ST FRANCIS XAVIER

"In 1960 the 'Novena of Grace to Above' was one of the most important events in the Catholic Church. There was a Novena in Gardiner Street for 9 days. My father brought me to this and I remember the No.3 bus from Whitehall nearly toppling over with throngs of people rushing to get there for 7 o'clock each night. The Church was packed to capacity. You would send up your written request to the priest and some he would read out from the pulpit. My father had great devotion because he had been cured from TB in the bone of his hand due to a relic obtained from Gardiner Street Church of the Saint after it touched his hand back in 1935. The hand was due for amputation the next day. There was a miraculous recovery and the hand healed itself. So in 1960, he was now suffering mentally and hence the devotion. However, nowhere could they get a statute in the City of Dublin as they were all sold out. Hysteria reigned. So the above was specially commissioned by my mother through one of the religious shops. They were very poor and had little money. Yet they got the money from somewhere to have the statue specially made, they believed in him so much. I'm a non believer by the way."