Latest news with #divineintervention
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctor at center of Pope Leo's first miracle releases stunning statement
The doctor at the heart of Pope Leo XIV's first officially recognized miracle has broken his silence. Dr. Juan Sánchez-Esteban released a remarkable statement after the Vatican attributed the inexplicable 2007 recovery of a newborn in Rhode Island to divine intervention. The Spanish-born physician made a desperate prayer while at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket where an infant, Tyquan Hall, was being treated after being declared dead According to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the baby was born in critical condition after emergency labor was induced due to an alarmingly low fetal heart rate. Following delivery, the infant failed to respond to standard neonatal resuscitation efforts. After nearly an hour of interventions, his heart had stopped completely. It was in that desperate moment Sánchez-Esteban turned not to medicine, but to his faith. In a carefully worded statement to the doctor avoided any direct mention of the child or the miracle, but its timing and reverent tone speak volumes. 'As a physician, I have the privilege of witnessing both the fragility and the incredible resilience of life,' Sánchez-Esteban said on Saturday in a written statement. 'While I cannot speak about any individual patient due to HIPAA privacy laws, I understand that a recent recognition by the Vatican has brought comfort and meaning to many. 'At Care New England and Women & Infants Hospital, we are honored to be part of the stories that inspire hope,' the doctor continued, 'and we remain committed to providing care grounded in compassion, excellence, and respect for every individual and their beliefs.' The remarks came just hours after the Vatican confirmed it had officially authenticated its first miracle under Pope Leo XIV - and also the first miracle ever formally recognized in the state of Rhode Island. 'We are thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra,' said Rev. Timothy Reilly of the Diocese of Providence, calling the papal pronouncement a blessing for Rhode Island and beyond. The newly canonized event is also being referred to by some as the Miracle at Memorial Hospital. 'The cool thing is, the more you think about the miracle itself, Father Valera lived in the 19th century. He never came to the US. Never came to Rhode Island,' Rev. Reilly noted. 'And yet… the doctor called out and called upon his name… he decided to intervene. This is a blessing not just for Rhode Island, but for the Church,' said Rev. Reilly added. 'This recognition moves Fr. Valera closer to sainthood and reminds us that miracles are not relics of the past.' In an interview with Spanish Catholic outlet Vida Nueva, the doctor recalled whispering a childhood prayer from his hometown in southern Spain: 'Fr. Valera, I have done everything I can. Now it's your turn.' The 'Fr. Valera' he invoked was Salvador Valera Parra, a 19th-century Spanish priest from Huércal-Overa who had never been to the United States, let alone Rhode Island. Known in Andalusia for his work with the sick during a devastating cholera epidemic, Valera had never had a miracle attributed to him - until now. Within minutes of the prayer, a nurse reported that the baby's heart had inexplicably begun to beat again. The Vatican noted that the child, who had been transferred to Women & Infants Hospital with brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation, began to show unexpected signs of neurological recovery. Within 15 days, doctors noted a sharp turnaround. The baby began breathing independently and over time, developed normally. Today, Tyquan Hall is reportedly living a full life, playing sports, and showing no signs of the catastrophic brain injury that doctors had once feared would leave him permanently disabled. He spoke at 18 months, walked at two years, and shows no sign of impairment - a living testament, the Vatican says, to the power of faith. The miracle is the first ever declared under Pope Leo XIV - born Robert Prevost in Chicago - and the first ever to occur in Rhode Island, a state with deep Catholic roots but no previously confirmed Vatican-approved 'act of God'-like events. In a decree issued on June 20, the Vatican also recognized 174 new martyrs, many killed under 20th-century authoritarian regimes, alongside Tyquan's healing, reports The declaration may also help fast-track the sainthood of Valera Parra, who now requires only one more authenticated miracle to be canonized. Ironically, while Valera's name soars toward sainthood, the place where his miracle occurred lies in ruins. Memorial Hospital, once a cornerstone of Rhode Island healthcare, shut its doors in 2018 amid financial turmoil. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, Leo, 69, was elected pope on May 8, following the death of Pope Francis. A former missionary in Peru, he later oversaw the Vatican's powerful office of bishops before ascending to the papacy. For Pope Leo XIV, a tennis-playing, Wordle-solving former missionary known for his intellectual warmth and Midwestern charm, the miracle signals a papacy eager to modernize the process of canonization without diluting its sanctity. Alongside Valera, the pope is also championing the cause of Carlo Acutis, a British-born Millennial tech whiz who died in 2007 and whose incorrupt body now lies in a glass tomb in Assisi. Carlos, known for creating a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, is on track to become the first Millennial saint. If canonized, Acutis would become the first saint of the digital age.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pope Leo declares his first miracle after claiming divine intervention saved newborn in Rhode Island
