Short Summary: Italian nun inhales a pin, but later it is found in her digestion, by the intercession of St. Agostino Roscelli.
Details
Location: Genoa, Italy
Year: 1974
Prayer: Lord, May these stories inspire us to turn to You in our times of need, even when cases seem desparate. Help us also to see your intercession in the people around us, including our doctors and aides, while still keeping the eyes of our soul on You. Amen.
Verse: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -Mark 11:24
Full Story
Sister Matilde was adjusting her veil, holding a two-inch pin between her lips. After hearing a joke from another sister, a sudden burst of laughter caused her to accidentally inhale the pin, lodging it deep in her left lung. Over the next three days, doctors monitored the situation closely. X-rays confirmed that the pin was firmly embedded, and there was no movement, prompting surgeons to schedule a thoracic operation. Sister Matilde, a member of the Institute of Sisters of the Immaculata, turned to prayer. She asked for the intercession of her order’s founder, Father Agostino Roscelli, who had passed away in 1902. The next morning, as she prepared for surgery, doctors performed a final X-ray — but to their surprise, the pin was no longer there. Further tests showed it had inexplicably migrated to her colon, making its way out of her body through the natural digestive process. Medical staff could not explain how the pin had migrated. The Vatican launched an investigation, and after reviewing the medical documentation and testimonies, declared the event miraculous. It played a significant role in the canonization process for Father Agostino Roscelli, who founded the sisters’ order to provide education and care for young women at risk of poverty and exploitation. He also served as a prison chaplain, ministering to those condemned to death, and as chaplain of an orphanage, where he baptized over 8,000 children.