Miracle Stories
Early miracles attributed to Our Lady of Piat's intercession
- In 1624, the Itawes region suffered from a prolonged drought. The people feared starvation. The people turned to their priest who advised them to make their peace with God by going to the sacraments and making a novena to the Virgin. In the middle of the novena, a torrential rain fell, and the farmers were able to save their crops.
- In 1730, Capt. Jose Ramos, a Spanish officer assigned in Lal-lo, Cagayan fell seriously ill. All efforts of his physician failed, so he decided to go on a pilgrimage to Piat to seek Our Lady's help since news of her many miraculous cures have spread throughout the region. Upon arriving at Piat, hiss illness grew worse and the priest gave him the last sacrament. However, he did not lose hope and continued to pray to Our Lady. After a few days, he slowly recovered. Within a week, he went back to Lal-lo to resume his duties.
Miracles of Our Lady of Piat - On June 3, 1783, a boat with several passengers was on its way from Pamplona to Aparri when a sudden gale blew and the boat was swept far out to sea. The strong winds, heavy rains and big waves made rescue impossible. A passenger on a pilgrimage to Piat began to pray the Rosary and exhorted his fellow passengers to follow him. They all did. Immediately afterwards, the gale stopped and the boat and its passengers made it safely to port.
Later miracle cures reported and authenticated
- Mr. Rodolfo R. Gregasia, 55, residing at 7829 Dalewood Packway, Woodridge, Illinois, U.S.A. was diagnosed for cardiomyopathy. His doctor advised him to undergo a heart transplant. For eight months, he had great difficulty breathing so he had to have an oxygen tank in his bedroom and a portable tank in his car.One night at about 11:00 o'clock, he woke and saw a lady in his bedroom. The lady offered him a bouquet. His wife, who was in the next room, heard voices and she came to see him. He told her about the visit of the lady.The following day they joined the novena prayers at the house of Romeo Gatan where the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Piat, brought over by Archbishop Talamayan for the Chicago area Cagayanos, was being venerated. While they were praying, Mr. Gregasia slowly realized that this was the Lady who visited him the night before, wearing the same dress she had on.From then on, he felt much better. Two months later, his doctor examined him and was amazed at his recovery. He did not have to have a heart transplant and now, he is back to work.
- In the same area, Dr. Antonio Kanapi, who works at St. Anthony's Hospital in Chicago, was diagnosed as having heart trouble and advised to have a heart bypass operation. Upon the urging of Dr. Vivencio Battung of Tuguegarao who works at the same hospital, Dr. Kanapi prayed before the pilgrim image and attended the mass for Our Lady at the Chicago Park officiated by Archbishop Talamayan who included the doctor's recovery in his mass intentions. After the mass, he returned to the hospital where a medical examination showed that his heart was normal. Eventually, he recovered completely. Because of his full recovery and in thanksgiving, Dr. Kanapi made a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Piat. Now in good health, he gives his full support in spreading the devotions to our Lady.
- Mrs. Cecilia Arrieta Legasto, 77, from New Manila, Quezon City fell ill with pneumonia. She developed pleurisy. A subsequent biopsy of lung tissue taken from her proved positive for cancer. Mrs. Carmeling Crisologo visited her and gave her a novena to the Blessed Lady and a vial of blessed oil from the Piat Sanctuary. She anointed herself with oil and began the novena. Sometime during the fourth day of the novena, she reported that she experienced a very strange feeling as if something heavy was moving from the top of her head down through her body and then it left her. From then, her health gradually improved that she felt well enough to go to the U.S.A. Before she left, she had a check-up. The doctor took x-ray pictures which showed no water in the lungs. In the U.S., she underwent another check-up, again no pleurisy, but the doctor found a benign tumor. She said that she felt some pain but despite the discomfort, she feels much better. And she consider the pain she suffered as a blessing, an offering to our Lord for her sins.
- In 1992, Mrs. Martina Banares Morales, a teacher from Amulung, Cagayan who was operated on for goiter in 1975, noticed two lumps in her neck. While on vacation to the U.S., she consulted a thyroid specialist, who subjected her to a CT scan. The doctor found two cysts that she was advised to undergo an operation. Arriving in the Philippines on January 20, 1993, she consulted a thyroid specialist showing all her medical charts from the States. The result of the ultra sound examinations showed her that she needed an operation. Upon her return to Amulung, the family went on a pilgrimage to Piat. They attended a concelebrated Mass for the sick and disabled during which the priests laid their hands on them. She prayed hard to Our Lady for a miracle. After a few weeks, the cysts had completely disappeared. She went for a check-up in Manila. There were no more growths on her thyroid gland. In gratitude for her recovery, she now promotes the devotions to Our Lady of Piat.
- Mrs. Elisa K. Beltran from Gattaran, Cagayan, was diagnosed by the doctors of Santo Tomas Hospital to have a brain tumor. She became bedridden and had to be confined in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. She prayed to our Lady of Piat and requested Fr. Rodolfo Beltran, her brother-in-law, to pray for her. He went to Piat during the feast of Our Lady on July 2, 1994,and prayed for her intentions during the concelebrated Mass. Mrs. Beltran got well enough to be discharged from the hospital. The doctors, however, recommended that she undergo an operation. When she reported for the pre-operation check-up, the doctors found no tumor after a thorough brain scan.
These and many more unreported and undocumented miraculous cures have been going on through the centuries as evidence of God's power through the divine Mother of our Lord Jesus, Our Lady of Visitacion.
The latest healing account came from Mr. Rey Estonactoc, a sculptor from Quezon City, who was commissioned by the Archbishop to make the images that comprise the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Long before the Archbishop met him, Mr. Estonactoc was already suffering from an incurable skin disease which the doctors in the Philippines and those from abroad could not name nor identify. The skin all over his body, except his face, was swollen and was producing liquid and giving an unbearable smell. Since his business was lucrative and was doing good at the time, Mr. Estonactoc was able to go abroad to look for the best medicine and doctors who could give cure to his disease. He has already spent millions for his medications but to no avail, he was not even cured a little. Mr. Estonactoc decided to remain in his house and work. He was even shy to come out because of the smell his skin produces. When the Archbishop commissioned him to do the images of the Rosary Walk, he was still indisposed but still he accepted the offer. Mr. Estonactoc would sometimes have more hours to rest than his working time because he was already suffering too much from his skin disease. The disease was sucking his energy and strength, and the sores all over his body was too much to look at. When Mr. Estonactoc was through with the tenth mystery, he felt much better and he felt something different in his body. But he did not given much emphasis on this development on him. But as the days passed on, he noticed that the sores in his skin were starting to dry up. There was already progress or healing on him but not complete yet. But when he made the first delivery of some of the images of the Rosary Walk to the Shrine of Our Lady of Piat in Piat, Cagayan, all his sores were dry and he felt very normal since then, and the smell was gone. To this very day, Mr. Estonactoc still continues to finish the images of the Rosary Walk.
There are still many letters and reports attesting to miraculous cures. These are being looked into and authenticated.
(These reports are taken from the files of the Archbishop's Residence, Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.)
