Saint Restituta

But, as the persecution against the Christians redoubled in fury, and cruel lictors ran on all sides like starving dogs, Restitute, fearing the fragility of human nature and wishing to provide for the guarding of her modesty, hid herself in the most secluded place of the house, and prostrating herself on the ground, she addressed this prayer to God: "Almighty Lord, who, by your Word, which is Wisdom, created all things from nothing in the beginning; you who, in the fullness of time, have wonderfully repaired lost man through this same Son born of a Virgin, so that he might teach us to lead a life entirely heavenly on this earth, while awaiting the reward of heaven, and that henceforth the holiness of soul and body might make those who had once been companions of demons through their innumerable and shameful sins the equals of angels; I pray to you, O creator of bodies, illuminator of spirits, the hope and life of the faithful, I beseech you to create in me, your servant, a pure heart and to renew in it a spirit of rectitude, so that, strengthened by the sovereign Spirit, I may despise the flaming darts of concupiscence, that I may count for nothing the fury of the idolaters, and that I may follow in all things your most holy Son, the spotless Lamb. And because my age and my sex have only very weak defenses, I claim from the army of heaven an angelic aid, by which I may have the happiness of being protected and rendered strong and constant in all that pleases you: I beseech you by your coeternal Son, with whom you live and reign in the love and union of the Holy Spirit, in all ages. Amen."

After she had finished her prayer, an angel of the Lord appeared before her. At his sight, she was at first a little troubled, as usually happens to virgins; but the blessed spirit reassured her with these words: "Your prayer, O Restitute, has been heard: you will always be helped by heavenly grace, which will make you overcome the assaults of the flesh and despise the pomps of the demons, and which will raise you to the height of all virtues. Know also that, by the order of God, I have come to guard you. I am not unaware that the master of discord is preparing to incite against you the abettors of his perversity; but fear nothing; you have with you this immortal Spouse whom you love; he knows how to break the forces of the tempter, and he wants to give you the victory in the combat, and then the crown in eternity." The angel having spoken thus, disappeared; and Restitute, fortified and full of joy at such great promises, gave herself over to sleep.

While she slept, the ancient enemy of the human race appeared to her in a horrible form, in the midst of thick darkness, and said to her in a threatening tone: "Whence comes it, then, Restitute, that you rest so sweetly and so pleasantly? You are no doubt rejoicing in the oracle of the angel? But before these things happen, I will use all my strength to wage a fierce war against you: I am going to arm all those who serve me, so that, if you triumph, your victory, at least, will not be, as you think, without bloodshed. I know that you are meditating my own ruin and that of my divinities; but the lies of my ancient ruses will not fail me to annihilate your plans." And while saying these last words, he made a flaming sword shine in the midst of the darkness, with which he threatened her, saying: "I am going to entrust this sword to one of my own, who will use it to slaughter you and strike down this head which is so rebellious to me; and then your tongue, which is likewise so contrary to me, will dry up silent in this head separated from the trunk." The virgin of Christ, a little frightened by these threats, arms her forehead with the shield of the cross; then, signing herself all over, she says: "Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him flee from before his face!" At these words of the Psalm, the phantom took flight and vanished into a light mist. The servant of Christ then threw herself on the ground, and began to implore the clemency of the Lord in these terms: "Arise, Lord, help your servant, lest my enemy say: I have prevailed against her. For, O my sovereign Lord, your words have penetrated to the depths of my heart. Since, therefore, I have been shaken by the terrible threats of this infernal spirit, grant that your mercy may strengthen me, and establish me so solidly in your love, that I may remain constantly attached to your service."

