‘It’s a miracle:’ Baby starts breathing again after being declared legally dead

News excerpt and photo from MetroNews.ca

Robin Cyr’s fourth child has already packed a lifetime’s worth of emotional turmoil into her first 28 minutes in the world.

Cyr, 34, was told her baby girl had died just after being born in the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Canada around 3 a.m. Saturday, March 8th.

But shortly after getting the devastating news, a stuttering, breathless nurse rushed back into the room to say the baby had started breathing again. 

“My aunt was there, and it’s a blessing because her prayers are very deep and strong,” said Cyr on Sunday, speaking in a whisper through tears at the hospital. “When she started praying, my baby came back.”

The big baby girl – who weighed nine pounds 14 ounces – got wedged in the birth canal during the delivery. Once she was born, Cyr lay on the bed waiting, for 25 minutes, for any sign of life.

A flummoxed surgeon told Cyr’s family that he had no explanation for the seemingly impossible recovery.

“He said it’s a miracle,” said Cyr. “He said, ‘I’m very sorry I gave up on your baby when I did, because I turned around and she’s breathing on her own.’”

Cyr’s family and friends say they’re still processing the miracle that trumped the miracle of birth.

Read more: It's a Miracle

VIRGIN MARY DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE ON CANADIAN TV

Our Lady Video Trailer

The video trailer of Our Lady and following press release is from Jessica Murray, Marketing Manager at Tell Tale Productions:

Halifax, Nova Scotia – March, 2012 – Blessed Mother. Star of the Sea. Queen of Heaven. Madonna. Our Lady. She goes by many names and is celebrated by both Christians and Muslims around the world. She is one of the most celebrated women in history, even though little is actually known about her. She gave birth to the one of the most famous historical figures of all time, but she is only mentioned in the bible seven times. Each year millions of people around the world do pilgrimages to shrines dedicated to her and many claim to experience miracles.  

Our Lady is a one hour documentary that chronicles the life and significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her apparitions and appearances on earth. Since 1981, Mary has been appearing in one of the most visited religious sites on the planet: Medjugorje, Bosnia. The film follows a pilgrimage led by New Brunswick native Marie Desjardins as she and a dozen others journey to Medjugorje for the 30th anniversary of these spiritual events.

Our Lady is created, written, and directed by Michael MacDonald and produced by Edward Peill of Halifax-based Tell Tale Productions Inc.

“Medjugorje is potentially the most important event in modern history. It is a call to action for all to put their own interests aside to serve their fellow human beings.” says MacDonald. “As the Blessed Virgin said to the visionaries, God is real. He asks us to live like eternal beings - to remember that our pains and sufferings are only temporary. We must prepare ourselves daily by learning to love, and to accept love.”

The film features world-renowned Marian experts Judith Dupre, Lesley Hazelton, and Charlene Spretnak as they reveal the role that Mary has played over the past 2000 years and the devotion she has fostered in so many followers around the world.

A new iPhone app called iMary will also be released in conjunction with the premiere of the Our Lady documentary. The iMary mobile app is the ultimate smartphone accessory for anyone interested in the Virgin Mary. The app features a complete and detailed database of all the Marian shrines across Canada with a geo-locator function indicating the distance from the user’s location. It also contains a comprehensive list of devotions, a Marian calendar, and a rosary. The iMary app is available on iTunes with a portion of the proceeds from each sale being donated to charity.

Our Lady will have its world broadcast premiere on VisionTV on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT (Check local listings). VisionTV is Canada’s only English language cable and satellite television analog specialty channel that airs multi-faith, multicultural and family-oriented entertainment programming.

Our Lady was produced in association with VisionTV, ZoomerMedia Limited, and CTS TV with funding from the Canada Media Fund, and Provincial and Federal tax credits.

For Media Inquiries please contact:

Jessica Murray - Tell Tale Productions Inc.  Marketing Manager

Tel: (902) 482-4650    

Email: jessica@telltale.tv      
www.telltale.tv

Signs of the Times Social Studies Guide

Signs of the Times
(Signes Des Temps)

Signs of the Times - (Signes Des Temps) - Flickr - Photo Sharing!

By Loci B. Lenar

Signes Des Temps (Signs of the Times) is a new book compiled by Chantale Samuel and Charles Vendette and published in the French language. The learning guide was released in July 2011 by Les Editions CEC, a school book publisher in Anjou (Quebec) Canada.

I am happy to announce that Monique Rosevear of Les Editions CEC, contacted me to reproduce my photograph of a stained glass window of Saint Isaac Jogues. The colorful church window is published in the new social studies book on page 133. Credits for photographs are listed on page 139.



Saint Isaac Jogues - Stained Glass Window - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

 
I photographed the minature stained glass window inside of Saint Jude's Catholic Church, 40 Maxim Drive, Hopatcong, New Jersey, USA.

