Personal Stories
From: Francis B.
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 22:27:36 -0700
To: Alex
Subject: Healing
Hi Alex,
Elsa told me the following story that she received from a woman named Sharon whose young son received a healing after your September visit. I told her to ask the mother if she could get the medical testing records and any written testimony from doctors or teachers to document the changes described in the following.
A young autistic boy, Brennan, was in attendance at Isabel's home on Friday, Feb. 24, 2006. He had also been diagnosed with moderate mental retardation in February of 2005. His mother Sharon’s brother Javier brought Brennan for your blessing on Thursday, Sep. 22, the night you were suffering and could not give the talk (and I substituted), but you did give Brennan a general blessing that night. Brennan was overly active at the gatherings that evening and the next, the vigil and feast days of St. Pio (Sep. 22-23). At the Friday gathering Javier explained the situation to you and you gave Brennan a longer and more personalized blessing. After these blessings Brennan completely recovered from his autistic repetitive movements that he had exhibited all of his life . Even the next day Sharon noticed an obvious calming. By October his teachers, Catholic Sisters, were amazed by the change in his behavior. Sharon convinced the doctors to retest Brennan in November, and they found that he should no longer be classified as retarded, but only as learning disabled. On your last night in Tucson he sat in the Ezrre living room at the large crowded gathering and was well-behaved.
Praise be the Lord Jesus Christ! In case you hadn't known these details, I knew you'd find them a joy.
Yours in Christ,
Francis
From: Guy
Date: Thur, 23 Mar 2006 14:29
To: Alex
Subject: A Healing
Hello Alex;
Good News!
The Sunday after the Conference, you spoke to some Lay Dominicans. One Lady had hearing problems that was growing worse everyday for three years. She had a hearing aid, but she could not hear too well with that either.
You prayed with her and that night and the next few nights puss and fluids started coming out of her ear. She took some anti biotics, but as the fluid came out, her hearing came back. She came to the meeting today with no hearing aid and she can hear much better. Praise God.
I told her to write up the story and we will send it to you.
Sincerely;
Guy
From: Becky M.
Date: Sat, 01 July 2006 14:39
To: The Way of the Cross
Subject: A Healing
I have wanted to share this for quite a long time but I was scared. Please use this if it will help someone else.
I have had the blessing of being able to meet and spend some time with Alex. He has greatly affected my life. I was born and raised a Catholic and attended Catholic schools through high school. I was taught all about Jesus and I have always believed in Jesus. However, the depth of His love for me never really touched my heart until Alex opened the door for me.
I am the daughter-in-law of a family that has hosted Alex. We were all going to go to 9:00 a.m. mass on a Sunday morning. When my mother and father-in-law walked into church, and Alex was not with them. I asked her if everything was all right. She told me that Alex was suffering greatly and could not walk. Instantly I began to weep and I asked if I could go to him. She said that it would be best if I stayed for mass and pray for him. This I did, but I had a strong desire to be with Alex. After mass I asked my in-laws if they would mind if I came over to be with him. They said yes because others were going over as well.
I was the first to arrive at their home. I found Alex out on the back porch. He was in great pain, it could be seen in his face. His face was covered with blood, as were his hands. The nail wounds were pronounced. He also had visible stripes on his back. I asked him if he would rather lie down. He said that he would but he did not want to get blood on the carpets. I had seen the tops of his feet bleed before but never all the way through. There were stains on the porch where he sat.
My mother-in-law insisted that he go to the living room and lie down. We laid blankets on the floor where Alex asked us. My children were with me, two were outside and my two oldest were with me. My oldest was sitting at Alex's left side and I was on his right. Others must have arrived during this time. Alex turned to me and said that the pain was very intense. My daughter and I each held one of his hands and prayed the rosary with my mother-in-law who knelt at his feet. You could see that Alex had slipped into ecstasy and was conversing with someone. In an instant his body twisted, he rolled onto his left side as he swung his right arm over and grabbed his left arm. He cried out in pain. His left arm was stiff and you could see his fingers curl and stiffen. I have seen his suffering before but never in this intensity. Then, he twisted onto his right side; his right arm was stretched out and thrown to the ground. His left arm did not follow. It re! mained tight to the floor on the left. His right fingers stiffened and curled and he again cried out in pain. Next, his legs were stretched and one foot was place on top of the other. Again he cried out in pain. The crucifixion was taking place right in front of my eyes. I was weeping uncontrollably. My heart felt like it was going to burst. Alex then began the suffocation that Jesus suffered. His chest rose and his stomach totally disappeared. All his ribs were visible and I could see the wound in his side. He gasped for breath. All we could do was pray.
