Miracles of Mary Stories about Disability & Healing
By Wendy Laura Belcher
January 30, 2024
Many stories about Mary address disability and healing, sometimes in problematic ways, sometimes in revolutionary ways. Studying these stories brings much to light about how human beings have viewed disability over time and space.
If you identify a PEMM story about disability and/or healing and we do not list it below, please let us know by emailing us. Stories are listed only once below, even if it is about more than one type of ability. Instructors may also email us to receive a lesson plan for teaching about disability and healing in the medieval African folktale.
For class, read the ten stories below with the word "required."
Aging
An aged monk whom the Virgin Mary made young again (required)
Dabra Zamaddo's Qwerbana Dengel afflicted by the consequences of aging
Eyesight
John Bakansi, the blind Egyptian monk, whose eyes the Virgin Mary healed with her breast milk
The rich man from Colosse who was shot in the eye with an arrow while fighting the Qwez (required)
A monk heals two blind hyena cubs with an icon of the Virgin Mary. (required)
Mobility
A monk who was carried by his fellow monks to church when he became too sick to walk (required)
A man with paralysis who was healed on the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption
Hearing
Mental Illness
A priest becomes insane after his entire family dies of the plague. (required)
Sara from Mesot, who became insane and went about naked.
Disease & Illness
A man who was possessed by a spirit of epilepsy [nagargar] for 47 years approaches the Virgin Mary
An abbot who fell sick while on a missionary journey.
A pestilence was stopped by the Virgin Mary
A plague in a monastery is halted at the prayer of a monk.
Pelagia, a nun from Caesarea, whom Satan afflicted with leprosy.
A man who travels to a new land becomes sick and is healed with water that he prayed over
Miscellaneous/Multiple
The sinner whom the Virgin Mary healed after his relatives had spent all his money on physicians.
Ermeyis of Sidon's wounds are healed by the Virgin Mary with a drop of her milk.
A servant girl under a magic spell was healed by the Virgin Mary
Gabra Maryam is healed by the Virgin Mary and Gabriel when they appear to him (opening)
Gabra Maryam is healed by the Virgin Mary and Gabriel when they appear to him (conclusion)
The Virgin Mary heals two women whom a demon had made ill (related to )
Life: The Virgin Mary, as a young woman, cures the son of a Roman official in Bethlehem.
A sinful man is healed from severe pain by sleeping on a Ta'ammera Maryam (Miracles of Mary) book
Related Books
Book of Dersana Urael: Part 19: They go from Athens to Rome and perform healings and prophecies