A tribute to Blessed Alexandrina - a living miracle of the Eucharist.

Chapter 1

“ I desire that, after your death, your life may be known, and that will happen; I shall see to it. It will reach
the ends of the earth .”

Our Lord speaking to Blessed Alexandrina, 22 nd November 1937.

The desire of Jesus to see a widespread knowledge of the life of Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa
of Portugal is starting to be fulfilled, as devotion to her grows steadily throughout the world. One of the
great mystics of modern times, a ‘victim soul' chosen by Christ to suffer in atonement for the sins of
humanity, she appears set to become an important and well-loved saint in the Universal Church.

Her life gives us an example of complete fidelity to the

will of Christ, and also presents an astonishing and
undeniable explosion of the supernatural to an
increasingly secular world.
Bedridden for life from the age of twenty, after sustaining
a serious injury some years earlier while trying to escape
from an attack on her virtue, she suffered unspeakable
pain throughout her life and mystically underwent the
Passion of Christ on Fridays to atone for the sins of
humanity. She also had frequent ecstasies during which
she saw and spoke with Our Lord and Our Lady, and
offered her sufferings to bring about the consecration of
the world by Pope Pius XII to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, an act which in turn shortened the duration of
World War II.

Her life reaffirms the immense value of suffering offered in union with Jesus, and stands as a beacon of
hope to those who suffer in any way, and a sign of contradiction to those who would deny the value of
suffering offered in union with Jesus. She prayed especially for youth, and has been proposed by the
Church as “a model of purity and perseverance in the Faith for today's youth.”

Although she was never able to visit the site of the apparitions of Our Blessed Lady at Fatima,
Alexandrina's extraordinary story has many connections to the Fatima events, and her message is
essentially the same: “ Do penance, sin no more, pray the Rosary, receive the Eucharist ”. Because of
this, she has been described as the ‘fourth seer of Fatima'. One can point to miraculous occurrences in
the lives of all the saints, but Alexandrina herself became a living miracle , for in the last thirteen years of
her life, she ate and drank absolutely nothing, existing on the Holy Eucharist alone.

Pope John Paul II said the following about Alexandrina in his homily at her beatification ceremony in
2004:-

“ ‘Do you love me?', Jesus asks Simon Peter, who replies: ‘Yes Lord, you know that I love you'. The life of
Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa can be summarized in this dialogue of love. Permeated and burning
with this anxiety of love, she wished to deny nothing to her Saviour. With a strong will, she accepted
everything to demonstrate her love for him. A ‘spouse of blood', she mystically relived Christ's passion and
offered herself as a victim for sinners, receiving strength from the Eucharist: this became her only source
of nourishment for the final 13 years of her life. With the example of Blessed Alexandrina, expressed in
the trilogy ‘suffer, love, make reparation', Christians are able to discover the stimulus and motivation to
make ‘noble' all that is painful and sad in life through the greatest evidence of love: sacrificing one's life for
the beloved. Secret of holiness: love for Christ.”

Balasar, the birthplace of Alexandrina, is a small rural village about 40 miles north of Porto, in the
Archdiocese of Braga. It was already a place of pilgrimage in the century prior to Alexandrina's birth, due
to the appearance of a mysterious cross of raised earth, lighter in colour than the surrounding area. The
cross appeared in June 1832, in the main square of the village in front of the parish church of St Eulalia.
The parish priest of Balasar at that time, Don A.G. de Azevedo, tried to eradicate the cross but was
unable. He wrote about this inexplicable occurrence:-

“Last Corpus Christi, while the people coming to the morning Mass were passing the road which crosses
the little hill of Calvary they noticed a cross laid out on the ground. The earth which formed this cross was
of a lighter colour than the surrounding soil. Dew had fallen all around, except on the cross. I myself went
to brush away the dust and loose earth that formed the cross, but the design reappeared in the same
place. I then ordered a considerable quantity of water to be poured over it and on the surrounding ground.
But after this had drained away, the cross reappeared once more and has remained there since. The staff
of the cross measures 15 hands and the transverse measures 8 hands…”

Donations left by the pilgrims who came to see and honour the holy cross, funded a little chapel which
was built to house the cross in 1832, and both the cross and chapel remain to this day. But what was the
reason for this phenomenon? The writings of Alexandrina show that the cross of earth was inextricably
linked to her mission in Balasar, as Our Lord told her the following during an ecstasy:-

“ . . . a century ago I ordained that this parish be privileged with a cross as a sign of the crucifixion. The
cross was ready, it only wanted a victim. But now I have chosen one to fulfil my divine plans; it is you”

Alexandrina was born on the 30 th March 1904 in a part of the village of Balasar called Gresufes, and
baptised three days later on the 2 nd April, Holy Saturday, at the parish church of St Eulalia. Her uncle,
Joaquim da Costa, was a godparent, along with a family friend also named Alexandrina from the nearby
village of Gondifelos. Those attending her baptism would have walked past the chapel of the mysterious
holy cross, completely unaware that the child about to be baptised was the reason for the existence of it,
but God would manifest this connection in His own good time.

Alexandrina's mother, Maria Ana da Costa, was a devout woman who knew that love of God can never be
separated from love of neighbour. She spent hours praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament each
morning before Mass, and was also known among the villagers for practising the spiritual and corporal
works of mercy. Though poor herself, she shared what little she had with those most in need. Sadly,
Alexandrina's father, António, abandoned the family while Alexandrina was very young, so Maria Ana was
left on her own to raise Alexandrina and her other daughter Deolinda, who was born three years before
Alexandrina on 21 st October 1901. Maria Ana dedicated herself to this task, providing their primary
education in the Faith.

Alexandrina's earliest memory was of an incident that occurred when she was three years old. Her mother
was asleep and she was lying alongside her. She saw a glass jar of pomade and stretched out to take
hold of it. As she was doing this, Maria Ana awoke and startled Alexandrina, who dropped the jar, which
fell to the floor and smashed. Alexandrina fell on top of the broken glass and injured the corner of her
mouth, which gave her a scar that she had for the rest of her life. Maria Ana rushed her to a pharmacist
who put three stitches in her face. In her autobiography, Alexandrina said that she misbehaved towards
the pharmacist, “ refusing to eat the biscuits dipped in wine which he offered me to calm me down ”. She
described this as her “ first misdemeanour ”. This incident was certainly uncharacteristic, as she grew to
be a happy child. She was very playful and active and was often called a “ tomboy ”. Alexandrina also
loved to sing and by all accounts had a fine voice, which she put to good use in the parish church. Even
at an early age, she had a great love of nature, the contemplation of which helped to raise her mind and
heart to the Creator of all things. She wrote:-

“I loved to contemplate nature: the dawn, the rising of the sun, the song of the birds, the gurgling of the
waters entered into me and transported me to such a deep contemplation that soon I'd forget that I was
living in this world. I would remain there, absorbed by this thought: how great is the power of God! . . .”

