Pope Leo officially recognizes the miraculous healing of a newborn in Rhode Island, declaring it a true Church-approved miracle. The event renews global Catholic faith and draws attention to the power of divine intervention.
Dr. Juan Sánchez-Esteban had exhausted his medical skills for a newborn in dire condition at a hospital in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, so he said a quick prayer he learned from his parents in Spain: “Cura Valera, I have done everything possible; now it is your turn.”
As he began walking down the hallway to tell the little boy’s parents that their son had died, a nurse called him back.
The boy who had no pulse or heartbeat “began to breathe and his heart beat normally,” the Diocese of Almeria, Spain, said in a recent written statement.
Not only did the boy, Tyquan Hall, survive that night of Jan. 14, 2007, he also had no adverse effects that doctors might have expected, such as cerebral palsy or disability in language and motor skills, the Diocese of Almeria said.
Pope Leo XIV recently declared the healing a miracle attributable to the intercessory prayer to God by Don Salvador Valera Parra (1816-1889), a priest from Huércal-Overa, Spain, who is known as “the Spanish Cure d’Ars,” after St. John Vianney, the 19th-century French cleric who is the patron saint of parish priests.
That public statement from the Pope — the first of its kind since Leo was elected May 8 — will enable the Church to beatify Valera, though no date has been set yet. The Pope approved the miracle June 20, but the announcement didn’t get much attention in the United States until a few days ago.
The declaration comes after a 12-day investigation in the Diocese of Providence by the Spanish Diocese of Almeria in September 2015, followed by years of consideration by Vatican experts who examine reports of miracles to determine whether an incident can be explained by natural means — and if not, if prayers to a particular deceased person asking for intercession with God can be tied to the healing.
The incident took place at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, which closed at the beginning of 2018.
The attending physician, Dr. Sanchez-Esteban, who is now a staff neonatologist at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, isn’t accepting requests for interviews, a hospital spokesman told the Register.
The spokesman provided the Register a written statement on behalf of the doctor, which states in part: “As a physician, I have the privilege of witnessing both the fragility and the incredible resilience of life. Moments of recovery and healing touch all of us deeply — families, caregivers, and medical teams alike. While I cannot speak about any individual patient due to HIPAA privacy laws, I understand that a recent recognition by the Vatican has brought comfort and meaning to many.”
Father Nathan Ricci, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Providence, told the Register that the Pope’s declaration is the first of its kind for the diocese, which covers the entire state of Rhode Island.
“There have been other indications of holy people and possible indications of miracles in the state. But this is the only time I know of that the Holy Father has officially declared as true a miracle in the state of Rhode Island,” said Father Ricci in a telephone interview.
“We’re very grateful to God, of course. It’s always a blessing to see the Lord at work,” he said.
Father Timothy Reilly, chancellor of the Diocese of Providence, said in a written statement that the diocese is “thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra.”
“The miracle at the former Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket in 2007 is a reminder of the power of prayer and the intercession of holy men and women,” Father Reilly said. “God is indeed close to us.”
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