Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-20
CURED BY "A RELIC.
A Society Woman. Feeble, Worn and
Wrinkled, Restored to Health.
A MIRACLE OF MODERN DAYS.
Her Flesh Like That of Young Girl,
Her Hearing Restored.
A MIRACLE OF MODERN DAYS
REMARKABLE RECOVERY OF A DEyOTEE

New YORK, Sept 19-When the relic o.
St. Ann was brought to this city last Nav,
il was placed in the little church of st.
Jean Baptiste in East Sixty-ffth street.
The relic, which consisted of piece of the
forearm, was on its way to Ste. Anne De
Beaupre, in charge of French-Canadian
priest When it was thus placed temporar-
ily in Father Tetreaus' custody he took it
first of all to Mrs Rhoda White to be
venerated Mrs White lives at No. 81
East Sixty-third street.
For many years she has aided Monseigneur
Bernard O'Reilly in his labors IN all lands.
She is a woman of assured social position,
the widow of iurist eminent in his day;
her wealth is large and her charities are
generous and widely scattered 1t need
hardly be said that Mrs White is devout
and earnest Roman Catholic. For IL years
Mrs. White had been deaf; she could only
hear, with effort, the shouting of high
pitched voice. Seven years ago, while So
journing in Dublin, she was stricken down
with the grip. 1t sapped her strength and
left her an old woman, feeble, worn,
wrinkled and broken. For seven years she
was possessed of the disease.
Last spring, when she was brought to
this country, her friends and family thought
it was to die. She could only walk few
steps; she grew feebler; for weeks she did
not leave her bed.
Her Condition Was Desperate.
These facts came to the knowledge of the
writer, for he called on her q number of
times during that period for the purpose of
Intervening her on another matter. Her
physicians, her friends, her servants did
l. H. bar haJ
And withal, Mrs White had passed the al
lotted score ofyears-three score and ten.
The priest broue hit her the relic of the fore
arm of st. Ann TO be venerated. 1t is best
to tell what followed in the words of Mon
seigneur O'Reilly, prefacing his statement
bv saying that he is learned priest and, as
well, a cultured man of the world. He is
one of the best known English writers Of mis-
church, and for wears has had a rowing COM
mission from the Pope to pursue his studies
in all parts of the world. He has Travelled
widely and written wisely and well; his
testimony-eyen on matter that passes
into the northumberland be lightly be
waived aside.
"At the time the relic was first brought
to her to be venerated," Dr.. O'Reilly said,
''Mrs. White was in truly desperate con-
dition. The next morning she would not
rest till she had been taken to the church
Of st. Jean Baptiste. She walked down
stairs with extreme difficulty; we drove
the rest OF the way. She remained all day
in the church in spite OF her extreme weak
ness, and she persisted in doing the same
every one of the following days up to Sun
day, the Sth of Nav. Nothing could take
her away from what she felt to be the SEN
sible presence of ST. Ann and that of our
Lord, working, as she said, so visibly on the
bodies and souls of the constantly succeed
ing multitude, who came thither to vener-
ate the relic of the arm which had held and
caressed the mother of God, and who re-
mained to pray SO fervently to that God |
Himself"
The Miracle Was Performed. |
"She spent four days in the church?''
Yes DR.. O'Reilly continued, "and on
that night of, May she was taken back to
her apartments perfectly prostrated and
suffering intensely, so she said to her two
servants as they were preparing her for an
other sleepless night, 'fWell, 1 have asked
St. Ann to cure me, if our Lord deems it
best. But feel as if death were near, and
may His holy will be done" For months
no prescription of her physicians availed to
threatening her reason Her deafness, too, |
had increased to most painful degree.
Still, wonderful to relate, no sooner did
she, that same night, lay her head on her
inflow than she fell into a sleep as sweet as
an infants She awoke only with the
dawn, rang for her maid, and cried out:
'Oh, Mary, am curedi am curedi 1 feel
neither pain nor ache, and 1 can hear all
the voices and sounds of the street. OF |
course l was astonished, and could not suf-
thank God and st. Ann. Ever
since Mrs. White has enjoyed marvellous
health, in spite of her often overtaxing her
strength
Mrs. White is rather above the average
height of women; a trifle stout; seemingly
in perfect health you would take her for a
W oman of 30 at the most 1t is her face
that interests you most-a strong face,
refined, thoughtful; fresh and
delicate in color as the face of young girl,
but of all things you notice the expression
it is the face of an exaltee.
The Flesh of Young Maid.
She says: "Since nv cure have never
felt bodily fatigue. am capable of exer-
tions that have been impossible to me for
quarter of q century," And then she tells
you about her cure; how she lay in the
crowded little chapel day after day.
Prayed not for her own sake, as she PRAYED
St Ann to heal her-''if it be Gods will,
for His glory and for His church"
81 was very sure that it was Gods WILL"
she saws ''He would heal me-if it was
His will. 1t was not for my sake this great
thing was done. What difference could it
make whether an old woman lived few
more wears? No; it was not for me- 1t
was that God might show a sign to the
this wonderful thing was done.
Oh, there is fearful spirit of unbelief in
his age God wrought this miracle as
sign to the nations.
As Mrs White speaks she pushes the
lace back from her wrist; it is indeed the
plump and rosy flesh of young girl You
have noticed that she hears you when you
speak in low voice-in a half whisper.
You see before you the visible end of this
old feeble, deaf woman, broken
with disease, made young and WE'LL full of
Tigor and fresh life; and YOUR philosophers,
Spencerian, drop helpIessly in
pieces.