Vatican confirms Pope Leo’s first miracle since election

The Vatican has officially confirmed the first miracle under Pope Leo XIV, marking a historic moment for the newly elected pontiff.

The event, which occurred in 2007 in Rhode Island, USA, involved a premature baby who was born without a heartbeat and had no medical chance of survival.

According to Vatican investigators, the child, Tyquan Hall, was delivered via emergency C-section, pale and lifeless, suffering severe oxygen deprivation. Doctors expected death or permanent brain damage.

But when all hope was gone, attending physician Dr. Juan Sanchez offered a desperate prayer—not to a famous saint, but to Father Salvador Valera Parra, a humble 19th-century Spanish priest he remembered from his hometown.

Minutes later, something extraordinary happened: the baby’s heart started beating on its own. Medical staff braced for the worst, but Tyquan defied every expectation. He grew up healthy, spoke at 18 months, walked at two, and today shows no sign of impairment.

The Vatican has declared this “a true miracle,” moving Father Valera Parra closer to sainthood. The priest, who died in 1889 without fame or recorded miracles, now needs just one more confirmed case for canonization.

Rev. Timothy Reilly of the Diocese of Providence called the pronouncement “a blessing for Rhode Island and beyond,” saying it affirms the Church’s faith in divine intervention.

For Pope Leo XIV, the confirmation also makes history. The 69-year-old Chicago-born cleric is the first American and first Peruvian citizen to lead the Catholic Church. Elected in May after Pope Francis’ death, Leo is known for his humility, intellect, and ability to connect with the modern world.

The Vatican added that the pope is also advancing other sainthood causes, including that of Carlo Acutis, a British-born Millennial famous for cataloging Eucharistic miracles before his death in 2007.