January - Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos

National Shrine of
Blessed Francis
Xavier Seelos
In the Redemptorist Church
of Saint Mary’s Assumption
Volume LI
Number 1
919 Josephine Street
www.seelos.org
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-2495
January 2012
EELOS HEALING CASE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ADVANCEMENT
In May 2009, Most Reverend Edwin O’Brien,
Archbishop of Baltimore, convoked the
official Diocesan Inquiry into an alleged extraordinary
healing through the intercession of Blessed Francis
Seelos. The fact-finding Inquiry Panel investigated the
case and heard the sworn testimony of Mary Ellen Heibel,
her primary physician and nurse, and other key witnesses,
concerning Heibel’s cure of metastasized esophageal
cancer. Heibel, a devout Catholic and parishioner of
Saint Mary’s Church in Annapolis, Maryland, had been
cancer-free since January 2005, even though the disease
had spread to her liver, lungs, back and sternum, and
medical treatment had failed. The cancer disappeared
one week after she helped begin a weekly Seelos novena
in her parish.
Diocesan Inquiry officials completed their investigation
in September 2010. In October 2010, the Redemptorist
Postulator General, Reverend Antonio Marrazzo,
submitted the results to the Congregation for the Causes
of the Saints to undergo proper scrutiny by Vatican
authorities on whether or not the cure met the criteria
for the one miracle needed in Seelos’ canonization.
On October 30, 2011, Vice Postulators Byron Miller &
John Vargas were informed by Father Marrazzo that
Professor Paolo Marchetti, oncologist and medical expert
of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, had
finally given his preliminary expert’s report regarding
the diocesan investigation.
Special Healing Mass with Sacrament
of Anointing to Commemorate the
Birthday of Father Seelos
SUNDAY, January 15, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
St. Mary’s Assumption Church
Corner of Josephine & Constance Streets, New Orleans
COME ONE, COME ALL!
Professor Marchetti’s clinical conclusions affirm that
Mary Ellen Heibel, from the first months of 2005, show
no signs of metastatic esophageal neoplasty. “This
result, in light of present scientific knowledge, does
not appear to be explicable from the chemotherapy
employed.” Consequently, “the clinical result which was
obtained cannot be scientifically explained.”
However, in a subsequent meeting with Father Marrazzo,
Professor Marchetti indicated that in order to declare
the disappearance of the metastatic esophageal neoplasty
as complete, immediate and lasting, it would have been
much more opportune to wait at least 10 years from the
healing event. This waiting period would have confirmed
the disappearance of all the tumor cells, giving certitude
of a complete and definitive healing.
Mary Ellen Heibel passed away in October 2009—almost
five years after the healing—even though it was due
to a completely different cause: complications from
pneumonia.
Professor Marchetti advised Father Marrazzo not to
proceed with the Process of this case. Moreover, Father
Marrazzo has noted a tendency by the Congregation for
the Causes of the Saints to reject presumed miracles
involving the healing of tumors, because permanent
healings are rarely found in light of recent scientific
studies.
For Father Marrazzo, “it is clear that the healing
presented all the signs of being extraordinary,”
especially, “if one takes into account that for esophageal
cancer, chemotherapy ‘is exclusively used to control the
symptoms and to ameliorate the symptomology, and not
to heal the patient.’ Unfortunately in our case it is no
longer possible to ascertain the complete and definitive
healing. I am very well aware that this thought gives
only scant consolation. On another note, however,
the certainty remains that everything that happened
to Mrs. Heibel through the intercession of Blessed
Seelos should be considered an exceptional grace and
that prayers of intercession to the Blessed do not go
unheard.” Father Marrazzo concludes, “I am convinced
that in the future, we will have an extraordinary and
unquestionable case that will make it possible for
us to celebrate the canonization of Blessed Seelos.”
questions they never asked me,
so i asked myself
Where does the Seelos Cause go from here? A lot of confidence was
placed in Father Marrazzo’s efforts in presenting this case to Vatican
officials, so we trust that his recommendation for withdrawal is the right
decision. His statement that the Congregation for the Causes is disinclined
to accept alleged healings involving tumors is noteworthy. (For example,
in July 2005, a pregnant woman diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a
rare and aggressive form of cancer, was cured after a single, six-week
cycle of chemotherapy; she attributed her healing to the intercession of
Venerable Pius XII. After consulting two outside doctors, the local bishop
determined that she could have been cured by even a single cycle of chemo
and essentially closed the case.) In the future, it may be more beneficial
to submit a healing that does not involve cancerous tumors.
