Miracles Worked by Modern-Day Saints

Mr Plese continues his series on miracles. Part 1 is Miracles As Proof That Catholicism Is From God, Part 2 is Miracles As Testified in the Holy Scriptures, and Part 3 is Miracles Worked by the Saints Throughout the Centuries.

From One Peter Five

By Matthew Plese, TOP

This article is the fourth in a 10-part series that will explore miracles as proof of the truths of Catholic doctrine. In part three we considered how saints are individuals recognized by the Church for their holiness and virtue, with canonization both affirming their presence in Heaven and serving as models for the faithful. The process of canonization evolved over centuries, becoming more formalized in the 12th century, requiring verification of after-death miracles and culminating in a solemn declaration of canonization by the Pope. Saints have been known for extraordinary spiritual gifts, including bilocation, extreme fasting, prophecy, and miracles attributed to their relics, demonstrating their intercession and God’s power at work through them both during and after their life on earth.

In this installment, we consider the countless miracles worked by men and women like us who lived and died in the Catholic Faith, with a specific focus on the miracles of four modern-day saints. But they are not alone.

As we said before, Father John Hardon defines a miracle like this: “A sensibly perceptible effect, surpassing at least the powers of visible nature, produced by God to witness to some truth or testify to someone’s sanctity.” Miracles continue to this day to show the truth that the Catholic religion alone is the true religion.

Miracles Continue to the Present Day

Contrary to the accusations of rationalists and atheists, miracles were neither a medieval invention nor a juvenile attempt to explain unusual phenomenon by unintelligent, ancient people. Miracles are real and they continue to exist since the one God who worked miracles in former times continues to work miracles now.

Recall that our Redeemer affirmed that miracles would be a characteristic among for His true followers: “And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

Mark 16:17-18 emphasizes that miraculous signs, including casting out demons and speaking in tongues, will accompany believers as a confirmation of the Gospel in those Apostolic times. Our Lord did not issue an endorsement of intentionally putting oneself in danger to test faith. But He did affirm that miracles would be a sign to accompany His Apostles to confirm the Faith they preached at a time when miracles were needed to spread the Truth. When the Faith spread, miracles became less necessary but, nevertheless, they continued, and they still continue to this day.

The Numerous Miracles of St. Padre Pio

One of the foremost examples of modern miracle workers is St. Padre Pio (1887 – 1968), whom we began to discuss in our last part. He lived in our modern world but was everything other than ordinary. On September 20, 1918, St. Padre Pio received the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ. He is the only priest in history to receive the Stigmata. Dozens of others in Church history have also received it including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Frances of Rome, and others. While the Church has yet to issue an official statement on this phenomenon, it is surely an act in accordance with the Divine Will.

Doctors examined St. Padre Pio and could find no natural cause of the wounds. These wounds remained his entire life until his death when, as he predicted, they were healed. However, there was no scaring of the flesh. The blood that flowed from the stigmata was reported by others to have a smell of roses and flowers. St. Padre Pio was a living example of how holy an individual can become by faith.

He had the gift of levitation. On one occasion, St. Padre Pio levitated through the air to reach the Confessional without being seen and stopped. He immediately began to receive penitents. A man in the church was amazed how the priest had gotten to the confessional because so many people were outside of his door waiting to talk with him. St. Padre Pio said to him that God made him invisible, and he walked on their heads to the confessional.

He healed others. In 1919, St. Padre Pio received a penitent using two canes. The doctors could not help the 62-year-old man, but after Confession St. Padre Pio said, “Stand up and go away! You have to throw away these canes.” The man could walk perfectly again. There have been numerous other healings too.

He had the gift of perfume. Sometimes God allows saints to emit a beautiful perfume in order to draw more people to Himself and holiness. This perfume is smelt only by a privileged few, not all. St. Padre Pio had this gift, and the smell of roses, incense, ammonia, and others was emitted from him. He said to some inquiring about them: “They are only a sign of my presence.” Father Agostino of San Marco in Lamis had a malfunctioned olfactory gland and could only smell strong odors. He said, “I smelt a number of times the perfume that many people smell. Even when I was distant from San Giovanni Rotondo I smelt it.” The Gift of Perfume continued after St. Padre Pio’s death. Not just places connected with him but also places in America and distant places of the world smelt the distinct perfume.

