A wonderful conversion through the intercession of St. Philomena the Wonder Worker

This story comes from Sydney, Australia.  It is related by the mother of the boy, who is the recipient of the favour.

When one of our teenage sons began drinking heavily, smoking pot and being involved with a heavy metal rock band, my husband and I decided to give him over to the care of Saint Philomena, who we had heard was a patron saint of youth and a wonder worker.  We had heard her story and had been impressed by the many miracles which had been attributed to her intercession.

We prayed a novena and went to our first Mass in her honour.  As the Saturday night binges progressed to the whole weekend and then to week nights we decided to pray the novena continuously, imploring Saint Philomena desperately as our son’s condition continued to worsen. By this stage he would come home from work and prowl around restlessly until the phone rang and then he was out again. His pores oozed the sweet/stale smell of beer continuously.

Usually he was very gentle – even when he was drunk, but he became more agitated, blaming us for filling him with all the “God stuff” as he was growing up.  This occurred on the Saturday night of the August Mass in honour of Saint Philomena. The week that followed was very distressing.  He went off to work on the Friday at 5am as usual and I was surprised when he came home at 1.15 p.m. – his usual home time on Fridays, but lately he had gone straight to the pub and we were lucky to see him all weekend.  My son came out of his room and put a broken CD into the bin. I was again surprised and so had a look at the title of the CD. He had dozens of heavy metal CDs. It was named “Diabolos Music.” I said, as I had often said, that means Devil’s music and that it was dangerous.  Usually he would laugh if off, but this time he said “I know mum.”

He brought out the printed lyrics of the song and said that the words to this song kept going through his mind and that he felt that he was going mad, but that he was at peace now. I was almost too scared to ask him why? how?  when? I just asked if he had called on God and he said “Yes.”  At work that morning he had experienced an overwhelming sense of peace and love. A feeling of great burden had lifted off him.  He felt the presence of a woman.  He looked around but there was no one there.

My son still had the music filling his head – so I gave him a much better tape to listen to. When his mate rang that night, before he left, he asked us to pray for him and said that he would not be

late. After a couple of Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets, we were disappointed as the night wore on, because our son did not turn up.  Finally around 2 to 3am he came in.  My husband hurried out and I started another Rosary – hoping that my husband wouldn’t ruin the obvious start that my son had made.  When my husband finally came back to bed a few hours later, he said that they had been talking and praying the Rosary together.

My son had waited back to make sure that his friends got home safely. He wanted to go and tell them about his experience. They were not interested and as he listened to them, all he would hear was “hate” in their talk. That morning August the 15^th was the feast of the Assumption.  He went to the Sacrament of Confession and afterwards he shed many tears.  Our eyes were also filled with tears of joy. He went to three of the four Masses that weekend and did so for many months after.

He has never drunk alcohol, smoked pot, nor has he listened to heavy metal rock music since that time.  He threw out all his CDs and heavy metal T-shirts.  His conversion was sudden. We felt that it was miraculous. He now has a great love for Jesus and Mary, for Saint Philomena, the Pope and for the Catholic Church.

Looking back now we can see the strong spiritual battle that was going on for him in those last few weeks.  He even said a couple of times that he was tempted to go and kill someone.  We continue to pray the novena to Saint Philomena for our son for his continuing conversion and thanksgiving and “with joy in our hearts, we will bless God who is admirable in His Saints.” Our son attended the World Youth Day in Rome.  (M.W.)

Editor’s note: This conversion took place in the late nineties and is still going strong today.

This is one of the many story in my book entitled: Help from Heaven (Answers to Prayer), which can be read free on-line by clicking here.

Please pop over and have a look.  I promise that you will not be dissappointed.

Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory and read inspiring testimonies of their  powerful intercession for their benefactors

and then teach this devotion to others, so that they will pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory as well.

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Favours granted through the intercession of Saint Mary of the Cross (Mary MacKillop of Australia) Feast day August 8.

