41.
verT.WV,/
.14 4FAFP41
d
?i
ELLIOTT ELLIOTT
ELLIOTT ELLIOTT OPTICIANS
111
ibt
frADILLYMir, MTh
John f IIioFF mgr. Ex-Marisi
Bros:
OPTICIANS
1)1
Piccadilly Arcade
Perth
Sludeol
Tel. B 7988
Tel. 8 7988 PRISM THREEPENCE.
PERTH, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1944.
NO. 3,133.
IR
SEVENTY-FIRST TZAR,.
CLE
How John Traynor Arrived at Lourdes Desperately Ill Medical Evidence of Multiplicity of Grave Maladies Instantaneous Cure After Being Blessed with the Monstrance . .
come to the "Asile" selling rosaries, medals, etc., came into our ward, and the last few shillings I had I spent on litle religious souvenirs for my wife and children. Then it was time to get ready for the baths.
Mirada.
I was wheeled down to wait my turn. There were many to be bathed and we all wanted to be finished before the afternoon procession of the Blessed Sacrament, which began at 4 o'clock. My turn came, and when I was in the bath, my paralysed legs became violently agitated. The brancardiers became alarmed once more, thinking that was in .another fit. I struggled to (Told by himself, reported by the Rev. Patrick O'Connor, Missionary get on my feet, feeling that I could of St. Columban.) easily do so, and wondered why everyBlood flowed body seemed to be against me. When wheeled to the baths. (Concluded from last week.) from my mouth and the .doctors were I was taken out of the bath, I cried much alarmed. As I came to, I could from sheer weakness and exhaustion. AT LOURDES.. The brancardiers threw my clothes We reached Lourdes on July 22, and hear them saying: "Better take him on hurriedly, put me back on the back to the 'Asile' at once." I was transferred with the rest, of the I protested, saying: "No, you won't. stretcher, and rushed me down to the sick to the "Asile" hospital in the dofront of the Rosary Church main of the Grotto. I was in a ter- I've come to be bathed, and I'm not square in the Practically procession. to await rible condition, as my wounds and going back." "You'll die in the bath," they told all the other sick were already lined sores had not been freshly bandaged on the outthird last up. I the was me. since I left Liverpool. "Very well," I said. "If I do. I'll side, to the right as you face the Meanwhile a Protestant girl from church. ,.4,-erpool had come to the Continent die in a good place." The procession came winding its way I put the brake on the wheeled chair She got tired of rt a holiday tour. back, as usual, to the church and 'at good my with wheel all the shop places and happened to by holding the the end walked. the ArchbishOp of come to Lourdes. She was a trained hand, the left one, and the brancardiers to Rheims, carrying the Blessed Sacranurse and, seeing all the sick, she offer- 'volunteer stretcher-bearers) had the He blessed the two ahead of ment. into me ed her services to help in the "Mile." give in. They brought came to me, made the sign of the Her parents in England, upset at her bath and bathed me in the usual way. me, with the monstrance an'd moved decision to stay as .1 volunteer worker I never had an epileptic fit after that. cross He had just passed on to the next. in Lourdes, sent out her sister to keep by, when I realised that a great change Medical lamination. her company. These two girls went On July 24,, Drs. Azurdia, Finn and had taken 'place in me. My right down to see the Liverpool pilgrims. pil- arm, which had been dead since 1915, They remembered having seen me sit- Marley, who had come with theLourI burst the was violently agitated. my grimage, examined Traynor at ting in my wheel -chair out: id and blessed myself-for the house at home and they volunt ,ered to des. Their signed statement is on re- bandages time in years. take care of me. I gladly accepted cord. It testifies that they found him first had no sudden pain that I can reI their kind offer, and they washed and to be suffering from: I and certainly had no vision. call, sevsaw ourselves ("We 1. Epilepsy dressed my sores and looked after me eral attacks during his journey to simply realised that something momenduring my stay in Lourdes. happened. tous had Ours was a large pilgrimage, com- Lourdes"); I attempted to rise from my stretch2. Paralysis of the radial, median and prising about 1,200 people