Page 68 - La Messe du Revenant / Mass of the Ghost

ISSUE : Issue 57

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/6/1

grace de Dieu. y aurait-i' pas personne pour servir ma messe?" Le vagabond, lui. a evanoui par la peur. Quand le jour s'a fait, il a ete retrouver son pretre pour y center ga. Le Pretre lui a dit, "Miserable! t'es capable de servir la messe! Vas-t-en, puis retourne k I'eglise de soir." "Ah, b'in. Allright." qu'il a dit. Il s'a plante au mitan de I'eglise. A min? uit, voil' que qa arrive encore. Quand le pretre a ete habilie, il a fait la meme demande. Alors le vagabond s'a leve p'is il a dit, "Monsieur le cure, j'suis ici pour ga, moi, pour servir la messe." Il s'en a ete k lui. Cetait une basse messe. II ecoutait toute; p'is quand g'a venu au lavabo, le pretre s'a lave les mains. Le vagabond se tatait tous les membres, il se demandait si y revait pas. Quand la messe a ete finie, le pretre y a tape sur I'epaule. II a dit. "Cette messe devait etre dite pour que nous puissions entrer au paradis. Et je pouvais pas la dire sans avoir un servant de messe. Toi, tu etais un vagabond. A c't-heure, ce que t'as fait pour nous autres t'ouvre les portes du ciel." Le vagabond a repondu. "Moi vagabond! Non, j'ai jamais ete ga!" "Quoi-ce que t'as fait dans ta vie?" a demande le pretre. "Je m'ai trouve une fois dans une maison." a dit le gars. "Une soeur restait dans cette maison- 1'. J'y ai demande si je pouvais loger 1'. Elle a repondu: 'Vous pouvez loger avec moi. j'sus toute seule.' Pis j'ai couche avec. J'ai mis un pied dans le couvent. p'is ja'i mis le Saint-Esprit en? tre nous deux." Le Pretre y a dit. "T'etais vagabond, mais la charite que t'as faite au- jourd'hui t'ouvre la porte du ciel." ff?' Left: Charles Bourgeois In his early 20's Our thanks to Fr. An? selme Chiasson for his edited transcription of this story. Fr. Chiasson carefully distinguishes between a tale and a ieg| end. He told us that "Le Messe du Revenant" is a legend because it is something real and because it is located in the place in which it is told. Thanks also to Charles D. Roach for providing the photographs of his grandfather. Charies d Lagode Bourgeois, son of Lazare Bourgeois and Hdl'ne Chiasson, was born in Cheticamp, Au? gust 3,1871. He married 4 times, and was the father of 6 chil? dren, 2 of whom are still living. A good storyteller, his home was frequently the site of gatherings of young people from the neighbourhood, who came to hear his tales. He died at Cheti? camp March 23,1959, at the age of 87. Our thanks to Christiane Tanner, Westmount, for her help in dis? covering this story. From either direction on the Cabot Trail, plan for comfort and welcome Piper's Old Manse GUEST HOUSE with Bed and Brealcfast , OPEN YEAR ROUND , PIPER'S TRAILER COURT Featuring: Fully Licensed Dining Room Laundromat Mini-Mart Ocean-Side Campsites Swimming Pool 929-2233 929-2067 Indian Brook on the Cabot Trail (Halfway between Baddeck and Ingonish) WE HAVE INFORMATION ON YOUR PROPERTY - AND YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT IT IS! We iiave over 20 pieces of information on every number you see on tliis map, and we liave a number on every property in Cape Breton, Ricfimond, Victoria, and Inverness Counties. Tiiat means we have a number on every property in Cape Breton island. -' A SERVICE WORTH INVESTIGATING -- Land Registration and Information Service Property Mapping and Records Division 66 Wentworth Street, Sydney, N. S. Bl P 6T4 CONTROL SYSTEM of concrete monuments for surveying BASE MAPS: Orthophoto for rural areas. Line Maps for cities, town, villages PROPERTY MAPS with boundary information and ownership information REGISTRY ASSISTANCE for government and private users Your Property Is Our Business • Asl< Us About It TELEPHONE (902) 563-2280 or 563-2281 An Agency of the Council of Maritime Premiers From BADDECK 68

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