In September 2017, Father Juan Manuel Gutierrez, then a seminarian at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California, suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a basketball game with fellow seminarians.
Despite initially treating the injury as a pulled muscle, an MRI confirmed the complete tear, leading doctors to recommend surgery.
Faced with the challenges of surgery and recovery, Gutierrez turned to prayer. Inspired to begin a novena to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, he sought spiritual assistance, asking for help rather than healing. As he prayed one evening in the seminary chapel, he felt an unusual warmth in his injured ankle, which he described as “gentle,” as reported by Angelus News.
In the days following, Gutierrez found himself walking without a brace. By the time he visited his orthopedic surgeon, the injury had inexplicably vanished. “You must have somebody up there looking after you,” the surgeon reportedly said, perplexed by his complete recovery.
This event sparked a canonical investigation. Medical records and witness testimonies were reviewed extensively. The Vatican ultimately determined the healing was a miracle attributable to Frassati’s intercession.
The Vatican formally recognized the miracle in November 2024, paving the way for the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, scheduled for August 2025.
During a press conference, Gutierrez shared his awe and gratitude, emphasizing that “prayer works.”
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!
🙏
Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
