St. Therese's miracle for my father

A few years ago I prayed to St. Therese of Lisieux to intercede for my father and help him heal from a critical heart situation. Before dying she said "I shall spend my heaven doing good on the earth. After death I shall let fall a shower of roses." That she did, stunning all of us...

About 4 or 5 years ago my father had a heart attack and had to go through a quadruple by-pass surgery. The operation went fine and he was recuperating normally. Several months later his health started to deteriorate and fast. He had no energy to do anything. He would walk for a small distance and had to sit down. Tests showed that he again had blockage in his heart. Because of his diabetes he doesn't heal fast and veins tend to close overtime and create blockage. He went to some of the best doctors in Puerto Rico and they said there was no hope. The blockage was in a place that they just could not get to, particularly after the effects of the last surgery. He had to live with this debilitating condition which was just going to get worse over time. Then a doctor referred him to National Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., one of the best cardiac hospitals, "just in case." He had to undergo a number of complicated tests, to include some type of "internal movie of the heart" (sorry, I don't know all the technical terms). This was submitted to see if the surgeons at Washington Central would "take the chance" with him. The answer came back..., it was a difficult case, but they were going to try...

Days before we all went to D.C. I happened to be at the Little Flower Church, named after St. Therese of Lisieux, for prayer at the perpetual adoration chapel. I knelt and prayed to St. Therese to please intercede and help my father with this critical and "chancy" operation. The next day in the middle of the day I felt the urge to research St. Therese since I did not know much about her. My search eventually led me to a story of one of her miracles that was confirmed for a little girl at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. "What a coincidence, I thought, in Washington!" We drove to DC, and after picking up my parents at the airport and getting lost for sometime, we got to the hospital late at night. I opened the curtains of my father's room. What did I see across the road, but the Basilica, illuminated in all its beauty! Can you believe it! The next day, Sunday, we went there for mass. It was one of the most beautiful and spirit filled masses of my life. All of us were crying, moved by the spirit. After mass (there most have been 1,000 people there!) my mother says "let's see if the priest prays for my Papo." I complain because there was no way we would be able to get to the priest. Lo and behold, he walks by at that time, my mother asks him to pray and he and all of us put our hands over my dad and the priest says the most beautiful prayer... in Spanish! (our main language).

The next day is the surgery. The surgeon wants to study the heart movie before operating. They can find the snapshots, but not the tape itself, so they decide to take it again even though they had started the preparations for him. Four or so hours later they bring us to the room where my father is recuperating. He looks amazingly well. The doctor comes in to tell us how it went. We were stunned when he tells us that he did not operate. The new movie showed his heart was perfect. He showed us the printouts from before and of that morning. He said his heart was as healthy as that of a 40 year old. We asked how this could be possible. The doctor looked up to heaven and pointed up with his finger, insinuating Divine intervention. We went straight to the hospital chapel to give thanks.

The next day my father felt so good that we spent the entire day walking all over DC looking at the museums, the mall, monuments, etc. He was and still is strong.

Thanks St. Therese! Thanks loving Father! By the way, this Basilica is awesome!

This blog has many great quotes from St. Therese. This blog has a nice novena for the Little Flower. Good info from A Catholic Life. This from The Office of Readings via Annunciations. Also, more links from the Curt Jester.

Technorati Tags: Carmel, Catholic, Miracle, St. Therese

Comments

[Julie D.]

Praise be to God for such a wonderful miracle ... and to the Little Flower for her faithfulness in petitioning God for your father. What a fantastic story! Thanks for sharing it. :-)

[twyla]

Hector - what a lovely story. The mystery of healing. I'll never understand it, but I rejoice when it happens. Your description of the basilica really moved me. I wish I knew someone here that could shepherd me in the beauty and ritual of the Catholic faith.

Hector - on my blogroll near the top is a site "incidents and accidents" This is a blog written by a lovely woman who has shared some of the beauty of your faith. She has a post on this saint today. Peace.

[Meg]

Such wonderful news about your dad!