She had prayed; and immediately He who is the salvation and life of the human race, Christ Jesus, according to His promise to be present even before one calls upon Him, appeared in a visible manner to the blessed virgin; then, driving all fear from her mind and filling her with delight by His presence, He said to her: "Why, Restituta, why are you troubled? Have you forgotten that he is a liar and the father of lies? Do you not know that, having been defeated by the trophy of my cross and chained in his flames, he can do absolutely nothing except by my permission? If he said these things to you, it is because I permitted it, so that he who hoped by such threats to break the vigor of your soul might himself be broken by your constancy, and flee in confusion at having been defeated by a young girl. Now, therefore, that you are seasoned for our militia, attack him who sought to inspire you with dread. Go to the city of Sor a, i Sora City in Campania where the saint fulfilled her mission and suffered martyrdom. n order to snatch from his tyranny the people whom I have redeemed with my blood, and to unite the creature to its Creator. Fear nothing from the weakness of your age and sex: I am with you, I whose power holds the sky suspended, the earth in balance, and the sea within its limits." Restituta replied: "With the intention of preserving virginal modesty, and to avoid the company of debauched youths, I scarcely ever left the house: how then shall I be able to go to the indicated city, I who do not even know in what part of the world it is located?" And the Lord said to her: "Tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun begins to light the earth, go in all haste to that gate of the city which is called the Lateran: there you will find a guide whom I will send to you, who will lead you to the place where you must go." After giving these orders, the Lord returned to His inaccessible light.

The virgin, obeying the voice of God, rose promptly in the morning and went to the place He had indicated, and there she found the angel of the Lord prepared for the journey. Having greeted him, she spoke to him first, with lowered eyes: "I think, sir, that you know the reason for my arrival in this place: now command what I must do henceforth; I am ready to accomplish all that you will tell me." The angel said to her: "You know by the oracle of the voice of God that you must go to Sora, a city of Campania; as it is distant from Rome by about forty miles, such a long journey could cause us fatigue, if we did not take care to take a little rest first." Restituta, acquiescing to this useful advice, lay down for a moment on the ground with modesty, and slept a little. The angel, seizing her thus while she was asleep, transported her, in a marvelous way, from the city of Rome to Sora. Restituta, upon waking, found herself at the gates of that city; which caused her great astonishment. But she easily understood that this had happened in a supernatural manner; and she gave thanks to God, who does all that He wills in heaven and on earth.

She entered, therefore, under the guidance of Christ, into this famous city, and withdrew to the home of a widow, whose son, for two years and eight months, had been so tormented by leprosy that his body, motionless, seemed to be nothing but the sepulcher of his soul. The virgin of Christ, at this sight, overjoyed that this circumstance would open a path for the preaching of the Gospel, said: "O mother, put an end to your sadness; there is in heaven an all-powerful physician who can restore your son to you, provided that both of you apply yourselves to rendering him the homage that is his due." The widow, filled with joy, promised that she and her child would believe if the virgin fulfilled such a dear promise. Restituta immediately threw herself on her knees, and, raising her hands toward heaven, she began to implore the divine goodness in these terms: "Eternal God, creator and author of all things, assist, as you have promised, your servant, and grant with kindness what I ask with confidence, so that after you have purified this child of his leprosy, the souls of the inhabitants of this city, infected with idolatry, may be purified by holy baptism and praise your adorable name forever." Wonderful thing! The effect followed the request; this disease with its foul spots disappeared, and in the sight of all those who were present, the young man appeared full of health. This prodigy filled the widow and her whole family with astonishment; and unable to contain her transports, the former began to sing the praises of God with all her heart. The neighbors, hearing these outbursts of voice, were moved by them; all ran with precipitation, in the desire to see both the one who had been healed in such a wonderful way and the blessed virgin who had performed such a great miracle. The young man, whose soul had become even healthier than his body, said to them: "My fellow citizens, what you see is not the experiment of some physician, it is the work of Jesus Christ, Son of the all-powerful God, who, through his servant Restituta, whom he himself sent here from Rome, has healed me without effort, suddenly and completely; which demonstrates invincibly that we are the creatures of him who remakes us thus when he wills it." Seeing therefore such a great prodigy, and hearing such an evident testimony, forty of those present believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But, as the author of evil always raises obstacles to the best beginnings, some of those who were there, filled with a diabolical spirit, began to contradict the assertions of the truth, and to obstinately reject the salutary advice. This admirable young man, despising their contradictions and firmly reproaching them for the hardness of their hearts, did not cease to make the praises of Christ resound.

