St Charbel ... The Healing of Dafne Guiterrez from Blindness

Dafne Gutierrez, a 30 year old blind Hispanic American woman, mother of three children, who had lost her eyesight to Arnold-Chiari malformation has been healed in Phoenix, America by St Charbel the day after she visited St Charbel’s holy relic at St Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix, America.

Phoenix is a city with a large Lebanese community, mostly Maronite Catholics with the local Maronite church is dedicated to St Joseph and Masses are celebrated in three languages: Arabic, Spanish and English. St Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church is the hub of one of the 36 Maronite parishes in the United States, divided between the two big dioceses of New York and Los Angeles.

The relic of St Charbel, which has toured various parishes since early October 2015, consists of St Charbel’s bone which is kept in a cedar chest. This pilgrimage marks the 50th anniversary of St Charbel’s beatification. The Parish Priest of St Joseph Church, Father Wissam Akiki, had publicised as much as he could the short visit of the St Charbel’s relic at his church which was between the 15th January 2016 to 17th January 2016.

Dafne was diagnosed with Arnold–Chiari malformation at the age of 13 and over the years developed papilledema (swelling of the optic disc swelling) at the end of the optic nerve. Surgery to correct the malformation had proved unsuccessful. In 2014, she lost the use of her left eye, which had gradually weakened a year earlier. In November 2015, the right eye was also lost, which plunged her into total darkness that even sunlight failed to break when she looked at it directly. A medical report eventually concluded that her blindness was irreversible and that she required permanent medical assistance. Dafne even considered moving to a blind residence so she won’t be a burden on her family.

Over the weekend of the 16th and 17th January 2016, motivated by Fr Akiki’s posters, relatives encouraged Dafne to ask for healing at St Joseph’s Church. Then one of Dafne’s relative took her to St Joseph’s Church to receive a prayer and a blessing from Father Akiki on Saturday, 16 January 2016. “I put my hand on her head, then on both eyes, and I asked God to heal her through the intercession of St Charbel,” Father Akiki said. The next day on Sunday, Dafne and her family attended Mass at St Joseph’s Church and then went home.

On the morning of the 18th January 2016, the amazing miracle occurred. Around 5am, Dafne woke up with severe itching in the eyes and the feeling of pressure on her skull and eye sockets. She woke up her husband, who detected a strong burning smell in the room. He switched on the light, but then switched it off very quickly, at Defne’s request because it bothered her. Then in the glow of a nightlight, she shouted with amazement and joy, that she could see again. “I can see you. I can see you with my own eyes,” she shouted. At the same time, she felt a strong pressure on the skull and eyes, like after an operation. She put her hand to her head, on the right side, as if there were an injury. “I cannot believe it. I did not want to close my eyes,” she said. Dafne’s children were also shouting: “Mum can see! God healed mum!’”

I shall return

  

At first glance I share little in common with Ernest Hemmingway and General MacArthur; except we have all dined at the Manila Hotel! The latter is still remembered and loved in the Philippines because he kept an important promise. As the Philippines was being overrun by Japanese troops the Americans had to retreat but he promised to return and he did so and helped liberate the Islands from the tyranny of Japanese imperialism. A leader who keeps his promises is remembered. 

My wife and I were back at the Manila hotel yesterday for our 30^th Wedding Anniversary dinner. We were last there just before we got married. In the Champagne Room restaurant we were treated to a wonderful dinner complete with pianist who played ‘As time goes by’ the piece from the movie Casablanca. I restrained myself from repeating the immortal words ‘here’s looking at you kid’. 

The service was marvellous; very precise and elegant; some dishes prepared by chef’s at the table itself and it put me in mind of customs and practice in the time of Jesus. Often a household had servants and when the Master was having dinner there were certain non-verbal signs to indicate whether or not it was time to clear the table. If he crumpled up the napkin and left he was finished but if he folded it neatly and left it to one side and left the table it meant that he would return to complete his meal. 

We see this same signal given at the Resurrection where the witnesses to the empty tomb see the grave clothes strewn around but the napkin that covered his face folded up neatly by itself. The message was clear. I shall return. And so He will. Maranatha!

 

 

 

The Seven Sorrows of Mary (Fr Ripperger video)

 

Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us..

There is a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows in the church in Pakil (Laguna province) which has been our go-to Marian pilgrimage destination for many years. It is the most striking image; heart breaking; a dagger through the heart, eyes flooded with tears and her eyes still lifted up, presumably gazing upon her Son on the cross. 

I have prayed for miracles there and seen the power of Our Lady’s intercession and whilst I always understood her standing as the only perfect creature, uniquely related to the Trinity as handmaid, mother and spouse; I recently heard a very interesting talk with wonderful insights related to different events in her life and what they signify. 

As she stood at the foot of the cross in perfect virtue; having carried that moment in her heart since Simeon revealed it to her at the Presentation, was her moment of greatest Glory. Aside from Jesus’s Death and Resurrection, that was the most glorious moment in history. 

The second event was the Assumption which was her Triumph after a life without a single fall into sin and finally her crowning as Queen of heaven where her excellence is Honoured by God before the company of heaven. Hence God will refuse her nothing. What a gift to us who need her prayers ! 

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee do we cry, 

poor banished children of Eve.

To thee do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

thine eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary.

Our Lady’s Message from Medjugorje (March 25, 2026 )

Dear children, 

The poison of selfishness and hatred rules human hearts and that is why you do not have peace. I am calling you, little children: be love and my extended hands to all those whom you meet. In humility, pray for peace and work on reconciliation among people, so that it may be good for every person on earth.

 Thank you for having responded to my call.

(With ecclesiastical approval)

‘The Five Generals’

There was a fascinating podcast released a few days ago where Fr. Ripperger, an American exorcist, was interviewed by Shawn Ryan, a recent revert to Christianity and former Navy Seal. It was a 4 hour deep dive behind the veil of the spiritual world and the work of the exorcist where he shares decades of experiential knowledge.

Amongst the many insights he shared was one related to the hierarchy of demons under Satan and what their functions were as they worked their plan for our destruction. He called them the Five Generals.

The first is a demon of impurity which ushers in the moral collapse in societies, a first wave of attack we might say. The next is a demon of homosexuality in men, then two demons of homosexuality in women, one for the more feminine or passive and the other, the more aggressive type that adopt a ‘masculine’ persona. So they bring in the perversion and distortion that we see growing in influence. The last of the five is a demon of child sacrifice, which in our day, is abortion. 

Taken together they have certainly influenced the moral collapse in the western world and the communist nations. We have seen since the 1960’s certainly each wave of assault on society, in tandem with government legislation to support them. Both homosexuality and abortion, once unthinkable by any society, have been decriminalised and ‘legitimised’ by most western governments and some in the east. They are embedded now in culture and in law; hence rather difficult to dislodge. 

It’s certainly an eye-opener to see and understand that these changes in society are not random or simply the ‘enlightened age’ they are marketed as, but as their nature suggests, demonic manipulation of peoples and nations who, without God at the centre of their lives, become willing co-operators and simultaneously helpless victims of these tormentors. 

There is a great deal more in the podcast to reflect on; it’s an important resource for situation awareness and the need to not be complacent in our prayer life; there is a lot going on behind the veil and we too, need to engage for our protection and to advance the kingdom of light !

 

Our Lady's Role in Spiritual Warfare