1. CHILDHOOD

John Gabriel was the second child and the oldest son in the family. It was presum¬ed that he would follow his father in running the farm. It so happened that from his youngest years,.he was esp-ecially intelligent and pious. Before he was five years old, he could say all his prayers from memory ( and the French used many many prayers in those days and also, most of the cate¬chism. He not only prayed with the family, but often by himself at home or in the church, kneeling very straight and concentrating with his whole heart on the prayers.

At 6 years of age, he was given charge of the small flock of sheep. According to the custom at that time all children worked at home or on farms for 6 months of the year in summer. For the other 6 colder months, they went to the parish church, where the pastor taught them catechism and usually had a small school to teach other subjects. When John Gabriel was 8 years old, he began
going to the parish school. He loved to read, but he al-ways finished his work first. At school, he was often put in charge of the class when the teacher was absent, because he was the most popular boy with the other stu-dents and all obeyed him. After class, other students who were not so bright, came to him for help in their lessons; he always gave his time to train even the slow¬est students.
Meanwhile, his piety was noticed by the pastor and all the people. He loved to visit the Blessed Sacrament and pray. They called him the little saint and said that when he was praying "you could walk over him and he wouldn't no-tice it". At that time, students were permitted to make their first Confession and first Communion between 14 and 16 years of age - and only after strict catechism exam-inations. The pastor allowed John Gabriel to make his first Communion when he was only 10 years old. Not one other student nor parent got jealous or complained; they knew he was special and they all liked this happy little pious fellow.

It was typical of John Gabriel that on the night before his first Communion, when his brothers and sisters were asleep, he came before his parents and on his knees ask¬ed them to forgive him for all his faults and the trouble he had caused them. After his first Communion, he immedi¬ately joined the Blessed Sacrament Society of the parish. He loved the poor and often saved his bread from meals to give to wandering beggars, of whom there were many because of the French Revolution. Meanwhile he was such a good worker on the farm, that his father made him an overseer of the hired men. These men were rough and were used to cursing and very bad language. When John's father advised him to command them to stop, he honestly answered: " I dare not; I'm too young." Though all his life he was short and thin and of feeble health, he was never afraid of the hardest work. All of this information comes from his parents, family and neighbors who were still alive after his early death.

2. 1817 -SEMINARY AT MONTAUBAN

Louis Perboyre had always followed his older brother's example in intelligence, study and piety. He expressed his desire to be a priest. His parents decided to send him to Montauban, where his uncle, Rev. Jacques Perboyre, C.M., was conducting his own seminary. Since Louis was only 13 and quite sickly, the parents sent John Gabriel, then 15, with him. John could look after Louis' health for a few months and help him in his studies, for it was winter and there was little farm work. John, too, could take a few higher classes of his own such as grammar and mathematics.At the seminary, Fr. Jacques Perboyre, C.M., at that time was 54 years old, a very wise and holy priest. As a young priest, he had wanted to go to China, but the French Rev-olution broke out and he had to spend years hiding in
caves and ditches to avoid being captured and killed. This had ruined his health. But he ran this seminary at the invitation of the Bishop and he instilled into his nephews his same love of the Vincentians and of the China missions.

John Gabriel's first letter was written to his parents at this time. It was very short and loving. Like many students away from home, he asks for money to buy clothes From this time on until his death, John was an excellent and faithful letter writer. Most of his letters to his family and friends were kept by them, because he was always considered a special saint. These letters are preserved today in the Archives of the Congregation of the Mission in France.

After a few months, John's father went to Monauban to visit his sons and Fr. Jacques, his brother, and to bring John back home to the farm for the spring work. Fr. Jac-ques persuaded him that John, as well as Louis, had a vocation to the priesthood. The kind father left the de-cision to John Gabriel, who asked to have a few days to pray and think about it. The father returned home alone and a few days later, John wrote his second letter home. He wrote that he thought it was God's will that he be-come a priest, if his parents would give their permission In this case, he wrote, he would need some more money for clothes and a seminarian's cassock. Naturally, the parent were saddened to see their oldest and second sons both gone from home for good, but they cheerfully made the sacrifice.

