On Thursday, May 11, 2017, the parents of Lucas, victim of an accident on March 3, 2013, at five years of age, testified at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal and before the international press, that his healing was, “inexplicable for the present state of science” and without after-effects.
It is the miracle retained for the Canonization, by Pope Francis on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at Fatima, of the Blessed little shepherds Francisco (who died on April 4, 1919, before he was 11) and Jacinta (who died on February 20, 1920), one hundred years after the first Apparition of Our Lady at Fatima.
Lucas’ family is from Juranda, Brazil. His parents, Joao Batista and Lucila Yurie, explained that Lucas was playing with his little sister Eduarda on March 3, 2013 — ten days before Pope Francis’ election – when he fell out of a window around 8:00 pm, a fall of 6.5 meters.
“We thank God for Lucas’ cure and we know, with all the faith of our heart, that it was obtained thanks to a miracle wrought by the little shepherds Francisco and Jacinta,” said Joao, visibly overwhelmed by the emotion.
The child was victim of a very serious cranial trauma with loss of cerebral tissue; seeing the gravity of the clinical picture, the child was transferred to a hospital, one hour away, of Campo Mourao in the state of Parana. He arrived in a profound coma, after two cardiac arrests, and was operated on immediately. However, the doctors believed that the child had little chance of surviving.
“We began to pray to Jesus and to Our Lady of Fatima, for whom we have a profound devotion,” said the father. “And the following day we called the Carmel of Campo Mourao to ask the Sisters to pray for our little boy. The Sister who received the call did not communicate our request to the Community because it was the hour of silence and she thought: ‘The child is going to die, I’m going to pray for the family.’”
The days passed and Lucas’ condition worsened. On March 6, the doctors thought of transferring him to another hospital, as they did not have the necessary instruments for his care, continued Joao. “They told us that the child’s chances of survival were very slim and that if he survived, he would have a very slow recovery and certainly with serious cognitive deficiencies or even a vegetative state..”
“On March 7, we telephoned the Carmel again. And this time, the Sister did transmit our request to the Community. A Sister ran to get the relics of Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta, which were near the Tabernacle and she felt pushed to pray, saying: ‘Little shepherds, save this little boy, who is a child like you!’ Then she convinced the whole Community to pray through the intercession of the shepherds. And it is what they did. And all of us too began to pray as a family to the little shepherds and, two days later, on March 9, Lucas woke up. He was all right and began to talk and ask for news of his little sister. On the 11th, he left intensive care and on the 15th the hospital.”
Pope Francis was elected two days earlier.
“He is completely recovered, without any symptoms or after-effects. What Lucas was before the accident, he is always: his intelligence, his character, he is the same in everything,’ said his father. “The doctors, including the non-believers, said that there was not explanation for this recovery.”
Then he expressed several thanks. “We want to thank the health staff that accompanied Lucas, as well as the postulation of Francisco and Jacinta Marto in the person of Sister Angela, for all her solicitude during the process up to the Canonization. We also thank the Fatima Shrine for the invitation to this moment of grace. And we cannot but give thanks to all those who prayed for Lucas.”
Then he said how he had thanked God for Lucas’ cure: “And we know with all the faith of our heart that this miracle was obtained by the little shepherds Francisco and Jacinta. We feel an immense joy that it is the miracle that led to the Canonization of the two children who helped our little boy and who still help our family,” concluded the father.
