ST. WALBURGA'S OIL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 261, 3 May 1878, Page 7

ST. WALBURGA'S OIL.

The Catholic Advocate publishes the following letter, received by his friends m Louisville, Ofy.,'from a gentleman now travelling in Euro c who has recently visited 6t Walburga's shrine : Europe, St. Walburga was born in Britany, about the year 702 of royal parents. Hex- mother was the sister of St. Boniface, the Ap? s tle of Germany. Her father, the king, now called St. Richard, for he was a holy man and died a saint, lies buried at Lucca in Italy, whither he } %£s•?*, i 3 ° imie^ Ms two BOns ' These two sons Wunibald and WiUibald were also, like their father, holy men, Ou the death of their father taey repaired to Rome, and entered there the Benedictine Order. When their uncle, St. Boniface, came to Rome, he prevailed upon them to accompany him back to Germany. Willibald became the first bishop; of Eichstadt in Bavaria, and died a sairft • Ah ! there were aunts m those days. Just think ! A Royal family' composed of St. Richard, the father of St. Wunibald and St Willibald, Ins sons, and St. Walburga, his daughter, all canonized by the Church. On the death of her father St. Walburga remained with her mother, who was also a holy woman, in the royal palace. But she lived not there as befitted her royal rank ; on the contrary, she lived together with a few noble ladies of the household, in solitude • her lite was given wholly to God. On the death of her mother, she left the palace of her ancestors, became a nun and came to the diocese of Eichstadt, of which her brother, St. Willibald, was bishop Here a few miles from Eichstadt, in a wild forest, she founded a convent' and she lived the life of a great saint, doing great works. The last holy sacraments were given her by her brother, the Bishop St WilliS Ai£ V £ Gr^ mS -^ G by the side of her other brother, the Abbot St.Wumfeald. Many miracles attended her death : amon^ them, it is said the candles surrounding her remains were miraculously ht, and burned with an extraordinary flame, thus bearine testimony to her virginal purity. Under the high altar of St Walburga Church, at Eichstadt, in a coffin of nearly two feet long and one foot wide, repose, now for more than one thousand years, the breast bones of St. Walburga. This coffin is of ordinary hard limestone, and is supported by two other limestone slabs as a foundation wTI c Cl lP t con , tjlinin S this coffin be opened from March to' October, Ihc coffin as well as the supposing slabs present no unusual appearance; the same 'are found to be perfectly dry. But if the crypt be opened from October 12, the anniversary day of the deposit- ? g £ il^^T Under tbe altar ' to F eb IU ary2s, the day of the death of fet. Walburga, a most extraordinary appearance is presented. On the bottom stone of the coffin, and on this stone alone (the foundation stones remaining dry), there are gradually deposited large, nearly white, hanging drops of an inodorous and tasteless fluid, pm^ and oily in its nature, but free of all lime or saline composition. This oily fluid gathers in large quantity, and is collected in golden pans Placed for the purpose underneath. This fluid is the oil that is known "^ior more than one thousand years as St. Walburga's Oil Every scientific investigation to discover the cause has proved futile— it is a miracle, and its long story substantiates this. The oil flows only at the times stated. However once, when the sacristan was murdered in the church by robbers, and the church thereby desecrated, the oil ceased to flow until it was reblessed. At another time, when the town of Eichstadt was punished by the Church with the interdict on account of its having mishandled a bishop, not a drop of the oil appeared so long as the interdict lasted, one year. But when the interdict or ban was removed, and all the citizens repaired in procession to the church to beg for the" reappearance of the miracle, the oil began to flow again, and this time in such large quantities that a half a jug could be failed. Again, on June 7, 1835 (the oil does not flow &omlebruary2s to October 12), the crypt was accideutly opened for a stranger, and found, to the great wonder of all, to iiow voluminously. No one co»ld account for this until a few weeks afterwards when it was discovered that the king had on that day, the 7th of June, signed the decree reopening the Convent of St. Waiburea. And now I send you this wonderful oil, and hope the postal authorities will permit you to receive it. The foregoing I have collated from ss published accounts. Receive and use it as your piety may siSSest and remember « God is wonderful in His saints." I Lye the nvlS est faith in it and this glorious saint. The oil is used as well £*£- nally as externally for every necessity of the soul and body, parJroSto^^ o^ Blo^ 688 ! 88 ' either 101% reccma 'y « speedy Aef from itfnrag by tafh i tfso. for xmafy vgiamYma& } tio, lw

proper way to make use of this most efficacious means of .grace is to yS uoveua in honour of St. Walburga, the hearing daily ol the, holy mass, communion, joined with other good works • or, i"f tunettpes not allow of this, then a three day's" prayer ; or even, in case df>urgent necessity, three " Our Father's " or other short prayers , ou i'--' The oil is direct from. Eiclistrult— it was given to Frau itatfrby her friend, the Superior of the Capuchin Fathers at Eichstadt,