Spain Calanda (1640)
The Man Who Grew a Leg: The Miraculous Tale of Miguel-Juan Pellicer
The Early Life of Miguel-Juan Pellicer Born in 1617 to a poor family of farmers in Calanda, a village about 100 kilometers from Zaragoza, Miguel-Juan Pellicer faced hardship from an early age. At the age of 19, he left his home to work for his uncle near Castellón de la Plana. While working in the fields one day, tragedy struck: Miguel-Juan fell under a wagon loaded with grain, and the wheels crushed his right leg.
The Accident and Amputation
Miguel-Juan was taken to a local hospital in Valencia, but the severity of his injury led him to discharge himself and embark on a grueling 13-kilometer journey to Zaragoza. He hoped to seek help from the Madonna of Pilar, walking with crutches and using a piece of wood to support his fractured, infected leg. By October 1637, Miguel-Juan arrived in Zaragoza, weak and feverish. He went to the Sanctuary of Pilar, made his confession, and received the Holy Eucharist. Subsequently, he was admitted to the Royal Hospital of Grace.
The doctors at the hospital determined that the only way to save his life was to amputate his leg. The limb was severed just below the knee with a saw and scalpel and then cauterized with red-hot metal. A young practitioner named Juan Lorenzo García buried the amputated limb in the cemetery next to the hospital.
Life After Amputation
Following his surgery, Miguel-Juan was forced to beg for his livelihood near the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Pilar. He attended Mass every morning, prayed fervently before the Holy Sacrament, and rubbed his mutilated leg with oil from the tabernacle lamp. Despite his circumstances, Miguel-Juan's devotion remained unwavering.
The Miraculous Event
After three years away from home, Miguel-Juan decided to return to his family, who welcomed him back with open arms. In March 1640, after participating in a vigil in honor of the Virgin, Miguel-Juan retired to his customary resting place and once again rubbed his leg with oil from the tabernacle lamp. When his mother checked on him, she discovered something astonishing: beneath the blanket, there were two feet instead of one.
Miguel-Juan had miraculously regained his lost limb, which had been buried three years earlier by Juan Lorenzo García. According to eyewitnesses and the canonical process, "The leg was pale, smaller in size and muscular mass, but perfectly vital and allowed him to walk."
Recognition of the Miracle
The miraculous event was immediately recognized and approved by the Archbishop of Zaragoza, who presided over the canonical process. In his clear judgment, he wrote, "Miguel-Juan Pellicer of Calanda was miraculously given back his right leg, which was amputated years prior, and it was not a natural occurrence but a miraculous one." This extraordinary occurrence stands as a testament to Miguel-Juan Pellicer's unwavering faith and the divine intervention attributed to the Virgin of Pilar.