While these things were taking place in Franche Comté, Deodatus, Bishop of
Nevers, and son of S. Hunna, arrived in Alsace to preach the Gospel and
join the hermits who officiated at Novient (Ebersheim‐Münster), the most
ancient church of the province, and founded by S. Materne. The preaching
of Deodatus drew an immense audience, among whom Adalric and Berswinde
were the most assiduous. The duke, desirous of giving a public testimony
of the benefit he had derived from the holy bishop’s sermons, resolved to
build at Novient a convent and church in honor of SS. Peter and Paul, and
endow them with ample revenues.
He begged Deodatus to superintend the construction of the new buildings.
The work was commenced at once. Adalric refused nothing necessary for its
completion, and Deodatus, wishing the church to be very solid, used in its
construction the _débris_ of an old pagan temple in a neighboring forest,
which he razed to the ground. S. Materne had long before overthrown the
idols.(27)
When the church was finished, Deodatus and Adalric convoked, not only the
Alsacian clergy, but a great number beyond the Vosges, that the pomp of
the ceremony of consecration might equal the grandeur of the solemnity.
The duke and duchess came from Hohenbourg with a great retinue. The
duchess brought rich ornaments for the altar, and sacerdotal vestments
which she had partly wrought with her own hands. After the consecration
the duke gave S. Deodatus a sealed document conferring a great number of
farms on the new cloister, for the support of the Benedictine monks who
were to inhabit it and vow themselves to the worship of the Almighty.(28)
These events happened about the year 666. The franchises of Ebersheim‐
Münster were afterwards confirmed by Charlemagne.(29)
But let us return to the blind girl of the Convent of Baume, who was
destined by heaven to be the greatest glory of her race. Cut off from the
world by her infirmity and by her position, her life was one long
prayer—one long act of adoration. Nevertheless she was twelve or thirteen
years old before she was baptized, as all the most reliable chroniclers
declare.
It was then, as now, the custom to baptize children shortly after their
birth, and it is not to be supposed that Berswinde would neglect the
precepts of the church, or be more solicitous for the temporal welfare of
her child than for her eternal salvation. It is probable that the
ceremony, being private in consequence of Adalric’s anger, consisted only
in the application of water, or that there was some grave omission
rendering the baptism null. However this may be, it was in the designs of
Providence, as one of the old chroniclers says, that things should happen
thus in order that a miracle might mark the solemn admission of the young
princess into the Christian fold.
In those days, adds our historian, there lived in Bavaria a holy bishop
named Erhard, on whom rested the divine blessing. This prelate had a
vision in which he was commanded to go at once to the Convent of Baume. A
voice said to him: “Thou wilt find a young servant of the Lord, whom thou
shalt baptize and give the name of Odile. At the moment of baptism her
eyes, which hitherto have been closed, shall open to the light.”
S. Erhard did not delay obeying this order, but, instead of taking the
most direct route to Franche Comté, he passed over the steep mountains of
Alsace and Lorraine, that he might see his brother Hidulphe, of high
repute in the Christian world, who had voluntarily resigned the dignity of
Archbishop of Treves to retire into the wilderness and found the Abbey of
Moyenmoutier, where he might end his days in solitude and prayer. Erhard
wished his brother to accompany him in his mission. An ancient tradition
relates that, when the two brothers met, they flew into each other’s arms,
and during their long embrace their souls held an intimate and mysterious
communion which made words unnecessary. Hidulphe immediately prepared to
follow Erhard, that he might witness the miracle about to be wrought by
his means.
When the two holy pilgrims arrived at Baume, they asked to see the blind
girl, and, on beholding her, they both exclaimed, as if animated by one
spirit: “O Lord Jesus! who art the true light that enlightenest every man
who cometh into the world, let thy mercy be diffused, like a beneficent
dew, upon this thy young handmaiden, and grant sight to the eyes of her
body, as well as light to her soul!”
Proceeding then to examine the catechumen, they found her thoroughly
instructed in all the dogmas of the Christian religion, and were edified
by the intelligence and piety manifested in her replies.
The ceremony of baptism took place a few days after. All the inmates of
the abbey assembled in the church, and S. Hidulphe presented the young
girl at the font. Erhard, having said the prescribed prayers, proceeded to
anoint her eyes with the holy chrism, saying: “Henceforth let the eyes of
thy body, as well as those of thy soul, be enlightened, in the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord.” The nuns, kneeling around the church, awaited in
profound silence and prayer the operation of the miracle, and their
expectation was not vain; for, the moment Erhard ceased speaking, the
child’s eyelids unclosed, her large blue eyes opened to the light, and her
first look, which displayed the purity of her soul, was directed
heavenward, as if to thank the Almighty for the favor he had accorded her.
All the witnesses praised God aloud. Erhard gave the princess the name of
Odile, as he had been commanded. Then, turning towards the assembly, he
recalled to their minds that there is no instance recorded until the time
of Christ of the opening of the eyes of one born blind. “The miracle you
have just witnessed,” added he, “is likewise the work of our beneficent
Saviour. Beware of imitating the Jews, whose hearts closed more and more,
though they saw the wonderful deeds Christ wrought before them, that they
might be converted. God has permitted you to behold the wonderful event
that has just happened, in order that your spiritual eyes may also be
opened, and you may be the better disposed to serve the Divine Master, who
protects his servants in so extraordinary a manner, and permits hardened
sinners to be cast forth into eternal darkness!” Then, having blessed a
veil, the prelate placed it on Odile’s head, giving her at the same time a
golden _cassette_ containing precious relics, and predicting that Heaven
reserved still greater favors for her if she carefully preserved the
treasures of grace she had already received.
Hidulphe and Erhard left Baume as soon as their mission was accomplished;
but before their departure they recommended the abbess and her companions
to watch the unfolding of the rare flower which grew in their peaceful
cloister. Then, giving a last benediction to Odile, Erhard said to her: “O
my dear daughter! may we hereafter, through the mercy of Almighty God, be
reunited in the kingdom of heaven, and taste the joys to which we are all
called!”