Lazarus Center for Healing shrine

February, 2024

My name is Michael Mahoney. I used a cane after suffering a series of debilitating medical episodes that began in 2020. 

I attended the healing service on May 5, 2023, at The Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine. It was breathtakingly beautiful; confession, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy chaplet, Holy Rosary, and Holy Mass, followed by a healing service. The sheer beauty and wonder of it all moved me deeply.

For certain I had been utterly transformed spiritually and emotionally. I was full of joy and went home using the cane. The next day I found that my lower extremities felt immeasurably better while showering and dressing (which had become an exhausting chore for me each day). I was so excited to go outside and walk. I did not need the cane any longer. Praise be to God I was healed! 

There is no doubt. My step count tripled overnight. I felt younger and stronger than I had in more than five years. No more cane, no more leaning on shopping carts and furniture for dear life, and no more wheelchairs for doctor appointments. Ask anyone who knew me before these events, and they will agree that I experienced a true and miraculous healing. 

The Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine is truly holy and anointed. Our God is an Almighty and Merciful God, and he gave back to me a life that I never imagined that I would have at age 65. He has filled me with joy and excitement to live again; for Him, for my family and neighbors, and for the community. 

As God promises: “Behold, I make all things new”. And yes, He does.

Praise be to Our Lord, Jesus Christ!

I am eternally grateful for all of the love and support I’ve found in the Lazarus Center community.
Yours in Christ,
Michael Mahoney
 

November, 2023

Hello Father,

I hope all has been well with you. I wanted to let you know that I have had a huge turnaround with my travel anxiety ever since you prayed over me two days before my wedding. I wanted to thank you for that. I didn't realize how held back I was by this anxiety until you prayed for me at the rectory. It was nearly instant. I left the rectory feeling calm for the first time in days and traveling during the honeymoon was a breeze. Traveling before then was always a struggle. It hasn't been since. I thank you and God for that gift. 

I look forward to hearing back from you, God bless and Jess and I will continue to pray for you and the shrine.

Matt D'Arco

August, 2023

Dear Fr. Tom,

In October 2021, I developed a severe pain in my lower back, left side. It became unbearable, so I called the doctor. After several tests, it was determined that I had a pinched nerve. A nerve injection was ordered. A few hours after the injection I was pain free.

I went a year and a half before the pain returned. It is now July 2023. The pain was excruciating this time. It brough tears to my eyes, even walking with a cane for assitance. A nerve injection was scheduled for July 27.

The pain got so bad I had to call the doctor to see if something could be done before the 27th. I was scheduled for a pressure point injection on the 18th. No relief.

Finally, the 27th arrived. Time for my injection. Expecting the same result as the injection in 2021, you can imagine how discouraged I was after a week I was still in pain. So I called the doctor's office, was told you have to wait 3 weeks between injections, and I was schedule for Wednesday, August 16.

On August 16, several hours after the socond injection, the pain was still there. I was getting discouraged. There was going to be a healing Mass that evening at the Healing Center. After the injection, I went to the Healing Center for Adoration When I was kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament I got this feeling that I should be at the healing Mass that night. 

I canceled a previous appointment and went to the Healing Mass. Still in pain, I was losing hope that this pain would ever go away. After Mass, Fr. Tom prayed over me and anointed my forehead and palms with oil, administering the Sacrament of the Sick.

That night I asked Jesus to please help me. Thursday morning, I walked into church for Mass, cane and pain free.

The Lazarus Healing Center is a very Holy place.

Miracle happen there!

Thank you Jesus and thank you, Fr. Tom.

God Bless You,
Donna

August, 2023

Praise God! I was healed after Father Reilly prayed over me. I was suffering from a very debilitating digstive health condition diagnosed in mid-January 2023. It kept me from living a normal life as I was mostly house-bound and getting very discouraged after almost three months. I was schedule for surgery in May 2023. It was considered a complicated surgery and would require two surgeons and was expected to take about four hours to complete.

