p. 229The Funeral

It was shortly after midnight, on the vigil of All Saints, that St. Alonso had expired. His room was cleared of its poor contents; and his body, clad in his habit and cloak, was laid upon a bier. At early morning, the bell of the College tolled, announcing to those round about that one of its members was dead. A lady who lived near the College, but who did not know of our Saint’s death, saw a light, like that of dawn, streaming from its windows. She called her servant, who saw the same.

Another strange fact was, that though the College bell could not be heard far off, at once the news flew through the city that Brother Rodriguez was dead. The very first and highest in Palma, with the Procurator Royal¹1Marimon says that the Viceroy, Don Ramon Caforteza, came to the College. Colin, on the contrary, says that, in his absence, the Procurator Royal, his representative, came in his place. Caforteza appears to have been at Alcudia, in the north of the island, owing to an alarm of a Moorish invasion. V. Ceremonial de Arch. de Mallorca, 1617, Nov. 12. and the members of the Royal Council at their head, came in crowds to the College to kiss the hands of the departed Saint. Besides the magistrates, the judges, and the nobility, the townsfolk, the Canons of the Cathedral, the parish priests of the various Churches, and numbers of Religious of different Orders surged in and out of the College during the whole morning. Many there were who placed their Rosaries and handkerchiefs upon the corpse to be sanctified by its touch; and the sick and the crippled pressed around it, in hopes of obtaining cure through his prayers. Not only his room, but also the passage leading to it, the cloister of the great quadrangle, and the Porteria, were crowded.

Amongst these, a priest came there more from curiosity than from devotion. He had a high idea of St. Alonso as a virtuous lay-Brother; but he thought such signs of veneration as were then being paid to him were quite beyond his due. However, he had not the courage to withdraw, but, like the rest, he threw himself upon his knees at the side of the bier. But, instead of kissing the hands of our Saint, he resolved merely to press to his lips a crucifix which St. Alonso held; when, on a sudden, he beheld the humble Brother, clad in a magnificent robe of brocade, richer than any texture of this earth, and with rays of glory streaming from his whole person. So changed was the priest by this wonderful vision that he could not tear himself away from the Saint’s body, but would have kissed again and again his hands and feet, had not he been forced to make way for others. Nor did he leave the room till the remains were removed. He followed them into the Church, and spent a long time on his knees by the tomb, and left there a painting commemorative of this event.²2This is still preserved at Montesion. “The Saint is lying on his bed, clad in his religious habit, with his biretta standing on the pillow, and round about him are Religious, old and young; while a Don of high degree, in ruff and cloak, is kneeling at his feet. The priest is in front, looking full into St. Alonso’s face, and the inscription below speaks of deep gratitude for great favours received.” V. “Month,” Dec., 1888, p. 551. But, more than all this, from that day the priest began to follow out most faithfully all the pious practices which St. Alonso had, during his lifetime, been accustomed to impress on his friends.

At one o’clock, in order to content the crowds which were gathering outside, and especially the ladies, who could not enter the College precincts, and were waiting in the Church, the body was removed thither. The precaution, however, had been taken to erect a platform about five or six feet high, which was covered, as well as the steps leading up to it, with black cloth. “We formed in procession;” says Father Marimon, “and carried the body of the Servant of God from his room to the Church. The cloister walk was so full of people, that we had the greatest difficulty to keep in anything like good order, even as far as the Church; but when we got inside, the noise of the multitude of people was such that we could not make our voices heard, and it was impossible to continue the chaunt.”

“The rush of those present—and the first ladies of the city were foremost among them—to see the body, and to kiss its hands, was so violent that the procession was entirely broken, and it seemed impossible to carry the remains to the place prepared for them. We determined to put shoulder to shoulder around the corpse and so in serried ranks to force our way through the crowd to the platform. We succeeded at last, but only after a considerable time. As the catafalque was very high, and four Fathers were posted to guard the body, and prevent anyone whomsoever from going up the steps, the crowd became quieter, and they were satisfied with seeing Brother Alonso from a distance as he lay lifted high above all upon his bier. The catafalque was surrounded by a number of wax lights, which were sent by various pious persons. Of these, four had been offered by one who had been cured by Brother Alonso.”

“As soon as ever the body was laid out, the various Communities of Religious came in procession with the cross at their head to visit it; and they sang the Office with great devotion around the remains. It was wonderful to see that the oldest and more eminent amongst them gave the greatest proofs of their affection. They well remembered that the holy Brother had been their master in piety and in the spiritual life, when he was porter and they were students at the College. They talked of this to everyone, and they were delighted at the concourse of people, and at this public tribute to the virtue and holiness of the Father of their souls.”

