The Devotion of John Roszkowski
The Franciscan Sisters of Chicago have long promoted the cause of sainthood for their foundress, Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik. In 1994, she was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II. For her Cause to progress, she needs a miracle attributed solely to her intercession so the Vatican can promote her to the next step, being declared Blessed. In June of 2020, Sister Jeanne Marie, promoter of the Cause of Mother Mary Theresa, received a letter from Father Donald Roszkowski from Peoria, Illinois. In the letter, Father Donald communicated the story of his father John, who lives in Normal, Illinois. The letter began: "Dear Sister Jeanne Marie, my father John Roszkowski has indicated to me that although he has prayed many devotions, he particularly prayed to Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik for the intentions of his kidney problem."
Late last year in October, John was struggling with severe health problems. This all began when he received the wrong antibiotic to treat an infection which led to serious health complications and resulted in his kidneys shutting down. Thus, he began to experience End Stage Renal Disease. "Any diagnoses with the words "end stage" typically qualify a patient for hospice because without treatment, death is the near immediate expected outcome,” said Doctor Robert Bruha, who treated John during his health crisis.
John Roszkowski smiles with a newspaper clipping of Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik, foundress of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago
John prayed to Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik during his illness. The Sisters hope that one day she will be elevated to sainthood.
John’s health began to deteriorate. "I was given six months to live," he said. As the finality of this diagnosis sank into John’s mind, he remembered he had a clipping of a picture of Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik that was in the Catholic Post, a newspaper from the Diocese of Peoria. He prayed fervently to Mother Mary Theresa. John Roszkowski smiles with a newspaper clipping of Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik, foundress of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago
Then the unbelievable happened. John got better. "Although it is common for patients in good health who experience acute renal failure to have significant renal recovery, when considering Mr. Roszkowski’s chronic hypertension and diabetes, and other health problems, chief among them being his age, this level of recovery is unexpected. Mr. Roszkowski’s devout faith may have played a significant role in his recovery. When a patient shows signs of recovery, the instinct of healthcare workers is to assume that it is because of their treatments. In reality, recovery can happen because of their labor, with their labor, or in spite of their labor. Prayer and grace help in all circumstances, it is never misdiagnosed, it is never a medication error, it is never negligence,“ Dr. Bruha said in a letter to the Roszkowski family. John has made quite a recovery and is feeling better every day. He continues to receive care from Dr. Bruha and has made steadfast improvements. “I’m amazed…a little over a year since it happened and I’m getting better!"
​
John also wanted to express his gratitude to Mother Mary Theresa: “I would like to thank Mother Mary Theresa for her most powerful intercession. I pray every day the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Rosary of the Tears of the Most Holy, Pure, and Immaculate Mother for Mother Mary Theresa’s Beatification and her Canonization. May God bless her for all the great things she did while she was here on earth.” The Franciscan Sisters of Chicago are now in the process of reviewing John’s devotional story and whether it can qualify to further Mother Mary Theresa’s saintly cause. The Sisters also ask everyone to continue to seek intercession from Venerable Mary Theresa Dudzik, so that one day she can be elevated to the final step - sainthood. For more information and updates on her saintly cause, visit chicagofranciscans.org or mothermarytheresadudzik.com.