He also had the gift of bilocation as well as documented in Voice of Padre Pio, published in November 1998 by Friary of Our Lady of Grace based out of San Giovanni Rotondo:

Among the most remarkable of the documented cases of bilocation was the Padre’s appearance in the air over San Giovanni Rotondo during World War II. While southern Italy remained in Nazi hands American bombers were given the job of attacking the city of San Giovanni Rotondo. However, when they appeared over the city and prepared to unload their munitions a brown-robed friar appeared before their aircraft. All attempts to release the bombs failed. In this way Padre Pio kept his promise to the citizens that their town would be spared. Later on, when an American airbase was established at Foggia a few miles away, one of the pilots of this incident visited the friary and found to his surprise the little friar he had seen in the air that day over San Giovanni.

He also had the Gift of light. On October 5, 1925, Dr. Giorgio Festa operated on St. Padre Pio for a hernia. Before he had to stitch the wound, the doctor noticed St. Pio had lost consciousness. He took advantage of this and look at his left side – the place of Jesus’ wound from His stigmata. He saw the wound was “fresh and of a vermilion red and in the shape of a cross…from the edges of the wound emitted small but unmistakable rays of light.” Dr. Giorgio put on the bandage and St. Padre Pio regained his senses.

He also had the gift of visions, the spirit of prophesy, clairvoyance, the power to read hearts in Confession, and xenoglossy (i.e. the ability to write, speak, or understand an unknown language). His life is a testament that miracles do exist among us!

The Miracles and Visions of St. John Bosco

When he was nine years old, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, who would become known as Saint John Bosco (1815-1887) told his family that he was surrounded by unruly boys at the school he attended. He first tried to talk to the boys about sin and the Catholic Faith, but when that failed, he became a fist-fighter in the Name of Christ. During one particularly raucous fight, the boy told his parents that a mysterious woman appeared to him saying, “Softly, softly…if you wish to win them! Take your shepherd’s staff and lead them to pasture.” He knew from that moment forward that he was to become a priest and lead boys to Christ. 

Not far into his teens, young Giovanni began teaching children in his village the Catechism. He asked them if they wished to accompany him to Church, and amazingly, most agreed without pause. He enchanted his peers with feats of gymnastics and simple magic tricks.  

Later, after he became a priest living in Turin, Italy, Don Bosco founded a school for poor and troubled boys. The school grew rapidly, but this band of well-meaning but loud and rambunctious boys found itself unwelcome in many private and public venues. Undaunted, Don Bosco moved his school into the surrounding fields, where it, like the crops planted there, grew and flourished. 

He finally secured a permanent home for his school, which was soon filled. Two other houses were quickly acquired which also quickly grew. No one knows to this day where Father Bosco secured the funds for these houses, or “oratories.” As these schools grew, the number of helpers required grew proportionally. Miraculously, punishment was never used nor needed to control the boys in these houses. A sense of peace permeated each one.

By the end of his life, John Bosco had organized the “Salesians” – people who ascribed to Father Bosco’s methods of teaching of children. At his death in 1888, the number of Salesian Oratories numbered more than eight hundred. The Society continues to operate worldwide; in 2000, it numbered more than 17,000 members in 2,711 houses.

Father Bosco was a miracle worker. He was a prophet. He once predicted the future of a young girl who came to him for advice concerning her entering a vocation as a nun. She wished immediately to enter the novitiate; however Father Boaco told the girl that she would be prevented for another twelve years, and accurately prophesied that she would enter an order which was established the year of her birth. Exactly twelve years later, the girl entered the Little Sister of the Assumption, which had been founded the same year as the girl was born.

He also could look into men’s minds and often softly remind them of their forgotten or unconfessed sins during confession. He never scolded, only led penitents to confess truth. There existed such a sense of peace surrounding this holy Saint that no one who knew him well ever saw anyone get angry with him.

St. John Bosco worked countless miracles. He had the gift of multiplication of the loaves, and St. John even raised a boy from the dead to give him the chance of a good confession. The boy confessed his sins and died, but this time he went straight to Heaven.