Is there another case to submit? Advocates for the Venerable Solanus
Casey Cause in Detroit are hoping for a favorable response on a case that
will result in Casey’s beatification. They are still collecting testimony in the
event that the current case, like others before it, is deemed insufficient.
Since Seelos’ beatification in April 2000, we have thoroughly compiled
two separate healings of significance for Father Marrazzo to review. Of
the two, it was widely believed that the Heibel case had enough merit
to conclude the Diocesan Phase, even with Mary Ellen’s untimely death
several weeks after she was officially deposed under oath by the Baltimore
Archdiocesan Tribunal. It seems advisable to wait for another case so
extraordinary that the third time might be a charm! With that said, there
are a number of cases on file to revisit in light of this development to see
if they warrant further investigation.
Is there a “double standard” in the process regarding more popular
causes than Seelos’? While some may question if a French nun’s cure
of Parkinson’s disease was properly diagnosed to result in Pope John Paul
II’s beatification, or if the survival of a 2-year-old who overdosed on
Tylenol should have facilitated Edith Stein’s canonization, there is another
dimension to the overall process that is without question: evidently, God
desires that Father Seelos enjoy his beatified status for a longer period of
time, and there is someone who remains to be healed through Blessed Seelos’
intercession in a complete and definitive way to culminate in his canonization!
But was there not an enormous amount of time and effort expended
in compiling this case? Absolutely. Was there hope that Pope Benedict
XVI could have canonized Seelos, a fellow Bavarian? Positively. Was this
news greeted with much personal disappointment? Certainly. Someone
once quipped that the Church promoted Limbo thinking that heaven needs
as much time as the Church does to process paperwork. This case took
seven long years from start to finish! A tremendous amount of gratitude
is owed to Rev. Gil Seitz and the Archdiocese of
Baltimore for conducting the Diocesan Inquiry.
Mary Ellen Heibel worked the hardest to see this
case through to completion, and if her cure of
metastasized esophageal cancer through Blessed
Seelos’ intercession helped add almost five more
years to her life, then “Blessed be the name of the
Lord!” May her soul rest in peace. With all due
respect to G. K. Chesterton who said, “If a miracle
is not exceptional, it’s not even miraculous,” the
Vatican does not deny the exceptional miracle
that affected Mary Ellen Heibel; it just isn’t the
miracle to canonize Bl. Seelos. That distinction
belongs to another, possibly someone reading this
now!
CNS | GEORGE P. MATYSEK, JR.
Byron Miller, C.Ss.R.
Seelos Center Services

Pilgrimages to Seelos Shrine &
Museum. Call Center: 504-525-2495,
Open Mon-Fri, 9 to 3; Sat, 10 to 3:30.
 Daily Prayer Message 504-586-1803
 Blessings of the Sick with a Seelos
Crucifix in designated area hospitals:
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Gerry Heigle:
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985-735-1056
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Dr. Ann Logarbo:
985-886-0218
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985-892-1828
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Dan Montz, L.P.C.:
985-446-1805
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Fred Roy: 337-380-0646
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985-653-1343
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985-845-8116
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Charlotte Carolla: 601-916-4233
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225-294-5938
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Seelos Center Devotionals
RENEWAL OPPORTUNITY
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS NEWSLETTER
Cheerful Ascetic, 480-pg. hardbound biography by Fr. M.Curley that
captures Seelos’ piety & personality;
index/photos (Donation: $30, incl.p/h)
“I so enjoy receiving the monthly newsletter and reading about all the cures
through Bl. Seelos’ intercession. I am enclosing $10 to help defray the postage
increase. I cannot live without my Seelos Newsletter!” – San Antonio, TX
Garabandal Journal features cover
story by Mark Regis on “Blessed
Francis Seelos, Powerful Intercessor” in the Sept/Oct 2003 issue.
