Miraculous Survival of My Husband (Digna Roxas)
After reading the sharing of other devotees of St. Pio, I decided to write you about the two blessings I have received from him.
On August 23, 1968, I went to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, to see Padre Pio in person. Exactly one month after, on September 23 of the same year, Padre Pio passed away.
I was privileged to see Padre Pio after his mass in the chapel. Together with the other tourists, we were asked to kneel down as Padre Pio passed by. In my earnest desire to catch his attention I said aloud, “We are from the Philippines.” I will never forget the touch of his hand on my head and what I felt when I kissed his habit.
There was this Italian-American lady who assisted us in our petitions. I wanted to ask Padre Pio if the apparition on Cabra, Mindoro in the Philippines was real. I also wanted to ask prayers for my twelve-year old son who was in the Don Bosco Seminary. The lady asked me to write down my personal requests.
Not long after I arrived in Manila, I received a postcard from Italy that said, “Dear Digna, yes, the apparition in Cabra is true and Padre Pio is praying for your son to be a priest. In order to have a son priest, he must have a holy mother. Lengthen your skirt. Read St. Paul’s letter. Elena.”
Padre Pio truly prayed for my son, now he is Rev. Fr. Bobby Mac Roxas SDB, and on December 8, 2009, he will be celebrating his 28th year in the priesthood. When he was taking his Masters Degree in Rome, my son made it a point to pass by San Giovanni Rotondo to personally thank Padre Pio for his prayers for him to become a priest.
On August 22, 1992, I went back to San Giovanni Rotondo with my husband, Artemio, to thank Padre Pio again. I was very surprised to see a very different place. It was surrounded by bigger houses and a newly renovated and bigger church.
After Padre Pio’s death, we have been in constant contact with Fr. Alessio Parente of San Giovanni Rotondo. He met us upon our arrival and toured us around. He even showed us the room where Padre Pio received the stigmata, and took us to the basement where he was buried.
Because of my devotion to Padre Pio, I attended his beatification in Rome on May 1999.
Last June 10, 2006, my husband was rushed to the ICU Medical City where he was declared clinically dead. As a last resort, they administered electric shocks. During that time, I went to the chapel to pray. He was already dead for 18 minutes when they administered the 4th electric shock. I was in the chapel praying to Padre Pio to intervene when my other son, Dr. Artemio Roxas Jr., a neurologist and head of the Stroke Unit told me that his dad, my husband, was revived.
To this date, my husband is able to live a normal life. He walks 2 kilometers a day, 5 days a week.
On October of 2006, the same year this happened, I went to Rome for the 4th time to attend the invitation of the Pope for the worldwide Padre Pio prayer meeting. I did this to thank Padre Pio for the miraculous survival of my husband.
Today, we have a 4-foot tall wooden statue of St. Pio in our maindoor who guards us from all evil and helps us in all our problems.
St. Pio, I am truly blessed. Thank you very much!