St. Anthony and Liberace

Liberace with Pope Pius XII.

Miraculo!

I don't know anything about Liberace's private life, but I do recall stories I heard as a kid, especially his devotion to St. Anthony.  Since the making of the HBO film, billed 'too gay for theaters' critics have disputed the Catholic faith of Liberace, especially since his former 'lover' supposedly failed to mention much about it in his tell-all book the film is based upon.

St. Anthony of Padua

That being said, I have always heard that Liberace was a faithful Catholic.  I was never a fan of the man, although my parents appeared to be, and that was the talk.  My mother always liked to pick out all the Catholics in the entertainment industry.  Obviously she only knew what she read in the fan magazines.  Was Liberace a Catholic?  Yes.  A faithful Catholic?  Probably.  But he was gay and engaged in unnatural vice. 

How can that be defined as faithful?  How can a sinner be a faithful Catholic?  Aren't we all sinners?  Therefore, it seems to me if he attended Mass but did not receive Holy Communion without first going to confession, that can be a sort of profession of faith.  Divorced and remarried Catholics do that.  Moreover, if he died a good death, receiving the sacraments, that is truly an act of faith, accepted by the Church.  (I could be wrong of course, so stop reading now.)

That said, the man was Catholic, no matter his lifestyle.  He also had a huge devotion to St. Anthony - which I always attributed to his Italian heritage - having forgotten the story of his 'miraculous cure'.

Liberace's Palm Springs St. Anthony home chapel.

Thus, in honor of St Anthony, special intercessor for 'lost souls', the following is a brief account of Liberace's miracle.  Liberace had a lobby in a Catholic hospital dedicated to him after his miracle...  At the dedication of the lobby in 1986, "Liberace made his entrance while a protege played "When the Saints Come Marching In."  What?

Liberace's link to the hospital dates back to 1963, when he was rushed to St. Francis from a performance in Monroeville. The gilded pianist had inhaled fumes while cleaning one of his trademark costumes and suffered kidney failure. 

The story goes that a nun came to Liberace's hospital room and suggested he pray to St. Anthony for a miracle. Dependent on a dialysis machine and facing only a 20 percent chance of survival, Liberace took the advice and prayed in earnest.His recovery was dramatic. 

Grateful for the medical and spiritual care, Liberace made several visits to the hospital in subsequent years. He supported fund-raisers and always made sure the sisters had tickets to his shows. In 1986, when St. Francis opened the $1.8 million lobby, the sisters dedicated it to Liberace. - Source

And from Liberace's autobiography:

The Wonderful Private World Of Liberace:

"A very young and lovely nun wearing a white habit came to see me late one night, when I was very near death. She said she was going to pray to Saint Anthony for me, and he would make me well.

The very next day, I began to get well. I described the nun to the Mother Superior at the hospital and asked who she was. The Mother Superior said 'There are no nuns in the hospital who wear white habits.'" - Source

What?