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| Statue of Padre Pio - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar |
Minister's mother tells how Padre Pio cured her cancer - CI News
The following story is from Catholic Ireland News:
By Sean Ryan
The mother of Minister for Tourism and Sport, Mary Hanafin has told how she believes she would have died in her twenties if she hadn't been cured of cancer by Padre Pio.
Thurles native Mary Hanafin, who has one of Padre Pio's mittens in her possession, has revealed how she believes she 'is a walking miracle' after her illness disappeared following a visit to the Saint in Italy in 1963.
And she told a new BBC documentary, The Miraculous Mitten, that Padre Pio is the key to helping Ireland out of the recession. She said, “He has to offer hope and peace of mind to a modern Ireland that has gone astray in every way. We are losing what he had; simplicity, prayerful life and helping people.”
Mary Hanafin was just four years old when doctors gave her mother the grim prognosis of cancer. She said, “I had been diagnosed with cancer and the surgeon said I had to have an operation in September and I had to have a hysterectomy.”
“I decided if they couldn't do anything for me I would go to see Padre Pio and he would cure me. I was very ill when I got to San Giovanni.”
“I had the privilege of going to the mass he celebrated at 5 o'clock. I thought in my mind would you put your hand on my head and bless me and so he did.” She added, “I was very sick going home two days later. They gave me the last rites and said there was no hope. I came to the following day and there was no cancer. It had to be Padre Pio there was no other way.”
The Capuchin monk Padre Pio became known as the living saint until his death on September 3 1968.
He was beatified in 1999 and canonised in 2002.
