Many of Dona Lucilia’s devotees attest to the fact that, in moments of trial or anguish, invoking the presence of this kind lady often brings calm, healing, and remedy; in short, it spreads salutary rays of light in the midst of the dark storms of this life.
Dona Lucilia overcomes obstacles in some and surmounts indifference in others, while never failing to help those who request her aid
Dona Lucilia knows how to adapt her action to every kind of difficulty: she gently overcomes the obstacles and opposition she encounters in some souls, she breaks through the incomprehension and indifference of others, and she never fails to come to the aid of those who implore her help.
We find proof of this in the account sent by Sonia Ivonete da Silva Santos, who met the Heralds of the Gospel in the Brazilian city of Recife in 2021.
A serious and unexpected diagnosis
Despite having heard many details of Dona Lucilia’s life and of the private devotion that many have for her, Sonia did not feel inclined to turn to her intercession, as she thought she was just an ordinary lady, and considered the reports given about her to be mere stories that had no impact on her heart.
However, through her daughters, she gradually got to know Dona Lucilia better and, like a seed that germinates hidden from view, a devotion began to develop deep inside her, together with a health need she was experiencing: “I had just given birth to a daughter and my recovery was very, very slow. Instead of slimming down, I only seemed to be swelling up more and more, and I was extremely sleepy – so exhausted that there were moments when I slept standing up.”
Suspecting a more serious health complication, Sonia consulted a specialist, who diagnosed her with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare and serious condition resulting from pregnancy, which needed to be investigated. “I went through some tests,” she says, “and it turned out that, along with the peripartum cardiomyopathy, I had suffered a heart attack without even realizing it. So I needed to have a cardiac catheterization to assess the severity of the problem, because I was no longer able to lead a normal life due to fatigue and sleepiness.”
However, her medical insurance systematically refused to authorize the catheterization. Four months of requests and refusals went by: she made phone calls to her health insurance company, which continued to deny the request, claiming that the procedure could only be carried out if she was having a heart attack.
When Sonia realized that the obstacles were insurmountable, then she remembered the stories about Dona Lucilia…
When Sonia finally reached the conclusion that the obstacles were insurmountable, she then recalled the many stories she had heard about Dona Lucilia’s maternal help…
First grace: exam inexplicably scheduled
Her report continues: “I remember that one day my daughters said that April was approaching, the month of Dona Lucilia’s birthday and entry into Heaven. So, when the 21st of April arrived, I opened my eyes in the morning and cried out: ‘Dona Lucilia, if you really are in Heaven, please give me the grace of receiving news from the health insurance company that my exam is authorized!’ That same day, at four o’clock in the afternoon, I was at work when the phone rang:
“‘Sonia, this is your health insurance. You had an examination scheduled at the hospital and you didn’t turn up… We wanted to know why.’
“‘I had an appointment?’ I asked.
“‘Yes, you were scheduled for your test and we noticed that you didn’t make it. Did something happen?’
“‘No, the test was not booked because the plan has been denying authorization for a few months and…’
“‘No, the test is authorized. You can come and have it done at any time.’
“It was impossible! How could it have been authorized if the forms were with me? I had not been to the company, I had just been making phone calls and asking for confirmation, to see if I could take the forms for authorization… Then I knew: the miracle had happened!”
New difficulties overcome by Dona Lucilia
But the obstacles had not yet been completely overcome. Sonia went to the hospital on Saturday to have the test, as arranged. When she got there, however, the receptionist told her that cardiac catheterization could only be performed in emergency cases.
Sonia insisted: “But I received a call from the hospital saying that the test has been authorized!” The receptionist asked her to explain her case to the head nurse, who reaffirmed that the test could only be carried out in emergencies. Nevertheless, she offered to take the case to the cardiologist on duty, who was just leaving the operating room.
Sonia continued: “She went to the cardiologist with my papers, and I stayed in the waiting room, asking once again for the intercession of Dona Lucilia and Our Lady. The nurse came back smiling:
“‘Sonia, do you believe in Divine Providence?’
“‘Yes, I do.’
“‘Look, the doctor told you to go to reception and follow the procedure for hospitalization, because he is going to do the cardiac catheterization today. You are booked with one of our best cardiologists!’”
In fact, it was the kindness of Dona Lucilia, who was interceding with God for her daughter. And she took care not only of her physical health, but above all of her spiritual life:
“I was hospitalized on Saturday, but because some emergency cases arrived, it wasn’t possible to go ahead with the procedure that day, but only on Sunday. I saw Divine Providence at work in my life once again, because that gave me time to call and ask for a priest to come to the hospital, because I wanted to go to Confession and receive the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharistic Jesus.
“Finally, the catheterization procedure was carried out. I was back in my room, recovering, when the doctor came in to ask how I was feeling and to say that the procedure had been done successfully, without any complications. When he got to the heart, he observed that there had indeed been a heart attack which had left a scar, but that the underlying problem had been resolved. I smiled and believed that another miracle had taken place.”
One more favour: a complete cure
“When I returned to my cardiologist with this medical report, he was impressed and told me: ‘I expected to receive a very weak patient, who was going to be dependent on medication for the rest of her life, who would no longer be able to lead a normal life as before, because I studied the results of your other tests and saw that your case was very serious. But I have complete confidence in this report that I have in my hands, because you were treated by one of the best cardiologists I know. He was my professor in university!’”