Whereas her older sister Deolinda was more reserved, Alexandrina was known for her laughter and wit.
She was also known for mischievous childhood pranks, such as the time when she pretended that her
hand was crushed in a large trunk, only to burst out laughing when Deolinda rushed to help her. She also
used to sit behind women in church and tie their shawls together without them realising, so upon parting
they would find themselves connected! Despite a penchant for mischief, the young Alexandrina exhibited
a strong faith. She had a great love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, visiting the church frequently and
making spiritual Communions. She also attended the parish catechism classes and developed a deep
prayer life. Like her mother, her love of God did not stop at pious practices, but was expressed in acts of
charity towards the poor, the disabled and the aged, for whom she showed great compassion and
tenderness. Like the little shepherds of Fatima, she often used to make sacrifices by offering her food to
those less fortunate than herself.

Alexandrina and Deolinda were unable to receive schooling in Balasar, as the school only accepted boys.
Being unable to read and write herself, Maria Ana did not want her daughters to be similarly
disadvantaged, so she sent them to a school in the coastal resort of Póvoa de Varzim, several miles from
Balasar. Alexandrina was seven years old when she left for Póvoa de Varzim, and the separation from her
mother caused her great suffering. The sisters stayed in the family home of a local carpenter, Pedro
Teixeira Novo, and they attended the Mónica Cardia school where they were taught by Mrs Emilia de
Freitas Alvares. Alexandrina learned to read and write and also continued to attend catechism classes.
She made her First Confession and First Holy Communion in Póvoa de Varzim in 1911. Later she
recounted the effect this had on her:-

“Father Alvaro Matos tested me on the catechism, heard my confession and gave me Holy Communion for
the first time. I was seven years old. As a prize I received a lovely rosary and a holy picture. I
communicated on my knees and, despite my small size, I was able to fix my gaze on the Sacred Host in
such a way that it was imprinted on my soul. I believed that I was uniting myself to Jesus never to be
separated from Him. He took possession of my soul, it seems to me. The joy that I felt was inexpressible.
I told the good news to everyone. From then on my teacher took me every day to Holy Communion.”

Alexandrina stayed at Póvoa de Varzim for 18 months and during her stay was confirmed by the Bishop of
Porto, Mgr Antonio Barbosa Leão, in spite of her young age. About her Confirmation, she said:-

“It was in Vila do Condo that I received, from the hands of His Excellency the Bishop of Porto, the
Sacrament of Confirmation. I remember the ceremony very well and the joy that it brought me. At the
moment when I received this sacrament, I don't know how to explain what I felt; it seemed to be a
supernatural grace which transformed me and united me more deeply to Our Lord . . .”

After 18 months she returned with Deolinda, to her mother at Balasar. About four months after their
return, the family moved to another house in Balasar, which Maria Ana had inherited from an aunt. The
house was situated on a hill providentially called ‘Calvario', and it is where Alexandrina lived until her
death, and was truly to become the site of her Calvary.

Alexandrina started to work in the fields around Balasar. She enjoyed a robust constitution, and was
known for working as hard as the men . She was vivacious and gifted with a cheerful disposition, and
much loved by her companions. At the age of twelve she was placed by her mother in service to a
neighbour, who was a farmer, although her mother attached some conditions to Alexandrina's
employment:- that she be allowed to attend Confession once a month; that she be able to spend Sunday
afternoons at home in order to attend the devotions at church, and that she never be allowed to go out at
night. Alexandrina's employer didn't keep to these conditions and she was made to do far more work than
had been agreed. He was also cruel to Alexandrina and frequently humiliated her. When she related
these problems to her mother, Maria Ana withdrew her from the arrangement, but unfortunately for
Alexandrina, this was not the last that she was to hear of her ex-employer.

Soon after this, Alexandrina fell ill with a serious infection, which was believed to be an intestinal typhoid
fever. The illness brought her close to death, but she recovered sufficiently to be moved to a sanatorium
in Póvoa de Varzim for a period of convalescence. Although the danger of death passed, her health was
never the same again and she eventually took up sewing for a living, as this was less arduous than
working in the fields. However ill she felt, she never neglected her spiritual life, and as well as nourishing
her own faith, she also desired to help others to come to the knowledge and love of God. One way she
did this was by collaborating with the local catechist to help instruct the younger children. Candido Manuel
dos Santos, a contemporary of Alexandrina, gave the following testimony during the diocesan process for
her beatification: “ Alexandrina was so at ease with the youngest ones and had such a manner of
speaking to them about God, that they often left the other catechists to be with her. ”

An attempt on Alexandrina's virtue was to have devastating consequences for her and her family. On Holy
Saturday of 1918, Alexandrina and a friend Rosalina were receiving sewing lessons from Deolinda in one
of the upper rooms of the house. Alexandrina was 14 at the time. She heard noises from below and
looking out the window, her heart sank when she saw her ex-employer with two other men. Obviously
under the influence of alcohol, it seemed they had come to try to assault the women. Panic stricken, they
locked themselves in and called out to the men to go away, but they were not in the mood for rejection.
They broke into the house and levered open a trapdoor in the floor of the room in which the women were
working. After getting into the room, the other two men pursued Deolinda and Rosalina, while
Alexandrina's ex-employer cornered her. She lashed out at him with her rosary, crying “ Jesus, help me!
”. Rather than submit to his assault, Alexandrina took the only way out and jumped from a window, falling
12 feet on to hard ground. The pain she experienced from this fall was extreme, but not content with
having escaped with her own virtue intact, she went back into the house armed with a piece of wood to
defend the virtue of her sister and her friend – and like David and Goliath, against all the odds, she
triumphed. Her counter-attack was successful and the men fled. The similarities between Alexandrina's
heroic defence of her purity and the life of St Maria Goretti are obvious, but whereas St Maria Goretti died
defending her virtue, Alexandrina lived, but was to pay a heavy price for the rest of her life.
When Alexandrina was 18, her ex-employer turned up at her home again, but she was alone on this
occasion, as Maria Ana and Deolinda had gone to church for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The
house at Calvario has a courtyard garden to one side, with an outer door that opens onto the road.
Alexandrina heard the outer door open, and recognised the voice of her ex-employer, demanding that she
open the inner door to the house. She was unable to fully close the inner door as the winter rain had
swelled the wood, so she gripped her rosary and waited in a state of terror. He stood thumping on the
inner door, trying the handle and demanding to be let in, but the door didn't open. After a while of trying to
get in, he gave up and left. Alexandrina believed that Jesus and Our Lady had miraculously stopped the
door from opening in order to protect her virtue.

As a result of the fall from the window, Alexandrina's spine was irreversibly damaged. Various visits to the
doctor confirmed that her condition was deteriorating. She was told that the spinal defect afflicting her had
no known cure, and would eventually cause complete paralysis. She tried to lead a relatively normal life
but this became increasingly difficult. Around the age of 19, she still struggled to get to church, much to
the amazement of other parishioners, but eventually this became impossible. Complete paralysis set in
and Alexandrina became bedridden on the 14 th April 1924, aged twenty.