However, the news reached the ears of the proconsul Agathius. He imme Agathius Proconsul of Sora who condemned the saint. diately ordered that the enemy of the idols be brought to him, with her hands tied behind her back; then he said t o her: Cyrille A young man healed of leprosy, who became a priest and martyr alongside Restituta. "Cyril, is what has been reported to me true? Have you become so dull-witted as to despise the gods of the fatherland and introduce new divinities into the Roman Empire?" Cyril replied: "Yes, certainly, it is true, O proconsul, that I have abandoned weak gods, who have never been able to help me or themselves, to attach myself by faith to the almighty God Jesus Christ, who healed me so perfectly through the invocation of his name and the mediation of his servant Restitute." Agathius, amazed at what he heard, inquired about the dwelling of a woman gifted with such great power. "She is staying with us," said Cyril, "and it is God who sent her to us in His goodness." The proconsul immediately sent his bailiffs, after ordering them to bring her to him with great respect and to present her to his tribunal. When she had arrived, the proconsul said to her: "Tell me, young girl, what is your name, your origin, your religion, and what motive brought you to this city?" She replied without timidity: "I am named Restitute; I belong to a noble family of the city of Rome; I have embraced the Christian religion; and it is by order of Christ and for your salvation that I have been sent here." The judge, embarrassed by this answer, said to her: "We believe, young girl, that you are unaware of what the majesty of the emperors has decreed regarding Christians; and it is for this reason that you have not feared to publicly admit yourself a Christian. But as you appear very young, we forgive your ignorance, so that, leaving aside this superstition, you may obey the decrees of the princes, by burning incense in honor of the immortal gods and offering them victims. If you do so, you will soon enjoy the honor of our alliance, and you who currently lead a life exposed to misery, will be forever in the delights of opulence."

The blessed virgin replied to him: "It seems to me, O judge, that you propose three things to me: the first, which is an impiety, I hold in horror; the other two, I despise as frivolous. You claim, you say, to spare me; but that is not sparing me, it is rather showing yourself cruel, by seeking to persuade me to abandon the Creator, to honor creatures in place of God, and then to despise the immortal spouse to receive you as a husband, you who, certainly, could not in any way compare yourself to Him. He is the King of kings, the Lord of potentates; you, you are the subject of an earthly king, and in your anxiety of being disgraced by him, you will never be tranquil. For a moment, you seem brilliant with dignities and health; but in a little while you will become the food of worms. What a misfortune, therefore, would it not be for me to abandon such a great good and to aspire to such miseries!" The proconsul, stupefied by such a sublime answer, but indignant within himself, said to her: "It is likely that you follow the delirious follies of the Christians, since you have not feared to utter such nonsense before our tribunal; believe me, renounce all these subtleties, and come sacrifice on the altars of the gods, for fear that you may have a sad experience of the power we possess and which your prepared lies seem to despise." The blessed virgin replied to him: "We have not come to defile ourselves with your sacrileges, but to turn you away from them and teach you to serve the only true God. As for your threats, they do not make us tremble at all, because He who has promised His protection is stronger than he who threatens us with torments."

The proconsul, irritated by such a bold answer, gave the order to stretch her on the ground, and to beat her with repeated blows with scorpions. His barbaric orders were immediately executed; and yet, in the midst of the sound of the blows, one heard neither murmurs nor groans, but rather a sweet voice of jubilation and praise, which sang to the Lord: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has visited His servant. It is now that I receive the gifts of my spouse and splendid adornments; the outer man is torn, but the inner man is renewed by grace." Agathius, hearing these words, said to her: "What is this, Restitute? Do the blows make your delights? do the torments please you, that you sing a hymn to your Christ with such a good heart?" And the Saint: "What you say there," she replied, "is the very truth; for, as our Apostle says, the sufferings of this life are nothing compared to the future glory which will be manifested in us." The judge, more and more irritated, ordered her to be thrown into the dungeons of the prison, to be bound with seven heavy iron chains, and to be left for seven days without drinking or eating. The orders of this ferocious judge were punctually executed.

