One piece of first-hand evidence, however, of a somewhat similar stone-throwing phenomenon I can quote. I owe it to the great kindness of Father John L. Lucchesi, S.J., for many years missionary in Alaska. The setting and the wording add so much to the value of the testimony that I make no apology for quoting the letter exactly as I received it.
“Holy Cross Mission – Alaska, January 18th, 1937. P.C.
Reverend, Dear Father Thurston,
Your Reverence must perhaps be surprised in receiving a letter from the far-off frozen Alaska. This is the reason. Last September, I being now in my 79th year of age, of which nearly forty lived in Alaska, was called from the wilder mission of Akulurak to this, more progressive and less hard, I suppose, ad curandam valetudinem vel senectutem {i.e., to husband out my health or old age} and with pleasure I found here “The Month,” with your interesting articles. I though that perhaps one or two of my personal experiences in the preternatural would not be useless.
One happened just before my starting for the Missions in 1896. I was then Minister {this is the Superior who has charge of the household arrangements and discipline in a college} in our residence in Bastia, Corsica. Very near us there was a large Academy for girls, under the care of the Sisters of St Joseph, from Lyons, France. All was going on well, when without any apparent reason, a strange event caused them great surprise.
In the yard, about 40 or 50 yards long, connecting the house with the laundry, began to fall little stones or pebbles, without, however, striking or hurting anybody. Nobody could see where they were coming from, though all were watching and trying to find out the point of departure. This went on for days. The Superior, not knowing what to do, sent for us. Our Superior, Father P., a very venerable old man but very timid, declined to go and sent me in his place. I went and saw with my own eyes the rain of pebbles, that were falling pretty thickly all around me, nor could I find any cause or explanation of the phenomenon.
I don’t remember exactly what I did, but I am pretty sure I got and said some blessing or prayer from the Ritual, with copious aspersions of holy water. So far as I can still remember after so many years, the phenomenon did not stop at once, but after a while, viz., one or two days, and for ever.”
In ‘The Month’ August 1937.