Deolinda looked after Alexandrina while their mother worked to provide for all three of them. Alexandrina
bore her sufferings without complaint, but she was anxious about the effect that her condition was having
on her mother and Deolinda. Even though she was suffering terribly, her concern was always for the
welfare of others. She began to ask God through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for a
cure. She prayed continuously and fervently, joined by her relatives and friends, but instead of the hoped
for cure, her condition worsened until even the least movement caused her indescribable pain. It was
feared that she was close to death, and she was given the last rites on several occasions, but she pulled
through this critical period. Far from being the end, her mission was only just beginning.

In 1928, devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, who had appeared in the Cova da Iria 11 years earlier, was
sweeping through Portugal, and people from the diocese of Braga responded to the call of Fatima by
arranging a pilgrimage. Alexandrina, like many others of her time, would have been caught up in the
fervour and awe of those relatively recent events. Alexandrina's parish priest had already lent her a statue
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary during the month of May, and she saved hard until she could afford a
similar one. The parishioners of Balasar arranged to join the Braga pilgrimage, and when Alexandrina
learnt of this, she dearly wanted to go with them, and begged Our Lady to obtain this grace for her.
Reports of numerous miracle cures occurring at the Fatima shrine gave Alexandrina cause for hope, but
this hope was very short lived as her doctor and the parish priest were in complete opposition to the idea.
They argued that it would be impossible to carry her nearly 200 miles, when the least movement caused
her intense pain. Alexandrina, bitterly disappointed, offered this sacrifice to God and she redoubled her
efforts to pray for a cure, even promising that if she were healed, she would become a missionary.
Although she was never healed, she did become a most effective missionary for the Fatima message –
without ever leaving her bed. She constantly exhorted those she came into contact with to live the Fatima
message – and of course, the best way to inspire is by example, and few can claim to have lived the
message of Fatima more faithfully than Alexandrina. She kept a picture of Jacinta Marto, one of the
Fatima seers, over her bed where it remains to this day. She also requested that a little altar be set up
beside her bed, on which she kept the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which Deolinda decorated with
candles and flowers. During Our Lady's month of May, she used to offer what she called “spiritual flowers”
to Our Blessed Lady. These “flowers” consisted of offering in a spirit of reparation the various sufferings
she underwent throughout the day.

It was at this time that Alexandrina began to realise that suffering was going to be her vocation, and
instead of praying incessantly for a cure, she began to think only of loving God and suffering for Him. She
wrote the following after her fellow parishioners had returned from Fatima:-

“Before he went to Fatima the Parish Priest asked me what I wanted from there. I asked him to bring me a
medal but he brought a rosary, a medal, a Pilgrim's Manual and some Fatima water. His reverence
suggested that I make a novena to Our Lady and drink the Fatima water, and that when I finished it I
would be cured. I did this not just once, but many times . . .

Nothing has happened, but my desire to be cured has died. Each time I feel a more ardent desire for the
love of suffering and I think only of Jesus. Without knowing quite how, I offered myself to Our Lord as a
victim, and from this I went on to ask for a love of suffering. Our Lord granted me everything, that is, all
the graces, so that today I wouldn't exchange my illness for the whole world. It was the consolation of
Jesus and the salvation of souls that consumed me.”

Alexandrina made an important connection between her own circumstances and those of Our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament. During prayer, she thought of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, present nearby in the
parish church of St. Eulalia, and it suddenly dawned on her that He was a prisoner in the tabernacle, just
as she was a prisoner in her bed of pain.
This connection with Jesus prompted her to remain before Him in spirit, offering Him constant love and
reparation, and imploring Him to convert sinners. Through this union with Jesus, she was given insights
into the terrible consequences of the many grave sins occurring throughout the world at that time. In turn,
she became more convinced of her mission to offer her sufferings in union with those of Jesus, as a victim
soul for the conversion and salvation of sinners. She begged Jesus to accept her as a victim, and agreed
to suffer as much as she could endure if only sinners could be saved.

Having made this offering sincerely, she was taken at her word, and her pain increased greatly. In a
desperate state, and wracked with fever, Alexandrina would continually make the offering of her agonising
suffering, using the prayer given by Our Lady to the three shepherd children at Fatima:- “O Jesus, this is
for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offences committed against the
Immaculate Heart of Mary”. Her extreme pain continued with only brief periods of respite. In 1931, she
entered into a state of ecstasy and heard Jesus confirming her vocation as victim soul, when He said to
her “Love, suffer and make reparation.” Alexandrina gave her full consent to Jesus' request and asked
Him for the necessary grace to fulfil her mission of suffering for humanity. This was the first of many
ecstasies.

Alexandrina's condition made it increasingly difficult for her to write, so all her correspondence, many of
her thoughts, and the messages she received from Jesus and Our Lady were dictated to Deolinda, who
wrote them down. In this way, thousands of pages of writings were accrued over Alexandrina's lifetime.
Deolinda was assisted in this task by a local schoolteacher and family friend, Maria Da Conceição Leite
Reis Proença, who was known as Sãozinha. Alexandrina grew up with Sãozinha and they attended the
same catechism class. As a child, she visited Alexandrina whenever she could and their close friendship
continued into adulthood. Sãozinha said:-

“I wrote Alexandrina's autobiography which she dictated to me little by little, for she didn't have the
strength to speak for very long at a time. Apart from the autobiography she dictated to me, I know that she
wrote other things: thoughts in notebooks, which are archived, and many letters, which are also archived.”

In August 1933 a Jesuit priest, Fr Mariano Pinho, was in Balasar preaching at a triduum around the feast
of the Assumption. When Alexandrina came to hear of this, she told Deolinda of her great desire, secretly
harboured for a long time, that Mass might be celebrated in her room, and she requested Deolinda to ask
Fr Pinho if this would be possible. Fr Pinho eventually met Alexandrina and realised he was in the
presence of a genuine mystic, and he became spiritual director to both Alexandrina and Deolinda.
Alexandrina's great desire was eventually realised when Fr Pinho offered Mass in her room for the first
time on 20 th November 1933. She was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, and later said:-

“With that first Mass Our Lord began to increase his tenderness towards me, and at the same time the
weight of my cross. Blessed be the grace which, in his goodness, is never lacking to me”.

Soon after this Mass Jesus appeared to Alexandrina, and this was recorded in her diary. She maintained
that this vision had affected her so profoundly that it was always in some way present to her for many
years to come:-

“One night Jesus appeared to me in natural dimensions, as if he had just been taken down from the cross.
I could see deep, open wounds in his hands, his feet and his side. The Blood streamed from these
wounds, and from the breast it came with such force that, after having drenched the garment around his
waist, it flooded onto the floor. Jesus drew near to the edge of my bed. With great love I was able to kiss
the wounds in his hands and I longed to kiss those in his feet. But due to my paralysis, I was unable to do
so. Though I said nothing of this desire to Jesus, he knew what was in my mind and with his hands he
held up one foot and then the other and offered them to me to kiss .... Enraptured, I contemplated the
wound in his side and the Blood that was gushing from it until, filled with compassion, I threw myself into
his arms and cried out, "O my Jesus, how much you have suffered for me!" I remained in his arms for
some moments and he finally disappeared.”

