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The priest, on the other hand, held the "spiritual monopoly," which, along with his vowed
celibacy. symbolically pUI him at an irreductible height from his flock. His authority,
likely in consequence of this prestige. bordered on supernatural power. Ilis competence
extended beyond the Church, and if this mostly meant blessing and healing. it could be
cursing and hanning as wel!.l "Dr. Jones" was parish priest in Tilting in Ihe thirties, and
is well remembered for his medical expenise, let alone several miraculous cures and
rescues. I heard from my host that her father suffered from paralysis of the legs, and
could hardly support himself. He was leaning against a fence one day when Dr. Jones
came to him, and asked if he needed any help. As he said yes, the priest laid his hands on
him, and he was rid of his paralysis for some time. Another lady reported how her
successful delivery and recovery after complications and fever for three weeks were one of
the many effects of the priesl's saintly prayers, and added:
RB: Yes, he had power. He performed miracles, there's no doubl aboul it.
I told you about bringing out that man from the ice. He cured him; he
opened up the thumb and it was black to the arm. There was no doclor
and they'd come to him. Such a hand, infection and puss, rising
pain, and he opened it up, squeezed all the bad inside of it. ... He was
like wood, and he was very particular. If a person came in with a sore
hand, the knob of the doors would have 10 be scrubbed. There was a
certain person had excema: "wipe these knobs now he's gone," but he
cured him. Even in the Northside of Joe Batt's Arm, there was a
Jacobs had a sore throat, terrible throat. He cured Ihal, and they all
knew he cured it, the Protestant people. That man, K's brother, thm
was driven up on the ice, several times people were nearly lost and this
day 0.8. was one of the ones that went out, and the firsl Ihing
everybody knew, the wind had changed and Ihe ice was starting to
move off, and there was a sea came in. Well, they went to Dr. Jones,
of course, and they told him. "Where is he going to land?" lie told me
this himself, and Ihey said: "well, there's only one place down behind
the last house on Green's Point. If he don't come ashore there, he
won't come ashore at aIL" Well, everyone in the harbour was over
there watching for him to land. You know the swell of Ihe sea, the ice
was broken in little bits, little small tiny bits, and he just came in on the
swell, and he (Dr. Jones] went to the church. He told me, he said: "I
went to the church." SI. Anne was his saint and he said:'" said 10 her,"
and he told me this, this is gospel truth: "if you ever did it, you've gOI
to do it this time," and he said: "she did it." He came ashdte, people
had their eyes closed watching, and he was going to go down. He was
thrown ashore. There's no one in this place did you ever ask about it,
and they'll tell you the same thing. 2
I Bowman. "Devol;on" 32 and 34: MUNR..A ms 65-00IC; see also MUNFLA ms 66-009A and
MU FLA ms 71·84. p.9.
2MU FLA 87·159/CI0636.