John began to study Latin. Since he was so very intelligent and studious, he was able to help his brother Louis and several cousins. Soon he was having daily classes for his classmates and younger students. His devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary were noticed by all, especi ally his love for the rosary. Again he was known to the professors and students as "the young saint". He did not care for sports. The other students liked him and playa tricks on him, which he took in good nature and laughed a much as they did. After his death, the professors and fellow students all gave testimony of his holiness and no one could find a single fault in him.

3. NOVITIATE 1818 - 1820

From his first entrance into the seminary, John wished to be a Vincentian and also go to China to preach the Gospel. He started praying more and fasting. He loved to read the Scriptures, lives of the saints and the writings of St. Vincent de Paul. In 1818 he began his two years' Novitiate, at the same time continuing his studies and teaching of the younger students. St. Vincent de Paul in writing never reached China but had died aboard ship and was buried in the sea between Java and Australia. On his deathbed, Louis had told his fellow missionaries that
he didn't mind dying, because he had a brother who would take his place in China. This death and that of his sis¬ter Mariette, who died just before entering the convent, grieved him greatly. He visited his parents and uncle to console them. At the same time, he announced again his
firm desire to go to China and take Louis' place.

4. DIRECTOR OF NOVICES, PARTS 1832 - 1835

In the fall of 1832, he was appointed to be the assistant Novice Director at the Vincentian Motherhouse in Paris. The Novice Director was old and sick, so Fr. Perboyre really had to do most of the work. At the same time he was director of the lay brothers and taught Holy Scripture.

Here are two examples of his strict and kind direction. One day, one of his novices accepted a beautiful relig¬ious picture from the superioress of a nearby convent without receiving permission. Fr. Perboyre ordered him to go back to the convent and return the picture - but at an hour when he knew the superioress would not be there to receive it. In this way, he taught the novice a lesson in obedience, but at the same time found a way that he could keep the picture. Another time, when it was strictly forbidden to pick flowers in the garden ( they were sold and the money used for the poor ), he saw a novice nearby pick several. Fr. Perboyre then picked one himself and at once threw it aside saying "Oh, I forgot; it is forbidden to pick flowers."

One morning when he was saying a private Mass in the chapel, with only a seminarian serving his Mass, he seemed to he in ecstasy at the Consecration. His whole body was raised several inches above the floor for several minutes. After Mass in the sacristy, Fr. Perboyre made the startled seminarian promise never to tell anyone what he had seen so long as he lived. The seminarian kept his promise and only years later after Fr. Perboyre's death, did Fr. Pierre Auber, C.M. - then a Superior - tell the story and write an official account of it.

At this time, Fr. Perboyre remarked in a talk to the nov-ices: "For 14 years I have asked to go to China. I had this vocation before I joined the Mission ( i.e. the Vincentian Community ) and it was for this that I entered St. Lazare ( the name of the Vincentian novitiate and motherhouse ).I have certainly lost my special vocation by my infidelities." His superiors refused his repeated requests because of his delicate health, which had become worse in the last few years. At last, they finally left the decision up to the doctor. The doctor examined him thoroughly and strongly opposed his going to China, saying that the ocean voyage alone would kill him. That evening, the doctor suddenly became extremely upset and unexplainably sad; he could get no sleep or relief. Then he remembered what he had told Fr. Perboyre' superiors. He resolved to reconsider his decision and to talk to the superiors the next day. At that, he suddenly became completely peaceful and had a grand night's sleep. The next morning, he rushed to the superiors and told the that he had changed his mind and that the ocean voyage might even improve Fr. Perboyre's health. The surprised superiors took this as a definite sign of God', will and in early 1835 reluctantly gave him permission to prepare to go to China.

