At  the end of the fifth century, St. Michael the Archangel worked a series of miracles in southern Italy, protecting Catholics and punishing those who wished to dominate them.

Newsroom (06/11/2021 12:40, Gaudium Press) Let us take a look, in general terms, at the situation in which the Roman Empire found itself.

With the fall of the Western Empire in 476, the Middle Ages began, though large numbers of barbarians settled in the various regions of the extensive Empire.

“Gradually, the entire former Roman population fell into barbarism as well. The roads then no longer had anyone to look after them; the aqueducts that carried water to the cities broke apart; the cities sank into filth; the palaces were now inhabited by savage barbarians who completely degraded themselves; and works of art were broken in the streets. In short, everything that could represent civilization and culture was miserably liquidated.”

In Italy, the great landowners were massacred by barbarians who took possession of their lands. Odoacer, chief of the Heruls, became King of Italy with the support of the Senate of Rome.  He was recognized by the sheepskin which he always carried over his shoulders. He was an Arian, but because of his great admiration for St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Pavia, he respected the Catholic bishops.

At a banquet, a barbarian king kills his rival

The throne of the Eastern Empire was held by Zenon I, who favoured the Eutychian heretics and persecuted the Catholics. In 491, after overeating, he fainted and was thought to have died. He was placed in a coffin, but at a certain point strange noises were heard coming from the coffin; they opened it and found that parts of the arms of the corpse had been gnawed by teeth…

Zenon had contacted Theodoric the Great, chief of the Ostrogoths, and promised him that if he liquidated Odoacer, he (Theodoric) would become King of Italy.

Theodoric, a follower of the Arian heresy, invaded Italy and inflicted several defeats on the troops of Odoacer, who took refuge in Ravenna. After three years of siege, Odoacer capitulated and they both signed a peace treaty in 493.

During the banquet held to celebrate the agreement, Theodoric killed Odoacer with a dagger.  Through family liaisons, Theodoric was then able to nearly all of the barbarian kings dependent upon him.

At that time, there were several heroic popes, St. Gelasius I being one example. He held a public burning of the books of the Manichaeans – books which had encouraged the barbarians to destroy Rome.

A cave transformed into a chapel

On the outskirts of a town in southern Italy, now called Manfredonia, a nobleman set out to find a bull from his herd that had climbed Mount Gargano, on the banks of the Adriatic Sea. Arriving at the top, he saw the animal standing by a cave and shot an arrow in order to slaughter it. But the arrow turned against the shooter himself, seriously wounding him.

Learning of the event, the inhabitants of the region went to the bishop’s palace and told the bishop what had happened. The bishop, a man of great virtue, ordered a three-day fast, during which all were to ask God to reveal the meaning of what had happened.

On the fourth day, St. Michael the Archangel appeared to the bishop and told him that the grotto, situated on the top of the hill, should be transformed into a chapel to honour him, and that whoever went there to pray would receive many graces. As proof of his intercession, he claimed that the wounded nobleman was cured, which in fact proved to be the case.

The news spread far and wide, and the faithful began to make pilgrimages to the top of Mount Gargano.

Hit by lightning, the enemies fled in terror

Two years later, when the city was besieged by a powerful barbarian army, the holy bishop, accompanied by a good number of the faithful, went up to the cave and implored St. Michael for victory against the enemies.

Inspired by the Archangel, the bishop advised the leaders of the people to ask the aggressors for a three-day truce, during which time the people should fast and pray.

The invaders accepted the armistice, and at the end of the appointed time, St. Michael appeared again to the prelate and stated that the faithful people should begin the counterattack, for he guaranteed victory.

When the battle began, a thick cloud covered the mountain: the earth began to tremble, the sea roared with fury, and a terrible storm broke out, sending lightning strikes upon the barbarians, while sparing the faithful Catholics. Terrified, the enemy army fled. It was 29 September 492.

In gratitude, the bishop led a procession to the cave of the Archangel and there they found, pressed into the rock, footprints similar to those of a man. Everyone understood this to be the unmistakable sign of St. Michael’s presence and protection.

Four eagles provide shade and breeze

A year later, there was another great procession to the grotto, in which several prelates from nearby towns and many faithful took part. The sun was very strong and hot that day, at a certain moment, four enormous eagles joined the procession: two of the eagles provided shade for the bishops and the people, and the other two created a pleasant breeze with their wings.

When they reached the cave, they found the effigy of St. Michael imprinted on the wall and, on entering inside, they found an altar carved in the rock and decorated with a crystal cross.

When Pope St. Gelasius learned of these wonders, he established for all time that 29 September would be dedicated to St. Michael in the Universal Church. Later, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael were also commemorated on this date.

Over the centuries, pilgrimages have been made to the Sanctuary of Mount Gargano. Many Saints have visited it, among them St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Catherine of Siena. To this day, many people go there to pray.

May St. Michael protect the Church against Her veiled or declared enemies, and crush the demons that infest the world today seeking the perdition of souls.

By Paulo Francisco Martos

Compiled by Sandra Chisholm