(317) Miracle Attributed to the Intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney As Described by the Supreme Knight Patric Kelly

 AMDG

The  unveiling of the statue of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York said the Mass for the acceptance of this gift of the Knights of Columbus.

It has now been five years since Father McGivney was declared “Blessed.” His beatification confirmed his personal holiness and heroic virtue. And it gave us hope that our founder will soon be numbered among the saints.  For us and for so many, Father McGivney is a source of hope. 

One family can uniquely attest to this. Earlier this year, they faced a parent’s worst nightmare. Their toddler was playing outside and, tragically, fell into the family pool. And when his mother and father found him, they couldn’t find a pulse. They rushed to the hospital, fearing their precious boy was gone. 

But he wasn’t. After 52 minutes of CPR — nearly an hour — the doctors finally heard a faint heartbeat. They stabilized him. But his body was so broken, they didn’t know if he’d survive. So the parents turned to God in prayer. And they also turned to Father McGivney. A priest brought them a first-class relic of our founder. And when the relic arrived, they immediately began a novena invoking the intercession of Blessed Michael.

Every day, they placed that relic on a different part of their son’s body. And every day brought more hope. They learned that his organs weren’t damaged beyond repair. They found that his lungs weren’t filled 28 with fluid. And against all odds, their son quickly regained his ability to eat and walk.

On the ninth and final day of their novena, their little boy was discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health. His parents wrote to us, saying that they’ve “never felt such deep despair turn to such sincere joy.” They attribute his recovery “to the intercession of Blessed Father McGivney entirely.”  Now this beautiful toddler can enjoy the magic of Christmas this year with his family.

This is just one of several remarkable healings attributed to Father McGivney. And each one renews our hope. And we give thanks to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate source of our hope. The Lord is at the center of all we do. And after 143 years, he continues to guide the Knights of Columbus. We have come further than Father McGivney ever imagined. But we’ve only gone where Christ has called us to go. Now he’s calling us to go even further. And we are ready.

Like every generation that came before us, we will move forward — in charity, unity and fraternity. We will serve our Lord by serving others. And we will sacrifice for them, like he did for us.  It is an honor to join all of you in this great work. Now let us put our faith into action once again — as heralds of hope in all we do. Vivat Jesus!  “The world is searching everywhere for hope — in science, in politics, in ideology. But the world will find it only in Jesus Christ, the author of hope.