I could not contain my tears of joy and sorrow. Through Alex, I saw the pain and violence that my Lord, Jesus Christ, endured for me and my salvation,..for all of humanity. It may sound funny, but at that moment I could hear and see the Roman soldiers, the taunts of humiliation, the wailing of the women and the breaking heart of His Blessed Mother whom He gave to us. The love that our Lord, Jesus Christ has for me finally touched my heart. I felt for the first time all the truth that I had been taught. I knew in my head that Jesus died for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him if we choose; however, this experience opened my heart to the love that God truly has for us. I had been going through some difficult personal issues that were wearing me down. I know now that I was supposed to be present to witness this miracle that day, and I thank God for making it possible.
I consider this experience a true gift from God.
From: Sue D.
Date: Wed, 27 Sept 2006 18:12
To: The Way of the Cross
Subject: Austin
My name is Sue and my husband is Bill. We have four children, Amanda 20, Erica 18, Breanna 15, and Austin 10. My husband and I have been together 18 years and have had alot of hard times. The greatest challenge thus far has been since our son was diagonosed with cancer at age 8. The battle for the past year and a-half has been long and hard, but also the most rewarding. In the spring of 2005, Alex had opened his heart to our family. Alex was unable to attend a public prayer service, but insisted on praying for us. In a time of his own suffering, he was able to reach out, maybe a glimpse of what Jesus had done. We are constantly amazed at the gift Alex shares with everyone he meets.Throughout this journey we have seen the face of many angels and it has opened our minds to new ideas. We have experienced miracles watching how Austin himself thinks of others, singing for benefits and donating his own money to help others. He also was the poster child for the Walk/Run for Wishes and he helped to raise enough money to make 2 wishes come true. Austin has always loved to sing, and he often sings of angels. He has donated hundreds of CD's in hopes of helping others in need of inspiration. We will continue with our brave battle with cancer and will offer our suffering up to help others. We ask for prayer as we know it will not be easy. We hope our story will touch your life God bless you all!!!
From: Ellen C.
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:04
To: The Way of the Cross
Subject: Alex's Death
I was completely shocked to hear of Alex's untimely death. Although I know that he suffered a great deal physically, I thought that he had a strong body and was able to handle this suffering. I met him twice in Freedom, Wisconsin. The first time was at the home of Tom and Mary (in a group of 253 people on a cold evening in February 2005). I was instantly drawn to him and felt such a presence that I couldn't even begin to decipher it for myself. But, I do know that God, Mary and the angels were there with us that evening. Their presence was undeniable! I did speak with Alex at the end of the evening, offered him the rosary that I held, and it smelled of roses throughout the next several days. My second encounter with Alex was again in Freedom, Wisconsin, in May 2006. He held an open forum at the Freedom Town Hall.
My husband accompanied me this time (with a "doubting Thomas" attitude). He left that forum in a state of awe over what he had heard from Alex through his discussion with those in attendance. He became a true believer in his extraordinary gift and told many others about the meeting. The first time that I saw Alex, I was drawn to the indentation of a cross in the center of his forehead. It was very prominent on the evening in May when my husband and I saw him. He answered some of the questions of those in the audience in a manner that only someone with a supernatural power would know to respond. One woman in particular asked him if the devil "still bothers him". Yes, he responded, he bothers me everyday, and he told her that he knew she too was bothered by him. The woman then stood and showed her arms that were wrapped with bandaging on both wrists. She said that she had suffered sprained and bruised wrists from more than one encounter with the devil in which he literally flung her from a ladder and about in her garage. Alex told her that he was aware of all of this and encouraged her to continue to pray to Jesus and Mary to ward the devil off. I can't begin to say how sorrowful I am that he left us so suddenly. It seemed that he had such an important mission, but apparently he had accomplished all of that mission that God had intended for him. I do hope and pray that his mission will continue from heaven and that he's able to help those of us left behind. I shall never forget the man. May he enjoy the peace that he richly deserves.
