Chronicles of Notre Dame du Lac
Edward Sorin, CSC -- Translated by John M. Toohey, CSC, 1895

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1880

pg 509       my life to preach what I knew of the Blessed Virgin.  My first 
             sermon, written at home in 1837 when I was only subdeacon, was on 
             Our Blessed Mother, from the sacred text: Qui elucidant me, vitam 
             aeternam habebunt.  I read it all to my dear parents before I 
             preached it, and they seemed to feel more than pleased with my 
             first oratorical essay.  From this first debut until I left all, I 
             preached often, my first love increasing year after year.
                  But on the day of our departure, when I opened my new 
             Breviary for vespers, [until then the Roman liturgy was totally 
             unknown to me, having never used but that of our diocese], I was 
             struck to see that we were starting on a beautiful festival day of 
             the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of the Snow.  The impression I 
             received from the happy coincidence was not to be soon 
             obliterated.  I had absolutely nothing to do with the choice of 
             the day.  How often have I not thanked her since for choosing it 
             herself, as a proof that she wished us to leave for our new