Alexandrina didn't tell Fr Pinho straight away about the mystical experiences that she was undergoing, but
her reticence with him caused her concern. She believed that if she revealed these experiences, he would
stop being her spiritual director. This problem was eventually resolved during an ecstasy when Our Lord
told her “Obey your spiritual father in everything. You have not chosen him; it was I who sent him to you.”

Around this time a problem occurred which caused Alexandrina further suffering. This new trial came
about as a result of the generosity of Alexandrina's mother, Maria Ana, who had given away much to help
her poorer neighbours and had also mortgaged the house to raise money to help one of her brothers. The
brother was unable to repay her, and there was a real possibility that the family could lose their home.
Alexandrina prayed fervently for a solution to this problem, crying out to Our Lord:- “Jesus, assist us or we
perish. Carry this petition afar to someone who can help us”. Initially, a local woman took pity and helped
the family to meet the mortgage repayments so they would not be made homeless, but this still left them
with very little money for anything else. Alexandrina said:- “The sole thought that gave me resignation and
joy was that Jesus wanted us to live in poverty in order to be more like him . . .” This dire situation
continued for about six years. Eventually, through Fr Pinho, a benefactress from Lisbon, a Senhora
Fernando Santos, generously donated a sum of money that ensured they would never have to sell the
house or live in such poverty again. Alexandrina wept with relief and gratitude when she heard of this
kindness and said “I did not know how to thank Our Lord for so much grace.”

On 6 th September 1934, when she was thirty years old, Jesus gave Alexandrina a message during an
ecstasy, which she didn't immediately understand, but which was the first sign that He was calling her to
suffer His Passion in a mystical way. Jesus said to her:-

“Give me your hands, because I want to nail them with mine. Give me your feet, because I want to nail
them to my feet. Give me your head, because I want to crown it with thorns as they did to me. Give me
your heart, because I want to pierce it with a lance as they pierced mine. Consecrate your body to me;
offer yourself wholly to me ... Help me in the redemption of mankind.”

She consented to this request, and so began a period of even more intense suffering, which would make
her previous sufferings seem light in comparison.

Alexandrina's mission to suffer for the conversion and salvation of sinners was clearly bearing fruit,
because the enemy of humanity, Satan, began to intervene at this time, launching a series of attacks on
her which were to continue for about ten years, and which even included physical assaults on her person.
Similar satanic episodes have been well documented in the lives of other great saints such as St Pio of
Pietrelcina, and St John Vianney - ‘the Cure of Ars'. Alexandrina's satanic torments began in 1934, when
she started to see terrifying visions and hear blasphemous cries. Satan told her that her prayers and
sufferings were useless, as God had abandoned her, so there was no chance of salvation for her. He
frequently urged her to commit suicide to end her suffering, and even offered to give her the means to take
her own life. Satan continues this diabolical work to this day in the campaign for the legalisation of
euthanasia.

Only a short time into his pontificate, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has given a clear moral lead on
this grave matter. On 7th May 2005 , in a sermon given at the basilica of St John Lateran in Rome, the
Holy Father said, that like his predecessor Pope John Paul II, he would remain “ unequivocal ” about the “
inviolability of human life from conception to natural death ”. He confirmed that Catholic teaching on
euthanasia and abortion cannot be changed, and said:- “ Freedom to kill is not a true freedom, but a
tyranny that reduces the human being into slavery .”

The pro-life groups that do such great work are continually alerting us to the fact that the pro-euthanasia
lobby is gathering momentum with alarming speed. In view of her resistance to Satan's temptations to
suicide, it seems particularly appropriate to ask Alexandrina to intercede for those who are tempted to end
their sufferings in this way, and also for those who campaign to have this great evil legalised. Perhaps
Alexandrina could become a future patron saint for those campaigning against the legalisation of
euthanasia?

Through all these trials, Alexandrina placed her full trust in her spiritual director, knowing that Our Lord had
especially sent him to guide and assist her. Satan obviously realised the future value that Alexandrina's
writings would have for souls, as he seemed particularly anxious for her to stop writing and issued her with
all sorts of threats if she continued. On one occasion he said to her:-

“Excommunication, a thousand excommunications if you continue to write to your spiritual director!

Already you are burning in Hell. Be converted, unhappy one! Be converted, miserable wretch! It is the
affection I have for you that makes me speak in this way. I come now from your Christ who told me to take
you, because he can no longer save you. He was distressed … by your writings.”

As well as alerting us to the future value of Alexandrina's writings, Satan also indirectly revealed the
effective role of sacramentals in helping to protect against evil. He deplored Alexandrina's use of
sacramentals such as the Crucifix, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular, medals and holy water, and frequently
ordered her to stop using these things, which shows us that when used with the correct dispositions, they
are valuable aids in the struggle to overcome evil. Sadly, the role of sacramentals has been downplayed
by some in the Church since the Second Vatican Council, but Alexandrina's experiences simply confirm
how unwise it is to reject such spiritual helps. In 1935 she wrote:-

“The demon wanted me to remove the sacred objects which I wore and the crucifix which I held in my
hand. He told me that he had secrets to confide to me, but first I must take off those objects which he
hates.”

Her refusal to remove her sacramentals enraged Satan, and he manifested his anger by ordering her to
do things which were so terrible that she couldn't bring herself to repeat them to anyone. He even
threatened to destroy her, but Alexandrina remained firm. There is surely a lesson for us here.

Later, Satan began his physical assaults on Alexandrina. Below are some examples of these incidents in
excerpts from her writings:-

“ . . . the devil, finding he was making no headway by tormenting my conscience and making vile
suggestions, began to hurl me from the bed, sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. In the
beginning I concealed these attacks from my family with the exception of Deolinda. But as the violence of
the evil one increased, I felt obliged to tell my mother and the girl we had at home. Those who saw my
bruises after the falls were distressed, but they had no idea of the true cause. As the days passed, things
went from bad to worse. Deolinda was compelled to sleep on a mattress near my bed, and one night the
devil hurled me against the wall so that I fell onto my sister's couch . . .”

“ . . .This tribulation was repeated many times in an even more violent manner. My body became covered
with purple bruises from the blows I received ... My one consolation was that the many people who came
to assist me in these attacks were given such dramatic proof of the existence of Hell that they would surely
not offend Our Lord any more.”

Although Alexandrina pleaded with Jesus to end these diabolic assaults, He explained that they were
necessary in order to help save more souls. Jesus said to her:-

“My daughter, suffering is the key to Heaven. I have endured so much to open Heaven to all mankind, but
for many it was in vain. They say "I want to enjoy life, I have come into the world only for enjoyment." They
say "Hell does not exist." I have died for them, and they say they did not ask me to do so. They have
formed heresies against me. In order to save them, I select certain souls and lay the cross on their
shoulders. Happy the soul who understands the value of suffering! My cross is sweet if carried for love of
me ... I chose you from your mother's womb. I watch over you in your great difficulties. It was I who chose
them for you, that I might have a victim to offer me much reparation. Lean on my Sacred Heart and find
therein strength to suffer everything.”

