four o'clock in the evening
cried Sister Teresa , with tears springing to her gentle eyes . `` Listen to this , from another letter , telling how he came to St. Stephen 's . It is like a beautiful painting -- you can see how it looked ! ` The bishop there found the faithful kneeling on the grass , and singing canticles in English : the country women were nearly all dressed in white , and many of them were still fasting , though it was four o'clock in the evening ; they having indulged the hope to be able to assist at his Mass , and receive the Holy Communion from his hands . An altar had been prepared at the entrance of the first court under a bower composed of four small trees which overshadowed it with their foliage . Here the bishop put on his pontifical robes . After the aspersion of the holy water , he was conducted to the chapel in procession , with the singing of the Litany of the Blessed Virgin ; and the whole function closed with the prayers and ceremonies prescribed for the occasion in Roman Pontifical . '