Ever since the first Marian apparition in Lourdes on February 11, 1858, millions of people have flocked to the site and have bathed in the sacred water, praying to God for a miraculous healing.
Yet, even after more than 150 years, only 71 miracles have been officially approved and verified.
This is because the Lourdes Medical Bureau investigates any claim of physical healing to verify whether it was an authentic miracle or something that happened through a natural course of events.
The 71st miracle
Most recently, the 71st miracle was announced by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool, England.
Interestingly, it was not a recent miracle, but one that occurred in 1923.
The Catholic Herald explains that, "The case has been believed to be miraculous for many years, but, despite an attempt in 1993, there has never been an official ecclesiastical declaration until today."
Archbishop McMahon proclaimed:
“Given the weight of medical evidence, the testimony to the faith of John Traynor and his devotion to Our Blessed Lady, it is with great joy that I declare that the cure of John Traynor, from multiple serious medical conditions, is to be recognized as a miracle wrought by the power of God through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes."
Traynor died in 1943, but after a thorough investigation of the archives and all medical evidence available, the Archbishop of Liverpool has declared his healing was a miracle.
