From [here]. Videos [here], and [here]. Rough translation from Italian. Raffaella, "Lina" for the family, was born in Barletta January 21, 1918, the fourth of nine children, five boys and four girls, by Francesco Lionetti and Anna Vittorino. In Europe the war was raging and the father lent military service as a gunner. For this the maternal grandmother had welcomed into the home of Barletta, the daughter and four children.

When the father, after the war, he returned from military service, reported in Trinitapoli, his country of residence, the whole family, exercising there, by yourself, the carpenter's trade and carpenter. During the summer months, the work was not lacking for that good craftsman but had to economize on the meager profit, so that it could be enough for the winter period, when work was scarce.

As was common practice in those days, Raffaella attended school until the third grade, demonstrating capacity and skills of intelligence. It features its liveliness and even the stubbornness of character. He remembered that on the day of her First Communion, a companion stole the flowers bunch, causing its immediate reaction by a fight to get them back, not without disappointment at the small unfortunate. Impuntava you with energy to make up for some minor suffered oppression, maybe by the brothers. One of them had once complained because the boys wanted to steal the foccacce that, at Easter, had led to bake in public ovens. She then promised good stock to his brother, putting to flight the urchins who were stationed groped for the theft of those delicacies. Towards twelve returned to Barletta to work at a small factory for fruit packing boxes, favored in this, that could be accommodated in the house of his grandmother.

Arrived at twenty, he decided to improve working conditions trying their luck in Milan, with the guarantee of some acquaintance. In that metropolis he has experienced the years of war before finding employment as a tram conductress on citizens and later as working in a small factory of electrical equipment. It was not easy staying in that city during the years of danger and hardship. She herself told amused that one day, tired from work, sat on a kind of bench that emerged from the ground, later revealed as a large unexploded bomb.

After the war he returned to Barletta and from there moved to Foggia, finding work at a military laundry and British soldiers in that place there was the meeting with the Friulian Augusta D'Agostini, who there had the task manager. Even in that task Raffaella emerged for font exuberance not seen her happy in a subordinate rank, taking in fact the hand in the guidance of the work. Later Augusta had found employment at a local pasta factory, as she was entering the service of the Giaquinto engineer. Health was precarious and came down with pleurisy and typhoid, evils that then left, as sequelae of severe pain in the head.

The good engineer would not fire her for this, keeping it in the house despite frequent disturbances. In this period they occurred some facts that shocked Raffaella. It was substantially open to charity towards the poor by giving them what he could, drawing on her small savings. One day, in one of these poor, she saw the face of Jesus; done, this, that was repeated at other times. He talked about it at home convinced that, enchanted. So it was accompanied in the visit by a neurologist that ensured the perfect psychic balance. Pure in Foggia began strange phenomena that frightened her. It was as if someone sometimes he enjoyed teasing her by moving objects or making other disappear. Upset over this, he asked the help of a priest who did not give weight to the story.

Recommended by a lady he puts her in Sarsina in the province of Foggia, where he lived an elderly religious who passed for skilled exorcist. The ninety-year-old monk could not receive it because they got sick; by a brother he sent her to say he gave her his blessing, adding a strange prophecy: "Tell that young man prepare to suffer a lot in life." Back in Foggia, the pain intensified with burning pangs of the hands, especially during prayer. In 1954 the two inseparable friends moved to Reggio Emilia calls from a sister of Augusta, the Pia, who was accasata in that city. They had taken this decision to groped one's own business managing a small to apparel sales counter used. In this city began to Raffaella the first true mystical phenomena. She herself describes that experience in a reminder that we preserve, in which tells the shattering experience. These are his words traced with uncertain style, on two short pages of notebook.

"Reggio Emilia 11.11.1954"

Today, the first Friday of the month of November 1954, twenty-one hours or so, I felt sick and I had the first appearance of our Lord, that is, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a crown of thorns on his head. He told me that I suffer for his love. I answered, Lord I am not worthy, but if you want your life for you. I have suffered so much and wept for the great joy that I miserable sinner, can be visited by my good and dear Jesus. From today my life has changed, everything is different. I feel in my heart a flame, especially when I go to church and I approach the altar to receive my good Jesus. I'm shaking all over and a fire down in my heart. I do not know how to pray, I can not read a book because my eyes are always fixed on the tabernacle where there is Jesus and I talk and He. So many things we say. For me, the whole church is not there, we are alone with my dear Jesus. When I see a poor man who stretches out his hand to me I see Jesus and say: Lord, You ask me a penny, but it is I who must ask for forgiveness knees as I done to you.

