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Loraine’s gift of children and healing

May 20, 2026
Blessed Solanus Casey
Black-and-white photograph of Loraine Franzosi holding her newborn twins.

Loraine Nowicki was born in 1916 and Married Andrew Franzosi in 1937. The following year she delivered twin girls, Joann (Franzosi) Zaleski and Janet (Franzosi) Gardocki at Eastside General Hospital in Detroit. The twins were unexpected and it was a difficult delivery.

A short time after the delivery of the twins, Loraine developed an infection. She had gone into septic shock and was hospitalized. She was unconscious and the family was told she was near death.

Her mother, Catherine (Ostrowski) Nowicki and mother-in-law, Carmelina (Roncelli) Franzosi Caloia, went to St. Bonaventure in Detroit to ask for prayers from Fr. Solanus; he said that Loraine would be alright. Meanwhile, the local priest from Nativity of our Lord Parish went to give Loraine the last rites. When he entered her room, Loraine woke up. He said, “I was told you were dying. You look alright to me.” Loraine lived to be 95 years old and had two more children.

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