The Miraculous Healing of Mr. Dormans

Mr. J.H.A. Dormans comes from Munstergeleen in Holland, birthplace of Blessed Charles. On March 29"', 1999, his doctor had him taken to the emergency room of the Maasland Hospital in Sittard. What he had experienced as abdominal pains turned out to be a ruptured appendix. Complications emerged. The oozing acid had damaged the small intestines to such an extent that, every other day, the inside of his abdomen had to be rinsed out under full anaesthetic. From the outset Mr. Dormans had surrendered his faith into the hands of Blessed Charles, praying for a positive outcome to his disease, and a blessing on the hands of the physicians who were treating him.

On April 11th his grandson, Simon, was due to make his First Holy Communion and all dressed up was brought to see his papa in hospital. On arrival it was discovered that Mr. Dorman's wife, Mia, and the other family members had been sent for. His condition had worsened. The surgical procedure that morning had exposed totally weakened and already porous intestines. Every action taken by the surgeon to improve the situation seemed to have the opposite result. When he wanted to close a hole, a little touch caused the intestines to leek even further.

The doctor informed the family that from a medical point of view nothing more could be done and that there was no hope of recovery. His condition was so bad that the attending medical staff had decided not to resuscitate him. The family were advised to prepare themselves for an unpleasant death, within a very short time. With Mr. Dorman's intestines totally destroyed, the surgeon calmly and quietly explained how he had reached the boundaries of what he could do. Medical Science had nothing further to offer. The last sacraments of the Church were administered. The family said their good-byes.

Mr. Dormans, who has great confidence in Blessed Charles held the relic of Charles in his hand and prayed. Because he is a very well known and beloved person in our village many people from the parish were praying for this recovery at the shrine where Blessed Charles was born. He went into a deep coma that same day, April 11th. Then the miracle happened: the next day he woke up and was completely clear of mind and his vital signs continued to improve. The recovery had begun!

On a visit a couple of days later, Mr. Dorman's family doctor was looking at him and saying to him: "Father Charles has performed his miracle, now it's up to the medical staff here". His health continued to improve with every passing day. The surgeon said: "It is beyond me that you are sitting here, opposite me, and still alive!" The medical team decided to perform further surgery and reserved a full day in the operating room on October 27"'. When they went in, however, they found that all they had to do was connect the small intestines and close a little hole. Everything else was already healed in a natural way.

This is the miraculous cure that, having passed through stringent medical scrutiny in the Netherlands and Rome, has now been given approval by Pope Benedict XVI and allows the Holy Father to announce June 3rd as the date for the canonisation of Blessed Charles.