The words “confidence” and “mother” are practically synonymous. There is no child who does not trust its mother, and where a good mother is lacking, true confidence will rarely flourish. Perhaps that is why devotees from all walks of life decide to entrust their requests, difficulties and needs, whether large or small, to the hands of Dona Lucilia… This is what we will consider in the following accounts.

A request and an immediate response

Professor Edson Sampel, from São Paulo – a reader well known for his devotion to Dona Lucilia – has sent us yet another account of a brief episode in which Dona Lucilia’s discreet – yet effective – presence made itself felt. He writes:

“My wife and I were anxiously searching the house for some euros. We couldn’t quite remember where we had put them. Or rather: I knew perfectly well where I had put the money, but it wasn’t there anymore. We were already imagining that something bad had happened, like a thief breaking into our apartment.

“At a certain point, we decided to stop looking for the money. I was very concerned, so I decided to pray the Rosary. At the end of the second decade, as always, I asked for the intercession of Dona Lucilia. That afternoon I asked for her help fervently. Well, I finished praying the Rosary and went back to searching for the euros. In the very first place I looked, I found the money!”

A friend for all occasions

Like Professor Edson, there are many who have witnessed how much a small prayer is enough for Dona Lucilia to intercede with the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the intentions of those who turn to her.

From Portugal, Mrs. Maria Laura Gonçalves Brandão sends us a brief but moving testimony of Dona Lucilia’s intervention on her behalf, a mother distressed by her daughter’s sorrows.

Indeed, the Portuguese reader tells us that she decided to place in Dona Lucilia’s hands her request that her daughter’s infertility be overcome so that she could finally have the joy of holding a grandchild in her arms. Here are her words:

“I wish to give thanks in writing for an extraordinary grace that I asked for and received from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of Dona Lucilia. My daughter wanted to have children, but she had already lost two baby boys, and she underwent several treatments and could not become pregnant. After I asked and prayed to Dona Lucilia, she underwent another treatment and became pregnant. Everything went well with the pregnancy and the delivery, and until now. I have a grandson who is fifteen months old and my daughter is pregnant again, in her twenty-fourth week. Please pray for her, because she is already forty-five years old.

“I would appreciate it if you could forward this ‘miracle’ to the appropriate people so that it can be published, so that we can praise God and glorify our friend Dona Lucilia, who protects us at all times!”

The beginning of an ordeal

During a recent visit to Paraguay, I had the opportunity to meet a blessed family, very Catholic and devoted to Dona Lucilia, who received effective help from this kind mother some years ago for one of them, Valeria Gutiérrez, when she discovered a dangerous brain tumour.

It was Micaela, Valeria’s sister, who recounted to me the details of the painful situation they went through, and how they faced it as a family, all united in their intentions and prayers, entrusting the complete resolution of the case to the care of Dona Lucilia.

It all began on January 17, 2023. Valeria had to be hospitalized due to acute neck pain and a strange numbness in her left arm. Several tests were performed to determine the cause of this discomfort, and finally, a large brain tumour was discovered in the frontal region of her head. Micaela tells us what followed the news:

“The anguish was so great when we found out that I decided to seek help from the Heralds of the Gospel. A Herald priest visited her in the hospital, bringing with him a photograph of Dona Lucilia, to whom we prayed and whose ‘miraculous’ intercession we have sought from the very first moment. This picture stayed with Valeria until her recovery.”

Perplexities and hopes

As is natural, the desire for Valeria to overcome this ordeal was great on the part of all her family members; however, the doctors gave unfavourable prognoses. Micaela continues her account:

“The first neurosurgeon we spoke to said that a biopsy was urgently needed to determine if the tumour was malignant. On January 25, Valeria underwent a procedure for this purpose. The results showed the presence of a meningioma with benign characteristics.

“Days later, the same doctor called a family meeting and warned us that, due to the size of the tumour and its location, the consequences of an operation could be numerous: including meningitis, loss of senses, loss of mobility, and even postoperative facial deformity… According to him, operating on her in Paraguay would have little chance of success, and therefore he suggested taking her abroad for a second opinion.”

The situation was grim. However, according to Micaela’s account, a ray of light illuminated the situation:

“At that moment, by divine inspiration, we decided to consult another neurosurgeon who had just arrived from the United States. After analysing the case, he said he was qualified to perform the operation in Paraguay, as he had the necessary instruments for the procedure; however, he stressed that the most important thing was to have God’s help, especially in this case, due to its complexity.

The chances of success and the doctor’s positive attitude gave the family new hope. However, the professional also clarified that, if it was impossible to completely remove the tumour, Valeria would need to undergo several sessions of radiotherapy.

Intervention and surprising recovery

Preparations were made for the surgical intervention. Micaela’s account continues:

“On February 11, the day of Our Lady of Lourdes, a priest from the Heralds of the Gospel visited Valeria again before her surgery to administer the necessary Sacraments, and reminded us to have recourse to the intercession of Dona Lucilia.”

So they did, both she and her family, and trusting in Dona Lucilia they faced the surgery, performed on February 13, and lasting eight hours:

“When the doctor came out to talk to us, he said he was very satisfied with the result of the operation, as he had managed to completely remove the tumour. He stated that he was very surprised by the rapid and favourable postoperative reaction. Valeria woke up immediately, lucid and apparently with most of her senses intact. In fact, the doctor was amazed when she said: ‘I’m feeling cold.’”

