Kansas miracle moves Matt Talbot closer to sainthood
2014-11-14T23:00:00Z Kansas miracle moves Matt Talbot closer to sainthood JournalStar.com
A Kansas family’s miracle is being attributed to Matt Talbot, putting the late Irish Catholic one step closer to sainthood.
Although the family lives in Overland Park, Kansas, its early roots are tied to Lincoln and its Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach (MTKO), said Susanne Blue, executive director of the organization that provides food, shelter and advocacy for Lincoln’s working poor and homeless.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, MTKO Founder Mary Costello will share the story of an unborn child in need of a miracle and the story of Matt Talbot, a severe alcoholic who beat his addiction and devoted his life to helping others. Costello also will talk about the lengthy and detailed process required by the Roman Catholic Church in determining who is eligible for sainthood. That process requires verification of miracles that can be attributed to the intercession of the candidate -- in this case Matt Talbot.
The purported miracle involves a toddler named Talbot Joseph Watkins, who days before his birth was found to have serious, life-threatening birth defects. Yet he was born a healthy, normal boy -- which medical experts cannot explain -- and his family gives credit to a prayer chain asking Matt Talbot to intercede on the baby’s behalf.
Once considered a hopeless alcoholic, the Irish-born Matt Talbot (1856-1925) abstained from drinking the last 40 years of his life, finding strength in prayer, religious books and daily Mass.
Talbot took great efforts to repay all of his debts, even searching for a street musician he had stole a fiddle from in order to sell the instrument and pay for drinks. Unable to find the fiddler, Talbot gave the money to the church to have a Mass said for him.
Talbot devoted his life to penance, Blue said, and became a Third Order Franciscan in 1890.
In 1931, the archbishop of Dublin, Ireland, opened an inquiry into the claims of Talbot’s holiness. The Vatican officially began its inquiry in 1947, and on Oct. 3, 1975, Pope Paul VI declared him to be Venerable Matt Talbot, which is a step on the lengthy road to sainthood -- a process that requires evidence of a physical miracle.
Reported miracles must be assessed and documented to verify that healing occurred without any scientific explanation. If one miracle is verified, the candidate can be beatified (and then called “Blessed”). If two miracles are verified, the candidate can be canonized (and called Saint).
The Kansas miracle moves Talbot one step closer to canonization.
Talbot Watkins is the sixth and youngest child of Patrick and Shannon Watkins of Overland Park, Kansas. The parents began considering Talbot as a name after passing by MTKO in Lincoln when Shannon was five months pregnant, according to an article in The Leaven, a Kansas Catholic newspaper.
By all accounts, Shannon's pregnancy proceeded normally -- until the baby was several days overdue. The doctor suggested a sonogram and nonstress test, which found some “chromosomal abnormalities,” indicating possible Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis. The sonogram was sent to several specialists, who concurred with the obstetrician's findings, The Leaven wrote.
Meanwhile, Shannon Watkins' sister started a prayer chain, asking people to pray for the intercession of Matt Talbot.
Three days later, Talbot Watkins came into the world completely healthy.
Following a recommendation “to tell someone” about Talbot’s miraculous health, Shannon emailed a message to Father Brian Lawless, pastor of St. Agatha Church in Dublin, Ireland, and vice postulator for the cause of Matt Talbot.
Last August, Lawless flew to Overland Park to talk with the family.
Now they -- and others -- await the day that Matt Talbot, an inspiration and spiritual force in the quest for sobriety and conquering addiction, will be canonized into sainthood.
Although the family lives in Overland Park, Kansas, its early roots are tied to Lincoln and its Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach (MTKO), said Susanne Blue, executive director of the organization that provides food, shelter and advocacy for Lincoln’s working poor and homeless.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, MTKO Founder Mary Costello will share the story of an unborn child in need of a miracle and the story of Matt Talbot, a severe alcoholic who beat his addiction and devoted his life to helping others. Costello also will talk about the lengthy and detailed process required by the Roman Catholic Church in determining who is eligible for sainthood. That process requires verification of miracles that can be attributed to the intercession of the candidate -- in this case Matt Talbot.
The purported miracle involves a toddler named Talbot Joseph Watkins, who days before his birth was found to have serious, life-threatening birth defects. Yet he was born a healthy, normal boy -- which medical experts cannot explain -- and his family gives credit to a prayer chain asking Matt Talbot to intercede on the baby’s behalf.
Once considered a hopeless alcoholic, the Irish-born Matt Talbot (1856-1925) abstained from drinking the last 40 years of his life, finding strength in prayer, religious books and daily Mass.
Talbot took great efforts to repay all of his debts, even searching for a street musician he had stole a fiddle from in order to sell the instrument and pay for drinks. Unable to find the fiddler, Talbot gave the money to the church to have a Mass said for him.
Talbot devoted his life to penance, Blue said, and became a Third Order Franciscan in 1890.
In 1931, the archbishop of Dublin, Ireland, opened an inquiry into the claims of Talbot’s holiness. The Vatican officially began its inquiry in 1947, and on Oct. 3, 1975, Pope Paul VI declared him to be Venerable Matt Talbot, which is a step on the lengthy road to sainthood -- a process that requires evidence of a physical miracle.
Reported miracles must be assessed and documented to verify that healing occurred without any scientific explanation. If one miracle is verified, the candidate can be beatified (and then called “Blessed”). If two miracles are verified, the candidate can be canonized (and called Saint).
The Kansas miracle moves Talbot one step closer to canonization.
Talbot Watkins is the sixth and youngest child of Patrick and Shannon Watkins of Overland Park, Kansas. The parents began considering Talbot as a name after passing by MTKO in Lincoln when Shannon was five months pregnant, according to an article in The Leaven, a Kansas Catholic newspaper.
By all accounts, Shannon's pregnancy proceeded normally -- until the baby was several days overdue. The doctor suggested a sonogram and nonstress test, which found some “chromosomal abnormalities,” indicating possible Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis. The sonogram was sent to several specialists, who concurred with the obstetrician's findings, The Leaven wrote.
Meanwhile, Shannon Watkins' sister started a prayer chain, asking people to pray for the intercession of Matt Talbot.
Three days later, Talbot Watkins came into the world completely healthy.
Following a recommendation “to tell someone” about Talbot’s miraculous health, Shannon emailed a message to Father Brian Lawless, pastor of St. Agatha Church in Dublin, Ireland, and vice postulator for the cause of Matt Talbot.
Last August, Lawless flew to Overland Park to talk with the family.
Now they -- and others -- await the day that Matt Talbot, an inspiration and spiritual force in the quest for sobriety and conquering addiction, will be canonized into sainthood.