5. TO CHINA - MARCH 1835

After a short trip to say good bye to his family, relatives and friends, Fr. Perboyre got together the necessary supplies and on March 21, 1835 he and two other Vincentian priests and 5 or 6 other missionaries, left the port of Havre on the French ship "Edmund". There was a short stop at the island of Madeira off North Africa and then the long trip around the Cape of Good Hope. Sailing nor and east to the island of Java they landed at Batavia ( mode Jakarta ). Here they changed t a British ship which went to-Surabaya, Java, back again to Batavia and finally on to Macao

6. MACAO 1835 - 1836

At that time, Macao was a Portugese colony and was con¬sidered the main gate to China. Here the Vincentians had 2 houses. One was the seminary for secular Chinese stu¬dents, run by 7 French Vincentians. The other was theVincentian Novitiate and Seminary with 15 Chinese novices and run by 2 French and 2 Chinese Vincentians. Fr. Perboyre stayed at this latter house, studying Chinese until Feb., 1836 - a little over 5 months. He was then appointed to the Honan mission in Hu-psi, which meant a long trip to the interior of China in disguise.

7. TRIP TO THE INTERIOR 1836

LATE IN Feb. 1836, Fr. Perboyre left Macao with a Chinese Catholic guide. First they had a 9 week boat trip along the coast of South China to Tou-gan, then up the river to Fokien. Then 20 days on foot through Kien-chang-fou in Kiang-si Province. Next in a small boat by river thru Nan-chang-fou, the capital of Kiang-si. Another 18 days by small boat up the Yang-tze River brought them to Wu-chang, the place of Blessed Clet's martyrdom, and then to Han-keow harbor.

The next stage of the trip Ocean going Chinese sail through Hu-pei lasted for ships like this, had crews one month. At the end of  200 to 300 men. June they arrived at Honan where they rested 20 days. The final walk brought them to Nan-yang in August. This was Fr. Perboyre's assignment - the same house in which Blessed Clet had been taken prisoner. He was finally in his new home - his mission - after 17 months of travellin over some 24,000 miles by every type of ship, boat and by foot. His mission included some 6n0 Catholics, spread over 50,000 square miles. Fr, Perboyre himself supplies these interesting statistics for all of China: about 220,000 Catholics out of a population of 300 million or less than one tenth of 1 percent Catholic. For them, about 80 Chinese priests and 40 foreign missionaries.

Fr. Perboyre lived with 2 Chinese Vincentian priests who helped him to continue to learn Chinese. Soon Family-size sail boat However, they had to start making mission trips to other areas. They took turns guiding him on these trips, introducing him to the Catholics, show¬ing him the safest backroads and lanes and how to conduct these missions.

8. MISSION TRIPS

A mission lasted from 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the number of people, and were conducted through the winter months, when there was less farm work to do. The first order of business was to examine all the people in catechism, starting with the children - who had to memorize the entire cate¬chism and all the prayers. The same went for adults, even for those who couldn't read or write. Meanwhile, there were confessions, Communions, Masses, since all the people of the neighborhood gathered daily from early morning to late at night - some sleeping in or around the mission house. There were Baptisms, Confirmations, wedding and visiting the sick and dying with the last sacraments. They enrolled children and adults in various sodalities and preached and taught and exhorted in daily sermons.

Most of the people were poor and lived in straw houses with dirty floors, as did the missionaries. The churches were the same. These mission trips were usually very difficult and quite dangerous. There was always the chance of being recognized or being betrayed, depending on the good or bad will of the local officials and mandarins. The trips had t be made yearly through rain, snow or ice, sometimes a blaz ing sun, to each mission station. Soon Fr. Perboyre had to make these trips by himself, accompanied by a catechist or Catholic guide. His health remained quite strong except for one 3 month period of sickness, when he almost died.

9. Hu-PEI - JAN

In January, 1838, Fr. Perboyre was assign¬ed by his superiors to Hu-pei, a mount¬ainous area where there were some 2,000 Catholics scattered through 15 villages. Here too there were 2 other priests. On Sundays the church was filled and vari-ous services lasted all day. Fr. Per¬boyre had always been a good letter writer and he describes the church for us: dirt floor, dirt walls, thatch roof, a table for an altar, a parti¬tion down the middle separating the men from the women. Usually there were 1,000 Catholics for Mass, in-side and outside the church, even in rain and snow. He writes of many miracles among the devout Catholics, especially in connect-ion with the use of the Miracu¬lous Medal of Mary, which had only been manifested in 1830 to a
Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent, St. Catherine Laboure, but which had already been brought over to China by missionaries and its messages preached among the people.

