The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-22

cell was Mecca for almost a constant
stream Of pilgrims from all parts Of
the world, thousands Of whom testi-
fed to her miraculous power.
At the moment when King Humbert
OF italy was assasinated, Sister
Maria Benedetta is declared to have
seen In vision the regicide in all of
Its details. This, according to au-
thenticated records, she recounted to
others at the convent hours before
news of the assassination was known.
One of the especial powers OF the
sister is declared to have been her
ability to foretell the death or recov-
cry of an i'll person. II she told the per-
son talking to hope in God, 1t meant
that the person would recover while
If she said that one must accept the
divine will, it signifed that the person
would die. She is declared never to
have made a mistake during the re-
cent italian war in Tripoli when her
cell was filled almost daily with the
parents OF the italian soldiers who
sought to know whether or not their
sons would escape. All of them are
declared to have been told in advance
what would be the outcome.
The fame OF Saint" Mary became
SO great that she was visited by some
OF the most exalted personages of the
world, and especially by cardinals and
high prelates Of the Catholic church.
Queen Mother Margherita of Italy was
especially frequent visitor in her cell
and insisted on providing her with
/ the most skilled trained nurses which
4 it was possible to obtain.
Two years ago the sister celebrat
ed the golden jubilee of the day on
which she was stricken and during
1.-The fifty intervening years of which
she had never moved for a second
her position in bed. On the occasion
LOT this jubilee, Pope Plus sent her an
autograph letter in which he asked
I! her to pray for him. This letter his
holiness sent by no less a distinguish
ed hand than that Of Cardinal Cass
eta, one of the most exalted person
ages in the Sacred College and his
eminence that day celebrated mas
in the little cell Of Sister Maria.
/ During the So years In which thu
,tsister never moved her head, her onl.
amusement was music and reading B
placing a small organ near her bed,
4 was possible for her to reach on
i with one hand and play. At otile
i times the sisters of the convent playe,
and sang for her in an adjoining room
i 1.-THE library, one of the best conven
4 collections in Italy, enabled her 4
read all of the greatest works on tn
i Catholic religion.
4 With the recent death of the sister
there poured into her cell an almos
amending stream of persons, who de
clared they had been helped or cure'
by her, either physically or morally.
! So great was their affection and be
/ lief that most of them insisted on cal
rying off relics from her room, unit
now practically nothing remains. TIL
: nuns, however, have now arranged TO
the room itself to be set aside as
shrine that will always b
, open to the faithful. With thai done
5 the special dispensation which pei
, mitted few of the sisters to conduc
. visitors to the sick bed has been re
!, moved and now after some SO years c
!. partial contact with the world, tn
/. convent has again become in the flu
J. sense that of an enclosed" order an
: the old life that for SO years had bee
i interrupted has been resumed.