Ecclesiastical Claret

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 29.

Ecclesiastical Claret.

AN occurrence a little over two weeks ago that was not noticed at the time in our news column, was the fire in the old Catholic mission, in the village known as "Mission San Jose," near San Jose city, Cal. The fire itself was not worthy of note, except as imperiling a relic of early times—one of the oldest churches in the State. But one thing about it was noteworthy, and that is, that in the scarcity of water the fire was extinguished by twelve casks of fine old claret, the property of Rt. Rev. Bishop Alemany. Good Catholics will doubtless want the bishop canonized for his great sacrifice, but heretics will inquire whether the wine was for his own use, or whether he was saving it against a possible emergency of that kind. Some people will take this case as an argument in favor of wine, but there are those irreverent enough to claim that even in such a case its effect is only deleterious.