ON ST. CANDIDA OR CANDIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR, ONE OF THE COMPANIONS OF ST. URSULA, AT TORTOSA IN SPAIN,
IN THE YEAR 451.
HISTORICAL SYLLOGE.
Candida or Candia, virgin and martyr, at Tortosa in Spain. (S.)
BHL Number: 1536
BY B. B.
St. Candida is mentioned on this day at Tortosa (on account of the veneration of her sacred Body there) by Ferrari and Saussay. The memory of St. Candida The former indeed in the general Catalogue, in these words: "At Tortosa in Spain, of St. Candida, virgin and martyr." And in the Notes is added Page 414.: "She suffered at Cologne together with St. Ursula. Her body (rather only her head) rests and is venerated at Tortosa." Hence Saussay announces more accurately in the Supplement Martyrologium Gallicanum, page 1184.: "At Tortosa in Tarraconensian Spain, the veneration of the relics of St. Candida, virgin and martyr, laurelled at Cologne on Gallic soil." She again is commemorated on the same day in Ferrari at Freiburg in the Breisgau, together with St. Flora, likewise a companion of St. Ursula. A certain solemn blunder of Saussay is to be noted here (such as otherwise occur not infrequently in his wordy martyrology). After the words just reported he adds: "A part of the Relics of this blessed heavenly one (Candida) is preserved with every honour at Freiburg in Switzerland (where now the see of the bishop and chapter of Basel adheres, the catholic religion having been overthrown by the citizens of Basel), with the venerable remains of St. Flora, the companion of the same Candida." In no way is it a question here of Fribourg of the Swiss, to which, when the affairs of religion were disturbed in the 16th century, the bishop of Lausanne fled as an exile; but rather of Freiburg in the Breisgau, which, as the praised Ferrari observes Where cited above., is of Swabia, now the see of the bishop of Basel, or rather of the Chapter: for, as Christian Wurstisen has it [Basil. episcoporum catalogus. Rerum Basil. scriptores minores, vol. I, page 315. Basel, 1752.], "under Philip von Gundelsheim, bishop of Basel, who, the affairs of religion being already greatly disturbed, Œcolampadius carrying the torch before, was elected at Delémont (Delemont) in the month of March 1527, the College of the greater Basilica migrated to Freiburg, but he himself, from his election, never entered the city (Basel), and chose for himself a seat at Porrentruy (Porentrui). He died in the month of October in the year 1553." Compare the Bibliothèque of Fr. Richard, where you will find some things said of Philip Gondolphinus (so it is written there) not distinctly or accurately enough Bibliothèque sacrée, under the word: Basle. Edition of 1822.. Compare also Baudrand Lexicon geographicum, under the word: Friburgum Brisgoviæ. Eisenach, 1677..
[2] and her relics in the city of Tortosa, Dertosa, moreover, Dertusa in Pliny, in the vernacular Tortosa, is a city of Tarraconensian Spain, at the mouths of the river Ebro in Catalonia, on the border of the kingdom of Valencia [Ibidem, under the word: Dertosa. Compare Pierre de Marca, book II of the Marca Hispanica, col. 125 and following. Likewise España Sagrada, volume XLII, page 1 and following.]. In our age it numbers 11,000 inhabitants, and is still an episcopal see Guibert, Dictionn. Géograph. Paris, 1850.. The cathedral, among other precious things, preserves the Girdle or Cincture of the B. Virgin Mary (la santa Cinta), brought, as tradition reports, by the Mother of God herself in the 12th century [Villanueva. Viage literario a las iglesias de España, vol. IV, page 137. Madrid, 1806.], of which there is an office Ibid. page 141.. This sacred pledge was carried, at least from the age of King Philip IV (from the year 1621 to the year 1665 Art de vérifier les dates, page 823 and following.), to the court, that it might be a protection to the queens of Spain in childbirth Villanueva. Where cited above, page 141 and following.. In the same cathedral church there is today the head of the holy Virgin Candida. By whom and when it was brought thither, and in what great veneration it is there, the following will teach, taken from the old breviary of Tortosa on the feast of St. Candia (for so she is named in the Lessons), and recited by Fr. Villanueva of the order of St. Dominic Ibidem, page 147 and following.. The first three Lessons treat of the XI thousand Virgins in general, and in particular of St. Cordula. The three latter are of this kind: "The devotion of the faithful of Christ towards the sacred Virgins being spread abroad, many churches throughout the world endeavoured to obtain some of their relics; that by their veneration they might merit to have the suffrages of those whose relics
