Who is James Oliver Mallon you may ask? James was born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1942. At the age of 9 in 1951 he was diagnosed with cancer (a tumor) in his leg which they were set to cut off until his mother stopped the procedure. After which they tried Cobalt treatments which did not work. It was a family friend that was able to raise enough money to send young Jimmy to Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes France, but just enough money to send Jimmy, not his family. He traveled alone with a group of pilgrims to Lourdes and bathed in the healing waters in search of a miracle cure of his cancer. As he returned home there was no change in his condition but there was no change in his mothers determination. Leigh Johnson poses this question to his audience, was this a miracle that happened to James Mallon or a miracle that happened for his mother?

"what lies beneath"

A Special
Staged Reading
was held on
​Monday,
November 25, 2019
Chief O’Neill’s
Pub & Restaurant
3471 N. Elston, Chicago, IL.
2nd floor
dinning room

The Cast of Characters