The San Francisco call., 1907-06-30

patron SAINT IN the hOHldH
Catholic calendar-the frstAmer-
ican to be canonized by Rome.
According to authenticated state
ments presented before Pope Plus TX
at a consistory held recently wonderful
miracles have been performed at the
tomb OF Archbishop John Neponlucene
Neumann in st. Peters church in Phil
aoelphia
In and out Of the big church. at the
corner Of Fifth street and Girard ave-
nue.. there is a constant stream of sor-
row laden humanity-the lame. the
halt. the blind. the afflicted and the
crypt Of an old man who gave UP his
life nearly so years ago laboring for
the poor.
Many there are, according to the evil
dence gathered by Archbishop Ryan and
the priests Of philadelphia. who have
gone 10 the tomb afflicted and come
away perfectly healed. A few OF these
cases were brought TO the notice Of
Pope Leo XIII II years ago. and at that
time the late poRtif placed Archbishop
Neumann among the blessed and ven
cradle Of the church's servants Of
God" one Of the first steps toward
canonization. The case, accordingN TO
the canonical domsn law, was then
placed on the calendar.
two devils advocates" IS they are
formally termed, were appointed to in
vestigate the sanctity Of the proposed
saint. Bishop Maus and Bishop Horst
mann were chosen for this work, and
the canonization Of ST. John Nepomu-
Gene is due largely to their inability 10
disprove the miraculous occurrence and
remarkable facts claimed for "the good
bishop" of Philadelphia.
The first F1rrcepdfnVS of the inVeSti-
cation were conducted at the cathedral
in Philadelphia under the supervision
Of Archbishop Ryan. All the witnesses
were examined and the proofs of sane
tity established. The Rev. Father Weis-
sci of the Redemptorist order in Phila-
delphia was appointed promoter" and
directed to carry the documents ap-
proved by the court here to Rome, and
the case was opened under the jurisdic-
tion of Pope Plus TX. who had placed
his imprimature on it. and the formal
bull proclaiming the canoniZation was
the one remaining formality.
One of the miracles reported TO Pope
Plus and the one most replete with hu-
man interest is that of Mary Hume
ker. little girl IL years old, who was
stricken with total blindness. The best
oculists in Philadelphia were consult
ed. but after six months treatment
there was no Improvement. The world
Of sunshine and flowers and beautiful
things had slipped from the child's
grasp. She knew her dolls only by
touch and her books not az all. Grad
ually her conception Of things grew
DINNER and DINNER.
Blind Child Cured
After many months Mary Hunneker
was taken to many oculists in Balti-
more. The verdict was "incurable
blindness" and the advice that the
child be placed in an institution for the
blind. This suggestion struck terror
10 the heart Of the girl and she begged
70 be taken home again. She could
not believe that the sight of her moth
ers face would never greet her again:
that she was to live in q world Of
loneliness, away from the games of
her little playmates: that she would
stand by their hop scotch and hear only
the shuttle of their feet, the count of
their skips and jumps and the ring Of
their laughter; that she would never
see the white robed world of the win
ter time. nor the budding trees in
spring, nor the beautiful flowers and
the shining waters in the parks on
bright summer days, nor the brown
and red and yellow trees she had once
called Indians at the time when the
leaves began to fall. But TO live al
ways in a night world. away from all
had made because he loved the world.
with its sunshine, its stars and its
moon
Then one day Mary asked to be taken
to the good sisters who had taught
her in the days before fever had robbed
her eyes Of sight One of the sisters
told the child TO pray to the Good
Bishop John" TO intcrcede 5n her be-
half
Mary Hunneker was led TO her home
that evening with new hope in her
heart and her soul full of faith. A 40
Nena OF nine days prayer was begun.
ana each morning Mary asked some
one TO guide her steps to st. Peters
church, and there she knelt with her
curly head on the cold marble slab,
and poured out her childish heart in
plea for freedom from the fetters
which held from the Joy of living. The
child's faith increased with each day,
and finally the priests of st. Peters
and the nuns became interested and
went each morning and evening to pray
with the little blind girl
On the ninth day many were there
to see the close of the novena, and it
is said few there were of faith. At the
end Of the prayer the child stood I'D
and declared she could see distinctly.
Some one asked for a test and accord
ing 10 the testimony Of q dozen persons
5nd while the tears Of 10Y streained
down her cheeks. answered:
L can see and 7 viii count the lights
and the flowers and the people
And so she did. Later Mary Hun
neker entered the Notre Dame school.
This case spread tho local fame of
Inc healing power OF PRAYER to the
GOOD Bishop" and since then the lit
tie COURTYARD that leads to the tomb of
The saint has rarely been empty
Another miracle which has been au-
thenucated is that OF Sister Mary An
selma, OF the school sisters of Notre
Dame in Philadelphia
Sister Anselma had charge of the
boys department of st. Peters school,
with 40 small boys under her care.
She had become afflicted with deafness
some years ago, and as time passed
the malady grew worse until no ordj-
nary sound could penetrate to her hear
ing Teaching had become impossible
and the life work of the nun had an
parentiy come TO a close.
a novena was begun by the nuns If
Notre Dame and Sister Anselma. went
each day 10 pray at the tomb Of "the
Good Bishop" At the close of the nine
days prayer Sister Anselma said that