These chapters discuss the situation wherein Claret experienced being assassinated in the chapter 8 and being the confessor of the Queen of Spain in chapter 9.

1. Chapter VIII
HOW I WAS WOUNDED AND EVENTS
SURROUNDING MY CURE

2. I was in Puerto Principe making my fourth
pastoral visit since my arrival in Cuba five
years before

3. After I had finished visiting the parishes
of that town, I headed for Gibara,
visiting Nuevitas in passing.
From the seaport of Gibara I moved on
to Holguin.

4. I had a great hunger and thirst to suffer trials and shed
my blood for Jesus' and Mary's sake. Even in the pulpit
I would remark that I desired to seal the truths I was
preaching with the very blood of my veins
On February 10, 1856, after arriving in Holguin, I opened
the pastoral visitation. Because it was the eve of the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I preached to the
people on this adorable mystery, making them see the
great love the Blessed Virgin showed for us in offering up
her most holy Son to suffer and die for us.

5. I was accompanied by four priests, my attendant,
Ignacio, and a sacristan who carried a lantern to light
our way, since it was 8:30 in the evening and it had
already grown dark.
On both sides of the avenue there were large crowds, and
all were greeting me.
A man stepped forward, as if to kiss my ring, when
suddenly his arm flew back and he brought the razor he
was holding down upon me with all his might.

6. I had my head down and was touching
a handkerchief to my mouth with my
right hand, and so, instead of slitting
my throat as he had intended, he
slashed my face across the left cheek,
from the ear to the chin. The razor also
caught and wounded my right arm in
passing because I was holding it up to
my mouth, as I said.

7. The razor had cut clean through the flesh and sliced into
the bone of the upper and lower jaw. Blood was gushing
both outside and inside my mouth.
We happened to be standing in front of an apothecary
shop, and so I said, "Let's go in here; they'll have the
medicines we need."
They were shocked at the sight of a bishop, vested in his
mantle and pectoral, all bathed in blood--especially a
bishop who was also a friend they all loved and revered.

8. Later the doctors said I must have lost no less than four-
and-a-half pints of blood. With the loss of blood I felt
somewhat faint, but I came to as soon as they gave me a
little vinegar to smell.
These wounds reminded me of the circumcision of Jesus;
in time they might lead me to the incomparable good
fortune of dying on the cross of some gallows, of some
assassin's dagger, or the like.

9. The healing of these wounds was attended by three
remarkable phenomena:
1. Was the instant healing of a fistula that the doctors had
said would be permanent.
The doctors were planning a painful operation of doubtful
value, for the following day. I commended myself to the
Blessed Virgin
Mary in prayer, offering and resigning myself to God's will,
when I was suddenly healed.

10. 2. The wound on my right arm.
As it healed, it formed a raised image of Our Lady of
Sorrows in profile. Not only was it raised in relief, but it
was colored white and purple, as well.
For the next two years it was perfectly
recognizable, so that friends who saw it
marveled at it. Afterwards it began to
disappear gradually and is scarcely
visible today.

11. 3. The master plan for the Academy of St. Michael.
As soon as I could get up, I started designing its
emblem and drafting its bylaws, which have since
been approved by royal charter and have received
the blessing and good wishes of His Holiness, Pope
Pius IX.
The queen and king were the first to be enrolled.
Since then, numerous branches have been formed
and are doing an incalculable amount of good.

12. The would-be assassin was caught in the act and sent
to jail.
He was tried and sentenced to death by the judge,
however, I forgave him as a Christian, a priest, and
an archbishop.

13. Captain General of Havana, Don Jose de la Concha
I begged him to grant the man a
pardon and remove him from the
island because I feared that the people
would try to lynch him for his attack on
me, which had been the occasion both
of general sorrow and indignation as
well as of public humiliation at the
thought that one of the country's
prelates had actually been wounded.

14. I offered to pay the expenses of my assailant's deportation to his
birthplace, the island of Tenerife in the Canaries. His name was
Antonio Perez.
They complied with my request and freed him, and the very next
year he did me the favor of wounding me. I say “favor” because I
regard it as a great favor from heaven, which has brought me the
greatest joy and for which I thank God and the Blessed Virgin
Mary continually.

15. Chapter IX
HOW I WAS SUMMONED TO
MADRID

16. As a result of the wound, my face was considerably
disfigured, my voice was not very clear, and my speech was
somewhat slurred; so, for the first few months after I got
back to Santiago, I had to
abandon my accustomed round of preaching engagements.
A few days into the mission when I received a royal
summons to Madrid. The Archbishop of Toledo, who was
confessor to the queen, had died, and Her Majesty had
chosen me as her new confessor.

17. I received the royal summons on March 18 and on
the twenty-second left Santiago for Havana, where
I boarded a packet boat bound for Cadiz.

18. I begged Don Dionisio Gonzalez, whom I had left as
administrator of the diocese, to continue in his post until
further advised. I also asked Father Anthony Barjau and
Father Galdacano to stay at their posts in the seminary
until my successor arrived so as not to abandon the field.
From the day I arrived in Havana until April 12, the day I
left, I preached daily and heard the confessions of the
most prominent citizens of the town. At one ceremony I
gave First Communion to the Captain General's daughter
and to his wife.

19. En route we were in great danger of shipwreck a number of
times, but the Lord looked to our welfare and delivered us.
We stopped at the Portuguese Islands of Terceiras and were
treated very well there; but we suffered the unfortunate loss of
two artillerymen who were killed in an explosion that took place
as they were answering the salute of the city of Zayal.

20. We all went ashore for their burial, after which
we resumed our voyage and arrived at the end of
May in Cadiz.
Welcome to CADIZ!