Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Life of St. Declan of Ardmore (Author: Patrick Power)
chapter 29
After this the people of Cashel besought Bishop Declan to bless
their city and banish the plague from them and to intercede
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with God for those stricken with sickness who could not escape from its toils.
Declan seeing the people's faith prayed to God and signed with the
sign of Redemption the four points of the compass. As he concluded,
there was verified the saying of Christ to His disciples when leaving
them and going to heaven:Super aegros
imponent manus et bene
habebunt (I shall place my hands on the sick and they
shall be healed). Soon as Declan had made the sign of the cross
each one who was ill became well and not alone were these restored to
health but (all the sick) of the whole region round about in
whatsoever place there were persons ailing. Moreover the plague was
banished from every place and all rejoiced greatly thereat as well as
on account of the resurrection of the dead men we have narrated. The
king thereupon ordered tribute and honour to Declan and his
successors from himself and from every king who should hold Cashel
ever after. Upon this the glorious bishop Declan blessed Aongus
together with his city and people and returned back to his own place.