Showing posts with label miracles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miracles. Show all posts

Friday, March 30, 2018

The Story of Mr. Loci B. Lenar and His Fatima Related Mission



The Story of Mr. Loci B. Lenar: by Claire Smith - Amazon.com: Books

Book excerpt by Claire Smith

After beholding two astounding sights in the sky, and receiving a vision of the future world blessed in peace, New Jersey resident Loci B. Lenar made his choice – he would travel the road on the right, the narrow path leading to grace and salvation. The road on the left would lead only to chaos, Jesus had warned him in a dream. Thirty years later, the devout Catholic continues to dedicate his life to sharing his faith and carrying out a personal mission connected to the ushering in the future Era of Peace that was promised by Our Lady of Fátima in 1917.

Today, Lenar’s ministries include his popular website (www.christian-miracles.com) – featuring news on miracles, saints and other faith topics – and his photographs of sacred art. Many of his photos are visually stunning; others are truly miraculous.


(Several photographs including prayers written by Lenar are published in the book. The statue on the book cover is a photograph shot by Lenar at the 100 Year Anniversary of Our Lady Fatima on October 13, 2017 at The National Blue Army Shrine on the grounds of the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA. The Catholic shrine is in Warren County, New Jersey. The shrine celebrated the six apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children of Fátima, Portugal.

Claire Smith is a Catholic author whose works include Forty Catholics who Shaped the World in Which we Live, The Great Catholics Trivia Challenge, Can I Confess by E-Mail?, Catholicism - Now I get It!, and approximately one thousand newspaper articles.


***

Take a leap of faith and read the book!

"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11


Thursday, April 13, 2017

A bleeding host in Argentina? Bishop investigates alleged Eucharistic miracle

Credit: AICA photo agency
Catholic News Agency (CNA): 'via Blog this'

Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 13, 2017 / 12:43 am (CNA/EWTN News)

A bishop in the Argentine province in Santa Fe is investigating a Eucharistic host that appeared to bleed during adoration at a drug rehabilitation home.

Bishop Luis Fernandez of the Rafaela diocese announced that an investigation will be carried out to examine what took place earlier this week, when a group of young people were in Eucharistic adoration and saw a substance in the consecrated host that appeared to be blood.

On April 11, Tuesday of Holy Week, a group of young people were praying before the Blessed Sacrament at the San Miguel drug rehabilitation home in the Guemes neighborhood, when they noticed a change in the Eucharist.

Read more: Catholic News Agency



Monday, April 10, 2017

Cross of Light Appears on Palm Sunday

Signs, Wonders, and Miracles

Palm Sunday 2017
By Loci B. Lenar

On Palm Sunday, a Cross of Light outlined with a shield appeared in the morning on my backyard fence in Mine Hill, NJ. 

Scripture says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week, and it's a time to reflect on the passion of Christ in preparation for Good Friday and the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

The first time this Cross of Light appeared in 2017 was on the fifth Sunday of Lent, April 2. 

For many centuries the fifth Sunday of Lent was known as Passion Sunday and the beginning of Passiontide by the Catholic Church.


Furthermore, this sun phenomena has occurred every year on my residence since 2005 during different occasions, including Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It also appeared in September 2015 while Pope Francis was visiting the USA.

I spoke to my Spiritual director, Fr. Richard Tartaglia on Monday, April 10, and shared the news about the Cross of Light appearing at my residence. 

Fr. Richard Tartaglia - 2012
In addition, this sun phenomena has been verified by my spiritual director, Fr. Richard Tartaglia of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Denville, New Jersey. 

Fr. Richard photographed the Cross of Light on Good Friday, April 6, 2012. Moreover, Fr. Richard spoke about the Cross of Light during his homily at St. Mary's Evening Prayer Service held on April 19, 2012. 

