by Simon Hart

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“We give thanks for this wonderful cure that took place 101 years ago in Lourdes. It is something that has brought faith and joy and constancy to the people of Liverpool and I’m so pleased, proud and humbled to be here with you to celebrate Holy Mass on this occasion.”

 

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon said these words during his message of welcome to a packed Metropolitan Cathedral on a memorable evening in February, as the “Liverpool Lourdes family” gathered to celebrate the declaration of the miracle of John “Jack” Traynor.

 

The Mass of Thanksgiving for the Proclamation of the 71st Miracle of Lourdes was a highly significant occasion for the archdiocese that drew people to the cathedral from far and wide – among them a contingent from Lourdes led by Jean-Marc Micas, Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, as well as members of the Traynor family. As the “Lourdes Hymn”, Immaculate Mary, filled the cathedral, the Mass opened with a long procession of clergy – including Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who had returned to his home city to be present along with Bishop Tom Neylon Bishop and Bishop Emeritus Tom Williams, the Bishop Emeritus of Hallam John Rawsthorne, Bishop Donal Roche from Dublin, and Bishop Paul Swarbrick from Lancaster.

 

This is the first recognised miracle involving a person from England and, therefore, directors of other English pilgrimages were also among the congregation, while the civic dignitaries attending included Lord Lieutenant Mark Blundell, Lord Mayor Richard Kemp, and Merseyside High Sheriff Professor John Mohin.

 

It was on 8 December last year that Traynor’s case was officially declared a miracle. The healing occurred during the archdiocese’s first official pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1923. There, he was cured of epilepsy, paralysis of the right arm and paraplegia – the legacy of injuries suffered during the First World War.

 

During his opening address, Archbishop Malcolm gave thanks to two people in particular for their efforts to blow the dust off Traynor’s case and ensure it received proper consideration. First, he mentioned Alessandro de Franciscis, Director of the medical bureau at Lourdes, who “has been working so hard to help us bring to a conclusion this long, long quest for recognition of the cure of Jack Traynor.”

 

He then cited the “great debt” owed to Dr Kieran Moriarty “who did the research necessary to enable the cure of Jack Traynor to be declared a miracle. He was like a dog with a bone, he wouldn’t let go until he found the right documents!” What followed was a Mass with an inevitably strong Lourdes feeling. Together with the Metropolitan Cathedral choir, the Lourdes Music Group contributed to the music while Dr Jim Connolly, the senior medical officer of the Liverpool pilgrimage, and Cath McCarthy, president of the Liverpool Hospitalite, said the readings. As a lovely detail, members of Traynor’s family – a grandson and a great-grandson – took part in the offertory, along with Dr de Franciscis and other members of the Lourdes medical bureau.

 

“Opening eyes to God’s work”

 

In his Homily, the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes Jean-Marc Micas cited the Gospel in which Jesus had told the sick man to “stand up, take your mat and walk”. He said: “Most of the time, people – even believers – think that sickness and misfortune are a kind of consequence of sin, when they are not a punishment of God offended by the sin of men. The whole of the Old Testament is filled with this universal conviction, and in the New Testament, people are inhabited by this same universal theology when they ask Jesus, “Is this man born blind because of his sin or that of his parents?”. “Neither his own nor that of his parents,” Jesus answers, “but so that the work of God may be manifested in him.” The eyes of the blind are opened, so that the eyes of men may be opened to the work of God.”

 

Next, Bishop Micas focused on the case of Traynor and how, during that 1923 pilgrimage, he had responded to the blessing of the Archbishop of Reims during the Blessed Sacrament Procession. (Traynor’s later recollection was that his immobile right arm “suddenly shot out” and he blessed himself.) The Bishop said: “Like the sick person of the Gospel, he [Traynor] too had heard about this pool, this spring, and wished to be immersed in it. As he did during the first pilgrimage of your Diocese to Lourdes in 1923. As in the Gospel, it was when Christ passed by that he was healed. Christ, in the real presence of his Eucharist, visited John Traynor, visited the other sick who were with him, visited the hospitaliers and the other pilgrims who were with him. Christ, in the real presence of his Eucharist, blessed Mr Traynor and he felt that he was healed, he felt that his body was restored, but also his heart and soul.” Finally, and importantly, the Bishop added that with this miracle came an obligation. “With you, dear brothers and sisters, the whole Church rejoices in what God has done for John Traynor. This miracle is now a responsibility for you: to show the men and women of your country that God loves them, that God wants to - and can - cure them of all diseases, true illnesses, those which kill the heart and the soul. John Traynor’s healing is good news for our time: God saves. It is a mission for you to proclaim that God loves everyone, and saves everyone.”

 

Another of the contingent from France, Father Baptiste Pochulu – director of liturgy at Lourdes – took advantage of the celebration to make a special presentation to the Liverpool pilgrimage director Fr Grant Maddock, whom he made a chaplain of honour to the shrine. This is an honour previously bestowed on Fr Grant’s predecessors, Monsignor John Butchard and Mgr Des Seddon.

 

Cardinal’s reflections

 

The Mass concluded with a closing reflection from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who said that Traynor’s story called to mind the coalman he had known in his boyhood. “For me, he was a mighty man,” he said, “and Jack Traynor, when he was cured, became a coal merchant.”

 

The Cardinal added: “I will take two things home from here this evening. I think it will renew within me the deep love and devotion which we have for Mary and the confidence with which we can take our troubles to her. The way in which we instinctively pray - pray the rosary if we can’t sleep, turn to her in very difficult moments, and bring our sick to her. This evening, we might pray especially for Pope Francis as he carries himself the burden of illness and hospitalisation.

 

“The second thing I will take home comes from the very lovely homily that we heard – for every gift we receive from God there is a task, a mission.” And in this case, Traynor’s miracle should act as a call “to bring from us to everyone the shining message of God’s compassion and love for all. With Jack Traynor, we rejoice as a shining example of that mercy and compassion, but each of us is a recipient of God’s grace, and each of us is sent on our mission to bring that love and mercy of God to our needy world today.”