medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Although, as you say, Catholic priests (and
> perhaps
> Anglican ones, too) still -- in relatively small ways -- support the
> largely harmless
> remnants of such practices, the practices themselves remain largely
> in oblivion,
> both in the present, and even more so in the past.
> Cheers,
> Jim
It may be of interest that I am sitting in a house purchased for the
Catholic Church by means of a miraculous medal. Fr Bryan, who founded
the parish and built the church, had no house to begin with and lived
in the church tower, with his housekeeper, Nellie Tobin (neither, so
far as I know, was a hunchback). One day Fr Bryan called at the large
Georgian house next door to the church and asked its owner, a doctor,
if he would consider selling it to the church for use as a presbytery.
The good physician received him civilly, but declined to part with his
property, saying that he had lived in Pickering for many years and
would see his time out there. Fr Bryan thanked him for listening to his
request and went his way but, as he went, buried a miraculous medal in
the garden. A few days later the aforesaid G.P. contacted him. Much to
his surprise, he had been offered the chance to move to another
practice and was disposed to accept the offer. Accordingly he sold the
house to Fr Bryan for the then princely sum of £200.
Other people have told me of tossing miraculous medals over the wall of
a methodist chapel, with a view to buying it from them. Possibly, most
learned Jim, you have come across the history of burying amulets or
medallions in order to acquire property. The present miraculous medal
goes back only to the apparitions at Lourdes, but no doubt there were
previous medals with similar properties. What can you tell us?
Bill.
=====
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