Elements, animals and objects

Objects Repaired in Miracle Accounts

Miracles of restored objects concern ordinary or precious things: earthen vase, glass cup, tool, garment, or liturgical object. The source recounts that a broken object is found intact, a lost piece returns, or damage disappears after a prayer. These episodes often have a moral dimension: they respond to a servant's distress, avoid punishment, or manifest the care given to the most modest realities. The category remains rare and requires explicit restoration. The preservation of an object in a fire pertains first to fire, while a food multiplication concerns provision. Cards must name the object, its use, and the exact nature of the change to avoid a generic formula. Sancteo presents these traditions as a motif of monastic and popular literature, without extrapolating from a simple object that became a relic.

Accounts
11
Saints
11
Period
4th century – 15th century
Two monks observe a restored vase on an ancient workbench.
Two monks observe a restored vase on an ancient workbench.

Definition

Understanding this type of miracle

Miracles of restored objects concern ordinary or precious things: earthen vase, glass cup, tool, garment, or liturgical object.

Forms included from the sources

  • broken, lost, or damaged object then restored

Not to be confused with…

  • object only preserved from fire or venerated as a relic

Documented examples

Major figures

Explore all accounts
  1. Saint Marcellinus of Embrun 4th century · 1 account
    « Marcellinus converts the last notable pagan of the city by miraculously reconstructing a crystal cup broken during a meal. »
  2. Saint Odilo of Cluny 10th century · 1 account
    « Miraculous repair of a broken crystal vase »
  3. Saint Benedict (Patriarch of Western Monks) 6th century · 1 account
    « Miraculous repair of a broken earthenware vase (sieve) »
  4. Saint Angilbert, Abbot of Saint-Riquier 8th century · 1 account
    « Miraculous restoration of a marble column broken by an angel »

Classified sources

Accounts in the corpus

11 results

Sign / wonder
Miraculous repair of a crystal cup
Restored objects
« Rejoining the pieces of a broken crystal cup »
Saint Marcellinus of Embrun·Embrun·4th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Miraculous repair of a wire
Restored objects
« Conductive wire miraculously reconnected »
Saint Ceronne·Diocese De Seez Entre Mont Cacune Et Mont Romigny·5th centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Sign / wonder
Miraculous repair of a broken vase
Restored objects
« Miraculous repair of a broken earthenware vessel (sieve) »
Saint Benedict (Patriarch of Western Monks)·Sublac·6th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
The miracle of the salmon and the ring
Restored objects
« Discovery of a lost wedding ring in the belly of a salmon »
Saint Kentigern (Mungo)·Glasgho·6th centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Sign / wonder
Restoration of a marble column
Restored objects
« Miraculous restoration of a marble column broken by an angel »
Saint Angilbert, Abbot of Saint-Riquier·Abbaye De Saint Riquier·8th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Restoration of a crystal vase
Restored objects
« Miraculous repair of a broken crystal vase »
Saint Odilo of Cluny·10th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Miraculous recovery of Agnes's veil
Restored objects
« Recovery of Princess Agnes's veil intact on a tree several years after its disappearance »
Saint Leopold IV of Austria·Neubourg·12th centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Sign / wonder
La découverte miraculeuse de la bague de sainte Kinga
Restored objects
« La bague de fiançailles jetée dans une mine de sel en Hongrie et retrouvée miraculeusement dans un bloc de sel à Wieliczka »
Kinga·Wieliczka·13th centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Sign / wonder
Miraculous removal of the pontifical ring
Restored objects
« Pontifical ring that could be removed after a prayer »
Saint Edmund (Edmund Rich)·Paris·13th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Miraculous welding of a bell
Restored objects
« Miraculous mending of a broken bell »
Blessed Sanctes of Urbino·14th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Miraculous repair of a broken glass
Restored objects
« Miraculous repair of a broken glass »
Blessed Catherine of Racconigi·Racconigi·15th centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos

Editorial transparency

Method and sources

Sancteo presents these accounts as hagiographic and historical traditions, without ruling on their origin or making medical or spiritual promises.

Volumes are calculated from technically validated classifications in the canonical database. Each figure above has a quotation directly linked to this theme. Last recalculated: .

Editorial responsibility: Sancteo · Corpus source: Les Petits Bollandistes and documented enrichments. Version: miracle-topic-editorial-en-v1.