Here's a link to view the video of Fr. Richard's homily which also includes information regarding other people that have witnessed a Cross of Light in other areas: Cross of Light Appears in New Jersey

Jesus said,"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness." John 12:46

I attributes this sign sent from Our Heavenly Father as result of prayers to Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, and Saint Michael the Archangel for assistance, and with times of spiritual renewal of my Christian faith, such as Lent, as well as praying for God's protection. 


Cross of Light - 2017
Additional facts can be read on these links: Cross of Light Appears During Lent and Holy Week  and Signs from Heaven

In 2008, the Gloucester County Times reported a similar story of a cross photographed by 9 year old Gwynna Crawford on Easter Sunday in Pitman, New Jersey. The cross appeared on a neighbor's house. The article indicated that Gwyanna's mother and the neighbor were unable to find the source of the sun reflection.


More information about the Gloucester County Times story with a photograph can be seen on this link: Cross Appears on Easter Sunday in Pitman, NJ

I believe the Cross of Light is a sign from God to those that have left the church: Return to the sacraments, especially reconciliation during Holy Week and to celebrate Easter.




Saturday, May 21, 2016

That time Jesus appeared in the sky of Mexico



Excerpt from Catholic News Agency (CNA)

It's a major miracle that you've probably never heard of.

On Sunday, Oct. 3, 1847, more than 2,000 people in Ocotlán, Mexico saw a perfect image of Jesus Christ crucified that appeared in the sky for more than 30 minutes.

Approved by the Archdiocese of Guadalajara in 1911, the phenomenon is known as the “Miracle of Ocotlán” and took place one day before an earthquake that killed 40 and left the town in Jalisco State in ruins.

Before the start of Mass at the cemetery of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception – presided over by the parochial vicar, Father Julián Navarro – two white clouds joined together in the northwest sky, where there appeared the image of Christ.

Those present and in nearby towns were deeply moved, made acts of contrition, and cried out begging, “Lord, have mercy!” This apparition of Christ was called “the Lord of Mercy” and in his honor, in September 1875, a new parish church was blessed, consecrated and dedicated to him.

Also among the faithful who witnessed the miracle were Father Julián Martín del Campo, pastor of the community, and  Antonio Jiménez, the town's mayor. Both of them sent letters to their respective superiors telling what had happened.

Read more: CNA

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

Arizona Woman Claims Full Healing After Venerating Relics of St. Charbel


 Top Stories - Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.org

News Excerpt and photo from Aleteia: When Dafne Gutierrez, a 30-year-old blind mother of three, stood in front of a priest for a blessing, she felt there was someone standing on her right. Her family told her later that the priest was standing on her left side.

“There was somebody [on the right] touching me,” she told her sister-in-law, who responded, “But there was nobody close to you.”

“And ever since then I was feeling my body differently,” Gutierrez said in an interview Monday.

She was at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix on a Saturday in mid-January for the visit of the relics of the St. Charbel Makhlouf, which were being brought around to many of the 36 Maronite parishes in the United States. Over the next couple of days her husband noticed something unusual about her. He asked her what the matter was. “You seem different,” he said.

Before dawn on Monday morning, she complained to him that it felt like her eyes were burning.

She tried opening her eyes. “I couldn’t see clearly, but I could see like shadows. I told him, ‘I can see you,’” she recalled.

Gutierrez had lived with Arnold Chiari malformation since she was 13. Two years ago she lost vision in her left eye, and then in her right eye last year. Doctors inserted a shunt to try to relieve the pressure, but that failed. Her headaches were “vise-like,” and she was afflicted with tinnitus, vomiting, dizziness and seizures. She was approved to go to a rehab/nursing facility because she couldn’t care for her children.

Her sister-in-law heard that the relics were coming and that St. Charbel had healed a blind boy in Mexico. Gutierrez is neither Maronite nor Lebanese, but as a woman of faith she prayed for the saint’s intercession. He’s had a great track record of healing, even after his death in 1898.

Not only was her vision restored, it was restored to 20/20, said Dr. Anne Borik, one of several physicians to examine Gutierrez. “The pressure in her brain got to the point where it caused damage to the optic nerve. After this happened, the optic nerve looked completely normal, with no signs of damage or atrophy,” she said in an interview “There’s nothing in the medical literature that anything like this had ever happened.”

