THE MIRACULOUS IMAGE OF OUR INFANT SAVIOR AT BARI, KINGDOM OF NAPLES, ITALY Part 2
FIRST SECTION - BLOODY SWEAT OF THE SACRED IMAGE
According to the statement of Very Rev. Father Bruni, this prodigious sweat of blood began about two o'clock in the afternoon of the 19th of March, 1866, Monday in Passion Week, and continued without interruption in the daytime, until Palm Sunday, ceasing, however, in the night. Since that time, this miracle has been repeated thousands of times, lasting more or less, several hours, according to the circumstance of the feasts which were being celebrated in the Catholic Church. During the principal feasts of our Divine Lord, and of his most holy Mother, this miraculous bloody sweat was more abundant and remarkable. It lasted several hours, and was observed flowing in the day, and also in the night-time.
After having been observed and carefully examined, on their first appearance, by the Rev. Laurence Lapedota, a venerable priest with an exquisite delicacy of concience, he considered himself conscientiously bound to make these prodigious events known to the Very Rev. Archdeacon Petruzzelli, administrator of the archdiocese of Bari, during the exile of his Grace, Mgr. Pedicini. The Archdeacon, prudently wishing to verify the reality of these reports, visited the miraculous image, in company with the learned capitular theologian, Canon d'Aloja, Canon Maggi, of the Metropolitan Church, Rev. Joseph Gatta, Rev. Peter Cassano, and several other respectable and intelligent gentlemen of the city. Very Rev. Father Bruni was also present, and, as an eye-witness, affirms that all saw the prodigious sweat of blood exuding from the sacred waxen image of our Infant Savior, and testifies that the same prodigy has since the 19th of March, 1866, been observed by large numbers of persons of every class and condition. He justly remarks that this is an event of public notoriety, and can be witnessed by every person desirous of verifying the reality of this prodigy.
In the year 1867, during Holy Week, "I and many other persons," says Father Bruni, "observed a large drop of white sweat on the body of the sacred image, and a similar one on the head; whilst at the same time drops of blood of a heavy color flowed from the forehead, indicating the punctures of the Crown of Thorns, and also from the right hand, manifesting the wound of the crucifixion. These drops of blood flowing from those two parts of the sacred figure were gradually increasing. These two extraordinary prodigies were taking place, from the same waxen figure, precisely at the same moment. This circumstance should not be overlooked. On the 13th of April of the same year, a person of high dignity (Mgr. Pedicini), having consented to visit the miraculous image, observed a drop of fresh red blood exuding from it. He ordered the glass shade to be removed, took the image of the Bambino (Infant Savior) in his left hand, and with the index of his right hand he carefully wiped off this bloody sweat. But another drop immediately appeared, which, having been similarly removed, the second, third and fourth time, the same prodigy was instantly renewed. Having diligently examined the wax figure in every direction, and, being fully satisfied that no foul means or deceitful contrivance could naturally have been used by any human ingenuity, firmly convinced of the reality of the miracle, and deeply impressed by the supernatural phenomenon, in a calm, dignified and reverential manner, he replaced the sacred image in the venerated cradle.