He is also known for his extraordinary dreams. Some of his famous dreams included the following:

1. The Dream of the Two Columns (i.e. Two Pillars): In this dream, Don Bosco saw a large ship (representing the Church) attacked by enemy vessels. The ship was guided to safety by anchoring between two columns: one topped with the Eucharist and the other with the Blessed Virgin Mary, symbolizing the importance of devotion to the Eucharist and Mary for the Church’s protection and guidance.
2. The Dream of the Ten Diamonds: This dream depicted a majestic figure adorned with ten diamonds, each representing a different virtue. The dream emphasized the virtues needed for a true Christian life, such as faith, hope, and charity.
3. The Dream of the Oratory: Don Bosco dreamed of a large field filled with boys and a majestic figure telling him to lead and care for them. This dream inspired his mission to work with disadvantaged youth and led to the founding of the Salesian order, dedicated to the education and spiritual development of young people.
4. The Dream of Hell: This dream showed Don Bosco a frightening vision of hell, filled with young people who had fallen away from the faith due to neglect or bad influences. It served as a warning and motivated him to intensify his efforts in guiding and educating youth toward a virtuous life.
5. The Dream of the Roses and the Thorns: In this dream, Don Bosco walked along a path lined with beautiful roses, but hidden thorns caused him pain. The dream symbolized the challenges and sacrifices involved in his mission but also the rewards of perseverance and dedication to God’s work.

St. John wrote over 130 works defending the faith, and for that, he was hated by the enemies of the Church of God. There were numerous plots to kill him though none succeeded. On his deathbed in January 1888, he said, “Now I go to my rest; I shall not get up again.” On that sad day, he summoned his spiritual sons and begged for prayers. “Do not ever forget these three things: devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, devotion to Mary Help of Christians, and devotion to the Holy Father!” On January 31, 1888, Don Bosco’s worn-out body finally yielded to nature. With the names of Jesus and Mary on his lips, Don Bosco’s soul passed to his God and his Lady as the morning. 

St. Maxmilian Kolbe

In Rome, where he received his advanced education, Father Kolbe reinvigorated the long-flailing “Militia Immaculatae” (i.e., the MI – the Army of the Immaculate One) in response to threats and accusations against Pope Pius X brought forward by the Freemasons and Communists – avowed enemies of Catholicism. The MI thereafter began issuing the “Miraculous Medal” with Father Kolbe’s added words “and for all who do not have recourse to you, especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to you.” Among those enemies he recalled the freemasons, who he actively worked to oppose and convert.

Father Kolbe became a pioneer in the use of media, recognizing it as a powerful tool of evangelization. He published a Catholic newspaper, obtained a radio license and began broadcasting Catholic commentary on this new and up-and-coming medium.

During his time in Rome, Father Kolbe contracted tuberculosis, and for the remainder of his life he was never completely healthy.  He was sent as a missionary to the Far East – to Japan, China and India – for six years, where he founded several Franciscan missions, one on the side of a mountain near the city of Nagasaki, Japan. This mission was situated on what the Shintoists proclaimed to be “the bad side of the mountain” for spirituality. Undeterred, Father Kolbe obtained the land and built a monastery, which later became a seminary. On Thursday, August 9, 1945, United States President Harry Truman ordered the second atomic bomb to be dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Forty thousand were killed on that day, from the blast of nuclear fission.  Father Kolbe’s monastery suffered no damage or loss of life.

His health failing, Kolbe returned to a monastery in his native Poland in 1936, where he started broadcasting on radio the message of salvation through the Catholic Church. After Poland’s capture by the Nazis in 1939 and his town was overrun, Father Kolbe turned the monastery into a hospital treating wounded Poles while aiding in hiding Polish Jews. He was taken prisoner by the Gestapo Police in early 1941 and ended up being transferred, as a prisoner, to the notorious death camp Auschwitz. The number tattooed on his left arm identified him simply as prisoner #16670.

Father Kolbe continued to act as a priest, hearing confessions and saying the Latin Mass for those Catholic prisoners also interred. He suffered great abuse at the hands of his captors because of this. In December of that year, three other prisoners from Father Kolbe’s barracks escaped by means unknown to the Nazis. The entire population of the barracks was ordered to muster outside and ordered to stand in the bitter winter weather until someone disclosed how the three prisoners disappeared. No one was forthcoming. After the prisoners stood in the cold and blowing snow for several hours and with their captors receiving no information, it was ordered that ten men were to be arbitrarily picked for death by starvation.