Read more: St. Charbel Miracle 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Divine intervention: 'Invisible force' knocks down man about to stab priest inside church in Colombia


Christian News on Christian Today

A hooded man armed with a large knife suddenly leapt from his seat inside a church, rushed at the
priest and was about to stab the man of God when he suddenly froze as if gripped by an "invisible force" and fell to the ground convulsing as churchgoers quickly disarmed the assailant.

The astonishing incident was caught on camera inside the Pentecostal IPUC Bosa Church
Bogota, Colombia, the Mirror UK reported.

As the knife-wielding man attacked, the video footage showed the priest, Pedro Pablo Martin,
calmly saying, "There is power in the name of Jesus," repeating this several times.

(Photo and news excerpt from www.ChristianToday.com)

Read more: Divine Intervention


 

Friday, December 18, 2015

Pope recognizes miracle needed to declare Mother Teresa a saint


Excerpt from Catholic News Service (CNA)

Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, thus paving the way for her canonization.

Pope Francis signed the decree for Blessed Teresa's cause and advanced three other sainthood causes Dec. 17, the Vatican announced.

Although the date for the canonization ceremony will be officially announced during the next consistory of cardinals in February, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Vatican office organizing the Holy Year of Mercy events, had said it would be Sept. 4. That date celebrates the Jubilee of workers and volunteers of mercy and comes the day before the 19th anniversary of her death, Sept. 5, 1997.

The postulator for her sainthood cause, Father Brian Kolodiejchuk of the Missionaries of Charity, said the second miracle that was approved involved the healing of a now 42-year-old mechanical engineer in Santos, Brazil.

Doctors diagnosed the man with a viral brain infection that resulted in multiple brain abscesses, the priest said in a statement published Dec. 18 by AsiaNews, the Rome-based missionary news agency. Treatments given were ineffective and the man went into a coma, the postulator wrote.

The then-newly married man's wife had spent months praying to Blessed Teresa and her prayers were joined by those of her relatives and friends when her dying husband was taken to the operating room Dec. 9, 2008.

When the surgeon entered the operating room, he reported that he found the patient awake, free of pain and asking, "What am I doing here?" Doctors reported the man showed no more symptoms and a Vatican medical commission voted unanimously in September 2015 that the healing was inexplicable.

St. John Paul II had made an exception to the usual canonization process in Mother Teresa's case by allowing her sainthood cause to be opened without waiting the usual five years after a candidate's death. He beatified her in 2003. 

The order she started -- the Missionaries of Charity -- continues its outreach to the "poorest of the poor."

Read more: Mother Teresa


Friday, September 11, 2015

A miracle that could canonize Mother Teresa

Mutter Teresa von Kalkutta
Photo by Manfredo Ferrari

Is this the miracle that could canonize Mother Teresa? - Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Excerpt from CNA/EWTN

The Vatican is studying the case of a Brazilian man inexplicably cured of brain abscesses – which could be the miracle that leads to the canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Pope Francis voiced his desire to canonize Mother Teresa during the Jubilee Year of Mercy which will begin on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, as a ¨sign of mercy for the world¨ in service to the poor.

Father Caetano Rizzi, who works in the Vatican's congregation for saints, told CNA that the Pope “wants to beatify and canonize men and women that were a sign of mercy for the world in this Jubilee (Year), and Mother Teresa is a model, because of that there's a certain urgency in her process.”

The possible miracle that would bring about Mother Teresa's canonization occurred in 2008. A man from Santos, Brazil, whose identity has not been divulged in order to maintain the discretion needed to conclude the investigation, was unexpectedly cured from eight abscesses in his brain that required an operation.

In Presença Diocesana, a Brazilian newspaper, Father Elmiram Ferreira explained that he ministered to the family during this time.