they rendered the services of pious religion. Which the church of Tortosa carried out more zealously and devoutly. For in the year of the Lord 1351, on the sixth of April, the head of blessed Candia was granted to the same church of Tortosa by William, archbishop of Cologne (he sat from the year 1349 to the year 1362 Gallia Christiana, vol. III, col. 699.), a man assuredly distinguished, and was carried to it with due reverence. Among the other things, moreover, which God wonderfully works through the intercession of that sacred Virgin, by touching the head very many are cured of pain of the head and of infirmity of the throat and of other ailments, to the glory of almighty God and the honour of blessed Candia the virgin herself. And chiefly, among the other kinds of infirmities which are cured by the merits of blessed Candia by the touch of that head, are the scrofulas, which are often generated on the necks of boys and girls. Moreover, the measure of the Virgin's head being taken with a thread or cord, and put around the neck of the sick, the swellings are dissolved, and the ailing are freed, health being restored. On account of which, devotion towards the Virgin herself having been conceived by foreigners, for the curing of an ailment of this kind it is very frequently sent for, to have the measure of the head in cords, and to put it round the necks of the ailing; and so the infirmity or sickness itself is cured." The head of the blessed Virgin and Martyr was first deposited in the Chapel or Oratory of St. John, which was afterwards named from St. Candia or Candida; and there it remained until the year 1802, in which it was translated into the cathedral church, and it is kept in a reliquary Villanueva. Viage, etc. vol. IV, page 142 and following.. Rusco relates España, vol. XLII, page 144. that Pons de Torrella, bishop of Tortosa, who died in the year 1254, was buried in the Chapel of St. Candia, that is, the one which began to be so called almost a whole century later: for at the time when Pons died it was called the Chapel or Hall of St. John Villanueva. Where cited above, page 142..
[4] famous for prodigies. Many miracles are reported to have been performed at Tortosa by the help and intercession of blessed Candia. I write out the following from Fr. F. Antonio Vicente Domenec of the order of Preachers [Hist. general de los Santos del principado de Cataluña, p. 192 and following. Edition of the year 1630.]. In the year 1508 there came to Tortosa John Bearn, a native of France, who was so afflicted with scrofulas that he had his whole neck pierced through. He fled for refuge to our blessed Virgin, and not in vain: for by anointing his neck several times with the oil of the lamp which burns in her oratory, he was in a short time healed. In the year 1551 Vincent Ramos, innkeeper of the Hostalete in Catalonia, fell into so grave a sickness in his house that he was given extreme unction; now on the point of death he commends himself to blessed Candida and at once recovers his health. Four months after, his wife suffers from a flux of blood so copious that she lay already deprived of voice; she invokes St. Candida, and is suddenly freed. Esperanza, the wife of a man whose name was Orta, was oppressed with such pains of the eyes that she could see nothing, nor advance one step without being led by the hand by a little girl; the help of St. Candida being implored, she recovers her sight. A boy, falling down the stairs, is struck with a grave wound in the head; and to him too the holy Virgin was present with a remedy. In the year 1596 Ursula Domenech, of the town of Canar, was greatly tormented with scrofulas; she invokes the glorious Martyr, and anointing herself, as they advised, with the oil of her lamp, was cured in a short time. Michael John Martin, son of John Martin, could not walk otherwise than supported on sticks. In these ills, since he had no hope from any other quarter, he fled with tears to blessed Candida. The holy Virgin appears to him by night. He, terrified, tries to utter a cry; she bids him be silent, since he is already healed, and testifies that she is St. Candida of Tortosa. The women who were attending the sick man come; they find him in good health whose life they had just despaired of. Then Michael relates to them that he had seen blessed Candida surrounded with most splendid light; and that by this sight he had suddenly been healed. The aforesaid miracle is established by an authentic deed drawn up by Pedro Perera, notary of Tortosa, and subscribed on the 18th of December 1551.