But the heavenly Bridegroom did not abandon the virgin. An angel descended from heaven; upon his arrival, the prison became resplendent, the iron chains melted like wax, hunger was not felt, the virgin regained her strength and found herself healed of her wounds. Having thus received abundant consolations, she gave thanks to Christ her Lord; and while, raised to high contemplation, she sang hymns, the Lord Jesus Christ deigned to approach her in person: he strengthened her in an admirable way, to fortify her against new combats; then he served her a marvelous meal that cannot be described, so filled was it with heavenly sweetness; and after blessing her with that hand which sustains the heavens, he returned to the right hand of his Father, which he has never left. Oh! what superabundant grace of Christ upon this virgin! what is promised to the saints for eternal life is granted to her from the present life; the virgin, clothed in this corruptible flesh, enjoys that admirable face which the angels desire to contemplate!

The guards became trembling and dismayed at this spectacle; they were at first as if struck with stupor: then, having come to themselves, and judging that a divine power alone could have entered the prison with the doors closed, and broken the chains like the lightest obstacle, they prostrated themselves at the feet of the virgin, imploring her to teach them how to honor this God who, before their eyes, had performed so many wonderful prodigies. Restitute, full of joy to see that she was beginning to snatch spoils from Satan, immediately sent some of them to announce to a holy priest named Cyril what had just happened. This venerable priest came at once, and baptized about thirty-nine people.

But at the same time, there was new proof that envy always lays traps for virtue; for a traitor, one knows not who, went to reveal to the judge Agathius all that had happened. The proconsul, greatly troubled by this event, ordered his bailiffs to bring Restitute to his tribunal with Cyril and all the neophytes. While going there, the virgin of Christ suggested to them what they should answer the judge, and did not cease to strengthen them against the combats they would have to sustain. When they were before the tribunal, Agathius, furious, said to them: "Is it true what we have learned, that you have abandoned the immortal gods revered by our princes, to worship I know not what Christ?" They all answered with one voice: "It is very true: we have rejected useless effigies of dead men, and we have embraced faith in Jesus Christ, the creator of all things, the true eternal God, by whose virtue, before our eyes and without the help of any material light, the prison was suddenly illuminated; and this blessed virgin was nourished with a celestial food, to fortify her against your furies. Know then, and have no doubt, that this faith will remain with us as long as life, whatever you say or do." Agathius could not contain himself any longer, and with a tongue full of gall he cried out: "Who are these profanes who with such audacity reproach us for the impotence of the immortal gods? Let them be led to the golden temple, and let them be ordered to burn incense in honor of the sacred divinities; if they refuse, let their heads be cut off." They were therefore led to this place; and as they refused to sacrifice to the idols, they themselves became the victims of Christ. After the persecution, this ancient temple was destroyed, and at the very place where these Christians had been martyred, the devotion of the faithful erected a church in honor of the blessed Mother of Christ and of Saint Peter, prince of the Apostles.

The virgin of Christ, learning of the constancy and the glorious end of the holy Martyrs, joined the venerable priest Cyril to give thanks to God, who had been pleased to accept this glorious holocaust of his faithful sheep. The iniquitous judge, having noticed this, said to his own: "See, citizens, the inhumanity of these men, who consider the loss of their fellows a gain. To what designs must we stop to put an end to such things? Well! let them experience themselves what they are so glad to see others suffer, so that, if they rejoice in the death of others, they may at least groan at their own misfortune." And without further delay, he ordered their bodies to be burned with burning torches; but these holy Martyrs could not feel this exterior fire, they who were burning interiorly with the ardors of the Holy Spirit. Thus, no groan was heard coming from their mouths; on the contrary, they blessed the Lord aloud who assisted them in the combat, and who, by his powerful virtue and his grace, suddenly extinguished the fire of the torches and obscured the sight of the executioners, so that at the same instant the light of the torches and that of these perfidious men vanished.