Besides all his hard work and The Miraculous Medal privations, Fr. Perboyre wore
an iron chain around his waist for mortification. To prepare his people for persecution, which might break out at any time, he constantly preached on suffering and persecution and the glory of martyrdom.

10. DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

Before his own passion and death, Fr. Perboyre was to endure one last trial. For a period of several months, in spite of his increased prayers, he felt the deepest discouragement. It seemed that his sins were too great, that he would surely lose his soul and that God had abandoned him. This wasted his body and spirit terribly. He finally had a vision of Christ on the cross, consoling and reassuring him. After that, he was completely at peace. This was his agony in the garden.

11. PERSECUTION BREAKS OUT

An old imperial edict from 1794, forbidding the practice of the Catholic religion in China, was occasionally used as an excuse for persecution. According to it. any foreign Christ¬ian could be put to death and any Chinese condemned to exile. This had been applied before in 1805 and 1820 at the time of Blessed Clet. In 1839, a persecution broke out in Hu-pei, where a young Christian of Nan-kiang informed on the Christians and missionaries. The mandarin sent troops to round them up. On Sept 15, 1839, four Vincentian priests had just finished Mass, when they were informed that the persecution had broken out and the soldiers were just a short distance away. First Fr. Perboyre saw that everyone else was safe, before he too escaped to a nearby bamboo forest. The soldiers and mandarins were angry on seeing that all had gone and completely plundered the mission and burned it down.

12. BETRAYED AND CAPTURED

All that day, Fr. Perboyre hid in the forest. At night he went to a Christian's home where he had a little food, had his beard cut off and slept. The next day, he moved out to the forest again, then to another house for the night. But here he was betrayed by a young Christian for 30 ounces of silver. That morning the traitor led the soldiers to the exact spot where Fr. Perboyre and 3 Christians were hiding. When they saw they were surrounded, his companions wanted
to fight their way out with knives, but Fr. Perboyre refused to let them use any violence. Soon they were captured as well as all the other Christians hiding in the forest. They took Fr. Perhoyre to the top of the mountain, stripped off his clothes and put rags on him; they tied and chained him and beat him. Then they marched him to the market place at Koang-yin-tang. This was Sept. 15, 1839.

13. THE PRISONER - SEPT.15,1839

He was questioned by the Mandarin and then was to be marched to the town of Kou-ching-hien but was unable to walk. A wealthy old pagan volunteered to pay for a litter to carry him. John Gabriel thanked him and after his death, he appear in a vision to the man. offering him a ladder to heaven. The old man took instructions and 3 days after his Baptism died a peaceful and happy death.
 
At his new prison, he was questioned by the military mandarin, but refused to talk about other missionaries or Christians and so was beaten with Bamboo rods. The civil mandarin also tried to make him apostatize and tread on the cross and his refusal was rewarded with beatings on the face with a leather strap.

His next prison was 14 miles away by boat with no food. Here for 10 days he was daily questioned, beaten, hung by the thumbs and made to kneel on chains for 4 hours at a time.

After 1 month, he was sent to his 3rd prison at Wu-chang, the capital, over 100 miles away, He and 12 faithful Catholics were marched there with chains on their legs, hands and necks. They were thrown into an overcrowded prison with the most hardened criminals and were further tortured by the prison guards. They were always chained even at night, so that Fr. Perboyre lost a finger and part of one foot from putrefaction. He showed the greatest pat¬ience and spent all his time in praying.

During several months of these daily trials and beatings and tortures, several of the Christians finally apostatized, stamped on the cross and pulled out the hair of Fr. Perboyre. One faithful catechist. Stanislaus Teng, publicly went to confession and was absolved; he died 3 days later from the tortures. Another faithful Christian boldly picked up some of the hair that had been torn from Fr. Perboyre's head and put it in his pocket as a relic. A Christian virgin, Anna Kao, was questioned about matters of purity; she loudly and vehemently dedlared that not only were such things forbidden and never committed, but they never so much as mentioned such things. Even the mandarin was shamed
by her answers and this question was never brought up again.