The priest gave the family a prayer to ask for the intercession of Blessed Teresa and told them to pray without ceasing. “Mother Teresa turned into their comfort and strength during that long time. So when his complete recovery was verified and the doctors could not explain it, I understood that there was the hand of the Blessed.”

Read more: A miracle that could canonize Mother Teresa



Monday, August 24, 2015

Statue of Mary is Miraculously Intact After Fire


 Virgin Mary Statue is Left Miraculously Intact After Fire

Photograph and excerpt from  http://iamproudtobecatholic.com/

A violent fire at a military base near Madrid spared nothing except a small statue and surrounding vegetation.

The events took place at the El Goloso military base, located near the Spanish capital, seat of the nation’s armored infantry brigade “Guadarrama.” According to several Spanish news sites, including Infovaticana and Religión en Libertad, a fire broke out that was impossible to control, burning most of the surrounding vegetation.

Once the flames were extinguished, to the soldiers’ surprise, in the middle of the charred area, stood a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes—totally undamaged! What’s more, the soldiers were shocked to see that the grass near the statue had not been touched by the flames and that it was even still surrounded by vases filled with flowers, also intact, as if the flames had respected the space around the statue.

The fire took place on July 30, in the middle of the heat wave which had descended upon Spain. The soldiers could not explain why the statue had suffered no damage nor why the flowers had not even been blackened or withered by the heat. The story quickly spread though social networks, some suspecting a fraud, but further investigations have dispelled all possible doubts. In the photographs, one can easily see that the ground is completely burnt, except near the statue.

Indeed, for the most part, the soldiers on the base did not know that there was a statue of the Virgin in their garden. However, some of them who had a special devotion to Mother Mary had recommended themselves to this representation of Our Lady of Lourdes. And, the statue had already participated in official ceremonies at the military base.

Read more: Statue of Mary is Miraculously Intact After Fire


Friday, July 24, 2015

A MIRACLE? Virgin Mary painting caught on tape moving lips along with the Lord's Prayer (VIDEO)



News Story from Catholic Online

The lips on a painted image of the Virgin Mary, on display at the St. Charbels Church in New South Wales, Australia, were reportedly witnessed moving along with the reading of the Lord's Prayer.

The video featuring the Virgin Mary seemingly moving her lips went viral after a man named George Akary posted it to his Facebook page on July 19. It has attracted curiosity from many Christians and skeptics.

"I saw this during mass and at the end of mass the rosary is prayed," explained Akary. "I went to the altar and wanted to confirm via recording it... lights are not relevant and there flickering etc as I have seen this occur under various lighting and have considered those possibilities. It is what it is."

According to Akary, the pace of the congregation's prayer seemed to be parallel to the movement of the Virgin Mary's lips. Apparently, he was not the only person who witnessed the reported miracle.

Read More: A MIRACLE?



Friday, July 10, 2015

In Her Footsteps: The Story of Kateri Tekakwitha

EWTN

She is the first Native American woman to be recognized as a saint. Learn about St. Kateri Tekakwitha through the testimonies of those who have been touched by her, including the young boy whose miraculous cure led to her canonization.

Don’t miss “In Her Footsteps: The Story of Kateri Tekakwitha”!

Airs 11 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 11, 2015—exclusively on EWTN!

Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.


Friday, June 05, 2015

Padre Pio: Between Heaven and Earth


EWTN TELEVISION

Live action movie about the miraculous life of  ‪#‎SaintPadrePio‬, whose spiritual gifts made him a powerful witness for  ‪ #‎Christ‬ and a profound spiritual director for 21st Century society.

Don’t miss Part 1 of this two-part miniseries, “Padre Pio: Between Heaven & Earth”! Airs 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, June 6--exclusively on ‪#‎EWTN‬. Part 2 airs on Saturday, June 13th.

Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder



Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Our Lady's Monthly Message to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo


The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje

Virgin Mary's Message of June 2, 2015 to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo

"Dear children, I desire to work through you, my children, my apostles, so that, in the end, I may gather all my children there where everything is prepared for your happiness. I am praying for you, that through works you can convert others, because the time has come for acts of truth, for my Son. My love will work in you - I will make use of you. Have trust in me, because everything that I desire, I desire for your good, the eternal good created by the Heavenly Father. You, my children, my apostles, are living an earthly life in union with my children who have not come to know the love of my Son, who do not call me 'mother' - but do not be afraid to witness Truth. If you are not afraid and witness courageously, the truth will miraculously win, but remember, strength is in love. My children, love is repentance, forgiveness, prayer, sacrifice and mercy. If you will know how to love, by your works you will convert others, you will enable the light of my Son to penetrate into souls. Thank you. Pray for your shepherds. They belong to my Son. He called them. Pray that they may always have the strength and the courage to shine with the light of my Son."


Saturday, May 02, 2015

The Virgin Mary's Message of May 2, 2015 to Mirjana



Our Lady of Medjugorje's Apparition and Message to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo

"Dear children, open your hearts and try to feel how much I love you and how much I desire for you to love my Son. I desire for you to come to know him all the better, because it is impossible to know him and not to love him – because he is love. I, my children, know you. I know your pain and suffering because I lived through them. I laugh with you in your joy and I cry with you in your pain. I will never leave you. I will always speak to you with motherly tenderness. And I, as a mother, need your open hearts to spread the love of my Son with wisdom and simplicity. I need you to be open and sensitive to the good and mercy. I need you to be united with my Son, because I desire for you to be happy and to help me to bring happiness to all of my children. My apostles, I need you to show everyone the truth of God, so that my heart, which suffered and today suffers so much pain, can win in love. Pray for the holiness of your shepherds, so that in the name of my Son they could work miracles, because holiness works miracles. Thank you.

 

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Miracle: Blood of Saint Januarius liquifies during Francis’s visit to Naples




News excerpt and photo from CatholicHerald.co.uk

The blood of St Januarius liquified in the presence of a pope for the first time since 1848 on Saturday.

The blood of the patron saint of Naples, which is normally solid, partially liquified after Pope Francis kissed the relic during his day trip to the southern Italian city.

According to AFP, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe of Naples showed the vial to the congregation in the city’s cathedral, saying: “The blood has half liquified, which shows that St Januarius loves our Pope and Naples.”

Pope Francis responded: “The bishop just announced that the blood half-liquified. We can see the saint only half loves us. We must all spread the word, so that he loves us more!”

The blood last liquified for a pope in the presence of Pius IX. The phenomenon did not occur when St John Paul II visited Naples in 1979 and Benedict XVI visited the city in 2007.

Read more: Saint Januarius Miracle


Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Reflection of Cross Appears on House in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Photograph by Carla Chavez-Archuleta

By Loci B. Lenar

God works in mysterious ways through signs and wonders, especially during times of difficulty and while praying for assistance. He will affirm his word through divine providence and miracles.

With that in mind, Carla Chavez-Archuleta of Albuquerque, New Mexico has shared several images of a cross of light that she photographed in December of 2014 using her Samsung Galaxy Note 3.  

Carla says, "A few months back, I read the article of the Shield of Archangel Michael on http://www.christian-miracles.com/signsofangels.htm and have been in awe of this event ever since."

Same photo as above but cropped for better viewing

Carla said, "I was surprised when my husband and I were driving home Christmas Day (December, 2014) and I saw this same reflection on a home near ours.  I asked my husband to turn around to get another look.  We tried to take photos but it seemed to start to fade like it did not want to be photographed.  I saw the reflection again on the way home yesterday (December 30, 2014) and was able to get a photo. I even went to the other side of the house to see if there might be something causing the reflection, but I don't see anything that would cause that reflection."

Photograph courtesy of Carla Chavez-Archuleta

"I have been praying to Archangel Michael for months for assistance.  I still pray today as I greatly need his intercession for a miracle.  I take this as a sign that he is with me and letting me know he has everything under control."

Same photo as above but cropped for better viewing

"I just wanted to share the photo with you as you reported on the reflection in your link." Carla said.

