The years following the war were marked by severe poverty. My father was a gardener, and near the place where he worked, there were British soldiers who were tasked with helping Italy recover from the ravages of war.
During that time, my father contracted malaria and was no longer able to work. We were six children, and we began to lack even the basics, forcing my mother to seek employment. She applied for a job at a local daycare, hoping to work as a helper or in the kitchen preparing meals.
We used to shop at a grocery store owned by a woman named Scalina. One day, my mother had no choice but to ask for credit at the store. She explained my father’s illness and promised to repay the debt as soon as possible. Scalina, understanding my mother’s situation, kindly said: “Maria, don't worry. Take whatever your family needs, and you can pay me when your husband is well again.”
On a Saturday, my mother was called by the daycare’s director, who said: “Maria, your job application has been accepted, and you can start on Monday. Tomorrow is Sunday,” the director continued, “and all new employees must go to confession.” My mother replied: “Director, you know that I am an evangelical, and the Word of God teaches me to confess my sins only to Him. I cannot confess my sins to a priest, for he is merely a man, not God.” When the director explained that this was a direct order from Don Antonio, my mother, who was not easily discouraged, gracefully asked: “Madam Director, may I speak with Don Antonio?” “Of course you may!” the director replied, but added, “Maria, I am saddened that your daughter, Rosa Antonia, does not attend the religious instruction at the daycare.” My mother responded, “Indeed, Antonietta may not know much about religion, but she is well taught in the Christian faith. Let’s see if it’s my daughter who doesn’t know... Could you please call a Catholic girl?”
The director called a girl and asked her: “Where is Jesus?” The girl looked up at the crucifix on the wall and said, “There He is!” My mother then said, “Now call my daughter.” The director called Rosa Antonia and asked her the same question: “Where is Jesus?” Rosa Antonia answered, “Jesus is in heaven, on earth, and in my heart!”
My mother then said, “You see? Your teachings say that Jesus is hanging on the wall, but our Jesus is Spirit and Truth, and He is everywhere.”
After this, my mother, accompanied by the director and my Aunt Nardina (my father’s sister), went to see Don Antonio. It’s important to note that both my mother and aunt were illiterate. When they arrived, the director entered first and said, “Good morning, Don Antonio!” My aunt and mother followed, greeting him by saying, “Peace be with you, Don Antonio. God’s Word says that when we enter someone’s house, we should greet them with peace. If the people we greet are children of peace, the peace will remain with them; if not, the peace will return to us, and we should shake the dust off our feet, because not even the dust is worthy of the peace we proclaim!” (See Matthew 10:12-15). (Note: The Word of God instructs us to announce the message of salvation in Christ wherever we are. Shaking the dust from our feet is a way to emphasize the sin of those who reject God’s gift. One day, unbelievers will stand before Him and will have to explain why they rejected the disciples and, above all, Christ from their hearts. See Luke 9:5; 10:3-11).
Don Antonio, after listening, acknowledged that what my mother said was scriptural, but added: “That’s well said... but as I’ve already informed the director, you will need to confess and take communion on Sunday. Only then can you start work on Monday.” My mother, who had already told the priest that both she and her sister-in-law were illiterate, firmly replied: “Don Antonio, do you have the Bible and yet do not know what it says? ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and blessed is the man who trusts in God, for he will obtain mercy.’” (See Jeremiah 17:5-7)
(Note: The Bible verses cited by Sister Maria specifically refer to the misplaced trust in people instead of God. Other scriptures that focus on the confession of sins and trusting solely in Christ for their forgiveness include:
Hebrews 4:16, which encourages us to approach God directly with confidence, thanks to Christ’s sacrifice;
Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21, which explain that Jesus is our only High Priest;
1 John 1:9, which assures us that when we confess our sins, He – and no one else – is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
James 5:16, which speaks of confessing our sins to one another, does not refer to confessing to a human priest, but rather suggests that we should ask forgiveness from those we have wronged. The verse also encourages believers to pray for one another, and it makes no mention of remission of sins).
They quoted several other Bible verses, to the point that the priest exclaimed, “You’re lying! You said that you and your sister-in-law cannot read, but if that’s true, how do you know so many verses?” My mother replied: “Don Antonio, it saddens me that you, a priest, do not know that the Bible says: ‘And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.’” (See Mark 13:11; Matthew 10:19). After this exchange, the priest, feeling defeated, angrily dismissed them.
“If you want to work, you must go to confession!” he insisted. My mother retorted, “I have no intention of going to confession. God will provide!” My mother and aunt left, not feeling disheartened but rather strengthened by how the Lord had guided them.
That Sunday morning, the priest announced during mass: “Listen carefully, for what I’m about to say is very important! At via Maroncelli no. 7 lives a woman named Maria Martucci. She has six children and a husband who is bedridden with malaria and unable to work. This woman has been excommunicated; do not even pass by her house. I say this because she was offered a job in the kitchen of the daycare center, but she refused it because she would not go to confession, claiming that she only confesses to her God. Be cautious, even of passing by that road.”
