In the following May, to the festival of the Apostle, came the
Archbishop of Orsogna. The church was entirely decorated with red
draperies and leaves of gold, while before the bronze rails burned
eleven silver lamps fashioned by silversmiths for religious purposes,
and every evening the orchestra sang a solemn oratorio with a splendid
chorus of childish voices. On Saturday the statue of the Apostle was to
be shown. Devotees made pilgrimages from all the maritime and inland
countries; they came up the coast, singing and bearing in their hands
votive offerings, with the sea in full sight.
Anna on Friday had her first communion. The Archbishop was an old man,
reverent and gentle, and when he lifted his hand to bless her, the
jewel in his ring shone like a divine eye. Anna, when she felt on her
tongue the wafer of the Eucharist, became blinded with a sudden wave
of joy that seemed to moisten her hair, like a soft and tepid scented
bath. Behind her a murmur ran through the multitude; near by other
virgins were taking the Sacrament and bowing their faces upon the rail
in great contrition.
That evening Francesca wished to sleep, as was the custom among the
worshippers, upon the pavement of the church, while awaiting the early
morning revelation of the saint. She was seven months with child and
the weight of it wearied her greatly. On the pavement, the pilgrims
lay crowded together, while heat emanating from their bodies filled
the air. Diverse confused cries issued at times from some of those
unconscious with sleep; the flames of the burning oil in the cups
trembled and were reflected as they hung suspended between the arches,
while through the openings of the large doors the stars glittered in
the early spring night.
Francesca lay awake for two hours in pain, since the exhalations from
the sleepers gave her nausea. But, having determined to resist and
to endure for the welfare of her soul, she was overcome at last by
weariness and bent her head in sleep. At dawn she awoke. Expectation
increased in the souls of the watchers and more people arrived. In each
one burned the desire to be the first to see the Apostle. At length the
first grating was opened, the noise of its hinges resounding clearly
through the silence, and echoing in all hearts. The second grating
was opened, then the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and
finally the last. It seemed now as if a cyclone had struck the crowd.
The mass of men hurled themselves toward the tabernacle, sharp cries
rang in the air; ten, fifteen persons were wounded and suffocated
while a tumultuous prayer arose. The dead were dragged to the open
air. The body of Francesca, all bruised and livid, was carried to her
family. Many curious ones crowded around it, and her relatives lamented
piteously. Anna, when she saw her mother stretched on the bed, purple
in the face and stained with blood, fell to the earth unconscious.
Afterwards, for many months she was tormented by epilepsy.