Prayers to find a good spouse

A lady in the USA asked for a petition to be placed at the shrine of Blessed Mary MacKillop in Australia.  One at the petitions was for her 28 year old daughter Lyn to find a good husband. A few days after the petition was placed at Blessed Mary Mackillop’s tomb, Lyn’s mother received a telephone call from a man that Lyn had dated eight years ago. Lyn and her former boyfriend went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, in France to pray there to discern God’s will for their lives.  They have since married. Another of the mother’s petitions to Blessed Mary MacKillop was also answered.  Her son decided to give up living with his girlfriend.  They started to attend Mass regularly and also began making preparations to marry.

Blessed Mary MacKillop “fixes” a microwave oven

I had arranged to go on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Blessed Mary MacKillop at North Sydney.  On the morning that I was due to go I discovered that my microwave oven had stopped working. When I went to the shrine I prayed for many important petitions.  I also mentioned to Blessed Mary, the little matter of my microwave oven. When I arrived home I tried my microwave oven again.  It was still not working.  After this I slammed the oven door very hard and the microwave started working!  It seems that the only thing that was wrong was that there was a fault in the closing mechanism of the door. The microwave oven was not fully closing. It only appeared to be fully closed.

These stories are in my book Help from heaven (Answers to prayer) which can be read free-online by pressing here.

A brain tumour healed through prayer and the use of Lourdes Water

Joseph had a brain tumour which was due to be operated on. He stopped off on his way to the hospital where he was due to have a pre-op, to be prayed for by a group of people, who also put Lourdes water on him.  When he was examined at hospital, the brain tumour was gone.

This is one of the stories in my book:  Help from heaven (Answers to prayer)

Happy feastday St. Charbel. The healing of pain (A favour granted through the intercession of Saint Charbel )

During one of my pregnancies some of my ligaments had softened up in preparation for childbirth. This caused me a fair bit of pain. The pain had been occurring for several  weeks. One night my husband and I went to a Mass celebrated according to the Maronite Rite. When I went up to receive Holy Communion it was obvious to many people that I was in pain, because they could see the way that I was limping. After the Mass a group of ladies approached me and said something in Lebanese, (a language which I do not speak) and they then ushered me over to a side chapel. They prayed in front of a large picture of Saint Charbel and doused me with water from a baptismal font, that was in front of the picture. The next night we attended Mass at the same church. All my pain had gone. This was also apparent to people by the way that I walked when going up to Holy Communion. After the Mass the same group of ladies approached me. They again ushered me to the chapel of Saint Charbel in order to give thanks for the obvious healing of my pain. 

This is one of the stories in my book: Help from heaven (Answers to prayer) which can be read free on-line here.

Timely help (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Some years ago, there was a period when it rained almost continuously for ten weeks.  This made it difficult for people to get their washing dry. On one occasion because everything was still drying, I literally had no jumpers, left to put on my children. It was time for them to walk to school and all that I could do was say a prayer for some help in the matter. I prayed the prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel which is called the Flos Carmeli, (The Flower of Carmel). After saying the prayer, I opened the front door. There on the verandah was a cardboard box filled with clean ironed jumpers, slacks, jeans and blouses. I later learned that they had been put there by a lady who lived in the next street, who had received them from a cousin and had no need of them. This gift was the answer to my prayer.  Jumpers are known as sweaters in the USA.   (Mary Ann), Australia.
 
The feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is July 16.
 
This story is in my book: Help from heaven (Answers to prayers). The book can be read free on-line at the link provided. I would appreciate any feedback that you would like to make on the book.

 

Was this a choir of angels?

This true story was shared was told to me by a friend, who knew one of the ladies mentioned in the story.

