The Real Reason for Rome: The Pope, A Miracle, and My Dad

When I mention my trip to Italy coming up next week I assume a lot of you are wondering why we're jetting off to Italy when we just moved to Florida and are looking for jobs.
So when I say we have a good reason, I mean it.

We have a date with The Pope.

You see, my dad is a Co-Medical Director of the Intensive Care Unit, and 20 years ago he had a 14 year old patient named Kate. 
To make an incredibly long story short, Kate had ovarian cancer, and her chemo and surgeries caused extreme complications, hemorrhage, and finally 25 minutes of cardiac arrest, which lead to multiorgan failure. She was in an induced coma for weeks and there seemed to be no chance of recovery.

After hearing about her, the Franciscan nuns in the area began praying for her recovery through The Blessed Mother Marianne Cope, a nun who had ties to the Franciscan nuns of Syracuse and spent her life helping lepers in Hawaii.  After they started praying to the Blessed Mother Marianne Cope for Kate's recovery, her organs started improving, one my one. She eventually made a full recovery. In her discharge papers my dad wrote that there was no medical explanation for her recovery.

It was truly a medical miracle.
After that, my dad and Uncle Dan, the other Co-Medical Director of the ICU, underwent an intense investigation through the Vatican, and 12 years later The Pope officially deemed her healing a miracle.  Through the eyes of the Catholic church my dad and Uncle Dan where the vehicles for The Blessed Mother Marianne's healing.  They are still close with Kate and 20 years later she is doing great!

So, in May of 2005 we got to go with the cause to The Vatican to attend The Blessed Mother Marianne Cope's beatification! If you're not Catholic, that's the first step to becoming a saint.  Once she has a second miracle attributed to her, she will be canonized and become a saint.

Kate and me with a really intimidating gladiator.

Our family (minus mama) and Uncle Dan's family before the audience with The Pope.  Don't mind my brother! I have a feeling my cousins Emily and Laura will NOT be happy I posted this! But it's too cute not to :)

Earlier this year, Sister Mary Lawrence, the Franciscan nun who really championed the cause passed away.  She had spent the last years of her life promoting and fighting for The Blessed Mother Marianne Cope to receive her second miracle. 4 days after she passed away, The Pope declared the second miracle! It only took Sister Mary Lawrence 4 days in heaven to get the job done. :)

The Blessed Mother Marianne Cope will be canonized on October 21st, and my family is heading over the pond to attend and celebrate!

You can read more about the first miracle here.  My dad is getting interviewed for a TV special on the miracle, so I'll see if I can snag a clip once it airs.  Right now he is very stressed because they said he can't wear a fun tie!

He lives a very hard life.
As do I...do you have any idea how tiring it is to write The Blessed Mother Marianna Cope?