Woman Injured While 'Resting in the Spirit'

[Beau_Ouiville]

" NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CN) - A woman says she suffered traumatic brain injuries and lost her sense of smell and taste after falling over backwards while “resting in the spirit” at a Catholic Charismatic Revival healing service. She sued the Hartford Diocese in Superior Court.
Dorothy Kubala says the accident happened while Fr. Robert Rousseau was “performing a healing service for members of the general public” at the St. Augustine Church in North Branford in January 2009.
Kubala says she “approached the altar, was prayed over, and ‘Rested in the Spirit,’ causing her to fall backwards and hit the floor with the back of her head.”
She claims her injuries were caused by the priest’s “failing to follow protocols, rules and procedures as outlined by defendants, the Hartford Archdiocese and St. Augustine Church.”

courthousenews.com/2010/10/06/30845.htm

 

[the_phoenix]

I have to ask where were the two men who should have been standing behind her as “catchers” to ease this woman when she went down. I also wonder if the intended blessing was given literally on a bare floor rather than on a carpeted area.

Edited after reading the article:

The woman has another point that she should have been warned about the possibility of
falling backwards.

 

[Barbkw]

Where does it say that people will automatically fall over backward upon believing they have been healed by the Holy Spirit?

What a nut :hypno:

Does she fall over backwards upon receiving a flu shot?

Over backward swallowing cough medicine?

 

[the_phoenix]

Where does it say that people will automatically fall over backward upon believing they have been healed by the Holy Spirit?

What a nut :hypno:

If you were to have attended one of Sister Monica’s healing services, she would explain several things to you after the Mass:

1. Sister would tell you that the Mass, receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, and going to Confession is the greatest healing of all.
2. And to quote Sister Monica Marie from memory:

"In a few moments, those of you who wish to come up to receive a blessing may do so. The ushers will escort you up to the front. Now, when I touch you with the crucifix, you may find yourself falling over backwards. There will be two catchers behind you. If for some reason you prefer not to fall, please raise your hand as I approach you and I will give you a blessing but not touch you with the crucifix. Please be aware that the power of the Holy Spirit is so great that even if I do not touch you, you may fall over backwards anyways. … "

If I’m a nut, I would say it’s because I stopped attending the healing services on Wednesdays due to trivial and petty reasons.

The healing services had everything from being blessed with holy water to saying the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and prayer to St. Michael before Mass … then came Mass with a visiting priest … then came prayer and praise after Mass, witnessing, often a spiritual homework assignment from the Sister, a talk by a man on generosity towards the poor and appeal to fill the poor box on the way out because “God loves a cheerful giver,” personal praying over the sick who were unable to walk up to receive a blessing, the rest of us walking up to receive a blessing on a carpeted area (optional of course), and ending with night prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. All in accord with Holy Mother Church.

As Sister Monica would always say, even the healthy could benefit from attending the healing service … spiritually, or by praying for others … and her famous quote:

“Remember, seven days without prayer makes one weak.”

:nun2:

 

[GEddie]

There is nothing in Scripture or subsequent to suggest that falling backward or losing consciousness is a “prescribed” effect of the action of the Holy Spirit. I’ve been to services of this type, and to see human beings toppling backwards like trees is, IMNAAHO, freaky, not spiritual.

I’ve even been prayed over and, when I tensed my body so as NOT to fall over, was told that I was “resisting the Holy Spirit”!!

If no one catches you, it would be very easy to crack your head falling full length like that, carpet or otherwise. What a hideous reason to become brain-injured.

I’ll be praying that God willing, this lady gets her nose and taste-buds back.

God Bless and ICXC NIKA.

 

[MsMoses]

wow, I wonder what really happened there… I have rested in the spirit several times without catchers to support me and I haven’t been injured once. what did she fall on? concrete?

 

[Orogeny]

Maybe she just needs to go back for another healing service.

Peace

Tim

 

[Mark77]

wow, I wonder what really happened there… I have rested in the spirit several times without catchers to support me and I haven’t been injured once. what did she fall on? concrete?

** Pray for the conversion of this ignorant & greedy woman!

Anyone who sues over “resting in the spirit” is just another money hungry Judas!

Thank God Jesus doesn’t sue each one of us for being liars!!!
**
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis pecatoribus!

mark

 

[SamH]

If you were to have attended one of Sister Monica’s healing services, she would explain several things to you after the Mass:

1. Sister would tell you that the Mass, receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, and going to Confession is the greatest healing of all.

:

So instead of filing a lawsuit she should go to confession?

I can agree with that.

 

[wisdomseeker]

" NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CN) - A woman says she suffered traumatic brain injuries and lost her sense of smell and taste after falling over backwards while “resting in the spirit” at a Catholic Charismatic Revival healing service. She sued the Hartford Diocese in Superior Court.
Dorothy Kubala says the accident happened while Fr. Robert Rousseau was “performing a healing service for members of the general public” at the St. Augustine Church in North Branford in January 2009.
Kubala says she “approached the altar, was prayed over, and ‘Rested in the Spirit,’ causing her to fall backwards and hit the floor with the back of her head.”
She claims her injuries were caused by the priest’s “failing to follow protocols, rules and procedures as outlined by defendants, the Hartford Archdiocese and St. Augustine Church.”

courthousenews.com/2010/10/06/30845.htm

Interesting. i heard on the radio one time that the same thing happened in the protestant community that does this sort of thing and the guy was suing the pastor. he had brain injury. now, the question should be, does the Spirit of God is meant to cause injury to people or is this something that we should be thinking about? this to me is kind of an embarassament for the CC.