During a trip to the city three sisters decided to visit a nearby Catholic church and as they walked into the church’s vestibule they heard a choir singing. The singing sounded angelic. The sisters refrained from going into the church because they did not want to disturb the choir. Finally they decided to walk into the church because their time was running out and they would soon have to leave and catch their train home. As they walked into the church the singing stopped and to their amazement the church was empty.

Read my book: Help from heaven (Answers to prayer) free on-line

A Story of St. Joseph’s timely intercession

When my daughter was about three years old she was very autistic.  We sent her to the local preschool.  She was totally unable to cope and cried a great deal and would sometimes vomit because of the stress. The pre-schooling for my daughter was totally unworkable. (She was unable to communicate at this stage of her life, but has since told me that she was afraid that I would never come back to pick her up from the preschool).

The autistic association came up with the idea of sending her to one of their schools which was many miles away.  I was amazed that this was suggested in view of the fact that my daughter could not even cope with one hour at preschool so I turned to St. Joseph for his help and for seven Sundays in a row I prayed fourteen Glorias in honour of the seven Sorrows and the Seven Joys of St. Joseph.

On the first day that she was taken in the school taxi to the special school when they arrived at the school she hopped out of the car and waved goodbye to the lady from the autistic association who was helping out and from then on my daughter had no more difficulties separating from me in order to go to school.

Read my book:  Help from heaven (Answers to prayer), free on-line

Read about a wonderful miracle of the Miraculous Medal

I came across a wonderful story of the Miraculous Medal yesterday on the internet, about a boy who had been involved in a terrible accident and who made a fantastic recovery due to the Miraculous Medal:

Click here to read the account of the miracle.

Then get yourself a Miraculous Medal and wear it around your neck trusting in Mary’s intercession for you.

The history of the Miraculous Medal

The miraculous picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel at the monastery of New Norcia, Western Australia

There is a miraculous picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel at the monastery of New Norcia in Western Australia. This painting was given to the Benedictines in 1845 by Saint Vincent Pallotti, when they were leaving Rome to start missions in Western Australia. In December, 1847 a terrible bushfire was ranging and threatened to destroy the monastery.  The picture was placed against the standing corn in front of the fire. As soon as the sacred image of Mary was placed before the raging fire, the wind blew  in the opposite direction, carrying the flames away from the Mission where everything was already burned black. The fire soon died away. The native people who witnessed this were amazed. On another occasion the mourners in a funeral procession were in danger of perishing because bushfires had hemmed them in on all sides. Dom Salvado seeing this in the distance, got the picture from the church and ran with it toward the fire area and prayed to Our Lady to save the people.  The wind changed direction and the danger passed.

Promises of Saint Therese of Lisieux

Promises of Saint Therese of Lisieux

“I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth”

“After my death I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses”

The “roses” that Saint Therese referred to in the prophecy quoted above: is the term which she used to describe her miracles and favours. The feast day of Saint Therese is celebrated on October 1.

Prayer to St Therese of the Child Jesus

St. Therese, the little flower, please pick me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love. Ask God to grant me the favour I thee implore and tell Him I will love Him each day more and more.

The Devotion of the Three Hail Marys

 This devotion goes back to some revelations with which benedictine nun St. Mechtilde was favoured. Mechtilde was the daughter of the Count of Hackeborn, Germany. When she was seven, she was taken to the cloister of Ruderdorf to visit an elder sister of hers, Gertrude who was a Benedictine nun.

At the end of the visit, the little girl would not leave her sister. She eventually joined the nuns and together with her elder sister went to found a new Cloister at Helfta. Shortly after, Mechtilde, although still very young,  was made novice and choir mistress.

Among her novices she had Gertrude who became St. Gertrude, known as the Great. It was this pupil who secretly, helped by another nun, collected Mechtilde’s memoirs which came down to us. Mechtilde died in 1299.

From the start Mechtilde was a shining example of humility, piety religious observance and of great patience. She bore with great patience constant physical pain which tormented her throughout life. She often meditated on the mystery of death and every time she implored Our Lady to be with her always, especially at that moment. She was also favoured with visions and colloquies with Our Lord and Our Lady.

