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Fr. Alfred Roche OFM Cap: Healing Through His Intercession

Wilfred Crasta Wilfred Crasta
13 Nov 2023

Hundreds of innocent people lost their lives and many were seriously injured in the terrorist attack and the serial bomb blasts on western railway local trains on 11th July 2006.  I was one of the victims of that blasts and miraculously saved from that terrorist attack. 

On that fateful evening, I boarded the Virar-bound local train from Churchgate station at 5.19 pm and sat down at a window seat. When the train arrived at Dadar-station one of my regular passenger friends came in and stood close to me. After a little while, I offered him my seat; but he refused to sit. Likewise, I offered him my seat at Bandra as well as at Andheri stations; but he didn't accept. Then, I got up and offered my seat to another fellow passenger and both of us stood facing each other till Mira Road station.

When the train reached Mira Road, both of us slowly moved towards the exit door since we had to get down at Bhayandar-Station. Within a few seconds there was a huge blast in our compartment and the "Bomb had been planted overhead (on the luggage rack) where I was sitting." Many were thrown out of the train and our compartment was burning. In that tragedy my left arm, from my shoulder till my palm, was burnt. Both of my ear drums were damaged. My hands as well as my ear drums were continuously bleeding. I was not able to hear anything. 

I was rushed to the Holy Spirit Hospital, Andheri, and got admitted after midnight due to heavy traffic. After a week I got discharged from the hospital. After a month I went to meet the doctor for the follow up; my hand was completely black like charcoal and I could not straighten it. It was very painful. My Orthopaedic Surgeon asked me to do physiotherapy for a month. I attended only one session. Since then I stopped taking all my pain killers. I started doing oil massage and praying to my Uncle, Fr. Alfred Roche OFM Cap, for the healing through his Intercession. After a period of six months slowly the colour of my hand changed to normal and the pain also subsidized and my hand got healed completely.

Similarly, I went to meet my ENT specialist in the hospital after a month. At that time both my ear-drums were still bleeding and discharging fluid. The ENT specialist suggested that I should undergo a surgery immediately. Then I consulted other ENT specialists and everyone advised me to do the same. But I didn’t go for any surgery. Though I had severe ear pain and headache I stopped taking all the pain killers and started doing some homeopathy treatment. I was continuously praying to my Uncle, Fr. Alfred Roche OFM Cap, for his intercession. In the course of time, the hole at the right ear–drum got completely healed and I am able to hear properly without any surgery or any other treatment.

I would like to underline that although my friend and I were seriously injured, nevertheless we were miraculously rescued from the burning fire. This is nothing but a miracle. I attribute this miraculous saving and the complete healing to the intercession of my Uncle, Fr. Alfred Roche OFM Cap.
 

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