The satellites, perceiving by this how great were the merits of those they were tormenting, said to them with an air of compassion and a plaintive voice: "We know now who you are, and, despite our blindness, we understand what God you serve; but give us back this double light, so that we may see God by the spirit, and the sun by the eyes." The virgin of Christ, touched by their cries, prayed to the Lord; and at the voice of her prayer, their spirit was enlightened by the lights of the faith, and their eyes, fortified externally, saw the clarity of the day again. This miracle having filled them with extreme astonishment, they began to cry out with a loud voice: "There is only one true God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the merits of his servant has restored to us the light we had lost." Those who heard them speak thus went to inform the proconsul Agathius who, agitated by the goads of anger, and judging them unworthy to appear in his presence, gave the order to behead them without delay. And these men, having been instructed by the blessed Virgin and baptized by the hand of Cyril, despising the militia of the century, were thus enrolled in the army of the angels.

After that, the cruel Agathius had Restitute called. When he perceived her, he said to his officers and to the people who were present: "What must we then finally do with this sacrilegious woman, who until now has deceived all our hopes? For by I know not what enchantments she has liquefied iron, she has produced light from the very bosom of shadows; her word alone has extinguished burning torches; and, what is more astonishing, she has as it were stripped me of my soldiers, whom she has led to their ruin, first thirty, then two, after having rendered them mad by her prestiges. Furthermore, she has despised the judicial sentence, she has blasphemed the mysteries of the gods and has employed all her care to engage everyone to do as she does. Shall we, we other men, suffer to see ourselves defeated by a woman?" These words excited a tumult in the crowd; and as nothing was answered but vaguely, turning towards her, he said to her: "You take pleasure in these things, do you not, Restitute? You should be afflicted by them instead of rejoicing; for these are not deeds worthy of praise, but crimes. Well! let us put an end to the superstition: abandon this folly, and sacrifice to the gods. If you do it, you will be able to escape the horrible tortures that await you, and soon contract with me this alliance that I desire." The Martyr answered: "You are eloquent, O judge, and, like the orators, you have varied your expressions, you have uttered magnificent sentences, and in the end you have vomited the venom that your heart kept enclosed. But hold it then for certain that, neither will I sacrifice to your demons, nor will I marry you, you who are their slave. Besides, the tortures with which you threaten me will be dearer to me than diamonds and the most purified gold, and death, which is only a passage, will lead me immediately to glory. So do promptly that with which you threaten me; for I have an ardent desire to fly to the embraces of the celestial Spouse, and I will appear all the more beautiful in his presence the more cruel torments you have made me endure." The judge, embarrassed to answer to words pronounced with such assurance, and seeing himself covered with a cruel confusion, did not know what to do or what to say against her. Finally, under the inspiration of Satan, he rendered this sentence: "By virtue of the imperial edict, which condemns to a fatal death all the worshippers of Christ, we order that Restitute, a Roman citizen, magician, mistress and director of the Christians, be led to the banks of the river Caruellus; that there she be made to undergo the capital sentence with her associates, and that their heads be thrown into the current, so that the fish may feed on this tongue which has not feared to blaspheme against the gods."

