ANSWERED PRAYERS

Devotees to Father McGivney posing for photo holding his portrait.

Since Father McGivney was a man of practical action who tended to the ordinary needs of his people, you are encouraged to pray to him in your daily needs, as well as in times of serious illness. Of the thousands of ordinary favors reported to the Guild over the years, most fall into these four general categories which Father McGivney dealt with as a priest on earth:

Employment and finances. Just as his parishioners looked to Father McGivney for guidance in a society in which the words “Irish need not apply” were often included in job postings, so today many pray to him when they are laid off or seeking a better job. A grateful wife recently reported, “My husband persevered in prayer for Father McGivney to intercede for him to find a new job, and his prayers were answered.”

Substance abuse and medical conditions. In Father McGivney’s day, alcohol abuse was a factor among the immigrant population, and he founded a parish “total abstinence” society. Many now ask for help with drug abuse, including a relieved mother who called the Guild to say that her adult son had entered a rehabilitation program after she prayed to Father McGivney.

There are many favors reported of recovery of health following serious conditions such as heart attack, cancer, coma, sepsis, stroke and blood disorders. Most of these involved extensive medical interventions that would make the case for a miracle difficult to prove, but those who prayed to Father McGivney believe he was very much involved in the healing.

Family reconciliation. Family divisions sometimes occurred among large immigrant families struggling to make ends meet, and they are not uncommon today. A mother recently wrote that after she prayed for a week, her two grown sons began talking to one another again. “I know in my heart Father McGivney answered my prayer!”

Return to the faith. Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to keep men from joining anti-Catholic secret societies that promised financial benefits. Today, many Catholics call upon him to help their fallen-away children. A mother wrote happily, “I prayed a novena regularly for six months to Blessed Father McGivney, imploring his help for my son and daughter-in-law to return to the Church. This month, they enrolled in their parish and are attending Mass. My prayers were answered!”

You may report your favors on this website.

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