SS Cosma & Damiano

• Interventions

Sal Pace
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERVENTION OF
S.S. COSMA & DAMIANO

Sal Pace, secretary and board member of the International Society of SS. Cosma and Damiano, has a deep devotion to SS. Cosma and Damiano.  As a child living in Palo Del Colle, Bari, Italy, Sal was stricken with a glandular ailment, was unable to walk and was bedridden.  After a year of treatment by doctors and specialists there was no improvement in his ability to walk or stand and the doctors’ diagnosis was that he may never walk again.  They suggested that he be sent to a children’s hospital for some rehabilitation of leg muscles, but there was not much hope for his complete recovery.
His parents, distraught over their son’s ailment, could not bear to see the once vivacious little boy, bedridden.  Hesitantly they agreed with doctors to bring him for rehabilitation, hoping that he might walk and run again.

Sal’s parents prayed to SS. Cosma and Damiano (SS. Medici) and made promises to them that if their son was cured, they would walk the streets of the small towns of Bari to Bitonto and would carry oil to light all the lanterns in the Shrine in their honor.
One night before Sal was to be brought to the children’s hospital, he had a dream that two men dressed in robes took his hands and told him to stand up and walk.  The next morning, he cried to his mother that he had a dream and that he was frightened.  His mother noticed that his leg had straightened out and he was able to move it.  Upon the doctors visit that morning it was evident that something miraculous had happened.  Within a short period of time Sal was walking, running and playing once again.
Through the intercession of God, it was believed that SS. Cosma and Damiano had cured Sal of his ailment.  After examination by several doctors and specialists alike there was no trace of his ailment again.  The doctors were amazed.

Sal and his mother walked the streets through the towns to reach Bitonto to fulfill their promise and light all the lanterns with oil in the Shrine and to thank God and SS. Medici for this miraculous healing.

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Dear Joe and the Members of the Society,

In May 1992, my six year old son, Joey, was in Schneider’s Pediatric Hospital where he was diagnosed as having a tumor in his left leg. WE were told the tumor had all the signs indicating cancer of the muscle. To be certain a biopsy was performed. As I waited for the biopsy results, feeling depressed, I called my friend Joe DeCandia and explained my son’s ailment. Knowing Joe’s deep devotion to SS. Cosma and Damiano I asked him to pray for my son’s recovery. Two days later, all test results showed a benign tumor known as lipoblastamatosis. Although benign, chemotherapy treatments were recommended to shrink the tumor.

My wife and I went to visit Joe to thank him for his prayers. At that time Joe gave us a medal of SS. Cosma and Damiano and told us to give it to our son to wear at all times. He also told us to pray to the Saints for their help. As we continued to pray to the Saints the medical reports got better. After a second MRI exam in July, the tumor began to shrink – without chemotherapy treatments. Joey is back to running and playing baseball once again. My family and I believe that through prayers and faith, SS. Cosma and Damiano have helped cure Joey of his ailment.

With much appreciation & devotion,

Joseph Schiano

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Dear Joe,

While at a party at the Mancuso house, Joe and Clara DeCandia were talking with Mrs. Mary Mancuso.  She was telling them about the deep devotion her mother had to SS. Cosma and Damiano.  Mary had a brother born with a webbed hand and Mary’s mother dreamt of SS. Cosma and Damiano at her bedside.  They stood there with a pencil and went up and down each finger of their hand showing the fingers being separated.  They told her in her dream to have surgery done on her son’s hand to separate the fingers.  This was back about 54 years ago.  Mary’s mother listened to her dream and her son’s hand was operated on and fine except for the tip of his index finger which was removed.  She remained deeply devoted to SS. Cosma and Damiano until the day she died.  Atop her tombstone in Calvary Cemetery stands a 10 foot wide statue of SS. Cosma and Damiano.