They therefore led the victim of Christ to the place of immolation. While going there, she hastened her step, all the while praying with her companions; her gait was free as if she had been celebrating worldly nuptials with some illustrious personage. When they had arrived at the edge of the river, they ordered her to kneel and to stretch out her neck. But she asked for and obtained a little delay to attend to prayer. Having therefore thrown herself on her knees with her companions, she made this prayer to God: "We bless you, Lord, creator of all things, who have brought us to this hour, so that, undergoing for you a temporal death, we may enjoy immediately, by your mercy, the eternal life. Receive our souls, we conjure you, and give to your servants the rewards that you have promised." Then, presenting her head, the martyr of Christ, the virgin Restitute was beheaded with the priest Cyril and two other Christians, on the sixth of the kalends of June. The Caruellus was for some time the depositary of their heads: but heaven received their souls to keep them forever. The executioners left their bodies without burial, so that they might become the pasture of beasts and birds. Returning to the city, they told the passersby of the death of these Saints.

This news caused a great sensation in the city: the faithful people gathered; like children they wept for their mother; like disciples, for their mistress so promptly and cruelly taken away. Immediately they hastened to the river, in the desire to see the holy bodies, though lifeless. When they arrived there and saw these bodies deprived of their heads, it was a redoubling of pain and sobbing: they ran along the river, in the hope that the waters would have cast these heads onto the bank. But not having found them, they buried the bodies in the city, near the place where the church of Saint John the Baptist was later built. The fire of persecution having been extinguished, a basilica was built in this place in honor of the Saint, who is still worthily honored by the faithful, in the same place where she had formerly endured so many torments. By the favor of Christ, the invocation of her name works many miracles there, so that even here below one sees clearly what glory she enjoys in the heavens. And it is not only in the place where her ashes rest that wonders occur; they are also seen bursting forth in all the surroundings, notably in the places where she suffered, and in those where the memory of her name is celebrated.

The seventh day since her immolation had just passed, when this blessed martyr of Christ, the virgin Restituta, accompanied by the three servants of God who had suffered with her, all resplendent with glory in the midst of the angels, appeared to the venerable Amasius, Bishop of Sora, and said to him: "Arise, father, and go promptly to the place of our martyrdom; there you will find our heads, which the persecutors threw into the waves; the waters have now cast them onto the bank. For the Lord, so good, did not wish to suffer that these heads which He has destined, in His entirely gratuitous mercy, to become the assured rampart of His people, should become the food of fishes. When you have collected them, you will reunite them with our bodies." The bishop, emerging from his sleep, hastened to share with the faithful the mission he had received from heaven. They all gave thanks to God for it, and songs of gladness were heard resounding under the tents of the righteous. Without further delay, the bishop went to the indicated place and, according to the tenor of the vision, he found these venerable heads of the Martyrs. He carried them with reverence into the city, joined them to their bodies; then, as much as the misfortunes of the time permitted, he gave them a glorious burial. Of how many wonders this most holy virgin shines almost every day, this is what the city of Sora and the neighboring villages can attest, whose sick and prisoners receive frequent help through her intercession.

## RELICS OF SAINT RESTITUTE.

The body of this Saint remained in Sora until the middle of the 9th century; under Pope Le o IV, t Léon IV Pope who authorized the transfer of the relics of Saint Callistus. he Saracens having made an incursion into Italy, the people of Sora were obliged to save their holy relics and carry them to Rome. At that same time, the Sovereign Pontiff having implored the assistance of Emperor Lothair against these barbarians, the latter sent him Louis the Younger, his son, with a fine army to assist him. This young prince had in his retinue, and as lieutenant-general, the lord of Moreuil, near A seigneur de Moreuil Lieutenant-general of Louis the Young who brought the relics back to France. miens, whose house, since 1497, merged with those of the Messrs. de Créqui, de Canaples, and de Lesdignières. This lord, after the defeat of the Saracens and several fine feats of war in favor of the Holy See, asked the Pope, as a reward, for the body of Saint Restitute, to have her honored in his country, because the city of Sora, having been ruined by the infidels, could no longer receive the honors due to her there. The Holy Father having granted his request, he returned very satisfied with such a rich gift. His journey did not pass without a miracle, for the son of the host with whom he stayed in Florence having died the very night of his arrival, his body was brought near that of Saint Restitute, and he received life from it, to the great astonishment of the whole court. When he was in France, he took his route through the Soissonnais to retire to Moreuil; but when the holy relics were on one of his lands, a league from Fère-en-Tardenois, a fountain was seen to spring up in a place where there had never been one; it has not ceased to flow since. Furthermore, an infant who had been born dead was brought before her coffin; after some prayers, he began to give enough signs of life to receive baptism, and even, as they were about to lift the reliquary to carry it away, he cried out quite intelligibly: "Art-ci! art-ci!" that is to say: "Stop here!" Indeed, the body remained immobile until it was decided to leave it in that place and build a church there. This church, one of the most beautiful in the diocese of Soissons, still exists, and the faithful continue to visit it with great devotion, because of the great graces they receive through the intercession of Saint Restitute. Those who are of unsound mind are often restored to their senses there, and return with the perfect use of reason. It is said that the place is called Arcy Arcy Final resting place of the relics in France. because of the word of the child, who cried: Art-ci!