The book is a social studies learning guide for grade 3 students entitled: Signes des Temps and is used as a student's book, teacher's guide and digital key. (ISBN # 978-2-7617-3358-8)

For more information about the book, please visit the publisher's website at the following link: Les Editions CEC

The following biographical information about St. Isaac Jogues is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Saint Isaac Jogues (January 10, 1607 – October 18, 1646) was a Jesuit priest, missionary, and martyr who traveled and worked among the native populations in North America. He gave the original European name to Lake George, calling it Lac du Saint Sacrement, Lake of the Blessed Sacrament. In 1646, Jogues was martyred by the Mohawks near the present day Auriesville, New York. Jogues, St. Jean de Brébeuf and six other martyred missionaries, all Jesuits or laymen associated with them, were canonized in 1930 as "The North American Martyrs," or "St. Isaac Jogues and Companions." Their feast day is October 19, except in Canada, where the feast is celebrated on September 26.

Read more: St. Isaac Jogues

Anglican Church in Canada says 'Yes' to Catholic Invitation

Anglican Church in Canada says 'Yes' to Catholic Invitation - International - Catholic Online

(The photograph and following excerpt is a wonderful example of various Christian denominations which are now coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.  It is certainly a clear sign of God's unfolding plan to move forward with Christian Unity.      -Loci B. Lenar)

By Randy Sly

St. John the Evangelist to Join the Anglican Ordinariate

"We accept, unreservedly and with humility and gratitude, the invitation of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church through the provisions of Anglicanorum Coetibus in a corporate manner. " (From the motion voted upon by the parish)

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On November 21, 2010 the members of St. John the Evangelist parish in Calgary, Alberta, Canada voted 90 percent in favor of joining the Roman Catholic Church.

The vote ended a nearly nine-month period of exploration and discernment by the Rector and Vestry authorized at the Annual Parochial Meeting in February.

The preamble to the motion set before the parish stated, "On 16th February 1993 the Rector, Wardens and Vestry of the Parish of St John the Evangelist, Calgary adopted a Mission Statement which committed us to 'faithfulness to Scripture and Holy Tradition . . . based on traditional classical Anglicanism,' the faith of which was to be expressed in 'living traditional Anglo-Catholic Prayer Book worship.'

"While holding firm to these principles ever since, theological, ecclesiological and sacramental developments within the Anglican Communion over nearly forty years have led us, as a Parish, walking, in peace and in love, a different path from that of the Anglican Church of Canada as it now stands."

The motion stated, "We accept, unreservedly and with humility and gratitude, the invitation of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church through the provisions of Anglicanorum Coetibus in a corporate manner.

The Rector, Fr. Lee Kenyon, told the Calgary Herald that this was not a reactionary move. "We didn't vote to leave the Anglican Church of Canada," he stated. "We voted to accept the invitation of the Pope."

Kenyon, who is married and has two children, will be ordained as a Catholic priest through the Ordinariate.

Read More: Catholic Invitation

The Major Characters of the Bible - The New Testament

Cover Illustration by Stephane Jorisch

The Major Characters of the Bible - The New Testament - Compiled by Lise Lachance

By Loci B. Lenar

I was recently contacted by FPR Editions, a Christian book publisher located in Quebec, Canada.  The publisher requested permission to use my photograph of the stained glass window showing the Transfiguration of Jesus. The photograph appears inside The Major Characters of the Bible on page eighty.

Transfiguration of Jesus

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

I photographed the colorful glass window inside of St. Peter the Apostle Church, which is located on 179 Baldwin Road in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA.

To view a larger photograph of the image, please visit the following link: Transfiguration of Jesus

The book is published in the French language and has beautiful illustrations and artwork to complement the stories of the bible. Published in 2010, the book (ISBN: 978-2-89499-108-4) is now available through the publisher by visiting this link: FPR Editions 

The following excerpt regarding The Major Characters of the Bible appears on the website of FPR:

Joseph and Mary through John the Baptist and the disciples; Zacchaeus, the rich young man to Nicodemus, the New Testament is full of witnesses to the faith which have marked the history of the Christian culture. Rediscover these witnesses who knew Jesus of Nazareth with the first Christian communities. They are now grouped into a single volume: The Major Characters of the Bible - The New Testament.

The book is written by Lise Lachance. She studied literature at the University of Laval in Quebec and Bible studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris. She also writes for publications such as Prions en Église. Her training as a teacher allows her to share the love of the Bible, both with children and with adults.

The cover Illustration is by Stephane Jorisch who has received on four occasions the Governor General's Award for his work as an illustrator. He is considered one of the most talented illustrators of his generation. Born in Brussels, he is now based in Montreal.