From: Verna
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:55
To: The Way of the Cross
Subject: Prayers for Alex
We in New Mexico are very saddened by the death of Alex. He came to San Juan, New Mexico in September and touched so many lives with his presences. We are so blessed to hear the message from our Blessed Mother. We will continue to pray for the worlds salvation and consecration to our Blessed Mother and to the Immaculate Heart of Jesus. We will also pray for Alex now on his journey to his eternal home. We that through our constant pray and devition that we will be worthy to witness the sign to come.
With great sympathy and respect
Verna
From: Becky
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 18:15
To: Continuing Alex's Mission
Subject: Prayers for Alex
My heart is deeply saddened from the loss of our friend and mentor, Alex. He has greatly affected my family and me by bringing us all closer to Our Savior, Jesus Christ, through His mother the Blessed Virgin Mary. I, and others I am sure, have spent many hours grieving and asking our Lord why he had to be taken from us. Alex was greatly loved by many.
On my way home from Alex’s funeral I read a passage from a book by Anne, a lay Apostle, that gave me some comfort. It touched the heart of my grief and many cleansing tears. It stated that we must not assume that God’s plans are the same as ours. It went on to say that God has no need to tell us what his plans are. We must have faith that this is what is His will and give ourselves totally to God the Almighty, even if it hurts. The passage also stated that we must not assume that our responsibilities have ended.
It is hard to let go of some one you love so much. Yet, no matter how much we loved Alex it was God’s plan to bring him home. And, our responsibilities have not ended. They are just beginning. Alex had a mission from the Blessed Virgin. It is our responsibility to further his mission. I have read his mission statement many times but, as simple as it is, it never sank in until a few days ago.
Mission of Alex Avendano
1) To offer my prayers and physical, emotional and spiritual sufferings in union with Our Lord Jesus Christ for the conversion of sinners.
2) To help increase devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by praying and promoting her holy rosary and the establishment of ecumenical houses of prayer, trusting in her loving presence, so that she can guide those of all faiths to the Lord Jesus Christ.
3) To witness to the truth of the Catholic faith by following its teachings and being submissive to my spiritual director, Fr. Javier Virgen, and by testifying to the importance of its sacraments as emphasized in messages from Our Lady: frequent attendance at Mass to be fed by the Word and the Eucharist, weekly adoration of the Eucharist and confession at least monthly. Also, to encourage and practice spiritual discipline by fasting, helping others and praying for their needs, meditating on God’s blessings, and not gossiping about priests, and especially to stop offending God.
We can all pick up Alex’s mission and do these things. We will probably never suffer as he did but we all have crosses to bear. All of our sufferings can be offered in union with Our Lord Jesus Christ for the conversion of sinners.
We can all help increase devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by praying and promoting her holy rosary and trusting in her loving presence to that she can guide those of all faiths to the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps some of us can even help in the establishment of ecumenical houses of prayer.
We can all witness to the truth of the Catholic faith by following its teachings. We can all internalize and testify to the importance of its sacraments as emphasized in messages from Our Lady by frequently attending Mass to be fed by the Word and the Eucharist, by weekly adoration of the Eucharist and attending confession at least monthly. We can all encourage and practice spiritual discipline by fasting, helping others and praying for their needs. We can all meditate on God’s blessings in our lives instead of our troubles. We can all lead others by not gossiping about the chosen shepherds of Christ. We can all be conscience about not offending God.
Alex’s mission will continue if each of us will internalize and pick up his cross where he left off. I pray that each us will honor the memory of our dear friend and do these few simple things that will make our Blessed Mother so happy.
From: Shirley
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:54
To: The Way of the Cross
Subject: Alex, Mom, Dad & I
I want to share something special with you this Christmas.
I am going to tell you the end of the story before the beginning.
When Alex first came to Freedom I took my mom and dad to meet him because my dad was very ill.
When my father passed away on August 11 of 2005, the most beautiful thought and picture came into my mind.
My dad and I were walking together down a path and when we got to the end there was a door. As my dad open the door there was the brightest light shining behind him. You couldn’t see anything when you looked because it was so bright, except his marvelous smile. As he walked through the door he said "thank you Shirley for helping me. I’ll see you later." And when the door closed I knew he would be waiting for me when it was my turn.