As in all things, Alexandrina humbly accepted this particular trial, even though it distressed her greatly.
On one occasion Fr Pinho asked her if she would rather undergo some other sort of suffering than have to
face the diabolical attacks, to which she replied “No Father. Pray rather that I do the Will of God in
everything”.

Around 1935 Alexandrina received a series of messages from Jesus, warning that a second world war
would take place as a punishment for the sins of humanity, and that this could only be averted by the
consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Jesus urged Alexandrina, through her spiritual
director, to petition the Holy Father to perform this consecration. Alexandrina was also requested to pray
and offer her sufferings so that the consecration might be achieved. From then on, she offered everything
for this intention. Fr Pinho was initially hesitant about carrying out this request, but Our Lord's insistence,
relayed through Alexandrina and accompanied by her pleas, finally convinced him to act. In September
1936 he wrote to Cardinal Pacelli, who was then Secretary of State of the Vatican, later to become Pope
Pius XII, passing on the request of Jesus given through Alexandrina to consecrate the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 1937 and again in 1939 the Holy See sent a prominent theologian to
Balasar, Fr Paul Durao, to investigate the claims being made by Alexandrina and her spiritual director.

In 1938, Fr Pinho had providentially been assigned to preach the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius to all
the bishops of Portugal who were gathered together in Fatima. Alexandrina prayed and offered many
sufferings that the bishops would ask the Holy Father for the consecration of the world to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary. Her prayers and sacrifices, and Fr Pinho's powers of persuasion had the desired effect, as
the bishops made the following petition to the Holy Father:-

“Humbly prostrate at the feet of your Holiness, we earnestly implore you to consecrate the entire world to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary as soon as you judge the moment opportune, so that through her mediation,
the world can be liberated from the dangers that threaten it on every side.”

Alexandrina was overjoyed to hear of the bishops' petition, but there was still a heavy price to be paid for
the consecration, and she was the one who had been divinely chosen to pay it. Our Lord made this clear
when He said to her:-

“As a sign that it is my Will that the world be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of my Mother, I will
make you suffer my Passion until the Holy Father has decided to implement this consecration.”

War was soon to break out in Europe and Jesus lamented this fact to Alexandrina, but told her that he had
no choice but to punish humanity in this way, because of the innumerable and terrible sins being
committed throughout the world. This confirms part of Our Lady's message given at Fatima, when She
revealed that God was going to punish the world for its crimes by means of “ war, famine, persecutions of
the Church and of the Holy Father ”. Alexandrina once again offered herself as a victim of atonement for
the sins of humanity.

Pope Pius XI died and in March 1939 Cardinal Pacelli was elected to the papacy, taking the name of Pope
Pius XII. Jesus told Alexandrina that he would be the Pope who would perform the consecration of the
world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. So now the stage was set. Jesus had made his desire for the
consecration known, and the Holy Father had been made aware of this. The only thing needed to hasten
the consecration was Alexandrina's suffering of the Passion.

After having consented to undergo Christ's Passion to help bring about the consecration of the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Alexandrina received a series of alarming revelations from Jesus, in which she
saw the perilous state of souls and the enormity of sin in the world. She was also shown horrific visions of
World War II. Jesus said to Alexandrina:-

“Every moment countless sinners are provoking the wrath of God on the world - the most tremendous
wrath. Unhappy ones if they are not converted! Poor world, whatever will become of it! Penitence,
penitence throughout the world! Penitence! Oh world, acknowledge your crimes or you will be destroyed!
Woe to the world! Divine Justice cannot support it any more.”

Alexandrina valiantly responded to Jesus' request for reparation on behalf of sinners, crying out:- “O my
Jesus, I want to suffer all! I want to be crushed by you! I am your victim . . . but do not punish the world. I
wish to be the lightning conductor of your wrath.”

The day before Alexandrina's mystical suffering of the Passion was to start, the tension in her home was
palpable as no one knew what to expect. She wrote of her anxieties:-

“On the morning of 2 October 1938, Our Lord told me that I would have to pass through all of his Passion
from Gethsemane to Calvary . . . He confirmed that I would begin on the following day and that I would
repeat these sufferings every Friday immediately after midday, until three o'clock in the afternoon. I did not
say no to the Lord. I warned my spiritual director of everything and waited anxiously for the morrow
because neither of us could imagine what was going to happen. During the night of 2-3 October, my agony
of soul was intense, but the suffering of my body was even greater. I began to lose blood and felt fearful
pains. And it was in this suffering that I entered into my first crucifixion. That horror I felt deep inside. Oh,
how unspeakable were my afflictions!”

On the 3 rd October 1938, the Passion ecstasies started. Jesus said to Alexandrina:- “See my daughter,
Calvary is ready. Do you accept?” She willingly accepted and then went into ecstasy. All those present
in the room were astounded by what happened next. This woman, who had lain in her bed completely
paralysed for over 14 years, suddenly got up and was able to move around the room. In this way, the
Passion of Christ was re-enacted through her. A local woman, present at one of the Passion ecstasies,
wrote the following account:-

“At the hour fixed by Jesus, our ‘seraph of love' began to suffer for us and for many sinners whom she
wanted to save. I was present at that agony, but I do not know how to describe it. She suffered from the
Garden to the Cross. Oh how everything was reproduced in that frail body of Alexandrina! When Jesus
told her that the hour was drawing near that everything was prepared for her via dolorosa, step by step, as
far as Calvary, she replied very courageously, "Yes Jesus, for you and to save sinners, I will do
everything." It was then that she suffered the agony, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the prison
and the meeting with Our Lady at whom she gazed with a sorrow such as my eyes have never before
seen. The falls under the cross were so visible that they left no room for any doubt ... In my opinion, her
agony intensified when she presented her little white hands and then her feet to be nailed. Then the cross
was fixed in the earth… what a heart-rending scene! What sadness flooded our souls! There followed the
agony on the cross with her sad and penetrating groans. And her gaze! It was indescribable! She sighed
repeatedly and in the end, closed her hollow eyes in the violet sockets, bent her head and died. What a
faithful replication of the death of Jesus!”

Alexandrina's falls during the Passion ecstasies often caused quite severe bruising on her body, but these
were the only signs of what had taken place, as for reasons of humility, she had begged Jesus not to give
her the stigmata or any other visible sign of the Passion. Alexandrina underwent these ecstasies each
Friday from midday to 3pm around 180 times. During them she did not see or hear anything around her,
and even when vigorous efforts were made to disturb her she did not react in any way. She did, however,
respond to verbal commands from Fr Pinho, her spiritual director, and miraculously, even responded to
mental commands made by him. Prior to undergoing the Passion each week, Alexandrina suffered a
mounting sense of terrifying fear as the hour for the ecstasy drew nearer.