Even so, the doctor asked for one more test to be carried out, the results of which confirmed the previous ones. He then declared the case closed, telling Sonia: “Your heart is an athlete’s heart; it is in great shape! You can lead a normal life, even exercise, because your heart is performing very well.”
Grateful and happy to have found in Dona Lucilia, more than just a helper, a true mother, Sonia closes with these words:
“Through Dona Lucilia’s intercession I received the favour of having my test, because she booked it for me herself, and what is more, I obtained the grace of a cure. So I can only thank her and trust her more and more!”
The loss of one mother, the finding of another
Maria Eugenia Ponce writes to us from Ecuador to thank Dona Lucilia for her intercession during a very difficult time when her mother passed away:
“I am the sister of a member of the Heralds of the Gospel Association in Ecuador. In April of this year, my mother, Lia Montesinos de Ponce, who was a faithful wife and selfless mother to ten children, passed away at the age of one hundred and four.
“On her last birthday, she had a visit from her children, their spouses and her grandchildren. We commemorated the date with a beautiful Eucharist, which she attended devoutly, rosary in hand. That day, my brother who is a Herald gave her a copy of the magazine Heralds of the Gospel, with an article about the life of Dona Lucilia, with whom we did not have any particular affinity. He showed her the picture up close and from the first moment there was a lot of empathy. My mother commented: ‘What a distinguished lady! Her hair is as white as snow! She seems to be crying, but at the same time she has a beautiful smile. She is so serene and kind, a woman of peace.’
“My brother told her that Dona Lucilia had a blind relative whom she often invited to dinner, to help and comfort him. They would talk about whatever he wished, and when she saw that his favourite food was running out on his plate, she would discreetly serve him more from the side, without her relative realizing it. My mother commented: ‘What a kind lady! How charming she is!’
“In my opinion, there was a ‘click’ between the two, and Dona Lucilia probably wanted to have her close to her, because my mother died very peacefully on April 22 – Dona Lucilia’s birthday – which seems quite significant to me.”
A few days later, Maria Eugenia called the owner of the apartment where she had been living with her mother until then, and which she would now be forced to leave because she could not afford to pay the rent herself. At first, the landlady was adamant: she expressed her condolences for Lia’s passing, but announced that the rent would have to be increased. Then, with great regret, Maria Eugenia told her that she was calling precisely to terminate the lease.
“While I was talking to the landlady, I looked at a photo of Dona Lucilia to ask for her help. And the lady made a complete turnabout”
However, Dona Lucilia was watching over this good daughter who was still mourning the loss of her earthly mother, and came to her aid in that painful situation. Maria Eugenia recounts: “While I was talking to the landlady, I looked at a photo of Dona Lucilia to ask for her help. And – what a surprise! – the lady made a complete turnabout. As I took the photo of Dona Lucilia and put it next to the phone, I heard a surprised voice: ‘But, Maria Eugenia, you can’t leave the apartment! How much can you pay?’”
The amount she had available was less than half the rent that she had paid with her mother’s help. Despite this, the owner of the apartment did not have any problem with changing the lease accordingly. As a result, Maria Eugenia was able to stay in the same place, paying an almost symbolic amount as rent.
The phone call ended with both of them deeply moved, and Maria Eugenia wrote to us full of gratitude:
“I shuddered with emotion and exclaimed as I hung up the phone: ‘This is a miracle from Dona Lucilia!’ A grace that I never tire of thanking her for and telling everyone I can. Dona Lucilia is now an intimate part of my life.”
A solution to a heart problem
There are some difficulties that afflict us more intensely because we cannot see a solution for them… This can happen, for example, when we develop certain health problems, which almost always come unexpectedly and cloud our inner peace. But Dona Lucilia, a lover of the serenity of spirit that is so lacking in the people of today, knows how to provide the necessary help, imparting peace to hearts and, if necessary, healing to bodies.
This is what Mr. Gentil da Silva Cunha, a parishioner of one of the chapels run by the Heralds of the Gospel in Mairiporã, tells us:
“A few months ago, I went through a lot of difficulty with health problems. I needed to have surgery that would require anaesthesia, but the anaesthetist did not give approval because my heart was very swollen. That left me terribly nervous and anxious, very anxious indeed. When I went to visit the cardiologist, I called his attention to the fact that he knew about my problem, yet he had not put me on any medication. I went home more worried, more nervous and more anxious. And I could not sleep at night.”
In the midst of this distress, Gentil received the Anointing of the Sick and was urged to ask for Dona Lucilia’s intercession to solve his problem. A filial relationship then began, as he not only prayed, but maintained a constant dialogue with his intercessor in the midst of all his tasks. A few days later, he felt inspired to consecrate his heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, asking to obtain a cure through Dona Lucilia’s intercession.
“Turn to her with faith and with love. Dona Lucilia is a great intercessor before the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
He made the consecration and tells us about the good result: “Today I am testifying to the favour I received through Dona Lucilia’s intercession. Thanks be to God, I am very well and ready to have the operation. Here in my hands is the medical report of approval to take to the anaesthetist.”
And this is how Gentil concludes his message: “My brothers, my sisters, all those of you who perhaps have not heard of Dona Lucilia, or have heard of her but have not yet had recourse to her, turn to her with faith and love. Dona Lucilia is a great intercessor before the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” ◊