I attended a healing service at the end of March at the Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine. Father Reilly prayed over me at that service. I felt an ever so slight warm sensation in my upper chest and thought "maybe that's a good sign." Within three days, all my symptoms completely stopped!

The surgery was still schedule for May. I wanted to verify the healing before I canceled the surgery so I asked for another CT-scan. The new CT-scan could not find the cause that I had been diagnosed with earlier. So needless to say, I canceled the surgery and remain symptom free. The nurse said "This condition usually doesn't heal on its own."

God is the healer who works through Father Reilly, who cooperates so well with God's healing power. I truly believe God has given Father Reilly the gift of healing! How blessed are we to have this wonderful shrine right here in Wakefield, Massachusetts!

So grateful, God bless,
C.T.
Stoneham MA

June, 2023

My shoulder had begun to hurt several months ago and was now causing me almost constant pain. I knew the Lord would heal me but I didn’t know how.  I was very surprised when He used Fr Reilly to provide my total healing.  I was accompanying the man I am caring for to the Friday night healing service and not expecting anything for myself. Fr Reilly prayed for him and then for me. I did not feel anything at the time and was focused on my friend’s healing. But God had another plan. As we drove home my friend was so excited that he had felt a sensation of heat and knew that God had used Fr Reilly to promote his healing.  As we talked I realized that my shoulder was pain free. I have not had any more pain and full use has returned.  The story is even more sweet as I am not Catholic and not a local.

Thank you all so much for using your gift to bless us who love the Lord and depend on His grace. 

Ann Whittington

June, 2023

I have been blessed in many ways by God but I have been dealing with progressively debilitating illness. From neck surgery, prostate cancer surgery, heart disease, arthritis, and kidney disease. A friend who is a nurse took a leave of absence to come and care for me. Not a Catholic but a strong Christian lady. We talked about the power of healing through our faith in Jesus. I mentioned that there was a healing center in the diocese and she encouraged attending. I was facing further surgery that my doctor feared that previous scar tissue would hamper the outcome. Fr Reilly prayed over me and I felt a heat penetrate my scalp and skull into my body.  The surgery was successful and lo and behold the surgeon found practically no scar tissue evident.

I still have many challenges but I know that God will continue blessing me and I pray daily  for Fr. Reilly so he can continue his ministry for God.
Ed B.

My dear friend ROMEU was healed by the help of his faith and Father Reilly's healing prayers. Here is his story:

At the beginning of 2020, my friend ROMEU turned 65. He was excited that he had lived this long since none of his family members (parents and brothers and sisters) had lived long enough to reach the age of 65. Shortly after this statement he woke up a few weeks later in early spring and was in A LOT of pain. When he tried to get out of bed, he realized he could not even walk. His legs and groin were in so much pain he could barely stand up. (This is a person who had worked hard labor jobs his entire life. Painting had been his current profession and he was halfway through painting a house he could not even comprehend being able to finish.)
He went to the hospital where after an exam and several tests they confirmed he had prostate cancer. He was referred to a urologist for further testing. Once the urologist completed his blood test and x-rays it was discovered that he had late-stage prostate cancer that had metastasized throughout his entire body and was growing throughout his bones. His PSA (cancer screening test) showed a result of over 4000 where a test result between 2-8 is considered normal. The doctor explained that the cancer had to have been growing undetected for a couple of years to reach this late stage. He referred Romeu to an oncologist for follow up care as there was nothing more he could do.

At the appointment with the oncologist, upon reviewing all the testing that had been done, the doctor explained the bad new to Romeu. He told him his cancer was beyond the reach of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and it was too late for any type of intervening surgery to remove it. The fact was he did not have much time left to live. He explained that without any medical intervention he would have about 3 months to live. Unable to walk without a cane, and even then not well, he went into a depression.

