Aleteia logoAleteia logoAleteia
Friday 22 November |
Saint of the Day: St. Cecilia
Aleteia logo
Inspiring Stories
separateurCreated with Sketch.

Wow! Mary leaves ‘calling card’ after man survives near-death collision

car-crash-Mary-image

Courtesy of Maggie

Theresa Civantos Barber - published on 04/20/23

A dear friend shared this amazing story of how her husband experienced a shocking near-death car crash and a powerful sign of Our Lady’s protection.

A dear friend of mine, Maggie, shared a shocking but powerful story of her husband Robert’s near-death car crash and Our Lady’s protection.

Maggie and Robert are the parents of five young boys, ages 2 to 9 years old. They are a Navy Family currently stationed at NAS Kingsville, Texas. Maggie homeschools their adorable clan and both parents work hard to build a joyfully Catholic family life.

20230409_113826-1.jpg
Robert, Maggie, and their sons

Last month, Maggie shared this story on her Facebook page:

Robert was in a serious car accident last week and walked away unharmed. His driver door was hit by a pickup going 55 mph. He recalls that there was no time to react, only a momentary sense that “death was near.” Our SUV was sent spinning across 2 miraculously empty lanes of traffic. 

car-crash-Mary-image

This kind of car accident is often fatal, as multiple witnesses confirmed. Maggie explained:

The responding firefighter remarked that he was shocked anyone could exit the vehicle at all, let alone unharmed. He lamented that he had witnessed so many fatalities on this road in identical scenes, saying, “Man, I have seen this a dozen times before where you [the driver] don’t make it out.”

When we filed with our insurance, the agent remarked, “I am glad you were all right. I didn’t want to say anything but I feel I should tell you I just processed this exact accident but the driver didn’t make it.” Heartbreaking and sobering.

But what made Robert’s protection from the crash seem even more miraculous was a little detail the couple noticed when looking over the photos after the fact. Maggie wrote:

We were looking over the photos when I spotted this Marian prayer card wedged into the mangled door. This little prayer card had been securely tucked in a ledge on the ceiling several feet away from this surprising new location. To us this little piece of paper represents a spiritual reality: Mary was there at the moment of impact, placing herself between Robert and serious bodily harm and that God allowed this sign to remind us of His love for us. I humorously told Robert that Our Lady must really love him to have left her calling card.

We feel compelled to share our miracle with you and to remind you that Mary loves you and wishes you to draw nearer to her son, Jesus. Please keep us and the other driver (who was shaken up but unharmed, Thank God(!) in your prayers. 

Memento Mori friends ❤️

Wow, what a story! Doesn’t it remind you of the way Mary miraculously diverted the bullet meant to kill John Paul II?

I had so many questions, so I reached out to Maggie so she could tell me more.

car-crash-Mary-image

“We were surprised that the Marian image dislodged in the first place since no other car items moved significantly,” she told me. “It remarkably weaved through 2 deployed driver side airbags and landed face side up in the door panel at the exact location of impact.”

Has the incident strengthened their family’s faith?

“Most definitely,” Maggie said. “We have a greater appreciation of the profound maternal love Mary has for all of us.”

Mary’s intercession didn’t stop with protecting Robert in the crash. 

Maggie shared with me that after the crash, when she and her husband went to purchase another vehicle from a local couple, they were surprised to discover that the husband selling the car was a practicing Catholic who had been praying for years for his wife to join him at Mass. 

Maggie and Robert had the opportunity to share their incredible story of Mary’s protection with the couple, and their hope and prayer is that their story will inspire this woman to come home to the Church.

I’m thanking God today for his protection of my friend Robert, and adding a Marian prayer card to my car!

Tags:
Inspiring storiesVirgin Mary
Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you.

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.

2025-Aleteia-Pilgrimage-300×250-1.png
Daily prayer
And today we celebrate...




Top 10
See More
Newsletter
Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. Subscribe here.