“The Cathedral Chapter decreed to come in a body, with all the clergy of the city and the processional crosses both of the Cathedral and of all the parishes.³3A record of this decision is in the MS. Repertorium del Cabildo de Mallorca. It states that the Chapter resolved to go through the “Absolutions” over the body of Brother Rodriguez, and it notes that it was said that all the parishes were going to do the same. Nov. 1, 1617. There is also a long entry of the fact in the Ceremonial del Archivo, Palma, a diary, already frequently quoted in these pages, of the chief events of the city. It ends with these pious expressions: “We may believe that Our Lord has him in His Holy Glory, on account of his exemplary life. May he be an intercessor before our God and Lord to obtain pardon for our faults and sins.” Fray Simon Bauza, the Bishop, was very poorly, but, on hearing of the decision of his Canons, he sent his choir and ordered them to chaunt with an organ accompaniment, so as to make up for his enforced absence. Not even one of the dignitaries of the Chapter failed to come, and there were in all three hundred clerics. Our church was absolutely crowded, though no one had been invited; and the Viceroy,⁴4V. supra, p. 229, note 1. with the magistrates, judges, and all the aristocracy who had been at the College to venerate the holy body, were also present. Thus the afternoon went by, until the moment arrived for the service of the dead and for the funeral.”

“The whole time the body of Brother Alonso was in the Church it was wonderful to see the devotion of the faithful. On every side they presented their rosaries, their handkerchiefs, and silken ribands, to the four Fathers who were mounting guard. They begged for bits of his cloak and the measure of the body⁵5Such measures of the Saints are common objects of devotion in Catholic countries. of the Brother whom they venerated as a Saint. At last, as it was impossible for the four Fathers to satisfy everyone, two Dominican Fathers, men of years and greatly esteemed for their learning and piety, and very devout to Brother Alonso, got up on the platform with our Fathers, and helped them to touch the hands and the face of the servant of God with the Rosaries, and to give them back when touched, to their owners. The number of Rosaries were to be counted by thousands, and it is inconceivable how they were sought for, not only by the common people but even by persons most distinguished for learning and position in the city.”

It might well be looked upon as marvellous, that, of all the quantities of Rosaries which were handed up and returned to the surging crowd—Father Marimon puts them down at about eight thousand—none of them were lost to their owners. Mothers even brought their sick children, and begged the Fathers to lift them up to kiss the hand of the Brother, and God seems often to have rewarded their faith by startling cures.

Among these, was a child ten months old, whose eyes were so inflamed that they could not endure the feeblest light. It had been suffering for four months, and no medical skill seemed to be able to cure it. The mother, Frances Saura, had heard of the death of “the Saint of Montesion,” as Alonso was popularly called, and she hastened with her baby boy to the Jesuit Church. She persuaded Father Michael Redó, one of those at the bier, to lift the infant to the Saint’s hands, and to apply them to its eyes. Instantly, the eyes were perfectly cured and became bright and healthy-looking, and the little baby gazed about with evident pleasure. The mother at once cried out, “See, this child, my boy, is cured! It is quite well again, thanks be to God!” She began to show it to all her friends round about. From that day the boy grew strong and well, and never had a return of his illness. Other more hidden, but greater, favours were granted to those who pressed around the lifeless tabernacle of God’s holy servant.

Meanwhile, the Community were singing the Matins for the Dead in the sanctuary, and although, because the day was closing in,⁶6Father Marimon tells us later on that it was dark at 5 o’clock. they had hurried on as fast as possible, the Angelus rang just as they had finished. The sermon was yet to be preached; but the Magistrates begged that it might be put off till the following Friday, November the third, the first free day after the two solemnities of All Saints and All Souls, on which the funeral service could be celebrated with greater ceremony. The request to defer the solemn service till Friday was willingly granted. But it was impossible to delay the burial till that day. The Fathers therefore decided to bury the body at once in the vault which had been prepared for it in the Chapel of Our Lady. Accordingly, Father Torrens mounted the pulpit to inform the people of what had been arranged. The moment he appeared, perfect quiet was restored. He spoke for a quarter of an hour, and invited the public to return on the Friday, but announced that Brother Rodriguez would be buried then and there.

“After these few words,” says Father Marimon, “we all, that is to say, the whole Community, with a number of other Religious and some Secular Priests, came processionally into the Church. We entered by the door of the cloister;⁷7The door leads to St. Ignatius’ Altar, at the Gospel side of the Church, nearest to the sanctuary. but we had hardly got inside before the procession was broken up, for we could not pass through the crowd. It was so dense that, with all the good will in the world, the people were unable to make way for us. We had intended to carry the body of the Servant of God from the platform to the Lady-Chapel; but this was out of the question. From the door by which we had entered it was but a short step to the catafalque, being in fact, half the width of the Church, and yet it took half an hour to reach the body.”