One day Our Lady appeared to her and assured her: “Dear daughter, I will most certainly grant you the grace that you insistently ask of me, but I request you to say, every day, Three Hail Marys in honour of the power, wisdom and love with which the Holy Trinity deigned to fill my heart. If you do that I promise you final perseverance. Mechtilde was made to feel that his promise was not for her alone but for all who would undertake to practice this devotion.

The devotion soon spread all over among the faithful.  It was approved by Pope Benedict XV on July 20, 1921. The papal document says “Nothing gives us more joy than helping the Christian people to develop their devotion towards the Virgin Mary, mediatrix of all divine graces …. We raise and constitute into an Arch Confraternity or Primary Society, with all the usual privileges, the Association of The Three Hail Marys, canonically already existing at Blois (on the Loire, in France) in the chapel dedicated to the Most Blessed Immaculate Virgin Mary.

In order to respond full to the request of Our Lady and merit the grace of a happy death, one must have the true knowledge of what this devotion implies.  It is not enough to recite the Three Hail Marys  in a general way,  but it is necessary to recite the Three Hail Marys with the precise aim pointed out by Our Lady: “To honour the Holy Trinity for the three privileges granted to the Mother of God: power, wisdom and love.

Again the full value of this devotion is not measured only by this primary purpose, but by the power it has to obtain extraordinary spiritual and material graces. One could hardly dream of giving an adequate number of all the graces granted throughout the centuries. Extraordinary cures from infirmities; study courses completed with success, when the odds were so many; miraculous protection in dangers of all kind; severe temptations and bad habits overcome; conversions to a better life etc….

No one could deny so many real graces obtained by so many.  As a sample of the spiritual power of this devotion I will quote here one example written in first person by whoever received the grace. “I was slave of a bad habit against purity. For three long years I struggled in vain.  All the means I could think of, or which were suggested to me proved useless. I felt guilty of sins and even sacrileges, knew no peace of mind and was beginning to despair. Then one day I was told of this devotion and began to practice it. Almost at once I was strong enough not to fall into sin. There were occasions when I almost wanted to go back to my evil ways again, but something stronger than my bad will was there to prevent me. Thank you Mother for helping me out of a situations that was seriously endangering both my material and spiritual life.”

Let this example inspire us to begin practicing this devotion, if we have not done so yet or to make use of it more consciously and with greater devotion if we are practicing it already. While doing so let us give first place to our spiritual needs, like the strength to avoid sin and the desire to become better spiritually day by day.

The center of this devotion is at Blois in the beautiful shrine dedicated to Notre Dame de la Trinite. Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, built in 1937. There also is the centre of the Arch Confraternity of the Three Hail Marys.

A personal testimony

I prayed this devotion repeatedly during a crisis and four hours later the problem was solved perfectly. Below is another testimony regarding the Three Hail Marys.

A severe cough  (The devotion of the Three Hail Marys)
During a long bus trip, Clare developed a very severe cough that was loud and prolonged. The lady who was sitting behind her took out a holy card of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and silently continuously prayed a devotion that is known as The Three Hail Marys, to ask for a healing of the cough. Later on another passenger came up to the lady and touched her with a relic of Saint Philomena. The next morning Clare was completely free of the cough.

The Three Hail Marys Devotion consists of saying three Hail Marys followed by the invocation “O Mary my mother keep me from mortal sin”. This devotion is in honour the power, wisdom and love with which the Blessed Trinity has infused into the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many favours have been granted throughout the centuries to those who practice this devotion.

This story is published in my book:  Help from heaven (Answers to prayer) which can be read free on-line here.

