Patrick Ryan, Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1884 to 1911, was one time attending confirmation in a small parish. The local pastor was giving the preparatory questions to one rather frightened little girl. He asked her to define the state of matrimony.
"It's a state of terrible torment which those who enter are compelled to undergo for a time to prepare them for a better world," she replied.
"No, no," chided the rector, "that's not matrimony. That's the definition of Purgatory."*
"Leave her alone," said the archbishop, "perhaps the child has been shown the light."
派屈克．瑞安一八八四年到一九一一年任賓夕凡尼亞州費城大主教，有一次出席一個小教區的堅信禮。教區牧師先向一個膽怯的小女孩問些問題，以資準備，叫那女孩解釋matrimony（婚姻）一字。
小女孩回答：「那是一種極痛苦的受折磨狀態，箇中人得捱一段日子，然後才可以前往一個較幸福的世界。」
牧師叱責說：「不對，不對。那不是matrimony，而是Purgatory（煉獄）。」*
瑞安大主教說：「別難為這孩子。她也許已獲天主啟示。」
*根據天主教義，罪人的靈魂須先入煉獄，受煎熬以消罪孽，然後才可赴天堂。