Prioress Tales

THE PRIORESSE

The Prioress tells a tale set in an Asian town dominated by the Jewry in which usury and other things hateful to Christ occurred. The Christian minority in the town opened a little Christian school for their children in this city. Among these children was a widow’s son, an innocent seven year old who was, even at his young age, deeply devoted to his faith. At school he learned a song in Latin, the Alma redemptoris, and asked the meaning of it. According to his comrade, this song was composed about the Virgin Mary in order to greet her, and also to pray to her to be our help and succor when we die. The seven year old then said that he would learn the Latin song before Christmas. Day by day his comrade taught it to him secretly on the way home until he knew the song by heart. The seven year old would sing it twice a day, once on the way to school and once on the way home. The heart of the child was set on Christ’s mother.

As he was walking home from school o...