You can forgive me? But he told me that I suffer very much and I am ready to give my all the reparation for my sins and those who curse you. " In 1957 he implemented the permanent move to Udine, in the humble house of Via Cisis 58. Even here, in our city, with the sisters D'Agostini, Augusta and Rosina, he continued his modest work managing the now familiar stand of used clothes. The commitment of Raffaella, because of health and mystical phenomena that were multiplying, it was very precarious. It had become stable the great suffering of Thursday, the day when he was confined to bed, reliving the passion of the Lord. In the early days, the beginning of these facts, the wounds of the hands are open, while working, forcing her to take refuge in the house of codfish lords who had a shop in Piazza San Giacomo. (To mask those wounds, then always wore mittens.)

The strong initial fright at the sight of those bleeding wounds, resulted in commotion when it came to understanding the mystical reason for this phenomenon. Since that day, Thursday has always defected work, arousing for this lack method, the curiosity of Mr. Paul Farruggio, near the stall, which took care to ask the reason for the absence, however, always getting evasive answers. Mr. Paul himself said he was one day harshly scolded by Raffaella, for having such a serious blasphemy given to Madonna. He admits that he was initially offended, then changing his attitude in admiration, when the same Raffaella wanted to reconnect with kindness, a good and lasting friendship, reason for him to sincere conversion.

She was kind and generous and not kept grudge with anyone. The Farruggio spouses have later been part of the prayer group wanted the spiritual father and were eyewitnesses of many extraordinary facts which give open witness. Very few well-selected people aggregated to that "Upper Room" and among them Miss Rina Covre, which later became inseparable companion of Raffaella. Rina, who for 37 years worked as an archivist at the military police station, we great appreciation for the valuable and meticulous diary that covers the last twenty years of life of our protagonist.

Signs

The true sign of Raffaella in life, what gives a guarantee of authenticity, is its total, silent acceptance of suffering, as a victim. She was faithful to this pact materialized for a special call of the Lord, who wanted to mark it in the body with the "stigmata" of his passion. But it remains to show how the Lord himself wanted to reward the generosity of this donation, enriching the life of this humble woman, with other signs of which should take note, not for sensationalism, but to glorify God's work.

The "diary" written by Miss Covre, heart of our publication, it shows different, with precise indication of dates and persons present at the various events. As a singular prodigy, so often repeated in the course of his life, he must consider the fact of the Particle (sometimes more than one), brought by Jesus for Communion, which materialized in his hands outstretched towards I'apparizione.n Witness the many people present, in the most diverse and unexpected circumstances. To give the measure of the staggering wonder aroused that fact he who had witnessed the first time, we report the following incident.

Canon father Arinci having known Raffaella through Montagnani gentlemen, owners of a guesthouse in Via Boxer Montecatini Terme, was one day went to visit her in their home, finding her in ecstasy.n First, the he exorcised, but then dropped to his knees beside her, until they regained consciousness and remained long in careful conversation. Raffaella, a few days later, he wanted to restore his visit. In the presence of this priest it came the miracle of Particle appeared in the hands and then offered Communion to the good canon.

Remember Rina: I still see, after so many years, as if still present there. With emotion and confusion, the priest was all confused and were standing hair. Then he opened a closet that masked an altar, lit candles and prayed expectations, that the resumption of Raffaella senses. Then he wanted to draw up a reminder to his Bishop doing sign as witnesses, Mr. Giaretta and Miss Rina present fact. And 'father was Arinci to entrust Mr. Roberto di Prato industrial Bogani and was recommended to help him spiritually. Through this gentleman, Raffaella was later to know the family of cousins, the Franks lords, who found her comfort and support in difficult moments. Their gratitude was expressed later by granting in free usufruct of a house purchased for that purpose in Udine in Via Gaeta, where Raffaella, together with sister Maddalena (coming from Trinitapoli after her mother's death) and sisters D'Agostini, he moved in 1982.

These photographs were taken by his grandson Franco, Holy Thursday - April 18, 1981 - unbeknownst to Raffaella: She wanted the development and printing were made in Florence forbidding to do other copy. 1) As was found rigidly attached to the wall of the room. (Note the prepared dressing in the morning for the missing eye protection.)

See/view book about these events [here].