Considering the various facts of the life of Dona Lucilia, we observe that at the root of her way of treating others, a certain virtue shone in a special way: kindness! No setback, illness or difficulty was capable of impeding her benevolence from enveloping those who needed help. More than fifty years after her passage into eternity, she continues to surprise everyone with her maternal intercession.

Diagnosed with viral myelitis

Eloquent proof of this is the account sent by Mrs. Anésia Valéria Gabriel, from Miracema (Rio de Janeiro State), about the humanly inexplicable healing of her husband, Mr. Alexandre Dias Gabriel.
Mr. Alexandre Dias Gabriel in December of 2021
On April 1, 2016, he awoke with severe pain in his neck and arm. A difficult struggle began for Anésia and her family, as the pain intensified every day, requiring frequent visits to the emergency room.  As the condition worsened, Alexandre sought medical attention in other cities and was hospitalized several times for treatment, but without any improvement. On the contrary, he began to lose the movement of his legs and in August he started using a wheelchair. Finally, a doctor diagnosed his illness: viral myelitis. In 2017, it was necessary to insert an indwelling urinary catheter; the following year, he underwent a cystotomy. Alexandre had several medical consultations and took many medications, but his situation was only worsening continually. In July 2021, his hands swelled to the point of forcing him to go to the emergency room every day, often to receive a morphine injection. Eventually, he also lost the movement of his hands. Unable to receive adequate treatment in his city, a doctor referred him to Rio de Janeiro. There he was offered surgery on the nerves of his legs, which would eliminate the pain, but would exclude the possibility of one day walking again. While waiting to be admitted, the daily emergency room visits continued, due to the severe pain and the constant spasm attacks.

Powerful intervention after six years of suffering

Alexandre in July of 2022, after the favour he received through the intercession of Dona Lucilia
On February 15, 2022, the family received a visit from a priest of the Heralds of the Gospel. After giving the sick man the appropriate blessing, the priest asked him if he believed in miracles. Receiving a positive response, he suggested that the patient ask with much confidence for the intervention of Dona Lucilia to remedy his case. Alexandre and his family immediately began to pray to this kind lady. The following day, he felt a strong discomfort and had to go promptly to the hospital. A few moments later, everyone was surprised to see that he could move his hands again! In a short time, the swelling went down and the pain stopped. The next day, they noticed that he was slowly regaining movement in his legs as well. “From that day on,” declares the grateful Anésia, “everything happened very quickly: the pain stopped, the crises stopped. My husband no longer takes any medication. Everything improved and today he walks; he can even travel. It was six years of struggle and suffering, but Dona Lucilia heard our prayers and obtained the miracle. Our life has changed. We have no words to thank her.”

“Without a doubt, Dona Lucilia has answered us”

Mr. Juan Manuel García Félix with the picture of Dona Lucilia published in the magazine
Mr. Juan Manuel García Félix, who lives in Ciempozuelos, Spain, also benefited from Dona Lucilia’s intercession, according to the account sent by his daughter, Mrs. Pilar García Moraleda. She recounts: “My father underwent surgery to remove a stomach tumour. Everything went well in the operation, but two days later the doctors found that there was a leak in one of the sutures. If they could not close it with conventional treatment, they would have to perform another operation, which would be much more complicated than the first and would expose him to serious risks.” Under the weight of this difficult scenario, Juan Manuel’s wife returned to her home to rest. Upon arriving there, she found the Heralds of the Gospel magazine in the mailbox and, as usual, she began to read it. Upon seeing a large photo of Dona Lucilia on the back cover, she was overcome with joy, for she understood this as a sign from Heaven. She hurried back to the hospital and placed the picture of Dona Lucilia in the patient’s room, and the whole family began to ask her for a solution to their distressing situation. Pilar concludes her account thus: “From that day onwards, miraculously, the leak began to close; and in twenty-five days the problem was resolved; there was no longer any need for a second operation. The doctors were very surprised by the good outcome of the case. Without any doubt, Dona Lucilia assisted us in that moment of anguish. We thank her with all our hearts for her intercession.”

