Marvellous Cure Through the Little Flower

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 6, 11 February 1925, Page 17

Marvellous Cure Through the Little Flower

i ATTESTED

Height Rev. Bishop Simon, D.D., Namaqufiland, Cape Colony, South Africa, lias published the following: pi fear I would fail in my duty towards God, His saints, and the Church were I to conceal longer the favor obtained at Matjeskloof during a Novena. I shall then relate briefly what happened there in December, 1923. Last November a colored woman died at Springbok, leaving three orphan children. Katharina Africander was the eldest; she' had never walked in her life, having been, born a cripple. The parts of the legs, from knee to foot, were folded , under the thighs. Both knees were stiff; they seemed to be bones without movement. A brother of lie little, girl, affected by the same infirmity died when he reached his sixth year. &The Magistrate of Springbok thought that the best place for the children was the orphanage at Matjeskloof, conducted by theI Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales. He wrote then to the Sister Superior, asking her to. take the three children under her' care, and promising to obtain for them Government rations. Sister Frances Therese, Superior of the orphanage, assented. Thegood nuns did what they could for their new charges. The cripple girl could nothelp herself in any way. “If the infirmity continues,” thought Sister Frances Therese, “I fear I shall not be able to do much forher. I have forty other boarders to look after. I am principal teacher in our school with 115 pupils. Besides I must see to the management of the whole house, and I have only two Sisters to help me and two assistant teachers.” She turned then to God again, saying: “How easy it would be for - Thee to make that child walk, for to Thy power there are no limits.” At the same time she, together with the Sisters, teachers,, and boarders, began, on the sth of December, a Novena to the “Little Flower.” - ; _i, t The Novena. Sister Fiances carried the cripple girl inher arms to the church and placed her nearthe altar steps. All prayed very fervently.. Katharina had been taught to say: “Little' Flower, make me walk.” She repeated theserds very sweetly, over and over again,, > ; .yhring the prayers. However, no improve- • ment was noticed the first day. After the sprayers on the second day the sick girl was -earned back to the Sisters’ house, and there, f° the .immense joy of all, Katharin/jl

BY BISHOP.

■stretched out her legs and stood on her feet, •hut could not yet walls. The third day she :was taken to the church again. After the prayers Sister Frances made the child stand on her legs and she retired a few steps holding in her hand a little picture of Blessed Teresa. The Sister than said with trembling ■ and sobbing voice; “Come, baby; come get this picture,'” The child walked right to her and took the picture from her hand. Children and all felt transports of joy. Sister Frances Therese said: “Until I die 1 shall never forget the feeling which wont through my soul at that moment.” This time they did not carry the child back home, but made her walk .from the church to the Sisters’ house, a distance of about 200 yards. There Katharina sat down, with outstretched legs, rose up and walked all by herself with great facility, laughing joyfully. When her relations heard what had happened at Matjeskloof they came to see the ■child. They knew that she had once been ■examined by a doctor who declared nothing could be done for her. When they saw Katharina walking.,easily they could hardly believe their eyes. On the following Sunday many others came, too, and all were amazed to see the once crippled child perfectly cured. To-day she plays, runs, jumps about’ like other children. She>climbs easily the many steps of the church, resembling much those ■of St. Mary’s, Cape Town. When asked, “Who has cured you?” she answers; “The Little Flower.” Often when she sleeps she has a picture of Blessed Teresa in her hand. On my advice'the child was taken to the ■doctors to be .examined. Both doctors of; O’okiep and Concordia have seen her. They ■ a,re of a different creed from ours. Here are the exact copies of their written opinions • about the cure:— . > MEDICAL REPORTS. O’okiep, Dec. 22, 1923. Dear Sister' Frances Therese, —I have examined your protegee Katrina Africander, aged five. She undoubtedly can walk, and the condition of nutrition of the legs suggests that she has not used them until quite recently. I regret that I cannot call .the case to mind in the past, but then it seems to be three years since I saw her. I think you are to ;be congratulated .—Yours y sincerely, ' ‘ '‘ ' ' * v * '* * ” (Signed) COWAN, Concordia, Vjari.. 23, 1924.

This is to certify that I have examined Katrina Africander, aged five, at Matjeskloof. .. ,■ ■ =.->■' | She is -able to walk without any support, but has a waddling gait. Sister Therese tells me that the child was unable to walk until December 6, 1923’ and that she walked spontaneously on .that date. Without electricity, massage, and other forms of medical treatment, the spontaneous recovery is from a medical point .of view inexplicable. One is inclined to put this cure alongside those one has heard of at Lourdes. (Signed). W. E. HELD. Tc Devin Laudamus. We cannot thank God enough for this special favor bestowed on us, the poorest, the last amongst the Missionaries in South Africa. But words fall us to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Sacred Heart and the Little Flower. Truly Monsignor Kolbe was well inspired the day he decided to ask his Holiness Pope Benedict XV to declare Blessed Teresa of Lisieux the Patron Saint of the children in South Africa. All our school children have signed the petition, and they eagerly look forward to the day when the title will be granted to her. If the Little Flower has shown such goodness to our poor Katharina Africander, what will she not do for others. I firmly hope that this wonderful cure, attested by two doctors, will strengthen our Catholics in the Faith and incite them to pray to the Sacred Heart and Blessed Tei esa with renewed confidence. Ask, heaven for the relief you want in, all'your trials. You shall always bo heard.