Alexandrina's physician, Dr Azevedo, tended her from 1941 until her death in 1955. He became a close
friend and was present at many of the Passion ecstasies, and wrote down much of what occurred during
them. Other doctors were sent by the Church authorities to determine the cause of this phenomenon, but
none who came were able to explain these mysterious events. An interesting phenomenon occurred
during the Passion ecstasies which is worth mentioning. When Alexandrina was undergoing the carrying
of the cross to Calvary, it was found to be completely impossible to lift her up from the floor – even one
inch. At other times during the ecstasies she could be lifted with the greatest of ease, as she did not
weigh very much. Fr Pinho asked Alexandrina about the weight of the cross, and she replied that it had
“the weight of the whole world” .

Fr Pinho and the family had felt it best not to tell too many people about the Passion ecstasies, and for
some years only a few outside the family were aware they were taking place, until a priest who had been
present at one of the ecstasies had an article published about them in a widely read journal. The
inevitable surge of interest in Alexandrina caused her great suffering. She had wished to remain hidden,
but now thousands descended on the small home, each wishing to see this extraordinary woman and ask
her prayers for their various intentions.

In Holy Week of 1942, Alexandrina's pain greatly increased and once again she appeared to be on the
verge of death. On the evening of Maundy Thursday, she felt slightly better, and noted that she wasn't
experiencing her customary mounting fear of the Friday Passion ecstasy. She didn't know the reason for
this, but felt sure that she wouldn't undergo the Passion the next day. The reason was made known to her
the following morning. On Good Friday, Jesus told her that the Holy Father had decided to consecrate the
world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope Pius XII actually performed the consecration on 31 st
October 1942. Although Alexandrina was overwhelmed with joy that the consecration had been done, her
mission of suffering was not yet over. In fact, it was to enter a new and even more astounding phase – a
thirteen year fast in which she would miraculously live on the Holy Eucharist alone.

Jesus gave Alexandrina the following message to prepare her for the new phase of her mission:-

“You will not take food again on earth. Your food will be my Flesh; your blood will be my Divine Blood, your
life will be my Life. You receive it from me when I unite my Heart to your heart. Do not fear, my daughter.
You will not be crucified any more as in the past ... And now a new trial awaits you, which will be the most
painful of all. But in the end I will carry you to Heaven and the Holy Mother will accompany you.”

On Good Friday 1942 Alexandrina started the total fast which continued for thirteen years until her death.
During all this time she took no food or drink whatsoever, but received Holy Communion with great
devotion each day. This phenomenon is not unique, as a few saints have received this special calling from
God, but such occurrences are extremely rare in the life of the Church.

People came in increasing numbers to visit Alexandrina, which added greatly to her sufferings, but she
always maintained a cheerful disposition and received everyone most courteously. Her constant silent
prayer was:- “O Jesus, place on my lips a deceiving smile in which I can hide all the martyrdom of my
soul. It is enough that only you know of my endurance.” While many thousands came to see
Alexandrina and implore her intercession, she was not without her detractors. Some disbelieved that she
lived on the Holy Eucharist alone, and rumours were circulated that she was fraudulent, which caused her
and her family further suffering.

A medical examination of Alexandrina took place, which she accepted in a spirit of obedience and
resignation. One of the doctors performing the examination asked her:- “ Why do you not eat? ” She
replied, “I do not eat because I cannot. I feel full. I do not need it. However, I have a longing for food.” The
results of this examination were inconclusive, and so it was suggested that Alexandrina go to a hospital in
Porto to have the fast medically certified. She agreed to the proposal on three conditions; that she would
be able to receive the Holy Eucharist each day, that Deolinda could accompany her, and that she be there
only for observational purposes and not have to undergo any more medical examinations. These
conditions were agreed and Alexandrina went to the hospital in Porto by ambulance, offering up all the
sufferings that this journey would inevitably bring. She said:-

"I embraced my family and friends and only Jesus knew the sorrow it cost me to separate myself from
them. I looked only into his Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and implored them to give me
courage and strength to bear this new affliction. As they levered my stretcher downstairs I murmured to
my weeping family, 'Courage! All for Jesus and for souls!' I was unable to say more. There was such a
tightening of my heart that I felt it would be impossible to keep back the tears.”

After a very difficult journey Alexandrina arrived at the hospital on 10 th June 1943 and was put under the
strictest supervision. Two people kept her under intense scrutiny around the clock, all the time she was in
hospital. Alexandrina said that she found Dr Enrico Gomes de Araujo, the doctor in charge of conducting
the observation, to be strict “even to the point of harshness”. Dr Araujo visited Alexandrina several times
each day and interrogated her, and she underwent many other trials and indignities during her stay in
hospital. Alexandrina's own physician, Dr Azevedo, visited her on occasions, and his support and
company afforded her some relief. After thirty days of being constantly monitored, another physician,
disbelieving the genuineness of Alexandrina's fast, insisted that she remain for a further ten days. On 19
th July 1943, the day before she left hospital, all the children of the hospital gathered around Alexandrina's
bed and she prayed with them. Later, over 1,500 people arrived to catch a glimpse of the ‘Victim of
Balasar' and the police had to be brought in to control the crowd. Dr Araujo told Alexandrina that the
observation was concluded and said “ In October, I will come to visit you at Balasar, not as a doctor-spy,
but as a friend who respects you.” Dr Araujo's official report confirmed Alexandrina's fast as scientifically
inexplicable. It stated:-

“It is absolutely certain that during forty days of being bedridden in hospital, the sick woman did not eat or
drink . . . and we believe such phenomenon could have happened during the past months, perhaps the
past 13 months . . . leaving us perplexed.”

A further report by Drs Lima and Azevedo confirmed the above:-

“We the undersigned, Dr C. A. di Lima, Professor of the Faculty of Medicine of Oporto and Dr E. A. D. de
Azevedo, doctor graduate of the same Faculty, testify that, having examined Alexandrina Maria da Costa,
aged 39, born and resident at Balasar, of the district of Póvoa de Varzim ... have confirmed her paralysis
... And we also testify that the bedridden woman, from 10 June to 20 July 1943 remained in the sector for
infantile paralysis at the Hospital of Foce del Duro, under the direction of Dr Araujo and under day and
night surveillance by impartial persons desirous of discovering the truth of her fast. Her abstinence from
solids and liquids was absolute during all that time. We testify also that she retained her weight, and her
temperature, breathing, blood pressure, pulse and blood were normal while her mental faculties were
constant and lucid and during these forty days, she did not have any natural bodily functions”

While this phenomenon was inexplicable to everyone else, Alexandrina knew the cause of it, for Jesus
had already told her:- “You are living by the Eucharist alone because I want to prove to the world the
power of the Eucharist and the power of my life in souls.”

Alexandrina returned home to yet another trial. It appeared that her detractors had been busy again, and
as a result of their interference, Fr Pinho had been ordered to stop being her spiritual director and was
sent to Brazil where he remained until his death in 1963. After Alexandrina lost Fr Pinho as her spiritual
director, a woman from Póvoa de Varzim, Irene Gomes, went to Tuy in Spain to visit the Fatima seer Sister
Lucia, and told her about Alexandrina's trial. Sister Lucia wrote a note of comfort to Alexandrina on a holy
picture, assuring her of prayers that she might obtain a new spiritual director.