(Donation: $7, incl. p/h).
Dear Reader: The Seelos Center is committed to providing you with a monthly
newsletter offering spiritual inspiration and current information on the Seelos
Cause. Due to the five annual postage rate increases in the last six years,
including the latest one this month, please allow us to update your information
and preferences as a New Year’s Resolution.
Seelos Novena: 32-page deluxe
booklet with sturdy cover; specify
English, Spanish, or Vietnamese.
(Donation: $3.50, incl. p/h)
Seelos Wooden Bracelet with
Color Images is 3-1/4” wide x 3/4”
tall before expansion. Depicts various images of our Blessed Mother &
Bl. Seelos at the Shrine. (Donation:
$13, incl. p/h)
Seelos Holy Water Bottle: Empty
holy water bottle with Seelos imprint.
(Donation: $6, incl. p/h)
Seelos Ceramic Plaque: Handmade
ceramic plaque of Bl. Seelos made by
Benedictine monks at St. Andrew’s
Abbey in California. Measures approx.
10” x 4” (Donation: $40, incl. p/h)
St. Mary’s Assumption/Seelos
Shrine Ceramic Plaque: Handcrafted piece by New Orleans artist
Amanda Sierra. Measures approx.
6” x 8.5” (Donation: $45, incl. p/h)
Praying the Seven Sorrows of
Mary with St. Alphonsus CD by Fr.
Pablo Straub, Redemptorist missionary & EWTN personality. (Donation:
$22, incl. p/h)
The Way of the Cross CD: Narrated
by Liam Neeson. Prayers & Music by
St. Alphonsus. (Donation: $22, incl. p/h)
 A Seelos Vigil Candle will burn near his
sacred resting place in Seelos Shrine, New
Orleans, for an offering of $4.
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My life came to an abrupt halt in 1999 with
my first stroke, and last September I was in
such untreatable pain from an inoperable
syrinx in my spinal cord that I felt ready to
leave this world. My childhood best friend
drove through a tropical storm from his
home in Alabama to pray with me with a
first-class Seelos relic. I had an amazing
experience and felt an immediate release
from the terrible grip of pain. I experienced
a rejuvenation that resulted in being able to
drive or ride in a car—something I had not
been able to do since 2007 except on rare
occasions. I drove myself to New Orleans to
the shrine where my friends from Alabama
met me. Tim Rivers [shrine volunteer]
prayed with me in the shrine. I was able
to kneel down on my own at the prie dieu
in the shrine. I had not been able to kneel
on my own for years. In a couple of days
I no longer needed a cane or walker and I
came back to the shrine to be anointed. My
doctors in Houston are thrilled and urged
me to go back to the shrine whenever I can.
athens, ga
My wife suffered a massive stroke in 2008.
She was in the intensive care unit for a week
before they decided that nothing could be
done for her medically, since the damage to
her brain was so extensive. We opted for
home hospice care. Upon arriving home,
she insisted on holding the Seelos first
class relic which we had obtained several
years prior. She held this relic constantly
until her peaceful death a month later. She
said that the relic removed the pain. The
nurses could not believe how little pain
medication she was taking. My wife just
showed them the relic and told them that
this was her pain medication. The Seelos
relic is once again on our mantel.
corpus christi, tx
My wife & I have regularly spend summers
in France. Shortly before I returned to
America 3 years ago, French cardiologists
discovered that I had serious heart problems
that could provisionally be helped by a
popular over-the-counter medication. My
local cardiologist confirmed that I had
congestive heart failure, i.e., irregular
heart-beat, atrial fibrillation & insufficient
ejection-fraction—for which he advised
electric shock treatment, pacemaker and
other very invasive therapies. When I
asked for alternatives he said there weren’t
any. My nephew referred me to another
MD who confirmed the diagnosis but gave
me samples of the U.S. version of a French
TESTIMONIALS
medication yet to be approved by the FDA.
For 3 years, regular EKGs showed some
improvements but nothing resembling a
cure. I made a number of novenas to Bl.
