CONCERNING SAINT DANNIUS
PRESBYTER OF BOLOGNA.
YEAR 1184
CommentaryDannius, Presbyter of Bologna in Italy (St.)
D. P.
The Sacred Veneration of St. Dannius Presbyter of Bologna indicates Antonio di Paolo Masini in his Bologna Surveyed at this May 12, where he asserts in the parish of St. Mary of Amola, a mile from the Castle of St. John in Persiceto, St. Dannius once in a small chapel to have lived, Notice from Masini's Bologna Surveyed. and his last day in the year 1184 to have met, and his body in a particular ark at the left side of the greater altar to rest, and his feast with a great concourse of people to be celebrated, especially because there infants ruptured health obtain, and such therefore from everywhere many daily there to be brought. These Masini, nor more elsewhere had we read. Therefore the Rector of our Bologna College, Reverend Father Alexander Zampi, by whom a little before the Mantua College ruling we had often been aided, we asked that from the very place he would seek whatever other could be had thence concerning that Saint's life and cult documents. an image on the altar. He to us sent that Saint's by a rude wholly sculpture expressed image, such as in the said place above the altar is beheld, in the habit of one standing for sacrifice in the vestment of an aged Priest, with one hand a book before himself open holding, with the other to his breast applied to heaven looking up rolled at his knees on this side an old man, on that a young man, as if giving thanks for the cured to themselves rupture, and the procured of the rupture to be contained bonds to him consecrating. There had added the Rector or Parish-priest of Amola, of those things which he knew of all a succinct relation, which it pleases into Latin to render.
[2] Years about six hundred there are (five hundred only according to Masini) since St. Dannius, Presbyter of Bologna, the place of his habitation withdrawing from his citizens' fellowship, from a desire wholly himself to consign to the divine service, retired into a village of the Bologna territory, to the confines of the town called St. John in Persiceto, and a place which is called the Quarter of Postmano. But this place was a small valley, where now stands the parochial church called St. Mary of Amola: which since it was somewhat higher above the waters, a great of those valleys space occupying, the same little by little more and more being dried, was rendered the land round about arable and fertile enough. Here therefore beside the aforesaid church, and of burial? on the left side of the greater altar, is beheld cohering to the church a little square chapel, of ancient work: within which to have dwelt is said the aforesaid Saint for thirteen years, and dead to have received burial under a certain vault, to five feet below the earth depressed, and with tessellae incrusted along the sides sustaining the vault. There is there of the same work a tomb, within rock cut out, which the venerable body of St. Dannius contains. But the pavement of that little chapel, for entering that vaulted little chamber lies open by a door, which is closed with a Travertine stone, five feet long, broad one foot and inches seven. Even today still is preserved whole of the venerable body the skeleton.
[3] It pleased moreover the divine goodness these sacred remains more venerable to the faithful to render, by frequent graces at the invocation of St. Dannius to be granted, A woman laboring with the falling sickness healed of which daily experience for authentic testimony is. So in the year 1656 on the day the 17th of April, on the second feria of Easter, the wife of Master Alexander Zamboni, now in the parish of Longara dwelling, came to visit the chapel of St. Dannius: and after the received there communion of the Lord's body professed, that the falling sickness wont to suffer, after a vow named to the Saint free she had been from that infirmity, and therefore she had come about to act to her preserver thanks. But his patronage specially experience the ruptured, just as by the following is demonstrated arguments.