Alexandrina's physical condition greatly worsened at this time, and again she received the last
sacraments. As in the case of the man who killed St Maria Goretti, Alexandrina's assailant also repented
of his sin, and joined the crowd of people waiting to visit her. Upon seeing her he cried and said “She is a
saint – and to think she is crucified on that bed of pain through my fault!”

In 1944 help arrived for Alexandrina in the form of Fr Umberto Pasquale, a renowned priest of the
Salesian Order. Shortly after meeting her he became her spiritual director and encouraged Alexandrina to
continue to dictate her diary. Thoroughly imbued with the Salesian charism of service to youth, he asked if
she would offer some of her sufferings and prayers for the salvation of youth. She consented and on 26 th
February 1945 became a Salesian Cooperator, offering her sufferings and prayers in union with Salesians
all over the world, for the salvation of all, but especially for youth. Alexandrina had her certificate of
enrolment as a Salesian Cooperator hung on the wall of her room, and she said “How many times I look at
my certificate and offer my sufferings united to all of you for the salvation of the young”. Fr Pasquale was
also a close friend of Sister Lucia of Fatima.

In her final years Alexandrina increasingly prayed for the Church, as Jesus told her that it was facing a
“great crisis”. He said:- “Tell my ministers to be vigilant, for the devil is preparing a massive assault on the
Church . . .” She also underwent an astounding array of profound mystical experiences, such as a
mystical marriage with Jesus, a coronation by Our Lady, and a piercing by darts of unspeakable love from
a flight of angels. An incredibly beautiful fragrance emanated from her that was even noticed in other
parts of the village. Alexandrina was unaware of this, but Jesus told her that it was the perfume of her
virtue.

Thousands of people continued to visit Alexandrina on a daily basis, and she constantly exhorted them to
live the message of Fatima, crying out:-

“Make reparation to Our Lord in the Adorable Eucharist! Penitence! Penitence! Penitence! Pray the Rosary
devoutly every day. Practise the First Saturday devotion. Consecrate yourselves to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary through the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.”

Alexandrina pleaded with people to practise the First Saturday devotion and to consecrate themselves to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the Brown Scapular for very good reason, as Our Lady Herself has
promised to assist with the eternal salvation of those who practise these devotions. Our Lady revealed the
First Five Saturday devotion on December 10 th 1925 to Sister Lucia of Fatima, saying:-

“ . . . I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the
first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of
the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the
Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”

The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was given by Our Lady in the 13 th century to St
Simon Stock of the Carmelite Order at Aylesford in Kent, with the promise that those who die wearing it
shall not suffer eternal damnation, and it has been worn ever since by millions as a sign of consecration to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary and a pledge of Her Motherly protection. Countless saints have
recommended its use, and it has consistently received Papal approbation, including that of Pope John
Paul II, who said in a message of 25 th March 2001 to the Carmelite family on the 750 th anniversary of
the Bestowal of the Brown Scapular:

“ . . . two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, the constant protection of the
Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal
glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her
honour on certain occasions, but must become a ‘habit', that is, a permanent orientation of one's own
Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the
concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In this way the Scapular becomes a sign of
the ‘covenant' and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: indeed, it concretely translates
the gift of his Mother, which Jesus gave on the Cross to John and, through him, to all of us, and the
entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to Her, who became our spiritual Mother . . . I too have worn
the Scapular of Carmel over my heart for a long time! ”

Formerly, only Carmelite priests could enrol people in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
but now the Holy See has extended the faculty to all priests, so that as many as possible may reap the
benefits of this great devotion.

In 1948 Fr Pasquale was sent by his superiors to do other work, which meant that Alexandrina had to rely
on other priests to bring her daily Holy Communion. She recorded in her diary that on occasions when no
priests were available, Jesus Himself used to bring her Holy Communion. In early 1955 her health rapidly
deteriorated and she lay for several months in agonising pain - worse than anything she had suffered
before. Towards the end of September 1955 the pain subsided somewhat, and on October 2 nd she
heard a voice saying to her :- “Who will sing with the angels? You, you, you! In a little while, in a little
while.” Taking this as a sign that her time on earth was coming to an end, Alexandrina started to prepare
for death. In the evening of the 12 th October, Mass was celebrated in her room and she received Holy
Communion. Towards the end she said:- “My God, I have always consecrated my life to you and I offer
you now its end, accepting death with resignation, with all its pains, for your greater glory.” After thanking
everyone present for all they had done for her over the years, she cried out :-

“O Jesus! I can no longer stay on earth! Oh Jesus, life is dear, Heaven is dear! I have suffered so much
in this life for souls! I am crushed, I am consumed in this bed of pain. Forgive everyone! Pardon, pardon
the entire world . . . Oh I feel so happy! I am so happy because I am going to Heaven at last!”

On the morning of the 13 th October, the 38 th anniversary of Our Lady's last appearance at Fatima and
the day on which the miracle of the sun took place, Alexandrina received a vision of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary who said to her “I am about to take you”. She received Holy Communion for the last time at 8am,
and afterwards delivered her final poignant message to those present in her room, and to all humanity,
crying out:- “Do not sin. The pleasures of this life are worth nothing. Receive Communion. Pray the
Rosary every day. This sums up everything.” Alexandrina suffered extreme pain throughout the whole
day, which she bore with great fortitude to the very end. At 8pm, she kissed the crucifix for the last time,
and died at 8.29pm.

Fr Pasquale was in Italy at this time and was unaware that Alexandrina had died. On the day after her
death, he offered Mass in the morning as usual, and afterwards was approached in the sacristy by an
elderly woman. Thinking that she wanted confession, he asked her to wait in the confessional and said
that he would be with her shortly. He was amazed when this woman told him that she didn't want
confession, but that she had a message from Our Lady for him. The woman said:- “ When you were
saying Mass, Our Lady appeared to me and asked me to tell you that Alexandrina is dead and is in
heaven ”. The woman said that she didn't know who Alexandrina was. She also informed Fr Pasquale
that Our Lady had told him not to worry, and that Alexandrina was with him. Three days later he received
a letter from another Salesian priest confirming her death.
 8

The news of Alexandrina's death spread quickly throughout Portugal and a multitude came to venerate her
and pay their last respects. An all-pervading deep sense of loss affected the entire region. The funeral
took place on the 15 th October and was attended by thousands, including dozens of priests. Alexandrina
was buried in a humble tomb, with her face turned towards Jesus in the tabernacle, as she had
requested. Two years after her death, a small chapel was built over her tomb, and 12 years after her
death, on 14 th January 1967, the diocesan investigation into the cause for her beatification was solemnly
opened. It was completed on 10 April 1973 and sent to Rome. In 1978 the diocese transferred
Alexandrina's remains from the small chapel to a place of honour inside the parish church of St Eulalia,
next to the high altar, where her remains are kept to this day. She had previously predicted that her body
would turn to ashes, without decomposing, and when she was disinterred, this was indeed found to be the
case. There was no body or bones – just ashes. These have been known on occasions to exude the
same heavenly fragrance that used to emanate from Alexandrina during her life.