Valeria had a surprising recovery. She spent only two days in the ICU and emerged with no lingering effects other than a slight loss of smell and taste – a minor sequela considering the gravity of her condition. She was therefore discharged earlier than expected and did not require any post-operative treatment.

A minor malaise turns into tragedy

For a family in Maringá, in the state of Paraná, Dona Lucilia was also a source of comfort during a time of distress. Mrs. Patricia Borges and her husband, Mr. Mateus Fernando Borges, recount what happened to their son Felipe:

“In the early morning of April 24, 2025, Felipe woke up coughing a lot and with very laboured breathing. I gave him some medicine and he went back to sleep. But throughout the morning, as he was still coughing a lot, we decided that he shouldn’t go to school. I stayed home with him, and my husband went to work. However, I noticed that all morning long my son was having great difficulty breathing.”

What until then seemed like a passing discomfort began to take shape as a complex problem, which is why Patricia asked her husband to return from work to take the boy to the hospital. As Patricia narrates:

“By that time, I realized that Felipe was getting much worse and decided to take him to the doctor myself. I went to get the car keys, which were on top of Dona Lucilia’s book,1 I took the key and the book together, put Felipe in the car and we went to the hospital. On the way, my son was already struggling a lot, and I could see that he was almost not breathing. So I drove as fast as possible! When I arrived in the hospital parking lot, my son could no longer get out of the car and walk, he was unconscious…”

Distraught, Patricia entered the hospital with her son in her arms, pleading for help. She was immediately taken to the examination room, where the doctor assessed the boy’s oxygen saturation and determined the severity of his condition: 97% of Felipe’s lungs were compromised, meaning he was breathing with only 3% of his lung capacity! Given the urgency, the doctor decided on emergency treatment, leading the mother to the room where the procedure would be performed. The account continues:

“I picked Felipe up and we ran through the hospital corridors. Meanwhile, the doctor explained the procedure to me – a combination of a nebulizer and inhalation – because if oxygen were administered directly, my son would not survive.

We arrived at the treatment room; several nurses came in and attached a small pump to Felipe. I just stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or what to think, watching my son lying there unconscious, not speaking, not even moving…”

“A child who can’t breathe, can’t run…”

After the initial care, the doctor deemed it necessary to admit the child to the ICU, as the situation was very serious. She explained the case to Patricia and left to complete the paperwork. This news left her distraught:

“My heart raced, my legs went cold, and I didn’t know what to do. The nurses continued the procedure, the doctor left, I sat down and stayed there looking at my son. After the second dose of inhalation, the nurses left, and it was just me and him. At that moment, I opened my purse and took out Dona Lucilia’s book.”

It is worth explaining why Patricia had this book with her. Shortly before, she had heard of Dona Lucilia and, wanting to know her story, she borrowed a copy of her biography. The narration continues:

“When Felipe saw the book, he took off his inhaler and exclaimed: ‘Dona Lucilia, our mother: help us! Right, Mom?’ I replied: ‘Yes, son, let’s ask Dona Lucilia to help us!’”

Minutes later, Felipe expressed a desire to get up. Patricia suggested carrying him, but the boy emphatically refused: “No need, Mom!” And, matching his words to his actions, he removed the inhaler, got off the stretcher, and ran out of the room…

Amazed, one of the nurses who was walking down the hallway towards the boy’s room to attend to him asked the mother: “Was that Felipe who just ran by here? That’s not possible! A child who can’t breathe can’t run…”

The nurse was absolutely right, but the fact is that the child was already breathing without difficulty.

Another motherly caress

Back in the room, Felipe had another medication session and, since he hadn’t had lunch, asked for something to eat. The nurse kindly asked what he would like. The boy immediately replied: “I want spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, and lots of bacon!”

The request brought smiles to the nurse and the mother, as it was unlikely such a dish could be found in the hospital. Easing the situation, the nurse clarified: “Felipe, I can’t get that, it’s impossible. What I can get is a little spaghetti, but in a soup.”

Then, the staff member responsible for serving the meals, who was passing by in the corridor, gave Patricia the only available lunchbox. Her surprise was immense when she opened the container and found exactly the dish her son had asked for!

Without a doubt, it was another caress from Dona Lucilia, who watched over the boy’s health with the same dedication and solicitude with which, in the past, she had cared for her own children.

At the farewell: a confirmation

Medicated and well-fed, Felipe returned to the examination room with his mother. The doctor, after re-evaluating him, was surprised by the sudden change in his condition. “I am witnessing a miracle!” she exclaimed. “He arrived unconscious and now he is fully recovered.” Given the improvement, Felipe was discharged, continuing treatment at home.

Patricia recalls a touching moment at the farewell: “While I was putting away the prescriptions, the doctor hugged Felipe and said, ‘Salve Maria, Felipe!’ He responded promptly. In the car, his mother asked if her son had initiated the greeting, and he explained that he had only responded to it. At that moment, his mother was certain of Dona Lucilia’s intervention. 

Notes:

1 The biography of Dona Lucilia, written by Msgr. João: CLÁ DIAS, EP, João Scognamiglio. Dona Lucilia. Città del Vaticano-São Paulo: LEV; Lumen Sapientiæ, 2013