her I told you of my interview with Cardinal
Barnabo. He received me literally with open arms. After an hour's
conversation on several matters he ended by saying: 'The affection
and esteem which I had for you when you were here before has been
increased by your labors since then, and my door is always open for
you, and I shall always be glad to see you.' He entertains a high
idea of the importance of _The Catholic World."_

"I had a most pleasant interview a few evenings since with Cardinal
Barnabo," he writes in April, 1870, shortly before leaving. "Among
other things he said: 'You ought to be grateful to God for three
reasons: first, He drew you out of heresy; second, He saved you from
shipwreck in Rome; third, He has given you talents, etc., to do great
things for His Church in your country.' He takes great interest in
the Paulists."

Not alone in Rome did he meet with friends, but what follows, written
home in December, 1869, tells that his name and his vocation had been
made familiar to many observant persons in Europe:

"It surprises me to find my name familiar everywhere I have been on
my travels. But magazines, newspapers, telegrams, and what-not have
turned the world into a whispering gallery. But the less a man is
known to men the more he knows of God; so it seems to me, as a rule.
Yet great activity may flow as a consequence of intimate union with
Him whom theologians call _Actus Purissimus._ From the fact of his
being known, I entertain no better idea of Father Hecker than I ever
did; and could I get him again in the United States, he will be more
devoted than ever to his work."

Father Hecker gave his view of the bearing of the Vatican Council on
the future of religion in a letter which will be found below. It
concerns what we have already spoken of at some length and what we
shall again refer to, namely, the relation between the inner and
outer action of the Holy Ghost as factors in the soul's
sanctification. We heard Father Hecker several times affirm that he
received special illumination from God on this subject while in Rome
during the Council, and that something like the very words in which
properly to express himself were then given to him. It was written in
the summer of 1872, but we quote it here before bidding adieu to Rome
and accompanying him in his short pilgrimage among the great shrines
of Italy:

"These two months past I have been driven away from home to one
place and another by poor