Saint Conrad and the Poison Spider

In the year 938 Saint Conrad, a “born Count of Altdorf” was (according to the chronicle of Dr. Speth) chosen to become the bishop of Constance. The city owed many donations and charitable endowments to him, such as the St. Conrad Hospital for the Poor, the St. Paul Parish Church, and the cenotaph of the grave of Jesus Christ within the cathedral. “As Pet. Canisius writes in his Martyrology, the holy man frequently walked across Lake Constance with dry feet. He divined future things with a prophet’s vision, invoked many miracles both in his life and after his death, and could imbibe poisonous substances without harm or injury.

Once, during a holy mass in celebration of the holy Easter Day in the Thomb Church, an abominable poisonous spider suddenly dropped from above into the holy blood after its consecration. The saint imbibed the blood along with the spider. Just before lunch, he sat down at the table and supported his head with his hands for quite a while. When his servants inquired after him and were worried that he wasn’t feeling well, he told them not to bother on his account as he was awaiting a guest. After this, the previously imbibed poisonous spider crawled out of his throat alive and without harm. Upon this he praised and thanked God and only then explained to his servants what had occurred.”[BAD1]