A terrifying prospect

Mrs. Maria Teresa Falchero with a portrait of Dona Lucilia
Mrs. Maria Teresa Falchero, from São Caetano do Sul (São Paulo State), was assisted by Dona Lucilia in a situation in which her life was in serious risk, as her daughter, Maria Fernanda Madrucci, tells us. Suffering from severe pneumonia, Maria Teresa had to be hospitalized. The antibiotics were administered intravenously and, because her veins were very sensitive and owing to other complications, at a certain point it became necessary to insert the intravenous into her neck. However, due to a medical error, the antibiotic was injected into an artery, which caused a haemorrhage followed by five convulsions throughout the day, due to the formation of a thrombus. The doctor informed her that it would be necessary to intubate her if any further convulsions occurred, in order to prevent irreversible sequelae to the brain. He also explained that she might not withstand such a procedure, considering her the condition of her lungs. Faced with such a terrifying prospect, her daughter Maria Fernanda placed a picture of Dona Lucilia on her pillow, fervently asking her to take care of her mother, interceding for her with Our Lady. Arriving home, she gathered her daughters to explain their grandmother’s situation, and recommended that they pray to Dona Lucilia, imploring her help.

Under the protection of a “rose-coloured” shawl

When she returned to the hospital the next morning, Maria Fernanda noticed that the medical team was gathered at the door of her mother’s room. She immediately thought that the worst had happened… As she approached, the doctor asked her: “Do you believe in God?” “Yes, of course! Why are you asking me this?” answered Maria Fernanda. “Then go in and see your mother.” She entered the room and found her mother sitting up in bed, cheerful and smiling, eating breakfast without any difficulty. She then pointed to the photo that Maria Fernanda had put on her pillow the night before, and said: “My daughter, I have the distinct impression that I saw this lady while I was sleeping.” Maria Fernanda concludes in her account: “She said she felt enveloped by something rose-coloured, which I imagine to be Dona Lucilia’s shawl, as it appears in the photo.”

Unexpected outcome in the settlement of a debt

“I was desperate, extremely anxious, and did not know what to do, because I had a very large debt that I was not able to pay off.” This is how an account sent from Cuenca, Ecuador, begins, written by Mrs. Narcisa Vásquez. She continues: “I went to the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and I explained my problem to the priest who was hearing Confessions there. He advised her to make a novena to the Blessed Virgin and to also ask Dona Lucilia for help. She prayed with faith to the latter, saying to her in all simplicity: “You know the suffering I am going through; give me some light so that I may overcome this problem.” A few days later, a solution occurred to her. She owned land that she and her sister had bought together. But her sister had reaffirmed several times their original decision to sell it only when they were both quite old, so that it would serve as a safety net in their old age. Narcisa recounts: “I entrusted myself once more to Dona Lucilia and proposed to my sister that we sell the land. She immediately accepted the proposal, without even asking why. Three days later, a buyer appeared and paid a fair price.” With this entirely “Lucilian” solution, Narcisa’s distressing problem was solved.

Serious consequences of an accident

Impressed with the promptness with which Dona Lucilia obtained her friend Daniele’s recovery, Maria Aparecida Defanti, from Cambuci (RJ), sent us a detailed report of the case. She tells us that Daniele was calmly returning to her home on her motorbike when, as she drove over a bump, she lost her balance and fell. This resulted in the fracture of seven ribs, as well as injuries to her liver, spleen and lungs. As soon as she arrived at the hospital, she was taken to the ICU. The doctor in charge advised the family to transfer her to a hospital with better resources, as her case was very serious. Relatives and friends made numerous attempts to effect the transfer, but to no avail. They then decided to put the case in the hands of Dona Lucilia.

“Ask her for the miracle you so desperately need”

“We started praying right away, asking Dona Lucilia to cure her as soon as possible,” reports Maria Aparecida. Five days after the accident, a friend visited Daniele in the hospital and gave her a picture of Dona Lucilia, saying: “Ask her for the miracle you so desperately need.” To everyone’s surprise, including the doctor’s, signs of improvement began to appear the next day. The day after that there was another surprise: a CT scan revealed that her liver and spleen were already in good condition. However, the prayers had not yet been fully answered, for one worrisome factor still lingered: her lungs were retaining too much fluid. In view of this, the doctor said that he would do a drainage procedure on the following day, after an X-ray examination. However, there was no need to go ahead with this surgical intervention, because the x-ray examination clearly showed that Daniele’s body was free from all after-effects of the accident. Stupefied, the doctor examined the patient once more, looked over the X-ray again and finally told her: “You can go home, because you are completely recovered. A miracle has happened! I have been in this profession for thirty-five years and I have never seen anything like it. It is truly a miracle!”

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These accounts show the inexhaustible generosity with which Dona Lucilia comes to the aid of those who invoke her in times of trouble and suffering. As her benevolence is a reflection of the goodness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she always accepts the requests made to her. It is enough to have recourse to her for a prompt solution, even to apparently unresolvable problems! ◊