That Christmas of 2005 my mother sent herself a Christmas card. I want to share with you, what she said:
(On the envelope she wrote:
To Me - At this time - In this place - soon – or not much later.
Inside the card she wrote:
I do not have a good feeling about this comming year or 2006. Something is stirring or we wouldn’t be warned so many times about bird flu, disease, the bad economy, sports, air travel, homicide, accidents.
Sometime, here or near, we will be affected. We should all be prepared – spiritually for sure, mentally, physically and pray it doesn’t happen in the winter time. Stay alert! Be watchful, be careful – this year. The World is very fragile.
Have a Merry Christmas
Vi Farrell
Today once again I found this Christmas card while I was sitting by my Christmas tree. I remembered when my mother read it to me and I became very concerned.
What I didn’t know was that she was about to be diagnosed with brain cancer on May 11th of 2006.
How profound was this Christmas card.
Mom did pass away on July 18, 2006. Eleven months and 7 days after my dad. As my mother always said, my dad can’t do anything without her.
I was the care giver for both my mother and father. My dad was ill for a long time. After his heart attack in Oct of 2004 mom and dad moved in with me. Dad didn’t want to go into a nursing home and I really didn’t want either of my parents there. Dad always thanked me for helping him.
One thing I will never forget is the things he told me about the spiritual world, he was not hallucinating. When people don’t understand something they blame it on hallucinating but it is not. When someone is close to death God shows them pieces of the spiritual world. Pay close attention to what people say to you when they are dying. They reveal many things that you won’t understand at the time but later on in your lifetime it is uncovered and then you will know and remember what they told you.
Alex asked if he could come to visit my mother before she died. I didn’t understand why he wanted to but my mom was sure happy to see him. So of course Alex came just before she died.
Shortly after my mothers death Alex sent me this e-mail as follows:
Dear Shirley,
I'm sorry to hear your mom passed away, I knew she was in her last days upon the earth and I thank you for letting me see her before she die.
I was thinking about her and then I think I got a vision, not sure, but I saw a man in a cloud waiting for someone then I saw Our Lady up higher, when I turned my head I saw a lady that looked like your mom but she looked younger, this man took her hand with a marvelous smile, in their faces they met with Mother Mary and then they disappeared and Angels were singing.
Then after I had that vision even though it was short I realized it happened for about 3 hours.
I hope you are feeling ok, I needed to let you know this since the lady looked very much like ti Vi.
God Bless you always,
In Christ's Love
Alex.
P.S. Please let me know your thoughts.
I did write Alex back.
Everyone who I read the e-mail to knew that the man with the marvelous smile was my dad.
When I was about 4 years old, my mother was very ill. I don’t remember what she had but I sat on the foot of her bed every day not moving or even wanting to breathe because I didn’t want to disturb her. Sometimes I would sit on the floor by the window and look out at her flower garden. They were very long days. My aunt came over one day to help my mom and she told me I couldn’t stay in my mother’s room but my mom said no, Shirley never moves. “Leave her here”.
My mother said she was sick for 3 weeks. I don’t remember. I only know I told God he could not take my mother, that I needed her, and that when God did take her he had to show me a vision of her in heaven or I could not live through it.
When my mother was dying I once again stood at the end of her bed and this time I told God it is OK now you can take my mother. Thank you for not taking her when I was a little girl.
Shortly after I got my vision through Alex’s eyes and I always knew that some how I would. I just didn’t know it would be through Alex.
My mom and I had a very special bond. I know that God has a plan for me but I will always be sad. I will miss her more than I can say. Had I not offered my mother up to God the Father to do as he pleased the way he offered His son up for me I could not bare it. I reminded Him it was harder for me because I was human and she was my mother, my queen on earth.
My last words to her were don’t forget what we need you to do for us here on earth when you get to heaven, and don’t forget to meet me at the gate when it’s my turn. The last prayer I said for as she breathe her last was eternal rest grant on to her oh Lord
Everything I have done in the past was nothing compared to caring for both of my parents in their final days here on earth. It was the hardest work I have ever done but my greatest achievement and the only thing that really counts. The rest doesn’t mean a thing unless it is totally for and of God.
Shirley
