(ANS – Rome) – Between April 27, 1865 — the day the foundation stone of the Church of Mary Help of Christians was laid — and 1875, Don Bosco witnessed an extraordinary outpouring of graces attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The shrine at Valdocco quickly became a center of pilgrimage, a place of conversion, and the spiritual heart of the emerging Salesian Family. In 1875, Don Bosco published the volume Mary Help of Christians, containing accounts of some of the graces received during the first seven years following the church’s consecration on June 9, 1868. The work was not simply a devotional collection, but a carefully documented and verifiable record: testimonies included full names, professions, precise locations, dates, signed statements, and, in some cases, medical confirmations. More than 90 graces were documented during those first seven years alone.
Don Bosco, practical and prudent by nature, wrote: “Everywhere one sees extraordinary effects produced by this trust in Mary Help of Christians,” and affirmed with calm certainty: “Mary Help of Christians is the dispenser of graces.” His well-known saying also remains: “Every brick corresponded to a grace,” indicating how the Basilica itself arose through visible signs of Providence. The events presented here, drawn from the Published Works (Vol. XXVI) and the Biographical Memoirs, represent a meaningful selection from that extensive documentation.
In this first part, twelve episodes documented between 1869 and 1875 are presented.
1. THE CHILD WHO SAW THE LIGHT (Turin, January 1870)
Giuseppe, age seven, had been blind from birth. Doctors had declared his congenital blindness irreversible. His mother brought him to Valdocco and pleaded with Don Bosco for help. After Mass, Don Bosco blessed a medal of Mary Help of Christians and placed it over the boy’s eyes while praying aloud. Immediately, Giuseppe’s eyelids trembled; he opened his eyes and saw the light, the faces around him, and his mother. A doctor who was summoned afterward certified in writing the complete and scientifically inexplicable healing.
Source: Biographical Memoirs, Vol. X / Published Works, Vol. XXVI
2. TWENTY YEARS OF SILENCE BROKEN IN AN INSTANT (Turin, March 1871)
Teresa, age 45, had been deaf for twenty years following a severe fever. A neighbor gave her a medal from Valdocco. Teresa placed it beneath her pillow and prayed with simple faith. At dawn, she distinctly heard the ticking of a clock, her husband’s breathing, and birds singing. After two decades of silence, sound had returned to her world. The following Sunday she attended Mass at Valdocco, listening to the choir and organ. Don Bosco told her: “She takes such pleasure in helping us!”
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI
3. THE DOUBLE HEALING: BLIND AND MUTE (Alessandria, May 1872)
Carlo, age 24, had been blind and mute since birth and depended entirely on his parents. His mother made a novena to Mary Help of Christians, promising to walk barefoot to Turin if her prayer was answered. For nine days she placed the medal on her son’s forehead. On the final day, Carlo simultaneously spoke the word “Mom” and opened his eyes. He saw and spoke at the same moment. His mother fulfilled her promise by walking barefoot 43 miles to Valdocco, where Carlo publicly recounted the event.
Source: Biographical Memoirs, Vol. XIII / Published Works, Vol. XXVI
4. THE GANGRENE THAT DISAPPEARED OVERNIGHT (Turin, December 1869)
Pietro, a 32-year-old bricklayer, was hospitalized with gangrene in his leg. Surgeons had scheduled an amputation for the following morning. Don Bosco visited the hospital, placed a medal of Mary Help of Christians on the affected area, and prayed: “What the surgeons cannot do, You will be able to do.” By morning, the gangrene had disappeared. Doctors documented the case in writing. Pietro recovered completely and spent the rest of his life volunteering his labor for the Basilica.
Source: Biographical Memoirs, Vol. X, 163 / Published Works, Vol. XXVI
5. THE BREAST CANCER THAT DISAPPEARED (Vercelli, April 1873)
Anna, a 40-year-old mother of three, had been diagnosed with an incurable malignant breast tumor. Don Bosco sent her three blessed medals with instructions to apply them three times a day while praying three Hail Marys. Her husband recorded the progress: the pain diminished, the swelling decreased, and the tumor gradually disappeared. After ten days, the tumor could no longer be detected. Her doctor certified the healing as medically inexplicable. Anna lived another 35 years.
