My name is Karen Brogan and I live in Oak Lawn / Illinois with my husband and our three children.

Our youngest son, Marty, was diagnosed with stage IV cancer (Rhabdomyosarcoma) at age of 4 on January 12, 2017.  This is the last stage in the progression of cancer. This was a huge shock to our family.

Several weeks after Marty's diagnosis, we heard that a priest by the name of Father Ubald was coming to the nearby parish of St. Gerald's to say a Mass with prayers for healing.  My whole family, including my mom JoAnn, dad Mark, my sister Lori and my brother Kevin, went to Father Ubald's healing Mass.  The Mass was a typical Mass, but the best part was when Father Ubald shared his dramatic life story of how he survived the genocide in Rwanda and how, with God's help, he was able to forgive the people who had killed more than 80 members of his family.  

Father Ubald spoke about how we too must become willing to forgive others just like Jesus forgives us, and having real faith in Jesus.  I remember Father Ubald clearly saying you can’t just pray once or go to mass once and think that your prayers will be answered.  Rather, you have to commit to Jesus and your faith.  Jesus wants to meet you in the Eucharist, you must seek His nearness. You have to attend mass and participate, sing and respond with all your heart.   

At the end of the healing Mass, Father Ubald walked through the rows of people present with the monstrance and blessed them.

Father Ubald has been given the gift by God that during his services people are always healed in body and soul. In doing so, he learns within himself what illnesses God has healed during the Mass. This time too, after the healing Mass, Father Ubald announced who had been healed that night.  He enumerated different diseases and said, "You are healed."  It was amazing to see how many people testified to their healing.  There were also many people present who told how they had once before participated in a healing service by Father Ubald. They would have then gone to the doctor afterwards to get confirmation that they had indeed been healed.

Marty's diagnosis was not mentioned by Father Ubald that evening, which was heartbreaking. I had hoped that Father Ubald would also say to Marty that he was cured. But I suddenly knew after that service how to help Marty, and that was by praying as I had never prayed before.

I was raised catholic and attended a catholic grammar school and high school.  As I got older I went to mass sometimes.  I believed in God but didn't really have anything to pray for.  My life seemed to be simple and my faith took a backseat sadly.

After that night of Fr. Ubald's healing mass, my faith journey began.  I listened to what Father Ubald said and prayed like I had never prayed before.  I went to mass a few times a week and I sang and participated, I said the rosary every day and volunteered at an adoration chapel weekly where I would pray to Jesus. I attended Holy Days of Obligation and we even had the chance to meet Fr. Ubald again and have lunch with him and attend a few more of his healing masses. 

Exactly one year after Marty was diagnosed with cancer, we learned on January 12, 2018 that Marty was in remission.

We know that Marty was healed from cancer because of the power of prayer.  Meeting Father Ubald was one of the best things that have ever happened to our family.  Father Ubald was instrumental in guiding us back to our faith and leading us to Jesus.  For that we are forever grateful to him.

Marty is now 4 1/2 years cancer free and we know that God has answered our prayer and Marty can be healthy because of it.

I would say the experience with Father Ubald changed me, my mom JoAnn and my son Marty the most. We truly believe that God answers trustful prayer and know that nothing is impossible for Jesus. We still rely on our faith today and it has gotten us through many hard times.  Marty knows that Jesus healed him, and knows that he as well as his mother has a job to let the world know that Jesus is real and if you believe you shall receive the Lord's blessings.

Remark:

Father Ubald was a native of Rwanda. In 1963, his father and uncle were murdered by radical Hutus. This was a catalyst for his later strong commitment to forgiveness and reconciliation in his priestly ministry. Then, in 1994, when a total of 85 members from his family, including his mother, were killed during the genocide against the Tutsis, he was once again ready to forgive the killers of his relatives. His example and his priestly work led to an unexpected wave of reconciliation between the victims and perpetrators in Rwanda. In the course of his reconciliation celebrations and services, there were many spontaneous healings, often of the most serious infirmities, and God gave Father Ubald the gift of inner sight as to who of the persons present had been healed by God (see also the testimony: "God healed severe spiritual wounds from the genocide in Rwanda and subsequently gave many physical healings" and "Healed from ulcerative colitis at a healing service"). An extraordinary number of providences also occurred in his environment (see, for example, "God filled my empty hands again and again to help people in Rwanda" and "Examples of how God has intervened and helped in our aid projects in Rwanda"). Father Ubald passed away in 2021.