Paralyzed Woman Cured at Lourdes Shrine

Total Catholic ^ | September 6, 2003

[NYer]

Church probes Lourdes cure

An almost totally paralysed 60-year-old Italian woman has been instantly cured of her illness in Lourdes this week.

And as the amazing and moving story of Giulia Mongelli Tofani emerged, she has  announced that she is totally convinced that a prayer to the Blessed Lady was the reason for her incredible recovery.  'I am overjoyed, most happy, Our Lady of Lourdes has cured me,' said Giulia, who prior to her visit was almost completely helpless and had to be spoon fed by her family. 'When I came to Lourdes I was full of anguish, now I feel like a cricket,' she said. 'I can walk up and down. I climb the stairs, I go up and down now and never stop. I laugh and joke.'

Giulia is convinced a miracle has occurred and top Vatican official Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar-general of Rome Diocese who led her party to Lourdes, backed this view when he publicly thanked God and Our Lady for 'the gift received by Giulia' on the final evening of her visit. The woman had been a bartender in Rome for 35 years before contracting a rare viral infection  that left her paralysed some years ago.
Her condition gradually worsened and two years ago only prolonged treatment in the intensive care unit of a Rome clinic kept her alive. Until last week, she showed no sign at all of improvement, but now she can walk and move freely, and as she arrived back in Italy, she told her amazing story.

Giulia said that one evening she was sat watching the candlelight at the grotto of Our Lady in Lourdes, though she was so ill she was not even able to hold a candle in her hand. As she gazed at the statue of Our Lady, she prayed for her seriously ill husband but said she also felt very much alone, and told Our Lady 'I cannot go on'. Giulia said she suddenly felt free from the burden she carried and she heard an inner voice telling her to 'Walk! Walk!'

'I walked up the ramp, but then I stopped and marvelled that I had done it,' she said. But  then  the  voice again urged her 'Walk! Walk!' She did, and then called her friends over to tell them 'I can walk' before bursting into tears and weeping uncontrollably for some time. 'I asked to hold a candle,' she said. 'Then I went to the grotto of Our Lady to thank her. I went back four or five times.'

As news of Giulia's recovery spread among excited pilgrims, her parish priest Don Canio then accompanied her to the medical bureau at Lourdes, where she was subjected to a three hour examination. The bureau are currently studying her case. Though Guilia and her friends are convinced as to what has taken place, it is commonly accepted that the Church is very slow to recognise miracles, even at Lourdes.

Of the millions of pilgrims who have visited Lourdes in the last 145 years, only around 7,000 cases of alleged cures have been examined in depth, and of these just 66 have been officially recognised by the Church as miracles. <

[NYer]

1858, in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl.

She revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision, and told the girl to drink from a fountain in the grotto.

No fountain was to be seen, but when Bernadette dug at a spot designated by the apparition, a spring began to flow. The water from this still flowing spring has shown remarkable healing power, though it contains no curative property that science can identify.

Lourdes has become the most famous modern shrine of Our Lady.

[Aliska]

What a wonderful article. I hope it is true and lasting, and I have no reason to believe that it will not be.

Thank God she was taken to an approved shrine.

[NYer]

LOURDES, FRANCE - OFFICIAL WEB SITE

[narses]

What a beautiful post, thanks!

[dsc]

This is a little off topic, but it doesn't rate a thread of its own.

Images of Our Lady are based in part on descriptions of her apparitions at Lourdes, Fatima, etc. by those to whom she appeared.

Are there cases of apparitions of demons, and images based on descriptions of those apparitions?

[american colleen]

Pinging you to this story as I know you have been to Lourdes.

[Domestic Church]

Thank you for posting this. What a sign of hope the BVM brings.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Finally some good news. Thanks.

[Aliska]

images based on descriptions of those apparitions?

There are no images approved by the church of demons that I ever heard about. Medjugorje may be demonic and there are statues of that lady, but the church hasn't approved that.

Some works of art contain images of dark entities, but only for instructive or artistic purposes. I think gargoyles found on churches built in the middle ages may represent evil spirits. Certainly the spirits those latter images represent are never sought for intercession.

[Aliska]

I did extensive reading on Lourdes cures, and not one was American. Does anyone know of an authentic Lourdes cure of an American citizen? Most I read about were from England, France, Germany and now Italy, possibly a Swiss national or two. It's been awhile. Also, I can't recall a Spaniard cured at Lourdes.

[maestro]

Paralyzed Woman Cured at Lourdes Shrine ........but NOT from Purgatory?

[cpforlife.org]

What a beautiful post indeed!

[Coleus]

`

[american colleen]

Looks like none are American (or British or German or Spanish).

[Salvation]

"And the deaf will hear and the mute will speak."

[Salvation]

Looks like Terri Shiavo should visit Lourdes.

[Salvation]

Only half the patients who go into an abortion clinic come out alive.

I like that!

[Loyalist]

Lourdes PING

[Gerish]

Truly inspiring, wonderful article! It gives HOPE which is what this woman seemed to need so badly!

[dsc]

Well, no, I certainly wouldn't seek anything from a malign spirit. I was just wondering...well, how they might have looked if they appeared to anyone.