Happy feastday St Anthony (The custom of St Anthony’s bread)

True son of St Francis that he was St Anthony had a great love for the poor and even now he still continues to help them by encouraging the devotion known as St Anthony’s bread. This is a very old devotion too and it had its origin in Padua as the result of another miracle.
A little child whose parents lived near the Basilica, which was then being built fell into a vessel of water and drowned. The poor mother was heart broken but great as was her grief she had a greater confidence in the power of St Anthony. She begged him to help and give her back her babe promising that if her prayers were heard she would give the child’s weight in grain to the poor. Towards midnight while the bereaved mother was still praying the child rose up as if from sleep. After this miracle the practice developed of promising alms to the poor in return for favours received through the intercession of the saint. Today this practice is widespread and in most of our churches boxes are provided to receive alms for the poor from those who have been assisted by this great friend of the poor.
Great impetus was given to this devotion by a simple incident that occurred towards the end of the last century. A pious French girl Louise Bouffier who owned a small linen store in Toulon, found difficulty, one morning, in opening the door of her shop. After repeated efforts she sent for a locksmith, whose assortment of keys proved useless. Deciding that the lock must be forced, the man departed to get tools for the purpose. While he was away, Louise prayed earnestly to St. Anthony, promising him bread for his poor if the door was opened without injury to the lock. When the locksmith returned she asked him to try his keys once more, telling him of her promise to the Saint. The man did as she asked, and with the first key he tried, opened the door without any difficulty.

This incident greatly strengthened Louise Bouffier’s confidence in St. Anthony.  She increased her devotion to him, always promising bread to the poor.  Her friends followed her example with the result that, in a short time the rear of her store became a centre for St. Anthony’s Bread in Toulon. People of all ranks and conditions came there to pray before the statue of St. Anthony which had been erected.

Alms of bread arrived in great quantities, until the task of distributing it became too difficult. Then it was decided to accept money offerings for the poor, who were thereby enabled to purchase not only food, but clothing and other necessities. The thank-offerings also took the form of alms for the education of poor boys for the Priesthood.

More customs in honour of St Anthony

The life of St Anthony

Favours granted by St Anthony

Prayers to St Anthony to seek his intercession

Saint Philomena The Wonder Worker (poem)

The king and queen no baby had;
They longed to be a mum and dad;
To pagan gods they prayed each day;
But still no baby came their way.

Then good advice was given them;
It proved to be a priceless gem;
Christians are what you should be;
Then a baby blessing;
You shall see!

When this was done;
The grace was granted;
And with little Philomena;
They were enchanted! 

When little Philomena had reached twelve years;
Bad news filled up their eyes with tears;
On their country small and poor;
The emperor of Rome;
declared a war !

Let’s go to Rome;
The King told wife and daughter;
To plead with the emperor;
to prevent this slaughter.

At the mighty
Emperor’s court;
They pleaded with him;
the war to abort.

The emperor had a new idea;
He said there’s nothing more to fear.
Give me your daughter;
To be my wife;
And I promise her;
A wonderful life! 

The offer took them
By surprise;
A refusal would mean;
Their country’s demise.

The king and queen were filled with gladness;
But Philomena was overcome by sadness.

To be a bride of Christ;
She’d already taken a vow;
No way would Philomena;
Let it be broken now. 
The answer was a steadfast no;
The emperor now his force would show! 

To the dungeon Philomena was deployed;
All manner of torture was employed;
It was all to no avail;
The emperor’s methods were doomed to fail.
Because God Himself defended her soul;
Philomena kept her eyes on her heavenly goal. 

The maiden Philomena;
Was strengthened by faith and grace;
Until the day she could behold;
God face to face.

Finally the maiden Philomena was beheaded;
And the onlookers wept;
For many centuries in the catacombs;
She silently slept.   

At last her relics were located;
And the excavators were elated;
When Philomena’s relics,
Were bought up to the ground;
Miracles started to abound !

Some folks thought that miracles;
Had stopped with the Bible;
With Philomena;
They had a revival.

The sneering cynics;
Who had announced God’s demise;
Were by Philomena’s miracles;
Dealt a surprise.

