Meru, 09 November, 2022 / 9:45 pm (ACI Africa).
The beatification of Venerable Servant of God Maria Carola Cecchin, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo (Cottolengo Sisters), was the climax of years of investigation into the miracle of bringing a stillborn child back to life.
Joyce Muriungi had gone to labor on the morning of 14 April 2013, and after hours of labor, she gave birth while on her way to St. Orsola Mission Hospital, Matiri assisted by Sr. Catherine Gathoni, a Cottolengo Nun, and a nurse. The baby, however, did not have a heartbeat.
It was at this point of desperation that Sr. Gathoni started praying through the intercession of Sr. Maria Carola, and the baby, Hilary Kiama Msafiri, came to life.
In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the beatification of the Italian-born Nun who served in Kenya as a missionary for two decades from 1905, Sr. Gathoni narrated events of the night of the birth of baby Msafiri.
“The mother had visited our facility on 12th April with a forced labor but since she was not progressing, we sent her back home for rest on 13th April. But she came back on the same day at around 7 p.m. and said that the pain was getting worse. We tried what we could but there was no progress, so at around 1 a.m., we decided to take her to St. Orsola Matiri because the roads leading to other hospitals were in bad condition.” Sr. Gathoni said during the November 5 interview.