The fact that Carla has seen a similar cross is indeed a confirmation that God continues to give us hope with signs during our time of need. He will never abandon us.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22)

In 2005, a Cross of Light with a surrounding shield appeared on my backyard fence in Mine Hill, NJ, while my family was experiencing a time of adversity.  I was praying for God's intervention and to Saint Michael the Archangel for protection when the image began to appear. Awaiting for God's Timing, my prayers were answered and the issues were mitigated. More information regarding my (Lenar) testimony on this matter with photographs can be read on www.Christian-Miracles.com.

Without hesitation, we should not underestimated the power of prayer. God will answer our prayers at the appropriate time. 

Jesus said, "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."  (Matthew 18:19-20)

Whatever circumstances that we may face today, God is there to give us the strength to move forward and will protect us from the storms of time.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,  no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  (Psalm 91:9-12)


Read more news on angels on the following link: Miraculous Signs of Archangel Michael

Tuesday, February 03, 2015

Miracles abound in the life of Sister Mila

Sister Maria Milagros Dela Cruz - photo courtesy of Linda Andrade Rodrigues

The Anchor - Official Catholic Weekly Newspaper of the Fall River Diocese, Massachusetts

By Linda Andrade Rodrigues, Anchor Correspondent

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — In the wake of Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, the world watched the apostolic visit of Pope Francis, including Mother Superior at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette.

Sister Maria Milagros Dela Cruz, SNDS, was born and raised in Ramon, Isabela, in the far north of the Philippines.

A visit by the pope is a great blessing to the Filipino people, according to the vibrant, animated nun, affectionately known as Sister Mila, 65.

“I watched the Mass in Manila, and it was raining,” she said. “We Filipinos don’t get discouraged when it rains. The old people would say it is a blessing from God.”

Sister Mila came from a very large family of 17 children, including eight girls and nine boys. Her parents would also adopt another son.

“I was number 10 and a blue baby,” she said. “The doctor told my aunt that they did their best, but the baby was dead. The doctor left, and then my aunt said I started crying. My aunt reported to the doctor that the baby came alive.”

Consequently, the doctor baptized the preemie Maria Milagros (Miracles).

Her siblings walked to school, which was two miles away; but Sister Mila was too weak to walk a long distance.

“My father would come with us, and he put me on his shoulders,” she said.

He also gave her a small dog so that she would never be alone. She named him Pepsi.

“I had him for 16 years,” she said.

Learning to write her long name in first grade was a trial. Her classmates’ names were short, and they would tease her, “Mary Miracles!”

“I would come home crying,” she said.

Many years later when she went to college, she was asked to translate her name into English.

“Your name is very beautiful,” said the professor. “Your name is ‘Miracles of the Cross.’”

“That teacher was very stern, but I loved him,” she said. “He was the only one who was able to tell me the meaning of my name.”

Growing up in a very poor family on a small tract of farmland, Sister Mila remembers the long years of drought.

“The La Salette Fathers came to my area and did a Novena at the farm,” she said. “They carried the cross and sang songs in Latin. We saw cracks in the soil, and you know in those cracks we found edible frogs. We could not plant rice, but God gave us frogs. We brought them to the market and sold them.”

One of the La Salette priests, Father Conrad Blanchet, gave the family a gas-powered well pump so that they could plant rice and irrigate the land. They also watered a neighbor’s field.

“We were very poor, but my mother and father always shared,” she said. “Lots of people who needed food came to our house for help, but we always had something to eat. It is a mystery.”

Sister Mila attended La Salette High School in Santiago, and that’s where she first saw a statue of Our Lady of La Salette. She learned about the weeping mother and received her calling.

“I told them I wanted to become a Sister of La Salette, even though we had none in our area,” she said.

Her formation was done in Manila at their regional house. In her fourth year, she received her veil. Through the years she served the apostolate in schools as Religious Education coordinator, guidance counselor, registrar and principal.

