Picture of Giovanni Battista Tomassi
My friends Gustavo and Luis Solimeo just returned from a wonderful trip to Lourdes.
Actually, at Lourdes they ran into another friend, Fr. John Trigilio and his mother.
Anyway, Luis and Gustavo stayed at a hotel founded by the Italian man in the picture above, Giovanni Battista Tomassi.
His story is amazing.
He suffered from a painful and crippling disease which confined him to a wheelchair. He was not a man of patience or resignation and took his sickness badly.
One day, he decided to go from Italy to Lourdes and challenge the Blessed Mother. He took a revolver with him to the grotto. If not healed after taking a bath in the miraculous waters, he would shoot himself in full view of every one and commit a grave scandal.
Well, he got to Lourdes and took the bath. He was not cured. But he was converted instead! He had a change of heart and went to confession and gave his revolver to the confessor as sign of his bad intentions and final repentance.
Still in his wheelchair, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to bring pilgrims from Italy to Lourdes.
With the blessing of Pope Saint Pius X, Giovanni founded the National Union for the Transport of the Poor and Ill to Lourdes. He died on April 25, 1920.
Until today we reap the benefits of his work. To visit the website of the institution he founded, please visit here:
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