The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-28
CURES By MIRACLES
Brotherhood of Holy Face Do
ing Good Work in Mexico.
WORK IN SANTA CLARA
Can Show More Cures Than
Christian Science.
WORK IN SANTA CLARA


Holy Face. established in Mexico. TIL
society publishes a little monthly bulletir
that rarely fails to record a number o
cures effected by prayers or VOW.
offered to the Holy Face. accompanied
usually by amounting the sick one witt
oil taken from the great lamp Away;
burning before the picture Of the Face Of
Christ, in the ancient church of Santa
! Clara, situated in the street Of the sans
name in this city.
Having made something Of an invest
! igation into this matter of faith-cure in
! Mexico and patiently read the certificates
! Of cures, Of relief brought in cases OF
/ temporal necessity, etc, I would recon-
mend students of psychology and men
| ike Professor James Of Harvard to this
Mexican manifestation of the so-called
miraculous.
There is now established here a small
church of Christian Scientists. faithful
disciples OF Mrs. Eddy, but I do not think
they know much of the work of the
Brotherhood Of the Holy Face or Divine
Countenance Divine Rostro). Possibly
because the Catholic church has in full
operation its great and varied means of
faith-cure, the interest of Mexicans in
the doctrines of the Christian Scientists
is so small. Your pious Catholic in this
country has long been familiar with
miracles OF healing. He is sure Of his
miracles. however, they may appear to
US who stand on the outside and look on
with critical eve
To find this famous church of Santa
Clara you leave San Francisco street and
passing through Vergara come to a street
with names changing at every block, a
great street fun of history, for it leads
from the great plaza, from the spot on
which stood the palace of the Emperor
Montezuma down past the site Of the
first printing Office on the mainland of
the Americas past the ancient hospital
of San Andres and the huge Minerva"
or school of mines, where Gen. Grant
was regally lodged when he was the
guest Of the Mexican government after
his journey around the world.
Standing here within this old church
you are in highly reputed center of
miracles. No Christian Scientist, after
long pilgrimage TO Concord and Pleasant
View. can possibly be fuller of mystical
feeling than the devout Catholic kneeling
in the church Of Santa Clara, in the very
heart of this old city
The church and the practically destroyed
convent have their story. Away back
in the middle OF the sixteenth century
there lived in this city a lady named
Francisco de San Augustin and her five
daughters. very devout all of them. They
had their home in a little house given
them by the city government Of that time
till they could find friends to build them
a convent. All this. we perceive, hap
pened in days when aldermen where
moved by religious motives religion being
a real force in public as well as private
affairs.
Benefactors arose in the person of
Alonzo Sanchez and his wife, who provided
these holy women with house at the
corner of the present Vergara and Santa
Clara streets. 1t was in December.
1879, that these devout ladies. already
having taken on themselves the vows
Of the order of Santa Clara, began to live
H. the new house.
And here were afterward bunt the great
o. the same name. the latter being dedl-
Gated in October, 1861. Nearly a century
later in 1915, the church and a large part
OF the convent were partly destroyed by
fire. The edifces We're rebuilt with pious
zeal. for in those days people We're really
full Of faith. and their religion was some
thing very near to them The present
church dates from the restoration, com
pleted ia March. 1856.
The convent was finally ordered closed |
in the early winter Of 1851. and subse- |
quenuy sold. Shops, dwellings and
stable stand where once only holy women
prayed and meditated. In Santa Clara |
and its history you have. as in epitome. |
the story of the catholic church in Mexico. |
/, is said that the main altar in the |
church was saved from the fire that !
destroyed the earlier church.
As You enter the church. in the very
outer gateway. you have to pass huckst- /
sr's stand where excellent fruit is sold /
every day In the year. This stand seems |
TO cap the work Of commercial degrad- |
alton which has overwhelmed the old |
foundation Of Santa Clara.
The image. or picture OF the Holy Face |
people. 1t Is related that a young maiden /
handed her handkerchief to Jesus as he |
went his weary way 10 Calvary. He wined /
the sweat from his brow and handed the /
handkerchief back 10 the maiden and she /
found impressed on il perfect likeness |
IF the Saviour. likeness 50 exact that /
L was called "Vera-Iconica." or true 4
likeness and the maiden received the I
name Of St Veronica.
The original handkerchief is said to
be preserved in s.. Peters in Rome.
though Milan claims TO have one. The
church Of Santa clara makes no such /
Slain. 1t humbly presents an image OF
he far-famed original The lamp burns
before it as a testimonial of pious devo-
ion.
The oil taken from the lamp and dis
1ensed by the Brotherhood Of the Holy
FACE you ind in most unlikely OF places.
7 quaint tiny shop il the Canejou del
-sQiritu Santo or Holy Ghost lane.
,ttle over TWO blocks away 10 the south.
dost respectable women conduct the shaD
nd from across the counter you get
.eep into the little situnE-room ornamea-
I'd mainly with religious pictures and
r0ases
The shop sells little odds and ends. 1t
'eing Of the familiar type called ..un
stance. where notions are for sale. Also
.ere you may buy revenue stamps ard
ottery tieke1s. At the door hangs the
st or recent prizes. Staid citizens come
.ere 70 compare the tickets in their
ockets with the figures on the list and /
oluetines see what appears 10 them a /
2
.ver the lizzie counter.
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