Pope Leo XIV has officially declared his first miracle as pontiff, crediting the 2007 recovery of a dying newborn in Rhode Island to divine intervention following a physician's desperate prayer. The Vatican announced this week that the ailing child, Tyquan Hall, who was born prematurely via emergency cesarean section and left with no detectable pulse, made a full recovery after a doctor invoked the name of a long-forgotten 19th-century Spanish priest. The declaration elevates not just a miraculous story of life snatched from the jaws of death but also the potential sainthood of the humble cleric whose name was called in a moment of need. Reverend Timothy Reilly of the Diocese of Providence said: 'We are thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra.' The miracle marks the first to be authenticated under Pope Leo XIV and it may set in motion the canonization of Father Valera Parra, a priest who died in Spain in 1889 and had no known miracles to his name, until now. According to the Diocese of Almeria, Dr Juan Sanchez, a Spanish-born physician working in a Rhode Island hospital in 2007, found himself verging on despair. Baby Tyquan had been born in critical condition - pale, turning blue and without a heartbeat, suffering from oxygen deprivation so severe that death, or permanent brain damage, seemed all but certain. With no medical options left, Sanchez offered a prayer, not to a modern saint or well-known figure, but to Valera Parra, the patron of his hometown of Huercal-Overa in southeastern Spain. What happened next, according to hospital staff and the Vatican, was immediate and inexplicable. WJAR-TV reported: 'A few minutes after the faithful prayer, the child's heart began to beat normally without medical intervention.' Doctors braced for the child to have severe neurological damage, but Tyquan defied every expectation. He spoke at 18 months, walked at two years, and today, shows no sign of impairment - a living testament, the Vatican says, to the power of faith. The miracle is especially striking as Valera Parra had never visited the United States, let alone New England. Rev Reilly said: 'The cool thing is, the more you think about the miracle itself, Father Valera lived in the 19th century. He never came to the U.S. Never came to Rhode Island. 'And yet… the doctor called out and called upon his name… he decided to intervene.' Born in 1816 and known as a simple diocesan priest, Valera Parra died in 1889 without fame, controversy, or claims of supernatural gifts. But the miracle attributed to his name now places him squarely on the path to sainthood, requiring only one more confirmed miracle for canonization. The miracle declaration also makes history for Pope Leo XIV, the first American and first Peruvian citizen to lead the Church. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, Leo, 69, was elected pope on May 8, following the death of Pope Francis. A former missionary in Peru, he later oversaw the Vatican's powerful office of bishops before ascending to the papacy. Known for his calm intellect, deep spirituality, and surprising relatability, Leo is as comfortable quoting Scripture as he is solving Wordle puzzles with his brother back in Illinois. He's also a White Sox fan and has also said he will not not giving up playing tennis anytime soon. This week's announcement also signals Leo XIV's broader vision for sainthood in the modern era. Alongside Valera Parra's miracle, the Vatican is advancing the cause of Carlos Acutis, a British-born Millennial teen who died of leukemia in 2007 and whose body remains incorrupt in a glass tomb in Assisi, Italy. Carlos, known for creating a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, is on track to become the first Millennial saint.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pope Leo declares his first miracle... and it's in America
Pope Leo XIV has officially declared his first miracle as pontiff, crediting the 2007 recovery of a dying newborn in Rhode Island to divine intervention following a physician's desperate prayer. The Vatican announced this week that the ailing child, Tyquan Hall, who was born prematurely via emergency cesarean section and left with no detectable pulse, made a full recovery after a doctor invoked the name of a long-forgotten 19th-century Spanish priest. The declaration elevates not just a miraculous story of life snatched from the jaws of death but also the potential sainthood of the humble cleric whose name was called in a moment of need. 'We are thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra,' said Rev. Timothy Reilly of the Diocese of Providence, calling the papal pronouncement a blessing for Rhode Island and beyond. The miracle marks the first to be authenticated under Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected American pontiff, and it may set in motion the canonization of Father Valera Parra, a priest who died in Spain in 1889 and had no known miracles to his name, until now. According to the Diocese of Almeria, Dr. Juan Sanchez, a Spanish-born physician working in a Rhode Island hospital in 2007, found himself verging on despair. Baby Tyquan had been born in critical condition – pale, turning blue and without a heartbeat, suffering from oxygen deprivation so severe that death, or permanent brain damage, seemed all but certain. With no medical options left, Sanchez offered a prayer, not to a modern saint or well-known figure, but to Valera Parra, the patron of his hometown of Huércal-Overa in southeastern Spain. What happened next, according to hospital staff and the Vatican, was immediate and inexplicable. 'A few minutes after the faithful prayer, the child's heart began to beat normally without medical intervention,' reported WJAR-TV. Doctors braced for the child to have severe neurological damage, but Tyquan defied every expectation. He spoke at 18 months, walked at two years, and today, shows no sign of impairment – a living testament, the Vatican says, to the power of faith. The miracle is especially striking because Valera Parra had never visited the United States, let alone New England. 