Eupuria

ON SAINT EUPURIA

VIRGIN AT GAETA IN LATIUM.

XVI OR XVII MAY

Eupuria, Virgin at Gaeta in Latium (S.)

G. H.

Ferdinandus Ughelli volume I of Sacred Italy about to enumerate the Bishops of Gaeta, premises notice of the Saints, whose sacred bodies in the Cathedral church rest, as we more fully said on the day VII May at the Acts of S. Innocent the African Bishop, whose sacred pledges there are preserved, Sacred cult on 17 or rather 16 May. when also about the situation of the Gaetan city we treated. Among the said Saints in the title is proposed Eupuria, called by Ughelli Exuperia Virgin & Martyr: who then adds, that the feast of these Saints is by the Gaetans yearly with solemn rite frequented: but who has the natal day of each, he does not adscribe. Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy reports on the day XVII May, S. Eupuria Virgin & Martyr at Gaeta. But afterwards the same in the general Catalogue, as if correcting himself, on this XVI May writes these things: At Gaeta in Latium of S. Eupuria Virgin & Martyr: & cites in the Notes the Tablets of the Church of Gaeta which has the body. The same with Ferrarius on this XVI May, inserted in the sacred Gynaeceum Arturus du Monstier: which we also, since we know nothing certain, follow.

[2] The history of the miracles is given from a Ms. Miracles wrought at her sepulchre are said to be very many: of which some Ferrarius writes that he saw in a certain MS. codex of Iulius Antonius Sanctorius Cardinal of S. Severina: which we found at Rome in the library of the Fathers of the Congregation of the Oratory in MS. codex marked with the letter H, & thence transcribed we here give, scarcely doubting that according to the prologue very many things both new and old equally collected were, of which the greatest part still is desired, & perhaps still somewhere lies hidden. The author lived about the year 900, as one who a contracted person, in the time of Ioannes the Patrician & of Bonus the Bishop by the merits of S. Eupuria healed, testifies to himself to have found still alive surviving. But Bonus Bishop of the Church of Gaeta, in the year already said, together with Docibilis, Ioannes the now-deceased Patrician's son Patrician, sought the relics of B. Erasmus the Martyr; found he hid them deeper in the earth, & above against the aspect of the southern climate in honor of the Martyr he constructed an altar, when the supreme Pontiff & universal Pope John of the holy Roman & Apostolic Church presided, thirty years after which by the Agareni's army Formia had been destroyed, & the citizens of Gaeta the body of S. Erasmus within the walls of their city had translated, & in the inner sanctuary of the holy & Glorious Mother of God & Virgin Mary had laid up, as we read in the MS. Acts of S. Erasmus, on the day II June to be elucidated. But Formia is reported

in the year 840 to have collapsed overthrown by the Saracens. But who above is cited Pope John, was the eighth of his name, & sat from the year 872 until the year 882. Who is besides indicated Docibilis the son of John the Patrician, below took care that a contracted person through his servants should be placed before the tomb or altar of B. Eupuria the Virgin. These about the time in which the miracles happened. He himself however the author of the history of the miracles ingenuously confesses to be ignorant, from what place or country this Virgin was born, or in what manner she came to Gaeta, also what life she led, & how she departed from this life: & what is wonderful, never does he call her Martyr; when however a Martyr Ferrarius & Ughelli call her, & perhaps thus do venerate her the Gaetans.

HISTORY OF MIRACLES

From the MS. Vallicellan at Rome.

Eupuria, Virgin at Gaeta in Latium (S.)

BHL Number: 2732

FROM A MS.

[1] To conceal the secret of a King is good, but to narrate & confess the works of God is honorable: & therefore with the help of the supreme craftsman God, who said, Open your mouth, & I shall fill it, & with the prayer of brethren & citizens helped, who have most strongly exhorted that these things which are to be said should be written; The Miracles, which the Lord to the praise of His name & of B. Eupuria the Virgin, until now has deigned to show, as we can know more certainly & He Himself shall command, we attempt to write. Ps. 80, 11 Not because I am suitable & learned for this work to be done; but because the relation of many miracles, as if would inflict force on me, &, if I should wish to be silent, in no way permits. For these are illustrious, & delightful miracles, which daily are divulged by the people, so that the mind of the man hearing is refreshed, as if by the eyes those things which are said sedulously were perceived. For no one need to doubt these things, which by many are reported. For of these miracles each sex renders testimony, because to both the Lord equally revealed. From what country, or from what place, this Virgin was born, or how she came here, what life she led, how from this life she departed, Acts are not found. no one is found of the citizens, who said he in any way knew these things: but the daily & older miracles without doubt show, of how great sanctity she was endowed, Miracles are reported. & with how great goodness she was decorated with insignia. Therefore the miracles, which through her the Lord in this Gaetan city deigned to show, as I learned from the narration of the faithful, to profit the edifications of many, I shall take care to write; both those which daily by all are divulged & are more recent, than those which (as is said) from more honorable men I could hear & know, & them as the Lord shall give I shall explain in simpler words. Finally, that to the more known & to all the people in our times known we may run back, what at her tomb, in the times of D. Ioannes the Patrician, miracle was wrought, of those following memory to be retained we commit.