Meg

[Carmen]

I am Hector's mother and I want to share with you some medical facts that Hector was not aware of. Being a diabetic since he was 28 years old, the veins in his heart muscle were so narrow that the blood couldn't go thru. The doctor in Washington requested him to have a nuclear test one week before our trip. That test revealed that 1/3 of his heart muscle was not receiving blood nor working. What they were going to do was to make some kind of laser wounds inside the heart to provoke the growth of new vascular system. When I asked the doctor why now he was receiving blood in all his heart the doctor said "There is no medical nor scientific explanation to this".

I can say that from the moment I stepped inside of the Basilica, I experienced the most incredible spritual sensation of my life. Although we were going thru such a difficult situation, I felt an inmense joy in my heart - tears were coming out of my eyes but the only thing I could say was thank you Lord. After the next day results, my husband and me stayed a few more days at the hospital's hotel. There HE used us to give spiritual support and hope to other families. Thank you St. Therese, Thank you Lord! I hope that someday we will be able to return to the Basilica and smell the rose perfum that I felt sorrounding me in one of the chapels. God bless you.

[roland Foley]

Praise the Lord for his wonders that will never end. I hope it will be my time soon, to share a miracle.

Saint Therese, The Little Flower Praise For Us!!!

[ukok]

St. Therese, is one of those that I am always 'hoping to get around to'. may she forgive and pray for me.

Thankyou for renewing my interest in her, and by my prayers, hers in me.

God Bless.

[Angie]

Hector, As I read your blog today, I remembered with tears of joy and happiness the blessing we received on that trip, and every day. I was there, I saw it, and I continue to delight in the faith of knowing we are not alone... that we have helpers, that God is with us always. On those days we struggle, this experience always brings me comfort and happiness. Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience with others.

[Hector]

Julie, Twyla, and Meg thanks for your comments and for joining me in praising God for His wonderful ways and St. Therese for her little loving ways.

Ukok and Roland Foley thanks for visiting and making comments. I hope to see you soon.

Mom and Angie, I'm glad the post gave all of us an opportunity to re-live that amazing mass and the miracle of healing. Praise to God!

[Maureen]

Dear Hector,

I read the powerful story of the miracle God worked for your dear father through the intercession of St. Therese.

Please visit my Web site about her, which brings together much information. May God bless you.

Sincerely,

Maureen

[myra barcelona]

the miracles of st therese are really true. i've been praying for her to guide me in my board exam. night after the exam that we took, we went out and enjoy a little bit after months of studying. in one bar in cebu city, philippines that night they said its ladies night. all women comes in the bar receives a red rose and i received one. i got ghost bumps, disbelief that i got a sign. still with faith, prayers...when the board result finally came out my name was on the paper.
St. therese is always there....thank you so much.

[laura]

Thank you for sharing that very inspiring story about your dad. I Have had a very memorable experience with her and she does sends roses. I specifically asked for a yellow rose and someone gave me a bunch of yellow roses on the feast of St.Nicolas.

[callie]

I recently confirmed and my saint is Saint Therese and I was just wondering why you chose her to pray for your father

[Monique]

What a wonderful story! The power of St. Therese, through the grace of God, never ceases to amaze and inspire us. Is there a way I could contact Hector's daughter? I have an important question to ask you. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Mary]

My dad was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and sent home to die. I began a novena to St. Therese of the child Jesus/Little Flower, and within days of each other, my mother, sister and I all received roses from people who had no idea I'd been praying to her.

My father was at death's door his first two nights home from the hospital. Now, after just a little over a week since beginning my novena to St. Theresa, his appetite is returning, he's regained strength and is doing many things for himself we thought he'd never do again, e.g., walking with a walker, going to the bathroom unaided, taking and needing less pain medication.

Spread devotion to this mighty, little saint! Don't let a disease, doctor or diagnosis destroy hope. Prayer can extend life, relieve suffering and even achieve miraculous cures.

Thank you St. Therese!
XXXOOO The Callahan family