As the selection began, one man tapped for death dropped to his knees and cried “Please, not me!  I have a wife and children!” Seeing this, Father Kolbe immediately stepped forward. The Nazi guards were pleased, thinking that now at least one man was going to solve the mystery of the disappearing prisoners. But to their chagrin, Father Kolbe volunteered to take the man’s place for the punishment imposed. 

Father Kolbe and nine others of the chosen were placed in a completely dark, unheated underground bunker and left to die by starvation. After ten days, Father Kolbe was found still clinging to life. Tired of their sadistic game, the Nazis injected Father Kolbe with concentrated carbolic acid, after which he suffered an agonizing and slow death. It is said that he held up his arm pointing to Heaven until it dropped as this holy man’s soul passed into its Heavenly Reward.

Two after death miracles confirmed his presence in Heaven. First, a Polish soldier named Francis Ranier was suffering from serious tuberculosis, but after praying for St. Maximilian Kolbe’s intercession, he was miraculously healed, despite medical expectations that he would not recover. Secondly, an Italian man named Angelo Randazzo was suffering from severe and incurable calcification of the arteries. After his family prayed for St. Maximilian’s intercession, he was completely healed, which was deemed medically inexplicable. These miracles were rigorously examined and accepted by the Vatican leading to his canonization in 1982.

St. Charbel Makhlouf

St. Charbel Makhlouf (1828–1898) was a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest renowned for his holiness, asceticism, and miracles. Born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf on May 8, 1828, in the village of Bekaa Kafra, Lebanon, he was raised in a devout Christian family. His father died when he was three, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings. Inspired by the hermits who lived in nearby monasteries, he showed an early inclination toward religious life.

At 23, Youssef entered the Monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouq, later transferring to the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, where he took the monastic name Charbel, after a 2nd-century Christian martyr. He was ordained a priest in 1859 and spent the next 16 years in the monastery, leading a life of intense prayer, fasting, and manual labor. In 1875, seeking greater solitude and union with God, he obtained permission to live as a hermit in the nearby Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul.

For 23 years, Charbel lived in extreme asceticism, dedicating himself entirely to prayer, penance, and the Holy Eucharist. He endured harsh conditions, ate little, and slept on the ground, following the strict Maronite monastic discipline. He was known for his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and his unwavering obedience to his superiors.

On December 16, 1898, while celebrating Mass, Charbel suffered a stroke and died on Christmas Eve at the age of 70. He was buried at the monastery in Annaya. Soon after, reports of miraculous healings and supernatural phenomena began to emerge. His tomb exuded a mysterious, incorruptible moisture that lasted for over 67 years. The monastery opened his grave multiple times, finding his body intact and exuding a fragrant, sweat-like liquid.

Many miraculous healings have been attributed to St. Charbel’s intercession. One of the most famous cases is that of Nohad El Shami, a paralyzed woman who dreamed that Charbel appeared to her and operated on her. She awoke with surgical wounds on her neck and was completely healed. Thousands of healings worldwide have been documented, ranging from cancer cures to restored eyesight. Today, his shrine in Annaya attracts pilgrims from all over the world, and his intercession continues to be sought by those in need of healing and spiritual graces.

Conclusion

Archbishop Lefebvre once remarked, “Still today, what is it that divides Christians? It is precisely that dogma of the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The reason people are attacking miracles today is that they want to explain those miracles away as natural occurrences, so they will be able say that our Lord Jesus Christ is a prophet, a kind of superman, but not truly the Son of God.” And yet, the miracles of modern-day saints amid modern science and modern medicine stands in direct contrast to the materialists who assert that there is no God. On the contrary, there is one God – the Most Blessed Trinity – who still intervenes in the world together and works miracles for the good of both body and soul. And these miracles confirm without a doubt the truth of the Catholic religion alone.

In the next installment we will consider further one particular miracle which continues to illustrate this reality – the stigmata. We will consider the lives of the Stigmatists and a scientific examination of this miracle which likewise confounds the enemies of the Catholic Faith.