Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and EducationAllies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and Education
Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
France -- Church history -- 19th century; Italy -- Church history -- 19th century
pressed on the left shoulder beyond its proper place to the right. At
the elevation she tried to rise, but to no purpose. She received the
Holy Communion with the utmost difficulty, and in the greatest pain;
but, before the priest had finished the Mass, she rose of her self
from her bed, perfectly cured, and knelt down. She staid in the
church while another Mass was said, en action de Graces; and then
walked back to the house of the Sisters of Charity in the Rue du Bac
(about ten minutes' walk). The Bishop of Carcassonne, who was in the
church, about to say Mass at the time, was told by the Supérieur
Général what had happened. He said to her, "Doubtless, you prayed
fervently?" "No, my Lord," she replied; "I did not pray; I believed."
("Non, Monseigneur, je ne priais pas; je croyais.")
After this account I inquired of the Supérieur Général whether we
might be allowed to see and speak with the young person to whom this
had happened; "for," I said, "people in England will simply disbelieve
it." He consented, and sent for a priest to take us to the house of
the Sisters of Charity, with a request to the Supérieure to let us see
the novice. This priest was her confessor; and from him we heard a
great deal in confirmation of the above account; how hopeless her case
had appeared, and how bent she was upon being carried before
S. Vincent's shrine, which he had discouraged as much as possible. We
also saw the Mère Supérieure, who gave the same information. At length
the novice herself was introduced, who told the same tale in a very
simple and natural way. She described herself as in such a suffering
state that she did not attempt to pray in the church; that she heard a
sort of crack in her neck, and thereupon thrust her face round
from the left to the right side--so that the sister who was with her
put it back just right; but after this she continued in extreme pain
and weakness; tried in vain to rise at the elevation; and only a
little after receiving the Holy Communion felt suddenly quite well.
She had never since felt the least return of her pain. I asked her how
the accident had happened. She said she had taken up the sick sister
to support her, when, by some mishap, the whole weight of her body
fell on her neck. Others told me that her confidence of being healed
had been so great, that before she was carried to the church she had
said to the sister waiting on her, "You may put my 'couvert' in the
refectory for to-morrow, for I shall return on foot." When the surgeon
came, after her return, to see her, the sister told him that the
patient had no need of his services. "What! she is dead!" he said.
"No," replied the sister, "she is cured." "She is cured! How?" He then
asked to see her; and was obliged to confess that it was a perfect
cure. M. Hervé stutters a little, and his agitation at finding a
patient in such a state so unexpectedly cured added to this defect. I
was told that he shook her head about in every direction, exclaiming,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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