About 24 years ago, Jeanne and a priest friend prayed to Jeanne Jugan, the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor in France who died in 1879, to ask God in heaven to cure Ed from terminal cancer. And the church – after an extensive investigation – determined that through Jeanne Jugan’s intercession, God healed Ed.
In fact, Ed’s healing of esophageal cancer was the final church-approved miracle needed for the 2009 canonization of Jeanne Jugan.
The Gatzes, members of Christ the King Parish in Omaha, admit they are just like everybody else when it comes to everyday living. For years, Ed was an anesthesiologist at Bergan Mercy Hospital, and he and Jeanne raised their son, Bart, in their Rockbrook neighborhood home.
But God chose to use them to do something extraordinary.
Praying through the diagnosis
In 1989, 51-year-old Ed became concerned about multiple, tiny bumps on the back of his hands, and how his skin had become unusually thick and coarse.
A dermatologist believed the changes could be a hidden cancer and referred him to his internal medicine physician. For eight weeks, tests and consultations were conducted, but a diagnosis of cancer could not be confirmed.
After an upper and lower scoping by a gastrointestinal doctor at Bergan Mercy in Omaha, he was diagnosed as having esophageal cancer and told he probably had six months to live. His wife sought consolation from the late Jesuit Father Richard McGloin at Creighton University, who encouraged her to pray “every day without fail” a novena prayer to Blessed Jugan to intercede for a cure.
Father McGloin, who died in 2005, knew about the novena prayer because he had been the chaplain at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Milwaukee.
His tumor was removed during a palliative surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, but chose not to have chemotherapy or radiation done to remove the cancer because neither would cure him nor would they guarantee to prolong his life.
But at every three-month checkup over the next year, he was cancer free.
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| Ed and Jeanne Gatz of Omaha share Ed’s story of miraculous healing during a visit to the Spirit Catholic Radio studios Nov. 6. |
The Gatzes continued on in their day-to-day lives and Jeanne continued to pray daily the prayer to Jeanne Jugan.
But after 13 years since the diagnosis, Father McGloin encouraged the couple to report the healing to the Little Sisters of the Poor, whose closest monastery was in Kansas City. He also told Jeanne that Ed was the first of five cures he knew of that resulted from his prayers to Jeanne Jugan.
The superior of the Little Sisters of the Poor asked
them to write their story and mail it to them. She also told Jeanne she thought
Ed’s healing would be the final miracle needed for Jeanne Jugan’s canonization.
Formal documentation of the cure began in 2002, and Ed believes his
extensive background in science and research helped him document the case and
later be declared a miracle.
After a thorough investigation, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints acknowledged the miracle through the intercession of Jeanne Jugan in December 2008, and the Gatzes attended her canonization in Rome in Oct. 11, 2009.
“We have gratitude and we realize that it was a gift and a great blessing that God granted,” Jeanne said. “It had nothing to do with us,” she said. “I can understand why he chose a good person like Ed but anyone could have gotten that blessing.”
By sharing their story, the Gatzes hope people will foster relationships with the saints in heaven and, as a result, strengthen their relationship with God.
“We believe it’s an obligation to share this huge blessing,” said Jeanne, who gets requests for copies of the novena. “It gives hope to so many people.”
Read more articles related to this story on the Catholic Voice website, catholicvoiceomaha.com.
Blogged by Lisa Maxson, Senior Writer/Reporter
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