But nothing is impossible with God!
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Father Louis Cestac
Born in Bayonne on January 6, 1801, died in the odor of holiness in Anglet on March 27, 1868
after a holy and inspiring life, Father Cestac was recognized "venerable" on April 8, 1908 by
Saint Pius X, followed by a "Trial of fame of holiness ”by decree dated 1914. It is an essential
step for a possible beatification which can only take place following a miracle, usually healing,
due to his intercession.
A remarkable healing
However, in 1939, a remarkable healing took place, the healing of Mr. Francis Céby which
occurred following the invocation of Father Cestac. Because of the war, the cause went no
further.
The facts
Here, in summary, are the facts.
On October 30, 1939, Mr. Francis Céby, domiciled in Labenne (Landes), aged 89, exercising the
profession of resinier (and wooden shoe maker in the evening), in excellent shape for his age,
injured himself in the courtyard of his house at the left ankle. The wound, located on the path of a
varicose vein, causes a heavy haemorrhage.
Gangrene!
Despite the intervention of his doctor, Dr. Fernand Ducournau, pain and extensive infection
appeared within a few days with a marked odor of pus (installation of gangrene). The patient is in
bed, his general condition worsens, he has heart failures. On November 2, the patient is
considered lost by Dr. Ducournau who tells his priest son, Father François Céby, called to the
spot from Buglose where he is in charge. He returns on November 9 at the call of his brother,
given the desperate state of their father, and hears the doctor say that the patient would not last
the night, telling them to prepare a coffin for a quick burial at the time of death.
However, on November 12, Dr. Ducournau is called back, and he is amazed to find the patient
alive and notes the unexpected stop of the progression of the infection of the leg of the patient,
which seems to be much better, while remaining pessimistic, "given the advanced age allowing
no hope of defense of the organism or reaction against evil".
What happened?
On the night of 11 to 12, Francois Céby, his priest son, seeing his father unconscious, in a state of
apparent death, called the parish priest to administer the Extreme Unction (Sacrament of the
Sick) to him. The priest son began to pray the De profundis, which is prayed for the souls of
those who have died.
At this moment, an interior inspiration pushes him to formulate, with a particular confidence, a
prayer of intercession calling on Father Louis-Edouard Cestac:
“ My God, I ask you nothing; I thank you for having kept my father until this advanced
age; however, if you want the glorification of Father Louis Edouard Cestac, may it please
you, with his intercession, to heal my old father ”.
The dying man suddenly wakes up, and is able to join the prayers for the “agonizing” or dying,
said by his Parish Priest (Curé) who had just arrived!
This sudden return to life had occurred when the gangrene was not yet healed ("the stench was
terrible") and the leg still in a state of advanced decomposition ("to the bone"). But the gangrene
disappears "Visibly" within three days, "the dressings are removed, the budding of the flesh
begins and continues in such a way that the doctor seems out of his mind, while the family is
seized with a deep emotion". November 20: “… not only is the flesh remade, but the varicose
veins no longer exist; the knee and thigh are healed; the leg is normal with a slight indication of
the previous ailment ”.
More prayers
The same day, his priest son returned to Labenne carrying a relic of Father Cestac, whom the
patient "kept calling upon". On November 26, his son came back to him again to see an "even
more noticeable" improvement, having asked, in the meantime, the Servantes de Marie de
Buglose, to make a novena to the good Father Cestac.
Very quickly the patient regains his vigour with a recovery in appetite and sleep. His general
condition continues to improve and Mr. Céby resumes the course of his life as before, always to
the doctor's surprise.
Patient had a vision - confirmed!
After his recovery, the patient claimed to have seen beautiful ladies on several occasions during
his illness and these words written before him: " courage and patience ". He would later learn that
this was one of Father Cestac's familiar expressions.
According to the various testimonies, for the family and the neighbourhood, there was no doubt
that this healing was the fruit of a miracle operated by the intercession of Father Cestac whom
they continued to thank for a long time.
In September 1941, a year and five months after healing, the general and local condition of the
patient is excellent, he resumed his work with resin. The sick leg is as strong as the other. "He
still walks like a solid man of seventy years ."
If I lived for 300 years...
Dr. Ducournau comes to consider that it was indeed an extraordinary healing. “The doctor above
all highly recognizes the reality of the above facts and declares himself ready to testify before the
Ecclesiastical Court. He too believes that this fact goes beyond the forces of nature; what he says
by saying "that he has never seen such a thing and that he will never see it again, even if he lived
300 years".
Tough Criteria for Miracles
This healing fully meets the required criteria necessary for canonical recognition of miraculous
healing:
• the disease in question is well known in medicine;
• it has an obvious grave character;
• it is purely organic, physical lesion (and not psychological);
• there was no treatment that could contribute to healing;
• this took place instantaneously at the very last extremity, at the very moment of the invocation,
taking place in an extremely rapid and surprising manner;
• there is a complete return to the previous state of health;
• it is not a temporary remission but a complete recovery.
Medical authorities’ conclusion was:
"There can be no doubt that the healing of Mr. Francis Céby was completely unexpected
compared to usual medical forecasts. His recovery can be considered highly unlikely. It is related
to an invocation to Father Louis Edouard Cestac ”.
And so, on June 13, 2014 Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of “the miracle attributed to
the venerable Servant of God Louis Edouard Cestac, diocesan priest, founder of Notre-Dame of
the Refuge and the Institute of the Servants of Mary ”.