[2] Contracted in his whole body, There was in this aforesaid city a certain man, by name Martinus, of British race born: whom I still alive surviving I found, & these which I am about to say by the relation of many men I have learned. This aforesaid man, was struck by grave annoyance, so that the knee to the chest, the legs indeed to the thighs, & heels to his buttocks were joined. Who when he had completed six, as they say, years now in such pains, & no remedy of any medicine perceived; At length, as we believe, with Divine clemency inspiring, he began with daily prayer to ask the Lord, that to such great pains of his always, & to such infirmities to give a remedy He should deign. To him a wife with a daughter was present, & with the obeisance, by which they could, sedulously ministered: & whatever from alms they could receive, which seemed useful to the sick man, without delay they conferred. The sick man indeed lay in the lower buildings of the palace, where the son of the below-written Patrician dwelt. There therefore to him the blessed Mary the Virgin, warned by a heavenly vision, & Saint John the Baptist, & Blessed Peter the Apostle appeared, as their names in order they reported: & lest in any way he should fear, with placid admonition he is admonished. So great a splendor therefore at the same hour shone forth, & such fragrance of odor emanated, that to many, who in the houses of the same palace stayed, both clarity was seen by their eyes, & in their nostrils the fragrance of so great an odor was sprinkled. Truly there could be no night, where such lamps deign to come. Who when the wonderful clarity, & such resplendent faces he beheld; suddenly deprived of strength, trembled & feared. To whom B. Peter, as he is with placid countenance, nodded that he should not fear, & to him ordered saying: Send, & having summoned the Patrician's son, & say to him, that he should send with you two of his servants, Scerarius, & Firmiperus, that they by their hands, to the church of this most blessed Mother of God may lead you: in which until the sixth feria, which is before Easter, you shall remain, awaiting from the Lord the abundance of escaping your infirmity, & on this day know for certain that the desired health to you by the Lord is granted. Who joyful about the same vision, in the morning awakened, watching ordered his wife, that the aforesaid Patrician's son, by name Docibilis, to him with celerity she should call. With him coming he began to him to narrate the matter of the vision in order. Then the said Duke joking, thus responded: I think, Martinus, that more than usual yesterday by wine drowsy you were, for which to you of this kind appeared dreams. To this he: Do not, my sweetest Lord, with so many years now passed in pains, with mocking, as you are wont, words to delude me. But, as by the Saints of the Lord it is commanded, he is brought before the altar of S. Eupuria the Virgin: most insistently fulfill the vision. But the vision was to all hearing these things, incredible. But in the beginning of Lent these things which we have related, were done. Then compunct with tears & prayers the Duke, having summoned the above-mentioned little servants; ordered him to the said church to be led, & there most diligently to be placed. Who in the same church, before the tomb or altar of B. Eupuria the Virgin, in what manner to health he was restored, the following discourse will declare.

[3] And when the days of the most sacred Lent were passing, & the day of the Lord's Passion, on which the salvation to the sick was promised, was imminent; truly the in all things pious Lord on that day promised salvation to the weak & restored, on which to the whole world he brought true salvation. By night therefore, on which the promised day shone, present is the Blessed Virgin Mary, with those with whom before she had appeared, & by a new apparition made, that is, with the most blessed John the Baptist & Apostle Peter, not through dreams, but with manifest vision. And when they had stood by the watching little bed, one taking his right hand, the other his left, upon his feet they ordered him to stand, twice and three times saying: Rise. Which he saying himself unable to do, suddenly from the earth on high lifted up to the sign of the holy Cross, which by the said Virgin's tomb stood, restored healthy on the cross, with the fingers of both hands inserted they suspended him. Thus all knottiness & contraction of the body was soon loosed, & health to all his members was restored. For, as he himself afterwards was wont to relate to many, very many crowds of Saints were seen by him & heard, that when those his arms suspended, others his feet from the connection of his members were tearing off, & downward dragging. Suspended therefore in this manner they said to him: Just now shall come Donatus the Presbyter, because now the hour of the divine Office is imminent, & to him say, that with Bonus the Bishop called together, & Sasso the Presbyter, from this suspension they should set you down, & be witnesses of so great a miracle. Which said it seemed that the roof of the same church was opened, & with such clarity to shine, that day to overcome seemed that light, which in the darkness had radiated; & with the same light the blessed Virgin Mary, with her holy companions, to heaven was received. Nor a little while had passed: & behold the aforesaid Donatus the Archpresbyter to refresh the lamps came, & him to the Cross, & from it through Bishop Bonus is set down, as is said, with fingers inserted clinging he found: at the order of so great a thing marvelling, he feared. From whom when he had learned, to the Bishop quickly hastened; & to him the stupendous deeds of so great a miracle narrated. Who soon having called Sasso the Presbyter, him, as commanded had been, from the suspension of the cross they took. Whom diligently investigating, in those things which had happened to God they rendered thanks, that so illustrious a festival of solemnity, with so light-flowing a miracle He had deigned to decorate. But of this miracle it pleases us the quality or quantity to discuss, dearest Brothers: for it is not right, that undiscussed should remain, those things which with such admiration are shown. For what was necessary to the Lord that on the wood of the cross an infirm man should be suspended, & in such a manner be cured, He who very many similar to this with dissimilar medicine to cure is wont, & daily cures? unless because the infirmity in the acuity of mind from these whom He had ordered to be called He had foreseen, & that the wounds of doubt from their hearts He should remove; showing how truly the salvation of the whole world, through the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ & through the grace of His Passion has been given, & the standard of the Cross how gloriously by the faithful ought to be honored He shows.