Saint Philomena’s fame;
Spread everywhere;
And people ran to her;
Pleading in prayer.

No one was forgotten;
No one was left out;
The cripples;
The dying;
The sad;
And the needy;
All of them found;
Her miracles speedy.
 
From heaven she surveys;
All of our needs;
And on our behalf;
With God she pleads. 

Say a prayer to Saint Philomena;
And light her a candle;
Because there is no problem;
That she cannot handle.

There’s one thing more;
We should not ignore;
From her grave of silent obscurity;
She has come back to teach us;
About goodness and purity. 

 by Mary Ann Matulis

Novena to St Philomena

(composed by St John Vianney) 

O great St Philomena, glorious virgin and martyr, Wonder-Worker of our age, I return most fervent thanks to God for the miraculous gifts bestowed on thee, and beseech thee to impart to me a share in the graces and blessings of which thou hast been the channel to so many souls.

Through the heroic fortitude with which thou didst confront the fury of tyrants and brave the frowns of the mighty rather than swerve from thy allegiance to the King of Heaven, obtain for me purity of body and soul, purity of thought and affection.

Through thy patience under multiplied sufferings, obtain for me a submissive acceptance of all the afflictions it may please God to send me, and as thou didst miraculously escape unhurt from the waters of the Tiber, into which thou wert cast by order of Thy persecutor, so may I  pass through the waters of tribulation without detriment to my soul.

In addition to these favours, obtain for me, O faithful spouse of Jesus, the particular intention I earnestly recommend to thee at this moment.

(state your petition)

O pure virgin and holy martyr, deign to cast a look of pity from Heaven on thy devoted servant, comfort me in affliction, assist me in danger, above all come to my aid in the hour of death.

Watch over the interests of the Church of God, pray for its exultation and prosperity, the extension of the Faith, for the clergy, for the perseverance of the just, the conversion of sinners, and the relief of souls in Purgatory, especially those dear to me.

O great Saint, whose triumph we celebrate on earth, intercede for me, that I may one day behold the crown of glory bestowed on thee in Heaven, and eternally bless Him Who so liberally rewards for all eternity the sufferings endured for His love during this short life. Amen.

Oh St Philomena, virgin and martyr, pray for us so that through your powerful intercession we may obtain that purity of spirit and heart that leads to the perfect love of God.  Amen.

Learn about the powerful intercession of The Holy Souls in Purgatory for their benefactors

Novena to St Philomena the Wonder Worker for the healing of autism:

http://missionbell.homestead.com/novenaforautisticchildren.html

St Philomena’s help for an alcoholic

 
 
 
 

In the 1950’s a man left his wife and five children because of his alcoholism. His mother-in-law prayed to St Philomena to help him.  The Salvation Army found him in a very derelict state and took him in and rehabilitated him. In gratitude his mother-in-law whose name happens to be Philomena donated the statue of St Philomena pictured above to a parish in Sydney, Australia. St Philomena is powerful in her intercession for those who are addicted to alcohol, drugs and even cigarettes.  The account above was related to me by a friend, who personally knew the lady mentioned in the story above.

The original statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague in the Czech republic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History of the Infant of Prague

Favours granted by the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague

Happy Feast Day Mary, Help of Christians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The history of the devotion to Mary Help of Christians  (from Lepanto to Australia) and also St John Bosco’s promotion of the devotion. 

Advice from St John Bosco:

  It is the office of a mother to give help to her children in all their needs. This title expresses in practice Our Lady’s position as our mother. She has all the help we need and she wants to give it to us, if only we will ask for it.

Call on Mary in all your difficulties with the little prayer, “Mary Help of Christians, Pray for us” and you will never call in vain. “Spread devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, and you will see what miracles are”.

