Blessed Zdenka Schelingová, a Slovak religious of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross (SCSC), could be one step closer to canonization. The postulator of her cause, Father Lucián Bogucki, of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, delivered last month to the Archbishop of Bratislava, Monsignor Stanislav Zvolenský, the ‘positio super miro’, a document describing an alleged healing that occurred in Denver (United States) through the intercession of the religious.
Archbishop Zvolenský expressed his hope that the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints will examine this extraordinary healing, and noted that ‘the mere fact that it is being examined is a gift from God and a great encouragement.’ Although the date of the meeting of the commission of cardinals that will analyze the case has not yet been set, it is expected that it could be held in the coming months. The final decision on canonization rests with the Pope.
A life marked by faith and martyrdom
Cecília Schelingová was born 110 years ago, on Christmas Eve, in the village of Krivá, in present-day Slovakia. She entered the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross and worked as a nurse and later in a hospital laboratory. During the communist regime, she helped a Catholic priest escape from a hospital, and on a second attempt she was arrested. Tortured and accused of treason, she was imprisoned in various prisons in Czechoslovakia. Released in April 1955, she died on July 31 of that same year due to the aftermath of torture and the deterioration of her health. In 1970 she was exonerated of all charges and in 2003 she was beatified by Pope John Paul II.
Sister Mária Terézia Dobrovičová, provincial superior of the Slovak province of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, noted that respect and admiration for Sister Zdenka ‘are growing.’ During her liturgical feast, on July 30, various activities were held, including a Mass presided over by the Bishop of Žilina, Monsignor Tomáš Galis, who quoted one of the religious’s phrases: ‘Forgiveness is the greatest thing in life.’ In addition, the Confederation of Political Prisoners of Slovakia organized a conference on religious sisters who lived in secret under communism.
The Denver case and the intercession of the blessed
According to a Slovak newspaper, a man in Denver was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and sent home to die. His wife, who knew a distant relative of Sister Zdenka, began to pray for him along with her colleagues. The man regained his appetite and strength, although he later suffered an embolism and died. The autopsy confirmed that there was no trace of cancer and that death was due to another cause. Father Bogucki, contacted by EWTN News, asked for prayers for the final stage of the process, without offering further details.
Sister Mária Terézia commented that the sisters receive ‘various requests from people seeking the intercession’ of Sister Zdenka, and that they have ‘several testimonies of how prayers have been answered.’ The official website zdenka.sk shares some of these testimonies, although it does not include the Denver case. The congregation was founded 170 years ago in Switzerland and later established itself in Slovakia, where its legacy continues to inspire the faithful.
Original source: www.aciprensa.com (published on August 10, 2026)
