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“A beautifully told story that will inspire every family to deeper faith.”
—Jennifer Fulwiler, radio host and author of One Beautiful Dream: The Rollicking Tale of Family Chaos, Personal Passions, and Saying Yes to Them Both
“Of all the biographical works about Fulton Sheen I’ve read, Bonnie Engstrom’s 61 Minutes To a Miracle is by far the best. Her account of Sheen’s intercession through Christ in literally raising her son James Fulton from the dead is impossible, of course. Except that it happened. Engstrom is not only a woman of faith but a writer’s writer who manages to infuse a harrowing tale — every parent’s worst nightmare — with dreamlike joy. By God’s grace, this deceptively small book has the power to touch hearts and minds.”
— Patrick Coffin, Host, The Patrick Coffin Show
“As a saint lover, I’ve read many stories about miraculous healings, but this might be the most incredible. It’s perhaps more intriguing given that it happened in our own time…. It’s hard (if not impossible) to explain little James’s healing without divine intervention. That’s why seven medical experts reviewing this case, some non-Catholic, unanimously agreed there was no natural explanation. The theological experts agreed the healing should be attributed to the intercession of Fulton Sheen…. But Bonnie Engstrom’s account in this book is more than just a shocking miracle story. It’s also, as are the best miracle stories, an uplifting and encouraging testament to the ways God and his saints continue to work in this world. If you have friends or family who don’t believe in God, or doubt there are forces in this world beyond the merely material, this book may change their minds.”
— Brandon Vogt, founder of ClaritasU and author of Why I Am Catholic
“It’s easy (and maybe comfortable) to confine the earth-shattering, world-changing-type miracles to back in ye olde Bible days. But James Fulton Engstrom’s life is a testament to the fact that BIG important miracles can happen in our time, in regular homes, to normal families. His mom’s lovely little book gives us all a fascinating window into one family’s experience living through — and with — a Church-approved, doctor-verified medical miracle!”
— Kendra Tierney, mother of many, blogger, author of The Catholic All Year Compendium
“Do you believe in miracles? You will after reading this book. … I’ve had the double pleasure of reading about this story and meeting Bonnie Engstrom and her husband, Travis. What happened with their stillborn son, James Fulton, with the intercession of Fulton Sheen, is quite literally amazing, extraordinary — miraculous. What happened to James Fulton, well, just doesn’t happen. It was, in fact, a certified miracle credited to the late, great Bishop Fulton Sheen.”
— Paul Kengor, PhD, professor of political science, Grove City College, author of A Pope and a President
“Bonnie, Travis, and James’s story is an incredible witness to our Lord’s faithfulness, His never-ending love for us, and His desire to pour His grace into every crevice of our lives. If you don’t believe in miracles, this book is for you. Prepare to be astonished. If you already believed in miracles, this book will deepen your faith in a mighty God who saves.”
— Jenna Guizar, founder and creative director of Blessed Is She, Inc.
61 Minutes to a Miracle
61 Minutes to a Miracle
Fulton Sheen and a True Story of the Impossible
Bonnie L. Engstrom
Except where noted, the Scripture citations used in this work are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible — Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition), copyright © 1965, 1966, 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.
Copyright © 2019 by Bonnie L. Engstrom
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All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without permission from the publisher. For more information, visit: www.osv.com/permissions.
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ISBN: 978-1-61278-717-6 (Inventory No. T1421)
eISBN: 978-1-61278-327-7
LCCN: 2019942862
Cover and interior design: Lindsey Riesen
Cover art: Shutterstock.com and Stephanie Zimmerman
Printed in the United States of America
“When Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.’ ”
John 11:4, The Story of Lazarus
Contents
by the Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, Bishop of Peoria
Chapter 2: Love, Marriage, and a Baby in a Baby Carriage
Chapter 6: The Cusp of Something Great
Chapter 8: “Please Send Life Flight”
Chapter 9: Pulseless Electrical Activity