67 Miraculous Healings Confirmed in Lourdes

ROME REPORTS TV News Agency - The 67 miracles of Lourdes

The following excerpt is from Rome Reports TV News Agency:

Catherine Latapie was the first person to be miraculously cured at Lourdes. She was healed of paralysis in 1858. And on the same day she was cured, she gave birth to a boy who later became a priest.

Her spectacular cure was a test case that started an era of reported miracles that’s lasted ever since. These claims have increased over the years, and led to the setting up of a “Medical Bureau” at the Marian shrine in 1905. The office studies cases of those who claim to have been miraculously cured.

Doctor Says Many Are Cured in Lourdes

The following excerpt from Zenit is about the miracles in Lourdes:

ZENIT - Doctor Says Many Are Cured in Lourdes

Invites Physicians to Attend Congress for Their Own Healing

LOURDES, France, FEB. 8, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The former head of the Lourdes Medical Bureau is affirming that all people can receive a cure at Our Lady's shrine if they pray and hope for it with perseverance.

Doctor Patrick Theillier, who retired from leadership of the bureau last year, stated this in an interview with France Catholique.

The cure, he explained, "might not be as spectacular as to be considered a miracle."

However, the physician added, it can affect "in a profound and lasting way the person who experiences it, in all his being, body, soul and spirit."

Doctor Theillier affirmed that "these cures are truly innumerable."

The bureau is a medical organization run by doctors that operates within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, which, among other things, is responsible for the medical investigation of cures associated with the shrine.

The doctor noted that there are, of course, miraculous cures as well in Lourdes, and 67 have been officially recognized as such.

He affirmed that these miracles are sometimes "necessary," such as at the beginning of the Church. "For faith to increase, it must be supported by miracles," Doctor Theillier said.

Moral sufferings

Yet today, he continued, perhaps more than a century ago, we have a need "to be relieved from moral sufferings and the wounds of life, of a psychological-spiritual order, which goes beyond medicine."

"Here is where Lourdes responds to a very present need, which undoubtedly corresponds more to its original message," the physician stated.

He asserted that these types of "miracles" are "much greater" than the bodily cures, as souls are "regenerated." These miracles, he said, can take place if you desire them, hope with faith, and pray to God.

"Extraordinary physical cures have become rare," Doctor Theillier observed, given that "God acts in the first place through human mediation, through medicine and doctors."

This year, Lourdes will be the site of the international congress for the World Federation for the Catholic Medical Associations. The theme for this May 6-7 event will be "Medicine and Faith."

To read the complete article, please visit the following link: Doctor Says Many are Cured in Lourdes

For More Information: World Congress FIAMC Lourdes 2010

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Here is some additional backgound information regarding the miracles in Lourdes: 

Saint Bernadette (born Maria-Bernada Sobirós) had reported 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary during Febrauary to July of 1858 in Lourdes, France.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

As Bernadette later reported to her family and to church and civil investigators, at the ninth visitation the lady told Bernadette to drink from the spring that flowed under the rock, and eat the plants that grew freely there. Although there was no known spring, and the ground was muddy, Bernadette saw the lady pointing with her finger to the spot, and said later she assumed the lady meant that the spring was underground. She did as she was told by first digging a muddy patch with her bare hands and then attempting to drink the brackish drops.She tried three times, failing each time. On the fourth try, the droplets were clearer and she drank them. She then ate some of the plants. When finally she turned to the crowd, her face was smeared with mud and no spring had been revealed. Understandably, this caused skepticism among onlookers. In the next few days, however, a spring began to flow from the muddy patch first dug by Bernadette. Some devout people followed her example by drinking and washing in the water, which was soon reported to have healing properties.

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I believe a gospel connection can be made to Our Lady's message given to Saint Bernadette regarding the spring water at Lourdes and its subsequent healing properties. 

In John 9:1-11 it states, As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" Some claimed that he was.

Others said, "No, he only looks like him."

But he himself insisted, "I am the man."

"How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.

He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."

The scripture clearly defines the role of God working through signs and wonders.  The Virgin Mary was sent to Bernadette to help continue the Lord's work on earth through graces of salvation and healing.  People from all over the world travel to the shrine and visit the Grotto of Lourdes to wash in the water while praying for God's healing. 

Regarding miraculous cures, Dr. Theillier clearly stated that "67 have been officially recognized" in Lourdes. 

Praise the Lord: Psalm 148

Psalm 148

Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD from the heavens,

praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels,

praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for he commanded and they were created.

