St. Lawrence Christmas Pot-Pie Miracle 

By Mary Buckler 

 After thanksgiving dinner, I had a lot of leftover turkey so I decided to make three turkey potpies. While prepping I started praying to St. Lawrence to make it really tasty for the priest because I knew that I would be gifting maybe one or two to him. So after making all three I froze two and put one in the oven for dinner that night. Fast-forward to a week before Christmas. I thought to myself surely the priest could probably use something to eat around this time of year so after work on Saturday I will pull the pie out of the freezer and put it in the oven. It should take only one hour to cook. So Saturday came and I did just as I had planned. I put the pie in the oven. Then I started doing other things. I was also making chocolate peanuts in my crock pot and busy tackling many other things. Before you know it, one of my sisters came over and she said “hmm something smells really good!”. I paid no attention to the pie. In fact I forgot about it and thought she was referring to the smell of the chocolate. I was not paying attention at all to what I had in the oven. Many hours have went by. Finally, when I thought I was going to rest;  I went to go sit on the couch. My butt kept hitting it then all of a sudden, which I believe, St. Lawrence kicked me! I jumped to my feet and ran over to my oven screaming. My sister said “What are you doing!? What is going on?!” I pulled it out as fast as I could thinking it would be totally burnt to a crisp. I realized it was two and half hours later. My mouth dropped when I saw it. It was the most beautiful crust. Perfect golden brown and it smelled amazing. I just still couldn’t believe it. The devil on my shoulder kept whispering to me on my shoulder, “You can’t give that to the priest! It is probably all messed up on the inside!” So then I took my spatula and checked the bottom and it too was perfect! I kicked the devil off my shoulder and said to myself “Nope they are getting this!” That Sunday morning I gave it to Fr. Palka. I told him the story of the miracle Christmas pie so he was leery of eating it. So he took only a very small piece of it. He said it was the best pot pie he has ever tasted and ended up eating half of it! The other half went to Fr. Marshall who also admitted to eating the entire half to himself. I was so thankful to St. Lawrence for saving that pie! A few months later they got the other pie as well, but this time I cooked it correctly!

In 2008 we had a house fire during a birthday pool party. I was already nervous putting on such a big party. It was my daughter’s first year of school and I would soon learn that the days of having just family now turned into school friends, church friends with 65 people RSVPing! As Holy Spirit would have it, only 3 families showed up. Thankfully so, or else it would have been much more chaotic during the fire had more children and adults been present. Before the fire surged out of control I tried to put it out with water that was the closest nearby....our pool. In the spur of the moment, adrenaline rushing, not realizing that I was fueling the flames from what I had just done. Our pool just received a chlorine treatment the day prior. As a result of the raging fire, I suffered a 3rd degree burn on my leg. While everyone managed to make it out ok, my grandfather’s collection of glass elephants from all around the world exploded in the raging fire and we could hear every single one ping so loudly. The damage was horrific. A brand new PLASTIC potty chair was now, as thin as a pancake; melted to the floor. Right next to it, stood this 2 feet high PLASTIC statue of my patron, St. Jude the Apostle. Fully Intact! With light smoke damage at his feet that wiped right off! Not a single burn on him. Did I mention it was a PLASTIC statue? 

We would soon learn that it was the only item in our guest pool bathroom to survive the fire that day. Every other trinket, decor, you name it, was consumed by the fire. I remember the fire department in disbelief at all the damage and how a plastic icon could survive such a catastrophe. They called the fire chief out along with 3 other stations just to hold our statue and see for themselves. My mother and I thought they were coming out and calling other stations for the left over Cuban Sandwich trays she kept offering from the party that was now a bust! They didn’t eat a single sandwich; rather stood in awe and amazement. Each one taking turns to marvel and pass it around.  

Some people have to see to believe. While others just know. There is no true faith without a little doubt. 

Did St. Jude save me from the fire? No. God’s mighty hand saved me from it. However, I firmly believe that St. Jude’s intercession was present that day. We all need a patron that can pray for us. And boy am I glad I have St. Jude as mine! 

I had to go through lots of therapy and burn treatment for the injury to my lower leg. At one point they thought a skin graft was needed. Once again his healing intercession prevailed and that was no longer necessary, as the healing process suddenly sped up and healthy new skin began to grow unassisted. I was self conscious wearing shorts in sunny Florida with the burn that was left behind. Looking back hindsight I should have displayed it more proudly in thanksgiving for St. Jude interceding. Today it is almost unnoticeable.

Though more than 2 decades has passed, it wasn’t until his Feast day this past October, that I made the connection. That like St. Jude, the fire didn’t rise above my feet. The scar on my leg that I was once embarrassed of, is now a stamped relic that will walk with me always. A candid reminder that God & my guardian angel are always with me and that St. Jude is always praying for me to live my purpose and be the best version of myself. I’m still working on it! I can do better. 

For my Protestant friends who can’t deny this great miracle indeed happened and can’t disprove it’s power; it’s a great teachable moment to educate them on what we really believe as Catholics. Statues and relics are not meant to be worshipped, rather venerated for God’s greater glory by allowing Him to work in and through each of our lives. 

“We do not worship relics, we do not adore them, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator. But we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are.” (Ad Riparium, i, P.L., XXII, 907)