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Catholic Miracle Rally in central London
Spiro Sueref from Wales reports on the Catholic Miracle Rally organised by the Cor et Lumen Christi Community and held 4th-5th March 2006 at the Friends Meeting House in London.
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A woman got out of a wheelchair and a woman with severe hearing problems was healed at the Catholic Miracle Rally which was held at the Friends Meeting House in Central London last March. Over 800 people, not only from all over England, but Ireland and several European countries, packed the building for the rally which was organised by the Cor et Lumen Christi Community. A reporter from BBC Radio 4 was also there to witness what happened and to interview those healed. This will be part of a programme on healing and miracles that will be broadcast in the near future. The speakers included Fr Pat Collins, the Irish Vincentian, who spoke at last year’s conference, as well as Damian Stayne, the founder of Cor et Lumen Christi, who led the evening healing service. Fr Pat spoke on the importance of expectant faith in healing and miracles. In the Scriptures he reminded people, Jesus always told them “your faith has healed you.” Likewise in his own hometown because of their lack of faith, Jesus could work no miracles. To grow in faith he explained, we should read the word of God and about the miracles that Jesus did, as well as the work of people like Smith Wigglesworth, a Pentecostal leader, whose faith was so huge, that the Lord was able to use him in the most extraordinary way. He gave several testimonies from his own experience of God’s healing power. In the afternoon Pastor Jonathan Oloyede, the Nigerian Pentecostal leader, who was supposed to speak didn’t turn up through a misunderstanding, so Damian stepped in and gave a talk emphasising the importance of repentance in preparation for healing. At the end of this those who had been invited to come and help with praying for healing laid hands on those in need around them. By the evening people’s faith levels had grown and there was a palpable excitement in the hall. After a time of worship Damian led the service by giving healing words of command. He would identify a particular sickness and then command that people with this problem be healed. It was quite incredible to witness. About 55 people gave witness that they were instantly healed. A lot of these had mobility problems but there was also the spectacular moment when one lady got out of her wheelchair and another when there was a shriek from the balcony and a woman shouted “I can hear, I can hear!” There were also some people with cancerous growths who said they suddenly felt them shrinking under their hands during the prayers. It reminded me of the signs of the kingdom that the bible tells us about when the lame walk and the deaf hear. Jesus was really alive in our midst and we witnessed how his presence and healing power could change lives. Jesus is Alive! Sometimes the healing of people at big events like these doesn’t seem to last, so I decided to follow up three of the people who had claimed to be healed. Shelagh McDonough (72), from West Norwood, was one of them. She had been suffering from osteo-arthritis for 10 years , which affected her hips, knees, shoulders, elbows and spine, causing her a lot of pain. She had been using a wheelchair for 12 months as she could only walk 20 or so steps with a walking stick on a good day, and not at all on bad days. She told me her healing had come when Damian had asked people to wash their hearts of any resentment or hate they might have against someone who had hurt them. She had apparently held a hurt in her heart for 40 years and as she handed this completely over to the Holy Spirit she felt surrounded by light and warmth for a while. When there were prayers for arms and shoulders she didn’t particularly feel anything, but when Damian prayed for legs and hips, she knew immediately that something had happened. She commented, “A woman asked me to try and walk but I sat down because I was afraid. I could believe that other people could be healed but I couldn’t believe it could happen to me. I prayed for courage and found myself walking across to my friend Maureen without a stick.” She and her friend walked back to the hotel, with her friend pushing the empty chair! Gertrude Mwansa, who lives in Wolverhampton, was another person who experienced a great healing from severe arthritis. This healing too was linked to forgiveness and forgiving many people who had hurt her. It has been an ongoing process, she explains, as since the conference, when she wakes up, she experiences pain but as soon as she prays for people she still needs to forgive, the pain disappears. The third person was Jacqui from Berkshire. She contracted measles at the age of four which caused her to be partially deaf in one ear. She said, “the moment Damian commanded healing it was like someone had taken their finger out of my ear. I was unsteady on my feet because of the change in balance. I could hear and the Tinitus had stopped. I was overjoyed and kept praising Jesus for what he had done for me.” Although everyone was not healed there were enough healings to make people realise that miracles are possible today. It made us realise that Jesus is truly Alive and working in his Church today.
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