The American deacon miraculously cured with the help of John Henry Newman will have a major role in the Birmingham cardinal's beatification Mass.
Deacon Jack Sullivan, from Massachusetts, whose spinal disorder was healed after he prayed for the intercession of Cardinal Newman, will proclaim the Gospel and act as deacon when Pope Benedict XVI beatifies Newman in September.
The miracle, subjected to rigorous tests by a panel of doctors and then by theologians, was necessary to advance the process of beatification, the first step towards sainthood. The Church requires one miracle attributed to a Servant of God for beatification and a second one for canonisation.