14. THE TRIPLE TIGER

Fr. Perboyre had over 40 different trials here, clothed in the red robe of a prisoner end branded with hot irons on hi hips. The last trials were before the cruelest Viceroy in China. He was nicknamed "the Triple Tiger" because of his fierceness and was known to have risen from his chair in a fit of anger and tear out prisoners' eyes with his bare hands. He especially hated Christians. At various times he had Fr. Perboyre hung by his hair, hung on an iron frame from morning to night, had his forehead tattooed with iron points with the words "Propagator of an odious religion". He used a machine with winches to lift Fr. Perboyre to the ceiling by his hair and then released the ropes so that his body crashed to the ground. This was done repeatedly so that his limbs were dislocated and his body bruised all over. There were other tortures too numerous and cruel to mention but Fr. Perboyre never once cried out. Usually, he had to carried back and forth to these trials because he could no longer walk a step. Finally, he was given a month's rest s that his worst wounds could heal and to prevent him from dying in prison.

15. HIS VIRTUE UNDER INCREASED TORTURES

After one month's recuperation in prison, the same trials a. beatings started up again. One time, when they asked him to step on the crucifix, though he could barely move, he leaned over, picked up the crucifix, kissed it and embraced it. The soldiers in anger tore it from him and smashed it and the
mandarin had him given 110 blows with a bamboo rod. Another time they tried to force him to tread on the crucifix by ho ing his arms and forcing his legs. He shouted out: "It is I, but you, who do this." In the same way, they tried to force him to worship false idols. Another time they told hi to put on the Mass vestments; after thinking it over, Fr. P boyre was happy to do this. All marvelled at his royal ap¬pearance and bearing. They could not understand how anyone could take so many beatings and tortures and still be alive, much less so calm and prayerful. They stripped him of his clothes to see if he had some magic charm. They made him drink a dog's blood and smeared it on his face; again he ha. the mandarin's seal branded on his legs. They stripped him again and as he could neither stand nor kneel, beat him as lay on the ground. He underwent the torture of the rack, withhands and feet tied and body stretched, sometimes fur an heat at a time. He was carried to the Viceroy, unable even to crawl and the Viceroy himself grabbed the leather strap and beat him mercilessly. All thought that now at last he was surely dead. The pagans and soldiers could not help but ad-mire his courage and innocence. Even the mandarins began to complain that the Viceroy had exceeded all bounds of cruelty. One day alone he was given over 20', strokes. Even the sol¬diers began to remove his clothes and wash them themselves. His catechist, who was in prison with him, later testified that his face and body were in shreds, with pieces of flesh missing and pieces hanging loose from his body. His whole body was one large wound. Fr. Perboyre endured 2 months of this torture at the Viceroy's tribunal before he finally gave up hope of ever getting him to apostatize or inform on others.

16. CONDEMNED TO DEATH

(He leaned over, picked up the crucifix,kissed it and embraced it)

Anna Kao and the other faithful Christians were sold as slaves to Musselmen and exiled for the rest of their lives. In April, 1840 Fr. Perboyre was condemned to death by strang population for teaching a false religion. This sentence had to be approved by the emperor. Fr. Peboyre knew that the end was certain but he did not know that he would have to wait so long, He was unable to speak or walk, stand up or even sit up.

After his condemnation, Fr. Yang, C.M. was able to visit him. When he first saw Fr. Perboyre's condition, he couldn't say a word but just stood there weeping at the horrible sight. Finally he was able to hear his confession. Even the soldier pitied him and promised to take care of him; they even re-fused to take money for this. A local pagan doctor also help¬ed him. Slowly, the Christians were allowed to visit him and bring him food. Eventually, he was able to write one last letter to his fellow Vincentian priests, a letter stain¬ed with blood. The most hardened criminals in the prison came to admire and pity him. One sorrow was that he could not receive Holy Communion. All his food had to be tasted by a guard.

