In 1995, Fr. Ronald Pytel was only 48 years old. He had resigned himself to an early death because of the terrible condition of his heart. His heart was so damaged that even a short walk left him exhausted and he needed to rest most of every day. His weight was down to eight stone and his quality of life was non-existent. Fr. Pytel of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Baltimore, U.S.A. had been devoted to St. Faustina for many years.

In June 1995, Fr. Pytel went to see an esteemed cardiologist, Dr. Nicholas Fortuin, who was a professor of medicine at the famous Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Dr. Fortuin told Fr. Pytel that he had a very serious heart condition and was in profound heart failure. He arranged for Fr. Pytel to immediately undergo a very complex heart operation to have aortic valve replacement surgery under one of the best surgeon’s at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Peter S. Greene. Dr. Greene informed him that even if the operation was a complete success, he could never again return to an active life as a priest.

In 1995, his parishioners made a special pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Faustina’s in Poland. They knelt at her grave and promised that if she interceded with Jesus to heal Father Pytel, they would spend the rest of their lives promoting devotion to Divine Mercy.

On Saint Faustina’s feast day on 5th October, 1995, Fr. Pytel and his parishioners were praying for an improvement in his health. During this prayer, Fr. Pytel fell to the floor and although fully conscious, he could not move or get up for 15 minutes. Fr. Pytel afterwards told people, “I could talk, but I couldn’t move a muscle…It was as though I was paralysed.” When he finally stood up, he felt so good he could hardly believe it.

Although Fr. Pytel felt better immediately afterwards, he did not know that his heart had been fully healed until his November check-up. Medical experts have concluded that the full healing of Fr. Pytel’s heart was so extraordinary that it could only be the result of divine intervention. There is no medical or scientific research or evidence to explain the remarkable recovery of Fr. Pytel’s heart.

This is one of the many miracles of Divine Mercy and it assures us that the promises that Jesus made to us by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are authentic and we should not be afraid to trust Him and to pray to Him for our special intentions.