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Dear Mr. DeCandia,

Thank you for the prayer cards and the scapular of Saints Cosma and Damiano.  I was very pleased to receive them.  If it is possible I would like some more prayer cards.  I just don’t have enough for everybody that wants them.  Our pastor at St. Victor’s Church had never seen a picture of them so I gave him one and he was overwhelmed.  He knew of them and even though Father Conedato is Italian he had never seen them.  Our parish is building a new church and I believe our Saints will have a place of honor there too.

You asked to know about my family... My grandfather Gaetano Buquicchio in Bari, Italy had a very bad leg and it had gotten so bad the doctors had decided to amputate it.  During the night, another doctor came to him and asked to see what was wrong.  He unwrapped the bandage, changed it and said he would take care of it.  In the morning, when his doctor came in to amputate, he found the leg was healed.  He never had to have anything else done.  My grandfather was a member of the Society of Saints Cosma & Damiano and he knew he had received a miracle from them.  The whole town rejoiced and thanked the saints.

During the years my family was very devoted to them.  My father Vincenzo Buquicchio also was a member of the Society here in America in fact in Brooklyn.  We as children always walked in the feast day procession in September carrying our candles.   It was from St. Rita’s Church on Shepard Avenue in Brooklyn.  My father passed away in 1943 in an auto accident.  In 1950, I was going to have my second baby.  I was very sick, a very hard difficult pregnancy.  My mother prayed over me constantly to the Saints Cosma & Damiano.

On the day I delivered, I was being taken in and out to x-ray and other doctors to check me out.  I finally delivered my baby.  In my room, as I lay there two more doctors came to my bed.  One went to the wall and wrote my father’s name (who was deceased) on the wall with his finger.  I said to him “You’re not my father.  Who are you? He answered, “No, I’m not, but I know him very well.”  In the meantime the other doctor put his bag on my bed, touched my stomach and said, “It’s all right, we can go now.”  So they left.  After they left, my mom came and I told her.  She cried and told me the doctors must have been Saints Cosma & Damiano, to tell me my baby and I were going to be all right. Six weeks later, I had to go to the doctor for a checkup because they had me believe that I was supposed to have my appendix removed.  But, as the doctor examined me he was shocked.  He called my mother and husband in and kept asking if I had seen another doctor these past six weeks.  They said, “No”!  Then I realized something was wrong.  The doctor said, “If I didn’t have all the x-rays and other doctors to prove it, I wouldn’t believe it myself.”  What were they talking about?  It seems that I had a tumor as large as my baby, 10lbs 8 oz., and they left it in to be removed now.  But it was gone.  No sign of it at all.  I had never bled or anything.  He told me that I was a very lucky girl.  It was a very difficult procedure that was to have been done.  But now I had no tumor.

My doctor said I had received a miracle.  I remembered what had happened in the hospital.  He said no other doctors had been in to see me.  But they had.  Again the Saints had helped our family. 

Now, my husband has oral cancer.  He had been operated on and had gone through radiation, but I must tell you I believe they came and gave me a sign that he will be all right.  One morning in church after the 6:45 AM mass, I was sitting there alone saying my prayers.  The next mass was scheduled for 8:25 AM.  In between time, I was alone.  Two priests walked into the church, up onto the altar and asked if I would mind if they said mass, as they were visiting Las Vegas.  I just nodded yes.  Then they asked if I would like to receive Communion.  I already had at the 6:45 mass, but I said yes, and did again. 

After they finished mass, they walked out, turned around and smiled on me, on their way out.  To me, I feel they let me know they were there with me and my husband will be all right.  I felt so warm and good my heart was singing.  When I got home I told my daughter and we both prayed and thanked them for their sign.

I keep going to mass at 6:45 every day and will continue as long as I can.  I’m a lector and Eucharistic minister on Sunday.  Believe me, so many of my friends and parishioners in our church are praying with me for my husband.  So many would like Saints Cosma and Damiano prayer cards, but what can I do.  I would appreciate it if you could send some more.

Thank you again.

Sincerely in Christ,
Grace Gray

By the way, I am 72 years old, but nobody believes it.

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