“At last we arrived there and sang the burial service, but the crowd was so dense between us and the Lady-Chapel, that we saw it was hopeless to endeavour to reach it, and, as night was coming on, we begged the people to leave the Church. They were told that the interment would not take place for the present. Whilst the people were off their guard, partly by main force, and partly by address, we managed to carry the body back into the College, by the door facing that by which we had just entered, and we placed it in the first room we came to, which was that of Father Rector. At once all the doors of the College were closed, so that no secular could enter. Then by fair words an effort was again made to get the crowd to leave the Church. Some, however, though it was then eight o’clock, were so obstinate that we could not persuade them to go.”

“It was nine o’clock before we were able, at length, to clear the people out of the sacristy and cloister. When they were all gone, Father Rector called together his Consultors, and it was then determined to bury our Brother secretly, and at a late hour that very night. The reason of this decision was, because, if the interment were to take place the following day, the Feast of All Saints, or on the Friday following, the day fixed for the solemn service and for the sermon, we should have found ourselves in a very great difficulty. In fact, every hour the desire to see and reverence the body of Alonso only increased, and the marvels which had been wrought, and all that had been said about the Brother, made this desire the stronger. Most of ours profited by the occasion to remain for a long time beside the sacred remains, so covered with the insignia of the mortification and of the Cross of Jesus Christ.” The face and hands of our Saint were found to be quite soft and yielding, as if he were alive; but the skin of the forefinger and of the thumb of the right hand was quite callous, from his constant counting of his beads during life.⁸8V. Circular letter of Father Julian. Boll., p. 604 B. “Some cut off locks of his hair, others pieces of his habit. All of us touched his remains with our Rosaries, or with pictures or medals. The lowliness of the virtues of the lay-Brother gained a glorious triumph over the knowledge and talents of all who were around, though there were among them Professors of Philosophy and Theology, preachers, quondam Rectors, aged and venerable Fathers.”

“We then placed the body of our Brother Alonso Rodriguez in a solid coffin of wood; and so we bade him adieu, with confidence that we should see him surrounded by great glory in Heaven. We carried him in procession, but singing in a very low tone, for fear lest we should be heard by those who were still waiting outside the Church doors. We laid the body in the Chapel prepared for it, the usual burying place of ours.⁹9This is the middle chapel on the Epistle side. We went through all the ceremonies of Holy Church, with tender devotion. It was eleven o’clock when this last service began. The Feast of All Saints would soon commence, and doubtless it was so ordained that at the very time that this Feast was being celebrated, he had entered into the company of all the Saints. Our Sovereign Lady, the most Blessed Virgin, gave him hospitality in Her Chapel of the Assumption,¹⁰10This chapel has a double dedication—to that event and to the Immaculate Conception. both because of the Brother’s great devotion to that mystery—we know that he received three signal favours on its beautiful feast—and to assure us that the Queen of Heaven assisted at the entry of the soul of Brother Alonso into his glory,¹¹11Father Julian, in his circular letter, written on the 31st of October, the night after our Saint’s death, states that Alonso had learnt by a revelation that he should not have to pass through Purgatory. V. Boll., loc. cit. which he will enjoy with God for all eternity.”

Though the two days of All Saints and All Souls are so popular in Catholic countries, and though all the Churches in Majorca were well attended on the two days, yet crowds came to the College Church to hear the sermons, in the morning and in the evening on both days, hoping to learn some fresh facts about the deceased Brother, and about the wonders which were said to be wrought by his intercession. A miracle which was worked in favour of a little child and afterwards attested to in the process of canonization, and other wonders which were reported to have taken place, brought the people in crowds to the Jesuit Church, at the very break of day, on the Friday morning. At eight o’clock it was already full, and, although the building is spacious, there was not room for a quarter of the persons who wished to enter. A catafalque was erected in the Lady-Chapel, near the grave of our Saint, and a great number of candles, sent by the faithful, were burning around it. The Procurator Royal, magistrates, and all the highest of the land, both of the Church and the State, were present at the service. Father Julian, the Rector, sang the Mass, assisted by Fathers of the College. When service was over, Father Torrens, the intimate friend, as we have seen, of our Saint, and who, as Father Marimon says, knew more about him in matters out of Confession than anyone else in the College, began the sermon, which lasted for about an hour and a half. The only regret of those present was that the delicate health of the Father prevented him preaching for twice that length. It was no mere panegyric; but it lifted the veil to most of those who were there present, and showed forth the virtues of the humble Brother and the marvellous favours which he had received all through his life; and a fresh burst of enthusiastic devotion was evoked. “The audience was rapt with attention, and almost stupefied.”¹²12Postscript of Letter of Father Julian.