- Father Jesus Mariscal was stopping by to get donuts when he discovered the homeless woman on the grounds of St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima, Washington
- Pregnant woman called for help when she was giving birth to twins
- Father Mariscal had to resuscitate one of the boys who was stuck in the amniotic sac, but both babies are now healthy and the mother has left the hospital
A Catholic priest helped deliver a homeless woman’s twin boys and revived one when he stopped breathing after hearing her cries for help outside his cathedral.
Parochial minister of St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima, Washington, Father Jesús Mariscal, stopped by to buy donuts in September when he found a homeless woman in need.
She stood in the cathedral grounds, near a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and shouted, “I need help, I’m having a baby.”
Father Mariscal told the nonprofit Catholic Extension that he couldn’t believe it at first, but then he looked closer and saw blood on her feet.
She said, ‘I got it now, I got it now.’
Paramedics arrived and took the mother and babies to hospital
He called 911 and put the phone on speaker to follow the operator’s instructions before helping the woman lie down.
Within seconds she gave birth to a baby boy. Father Mariscal handed her the baby and sat back in relief.
But then she shouted, “I’ll have another one.”
Father Mariscal gave birth to the second boy, but he was still stuck in the amniotic sac.
The 911 operator told him to break the bag open, but Father Mariscal had no tools, so he had to use his hands to break it.
He took the baby out and discovered that he was not breathing and that the umbilical cord was around his neck.
Father Mariscal laid him on his side and tapped him on the back until he started breathing.
He said: ‘It was a surreal experience. It looked like something out of a movie.
Father Mariscal called 911 and followed the operator’s instructions to deliver the two babies
The mother was standing in the grounds of the cathedral
“I was there with my bloody hands holding a baby, and the baby was all bloody too, and I’m dressed in clergy. And I am a priest for the Shrine of Our Lady.
“And I thought, ‘What is God trying to tell me? What are you trying to tell me, God? What is this about?’
As he ran inside to get towels, the paramedics arrived and took over.
Father Mariscal was scheduled to meet an engaged couple for wedding preparation and had to send them a text to apologize for being late.
He said, “I’m sorry I’m late for our appointment. I just helped a lady deliver twins.”
Assuming he was joking, they replied, “LOL Father. You don’t have to lie.’
The woman and her babies were taken to hospital. They were born prematurely at 30 weeks, but they are doing well.
Father Mariscal works with migrant workers in Washington State
Father Mariscal does not know who the mother is and she left the hospital a few hours after admission and reportedly did not return.
He said: ‘It’s a beautiful story on the one hand, but heartbreaking on the other.’
More than 25,000 people were considered homeless in Washington state last January, up 10 percent from 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Yakima Bishop Joseph J. Tyson told Fox News, “I hope this situation will also raise awareness of the political and social conditions surrounding homelessness.
“We serve as sisters and brothers to those who are poor and marginalized, journeying with them as they seek solutions to their problems, address their challenges and take their rightful place in our communities.”