The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-20
MODERN MIRACLES.
SCENES WITNESSED EVERY YEAR
NEAR PITTsBURG.

PITTSBURG, PA, June 12--On Troy Hill,
tust across the Allegheny river from this
iron city, there have been enacted to-day
scenes that made all who witnessed them
fancy that they had been transported over
the sea to some foreign country. For twenty
wears past the Roman Catholic church Of
the Most Holy Name, which occupies a
commanding position near the brow of the
Hill. has been Mecca to which halt, lame
and blind pilgrims Of every faith, ma
tionality and condition of life have come
in ever-increasing numbers from all
parts Of our country to seek relief from
their physical ailments at the hands of its
venerable pastor, Rev. Father Suithertus
Gottfried Mollinger. a remarkable man
who has done remarkable work, and who,
in addition to a profound knowledge of
medical science, is believed to posses mi
raculous gifts as healer of all diseases
Whatever power he has in this way Father
Mollinger exercises freely without money
and without price upon all who come to
him, attributes his success to his having
placed himself in boyhood under the i'm
mediate attention of ST. Anthony, generally
regarded as the most powerful of all he
saints in his intercession for the cure off ali
the ills that flesh is heir to. In his honor
Father Mollinger has erected magnificent
chapel at a cost of $4,000 out Of his own
private purse.
ST. ANTHONY, THE HEALER.
June Is is st. Anthony's day, at which
time, as well as upon the two days imme-
diately preceding and upon the two imme-
diatelY following it, that great saint. An
thony of Padua, is believed to possess a
special power, and to be most strongly in
clined to employ it in benalf of all who
then show him honor and reverence. Con-
sequently, more than 1000 people. af-
ficted with a vast variety of diseases, have
been assembled on Troy hill, in the vicinity
of the church of the Most Holy Name and
St. Anthony's chapel, invoking the aid of
Father Mollinger and his patron saint
against their bodily infirmities. More than
half of these afflicted ones are pilgrims
from all parts of this country. New
York, Boston, Baltimore and Chi
cago were well represented. Two have
travelled all the way from San Francisco,
while hundreds come from cities and towns
in almost every state in the union. The
great saint, to whom so many come to pay
their homage, and who, in regard to the
miracles attributed to him, is, perhaps, the
most remarkable ofsall the saints, was born
at Lisbon, in the kingdom of Portugal,
Aug. Is, 1895. At the age of % years he
entered the franciscan convent and soon
became famous for his power of converting
hereticS by his preaching. 1t was in this
connection that many of his most marvel
GUS miracles were performed. 1t is said
that on one occasion, when preaching by
the seashore, he called upon the fishes TO
hear him, and Immediately thousands of
them raised their heads above the water in
a listening attitude.
MIRACLES DURING THE THIRTEENTH CEN
TURY.
This miracle converted all who witnessed
it, as did also that of his causing the cross
to be craven upon the marble steps of the
great cathedral at Lisdon by making the
sign of it in the air. He is said to have con-
verified one hereto by causing his mule to
kneel and adore the host in preference to
eating bundle of hay, though the animal
had been made to fast three days. A poor
woman, who had gone to hear him preach,
leaving her infant at home, found the child,
on returning to her house, standing erect
and unframed in a kettle Of boiling water,
into which it had fallen. On one
occasion he settled the disputed paternity
of new born babe by making it speak
the name of its father. Not only is st. An
thony said tc be healer of diseases, but he
is the patron of animals as well, and at the
great church erected in his honor at Padua,
Italy, 1307-from which he derives the
L
thechurch dedicated to him ina Rome, all
animals are blessed with elaborate ceremo-
MES on st. Anthony's day. His aid is also
to be invoked in finding anything that is
lost, and many incidents are related of the
miraculous manner in which he has caused
lost articles to be found
The first rosy streaks of dawn were scarce
ly visible in the eastern heavens when a
great multitude began the toilsome ascent
Prov III hos fOnt is ,.1
lines of horse cars.
THE BLIND, HALT AND LAME.
They were of all classes and conditions of
men. The carriage of the millionaire cast
its dust upon the laboring man as he made
his pilgrimage on foot, accompanied by wife
and children. Mothers struggling along
with sick babies narrowly escaping being
run over by the haDsoms and other hacks
which filled the thoroughfare. Many, even
those who walked, suffered from some form
Of lameness. Not few were blind The
faces of others told sad tales of scrofula and
other repulsive diseases, while many suf-
fered from internal ailments equally severe,
though no outwa d sign of them was mani
Test. Mingled with these were vast crowd
of sight-seers, and not few devout chris
tians who, though physically healthy, had
come because it was st. Anthony's day,
and they felt that it would be good for
them to be here. The first mass
was celebrated at 5 o'clock a. m. The church,
with seating capacity of abouJ / 200 was
crowded to its utmost capacity, while the
large churchyard ard the street without
were one vast sea of humanity Other
masses followed at 6, 1880, s and 10 o'clock.
just beneath the pulpit and upon its mas
siye oaken front there is carved small
Image of st. Anthony, to which miraculous
powers are attributed. 1t is said that if an
invalid kneeling before this image will rub
MS hand upon its forehead and then rub the
same hand upon the afflicted portion of his
body, at the same time praying devoutly
Tor st. Anthony's aid in effecting cure, he
will subsequently,. be completely healed. At
the termination of every mass great num-
bers OF people push their way to the front of
the church to avail themselves Of the mirac-
ulous powers of the image.
SOME EXTRAORDINARY CURES.
The scene carried one back in fancy to
similar one enacted at the pool of Bethesda
more than ], 800 years ago, when the sick
people of Jerusalem and the surrounding
country sought the miraculous water with
no greater faith than that with which this
throng of nineteenth century lame, halt
and blind applied their hands and lips to the
counterpart presentment of st. Anthony,
Tor many kissed it and all seemed 10th to
leave it, despite the eager pressure of the
waiting throng behind. As each one knelt
before the image no passed his hand over
It's forehead and then over the afflicted por-
tlon of his body, repeating the action three