The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-10
'WTERBO NUN SOON
 TO BECOME SAINT
CONGREGATION OF RITES NOW CONSIDERING CAUSE OF sIs-
 TER MARIA.
HAD A PROPHETIC SPIRIT
MEMBER OF CIsTERCIAN ORDER LIVED 52 YEARS STRAPPED
 TO A BED.

Rome, June 1O.-There seems to be no doubt that ''The Holy Nun of vi- terbo,'' Sister Maria Benedetta Frey. whose death was announced recently, will very shortly be canonized. In fact. the necessary formalities for the introduction of her cause" before the congregation of rites have already be- gun and the bishop of Viterbo has appointed the so-calIed "postula,tor'' of the case. whose duty it is to col 1ect the evidence of all who knew the nun in order to prove her reputation for sanctfty, the heroic quality of her virtues and eventually the working of two miracles through her interces- sion.
 Meanwhile the following short bio graphy of the holy nun, as she is called at Vtterbo, has been written by order of the bishop: Sister Maria Benedetta Frey was born in Rome on March 22. 1s36. Left an orphan at an early age, she was brought up by an aunt, who had her educated by the Cistercian- nuns. At the age of 21 sne refused an offer of marriage and joined the Cistercian order. After two years of novitiate she became a, pro fessed nun and took up her residence at Viterbo. In the year 1861 she was stricken with acute paralysis of the spine and died after hfty-two years of resigned suffering"
 These hfty-two years of resigned suffering, apart from the other virtues of the Holy Nun, appear to be really miraculous. Sister Maria Benedetta l lived for over half a century with her head tightly bandagedt and supported by steel frame fixed at both ends of her bed. The pain and discomfort she suffered during those dfty-two l long years which she spent practically motionless and without changing her position rendered life a continued martyrdom. And yet she never com plained. Her nurse, who grew old at her bedside, never heard her even sigh.
 Many people came to see the Holy Nun; prelates. priests and pilgrims. nob1es and peasants. They all brought their sorrows with them and sought l consolation from her. She cheered them all and told them that we were born to suffer. They looked at her and were consoled. The Holy, Nun was endowed with prophetic spirit and l she repeatedly predicted the future. EThis gift of hers was, however very little known. as the only great event 1 she predicted was the assassination of King Humbert l. at Monza, July 29, l 1900.
 But even this prediction would have remained unknown were it not for
 the Sub-Perfect of Vfberto, who was l informed by the Mother Abbess that
 
 of the kings assassination and wired
 to the home office at Rome for con- l f1rrnation. The reply was a denial. since the king had been assassinated 1 late that afternoon and Rome had not yet been informed. Later. however 1 the home office ordered an inquiry, as 1 it was suspected that the plot to as- sassinate the king had been planned at Viberto, and that thus the news of 1 the assassination had leaked out. The l particulars of the Holy Nuns predfo- l ton were then fully ascertafned and 1 it was known that she had a vision 1 in which she saw the king being kill 1 ed, the arrest of the anarchist Bresci 1 and the kings death in the castle at l Monza- Queen Margherit was so I impressed at this prediction that she I became acquainted with the nun and I visited her regularly until the time of 1 her death. It Is reported that both l the king and queen ukewise used to | visit the nun and send her presents. l During the Carnorra trial, Don Giro Vitozzi sent to ask her whether he l would be acquitted She sent him l back word that had he been dnno- cent he surely would have been ac- quilted.
 1 The Holy Nun predicted her death l 8 week ahead. She asked for the I Abbess and all the nuns, begged their
 forgiveness said goodby, and then said: Now leave me with God" She died on the very day and at the very I hour she predicted. Before long
 Viterbo will have a new saint, per-
 haps the only saint in the world of the twentieth century.