Three of her siblings also had vocations; two joined the La Salette missionaries and a third is a Maryknoll.

In October 2007, Sister Mila was assigned to the U.S. mission in Miami, where she served as school principal.

“The American culture was itself a challenge,” she said. “I was unprepared to deal with all the technical demands of my job, including using computers. Amazingly, I learned quickly how to do many things, and I was even able to teach others to do the same."

Now serving at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Sister Mila works in the shrine church as Liturgical coordinator of their 80 volunteers — acolytes, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers and sacristans — and assists the priests.

Living in Cumberland, R.I.,  about 30 minutes from the shrine, the nuns leave their house early each morning to take part in Community Prayer and Mass at the Attleboro monastery. Two nuns, one from Madagascar and the other from Connecticut, work in the gift shop. Sister Mila’s day revolves around the 12:10 and 6:30 p.m. Masses. When the nuns return to their convent at the end of the day, they go directly to the chapel to pray.

Pilgrims from all over the world worship at the shrine church, where Sister Mila offers a special ministry. She set up a box for prayer petitions and also answers prayer requests online every day.

She recalls the first time she was approached by someone in need of prayers. “Sister, I want to talk to you,” said a young mother with three small children.

“We have priests,” Sister Mila replied. “I can get you a priest.”

“No, no, Sister,” the woman said. “I want to talk to you.”

“I just came from the doctor’s office, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” said the woman. “I have a short time to live.”

“Don’t worry,” said Sister Mila. “I will pray.”

A year later, the priest in charge of vocations came looking for Sister Mila.

“Do you remember a lady with three children who talked to you last year?” he asked. “She wanted me to tell you that her breast cancer is gone.”

“And she’s not the only one,” said Sister Mila beaming. “You cannot believe how many prayers have been answered.”

Still a farm girl at heart, Sister Mila also tends the many beautiful live flowers that thrive at the shrine even in winter.

“We need a beautiful place for people to come and experience the nearness of God,” she said.

***

This article is reprinted with permission of Linda Andrade Rodrigues, Anchor Correspondent, Fall River, Massachusetts. First published by The Anchor on Jan 30, 2015.

Anchor Website: http://www.anchornews.org

Sunday, January 04, 2015

Dying Man Gets a Miracle in Abandoned Church



Godvine.com - Miracles Video

Greg Thomas knew that he was dying of cancer and one source of solace was taking long walks through the country. What he didn't know, though, was that during a long walk he'd come across an abandoned Catholic church that would save him.


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Power of Prayer? 'Miracle' Priest Rises from Wheelchair and Walks



News Excerpt and photo from NBC News.com

A Catholic priest who was paralyzed from the chest down in a fall four years ago says he has proof that prayer can heal.

Doctors had told Father John Murray of Brooklyn, New York that he would never walk again after bone chips from his neck sliced into his spinal cord.

"'You should expect no voluntary movement,'" said Murray. "That's a quote. 'No voluntary movement for the rest of your life.'"

Watch Part Two of Cynthia McFadden's Two-Part Report on the Power of Prayer Tuesday on "Nightly News"

But within a year and a half after he tripped on a Jersey Shore boardwalk, the priest was able to rise from his wheelchair and walk.

"I think it's a result of prayer," said Murray. "Other people's prayers and my prayers, without a doubt."

Father Murray has a lot of company. Half of all Americans believe that prayer can heal. But medical studies increasingly show the same thing, says the medical professor who runs Duke University's Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health.

"People who are more religious just live longer; that's kind of the bottom line," said Dr. Harold Koenig.


Read More: Fr. John Murray

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Guardian Angels Watch Over Us

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar - St. Michael's Church

Catholic Weekly Newspaper of the Fall River Diocese - AnchorNews.org

By Linda Andrade Rodrigues, Anchor Correspondent

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Guardian angels are the servants and messengers of God.

“How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it,” St. Jerome said.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” teaches that as purely Spiritual creatures, angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.