17. MARTYRDOM - SEPT.11, 1840

It was on Sept. 11, 1840 that permission came from the emperor to carry out the death sentence. According to custom, this was done immediately. He was taken out barefooted on the same day at a running pace, with gongs and cymbals, to the place of execution. Several robbers were to be executed with him. He had recovered from his wounds in the last 5 months and his face was as fresh, clear and beautiful as a child's. Everyone was amazed at this miracle and many people joined the parade to outside the city walls. Four robbers and three other criminals were first beheaded before his eyes. A slower death was reserved for foreigners. Fr. Perboyr's knelt down in prayer before his cross, then rose and was tied to the cross in a semi-kneeling position. The rope was tightened around his throat twice and then loosened twice On the third tightening, it was not loosened. Death came immediately but there were no convulsions, no blood from nos or mouth, no contortion of the face - but rather, a calm beautiful appearance. This astonished everyone so much thathe was thought to be alive yet and one of the soldiers gave him a severe kick in the abdomen to assure his death. Even at this, his body was left for a day and night on the cross. It was noon on Friday that Fr. Perboyre died. He was 38 years old and he had spent 38 months in China - a little over 3 years - including 12 months in various prisons.

18. BURIAL AND THE BEGINNING OF MIRACLES

After a year of the most barbarous tortures, Fr. Perbyre's body on the cross looked beautiful, fresh and young with no marks or scars. Some enemies couldn't believe he was dead and wanted his body to remain on the cross for several more days. Many pagans were converted by this fact alone. After a night and a day on the cross, the soldiers took down his body and put it in a coffin and buried it on Hon-chen mountain. A catechist, named Fong, together with other Christians collected money to buy from the soldiers Fr. Perboyre's clothes, instruments of execution and his coffin and body. They substituted another coffin filled with earth. Then they took Fr. Perboyre's body to a chapel, dressed it in beautiful Mass vestments and had a burial service for him. They buried him on Red Mount¬ain, the Catholic cemetery, next to 3 Jesuit priests and near to Fr. Clet.

Shortly after, the mandarin of Kou-ching was arrested, deposed from office and hanged himself. The cruel Viceroy, the Triple Tiger, was condemned to perpetual exile for excessive cruelty and barely escaped with his life.

Meanwhile, back in France, news traveled very slowly. First his mother heard of his capture. Months later she heard of his martyrdom. She was not at all surprised. She received the news in all calmness and in the spirit of sacrifice, uniting herself to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Probably, the greatest miracle of all was that at the death of Fr. Perboyre, a large, distinct, bright, lumin¬ous cross appeared in heaven. This was seen by numerous people, near and distant, pagans and Christians, living in many different communities. The Bishop of the Diocese was skeptical of this and made intense investigations. He was amazed at the large number and the importance of of the witnesses, both pagan and Christian. All the Christians who were questioned said that they had always considered Fr. Perboyre a saint, even before his capture. That same luminous cross appeared again months later over his tomb.

19. BEGINING OF PROCESS BEATIFICATION

(The tomb of Fr. Perboyre
on Red Mountain)

Less than 3 years later, on July 9, 1843, Pope Gregory XVI signed the decree starting the cause of Fr. Perboyre together with 42 other martyrs in China. All received the title of "Venerable". Soon Fr. Perboyre's cause was separated from the others as being specially favourable,because of the tremendous amount of testimony to his virtues and miracles already reported. The Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission was assembling all the documents, pictures, letters and other testimony that could be found. There were some delays because of political troubles in Rome and some documents were lost in the mail. After 20 years of investigation, the vote of the final meeting of the committee examining his cause was unanimously in favor of his beatification.

20. DISINTERMENT

In 1858, Bishop DeLaplace of Chekiang Province in China was appointed to disinter the body and send it to Paris. Because of local wars, it was a dangerous 58 day trip to Wu-chang. Here he received the news that all the tomb-stones in the Catholic cemetery on Red Mountain had been confiscated for building extended city walls, as protect-ion against enemies. Also all the Christians and pagans, who had been present at the burial and who knew the location of the grave, had been dispersed by the war. It seemed an impossible situation. However the very next day, a Christian Paul Fong, son of Fr. Perboyre's catechist came to the house and said that he knew the location of the tomb; he had been 14 years old when he helped in the burial and had recently visited and seen the tomb, with the tombstone still on it.

