Fr Agnelo’s feast held, VP probing healing claim

PANAJI: The office of vice postulator (VP) for the cause of Venerable Fr Agnelo de Souza at Pilar is examining the claims of a miraculous recovery of a devotee from kidney failure after he sought the Anjuna-born priest’s intervention.
The man accompanied by his wife gave his testimony after the high mass on the occasion of Fr de Souza’s 89th death anniversary at Pilar hillock on Saturday.
Thousands of devotees attended the high mass concelebrated by Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao and other masses in a pandal outside Pilar monastery church.
Speaking before thousands of devotees, the man said that he had been admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and doctors had told him that he had only two hours to live. Both his kidneys were damaged.
His wife, who had a picture and mud from the grave of Fr Agnelo in her purse asked him to swallow it faithfully. Slowly, his cretine count came down to 11, and then plunged lower to four percent. Actually, a count of 1.2% is considered normal.
“We are examining his claims, as he was up on his feet and appeared hale and hearty,” Fr Hilario Fernandes, Vice Postulator said speaking to STOI on Saturday.
Two of the four processes for his sainthood have been completed and a miracle is needed for his beatification.
Ferrao has dedicated this pastoral year from June 2016 to May 2017 especially to pray for his canonization.
A nephrologist said that kidney damage can occur due to acute and chronic infection.
“In cases of acute infection from snake bite or malaria, the patient recovers from complications over a period of few days to a few weeks. But in chronic cases, the damage is irreversible,” Dr Amol Mahaldar, a nephrologist, said.