In 1945, my mother gave birth to another son, whom she named Luigi (nicknamed Gino). Only a few months after his birth, the baby developed a high fever and became ill with meningitis.
This terrible illness caused the baby’s neck to bend backward so severely that the nape of his neck touched his back; to feed him, he had to be laid on his stomach.
According to my father and all of their families—both his and my mother’s side, who were all unbelievers—the cause of this curse was my mother’s conversion to the Gospel. They insulted and humiliated her, even saying that Saint Cosimo (the patron saint of Massafra) was punishing her and her family because of her “new religion.”
My maternal grandmother would say, “Maria, look at yourself in the mirror... don’t you see that your face looks like the devil’s?!” As a result, my mother was shunned by her entire family.
My father began to forbid her from visiting Angela Maria's house, the only place where my mother could hear the Word of God and pray with a few other evangelical believers.
Instead of complaining, she continued to speak about Jesus. She would often say to my father, “Give your heart to Jesus too, and you will see how wonderful it is. Listen to His Word, and let’s pray together, and He [Jesus] will work in your life.” But the more my mother said these words, the more my father became infuriated, strengthening his prohibition against her visiting Angela Maria.
Despite this, my mother continued to secretly visit Angela Maria to listen to the Word of God, always careful not to give my father another reason to get angry. To cover her absences, she meticulously organized lunch and completed all her chores on time (as my father was always looking for any excuse to criticize her). However, the Lord always protected her and blessed her with strength, calm, and wisdom in everything she did and said.
The entire neighborhood continued to insult her, repeatedly telling her that her little boy was suffering because of her sin, and he remained sick despite her faith. However, she stayed resolute, confident that she was on the right path—God’s path—and continued to testify that Jesus saves and heals.