in all, includer, but the brancardiers were watcharw; right the of nerves ulnar late ing many priests, headed by the ing me. I suppose I had a bad name 3. Atrophy of the shoulder and pecArchbishop Keating, of Liverpool. We They. held me for my obstinacy. spent six days in Lourdes. During toral muscles;. down and a doctor or a nurse gave me 4. A trephine opening in the right that time I was desperately ill. I had this a hypo. Apparently they thought sevetal haemorrhages as well as epilep- parietal region of the skull: in metal that I was hysterical and about to In fact, one woman took it opening, about 2 cm.5, there is a tic fits. Immediately after create a scene. on herself to write to my wife, saying plate for protection; movement the final Benediction they rushed me 5. Absence of voluntary that there was no hope for me and told them that I I hack to "Asile." in the legs and loss of feeling. that I'd be buried in Lourdes. could 'walk and proved it by taking 6. Lack of bodily control. In spite of my condition, however, I I was very tired and in seven steps. We were to leave on the morning of succeeded in being bathed nine times The afternoon of July 25 pain. They put me back in bed and July 27. in the water from the Grotto spring, hypo. after a while. me another as gave and I was brought to the different de- came, and I seemed to be as bad being (Drs. Azurdia, Finn and Marley cervotions in which the sick could join. ever. Already preparations were tify that they examined Traynor on On the morning of the second day I made for the return journey. A young to the "Asile" after the prohad a bad epileptic fit as I was being Frenchman, Felix Douley, who used to his return
Former Paralytic Runs to the Grotto to Thank Our Lady
I
If you can't procure in town what you require, TRY US-
-
'Phone: B5393
cession of the blessed Sacrament. Apparently this was to see if he could really walk, as he claimed. "We find that he has recovered the voluntary use of his legs; the reflexes exist. There is intense venous congestion of both feet, which are very painful. The patient can walk with difficulty.") They had me in a small ward on the ground floor. As I was such a troublesome case, they stationed barncardiers in relays to watch me and keep Late me from doing anything foolish. that night they placed a brancardier on guard outside the door of the ward. There were two other sick men in the room, including one who was blind. The effect of the hypos. began to wear off during the night, but I had no I full realisation that I was cured. No was awake for most of the night. lights were on.
Miracle Made Manifest. The chimes in the big basilica of the Rosary rang the hours and half-hours as usual through the night, playing the air of the Lourdes "Ave Maria." Eariy in the morning I heard them ringing, and it seemed to me that I fell asleep at the beginning of the "Ave." It Could have been a matter of only a few seconds. but at the last stroke I opened my eyes and jumped out of First, I knelt on the floor to fin. bed. ish the rosary I had been saying. Then I dashed for the door, pushed aside the two brancardiers and ran out into the passage and the open air. Previously I had been watching the brancardiers and planning to evade them. I may say here that I had not walked since 1915, and my weight was down to eight stone. Dr. Marley was outside the donr. When he saw the man over whom he had been watching during the pilgrimage, and whose death he had expected, push two brancardiers aside and run out of the ward, he fell back in amazement. Out in the open now, I ran towards the Grotto, which is about two or three hundred yards from the This stretch of ground was "Asile." gravelled then, not paved, and I was I ran the whole way to the barefoot. Grotto without getting the least mark or cut on my bare feet. The brancardiers were running after me. When they reached the Grotto, there I was on my knees, still in my night clothes, pr, ying to Our Lady and thanking Jcr. All I knew was that I should 'hank her, and the Grotto was the place to do it. The branCardiers stood hack. afraid to touch me. (Continued on Page 2.)
MERCERS AND
E. LUISINI
Registered at the G.P.O., Perth, for transmission by post as a newspaper.
DRAPERS
215-219 William Street,
Perth