Functions of Miraculous Healing in the Two Lives of St. Colette of Corbie (1381–1447)

Abstract

Accounts of medieval medical miracles are most often found in canonization records, collections compiled at a saint’s shrine, and hagiographic accounts of both dead and living saints. The medical miracles performed by living saints are often more detailed and more varied than those in posthumous accounts. This article is a case study of a selection of the medical miracles performed by St. Colette of Corbie (1381–1447), a major reformer of the Franciscan Order and founder of many convents, as they are recounted in her two biographies. They offer a fascinating perspective into her healing activities whose major purpose was to keep the networks of her supporters and her communities alive and functioning.