St. Ignatius Water

Source: District of Asia

The Acts of the canonization of St. Ignatius recognize more than two hundred miracles wrought through his mediation. These marvels have continued without interruption even to our own days. Among the many practices of devotion to which God has deigned to attach what might seem miraculous favors, the most universally known is the use of St. Ignatius Holy Water

I. ITS ORIGIN.

As with other widespread devotions in the Church it is difficult to determine the exact time and manner of their origin, so too in regard to St. Ignatius Water. The custom of dipping a relic of the true Cross or of some saint into holy water was a common practice in the first ages of the Church. Cures and miracles wrought by water thus blessed are of frequent occurrence in the lives of the early saints. Probably the use of St. Ignatius Water, now so common among the faithful, blessed and approved by so many favors from heaven, and in all parts of the world, originated with one of our first fathers, who, in his missionary journeys, sought to give greater virtue to holy water by blessing it with a treasured letter of our Holy Father. Certainly letters and autographs of St. Ignatius were first used in blessing the water. Fr. Virgilio Nolarci in his life of our Holy Father, published in 1670, after dwelling at length on the miraculous cures wrought by the water in Germany and Italy, describes the manner of blessing in use at that time: "The priest with surplice and stole dips a relic of St. Ignatius in a vase of water, which he blesses, invoking St. Ignatius with the prayer prescribed for that purpose by the Church. However great the favor which one may wish to obtain, it is sufficient to take but a drop of the water, or to apply it exteriorly." The devotion, though more defined by proper prayer and ceremony in 1600, goes back to the middle of the preceding century, for, according to Fr. Nolarci, shortly after the death of St. Ignatius, the annual letters from many provinces of the Society make mention of cures and miracles effected by the water. Spanish fathers claim for the devotion a Spanish origin, resting their claim on the authority of Fr. Ribadeneira, who, in his life of our Holy Father, dwells minutely and at length on the wonderful efficacy of the water at Burgos during the terrible plague of 1599. Physicians themselves, recognizing its supernatural virtue, prescribed it to the exclusion of all other medicines. The Spanish claim is strengthened by the fact that the first mention made of the water by the Bollandists is in connection with the Burgos plague. After the wonders wrought at Burgos, the devotion received the approval and recommendation of many Spanish bishops, and travelled thence to France, and even to Germany, of which country our Holy Father had, and doubtless still has, a peculiar love from the time of his memorable journey with his chosen companions from Paris to Rome. The manner of blessing, of which Fr. Nolarci wrote in 1670 as prescribed by the Church, was probably confined to Italy, since we learn from the Bollandists and other sources that the ceremonies and prayers of blessing were as numerous and varied as the countries in which the devotion was known. All, however, agreed in requiring that an image or autograph or relic of our Holy Father be dipped in the water. The manner of blessing now in use was approved by the S. Cong. Rit., Aug. 30th, 1866. The privilege of blessing is reserved by the Holy See to the fathers of the Society. In those places, however, where Ours have no house, other priests may obtain from Fr. General, with the consent of their Ordinary, the faculty of blessing the water, Fr. General having full power from the Holy Father to grant this permission. (Vide Institutum S. J., nova editio, in appendice ad Litt. Apost., de variis rescriptis et indulgentiis, p. 28.)

II. ITS APOSTLES.

All devotions in the Church rise and flourish through the labors and zeal of holy men. St. Ignatius Water does not want apostles. From Fr. Ribadeneira down to the present time there have been men in the Society of high zeal and sanctity who let no opportunity escape of recommending and spreading this devotion. As early as 1640 it had a champion in Fr. George Gobat, a Swiss, professor of theology for upwards of thirty years, and rector of Freiburg and Hall in their palmiest days. Fr. Gobat had the devotion so much at heart that he made prominent mention of it in his great work Theol. Moralis-Juridico: "The devotion of the faithful," he writes, "to this practice has been frequently sanctioned by manifest miracles in Switzerland, in the Tyrol and Bavaria." Fr. Nolarci, writing a few years later, and evidently with a view to removing the impression left by Fr. Gobat that Germany had sole right and title to the devotion, says: "The cures wrought by St. Ignatius Water are not confined exclusively to Germany; France rejoices in them, they are of frequent occurrence in Italy, Rome has witnessed them, especially in the plagues of 1656 and 1657; in fine, all Europe knows of them." In 1640 Fr. Joseph Besson, sometime rector of Nimes and afterwards a second apostle of Syria, made the devotion known throughout Asia Minor. In his great work, "La Syric Sainte," are found detailed accounts of miracles wrought and blessings obtained by the use of the water.

