The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-13
THE BRITISH LoURDEs.
Miraculous Powers Claimed for the
Well of St. Winifrids.
From LONDON PubIic Oplnion.


St. Winifride's Well, Holywen, Flint
shire, has a singularly romantic history.
st. Winifride was born about the year A
D. GAO, near the spot where her well now
stands. She was of royal race, and was
a collateral descendant of the renowned
King Arthur. From her childhood she
was brought up in the fear and love of
God by st. Beuno her uncle, who had
church and monastery on ground which
his father had given him on his own es-
tates. In her early years she conseerated
her virginity to God, and by a perpetual
vow of chastity devoted herself to be the
spouse of Jesus Christ. This did not pre-
vent Caradoc, the son of the king of
North Wales, from being enamored of
her beauty and seeking her in marriage,
but st. Winifride turned a deaf ear to his
importunate requests. At length, mad
dened by disappointed passion, he swore
that if she did not yield to him he would
have her life, and as the maiden fled
from him in terror to seek refuge in the
neighboring church, he drew his sword
and at one blow severed her head from her
body. The deed was done when the peo-
pie were assembled in the church, and St
Beuno was just about to say mass. Hear
ing her cries, they fastened to her aid.
and found her lying there dead, while
close by on the very spot where her head
had fallen, a clear and rapid spring of wa
ter had newly gushed from the earth. st
Beuno took up the sacred head, Joined it
to the pale body, and, covering both with
his cloak, calmly proceeded to the altar
and offered the holy sacrifice. When it
was ended he knelt down by the saints
body offered a prayer to God, and Or
dered the cloak which covered it to be
thrown back. Thereupon st. Winifride
awaked like one from sleep, and rose up
with no sign of the mortal blow except a
thin white circle around her sacred neck
She afterwards took the veil at Gwyther-
in, not far from Bettws-y-Coed. where
after time, she was elected abbess and
died at venerable age, renowned for
sanctity. Even during her lifetime many
miracles were wrought by her interces-
sion, and since her death up to the pres
ent day she still continues to work many
temporal and spiritual wonders for those
who visit her shrine. and battle in the
holy well which bears her name.
Large bodies of Catholics from all over
the country have been paying pilgrimages
to the well, and great difficulty has been
experienced in finding accommodation.
Under the head of Miracles in
the Seventeenth Century" Ro-
man Gath Catholic publication detailed
have been wrought by ST. Winifride's
we'll These were taken from a record
compiled by Father Layton. One Of these
miracles" is narrated thus: I'm the year
1905, Sir Roger Bohemian, knight of the
bath, was afflicted with a swelling in one
of his feet, which subsidized into a malady
closely resembling leprosy. He consulted
a Welsh physician, DR.. John David Rhese
who has studied his art at Siena and
Padua and having practiced In many ci-
ties of Italy, had eventually settled in
England. DR.. Rhese wrote a detailed ac-
count of the case which puzzled his ex-
perience, and sent it to London by the
hands of a Mr.. Beale, Sir Rogers bust
ness agent, to be laid before the college
of physicians. That learned body replied
that DR.. Rhese appeared thoroughly to
understand the case and had applied the
right treatment, adding that the doctor
was well known to them by reputation.
and was very learned man, with whom
none of the physicians of London could
presume to compare. If he could not eff
feet cure, the resources Of the healing
art must be dispaired of. DR.. Rhese, who
was Catholic. on this persuaded his pa
tient to make the pilgrimage to ST. Wini-
fride's well, and the journey of eighty
seven miles from his seat at Rotherwas
was with difficulty but successfully
achieved. Sir Roger bathed in the sacred
stream, from which he emerged com
pletely cured, and his skin as sound as
that of a newborn infant, nor did his
malady ever return"