The French often remark, with a touch of humour, that health is a precarious state that always ends badly… And yet, this maxim often applies in a much-mitigated way to those who place their trust in the intercession of Dona Lucilia.

Indeed, she would not be truly maternal were she to fail to provide for the needs of those who seek her aid, in every realm – including that of physical well-being.

For this reason, it could even be said that, besides being a mother, she is a “physician,” for she tends to her spiritual children with truly tireless solicitude.

A brief note of thanks

We need only entrust our concerns to her through a simple prayer to receive an answer. This is attested to by Mrs. Carolina Gomes Nascimento, from Vale de Nogueiras, Vila Real, Portugal:

“I wish to give thanks for a grace I received through Dona Lucilia. My niece had a very serious lung problem. I asked Dona Lucilia to intercede with God and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on her behalf. That grace was granted to me! I would be very grateful if this grace could be published. I have been a subscriber to the magazine for many years and feel comforted when I read it.”

An unexplained malady during pregnancy

For Mrs. Michelle Cavalheiro, a resident of Mairiporã (São Paulo), the effective aid of Dona Lucilia came during an unusual ailment that arose while she was pregnant with her fourth child, John – a child she had, in fact, asked for and obtained through the intercession of the same kind lady.

Approaching her sixth month of pregnancy, Michelle was in good health; her test results were excellent, and the baby’s development was proceeding normally.

However, one Saturday morning, she woke up with a severe headache radiating to her neck and a very strange feeling of malaise. In her own words:

“I dismissed it as a passing discomfort. I suggested to my husband and children that we walk to the mall near where we lived in Cajamar to see if I’d feel a bit better, since a little exercise like that can sometimes make you feel more energetic. But when we arrived at the mall, I realized things were getting worse…”

Michelle felt faint and feared she might pass out at any moment. Consequently, she left her husband and children in the play area and went to the mall’s infirmary for help.

The nurse on duty checked her blood pressure and found it to be very high. Alarmed, the nurse insisted that Michelle immediately take an ambulance to the hospital.

However, needing to retrieve some items from home, she decided to take transport back there first and only then head to the emergency room.

At the hospital, tests confirmed her blood pressure was extremely high, though the cause could not be identified. Her condition was stabilized with medication, and Michelle was able to speak with the doctor to hear his assessment. While he lacked sufficient data, he believed she might be experiencing the onset of a heart attack.

An inexplicable improvement

After receiving the proper medication, Michelle spent the rest of the day doing well and returned home. Sunday was also a very quiet day, but on Monday the symptoms returned, forcing her to seek help at a Basic Health Unit near her home.

Blood tests revealed concerning abnormalities, prompting her referral to the Santana de Parnaíba maternity hospital. The account continues:

“I asked my husband to take the children home to care for them so that I could return to the hospital if necessary. While I was alone waiting for the ambulance, I felt quite anxious and very distressed by everything that was happening.

Then I remembered Dona Lucilia and said to her: ‘You are a mother and understand what is happening – my fear of leaving the children and not being able to provide the support they need. See my concern for them and for myself; please watch over my health…’

“I began to pray to Dona Lucilia, earnestly asking and imploring her to help me. During the ambulance ride to the Santana de Parnaíba maternity hospital, I prayed the Rosary and fervently asked for her intercession.”

Following hospital protocols, Michelle had to wait some time before being seen. When she was finally examined, the doctor found no trace of the ailment that had afflicted her. Astonished, she remarked to her patient:

“What happened is inexplicable! Everything is in order with you... your health is good, everything is under control – your blood pressure, your heart – and the baby is doing very well, too… I cannot explain it!”

For Michelle, however, it was all clear: “At that moment, I thought: ‘There is an explanation! Our Lady and Dona Lucilia helped me!’”

The remainder of the pregnancy proceeded without complications, and John was born in excellent health.

A test of faith

Further confirming the unfailing nature of Dona Lucilia’s assistance, Michelle shares another grace obtained through her intercession:

“A more recent account involves a surgery I underwent to reposition my intestines; I had severe diastasis recti and multiple hernias, and surgery was the only solution.”

