In that night the bleeding stopped

My brother had an operation on his gall bladder with laser surgery. After the operation he was profoundly anaemic due to a large haemorrhage caused by a perforation of a blood vessel. He received five litres of blood in successive transfusions, but the anaemia didn't stop because the bleeding continued.

Because he has heart problems and had reacted badly to the operation, doctors avoided operating on him again. One evening, during visiting time, I was in the room, next to my brother, who was as white as chalk.  The surgeon entered, turning to him, and said gravely: "Your analysis is still very poorly; if during the night the bleeding does not stop, tomorrow you go for the operating room." We were terrified.

I tried to instill hope into him, and told him I'd pray, but came home with a sinking heart. Immediately, I looked for a prayer-card of Mother Clara, whom I was recommended to ask for graces.

I sought the prayer card, but I didn’t find it. But then I found a prayer-card of Blessed Alexandrina. As I didn’t have "great confidence" in her, I called a friend who I knew had devotion to her and asked him to commend the case to her.

I learned later that they, in turn, had telephoned another friend to ask the same thing.

The three of us, in union, asked the intercession of Blessed Alexandrina. Precisely that night the bleeding stopped, my brother did not need to be operated on, and the situation with his blood slowly returned to normal.

Since that day, I always pray to Blessed Alexandrina in times of trouble and she has already won other graces.

Thanks.

Laura Macedo

New Postulator of Blessed Alexandrina comes to Balasar with a group of Italian youngsters

On 20th November the new Postulator of the Causes of the Saints of the Salesian Family, Fr Pierluigi Cameroni, will come as a pilgrim to Balasar with a youth group from the Shalom Community of Palazzolo (Brescia, Italy), accompanied by Sister Rosalina Ravasio, founder and director of this community.

As announced in Bulletin No. 15, from July, Fr Pierluigi is the new Postulator for the Causes of Saints and, therefore, is the new Postulator for the cause of Blessed Alexandrina.

It is not the first time that Fr Pierluigi Cameroni has come to Balasar; a great devotee of Blessed Alexandrina, he has already participated in two pilgrimages, most recently in 2006 on the occasion of Fr Umberto Pasquale's birth centenary. We all remember the great enthusiasm with which the group of Italian pilgrims was hosted by the Community of Balasar and its parish priest Fr José Granja.

Fr Pierluigi arrives on Saturday, Dec. 20, in the evening and leaves Monday morning for S. Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on the last stage of the pilgrimage.

The Shalom Community has about 300 people taking a path of recovery from a life marked by evil, in expectancy of a free and happy life. The Community depends on the Bishop of Brescia.

In this group of pilgrims there are youngsters this year, in the way of the Community, who have acquired maturity and will make a commitment to the Lord in the service of young people, living the spirit of giving to others.

From the latest issue of the Bulletin of Graces