The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-22
SISTERS DEATH
REVEALS STORY
Nun Who Was Literally Nailed to Her
Bed for Over Half Century
to Prevent Her
Death.
MIRACLES PERFORMED
Her Prophecies Had Become Famous
and Predictions Always
Turned Out TO
be True.
[By Henry Wood, Rome Correspond
ent of the United Press.1

ent of the United Press.1
ROME, June 21.-There has just
died at one of the converts at Viterbo,
sister whose name is already being
prepared for presentation to the Sac
red Congregation OF Rites for canoni-
cation as saint
The process of canonization in the
Catholic church is very long one.
AS a rule it Is seldom completed in
less than twenty-five years, the most
minute and incontrovertible proof be-
Ing REQUIRED Of the miracles which
the person to be canonized Is alleged
to have performed. In the present in
stance, however, 1t seems certain that
the name of Sister Maria Giuseppe
Benedetta will be presented to the
congregation with wealth of mir
acles to her credit and with an alum
dance Of proof calculated to make GER
tain her canonization in an unusually
short period of time.
K The family name OF Sister Maria
Benedetta was Penelope Frey. She
was n years old at the time of her
death, and OF these n yearc, the last
81 were spent by her literally nailed
IN bed to prevent an immediate death
that would have been caused by the
slightest movement Of her head.
AS to the early life of the sister
previous to her entrance in the Cis-
tercent convent, there is now a slight
dispute. Formerly it had been assert
ed that following the death of her par
ents when she was mere child an
aunt had enabled her to prepare for
an operate career. In 1885 she is de
cared to have come to Milan to make
her debut, when the sudden death of
the aunt plunged her into such grief
that she at once abandoned her career
and entered the convent at Viterbo.
Since the death of the sister, how
ever, the church authorities have pub
lished biography somewhat differ
ent According to this she was born
at Rome. March %, 1886, her parents
being Chevalier Luigi Frey and Maria
Giannotti. They died shortly after
wards and the little girl was left to
an aunt, Margherita Ridolfi, who be
gan at once her christian education
AS she showed a strong tendency to
I wards the religious life priests were
later entrusted with her instruction
and finally when she was q years Of
age she refused the hand in marriage
of baron and entered the Cistercer
convent at Viterbo.
The differences in the two biog
raphies of the sister end with her en-
trance in the convent There she hat
hardly taken the vows when she wa!
stricken with spinal trouble, Although
she recovered from this, the spine wa
left in such weakened condition tina
1t was the unanimous verdict Of tn
best physicians of Europe that tn
slightest movement Of her hea
would cause DEATH the spine being III
able to support its weight A bandag
was then prepared which held he
head in the only position that wouf
permit her to continue to live, an
+ asuO Cilub vi .ilS pdhua5c :" Ol 2 hhitS
to the wall to render impossible an
fatal movement.
Barring such movement the siste
was given by the doctors fe'
months in which she might still liv'
Instead. never once altering this pos
ton OF her head, Sister Maria Bel
delta continued to live for 52 year
acquiring worldwide fame for tn
cheerfulness with which she supporte
her affliction, and for the miraculor
powers that are declared to have com
to her during the latter years of he
life.
These latter manifestations cam
frst in the nature of dreams an
prophesies. The fulfillment of hi
predictions soon became known, an
the convent, which was closed one
In which the sisters were allowed
see no one from the world outside
was forced to modify its rules ar
open the cell of Maria Bendetta
those who wished to see her With tt
coming of these, there came also h,
reputation for miraculous healing, al