For Catholics devoted to Blessed Solanus Casey, stories of intercessory prayers leading to healing are not uncommon. One such recent testimony comes from Mary Bartold, a 16-year-old from DeWitt, Michigan, whose inexplicable recovery has deepened the faith of her family and community.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Mary’s health concerns began in April 2024 when she was a sophomore at Lansing Catholic High School. She started experiencing severe abdominal pain while at school, leading her parents, Susan and Rick Bartold, to seek medical answers. “Mary and her family could not pinpoint what the problem was,” Detroit Free Press reported.
A CT scan and ultrasound at University of Michigan Health revealed two tumors, one 7.3 centimeters and the other 1.5 centimeters, on each of her ovaries. Faced with a potential loss of fertility and other health risks, Mary and her family turned to their Catholic faith for guidance. “At just 16 years old, Mary began to worry about losing the potential to have children and all the implications the tumors could have on her health,” according to the Detroit Free Press.
As doctors scheduled surgery for August 2, 2024, Susan and Rick embarked on a spiritual journey, seeking the intercession of Blessed Solanus Casey. They visited his tomb in Detroit and organized a novena in his name, joined by their family, friends, and church community. “Susan said she had long prayed to Casey,” and she felt a strong connection to him due to his history in Michigan as a Capuchin friar and a man of great charity, according to the Diocese of Lansing.
On July 30, just days before the scheduled operation and coinciding with Casey’s feast day, Mary underwent a pre-surgery MRI scan. Her mother recalled praying, “Solanus, this is your feast day. I am doing this for you. I know you have big news.” The next day, doctors informed the family that the surgery was canceled—the tumors had completely vanished.
“The day after the scan, Mary and her parents received a call from her doctors that the surgery could be canceled. It was determined there was no sign of the tumors after multiple radiologists and doctors looked over the images. They were completely gone,” Detroit Free Press reported. Even six months later, follow-up scans confirmed that the tumors had not returned.
Mary and her family attribute the healing to the power of prayer. “We forget about the power of prayer,” Susan said. “And this is just a testimony to the power of prayer,” according to the Diocese of Lansing.
Following the miraculous recovery, the Bartolds returned to Blessed Solanus Casey’s tomb, this time in thanksgiving. They also submitted Mary’s case to the Solanus Casey Center for consideration as an official miracle—a step that could further Casey’s path to sainthood.
Pope Francis previously acknowledged a miracle attributed to Casey in 2017, involving a woman with a genetic skin condition who was miraculously healed after praying at his tomb in Detroit. If Mary’s case is recognized by the Vatican, it would mark another significant step toward Casey’s canonization.
Mary herself hopes that her story can contribute to that cause. “He deserves to be canonized,” she told the Diocese of Lansing. “I would be honored if my story was what led Casey to become a saint.”
The extraordinary account of Mary Bartold serves as a reminder to Catholics of the power of faith, the intercession of the saints, and the belief that miracles still happen today.
Praise the Lord and blessings to you Mary for your recovery. Prayer is very powerful!