'I Love St. Faustina!'

Victor Sanchez of Springfield, Massachusetts, has a deep love for St. Faustina. Victor believes that her intercession saved his life.

When Victor was born on April 12, 1983, doctors discovered that he had some disabilities and said he would never walk or talk. His father left the scene, but his mother, Carmen, and his grandmother, Josephine, raised him and helped him achieve the impossible - not only walking and talking, but going to school as well.

A local priest, Bishop Edward O'Neil, also took Victor under his wing and called him to serve at the altar. "He helped me become the gentle man who I am today," Victor said.

Victor's grandmother died when he was 18 years old, and he started falling away from the Church. It only took a couple of years, though, before another priest called him back. That's when Victor joined the Knights of Columbus.

"One day, the commander told me we were going to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy for a special Mass," Victor said. "I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going."

Upon stepping on the grounds, Victor was overwhelmed with all of the people and sites to see, but found himself coming back to the Shrine over and over again. "I absolutely fell in love with the Shrine, the Marians, and especially St. Faustina."

Victor had heard of St. Faustina's Divine Mercy revelations, but it wasn't until coming to the Shrine that his love for St. Faustina really grew - especially when he received what he says was a miraculous healing through her intercession. In 2013, Victor had been experiencing stomach pains and other symptoms, which doctors thought were indicative of prostate cancer. A subsequent blood test revealed signs of cancer.

They told him to come back the following week for more testing. That weekend was the Shrine's Encuentro Latino celebration, for which Victor always volunteered. At the Mass, Victor pleaded with the Lord, "I'm too young to die, but if it's my time to go, I'll go."

After Mass, the main celebrant, Fr. Diego Maximino, MIC, gave Victor a big hug and told him that everything would be OK and to go pray and touch the image of St. Faustina in the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine.

Victor did just that, and at his doctor's appointment on the following Monday they ran the tests on his blood again.

"Five or six doctors kept coming in and out of the room, and it was freaking me out," Victor recalled.

They told him that his blood tests were now normal, that potential indicators of cancer were gone. The doctors were floored. It made no sense, scientifically. Victor knew it was the intercession of St. Faustina.

Having received the mercy of God, Victor has now started sharing that mercy with others in various ministries - visiting the sick, the elderly, and the homeless. He is also a chaplain's aide for the Diocese of Springfield, and he volunteers for the rector of deacons of the diocese. He serves at many of the bishop's Masses and assists in many Latino ministries. If priests are busy and can't make it to a family who is grieving or in need, Victor is there to console them.

Victor continues to volunteer at the Shrine for many events, such as Divine Mercy Sunday and his favorite: Encuentro Latino. "Every time I'm feeling down or that I can't do something," he said, "I remember Fr. Diego telling me that everything is going to be OK, and I remember St. Faustina."

FJPC

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