“I decided to implore Dona Lucilia’s intercession”

During her earthly life, Dona Lucilia always showed compassion for her neighbour by earnestly seeking to resolve the problems of anyone who turned to her. Today, from eternity, she continues to be a tireless protector of those most in need of help. One only needs to place a problem in her hands with filial trust to feel the benevolent action of this attentive intercessor. And while the favours received through her are varied, a common characteristic marks them all: the gentle and maternal way in which problems are resolved.

 “When I implored her intercession, I had great confidence”

This is how Prof. Edson Luiz Sampel, teacher at the St. Paul the Apostle School of Canon Law of the Archdiocese of São Paulo, describes what happened to him last August. Concerned upon noticing a cold attitude on the part of one of his friends, Prof. Sampel did not know what to do to remedy the situation. It caused him a great deal of uneasiness and anxiety for some days: “He was exasperated with me, for some reason unknown to me, and he even blocked me on WhatsApp. He seemed to be extremely irritated, frustrated, agitated and confused. This affected me deeply, because I am psychologically inclined to compound any kind of discord, immediately imagining a thousand bad things.” So he placed the case in the hands of Dona Lucilia, in the hope of resolving this inexplicable misunderstanding: “For a week, while praying the Rosary, I asked Dona Lucilia’s intercession, looking at her portrait on a page of the Heralds’ magazine.” He also took the opportunity to pray for the health of his brother’s father-in-law who, at the age of ninety, was in a delicate situation: “Only on the first day, at the end of the first decade of the Rosary, did I pray for my brother’s father-in-law, saying: ‘Dona Lucilia, pray for...’ On the other days, until Saturday, I implored her intercession for my friend.” And to his surprise his supplications were soon answered: “My brother was at home and said that his father-in-law had improved greatly, and that he was even walking again. My friend sent me a message on WhatsApp. I was extremely happy! We talked as if nothing had happened. And that same day, my sister-in-law also confirmed that her father, my brother’s father-in-law, was in much better health.” Grateful for the favours obtained, Edson says: “When I decided to implore Dona Lucilia’s intercession, I had great confidence. I ask Our Lady and Dona Lucilia pray to Jesus for all the Heralds of the Gospel! Amen!”

 “He let us stay for three months, only paying the condo fees”

Dayane dos Santos, with her family, holding a portrait of Dona Lucilia

Also from São Paulo writes Dayane dos Santos. Going through financial difficulties, she sought Dona Lucilia’s help and, overjoyed with the way she was attended, she wanted to make known the generous protection she experienced. Her family relied on the rent of a property they owned in the city of Mauá, SP, to pay for the apartment in which they resided in the Pedra Branca district, in the north end of São Paulo. But she found herself in a difficult situation, as the tenant of the property had just informed them that he was moving. Because this was their main source of income, they would be forced to return to Mauá, which would interfere with their daughter’s studies and other commitments. Thus, Dayane did not hesitate for a moment: “We prayed a lot to Dona Lucilia, because we didn’t want to go back to Mauá at all. I talked to the owner of the apartment here at Pedra Branca, and explained the whole situation. So, the first grace was that he let us stay for three months paying only the condominium fees.”

 “She will not abandon any of her children!”

The situation, however, had not been resolved. It was necessary to get a tenant for their house right away. “Three months later the ordeal continued, because we had not managed to rent the house in Mauá. Then, in August, having already decided to return there, we began to make arrangements. But I simply could not bring myself to accept it! And I said: ‘No, Dona Lucilia will not let this happen, it’s not possible! How can she have brought me this far, only to let me go back?’” At that juncture, an unexpected circumstance changed the outlook for Dayane’s family: “One day I was shown a house that was cheaper than the apartment we were living in. So we signed the contract for the house with blind trust, confiding that Dona Lucilia would not abandon us.” After this bold act of confidence in her heavenly intercessor, Dayane made this supplication: “I knelt before her quadrinho [a little picture], lit a candle, and said: ‘Dona Lucilia, you resolve the cases of people all around the world; you will not abandon a daughter of yours! Please pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that I will be able to rent out the house in Mauá, because we are moving to a cheaper residence in the certainty that you will not abandon us. What I am doing is utter madness! I am assuming a debt without having rented the house, and without knowing if I will be able to rent it. So I need your help!’” “That was at 8:00 in the morning. I prayed a Rosary in tears, asking her for this grace, with the certainty that she would not abandon me, because we had already signed the house contract, and had no rent to pay the amount owing.” It was not long before her prayers were answered. At 8:20 am she received a call from the real estate agency with the following news: “Just from seeing the photograph, one person had really liked my house, even before visiting it, and was probably going to sign the contract. That was the miracle: on the same day, this person contacted me saying that he would rent the house. Earlier, when I had been putting things in order after the last tenant, I had put her photos everywhere, asking her help to come up with a tenant. So I am sure it was Dona Lucilia who obtained this grace. She does not abandon any of her children!”