[4] It happened on the same day also a memorable miracle to occur, not running to this miracle she is punished with a burnt hand. for when from all the people of either sex, both citizens and foreigners, who then were present, a great concourse to this spectacle was made; a certain woman who in a place near the church stayed, by name Jannia, in the work of combing flax anxiously was laboring: & while she desired the work most insistently to perfect, with the others, as she ought, to the thresholds of the church to see these things she did not run; soon divine vengeance struck her. For fire thrown into the flax her hands so burned, that scarcely after long time she obtained the medicine of health, even with many tears scarcely. For with very many reproaches by the people she was afflicted, because such things to do she did not fear, which no other on that day she had presumed to do: & many said to her, Most miserable of all women, why did you act so foolishly, & not with the others to this miraculous & illustrious spectacle, devoutly, as was fitting, hasten?

[5] At another time also, what at the sepulchre of the blessed Virgin Eupuria was done I shall indicate. A certain woman, by name Bona, was vexed by an excessive demon, so that scarcely by many was she held: & it seemed to her husband & to her parents, a demoniac is freed at the altar of S. Eupuria, that to the tomb of the said Virgin she should be led. She while long was vexed, by relatives to the church led, & there before the altar of B. Eupuria with chains was bound. Who for some months there thus remained, for thus was she vexed by the excessive demon, that no one to her dared to approach. At length her people to the Bishop, who then was present, came, most strongly asking, that for her upon the altar of the blessed Virgin to the Lord a sacrifice to offer he should deign; that through the same sacrifice's offering, & through B. Eupuria's merits,

from such a wretched plague she might be freed. For whom when by the Bishop & by the Presbyters a sacrifice to the Lord was offered, & prayer for her health daily in the same basilica was poured forth; at length the Lord having mercy on His creature, that He might show of how great merit this Virgin was, to whose tomb this sick woman had been led, restored her to her pristine health, so that no longer of this kind did she suffer inconvenience.

[6] Sanctimonial women reported to me, that a certain woman dwelling in the parts of Campania, by an incredible demon was daily vexed; who hearing the fame of B. Eupuria the Virgin, that many through her demoniacs & infirm with various languors were cured, with her husband coming, they began the same Virgin with flowing tears to call upon, that from the cruel power of the enemy by praying she might rescue her. For it is unspeakable, how cruelly by night & day she was tortured: & how inept & useless & mocking words through her mouth the devil uttered, it does not seem suitable for us to declare. another at her sepulchre. They assert finally those hearing these things, that never so foully & cruelly filled with a demon any[one] they had seen vexed. She when she had stayed here some time, & very often, as is said, was cruelly vexed; through churches here and there anxious she ran, that from the ancient enemy's power she might be freed. Who when she had received no remedy of health, at length to the sepulchre of the said Virgin was led: where when for some time prayer was made, she was freed from the demon: & to God & B. Eupuria the Virgin returning thanks, to her own soil she returned.

[7] In our own times this miracle to have happened is to all manifest, for on the day of her Birth the water of the sea, into such sweetness was changed, that it seemed from the purest spring, or from the clearest river's stream drawn. But this kind of sign shone in this manner. When very many from the city of Gaeta for the cause of trading had sailed, On the day of her birth the water of the sea is made sweet. it happened on that day, while a certain poor man from the dwellers of the same city, to wash his face had entered the sea, so sweet & pleasant it was found, as if (as is said) from a spring or from a river's stream at the same hour it were drawn. Which hearing some of ours suddenly ran up, & recognizing the truth of this thing they marvelled, & to draw it each ran. Then a great part of the city assembled to see this miracle, which seeing they marvelled, & gave thanks to God & B. Eupuria. The rest is desired.