[4] Dom Blaise Munari, from the town of Cento, from infancy so grievously was ruptured, that the evil incurable judged the physicians, likewise from rupture a dying boy and of the boy's life despaired. It happened moreover that a rustic woman entered the house, in which the sad Lady his mother was lamenting. She the cause of such lamentation taught by one of the maidservants, said, often to have heard herself, that in the church of Amola rested the body of St. Dannius, who with special prevailed efficacy for such evil's curation: and that thither many therefore the ruptured ran together. Let her vow her son thither to be led, if perchance him there to heal God would deign. These heard ran to the matron the girl, and to her the rustic's words set forth. She her to herself calling, and concerning each thing inquiring more diligently, a conceived confidence vowed, that on three continuous Saturdays to Amola she would lead her son: and straightway rose from the bed the little one, with most perfect health endowed. When therefore at the accustomed hour had returned the physicians, rather that dead they should understand, than that medicine some they should apply to the laid-down one; showed him to them his mother playing among his coevals: and at the sudden that change astounded said, summoned by herself an external physician, who the boy had visited and healed. After them in this manner suspended she had held for some time, the whole matter to them as it had happened she narrated: who to her congratulating said: Go therefore, Lady, and thanks act to the Saint; for neither by human any remedy to be cured thy Blaise could. Obeyed she, and the vow being fulfilled narrated to the Parish-priest, that she had received benefit.
[5] In the year 1657 in the month of June, another after a girdle left in the church: came a certain from Casumaro, a town of the Cento territory on the confine of the Duchy of Modena: who said himself to have come for thanks to the Saint to be acted. For when at another time hither he had come a rupture suffering in company of several of his fellow-countrymen with the same inconvenience laboring;
and home together returning they had sat down for a meal to be taken, a mile from the church, said to him of his companions one: What? hast thou left thy girdle in the church? not certainly I. Answered the other: I left it indeed, trusting that of it more I should not have need, through the intercession of that Saint. And behold at that very hour made-whole-again himself and healed he felt, his companions, who without that kind of confidence had gone and were returning, of the desired health frustrated. And therefore to have returned himself he said, for the grace received to be attested.
[6] On the 13th of May 1668 Master Andrew Rigazzi of Mirandola, to honor the body of St. Dannius came with Master Angelo Lupi his kinsman: and many being present publicly declared before years almost eighteen almost to his extremity led himself to have been by an incurable wholly rupture: others finally from a vow in the year 1668 but as soon as he vowed to visit the body of the Saint, freed himself to have been from all inconvenience. But when before these few days into the same from the same cause peril had fallen that his kinsman Master Angelo Lupi, persuaded himself he said the same, that by a like himself he should bind vow; which done also himself suddenly recovered. Both moreover before many witnesses professed, not to be for them need that from others the graces of the Saint relating they should learn, which in their own persons by so certain experience they had known. Not yet had they departed, when supervened Master Mark Gaviolus of Modena, bringing his son Joseph, for thanks to God to be acted on account of a rupture by the Saint's intercession healed, immediately after the same to him had been by his father commended.
[7] On the 14th of June 1671 came James Lubius, the year 1675 from Ravarino a town of the state of Modena, thanks to God about to act: and said, despaired of to have been of his life on account of an incurable rupture: but straightway when by a vow he bound himself of visiting the Saint, restored himself to his pristine health. and 1678 Finally when with this on the 10th of July 1678 the aforesaid graces to be described I was occupied, supervened to me John Dominic Forni, dwelling in this parish of St. Mary of Amola; to whom when these same I read, What need is there, he said, memorials from afar to seek? Myself a present witness and crier I can be of the marvels of this glorious my Patron the Saint: for I when still I was a boy, was into the near of death crisis by a rupture overweighing brought, and at the vow of my father the Saint invoking I recovered: but we dwelt then in the parish of Tivoli: and still very well I recall to have come we for fulfilling the vow. There is therefore a concourse of the faithful almost infinite to the tomb of the Saint, just as in the greatest number are the graces which here through him are obtained.
[8] Such things when with his hand in the Italian idiom had written that place's Parish-priest, on the seventh after day his attestation in this manner in Latin he concluded.
I make faith to all, the present things about to see and to read, I the undersigned, Rector of the parochial church of St. Mary of Amola of the Bologna diocese, that I faithfully have described all and singular in the present relation described, according to to me by the named persons related and narrated, in the tract of time from the year 1655 even hitherto; excepted the narration touching Dom Blaise de Munaris, of the time of my Predecessor, from whom many times I have heard it. In faith of which here I have subscribed myself, and with the seal of the said church my the impression I have fortified, on this day the seventeenth of the month of July, of the year 1678.
✠ I John Baptist Barbinus Rector.