The path to securing the procedure was arduous, but thanks to Dona Lucilia’s help, the operation became possible. However, during the recovery process, Michelle encountered a problem with the incision healing, and an area of her abdomen began to show signs of necrosis. Her doctor was very concerned and prescribed various medications and wound dressings. Michelle explains:

“That night, I was deeply upset, disappointed, and saddened by the situation. I asked for Dona Lucilia’s help, saying: ‘Tomorrow this wound will be fine, because Dona Lucilia is going to help me!’ It was a very strong declaration, full of conviction: ‘I am certain that tomorrow my skin will be healthy! Dona Lucilia won’t let it become necrotic!’ I applied the dressing and went to sleep. But the next day, I felt somewhat apprehensive; the confidence of the day before – that faith – had been shaken… ‘Will it really be better now?’”

Once again, Michelle saw proof that her prayer had not been in vain:

“When I removed the dressing, the wound was clean! A healthy scab had already formed! To me, this is one of the greatest proofs of Dona Lucilia’s intercession in my life – showing how quickly she intercedes and how she never fails to answer her spiritual children!”

Complications and drama in the hospital

Consoling the suffering, alleviating their pain, and supporting them in their needs are roles Dona Lucilia knows well how to fulfil.

From Lauro de Freitas (Bahia), Mrs. Edilene Oliveira Soares sent us a touching account of Dona Lucilia’s intervention in her life following a severe ordeal.

Her husband had suffered an intestinal perforation during a medical procedure, triggering a terrible succession of ailments and setbacks over the course of a sixty-day hospital stay.

These were very difficult times for Edilene, during which she received support and comfort from her sister, Juliana – a great devotee of Dona Lucilia. Through her, Edilene learned about Dona Lucilia and turned to her as an intercessor for her husband’s case. Here are her words:

“One day, when I called my sister, she told me about Dona Lucilia. To be honest, I didn’t even know she existed. My sister told me she had lit a candle asking Dona Lucilia to take charge of everything, to heal my husband, and to look after both him and me.”

The situation kept worsening, and her husband’s medical condition was dire. Several surgeries failed to yield the expected results, and a severe infection compromised his recovery, triggering seizures that led to a twenty-day stay in the ICU.

He was transferred from hospital to hospital; further procedures were urgently needed, yet her husband’s body was not responding. It was not even possible to insert a feeding tube.

Her husband’s suffering was so intense that he believed he was not going to survive, and Edilene, who faithfully remained by his side, was disheartened and exhausted.

Here is how she recounts that ordeal to us:

“Despite my faith, there were moments when I thought he wouldn’t pull through, especially given his age. But I prayed fervently to God and Our Lady of Fatima, and I also made sure to pray to Dona Lucilia. Through abundant grace and blessings, he recovered enough for the doctors to decide to discharge him!”

“I am with you…”

During the first week after they both returned home, Edilene had a very unusual dream:

“I saw a lady. I was weeping bitterly with her, as if my husband had passed away. But she comforted me, saying it was not yet the moment, for his time had not come.

At a quick glance, I thought that lady was my grandmother. I was startled, because I didn’t know if I was asleep or awake… Suddenly, I felt someone caressing my head and gently stroking my hands and arms with great love.

“Then I woke up, looked beside my bed, and saw that same lady – white-haired and bearing a resemblance to my grandmother. I looked at her and asked, ‘Grandma, is that you?’ She replied, ‘No, I am not your grandmother, but I have been – and am – with you at every moment.’ That was when I realized it was Dona Lucilia – the very lady my sister had told me about and even sent me a photo of! It was her!”

Happy and filled with wonder to have her there, Edilene sat up in bed to see her better, but at that instant, Dona Lucilia vanished…

She concludes her account thus:

“After that vision, I wept profusely, for I had seen her so clearly beside me, stroking my arms and caressing my face and head, blessing me and saying that she had been – and would be – with me!”

There is no better remedy for a suffering heart than a mother’s comfort and affection. For Edilene, this experience with Dona Lucilia – after such a long ordeal – was a sign that the dark clouds were finally lifting and that Dona Lucilia, from eternity, would care for her like the tenderest of mothers.

May these simple testimonies help us grow in confidence and devotion to Dona Lucilia, certain that for us, too, she will be a powerful intercessor, a physician, and a most loving mother!