Teen’s tumors vanish after prayers to Bl. Solanus Casey: A possible final miracle for canonization
CV NEWS FEED // A Michigan teenager’s unexplained healing after prayers to Blessed Solanus Casey could become the miracle the Church needs to declare the beloved Capuchin friar a saint.
Sixteen-year-old Mary Bartold from DeWitt was facing surgery after doctors discovered tumors on both her ovaries in May 2024, the Detroit Free Press
reported. As she prepared for what could have been a life-changing operation, her parents, Susan and Rick Bartold, turned to prayer — making a pilgrimage to the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit and initiating a novena for his intercession.
Mary, a sophomore at Lansing Catholic High School, had first experienced sharp abdominal pain during school in late April.
“I was toppled over,” she recalled. “I couldn’t move at all… because it hurt so bad.”
When the pain persisted, concern deepened. A CT scan and ultrasound revealed alarming results: there was a 7.3 cm mass on Mary’s left ovary and a 1.5 cm mass on the right. Doctors feared ovarian torsion — an emergency that could result in the loss of her reproductive organs. The possibility devastated Mary.
“[A]ll she could say to us was, ‘I want to be a mom,’” Susan remembered. “And even though we understand that there are other ways to be a beautiful mother, for a 16-year-old … it was really, really hard.”
Physicians at the University of Michigan determined the masses were teratomas — tumors typically benign but still requiring surgical removal. The procedure was scheduled for Aug. 2, 2024.
Trusting in the power of prayer, the Bartolds visited the Solanus Casey Center July 6, asking not only for Mary’s healing, but also that she be granted the grace “to travel this road that the Lord had put before her,” Susan said.
Mary’s family also rallied others in the community to join them in a novena to Bl. Solanus.
Then came July 30 — Bl. Solanus’ feast day. Mary underwent an MRI early that morning. As Susan drove her to the appointment, she prayed aloud: “Solanus, this is your feast day … I know you have big news.”
That evening, Susan saw the results in Mary’s patient portal. It appeared the tumors were gone. The next day, Mary’s doctor called and confirmed it.
“She was just like, ‘There’s nothing there. It’s all gone,’” Susan recalled. The doctor apologized for the delay in calling, explaining she had consulted with multiple radiologists to be absolutely certain before sharing the news.
“I really wanted to make sure that I was telling you the correct news,” Mary’s doctor had said. “We are good to cancel the surgery.’”
“I thought it was a mistake,” Mary said. But when the reality sank in, her response was simple: “I was just grateful. I didn’t have to get surgery.”
On the day Mary was originally scheduled for surgery, the family returned to Casey’s tomb in thanksgiving and submitted documentation of her healing to the Solanus Casey Center for possible consideration by the Vatican.
Solanus was known for his deep faith, simplicity, and miraculous healings. Born in Wisconsin in 1870 and ordained a “simplex priest” due to academic struggles, the humble friar spent much of his ministry in Detroit as a porter — a doorkeeper — where he offered prayerful counsel to the suffering. He gained a reputation for holiness and became a beloved spiritual guide.
If the Vatican recognizes Mary’s healing as a miracle, it could fulfill the final requirement for canonization. Solanus, who died in 1957, was beatified in 2017 after the Church affirmed a Panamanian woman had been cured of a genetic skin condition following prayers at his tomb.Pax et bonum