'The cool thing is, the more you think about the miracle itself, Father Valera lived in the 19th century. He never came to the U.S. Never came to Rhode Island,' Rev. Reilly noted. 'And yet… the doctor called out and called upon his name… he decided to intervene.' Born in 1816 and known as a simple diocesan priest, Valera Parra died in 1889 without fame, controversy, or claims of supernatural gifts. But the miracle attributed to his name now places him squarely on the path to sainthood, requiring only one more confirmed miracle for canonization. The miracle declaration also makes history for Pope Leo XIV, the first American and first Peruvian citizen to lead the global Church. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, Leo, 69, was elected pope on May 8, following the death of Pope Francis. A former missionary in Peru, he later oversaw the Vatican's powerful office of bishops before ascending to the papacy. Known for his calm intellect, deep spirituality, and surprising relatability, Leo is as comfortable quoting Scripture as he is solving Wordle puzzles with his brother back in Illinois. He's also a White Sox fan and has also said he's not giving up playing tennis anytime soon. This week's announcement also signals Leo XIV's broader vision for sainthood in the modern era. Alongside Valera Parra's miracle, the Vatican is advancing the cause of Carlos Acutis, a British-born Millennial teen who died of leukemia in 2007 and whose body remains incorrupt in a glass tomb in Assisi, Italy. Carlos, known for creating a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, is on track to become the first Millennial saint.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Pope Leo declares his first miracle after divine intervention in Rhode Island
Pope Leo XIV has officially declared his first miracle as pontiff, crediting the 2007 recovery of a dying newborn in Rhode Island to divine intervention following a physician's desperate prayer. The Vatican announced this week that the ailing child, Tyquan Hall, who was born prematurely via emergency cesarean section and left with no detectable pulse, made a full recovery after a doctor invoked the name of a long-forgotten 19th-century Spanish priest. The declaration elevates not just a miraculous story of life snatched from the jaws of death but also the potential sainthood of the humble cleric whose name was called in a moment of need. 'We are thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra,' said Rev. Timothy Reilly of the Diocese of Providence, calling the papal pronouncement a blessing for Rhode Island and beyond. The miracle marks the first to be authenticated under Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected American pontiff, and it may set in motion the canonization of Father Valera Parra, a priest who died in Spain in 1889 and had no known miracles to his name, until now. According to the Diocese of Almeria, Dr. Juan Sanchez, a Spanish-born physician working in a Rhode Island hospital in 2007, found himself verging on despair. Baby Tyquan had been born in critical condition - pale, turning blue and without a heartbeat, suffering from oxygen deprivation so severe that death, or permanent brain damage, seemed all but certain. With no medical options left, Sanchez offered a prayer, not to a modern saint or well-known figure, but to Valera Parra, the patron of his hometown of Huércal-Overa in southeastern Spain. What happened next, according to hospital staff and the Vatican, was immediate and inexplicable. 'A few minutes after the faithful prayer, the child's heart began to beat normally without medical intervention,' reported WJAR-TV. Doctors braced for the child to have severe neurological damage, but Tyquan defied every expectation. He spoke at 18 months, walked at two years, and today, shows no sign of impairment - a living testament, the Vatican says, to the power of faith. The miracle is especially striking because Valera Parra had never visited the United States, let alone New England. 'The cool thing is, the more you think about the miracle itself, Father Valera lived in the 19th century. He never came to the U.S. Never came to Rhode Island,' Rev. Reilly noted. 'And yet… the doctor called out and called upon his name… he decided to intervene.' Born in 1816 and known as a simple diocesan priest, Valera Parra died in 1889 without fame, controversy, or claims of supernatural gifts. But the miracle attributed to his name now places him squarely on the path to sainthood, requiring only one more confirmed miracle for canonization. The miracle declaration also makes history for Pope Leo XIV, the first American and first Peruvian citizen to lead the global Church. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, Leo, 69, was elected pope on May 8, following the death of Pope Francis. A former missionary in Peru, he later oversaw the Vatican's powerful office of bishops before ascending to the papacy. Pope Leo, seen center, is as comfortable quoting Scripture as he is solving Wordle puzzles with his brothers, Louise, left, and John, right, back in Illinois Known for his calm intellect, deep spirituality, and surprising relatability, Leo is as comfortable quoting Scripture as he is solving Wordle puzzles with his brother back in Illinois. He's also a White Sox fan and has also said he's not giving up playing tennis anytime soon. This week's announcement also signals Leo XIV's broader vision for sainthood in the modern era. Alongside Valera Parra's miracle, the Vatican is advancing the cause of Carlos Acutis, a British-born Millennial teen who died of leukemia in 2007 and whose body remains incorrupt in a glass tomb in Assisi, Italy. Carlos, known for creating a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, is on track to become the first Millennial saint.
