CITY EDITION
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Teresa cNeumann Sufferings of Atonement TEN YEARS WITHOUT FOOD OR DRINK
MTH HER SISTER —A I ARSBERG.
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H YSICIANS say that a man could live about ten days without eating or drinking. Since October, 1925, Teresa Neumann has not eaten anything, and since Christmas, 1926, she does not take even liquids. She sustains life only by Holy Communion. To exclude any attempt at deception, Teresa has been watched closely for a period of fifteen days by a special Commission appointed for the purpose by the Protestant University of Erlangen, under the supervision of the Director of the Board of Health. The result was an official statement that Teresa had not eaten or drunk anything throughout the fifteen days. Her weight, however, remains about the same. For those who are disinclined to believe in the supernatural, the happenings at Konnersreuth must set them thinking.
TERESA NEUMANN
( A recent photograph).
UNNERSREUTH is a lit"Offer up," she said, "all your tle country town of some pains for lukewarm souls. By 1,400 inhabitants, situatBlindness. Teresa had given up all hopes suffering, far more souls are save,' in the extreme north-east corThen her parents took her of recovering her eye-sight er than by the most eloquent serner of the Upper Palatine, one of home again. th Lying small in rough a medica mons. l aid. Admonish the people to the eight cantons of Bavaria, a Cured by the Little Flower. place all their confidence in Free State of Southern Germany. room in the garret, she often suffered the most olent pains, so On April 29, 1923, the Carmel- God!" People from every part of the that she could longer no ite keep nun, Teresa of the Infant The same light and the same globe journey to Konnersreuth back her tears. This weakened Jesus (the Little Flower of voice appeared to her again, and t o witness the wonderful things that the hand of God is working her eyes more and more, and in Jesus) had been beatified by the voice spoke: "Your entire reupon the soul and frail body of an the month of March, 1919, she Pope Pius XI., Teresa had great signation to God's will and your humble village girl. For several grew entirely blind. Her hear- confidence in "The Little White readiness to suffer pleases us. In ing also became impaired. so Flower," as she called her. She order that aV men may know years the throngs that flocked that she was at times completely had made one novena after that interference from on high is there, especially on Thursdays de af. Her left side was para- another that 'The Little White possible, you shall not be operatand Fridays, were so numerous lysed and lost all sense of feeling. Flower,' Teresa of Lisieux, ed on. You may get up. but go that the aid of the constabulary Christmas, 1922, her throat might obtain the honours of the to church at once and thank the On o f Waldsassen was required to got very sore, and its muscles altar. With joyful longing she Lord. You will have to suffer keep the crowds in order. paralysed, so that she could take looked forwarkl to that day.. And much yet. but fear not: only by It is only since the Bishop of only liquid food. In 1923 her on that very day her sight was suffering will you be able to coR atisbon, to whose diocese the condition grew so serious that restored. operate in the salvation of souls." town of Konnersreuth belongs, could not swallow more than Another Miraculous Cure. Sufferings of the Passion. has by severe restrictions made she a spoonful or two a day. Tere The sa Lenten season of 1926 Neuma nn always had a access to the humble cottage of This will give some faint idea special devotion to this saint br ought Teresa new sufferings. Teresa Neumann rather difficult, of the sufferin gs Teresa Neu- And she was overjoyed as the On Good Friday she witnessed that these swarming pilgrimages mann had to undergo since day drew near when the Flower the entire Passion of Our Lord, have not ceased, but greatly fall- March, 1918. And she suffered of Lisieux was to be canonised. from the bloody sweat in the en off. But though the Bishop's not only patient ly, but with per- She had made a number of Garden of Olives to His crucipermit is needed for admission fect resigna tion to the will of novenas prior to May. 17, 1925, fixion on Calvary. On the evento the home of the heaven-fav- God. the day of the canonisation of the ing of Good Friday, when Teroured virgin, nevertheless many St. Ignatius once, was asked Little Flower. And she was to esa became conscious again, she v isitors repair to Konnersreuth which was the shortest way to be the recipient of a second spe- called to her sister to look at her every week, especially during perfection. and he answer ed: the cial grace from her favourite hands and feet because they Lent. shortest way to perfection was saint on the very day. burnt so much. She herself was Twenty Years' Suffering. suffering. not able to examine them, being From that day Teresa has Teresa Neumann was born on Teresa Neumann constantly been able to walk. She goes to too weak. Now she realised April 9, 1898, in the village which showed herself a heroine of suf- church and to the presbytery, that she had received the Stigw ithout intention or design on fering. She was perfectly re- and is even able to do work about mata. her part she has made so famous signed to the Will of God. Even the house. The Stigmata. She is the eldest of ten chil- when she experienced the most The Stigmata are an extraorSuffe rings of Atonem ent. dren. Her father is a tailor and violent pains, she never lost Once more the Little Flower dinary and special grace which has a small farm. Her devout courage. She would offer up appeared to her in that wonder- God grants only to a few chosen parents have brought up all their her sufferings to Him. who sent ful light and told her that from souls. They are extraordinary children in the fear of God. them to her, and adored God's now on all her weakne and special gifts, but not necesss would Her parents are poor. As wisdom and goodness in her disappear, but that still greater sarily signs of holiness, though soon as Teresa left school she agonies. sufferin gs were in store for her. God as a rule never grants such h ad to look for work to earn her gifts to persons who read an unliving. She took service in a exemplary life. They are given neighbour's farm-house as a comg ratuitously and bestowed for mon servant-girl. the edification and instruction of On March 10, 1918. a fire others rather than for the indivibroke out in the neighbourhood. Teresa Neumann, - - - - - - Page 1 dual benefit of the recipient. Teresa worked with might and The Teresa Neumann is not the Pope and the Cath olic Press m ain to fight the flames. Page 7 Buconly stigmatised in our days. Trizewinners—Essay Competition Pale 1.> ket after bucket she reached up Anne Mary Goebel. Elena Ajello, to the firemen. In the excites Grace the Archbishop Praises Barb ara Pfister. Sister Mary of ment and hurry of this heavy toil Bushie Scheme - the Crucified Jesus (died 1878). - - Page 15 s he was drenched to the skin. Emma Galgani (died 1903) have. The Church and the Middle Class „ 16 All of a sudden her health broke or each had, the Stigmata of Our down, and from that moment her What is the League of Nations.' - „ .ord. manifold sufferings began. (Further References on Page 12.)
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