Miracles Are Also Part of the Church's Story

There is a lot of documentation for events that have occurred over the centuries that many people believe to be the handiwork of God’s divine intervention. These events are called miracles. As Catholics we’ve been shown proof of these many times with the miracles that have aligned themselves with our many saints. It seems that no matter when they occur, however, they appear to be downplayed.

Zeitoun. For example, as a young girl growing up in the 1960s, I remember many news stories centering on the Vietnam War, the Beatles becoming a huge hit in America, Marilyn Monroe’s apparent suicide, John Kennedy’s election and later assassination, and even Pope John XXIII occasionally making news because of Vatican II. Not once, however, do I remember hearing about the miracle that occurred in Cairo on April 2, 1968, when an apparition of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by dove-shaped lights moving at high speeds, was seen on the roof of a Coptic church. The event was even photographed, which only supported the crowds of people that witnessed it.

Guadalupe. My daughter Laura was born in 1981. This was the same year that the tilma worn by Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin was studied by Philip Serna Callahan with infrared rays. Callahan reported that the Virgin Mary‘s arms and face and robes were painted in one step without sketches or paintbrush strokes. In 1936 Nobel Chinese prize recipient Richard Kuhr examined the same tilma, saying the coloring used was not from vegetable, mineral or animal sources. From 1956-2001 ophthalmologists studied it as well. They found images in the eyes of the Virgin Mary that, when amplified 2500 times, seemed to be reflections of a group of Franciscans and Native Americans.

The story of Juan Diego and his tilma was clearly a miracle. The church was built as requested by Mary and later it was thought to save the lives of millions of people living there. Just think about how remarkable the story of Juan Diego and his tilma is.

Incorruptibility. Over the years the Church has proven that many of the Saints have incorruptible bodies even after hundreds of years have passed since their deaths. St. Bernadette of Lourdes is an example of this miracle. Why do we not hear of these amazing miracles?

In a time when so much negativity is making the news and given opportunities to exploit it, it makes me wonder why these extraordinary occurrences such as apparitions, Eucharistic miracles, incorruptible bodies, and the modern-day saint stories are not making the news.

The movieSpotlight” showed the story of hiding the abuses in the Church and recently won the Oscar for Best Picture. I personally am glad that attention was given to the “elephant in the room” with these stories. I think it’s time that we recognize some of the impressive miracles in the Church as well.