St. Vincent Ferrer and the miracle of the snow-white crosses

February 24, 2023 • 2 min

#Miracle

From St. Vincent Ferrer, O.P., page 48
By Fr. Stanislaus M. Hogan, O.P.

CHAPTER VI. “THE ANGEL OF THE JUDGMENT.”

When St. Vincent left Ayllon in the beginning of the year he directed his steps southwards to Salamanca, preaching in various towns and villages along the way. In Zamora his preaching was signalized in a startling manner, as we shall see later.

Part of February and March were devoted to the work of evangelizing the city of Salamanca where the two marvellous events which we shall now relate took place. They are both of them well authenticated.

In Salamanca, as elsewhere, the Saint directed his attention to the conversion of the Jews, whom he regarded as the chief obstacles to the spread of Christianity. They had the control of the finances of the city at the time, as they have had and have control of the finances of other places ever since.

Entering their Synagogue, crucifix in hand, St.Vin cent began to preach to them. He employed all the powers of his eloquence. It was in vain: he could not move his hearers. Then he turned to the crucified image he held in his hand and besought Our Lord to soften the hearts of the Jews.

His prayer was heard, and a shower of snow-white crosses began to fall upon the Jews who were as sembled. This prodigy moved those who had re mained deaf to the pleading of the Saint. The Jews were received into the Church, and their Syna gogue became the Sanctuary of the Vera Cruz. “This was the Saint’s first miracle in Salamanca,” says Father Juan de Araya, “but it was not his greatest nor his only miracle.”

The greatest miracle here referred to is the one which gives the title to this Chapter, when St. Vincent raised a woman from death in confirmation of his claim to be the Angel of the Apocalypse.