“My husband fell into despair; he was terrified”

Another account of a favour obtained through Dona Lucilia was sent to us by Maria de Fatima Silvino and her husband Emanuel, from Miracatu, in the state of São Paulo.

Maria de Fatima, with her husband and daughters at a House of the Heralds

“In the year 2014 my husband had a health issue. He was feeling some discomfort and when he visited the doctor the latter asked him to do some tests, including one for PSA, which is used to diagnose prostate cancer.” When the results came back, “the doctor was shocked, and consequently my husband also became alarmed. For his age, the level was very high, more than double the normal. And the doctor told him that this meant terminal cancer, with no possibility of a cure.” Faced with the tragic news, the couple were deeply shaken: “My husband fell into despair; he was terrified, not knowing what to do.” A few days later, Maria de Fatima and Emanuel broke the news of his illness to their two daughters, at the time students of the Heralds of the Gospel School. “When they arrived home, although we were very nervous, we talked with them. The four of us cried a lot! But in the midst of all this sorrow, one of our daughters solemnly said: ‘Dad, do not worry, have confidence! Now we have Dona Lucilia, she will intercede for you. All you have to do is ask with faith. She will not fail to help us.’ Then she reached into her school bag and took out that well-known photo and gave it to me, saying: ‘Mom, pray to Dona Lucilia to cure my father.’” And despite Emanuel’s despondency, Maria de Fatima confided in the lady of the quadrinho to resolve the problem: “With faith, I took that photo of Dona Lucilia and put it under his pillow, inside the pillowcase. Every time I changed the pillowcase, I reinserted the photo.”

 “Thanks to Dona Lucilia, today my husband is cured”

Little by little everything calmed down, and the characteristic peace of this kind lady gradually became apparent: “We became calmer as the days went by, and we sought the opinion of a urologist so that he could make a better assessment. When we got there, the doctor calmly spoke to my husband, saying that it could be a laboratory error, but that, if it was an illness, he should have patience, because everything had a solution.” Immediately, something seemed to change in his clinical picture: “The doctor began treatment right away, prescribing medication for pain relief and scheduling new tests.” Dona Lucilia had answered the prayer made by Emanuel’s daughters and wife: “The PSA level decreased. The doctor thought that it might not be cancer, but an acute inflammation. And he continued the treatment.” With each examination, “the numbers kept dropping and dropping... until finally it was over, thanks be to God. Thanks to Dona Lucilia’s intercession, today my husband is cured. He undergoes this routine examination every year, and there is no sign of anything.”

 “The light went out, but the picture remained lit”

Video capture showing the house in darkness and the picture illuminated.

A proof that Dona Lucilia’s action is aimed more at imparting peace to the soul than solving concrete earthly problems was evidenced by events in the home of Fatima Doná, also of São Paulo. She narrates: “After the power went out in my house, as well as in all the other residences nearby, an illuminated picture of Dona Lucilia that I have in my living room remained lit. No electronic device was working. The house was in complete darkness, and on the street there was no light at all, however, this small illuminated picture frame with the photo of Dona Lucilia remained on. It was plugged directly into the socket; there was no battery to keep it on.” And she concludes: “I believe that what happened was a sign of how close she always is to us. Even if everything goes dark, even if nothing ‘works’, she still smiles at us and listens, ready to help us.” Through this simple fact, Fatima was once again able to confirm, just as on so many other occasions during her life, that in any circumstance or  difficulty that comes up, Dona Lucilia is illuminating her path, leading her towards the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Generous with everyone, the lady of the quadrinho has proven to be a true mother, always willing to help us. To have recourse to her intercession, it is not necessary to be suffering great tragedies or insurmountable difficulties. She listens, helps and comforts even in face of the small obstacles, uncertainties and concerns of daily life. ◊