Health

Miracles Related to Sight

In saints' lives, miracles related to sight recount the passage from blindness or an eye disorder to regained perception. Sources may situate this change during a prayer, upon contact with a relic, near a tomb, or after a gesture attributed to the saint. Physical sight often takes on a symbolic scope: regaining light may accompany repentance, conversion, or public recognition of holiness. This dimension must not, however, cause the category to be confused with mystical visions. Here, the account concerns first the eyes and the ability to see; a celestial apparition without visual disorder pertains to another theme. Sancteo gathers these traditions as objects of religious history, indicating their source and level of recognition, without drawing medical advice from them.

Accounts
579
Saints
466
Period
6th century BC – 20th century
A pilgrim symbolically recovers sight near a shrine in a medieval church.
A pilgrim symbolically recovers sight near a shrine in a medieval church.

Definition

Understanding this type of miracle

In saints' lives, miracles related to sight recount the passage from blindness or an eye disorder to regained perception.

Forms included from the sources

  • blindness, eyes, and restored sight

Not to be confused with…

  • apparition, inner revelation, and simple celestial light

Documented examples

Major figures

Explore all accounts
  1. Saint Ignatius of Loyola 16th century · 4 accounts
    « Apparition of Saint Peter healing him of his fever »
  2. Saint Maxellende (Maxellinde)
    « miracle during which Harduin recovers his sight. »
  3. Saint Victor of Marseille 3rd century · 4 accounts
    « Apparition of Christ with the cross on the easel »
  4. Saint Eugene of Carthage 5th century · 3 accounts
    « Sudden blindness of an impostor paid by Cyrola to simulate a miracle »

