On December 8, 2024, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Catholic Church officially recognized the 71st miracle attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. It concerns the healing of John Traynor, a British soldier who was seriously wounded during World War I and experienced a sudden recovery in 1923 during a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Lourdes in France.
The announcement was made by the Archbishop of Liverpool, Malcolm McMahon, who stated: “Given the strength of the medical evidence, the testimony of John Traynor’s faith, and his devotion to Our Lady, it is with great joy that I declare that the healing of John Traynor from several serious medical conditions will be recognized as a miracle operated by the power of God through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes.” This declaration concludes a process that lasted a century, since although the healing was considered miraculous at the time, no official pronouncement had ever been issued.
John Traynor was born in Liverpool in 1883 and served in the Royal Navy during World War I. He was wounded in Belgium and later in Gallipoli (present-day Turkey), which caused him to lose movement in his right arm, severe epileptic seizures, and partial paralysis in both legs. In 1923, doctors considered him “incurable.” That same year, he decided to join the first pilgrimage of the Archdiocese of Liverpool to the Sanctuary of Lourdes.
According to the Sanctuary’s statement, Traynor was healed on July 25, 1923, after being immersed in the sanctuary’s pools and participating in the procession and blessing of the sick. The doctors accompanying the pilgrimage confirmed his healing that same day. After his recovery, Traynor returned to Lourdes every year as a stretcher-bearer until 1939, and he died on December 8, 1943, on the same date that, 81 years later, his miracle would be recognized.
Context and relevance
The recognition of this miracle comes after an exhaustive review of the case. Although Traynor’s healing was widely considered miraculous at the time, no official declaration had been issued due to the alleged lack of contemporary evidence. However, on the occasion of the centenary of the 1923 pilgrimage, the president of the Lourdes Medical Office, Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, and an English member of the International Medical Committee of Lourdes reviewed Traynor’s file and found new documents from the time that confirmed the extraordinary nature of his healing.
This case underscores the distinction between devotion, testimony, and official recognition. Traynor’s devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and his testimony of faith were always known, but ecclesiastical recognition requires a rigorous medical and canonical process. Since the creation of the Lourdes Medical Office in 1883, about 7,000 cases have been examined, but only 71 have been officially declared miracles. The last recognition before this was the healing of Sister Bernadette Moriau in February 2018.
Archbishop McMahon’s declaration not only honors the memory of John Traynor but also reaffirms the relevance of Lourdes as a place of grace and spiritual and physical healing. Although no direct relationship is established with Carlo Acutis, the Eucharistic and Marian spirituality that characterizes Lourdes resonates with the devotion that many faithful, like Acutis, have shown toward the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. This miracle, recognized a century later, invites the faithful to trust in Mary’s intercession and to value the testimony of those who, like Traynor, experienced a radical transformation through their faith.
Original source: pt.aleteia.org (published on August 3, 2026)
