Teen says:
‘St. Thérèse healed my scoliosis’

By NICHOLAS LORENZO
Special to The CS&T

My name is Nick, and I am 14. A year and a half ago, I changed schools, switching from a private to a public school. As my mom was filling out the medical form, she came to the line where it asked if I had scoliosis, and she checked it. She thought I had it because in summer pictures I was always slouched to one side.
Later that week we were at the doctors’ office to finish the medical form. When the doctor saw my back he said I had an extreme case of scoliosis and that I would need a back brace. He gave me information on what I could and could not do with the back brace I might have to wear.
Contact sports were one of the things that I could not do, which meant I could not join the soccer team, or the wrestling team. Both are sports that I am good at and enjoy playing. The doctor set up an appointment, and in 10 days I would go the hospital to get x-rayed.
That night, when my dad found out about my back, he was surprised and yelled at me to stand up straight. He had no clue that I had this because it had developed so gradually. My mom called all the family and all our friends and told them I had scoliosis. It was very clear that I had scoliosis, but we needed an x-ray to confirm the angle of it and see what kind of brace I would need.
On Sundays, we bring a homebound parishioner, Mrs. DiAngelis, with us to church. On the way out of church the following Sunday she told us to pray a novena (a prayer you pray for nine days) to St. Thérèse. She said our church, St. Helena’s, was once known as the Church of the Little Flower because it had a chapel dedicated to St. Thérèse, who is known as “The Little Flower.”
She also said that thousands of people from all over Pennsylvania came to pray in the little chapel so they would be healed, and they were healed, including her brother, who had scoliosis and was healed because he prayed the novena. Unfortunately the chapel burned down and no one rebuilt it.
In the back of our church is a little stall with a statue of St. Thérèse, but most people ignore it or never really notice it. But after that first Sunday that we prayed, I have gone there and prayed. St. Thérèse is now my family’s patron saint. We started that Sunday and we prayed every day to St. Thérèse for nine days that my back would heal.
Catholics do not really pray to saints. We ask the saint to pray with us to God. We are not praying to a picture or medal –– it is just a remembrance. St. Thérèse said that ordinary people could become saints by doing or performing small, self-sacrificing acts of love, like going out of your way to say hello to someone you dislike.
When the day of my appointment came, we drove to the hospital to get my x-rays. When the x-rays were developed, we saw my back on the x-ray and it looked fine. We knew that St. Thérèse healed my back and we told everyone in our parish and all our relatives and friends the great news.
Later, we went to the Orthopedic Center to see the doctor, and he said I had a five-percent scoliosis. Then the doctor made up some scientific theory about me growing taller and how growing straightened my back, but I did not really grow at all so what he said made absolutely no sense. I truly believe that this was a miracle and so does all my family and most other people I have told.
Sadly, some doctors and other people do not believe this because everything has to be logical for them. When I told our parish priest he told me that when we build a new church we are going to build a chapel for Saint Thérèse.
I believe that this was a miracle and I encourage any person with mental or physical health problems to get as many people as possible to pray a novena to Saint Thérèse.
I learned that God can fix something in seconds, or in my case, days. Technology and doctors can fix problems also, but it could take many years.
You should always turn to God no matter how great or how small your problems are. God’s great powers are thousands of times greater than any president’s or anyone else’s, so He can help you no matter what.
It makes no difference what religion you are, you can always pray to God if you are in trouble. It is never too late to start praying.

Nicholas Lorenzo will be a freshman at Wissahickon High School in September. He is a graduate of St. Helena’s School and a parishioner at St. Helena Parish, Blue Bell.

Novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Saint Thérèse, you who are a beloved child of God and who boldly trusted God's mercy, teach me how
to let myself be loved by God, who is love. Help me to fall into His arms like the prodigal son, and to give back to God my life and my death. Help me to open myself freely to His tenderness, so as not to take away from His Father's heart the joy of loving me.

Our Father

Saint Thérèse, you who are in love with Jesus, you were filled with passion for the Gospel and the Eucharist. Revive in me a thirst for the Word of God. May it light my path on this "little way" of trust where, with you, I take the elevator of love. May your motto "living in love" free my deep desire. In this way, like you, all I want is to love Jesus and help others love Him.

Hail Mary

Saint Thérèse, you who are embraced by the Holy Spirit, you have become the Spirit in my prayer and my actions. Prepare me to welcome the Spirit humbly in the little things of every day with Mary, who smiled at you in your time of testing. May your hope inspire me in times when I am not able to love.

Glory be to the Father

Prayer for Vocations
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, you who have been rightly proclaimed the patroness of Catholic missions throughout the world, remember the burning desire which you manifested here on earth to plant the cross of Christ on every shore and to preach the Gospel even until the end of the world. I ask you, according to your promise, to assist all priests, missionaries, and the whole Church of God. Help us to implement the new evangelization which our world and our diocese[s] so badly need. Pray for us that Jesus will inspire in the hearts of our youth a burning desire to serve Him as priests, sisters, and missionaries so that the Gospel may radiate anew to dispel the darkness of sin and death.
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church, pray for us.