Classified sources

Accounts in the corpus

579 results · page 1/13

Healing
Healing of Tobit's blindness
Sight disorders
« Healing of blindness using fish gall »
Tobias the Elder, Tobias the Younger, and Sarah·Ninive·6th century BCToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Discovery of the relics of Saint Anne in Apt
Sight disordersHearing and speech
« Discovery of the relics by a young blind, deaf, and mute person who regains their senses »
Saint Anne and Saint Joachim·Apta Julia·1st century BCToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Angelic apparition in the cave
Sight disorders
« Apparition of an angel in a cave »
Saint Torpes·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Angelic vision of Cornelius
Sight disorders
« Vision of an angel »
Saint Cornelius (Cornelius the Centurion)·Cesaree·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Blinding of the magician Elymas
Sight disorders
« Blinding of the magician Elymas »
Saint Paul (Saul of Tarsus)·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Blindness of the magician Elymas
Sight disorders
« Instant blindness of the magician Elymas by the word of Saint Paul »
Saint Sergius Paulus (Paul of Narbonne)·Paphos Ile De Chypre·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Divine punishment of Paulinus
Sight disorders
« Punishment of Paulinus, who lost an eye and then died possessed by a demon »
Saints Processus and Martinian·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of a blind man by Saint Andrew Corsini
Sight disorders
« Healing of a blind man by Saint Andrew Corsini under the porch »
Dedication of Our Lady of the Doms·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of a blind man by Saint Ausonius
Sight disorders
« Healing of a blind man in Angoulême »
Saint Ausonius of Angoulême·Angouleme·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of a blind man by Saint Exuperius
Sight disorders
« Healing of a blind man through the intercession of his disciple Régnobert »
Saint Exuperius (Spirius)·Bayeux·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of six infirm people at the Sainte-Croix gate
Sight disordersSkin diseases
« Healing of three blind men and three lepers at the Sainte-Croix gate »
Saint Memmius (Menge)·Chalons Sur Marne·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of the blindness of the priest Clair
Sight disorders
« Healing of the blindness of the priest Clair »
Saint Nicaise (Nigaise)·Vexin·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of the eyes by a white stone
Sight disorders
« Miraculous healing of the eyes by touching a white stone »
Saint Clair of Aquitaine·1st centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Healing
Miraculous healings at the tomb of Saint Sylvin
Sight disordersRestored mobility
« Healing of the blind, lame, and paralyzed »
Saint Sylvin·Levroux Diocese De Bourges·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Miraculous healings attributed to Saint Lucien
Sight disorders
« Healing of the sick and the blind »
Saint Lucian of Beauvais·Beauvais·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Miraculous healings through relics
Sight disordersHearing and speechRestored mobility
« Multiple healings (blind, deaf, paralyzed) at her relics »
Saint Justina of Padua·Eglise Sainte Justine De Padoue·1st centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Vision / apparition
Posthumous apparitions of Saint Paul
Sight disorders
« Posthumous apparitions of Saint Paul to guide him »
Saint Sergius Paulus (Paul of Narbonne)·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
The Transfiguration of Jesus
Sight disorders
« Apparition of deceased or missing prophets »
Jesus Christ (Transfiguration)·Mont Thabor·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
The Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor
Sight disorders
« Transfiguration of the body and garments »
Jesus Christ (Transfiguration)·Mont Thabor·1st centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Vision / apparition
Vision of the Nativity at Ferrières
Sight disorders
« Vision of the Nativity at Ferrières »
Saint Savinian and Saint Potentian·Ferrieres Gatinais·1st centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Angelic apparition and miraculous aid
Sight disordersViolenceFood
« Apparition of an angel calming ferocious dogs and bringing celestial bread »
Saint Benignus of Smyrna·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Apparition of Christ in prison
Sight disorders
« Apparition of Christ during his final mass in prison »
Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (First Bishop of Paris)·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Celestial vision in prison
Sight disordersCaptivity
« Celestial vision and angelic singing in his dungeon »
Saint Andeolus·Bergoiate·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Eudoxia's heavenly vision
Sight disorders
« Vision of heaven in ecstasy »
Saint Eudoxia of Heliopolis·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of a blind man in Le Mans
Sight disorders
« Healing of a blind man at the magistrate's gate »
Saint Julian of Le Mans·Suindinum Pays Des Cenomans·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of Bérenger at Mantes
Restored mobilitySight disorders
« Sudden healing of Bérenger, paralyzed for three years, after a vision of the saint in Mantes »
Saint Romana of Rome·Mantes·2nd centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Healing
Healing of Castus's eye
Sight disorders
« Healing of Castus's gouged eye »
Saint Firmin of Pamplona·Samarobriva·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of Phrygella's blindness
Sight disorders
« Instantaneous healing of Phrygella's blindness »
Saint Abercius of Hierapolis·Hierapolis Petite Phrygie·2nd centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition
Healing
Healing of the nurse of Saint Hermes' son
Sight disorders
« Healing of the blindness of his son's nurse »
Saint Hermes of Rome·Rome·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healings and deliverances performed by Saint Rieul
Sight disorders
« Healing of the blind and the possessed »
Saint Rieul of Arles and Senlis·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Night visions of the celestial crown
Sight disorders
« Premonitory nocturnal visions of the heavenly crown »
Saints Speusippus, Eleusippus and Meleusippus·Langres·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
The vision of the stag
Sight disorders
« Apparition of Christ between the antlers of a stag »
Saint Eustace (Eustathius)·Empire Romain·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Vision of angels singing in alternating choirs
Sight disorders
« Vision of angels singing in alternating choirs »
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (Theophorus)·Antioche·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Vision of Saint Stephen during martyrdom
Sight disorders
« Apparition of Saint Stephen at the moment of death »
Saint Valerian of Tournus·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Vision of the martyrs of Paris
Sight disorders
« Vision of three doves bearing the names of the martyrs of Paris »
Saint Rieul of Arles and Senlis·2nd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Angelic vision regarding baptism
Sight disorders
« Vision of an angel explaining baptism »
Saint Savinian (Sabinien)·Samos·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Apparition of a celestial light in prison
Sight disorders
« Celestial light in the prison »
Saint Victor of Marseille·Marseille·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Apparition of Christ on the cross
Sight disorders
« Apparition of Christ with the cross on the rack »
Saint Victor of Marseille·Marseille·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Apparition of the guardian angel to Valerian
Sight disorders
« Apparition of the guardian angel with celestial crowns »
Saint Cecilia of Rome·Rome·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Apparition of the saints to the matron Plautilla
Sight disorders
« Apparition in a vision to the matron Plautilla »
Saints Rufina and Secunda·Buxo Voie Cornelia·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Bishop Gauthier's vision regarding the authenticity of the relics
Sight disorders
« Apparition to Bishop Gauthier to denounce the substitution of his body with that of Saint Silvin »
Saint Prudentius (Prouents)·Saint Etienne De Dijon·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Sign / wonder
Blinding of the executioners
Sight disordersViolence
« Blindness of the executioners during the rack torture »
Saint Julia of Troyes·Troyes·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Celestial apparition during the baptism of Saint Barbara
Sight disorders
« Apparition of Saint John the Baptist and Jesus Christ »
Saint Barbara of Nicomedia·Nicomedie·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Vision / apparition
Celestial vision of the crown
Sight disorders
« Vision of Our Lord holding a crown »
Saint Timothy and Saint Apollinaris·Buxitus Chemin De Cesar·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing and conversion of Julie
Sight disorders
« Blindness and conversion of Julie »
Saint Victor of Marseille·Marseille·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of a crippled child in Argenton
Sight disordersHearing and speechRestored mobility
« Healing of a blind, deaf, mute, and lame child »
Saint Marcellus and Saint Anastasius·Argentonachus·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of Asterius's daughter
Sight disorders
« Healing of the sight of Asterius's adopted daughter, blind for two years »
Saint Valentine of Rome·Rome·3rd centuryToposCertainty: Hagiographic topos
Healing
Healing of General Aubertus's blindness
Sight disorders
« Healing of General Aubertus's blindness through her blood »
Saint Columba of Sens·Sens·3rd centuryTraditionCertainty: Tradition

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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.