I convinced him that his faith life needed to be put in order for whatever outcome lay ahead. He listened to my advice and a couple of week later he agreed to see Father Reilly to receive the sacrament for the sick. He was hopeful that something could be done and for the first time began to trust in Jesus’ plan for him. He had never been a very religious person through his life, though he would always proudly say he was Catholic. We visited with Father Reilly after attending Mass together for the first time in years for Romeu. Father Reilly performed the sacrament of the sick and had Romeu go through confession to unburden himself from his sins. When we left the church, Romeu was excited. He felt like something about his soul felt lighter and more optimistic. I explained on the ride home that although Jesus has just given him a great gift of health and healing, he would need to accept that gift. I explained to him that if you are thirsty and someone gives you a glass of water you will be happy, but it is not until you drink it that it will solve your thirst. He seemed to understand. From that day forward he talked about how the praying he did with Father Reilly changed him physically and spiritually. He was becoming a new man.

A few weeks later we went to his next oncology appointment where the doctor prescribed him pain medication along with a drug called Erleda that is designed to slow down the progression of the cancer and hopefully buy him some more time. (The drug Erleda does not cure cancer.)  He began his treatment of taking these assigned medications as well as praying daily. When we returned to the doctor the following month, his PSA test showed a dramatic decrease in his cancer numbers. He was below 2500. He was shocked that his cancer numbers were almost reduced to half.

Excited about the healing that was going on, Romeu began to share his news with everyone that would listen. They were impressed but also understood he was by no stretch “out of the woods”. After another month went by it was time to visit the oncologist again, but with a big change. He no longer was relying on a cane to walk. He carried it with him but the strength in his legs was returning and the pain had become more tolerable. After drawing blood and testing his PSA results, the doctor was excited to tell Romeu his results were now under 500! The doctor was as amazed as we were at the sudden and dramatic turn around in his cancer.

Continuing down this path with a positive attitude and newfound sense of faith, Romeu continued getting excited and feeling better as well as stronger. At the next appointment his PSA was 80! The month after, his PSA was under 30. And a month after that his PSA was down to...drum roll please...7! The doctor was amazed and said it was nothing short of a miracle that his cancer could be brought down to this level and announced that he was in cancer remission! Without chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, Romeu’s cancer that was set to take his life within a matter of months was now in remission and he was feeling great.
Romeu returned to finish painting the house he had started and has since painted several other homes. He is always excited to tell people about his experience and the healing that came through the intercession of Jesus. He also said he no longer fears death. He said we are all dying from the moment we are born. Some just have more time left in front of them than behind them. Today, Romeu remains strong, healthy, and grateful. His faith is strong, and he witnesses his healing to all that will listen. His oncologist has also been amazed by the whole ordeal and tells others about Romeu’s story. Romeu’s PSA numbers have remained the same to this day—stuck at 7! The oncologist has explained that at this point Romeu has a chance at a long life and told him to “keep doing whatever you are doing because it is working and you are a miracle!”

Romeu lived two very healthy years following his miraculous healing. He caught Covid-19 in late summer, 2022. He died in October 2022. Rest in God’s peace, Romeu
 

July 17, 2022

Dear Father Reilly,

It’s been almost 9 years now since I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. With the help of God, great doctors, and prayers of family and friends, the cancer in in remission now.

After a recent check-up, my oncologist declared that there is no scientific reason that I am all better from cancer.

One side effect though was that there was some residual damage to my kidneys. Sometimes they would get blocked or I would get kidney stones. This was very painful. Sometimes, it would happen a few times a week. There were many trips to the emergency room. In trying to resolve this problem, the doctor called in a specialist who was going to remove the tubes going to my kidneys and replace them with artificial ones that would have to be changed surgically every 3 months on a permanent basis. At the last minute while I was on the operating table, he decided not to do it. I thank God for stopping his hand.

It was shortly after that when I went to Fr. Reilly’s first Healing Mass. It was the next day that I could feel the difference. No more pain. No more emergency room. I only have to go for yearly visits now to my doctor.

When I told my doctor about the Healing Mass, he asked me where and when was the next one so he could come. (He was surprised and smiled and said he got married at St. Florence!)

It’s been a year now since my healing and I feel good!