“The Holy Spirit advises me,” and “there’s the angel who advises me,” said Pope Francis. “Nobody walks alone, and none of us can believe we are alone.”

Nine years ago I interviewed a devout Catholic who believes she had an encounter with an angel. She works in marketing and lives in Rhode Island. She shared her story on the condition of anonymity.

Sitting in the front passenger seat of her boyfriend’s car, the woman, along with her two girlfriends, was riding around town late one night.

Out of the blue, a car cut them off running them off the road. Spinning out of control, they crashed into a telephone pole.

“I remember the point of impact,” she said. “I was holding onto the door with a death grip to brace myself as we hit the pole.”

Her boyfriend and friends managed to crawl out of the crushed car, but she was trapped inside.
“I remember not being able to feel my legs,” she said. “I panicked because I couldn’t catch my breath.”

The telephone pole was inside the car; her feet were in the engine compartment.

“I actually saw my life flash before my eyes at the moment of impact,” she said. “I remember seeing family members who had passed on.”

She heard their voices calling to her.

Then she saw a hand coming through the twisted metal. She reached for it.

“I’m a nurse,” the person said.

She told the nurse about the voices.

“Don’t listen to them,” the nurse said. “You’re going to be fine. It’s not your time yet.”

It would take more than an hour for emergency personnel to cut her out of the car with the Jaws of Life. All the while, she kept asking for the nurse who had promised not to leave her.

But the paramedics told her, “There’s nobody here. We’re going to take care of you.”

Her injuries were grave. Her legs and pelvis were shattered, she had massive internal injuries and bleeding, as well as a blood clot. She received Last Rites.

She spent three months in the hospital’s trauma unit, and it would take a year of intensive physical therapy for her to walk again.

A short time after her discharge from the hospital, she arranged to meet the paramedics who had saved her life.

“They couldn’t believe I was there,” she said. “They assumed I wasn’t going to make it.”
Once again, she asked them about the nurse. They told her there was a witness walking his dog in the woods, but there was no nurse.

“It may have been your mind playing games with you,” the paramedic said. “Your body was in shock.”

Today she bears few scars from the accident that nearly took her life. She is married to her boyfriend, the driver of the car, and is convinced a guardian angel came to her on the night of the accident.
“I still feel she’s watching over me,” she said. “I always feel protected.”

A resident of Mine Hill, N.J., Loci Lenar reports news of Christian signs and wonders on his blog and website — “Angels, Wonders and Miracles of Faith” (http://lenarpoetry.blogspot.com) and “Signs, Wonders and Miracles” (www.Christian-Miracles.com) — which have recorded over a million page views.

Lenar also documents his own spiritual encounters, following instructions from his spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia of St. Mary’s Church in Denville, N.J.

Sharing his experiences, he has been interviewed several times for the program “Sacred Treasures” on the international Catholic station Radio Maria, which is broadcast locally by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate of Our Lady’s Chapel in New Bedford at 88.5 FM (WPMW).

Lenar often visits churches to photograph stained glass windows and statues to use on his website and blog.

Five years ago he stopped to pray at The Church of St. Michael in Netcong, N.J., and photographed a statue of St. Michael the Archangel.

“Without the flash, you see the striking rainbow beyond the statue and around the arms,” he told me. “I gave the small memory card to Father Richard.”

Catholics invoke St. Michael the Archangel in prayer for physical protection.

Lenar said that Jesus is calling people to pray for divine protection, not just for their families but for the world.

“We are living in difficult times, but through prayer we could change things,” he said. “The message is now more important than ever before to invoke the powerful name of Jesus and to pray for the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel to protect our families and nation, especially in light of the violence surrounding our world and the Middle East.”

Two years ago thieves broke into the basement of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Assonet, causing massive damage to the property, pilfering church offerings and leaving behind a feeling of unease that this sacred ground had been violated.

Consequently, Father Michael Racine inserted the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel in the front cover of church missals.

Just before the closing rites at every Mass, the congregation invokes the saint’s protection:
“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”