Sister Lucia of Fatima wrote to Fr Pasquale, saying “ May the Lord grant that Alexandrina's cause of
beatification advance as quickly as possible, for the glory of God. It is necessary that such a materialistic
world sees that there are still souls capable of being raised into the realms of the supernatural. ”

A plea to sinful humanity, which Alexandrina originally dictated in 1948, was engraved on her tomb at her
request:-

“Sinners: If the ashes of my body can be useful to save you, approach; if necessary, pass on the ashes,
trample on them until they disappear; but never sin again, never offend Jesus again.

Sinners: There is so much that I would like to tell you. This vast cemetery could not contain all that I would
like to write. Be converted. Do not offend our dear Lord any more. Do not lose Jesus for all eternity. He
is so good. Enough of sin! LOVE HIM! LOVE HIM !”

Rome approved Alexandrina's writings in the late 1970's, and issued a decree for the introduction of the
cause for her beatification on 13 th January 1983. She was declared Venerable on 12 th January 1996.
In the previous year, a miracle took place through the intercession of Alexandrina, and the evidence of this
was used for her impending beatification. The miracle, the complete cure of a woman named Maria
Madalena Azevedo Gomes Fonseca, from a type of incurable Parkinson's disease, was approved by
Rome in 2003. To the great joy of her devotees throughout the world, Alexandrina was beatified on 25 th
April 2004 by Pope John Paul II, who decreed that her feast be celebrated each year on the 13 th of
October.

Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was asked by the
international journal Inside the Vatican about the significance of Alexandrina's beatification for Portugal
and for the world. He told them:-

“Because a Saint does not belong to this or that country, but rather to the Church of Christ, firstly the
Beatification of Alexandrina da Costa is a great event for the Church in Portugal, but even more so for the
Universal Church because Pope John Paul II is going to propose a special role model for the world today
and especially for today's youth, and that is the great message of the beatification of Alexandrina da
Costa. Firstly, she was a great heroine when she defended her virginity by jumping from a window and
ending up a paraplegic. This was a heroic act. Today there exists a great spiritual laziness. A lack of
courage in today's youth that should always have present a strength of conviction in the values of the
Faith. Therefore, Alexandrina da Costa is a model of purity and perseverance in the Faith for today's
youth.”

The centrality of the Holy Eucharist in Alexandrina's life, and her call for our lives to be centred on the
Eucharist is highlighted by Fr Joaquim Mendes, Salesian Provincial of Portugal, in an article on the
Salesians of Don Bosco website. When asked what specific contribution Alexandrina had made to
Salesian spirituality, he said:-

“The first particular contribution is love of the Eucharist. She lived this love for Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament. She spent the greater part of each day praying, with her eyes fixed on the tabernacle in the
church of Balasar. As well as this she received Holy Communion each day, and for thirteen years took no
other food. She also wanted her tomb to be directed towards the tabernacle”

It is fitting that the 50 th anniversary of Alexandrina's death coincided with the year pronounced by Pope
John Paul II to be The Year of the Eucharist.

One of the most moving tributes to Alexandrina, written ten years after her death in 1965 by her second
spiritual director, Fr Pasquale, is held in the archives at Balasar. The following is an excerpt:
“Being frequently questioned about Alexandrina, I confirm that in my long clerical life I became close to
many people of all kinds, but I have never found anyone (even religious or priests) so spiritually and
humanly perfect, in all aspects, as Alexandrina. Never. When I recall the frequent meetings I had with
that exceptional soul, illuminated by ascetic knowledge that I have learnt from spiritual readings
throughout my priestly life, I cannot discover the least shade of imperfection in her. On the contrary, I
discover beauty, refinement and heroism in her virtue. I admire the wonderful action of God's grace in that
soul more and more. If I had to point out the virtue in which she most distinguished herself, I could not,
because she did not have one that shone more than the others: she was excellent in all, in a perfect
harmony, even in those that were more visible: for example, in her obedience to ecclesiastical authority
and her directors; in the patience so often tested by her illness or by troublesome people that came to see
her; or in her charity to others, especially to those who had caused her serious sorrow. Her truly giant
personality was assisted by a spirit of genuine and evident humility that arose from her lips and more so
from her inner attitudes, which can easily be deduced from the careful reading of her daily notes: by
complete indifference to her own will, always anxious in seeking and fulfilling the will of God, through a
total resignation of her desires and personal wishes. She was a creature truly and totally consecrated to
her God, in a spirit of immolation and reparation for the offences continuously committed against Him, and
to save all souls for Him. Such a consecration cannot be explained without an eminent degree of love of
God: insatiable, burning, overwhelming love. This love could not be better defined than by applying to it
the adjective ‘seraphic', in the most complete sense of the word . . .”

Model of purity and perseverance in the Faith for today's youth; ardent adorer of Jesus in the Most
Blessed Sacrament; inspiration and help for those suffering in any way; faithful Fatima messenger:
Blessed Alexandrina is all these things and much more. Many have already benefited from the graces
won by her sufferings and prayers, and undoubtedly, many more will benefit in the future. Let us pray that
her canonisation may take place soon.

Official Novena Prayer

for the Canonisation of Alexandrina

O Jesus, who art pleased with simple and humble persons, who are so often ignored, forgotten and
despised by men, raise to the glory of Thy altars Thy humble Servant Alexandrina, who always desired to
live hidden from the world and aloof from its vanities and praises. Thou well knowest, Lord Jesus, how in
our times there is need of lessons in holiness, which is the true fulfilment of every human and Christian
vocation and, consequently, the elevation of a creature to the supreme height of moral beauty. Invest
then, O Jesus, Thy Servant with the immortal halo of glory and hear our prayers, which we through her
intercession offer to Thee; especially grant us the favour which we ask ( . . . here mention your petition ) if
it be for the honour of Thy Blessed Name, the glory of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the salvation of
sinners, on whose behalf the pious Alexandrina so wholly and generously offered herself a victim. Amen.

Nihil Obstat Imprimi potest

Braga, 14 th April 2005 Braga, 14 th April 2005
P. Manuel Moreira da Costa Santos D. Jorge da Costa Ortiga
† Archbishop of Braga

Requests for books and pictures, accounts of favours obtained or any other matter connected with the
Cause of Blessed Alexandrina may be sent to the: Pároco de Balasar, 4490 Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blessed Alexandrina da Costa, ‘Journal Spirituel'

Francis Johnston, ‘ Alexandrina: The Agony and the Glory ', TAN Books

Fr Mariano Pinho S.J. ‘Victime de l'Eucharistie'

Fr Umberto Pasquale SDB, ‘Sous le Ciel de Balasar'

Sister Lucia, ‘Fatima in Lucia's own words – volume 1' , Secretariado dos Pastorinhos, Fatima
Leo Madigan, ‘ Blessed Alexandrina da Costa ', Ophel Books

Other useful sources:

The Alexandrina Society

c/o Sheila Reynolds, 32, Bridge Street
Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland.

The Salesians of Don Bosco website:

www.sdb.org (look in the English language section and put ‘Alexandrina' into the site's search engine)