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI
6. CANCER-LIKE BRONCHITIS HEALED INSTANTLY (Turin, November 1870)
Domenico, age 19, was dying from bronchitis complicated by pulmonary gangrene. He had already received the Anointing of the Sick. Don Bosco rushed to his bedside, placed a relic of St. Francis de Sales and a medal of Mary Help of Christians on the young man’s chest, prayed, and said: “Domenico, get up!” The young man opened his eyes, breathed normally, and sat upright. The doctor, called back to examine him, found his lungs completely healthy. Domenico recovered fully and later became a Salesian Brother.
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI
7. THE EPILEPSY THAT NEVER RETURNED (Chieri, August 1871)
Francesco, age 16, had suffered from epilepsy since he was eight years old and experienced frequent, violent seizures. His mother brought him to Valdocco, where he prayed before the altar of Mary Help of Christians and received a blessing with the medal placed upon his forehead. The seizures stopped completely. In 1879, he wrote to Don Bosco confirming that the attacks had never returned.
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI
8. THE SKEPTICAL DOCTOR WHO WAS HEALED AND CONVERTED (Turin, February 1874)
Dr. Emilio Gardini, a physician from Turin known for his skepticism toward miracles, became gravely ill with a severe fever and bilateral pneumonia. In critical condition, he requested a visit from Don Bosco, who prayed over him and placed a medal of Mary Help of Christians upon him. The fever disappeared that very evening, and within days his lungs were found to be healthy. His physical healing was followed by his conversion and renewed commitment to the faith.
Source: Biographical Memoirs, Vol. XVI / Published Works, Vol. XXVI
9. PARALYSIS OVERCOME AFTER YEARS OF IMMOBILITY (Asti, June 1872)
Caterina, age 38, had been paralyzed from the waist down for ten years following a difficult childbirth. Following instructions she had received, she began daily anointing with oil from the lamp of the altar of Mary Help of Christians. After several days, sensation began to return; within months she was walking again. Six months later she traveled to Valdocco on foot to give thanks.
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI
10. THE WOMAN SAVED FROM THE FLAMES (Turin, September 1870)
Luigia Ferrero’s dress caught fire when an oil lamp suddenly ignited her clothing. Surrounded by flames, she invoked Mary Help of Christians while clutching the medal Don Bosco had given her. Instantly, the flames died out. Her clothes were badly burned, yet her body remained untouched and uninjured. The physician called to examine her described the event as inexplicable. Luigia publicly credited her salvation to the intercession of Mary Help of Christians.
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI / Biographical Memoirs, Vol. XV
11. THE BRICKLAYER WHO FELL FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR WITHOUT INJURY (Turin, May 1868)
Giuseppe Baratta, a 29-year-old bricklayer, fell from the fourth floor of a scaffold in Turin. During the fall, he invoked Mary Help of Christians while wearing her medal. Witnesses expected him to die instantly; instead, they found him conscious and unharmed. The doctor observed no fractures or bruises and described the outcome as incomprehensible. Giuseppe attributed his survival to Mary’s protection and continued working faithfully on the construction of the Basilica.
Source: Biographical Memoirs, Vol. XVI / Published Works, Vol. XXVI
12. THE STORM STOPPED AT THE VINEYARD (Monferrato, July 1871)
On July 15, 1871, a violent hailstorm devastated the countryside of Monferrato. Michele Rossi, a devout farmer, had placed a medal of Mary Help of Christians at the edge of his vineyard while praying for protection over the harvest. During the storm, neighboring fields were destroyed, yet the hail stopped precisely at the boundary of his property. His vineyard remained untouched. Witnesses later testified to the event, which was reported to Don Bosco as a sign of extraordinary protection.
Source: Published Works, Vol. XXVI
The twelve episodes presented here, spanning the years 1868 to 1875, reveal a common thread: simple and concrete trust in the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. Healings from supposedly incurable illnesses, protection from mortal danger, and unexpected conversions all point to the same reality: confident prayer and the guidance of Don Bosco.
For Don Bosco, these events were never about spectacle or sensationalism. Rather, they were pastoral signs meant to strengthen the faith of ordinary people and remind them that Mary continues to act in the lives of her children. She not only heals bodies or rescues from danger, but also renews hearts, restores hope, and leads souls to God.
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