The most touching, if not the most marvellous, incident connected with the history of the devotion and its propagators is thus told by the Bollandists: "Fr. James Antonio Amici, being about to enter on his last agony, had already resigned his soul into the hands of Jesus and Mary, when he heard a voice utter these words: 'Take the water of your Holy Father Ignatius and dip therein my flowers which you blessed on Pentecost Monday, and it will restore you to health, though not completely, for such is the will of God.' Fr. James followed the instructions of the heavenly voice, and immediately after drinking the water felt a new strength in all his limbs; he rose from his bed of death, went to the chapel, and gave thanks to God, Our Lady, and St. Ignatius." What wonder that Fr. Amici wrote a long account of this marvellous cure in classical Latin and forwarded it to Fr. General Tamburini to be placed in the Society's archives, where it still remains and where the Bollandists found it, a touching memorial of our Holy Father's power and protection. It is needless to say that Fr. Amici, during the remainder of his life, recommended the devotion earnestly and on all occasions.

Fr. Peter Bernard is a name still held in benediction by the inhabitants of western Belgium, a man of such repute for sanctity that at his death, which occurred in 1866, thirteen thousand people came to get a last look of him, while a double cordon of gendarmes protected the remains from relic seekers. Reading the wonderful accounts of cures and blessings obtained by Fr. Bernard by means of St. Ignatius Water, we have no hesitation in calling him the apostle of the devotion. The short space allowed this brief notice will permit us to do no more than mention other names that hold a high place in the history of the Society for learning and sanctity, such as Fr. Lancisius, Fr. Terwecoren, Fr. Mencacci, Fr. Gautrelet, and others, all of whom, both by word and in writing, propagated this devotion, and ever regarded it as a precious legacy committed to the Society for the greater glory of God and the good of souls.

III ITS USE.

A few words on the manner of using this blessed water may not be amiss. The person desiring a cure or some grace should be exhorted, first, to a holy conformity with the will of God. This is necessary at all times, but especially in case of sickness, since we know not the designs of Providence, and at times wish for what is not for our good. To this conformity must be joined a sincere confidence in in the intercession of St. Ignatius, and, when possible, the soul should be purified and strengthened by approaching the sacraments. With these dispositions joined to persevering prayer it is sufficient to drink a little of the water every day, or to bathe the affected part with it. No set form of prayer is required. An excellent practice, however, is to recite three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, and three Glorias in honor of the Holy Trinity, to whom our Holy Father had a great devotion. Others prefer to invoke the assistance of the Saint by the prayers used in blessing the water, and it would add to the devotion if, in distributing the water to the people, these prayers, translated into English, could be given along with the water, and the patient exhorted to say them. A novena to the Saint, accompanied with penance and almsgiving, should also, when practicable, be made, as it seems to be the most effectual way of obtaining his intercession, especially if, at first not successful, it be repeated. Most of the remarkable cures and graces have been obtained by one or more novenas, the water being daily taken or applied during it, and the sacraments received.

We trust, in conclusion, that those of Ours who read this article will have a greater confidence in the wonderful effects of this water, and that they will propagate its use still more among our people. After reading the wonders wrought in times past by it, the suspicion naturally rises that the water has lost something of its ancient efficacy; but the arm of God is not shortened, neither is the solicitude of our Holy Father less loving than of old. When our times become matter of history equally wonderful things, we hope, will be said and written of this devotion. Let us at least do our part in making it known, and making our Holy Father more loved and honored, all to the greater glory of God.