It was on a cold winter's night, January 6, 1952, that Marianna Rataj realized she was about to give birth to her eighth child. As usual with the birth of her seven children, the village midwife, Suzanna Wójcik, was summoned to deliver the baby. About midnight everything began normally, but after a few hours of pain and difficulty the midwife told Marianna that a hand was emerging and that she could not continue with the delivery. Because of the serious condition of Mrs. Rataj, Suzanna Wójcik insisted that she be taken to the hospital in Rawa Mazowiecka. The director of the hospital, Leszek Olenderczyk, M.D., accepted the patient and within a short time Mrs. Rataj underwent surgery under anesthesia and gave birth to a dead baby boy. Her condition was very grave. Among her immediate complications were post-operative shock and intestinal paralysis. She recovered from shock, but the presence of a puerperal infection with generalized peritonitis soon became evident. Her abdomen was very distended and painful; she had a high fever and was only semi-conscious. Her condition worsened steadily. While the doctors shook their heads helplessly, Mrs. Rataj became totally resigned to God's will for her. Dr. Olenderczyk notified the family to take her home to die.
But home for Marianna Rataj was one large room where she lived in dire need with her husband and their seven children. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who lived near the Ratajs and often helped them materially, were informed of the sad situation and became very concerned. The superior, Sister M. Eutalia Wismont, sent Sister Miriam Lopacinska to visit the seriously ill mother in the hospital. After seeing how desperate the case was, Sister Miriam hastened back to the convent with the sad news. The sisters began immediately a novena to the foundress of their congregation, Mother Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Frances Siedliska), praying nine times a day with their arms extended in the form of a cross. In their small home, the Rataj family also prayed the novena prayer, begging God through the intercession of Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd for the miracle needed to cure their mother.
Sister Eutalia sent Sister Miriam back to the hospital to pin a relic of their foundress on Mrs. Rataj. While Sister Miriam was at the hospital, she pleaded with Doctor Olenderczyk not to send Mrs. Rataj home to die because of the sad circumstances of the poor family. During the night of January 9th, there was a sudden change in Mrs. Rataj's condition. She slept quietly. When the doctor visited her in the morning, he saw at once that the abdominal distention had subsided.
Mrs. Rataj felt much better. She felt she had been cured, and she rejoiced that she could live for her family who awaited her at home. Everyone rejoiced. When Sister Miriam arrived to visit Mrs. Rataj, she heard of the cure directly from Dr. Olenderczyk who exclaimed, "Sister, I am dumbfounded at what has happened!" The entire hospital staff of doctors and nurses together with the patients who knew of the case claimed that the cure was miraculous.
The information about the miracle was forwarded to Rome to the Superior General of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Pertinent documents were collected and sent.
When the heroicity of the Servant of God, Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, was proclaimed in 1980, steps were taken to introduce and verify the validity of this miracle.
Upon hearing the testimonies of the witnesses and on the basis of the medical records, the illness and subsequent recovery of Marianna Rataj was carefully studied by a medical commission first in Warsaw and then in Rome.
On September 1, 1988, at Castel Gandolfo, in the presence of His Holiness John Paul II, the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints promulgated the miraculous cure attributed to Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Frances Siedliska).
An exerpt from Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, 1989
By S. M. Inez Strzalkowska, CSFN
Learn More about Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd here.
