Sunday, April 12, 2009

Irishman beaten beyond recognition recovers through intercession of Australian beatified nun Mary MacKillop

Here is an excerpt from an ABC News report:

The family of an Irishman who woke from a seven-month long coma after being brutally bashed in Australia say his recovery came because they prayed to the Australian beatified nun Mary MacKillop.
David Keohane, 29, was on his way home from a party in Coogee in Sydney when he was beaten beyond recognition in August last year........ Read full report at ABC

Blessed Mary MacKillop (15 January 1842 - 8 August 1909) was an Australian Catholic nun who, together with Father J.T. Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. She was beatified on 19 January 1995 by Pope John Paul II.
Her father Alexander was born in Lochaber, Scotland in 1812 and was deeply religious. He emigrated to Australia and married Flora MacDonald.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm very happy for him and his family. :)

Does this sort of blessing (surviving the beating, being identified, finding his way back home to Ireland and recovering from the coma) need to be validated by others to qualify as a personal miracle? I doubt it changes their minds which ever way it goes officially.

John Barry said...

A person must as a rule have worked two miracles. There is a rigorous examination of all claims of miracles. There is a fine article on the process titled Canonization of Saints

Anonymous said...

That's a great explanation. Thanks.