Testimonial

Our patron saint, St Ildefonso, is truly miraculous.  There were a lot of occasions that I and my family experienced his miracles. My husband and I had a  problem that almost caused the breakup of our family.  Instead of sharing this with friends and other people at that time, I went to Church, prayed, and begged St Ildefonso in tears for its resolution. And he did not disappoint me. It was a Sunday after mass when someone sent me a message that my husband would no longer work and since then he stopped reporting for work. I prayed to St. Ildefonso to be with me and guide me everyday and for me to be always strong because what I only wanted was for my family to be complete and to stay together. With the Lord’s guidance, I was able to handle life’s challenges. 

Another difficult time was when my five kids were all studying. One week before school enrolment, we still had no money to pay for their tuition and other fees. I remember one of our three children asked me if they could still go to college. I did not tell them they would stop schooling or that they could not go to college. I assured them that with the Lord’s help and guidance through the intercession of St Ildefonso they could still continue with their schooling. By God’s graces, some persons came to our life and helped us with the school expenses. 

There are also some strange happenings that I experienced. 

One rainy day, an old man dressed in shabby clothes came to our sari-sari store and I gave him a chair where he could seat. 

After a couple of months, the old man who looked like the first old man arrived in the store again. It was noontime and I asked him who was with him and he answered he was alone. I told him, “Tatay, you should not go out alone because you might be hit by a car.” He replied that he came from a very far place and no one had spoken to him like I did. He told me that I am very kind. He asked me if I can recall a time when I gave a seat to an old man while it was raining. He said he was that same old man. When I asked him how old he was, he replied  that his birthday was the same date as Tanay Town Fiesta.  This surprised me and I remarked that he was truly blessed because he shared the same birthday as St Ildefonso. His only reply was for me not to forget his birthday. I assured him that I will always remember it because we always prepare delicious food to celebrate the Tanay Town Fiesta.  

There was also a time that he visited me in my dreams. It happened during the night when there was no electricity in our house because we were not able to pay the electric bill. It was a long and strange dream. In my dream, the same old man arrived in our house and went to the room of my son JM and he asked if we were buying and we answered in the negative. He then went to the room of our daughter and asked the same question. Our response was also “No, we’re not buying.” The last room he entered was me and my husband’s bedroom and he again asked the same question, whether we were buying, and we said No. He did not want to leave the room. At that time, I heard my brain telling me, “Do not open your eyes. Do not open your eyes.” I did not wake up but I was awakened by my son JM in the wee hours of the morning. He told me he saw a big white cat at the top of the stairs. We did not have a cat and there was no way a cat could enter our house so we were really at a loss on how the cat could be there. 

After a few years, some of our children had finished their schooling. And then pandemic happened. Our family members became sick due to Covid more than once. As I said, “suki kami ng Covid.” It was  by God’s mercy, through the intercession of Mama Mary and St Ildefonso that we were spared from the fatal effects of covid. 

We did not expect it and we were caught by surprise when my husband got sick in April 2021. Thankfully, he was healed in May 2021. We bought an image of Mama Mary as a sign of our devotion when he got well. 

After this, my mother got seriously sick and she almost died. By the Lord’s mercy  and the loving care of my in laws she was fully healed.  

Then came October and my whole body suffered from itchiness.  It was only in January 2022 that the cause of the itchiness was known. The doctors found a lump in my gall bladder. Despite my ailment, we still prepared food to celebrate the Town’s Fiesta. Our children, who were not used to seeing me sick, were crying and were worried at that time. I was hospitalized, classified as Covid patient, and had to undergo painful procedures such as CT scan biopsy. It was so painful that I almost gave up. That night, I saw again the old man in my dream, who said I should not give up and I should do the procedures. When I woke up the following morning I told my family that I would continue with the treatment. A tube was inserted in my stomach. It should stay there for one year but it was dislocated in March so I was brought back to the hospital for operation to attach it again. I really prayed fervently to God and to St Ildefonso to guide my doctors.  After the operation, the doctors told me that what I wanted happened. They did not attach the tube again and they were able to remove the tumor.  I came back from the hospital alive and well and now I’m giving testimony to the miracles of St Ildefonso that happened to me and my family.