How a "Blue Nun" Stitched a Young Woman's Throat

Saint Mariam of Jesus Crucified in brown habit

Today, May 17 2015, Pope Francis will canonize 4 blessed in St. Peter's Square. Among them are 2 Palestinian nuns.

Saint Mariam Baouardy, known in religion as Mariam of Jesus Crucified, was born in Ibillin, located in the hill country of upper Galilee, Palestine. Her family originated in Damascus, Syria. They were Catholics of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Rite, descendants of the Archeparchy of Antioch, the place where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians.

A story goes about how a Muslim man slit the throat of the then young girl Mariam upon his intention to convert Mariam to Islam at which the young girl exclaimed in rejection: “Muslim, no, never! I am a daughter of the Catholic Church, and I hope by the grace of God to persevere until death in my religion, which is the only true one.”

The Furious man being rejected by this young Christian became violent. He kicked the young Mariam to the floor then draw a sword and slit her throat. Thinking that the young girl was dead, he dumped the bloody body of the poor girl in a dark alley and left. This happened in the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin, September 8, 1858. After that violent experience she then recalled how she stayed alive:

“A nun dressed in blue picked me up and stitched my throat wound. This happened in a grotto somewhere. I then found myself in heaven with the Blessed Virgin, the angels and the saints. They treated me with great kindness. In their company were my parents. I saw the brilliant throne of the Most Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ in His humanity. There was no sun, no lamp, but everything was bright with light. Someone spoke to me. They said that I was a virgin, but that my book was not finished. "

This story she recounted to her Novice Mistress in Marseilles, France. Until her death bed, Saint Mariam recalled how an unknown nun made her some soup for her recovery and how she greedily asked for more of this heavenly delicious soup:

"She made me some soup! Oh, such good soup! There I was a long time, looking, and never ate soup like that. I have the taste in my mouth. She promised me that at my last hour, she will give me a little spoonful of it."