 

[the_phoenix]

So instead of filing a lawsuit she should go to confession?

I can agree with that.

Having read the article, I still feel that I don’t know all the details.
It would definitely be a good thing if this issue could be resolved without a lawsuit.
It would also be a good thing that if there are safety concerns surrounding the healing ministry such as lack of carpeting and lack of trained catchers and lack of telling people what to expect, that these concerns be addressed.
Confession is a recommendation I can agree to for all of us, of course!

 

[Beau_Ouiville]

Having read the article, I still feel that I don’t know all the details.
It would definitely be a good thing if this issue could be resolved without a lawsuit.

Now, that’s something I can agree with.

 

[the_phoenix]

Interesting. i heard on the radio one time that the same thing happened in the protestant community that does this sort of thing and the guy was suing the pastor. he had brain injury. now, the question should be, does the Spirit of God is meant to cause injury to people or is this something that we should be thinking about? this to me is kind of an embarassament for the CC.

A fair enough question.

Having attended healing services in the past as described above, I witnessed a couple of things that gave me pause. One was the time a man came forward for a blessing, and from the way he was acting when Sister approached with the crucifix, it appeared he was possessed. Maybe he had come to this service in an attempt at deliverance. The rest of us simply kept praying throughout the situation.

Another time, I saw Sister respond to a woman who had asked to use the bathroom by saying in a tone I found surprising at the time, “Why couldn’t you have used the bathroom before coming here?” Previously, and ever since, I’d always seen Sister treating the sick in a very kind and gentle manner. Turns out the woman that Sister confronted about the bathroom had bulimia (I know this because the woman in question was a good friend of mine for years and I finally had to bring up the issue of whether she had an eating disorder with her). After learning about the bulimia, it was like a light bulb went on in my head, and Sister’s remarks to my friend now appeared to me to be a form of tough love.

Sometimes those looking for a healing have things they need to work on that are getting in the way of healing, IMHO.

Perhaps not a complete answer, nor the one you’re looking for. Just an attempt on my part.

 

[wisdomseeker]

A fair enough question.

Having attended healing services in the past as described above, I witnessed a couple of things that gave me pause. One was the time a man came forward for a blessing, and from the way he was acting when Sister approached with the crucifix, it appeared he was possessed. Maybe he had come to this service in an attempt at deliverance. The rest of us simply kept praying throughout the situation.

Another time, I saw Sister respond to a woman who had asked to use the bathroom by saying in a tone I found surprising at the time, “Why couldn’t you have used the bathroom before coming here?” Previously, and ever since, I’d always seen Sister treating the sick in a very kind and gentle manner. Turns out the woman that Sister confronted about the bathroom had bulimia (I know this because the woman in question was a good friend of mine for years and I finally had to bring up the issue of whether she had an eating disorder with her). After learning about the bulimia, it was like a light bulb went on in my head, and Sister’s remarks to my friend now appeared to me to be a form of tough love.

Sometimes those looking for a healing have things they need to work on that are getting in the way of healing, IMHO.

Perhaps not a complete answer, nor the one you’re looking for. Just an attempt on my part.

So, this is a woman doing this spirit thing? are you saying that a sister is the one doing the healling, passing on the spirit? i find that there is something really wrong here. but hey, our Lord will let people get what they want.

 

[the_phoenix]

So, this is a woman doing this spirit thing? are you saying that a sister is the one doing the healling, passing on the spirit? i find that there is something really wrong here. but hey, our Lord will let people get what they want.

Go back and read post #4 in this thread for more information.

 

[the_phoenix]

Now, that’s something I can agree with.

 

[mark_a]

" NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CN) - A woman says she suffered traumatic brain injuries and lost her sense of smell and taste after falling over backwards while “resting in the spirit” at a Catholic Charismatic Revival healing service. She sued the Hartford Diocese in Superior Court.
Dorothy Kubala says the accident happened while Fr. Robert Rousseau was “performing a healing service for members of the general public” at the St. Augustine Church in North Branford in January 2009.
Kubala says she “approached the altar, was prayed over, and ‘Rested in the Spirit,’ causing her to fall backwards and hit the floor with the back of her head.”
She claims her injuries were caused by the priest’s “failing to follow protocols, rules and procedures as outlined by defendants, the Hartford Archdiocese and St. Augustine Church.”

courthousenews.com/2010/10/06/30845.htm

You get my vote for starting *the *most interesting threads.

 

[KostyaJMJ]

You can’t go around pushing people over and not get in trouble over it. Aren’t they supposed to have somebody there to catch them when they get knocked over?

 

[Thyme]

What do you all think of these miracle healing services? Do you think people push people over, or they fall over because they feel they should?

 

[GEddie]

What do you all think of these miracle healing services? Do you think people push people over, or they fall over because they feel they should?

All I know is, when I was the “subject” in a service of this type, the person doing the “praying” was leaning hard into me, as though to cause me to fall back. Then when I didn’t let my body fall back, they said I was resisting the Spirit.

I know some will vehemently disagree, and that is fine. But there is nothing natural about the human body toppling over like a tree, as I have seen, and nothing at all in the faith concerning falling down or going unconscious; these “services” need a good theological examination, IMNAAHO.