The following Monday, early in the morning, Scalina sent for my mother: “Listen, Maria, I’ve given you credit until now, but I can no longer do so. I need you to settle your account in full; I’m sorry, but you had the opportunity to work at the daycare, and you refused it just so you wouldn’t have to go to confession. So now, I need you to pay me what you owe.” Scalina felt deceived and likely feared the priest’s influence as well.
“Listen, Scalina,” my mother said, “that job was very important to me because I truly need it. But I refused it because the Lord teaches that we must trust only in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, as only He can forgive and remove them completely before God. The priest is just a man; he cannot do this. God did not give him that power or role.” (See 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5). She continued, “Don't worry, the Lord in whom I trust will help me, and I will pay back my debt to the very last penny.”
My mother was strong, but she was also a sensitive woman, and particularly fragile in that time, given my father’s illness and our poverty. She returned home and, weeping, knelt before God, laying everything before Him. She asked Him to resolve her situation and, above all, to protect His name from being dishonored. As she prayed, she had a vision of a man seated at a small table with her and Brother Francesco Giancaspero.
The man wrote something on a piece of paper, handed it to Brother Giancaspero, and said, “Go in peace.” My mother, feeling she had received a vision, told her sister-in-law about it, recounting also what had happened with the store owner.
My aunt said, “Perhaps the Lord wants you to visit Brother Giancaspero, but I don’t know why or what He will do.”
The next day, my mother and aunt went to visit a dear sister in Taranto, Sister D’Amico, and told her everything that had happened. My mother also described the vision she had during prayer, expressing her uncertainty about what the Lord wanted her to understand. After listening, Sister D’Amico gave her opinion: “The Lord is sending you to Brother Giancaspero!” My mother replied, “But how can I go to Triggiano when I don’t even have money for the ticket?” The sister immediately responded, “Don't worry, I must give you the money, and you must go.” (Note: A person familiar with the Tarantino dialect would understand the depth of this expression. The use of the word “must” implies both the sister’s sense of obligation and Maria’s duty to obey the Lord’s voice. Sister D’Amico essentially meant, “Don't worry, I’m here to help because I feel compelled by God. I’ll pay for your ticket, and you must obey the Lord without concern.”)
The next day, my mother went to Triggiano, but when she arrived at Brother Giancaspero’s house, his wife informed her that he would be away for a few days. However, his wife, who was very kind, invited her warmly: “There’s a church service tonight. Come with us; the brothers and sisters will surely be happy to see you.”
During the service, the presiding brother allowed the believers to share testimonies and specifically encouraged my mother to do so: “Tonight, we have Sister Maria from Massafra with us, and she will tell us in person how the Lord miraculously healed her son.” (Many had heard of that extraordinary event, but not everyone knew my mother.) My mother shared her testimony, telling how Jesus had saved her, how she had been persecuted, and how the Lord had healed Gino.
That evening, the Lord greatly blessed the service. The believers, who were touched by her testimony and sensitive to the Lord’s voice, discreetly and generously placed money in her hands as they greeted her. My mother, filled with gratitude, not only to the Lord but also to these dear brothers and sisters, felt compelled to reveal the reason for her visit. She had not mentioned the events that had driven her to Triggiano during her testimony. The believers then encouraged her: “Sister, you must go to Modugno to see Brother Giancaspero!” One sister even offered to accompany her, feeling divinely prompted to do so.
Anyone who knew Brother Giancaspero was aware that he was well known throughout Puglia. Whenever problems arose in the churches, he was the one called upon to resolve them. He was a beloved brother, led by the Lord and ready to serve Him in every way.
The next morning, my mother was accompanied to Modugno, to the home of Brother Sabino, the pastor of that community. “Sister Maria, what brings you to Modugno?” Brother Giancaspero asked. She told him everything: the job offer, the priest, the shopkeeper, and the vision.
After hearing the full story, he said to her: “There will be a church service here in Modugno tonight. Come with us, and then we’ll see what needs to be done.” That evening, during the service, the pastor invited her to share her testimony, and she, with great joy in her heart, recounted all that the Lord had done in our home and in many other situations where He had helped her.
After she finished, the entire congregation was blessed by the Lord, rejoicing in all the wonderful things He had done.
When the service ended, the believers gathered a generous offering for my mother, including not only money but also many food items. My mother thanked the Lord and the congregation, and then said to Brother Giancaspero: “Now it’s time for you to accompany me to Massafra and also to see Mrs. Scalina, the shopkeeper.”
The next day, they arrived in Massafra, and together they went to Scalina’s shop, where my mother asked for the total amount owed. Scalina quickly calculated and said, “The total is forty thousand lire.” It was the year 1948/1949, and that was a significant amount of money! My mother counted out the money and handed it to her. The shopkeeper, astonished, exclaimed, “But Maria! You’re paying everything?” My mother replied, “Didn’t I tell you that the Lord I serve and trust would provide for me so that I could repay you to the last penny? And so He has done, and I have come to pay my debt.”
Once again, my mother shared with her about Jesus and His love for those who love Him, fear Him, and confess their sins only to Him!
Still in shock, the shopkeeper said, “Maria, do not hesitate to come here if you need anything, because now I see how great your God is.” My mother replied, “You would love my God too if one day you came to know and trust Him personally in Spirit and Truth.”