The Approved Miracle
-Account of Fr. Giovanni C.P.
- April 2004

Was the healing of my parishioner, Mr. Dolf Dormans in 1999, through the intercession of Blessed Charles, a true miracle? In April, 1999 he suffered because of a very complicated appendicitis, which caused irrevocable damage to the intestines. The surgeon of the hospital told him and his wife and children that he should call for a priest to anoint him and to help him to prepare for death. The surgeon said to them: "Do what you have to do quickly, because soon you will be in a coma and won't wake up anymore. You have only 24 hours to live. "

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!

With this information the Postulator, Fr Joachim van der Heijden cp and Fr. Harrie Broers, pastor of Munstergeleen, talked things over, spoke with the surgeons and decided to ask the Bishop to establish a tribunal to investigate this presumed miracle. The Bishop was positive and the members were given on oath on November 6th, 2002.

On February 19", 2003 we went back to the Bishop to have the final session of the tribunal and had the documents placed under the episcopal seal. Then on February 20th we went to the Papal Nuncio who would take all the documents to the Vatican. So that day, in the early morning, we departed: Fr. Joachim van der Heijden cp, the Delegate of the Bishop for this Tribunal, Prof. Dr. Stefaan van Calster and I. Prof. Van Calster drove the car and I was sitting in the front. All went well until we approached Utrecht where we encountered a traffic jam. All the traffic slowed down: 70 km..., 50 km... At the moment that we and all the cars stopped, we were hit from behind by a huge Mercedes-van which, ignoring all signs, drove at high speed and hit us and the car in front of us and an additional three more cars.

Fr. Joachim was in the back of the car and was bleeding and showing no signs of signs of life. I climbed out over the steering-wheel and climbed into the back to get to him and gave him general absolution. As I was holding him he started moving again and I had to try to keep him calm. He was in terrible pain. Soon an ambulance arrived and brought him to the nearest hospital. Because the situation was so hectic, we could not accompany him on his trip to the hospital. We followed later.

Meanwhile Prof. Van Calster was collecting the packages of the documents and X-rays which were strewn all over the highway. As we arrived at the hospital they were attending to Fr. Joachim who, we were told, was in very critical condition. He was sedated. He had 7 broken ribs, punctured lungs, a broken pelvis and cheek-bone, and was connected to a respirator. He continued in this highly critical condition until March 25th, but did not open his eyes until April 13th. For us here in the parish it was a period of fear and faith: Blessed Charles won't let him die! So we started to pray a novena every evening at 6:00 PM in the Shrine, until he awoke from the coma. The Shrine was completely filled every evening with not only people of our village, but also from the wider area. It was incredible! The surgeons' diagnosis of Fr. Joachim was very pessimistic: if he survives, what will the prognosis be?

When finally he opened his eyes on April 13th, he appeared to be completely lucid! We said with tears in our eyes: Praised be our Blessed Charles! Now he is in a rehabilitation clinic and is undergoing therapy in the hope that slowly he will be able to walk again; however, that will still take a long time.