A Catholic needs two miracles to be considered for sainthood–and, if one family’s story checks out, he may be halfway there.
Lynn Cassidy claims her daughter, three-month-old Ave, was miraculously healed after an encounter with Pope Francis. Ave, who has Down syndrome, also had two holes in her heart–which were life-threatening.
The Cassidys planned a trip to Rome over Easter 2014, and they stood at the barricade on St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican in hopes that Pope Francis would come by.
When the Holy Father’s motorcade did come by, Lynn’s husband, Scott, held Ave up in the air. One of Pope Francis’s bodyguards took Ave and handed her to the Pope.
Scott told the Pope that Ave had two holes in her heart, as he held the sick baby.
What happened next? The Cassidys are calling that a miracle.
“When we got home in May, we went back to the cardiologist for a check-up,” Lynn said. “One of the holes was completely closed and one was half the size.”
While the story may be a case of coincidence, Lynn believes it’s divine intervention.
“When you see the picture that the professional photographer took [of Pope Francis and baby Ave], his hand is here and he’s a servant of God.”
Pope Francis has been a controversial figure since he was elected Pope. Whether or not he has actually committed a miracle remains to be seen–but it’s clear that the Pope is electrifying the Catholic Church in a way not seen for decades.