Thank you, Lord, Fr. Reilly, doctors, and all who sent your prayers.

N. D.
 

Dear Fr. Reilly,

It was the summer of 2010 when we learned that we were expecting our third child.  I prayed for everything I could possibly think of for those nine months (nearly 10 months) of pregnancy.  Because of this I grew much closer to God.  I prayed for the basics like health, joy and wisdom.  But that would be just the beginning.

I know that we serve a real God and nothing is too big or too small for Him.  It was at a routine appointment when suddenly I began to question if He would be able to provide me the strength to remain optimistic during which would be a difficult pregnancy where my life and my unborn child were now at risk.  After learning that my antibodies were attacking my unborn child I was put on bedrest.  In January 2011, Fr. Reilly anointed me with the Sacrament of the Sick, while my family received the Eucharist.  Together they laid their hands on me and prayed over me.  It was at that moment that my body felt free of the anxiety, the heartache.  Within weeks I had routine blood work done.  During the next doctor's appointment there were no antibodies identified. Even the high risk obstetrician was wondering how this could be.  possible.

And you know what?  God did hear and answer my prayers for our daughter. More than any other thing I asked God to fill her with wisdom, joy and compassion toward others.

Each day, God is teaching me something about Himself through our little girl. about compassion and grace; about unconditional love and trust.  Throughout my pregnancy her older sister also learned the power of prayer!  Hannah prayed each day for complications.  I too, was healthy. This was the most spiritual experience I ever lived - such an empowering experience still resonates.  He answered our prayers for this little girl, just as I knew he would.  To date she has reached all of her milestones when the odds were against her.  She truly is our beacon of light.

A grateful parishioner.

Dear Fr. Reilly,

A few years ago, I sustained an injury to my foot. The tendons and ligaments were tearing away from my heal bone.  They were hanging on by a thread.  Having undergone three procedures and having been treated by two doctors, years of physical therapy,

braces on my feet, special shoes, the pain only worsened.  Walking was difficult.  I could barely drive.  I was losing my quality of life.  My doctor advised me that if I wanted the pain to go away, I would need a serious experimental surgery.  The plan was to reattach the tendons and ligaments to the bones.  The surgery would be painful.  The recovery was expected to take a few months and there were no guarantees.  The doctor had seen good results.  However, the procedure may not work at all. I didn't seem to have a choice in the matter.  I was in a great deal of pain.  I set the date for the surgery.

The doctor had to move the date of the procedure three times for different reasons.  I would later see this as a sign from God.

I was in tremendous pain.  During this time, I was praying for a healing by myself.  While I waited for the date of the procedure to approach. I asked Fr. Reilly to pray with me. I went to Father's healing Mass.  Father anointed me with the Sacrament of the Sick. A week later I was about ninety percent pain free. Three weeks after the anointing I was one hundred percent pain free. I had to cancel the surgery days after I was anointed. The power of the sacrament amazes me.
That was nearly two years ago.  Today I am totally pain free.​

The doctor could not explain how my foot could have healed. This condition typically doesn't heal on its own.
 

Dear Fr. Reilly,

I just wanted you to know that for over a year I suffered depression, panic, anxiety, anger, fear and I went to two of your recent healing services.  I am a different person since you prayed over me.  God has truly given me a healing of mind and soul.   I am keeping you in my prayers and I am so happy.  May God continue to bless you and all whose lives you touch with your prayers and care.

Thank you for your prayers and I thank God for your service to Him.
 

On January 10, 2011, my doctor told me I had AFIB, and he immediately put me on Coumadin, a blood thinner.   Two weeks later I attended Fr. Tom Reilly's Healing Mass.
 As Father prayed over me, I felt heat go through my body, at that moment I knew that I was healed.   When I got home, I told my wife and she advised me to talk to my doctor tomorrow to hear what he had to say.   That day he examined me and told me I had no AFIB and to stop taking the prescribed Coumadin, providing I pass a stress test which he ordered.  After taking the stress test all my numbers were perfect according to the doctor!

Anthony Simeone