Telegraph
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
How a single bullet changed Donald Trump forever
The chart showing immigration numbers was usually displayed in the closing minutes of the stump speech and on the other side of the stage. So, when Donald Trump turned his head to the right to glance at the graph, escaping an assassin's bullet by millimetres, many thought they saw the hand of God. 'There's a confluence of things that happened to avert tragedy, and I think he talks about how there must have been some divine intervention,' says Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, who was present on July 13 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. 'That is the change.' It was the day a bullet grazed Mr Trump's ear, upending the 2024 election campaign and changing the president forever. Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old would-be assassin of Mr Trump was shot dead by the Secret Service at the scene. Crooks also fatally shot audience member Corey Comperatore, and injured two other people in the crowd. Since then, Mr Trump has talked about his nerves when people move around in the crowd at his rallies, flirted with the idea of uniting the nation, and described his mission to save America as the work of God. This weekend, however, there will be little in the way of commemoration. An interview with Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, is due to be broadcast on Fox News on Saturday, when he will reflect on the past year. And that is all in keeping with a man who prefers not to look backwards, say insiders. 'He's a busy man. There's a lot to get on with,' said a senior administration official. In the past year, Mr Trump pulled off an extraordinary political comeback, becoming only the second president in history to serve non-consecutive terms. He has governed at a rapid pace, slashing the federal workforce, axing foreign aid, challenging the world to a trade war, reducing illegal immigration, and bringing media critics to heel. Mr Cheung said there had been no time to take a step back immediately after the assassination attempt. 'Immediately we went into the Republican National Convention (RNC),' he said, 'Immediately he went back on the campaign trail.' Just two days after being wounded, Mr Trump made his triumphal entry at the RNC in Milwaukee, pacing down an entry corridor in front of a camera, looking every inch the heavyweight champ returning to the ring. Thousands of supporters embraced the religious parallel. 'July 13 was the same date when the Holy Mother revealed the third secret of Fatima,' said a Catholic attendee. That was the date in 1917 when the Virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese children, entrusting them with her prophecies. The vision foretold an attack on a 'bishop dressed in white,' and was only revealed in 2000, 19 years after an assassin tried to kill Pope John Paul II. 'You can't make this stuff up,' added the Trump supporter. For a while Mr Trump held his rallies indoors, reducing the threat of a copycat sniper. But six weeks later his security team rejigged the setup with bulletproof screens allowing the Republican candidate to resume his trademark events. His ear had healed quickly, but Mr Trump admitted some other scars might remain. During a rally in New York in September he appeared startled by a sudden movement in the audience. 'I thought this was a wise guy coming up,' he said. 'You know, I've got a little bit of a yip problem here. Right? That was amazing. I was all ready to start duking it out.' There were other effects from the shooting, according to Blake Marnell, who travels around the country attending rallies and who was in the front row at Butler, resplendent in his distinctive brick-patterned suit. He said older voters remember the anger and violence in the country around the time of the murder of John F Kennedy. If anything, the shooting this time helped voters coalesce around the wounded leader. 'When you look at the other effects post Butler, you can't ignore the fact that that is one of the driving factors that got Robert F Kennedy and president Trump speaking, which led to the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) coalition,' he said, referring to a member of the famous liberal political clan, who was best known as an environmental lawyer. 'That also crystallised Elon Musk's support for the president.' The world's richest man endorsed Mr Trump on the night after the shooting. And he appeared on stage with him when the Republican candidate returned to Butler three months later. For a while Mr Trump's speeches took on a more bipartisan air. Aides described how a caustic convention address was toned down in the interests of national unity. 'The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly,' he said at the start of his 90-minute speech. 'As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.' Headlines about a softer Mr Trump did not last long, however, as he quickly resumed his scathing attacks on Joe Biden, the then president, and Kamala Harris, his election opponent. What endured was a greater sense of mission in a man who pulled off a surprise win in 2016 and at times struggled to impose his will on Washington during that first term. Mr Trump himself used religious framing to describe his campaign after his narrow escape in Butler. He was often seen taking part in group prayers, the president in the middle, head bowed, as supporters reached out to touch his arm, an elbow, the back of his chair. 'I would love to think it's God, and it's God doing it because he wants to save America,' he said in an interview. 'He sees what's happening. God sees what's happening in America.' He shrugged off questions about PTSD or mental scars, but has returned repeatedly to the idea that surviving that day has toughened his resolve and his faith. 'It changed something in me,' he said a month after returning to the White House. 'I feel, I feel even stronger. I believed in God but I feel much more strongly about it.' The result was a greater sense of purpose, said Mr Cheung. 'I think it was a further resolve of how important it was to work on behalf of the people, and that the mission took on an even greater importance,' he said.