During the Revolution, the reliquary of Saint Restituta was broken, and her relics burned in the church itself, except for a few bones cleverly removed by some pious faithful mingled among the profaners. After the restoration of worship, those who possessed these precious fragments hastened to return them; their authenticity was recognized by M. Leblanc de Beaulieu, Bishop of Soissons, after the Concordat. The old reliquary was restored and today contains what could be saved of the Saint's body; it is exposed to the veneration of pilgrims throughout the month of May. The feast is celebrated with more pomp and a larger attendance on two days in particular: the eve of May 1st, when the reliquary is brought down, and the following day (May 1st), the anniversary of the arrival of her relics in the region. On the 27th, the anniversary of her martyrdom in Sora, in the Kingdom of Naples, the influx of pilgrims is also notable, as well as on Ascension, Pentecost, and every Sunday in May.

People flock to Arcy-Sainte-Restitute from twenty-five to thirty leagues around, and mainly from the departments of the Nord, the Ardennes, Seine-et-Marne, and the Oise. The Confraternity of Saint Restituta is very ancient; one still possesses in the parish archives an original document issued by Jean Millet, Bishop of Soissons, dated 1449: it confirms the establishment of the said confraternity, which had already been instituted in the 14th century. A mass is said every month for the intention of the confreres, who in turn are required to recite a prayer every day with the invocation of Saint Restituta. Some paintings placed in the church bear witness to the healings obtained at different times through the intercession of the holy Martyr.—A second pilgrimage exists at Noircourt, in the same diocese of Soissons and Laon.

In the proper of the diocese of Soissons, the feast of Saint Restituta is marked on May 29th. — The reliquary of Saint Restituta was held in such veneration in the Soissonnais, and the inhabitants of Arcy were so keen to preserve it, that any temporary displacement of the relics had to be recorded before a notary. There exists an act of this kind, dated 1589, in which the parish priest and the churchwardens of Arcy consent by this authentic act that, in a time of calamity, "the reliquary of Madame Saint Restituta be brought and placed for fifteen days in the oratory of Saint-Jean des Vignes in Soissons."

Impartiality compels us to add that the inhabitants of Sora claim to have kept their Saint Restituta, and that the body which was given to Soissons is that of a Roman martyr of the same name. — The Bollandists, Vol. VI of May, p. 655 et seq. new ed . — devote a Bollandistes A society of Jesuit scholars who publish the Acta Sanctorum. long chapter to supporting the claims of Sora against the Soissonnais, and conclude that the acts of Saint Restituta of Sora were wrongly applied to Saint Restituta of Rome. Father Cahier, in his characteristics, makes the same distinction.

See the Bollandists and Pierre le Cartulaire, translated by Nicolas le Meesler, canon of Saint-Jean des Vignes, in Soissons, and prior-curate of Sainte-Restitute, in Arcy (1611). — Local notes.