He set them in place for ever and ever;

he gave a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

stormy winds that do his bidding,

you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle,

small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations,

you princes and all rulers on earth,

young men and maidens,

old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

He has raised up for his people a horn,

the praise of all his saints,

of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the LORD.

The stained glass window detail was photographed inside
St. Virgil Catholic Church, Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com

                                                     

The Faithful Traveler at the Blue Army Shrine

Diana von Glahn - The Faithful Traveler

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

 

The Faithful Traveler at the Blue Army Shrine 2 from The Faithful Traveler on Vimeo.

Can't afford a pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal? Let Diana von Glahn of EWTN's new show, The Faithful Traveler, show you another option....

The new show premiers on March 4, 2010!

The Faithful Traveler—hosted by Diana von Glahn—is a fun travel series with a Catholic focus. The show will explore some of the most amazing churches, shrines, and places of pilgrimage throughout the United States!

The Anointing of the Sick

Scripture - James 5:13-16

Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the presbyters of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

For inspirational news of God's healing grace touching people's lives including a variety of devotional prayers for daily use, please visit the following link: Christian-Miracles.com

The stained glass windows were photographed in various Catholic churches throughout the state of New Jersey.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

George Abbott Miraculously Healed of Liver Cancer

The amazing story of George Abbott being miraculously healed of liver cancer can be found on CBN.com.

After being diagnosed with gall bladder cancer, the tumor was removed by surgery.  However, during the operation the surgeon found the cancer had spread to George's liver bed.  The prognosis was poor. 

Then later a miracle happened, through the power of prayer, he was healed by God of liver cancer.


The following excerpt is by Rod Thomas of the Christian Broadcasting Network:

“Well, they found gallbladder cancer,” George said. “This is a very rare form of cancer.”

Doctors performed emergency surgery to remove the cancerous gall bladder; but there was more bad news.

“When they did the surgery, the cancer had gone down into the liver bed,” George said. “And that, as you well know, basically the prognosis is that you’re not going to live very long.”

Their family doctor, Dr. McQueen, who is also their friend, feared the worst.

“His prognosis was poor,” Dr. McQueen said. “With the stage of the cancer being advanced, once it had metastasized to another organ, he is classified as advanced stage carcinoma. For George, his treatment options were limited. Not only were those options limited, the ones that were available to him, in many cases, will take your life.”

Facing almost certain death, George got a second opinion.

“Same diagnosis, same prognosis,” George said. “The only difference was that this doctor was a little more positive and he said to me, ‘we’re going to operate.’”

“He also said, ‘okay, this is in the upper part of the liver; but if I open him up and I find any cancer anywhere else in the liver, I’m just going to close him back up because then there’ll be nothing we can do,’” Cheryl said. “I just thought, ‘I cannot lose my husband.’”

At the surgeon’s recommendation, George did not undergo chemotherapy or take any medication before surgery. Ultimately, he knew his fate was in God’s hands.

“I know that God heals,” George said. “But I’m also a realist and I know that the Bible says, ‘it’s appointed once to die, and then the judgment.’ So, I was ready to accept this - that if this is the time that God wanted to take me home, I was ready for that.”

As the surgery date approached, Cheryl prayed for God’s help.

“Our church got together and had a prayer meeting and one of the ladies in the church or maybe more than one, called The 700 Club and asked for prayer for George,” Cheryl said.

As surgeons performed the procedure, Cheryl got a phone call.

“I got off the phone and I just started crying. ‘The doctor said that his liver is perfectly normal; that there was no sign of cancer whatsoever.’ So we were just hugging each other and crying,” she said.

“The doctor said it looked like a normal, healthy liver. God had taken [the cancer], and I don’t know how He did it. I don’t know whether He just made the cancer go away. I don’t know if He gave me a new liver. It doesn’t matter to me. All I know is God is a God of miracles and he healed me,” George said.

“They believe in prayer and they trust in the sovereignty of God,” Dr. McQueen said. “There is no medical treatment or explanation for that type of result - absolutely miraculous!”

For the past two years, routine tests have shown the same result – no cancer!

“God really did heal,” Cheryl said. “I mean, when God does something, He does it right.”

“Some people today say, ‘well, miracles went out with the apostles.’ Well, I’m here to tell you that miracles did not go out with the apostles, that God is a God of miracles and He is a healer today,” George said. “He gave me a miracle - the miracle of life.”