom she now decided to ask for information.

At lunch she announced, rather abruptly, that she had found out the truth about the picture. The authorities, she said, had

made a mistake. Really and truly they had made several mis takes. They were quite wonderful, she said, the authorities.

The picture was in the monastery of San Giovanni, outsidez Rome.

" Dear me! Then that statement in the paper was a pure: fabrication ? " inquired Mrs. Bellicer.

" Oh, no! Not quite. You see the matter is rather com plicated. The original Mantegna was never in the sacristy at all; the sacristy picture was always known to be a copy. Still,. the Fathers prized their picture very much, nevertheless."

Mr. Bellicer interposed. " Tell me," he said, " is there any' original Mantegna in the case ? "

"Oh, yes! It belongs to a municipal councillor." "And did he steal it from the sacristy ? "

"Dear no. As I said before, the original was never in the sacristy. As likely as not he bought it from an impoverished nobleman. And now he wants to sell it."

Mrs. Bellicer abruptly went out of the room, returning presently with the morning's paper in her hand.

" ' Photographs of the masterpiece were being circulated.



THE PRIEST-SACRISTAN 63I

among English visitors with a view to finding possible pur chasers,' " she quoted. "t Will you kindly explain that ? " she said.

Certainly. This municipal person has circulated the photographs. But when they became too noticeable, and the authorities were obJiged to interfere, there was only one thing to do, of course-blame a priest."

"You will tell me next that there never was any fire in the sacristy ! " exclaimed the elder lady.

"Neither was there, to speak of," Elsie rejoined. "Merely some old lace ignited by a candle-flame. But it was a warning to the Fathers. They removed their treasured picture to the

monastery." "And so this priest-sacristan is as innocent as a dove, it

seems? "Oh! the dearest, sweetest old man! I've been talking to

him all the morning." "Talking to him.? You've been to the prison ?"

"Bless your innocence, mother, dear, they haven't arrested him. They wouldn't think of arresting him."

"But the paragraph ? "Merely their fun. The dear authorities !"

Mrs. Bellicer was struck dumb. But for a moment only. " And you believe all this ?" Elsie good-humouredly nodded her head. " Then what about the portions of the massive gilt frame

which were found among the ashes?" " Ashes ? Ashes of a few bits of old lace? Besides, the

picture never had a gilt frame. The frame was-and is-of black wood."

"'Dear me! All this is very interesting. You'll tell me next there was no priest-sacristan, after all."

" Neither was there, dear mother. A lay-brother was doing duty as sacristan at the time of the fire. Dear old Father

Battista was at the monastery for his health. Hence the fire. The lay-brother was perhaps a little careless."

After luncheon Mrs. Bellicer had a quiet talk with her husband alone. "You see what is going to happen, don't you ? " she

inquired bitterly. "A girl who will believe that preposterous

story will believe anything. Mark my words ! we shall see her a Roman Catholic !"

And they did. CLIFTON MOORE.



the priest-sacristan

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