A personal testimony

I have silently said the prayer:

Mary Help of Christians, pray for us,

(and added come to my aid in this situation), while seeing in my mind a picture of Mary Help of Christians in the sky, and below her the sea battle of Lepanto: the famous one in which Mary Help of Christians, helped the Christians gain a great victory, and have found that through this prayer, Mary has speedily sent me help in difficult situations on a number of occasions. Mary Help of Christians is the patron of Australia.

The following prayer was said in Australian Catholic schools for many years.

Prayer for the conversion of Australia

O God Who hast appointed Mary, Help of Christians, St Francis Xavier and St Therese of the Infant Jesus, patrons of Australia, grant that, through their intercession, our brethren outside the Church, may receive the light of Faith, so that Australia may become one in Faith, under one Shepherd. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Mary, Help of Christians pray for us.

St Francis Xavier, pray for us.

St Therese of the Infant Jesus pray for us.

Special note

St Francis Xavier and St Therese of the Child Jesus were patrons of Australia when it was considered to be a missionary country. They are no longer patrons of Australia. (I think that we need them back) besides I am very devoted to St Therese. (She is one of my all time favourites) and I was married on December 3 (the feast day of St Francis Xavier).

This is:  The novena to Mary, Help of Christians that was recommended by St John Bosco. 

My email enquiries to the Archdiocese of Sydney to find out exactly when Australia was no longer considered to be a missionary country, so as a consequence no longer had St Francis Xavier and St Therese of the Child Jesus as patrons of Australia have so far drawn a blank.

The prayer for the conversion of Australia was taken from a little booklet that was published in 1961.

Happy feast Day St Rita (the saint of the impossible)

I thank St Rita for the special things that she has done for me.  St Rita really is the saint of the impossible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The picture above is from the shrine church of St Rita in Rome.

My summary of the movie entitled: The Road to Lourdes

EWTN screened a movie entitled:  The road to Lourdes, which I recommend that you see if they screen it again.  It is a one hour drama staring Loretta Young. It was made in the 1950’s in black and white.  It is a very interesting story based on a real case of a rich American socialite, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  The doctor said that she probably only had a year to live. She had lost her faith years before this event and was afraid to die because she thought that death is the end of everything.  In addition her marriage was in tatters because of the infidelity of her husband, who appeared to be repentant, however she did not want him back, even to look after her when she was dying. She was talked into going to Lourdes. She witnessed a big miracle at Lourdes and her faith was restored and she was no longer afraid to die. She phoned her husband in Los Angeles and told him that she was coming home to him. He said that he would come to France and travel back to the U.S. with her. Their marriage was back on track. One of the good features of this movie it that it was shot on location in France (including the Lourdes Sanctuary).  It shows what happens in the baths at Lourdes.  I got to see exactly what happens there.  (I missed out on a “bath” at Lourdes in the miraculous waters. The queue was to long.)

St Rita (The Saint of the impossible)

This Friday May 22 is the feast day of St Rita, the saint of the impossible. I thank St Rita for favours received; especially for the healing of a family friend from a serious health problem without an operation nor any other kind of medical intervention and also to promote devotion to St Rita. St Rita was a model daughter, wife, mother and religious. As a wife St Rita suffered patiently the rough ways of her husband, as a mother she tried to help her two sons curb their tempers and prayed that they would die rather than avenge their father’s murder by committing murder themselves. They both became ill and repented of this evil intention before they died. St Rita then applied to enter the Augustinian Sisters in Cascia but was refused entry.  Because of her persistent prayers she was at last admitted to the order. She often meditated on the passion of Christ and was noted for her obedience to her superior. Once when she was praying before a crucifix she asked Our Lord for a share in his Passion and a thorn detached from the crucifix and pierced her forehead causing a wound which remained for the rest of her life. This wound caused Rita great suffering.  After St Rita’s death she worked such great wonders and miracles that she well and truly earned her title of Saint of the Impossible. St Rita’s incorrupt body is in her main shrine at Cascia in Italy. Her feast is on May 22.