head and
looked at me full in the face, her countenance radiant with joy, and
said, 'Well, let us take courage; he will not die this time,' and
she passed on. At these words I banished all fear, for I understood
that she had obtained some favor from heaven. I went straight to my
sick friend, whom I found sitting on the side of his bed. 'Do you
know,' he cried, 'what she has done for me?' He then stood up and
narrated joyfully what I have here written. To make the matter more
sure, the table was laid, and Father Matthew seated himself at it
with us; they served him with vegetables and other light food, and
he, who an hour before could not open his mouth, ate with us,
chatting and laughing gaily."

None of Catharine's biographers fail to relate wonderful instances of
her healing power.[68]

Martin Luther (1483-1546), the great leader of the Reformation, and
St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), the leader of the Counter-Reformation,
were both healers, so it is said. Luther's cure of his friend and
helper, Melanchthon, by prayer for and encouragement of the patient,
is well known. Xavier's miracles were legion, but have been somewhat
discredited by a recent author.[69] I add but one example. "A certain
Tome Paninguem, a fencing-master, says, I knew Antonio de Miranda, who
was a servant of the Father Francis, and assisted him when saying
Mass. He told me that when going one night on business to Combature,
he was bitten by a venomous serpent. He immediately fell down as
though paralyzed and became speechless. He was found thus lying
unconscious. Informed of the fact, Father Francis ordered Antonio to
be carried to him: and when he was laid down speechless and senseless,
the Father prayed with all those present. The prayer finished, he put
a little saliva with his finger on the bitten place on Antonio's foot,
and at the same moment, Antonio recovered his senses, his memory and
his speech, and felt himself healed. I have since heard details of
this occurrence from the mouths of several eye-witnesses."[70]

If we accept Goerres's account,[71] the most remarkable instance of
curative power possessed by a saint is that afforded by St. Sauveur of
Horta (1520-1567). Outside of this one work I have been unable to find
any reference to this saint, so I will give a sketch of his apparently
remarkable life. He was born in Catalonia, and received the first part
of his name from a presentiment of his sponsors that he