May 30 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Mexico (1966)

May 30 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Mexico (1966)

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When Hitler’s armies defeated the French and entered the city of Paris during the latter part of 1939, a young woman, Maria Hendizabal, fled from France to live in Mexico. Arriving at Vera Cruz, she went to the Mexican capital to make a new home. Among her few possessions she had a large picture of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart which she wished to give to some church for safekeeping, since she would be obliged to live in a small town and expected to have nothing more than a small room for herself. Padre Juan Gomez of the Church of San Jose (Saint Joseph) allowed her to place the image on the wall of the vestibule on February 2, 1940.

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That very same evening a nine year old boy, who was afflicted with infantile paralysis, was immediately cured after praying before the lovely image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The youth left his crutches on the floor of the vestibule and hurried home to tell his mother. The news of his cure spread rapidly and the next day hundreds of the faithful visited the church, where before, there was never an attendance of more than a hundred at Sunday Mass. This cure was followed by others, and day by day the crowds grew larger.

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After a week the pastor had to take the picture down from the wall of the vestibule and place it in the front of the church where it could be more easily viewed by the crowds clamoring to see it. Since Mexico abounds in silver, the usual way of acknowledging favors is to make a gift of precious silver. At present the entire left wall of the church is covered with silver remembrances donated by the recipients of favors received from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

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Even though the shrine of Our Lady has existed for only 27 years (as of 1966), there have been thousands of cures performed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. These cures have been verified by affidavits signed by reliable physicians in the presence of notaries; the documents may still be seen in the present day at the shrine. One father, in gratitude for the cure of his daughter, had a silversmith make a new frame for the picture. The picture frame is a fitting gift, and is indescribably beautiful.