Several Christians volunteered to help in the work and the trip was made to Red Mountain. Here there were two

amazing events. First of all, they found Christians and pagans digging up plants and roots in the area of Fr. Per-boyre's tomb. On inquiring, they were told that for years these plants and roots near Fr. Perboyre's tomb had the reputation of curing many different illnesses. Secondly, of the thousands of graves on Red Mountain, all the tombstones had been taken by soldiers to re-pair old defense walls for Wu-chang and to build new walls. Only 3 tombstones could be found intact on the entire mountain and one was that of Fr. Perboyre, even though it was only 7 or 8 feet from a newly constructed wall. The tombstone was in good condition and the Latin and Chinese carved inscriptions on it very clear. when the coffin was dug up, after 18 years, it was found to be unexplainably in excellent condition and unbroken. It was taken to the seminary and opened. The bones were found to be perfectly clean and intact. New cases were made for the bones and ashes, which were than taken back to Chekiang and finally arrived in Paris on Jan. 6, 1860. Here the relics were again examined, official documents written, the relics sealed in a triple coffin and buried inside the house of the Vincentian motherhouse.

21. MIRACLES

Meanwhile reports of miracles came in from all over the world. Those in China and some other places were very difficult to investigate because of poor communications and local wars or political unrest. The most thoroughly documented and witnessed cases took place among the Daughters of Charity.

In France, there was in 1847 a girl in the Daughter of Charity hospital, dying of typhoid fever. She was a¬nointed and the doctors gave her up as a hopeless case. This was in the neighborhood of Fr. Perboyre's birth and childhood, so there was great devotion to him. The fam¬ily and Daughters of Charity started a novena to Fr. Per¬boyre and she was suddenly completely cured.

In 1841 in another part of France, there was a Daughter of Charity who over several months was dying of pleuro-pneumonia; the doctors too gave her case up. She could do nothing - eat, talk or move. The Sisters began a novena to the new martyr and the Sister was immediately cured, sat up and ate the equivalent of several meals.
That evening she went to recreation with the other sisters and the next day did her full day's work. Here again the doctors gave the strongest testimony that there was no natural explanation.

Also in 1841 in Constantinoble, one of the hospital Sisters had a long illness; finally her spleen burst
and gangrene set in. She kept getting worse and in Jan-uary the doctors gave up hope with only a few days to live. The odor was terrible. Two novenas were started,one by the Sisters and the other by the school-children, both to Fr. Perboyre. After 5 days, she was suddenly completely cured, sat up, ate ravenously, no odor and her skin fresh. She walked up 3 flights of stairs to the chapel to thank God. The novena continued in thanksgiving. The doctors, including a Jewish specialist, all gave testimony to this miracle.

In Guatemala in Central America in 1863, another Sister had been dying of tuberculosis, complicated with other diseases. She was so bad that the doctors came for one last visit, expecting to find her dead. But the other Sisters had started a novena to Fr. Perboyre. They found the dying Sister not only alive but tremendously changed. Within 2 weeks she was doing all her work, as if she had never been sick at all. At the thanksgiving ceremony in church, the Archbishop attended with the President of the country - so well known was this moracle.

These are only a few of the hundreds of miracles reported from all over the world.

22. THE PRAYER OF SAINT JOHN GABRIEL PERBOYRE

O my Divine Saviour,
Transform me into Yourself.
May my hands be the hands of Jesus. May my tongue be the tongue Of Jesus. Grant that every faculty of my body May serve only to glorify you.
Above all,
Transform my soul and all its powers So that my memory, will and affections May be the memory, will and affections Of Jesus.

I. pray You
To destroy in me
All that is not of You.
Grant that I may live
But in You, by You and for You, So that I may truly say,
With St. Paul,
" I live - now not I -
But Christ lives in me. "