The Encyclopedia of Saints

432 Pages·2001·4.57 MB·English

by  Rosemary Guiley

The Encyclopedia of
SAINTS

The Encyclopedia of
SAINTS
Rosemary Ellen Guiley
The Encyclopedia of Saints
Copyright © 2001 by Visionary Living, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
132 West 31st Street
New York NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Guiley, Rosemary.
The encyclopedia of saints / Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8160-4133-4 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-8160-4134-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4381-3026-2 (e-book)
1. Christian saints—Biography—Dictionaries. I. Title.
BX4655.8 G85 2001
282’.092’2—dc21 00-069176
Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses,
associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at
[phone] or (800) 322–8755.
You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com
Text design by Erika K. Arroyo
Cover design by Semadar Megged
Printed in the United States of America
VB FOF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
C
ONTENTS
f
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
INTRODUCTION ix
ENTRIES A TO Z 1
APPENDICES 355
SOURCES AND FURTHER
READING RECOMMENDATIONS 401
INDEX 403

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
f
Iam especially grateful for the expertise and assistance of James G. Matlock and
Joanne P. Austin in the research and compilation of this encyclopedia. I also would like
to thank my editor, James Chambers, for his vision and support of this project.
vii

I
NTRODUCTION
f
My long-standing interest in saints came to a turning Brother André’s ability was not greeted with warmth
point in 1997 after an unexpected, spontaneous and within his own religious community. Some were skeptical
deeply moving experience. and even opposed him. The quiet little man persevered,
In the spring of that year, I traveled to Montreal to always within the requirements of authority, and finally
speak at a conference. Montreal is home to St. Joseph’s realized his great dream to build an oratory in honor of St.
Oratory, a magnificent structure built on Mount Royal, a Joseph. It began with a tiny chapel on Mount Royal in
small mountain within the city environs. It is a healing 1904. Over the years, donations in honor of Brother
shrine, the world’s largest pilgrimage center dedicated to André have enabled expansions. The present basilica is
St. Joseph. Some 2 million people of all faiths from all the tallest point in Montreal, and holds 3,000 people.
over the world come hereeveryyear to pray for the inter- Brother André died in 1937 and was beatified in 1987
cession of a remarkable saint, Blessed Brother André, by Pope John Paul II (r. 1978– ). His death did not end
whose tomb lies within the oratory.One Sunday,Ivisited his healing work. As millions of pilgrims attest, his inter-
the oratoryand joined a large throng of people lined up to cession from beyond the grave enables continuing mira-
pay their respects at the tomb. I came with no particular cles of divine healing.
purpose other than to see the oratory and witness others. Brother André’s heart is on view as a relic, encased in
Ididn’t even know much about the life of Brother André. a clear glass container in the oratory. But the real attrac-
What happened to me there caused me to learn about his tion, the real power center, is his small black granite
life and miraculous healing work. tomb, called the Black Coffin. Pilgrims come to touch the
Brother André was born Alfred Bessette in a village tomb and pray for healing.
east of Montreal in 1845 to a poor and humble family. He So there I was this one Sunday morning, filing into the
was small and of delicate constitution, and suffered poor small alcove that contains the tomb. Outside the alcove,
health all of his life. In 1870, he sought to enter the candlelight flickered over the high walls filled with the
Congregation of the Holy Cross, a religious order dedicat- canes and crutches people had thrown away after miracu-
ed to the teaching profession. The order accepted him lous healings there.
despite his lack of education, and gave him the lowly job The tomb itself was small, plain and unadorned. The
of doorkeeper at NotreDame College in Mount Royal. He simplicity of its surroundings certainly gave no hint that
took the name André in honor of his sponsor, Pastor therein lay the remains of a miracle healer revered around
André Provençal. the world. Someone had placed a single red rose atop the
Brother André spent much of his time in prayer. When tomb. People waited for a turn to touch the black granite
he was off-duty, he visited the sick. Miraculous cures were while others crowded around them. At last I maneuvered
attributed to him and he soon became renowned as the to the front and placed both palms on top of the tomb.
“Wonder Man of Mount Royal.” People came from afar to When I touched the tomb, I felt a burning begin in the
see him. He always credited the cures to the intercession center of my chest. It astonished me. The feeling intensi-
of his patron saint, Joseph. fied, as though my heart center were on fire. This feeling
ix