Seelos. I meditated, read 3 books about
him, was prayed over by my daughter
(a nun) who blessed me with a Seelos
first-class relic. Then in August, after an
EKG, my cardiologist entered the room
smiling broadly and shaking his head. He
said, “I’m trying to believe it: your heart is
perfectly normal!” Since I didn’t anticipate
the healing, I was as surprised as anyone.
hot springs, ar
My daughter & son-in-law had their house for
sale for a few years. With the bad housing
situation, they were getting desperate
and she asked me to pray for the sale. It
wasn’t long thereafter when a man looked
at it and said it was just what he wanted.
I said I would write a letter in thanksgiving
if the favor was answered. Thank you Fr.
Seelos for one of many favors received.
baton rouge, la
A friend, Rev. Martin Lawrence, brought
me to the celebrated Seelos Shrine. We
arrived early to obtain a good seat. A man
was going through the church blessing
people with a cross that had a Seelos
relic in it. I stood up and venerated the
cross by kissing it. When I did this the
Spirit of the Lord fell upon me. A warm
sensation invaded my entire body. Just
like the woman in the Gospels with the
issue of blood that was completely healed
by touching the cloak of the Lord, so was
I! You see, for over 40 years I suffered
from a horrible addiction. I knew that I
was healed because the presence of the
Lord was still upon me for an entire week,
when I could not read enough on the life of
Bl. Seelos. Regarding my cure, to this day
I have placed my hands upon the plough
and have never looked back!
new iberia, la
Our 2-year-old was found to have a mass
in his foot in 2008. My husband & I were
very worried; as a registered nurse, I knew
of the scary situation. We were visited by
Jack Pitkin and told of Fr. Seelos. Up to
this point I was inconsolable. Days went
by and I did not eat or sleep. But after Mr.
Jack’s visit I began asking Fr. Seelos to
intercede and it’s like a blanket of comfort
was wrapped around me. Our son did
not have cancer; it was an infection that
surgery & intravenous antibiotics for 4
weeks cured. I shared my experience &
relics with a friend whose child was facing a
similar situation and she reported the same
feeling of comfort. Her child’s mass was
benign as well, with no further treatment
needed. Fr. Seelos is such a powerful
intercessor and comfort to two young
mothers facing troubling times.
wichita, ks
In your recent newsletter, I was saddened
to learn of Jack Pitkin’s passing. He was
indeed a very special person to many.
Several years ago, when we came to
New Orleans to visit the Shrine, Jack
not only picked us up at our hotel, but
took us to lunch, and then showed us
around the Center and blessed us with the
Seelos Cross. Since we were completely
unfamiliar with the city, he was such a
tremendous help. I would always think of
Jack when I received the newsletter each
month. It will now remind me to pray for
him. May he rest in peace. God bless you
for your untiring dedication.
lake hopatcong, nj
In October my wife & I had the pleasure of
visiting the National Shrine of Bl. Seelos
& we had the privilege of participating in a
private ceremony of petition & thanksgiving
with the Seelos crucifix. We noted
how similar the church interior is to the
beautiful churches around Fussen, Seelos’
birthplace. We had attended Mass at
St. Mang in Fussen in 2007. My wife &
I wish to thank you for the friendliness &
hospitality which we experienced at the
Seelos Shrine. It was the impetus for and
the highlight of our trip to New Orleans.
We will never forget it.
easton, ks
We have a very strong devotion to Bl.
Seelos. Seelos was most instrumental
in leading my oldest son to his vocation.
He was just invested in his habit on the
feast of St. Alphonsus as a member of the
Transalpine Redemptorists in Scotland.
On that special day our son was given a
new name, Brother Seelos! We love Bl.
Seelos so much and I have entrusted him
to the care of our family.
Seelos Center News
galveston, tx
A monthly newsletter for friends of
BL. FRANCIS X. SEELOS
Denver Provincial Superior:
Very Rev. Harry Grile, C.Ss.R.
Seelos Center Executive Director / Editor: Rev. Byron Miller
Seelos Center Staff: Joyce Bourgeois,
Rev. Terry McCloskey C.Ss.R., Jackie Milan, Nick Punch
Vice-Postulators: Frs. John Vargas & Byron Miller
Seelos Center News (USPS 4472) published monthly
by the Redemptorists / National Shrine of Bl. F.X. Seelos
Subscription is $12 per year.