At the home of her widowed aunt on 31 October 1995, Signora Consiglia De Martino, a married woman with three children who lived in Salermo, Italy, began to feel a heavy pain in her chest and stomach, like her insides were being turn away. She had been nursing her uncle who passed away towards the end of that month. She felt a malaise throughout her body, chills and a sense of suffocation. She went to bed without supper and remained sleepless the entire night.
The following day, the pain persisted. Still Consiglia did her usual housework, and even accompanied her daughter Daniela to school. Afterwards she was on her way to Mass when she felt increasingly ill and stopped instead at her sister’s home. There she noticed the painful swelling of her neck, and looking in the mirror perceived a lump as large as a grapefruit. She and her sister were very frightened, and called their husbands to accompany them to the Riuniti Hospital in Salerno.
The doctor on duty examined her, and immediately sent her to the emergency room. A first CAT-scan revealed a liquid deposit on the left side of her neck. After a second CAT-scan, the doctor diagnosed her with a diffuse lymphatic spilling of approximately two liters resulting from a rupture of the lymphatic canals. He advised surgical intervention. Meanwhile he gave no treatment to Consiglia.
On that same day after she left from the hospital, Consiglia, a devotee of Padre Pio with her family and a member of one of Padre Pio’s prayer groups, turned to the Padre. She took her mobile phone, and called Fra Modestino Fucci at San Giovanni Rotondo to solicit prayers. Around the same time, he husband and daughter called Fra Modestino to ask him to say some prayers. Fra Modestino prayed at Padre Pio’s tomb for her recovery. Padre Pio had promised to hear him even in his death as much during their time together at the monastery.
On 2 November, the fluid deposit in Consiglia’s neck reduced, and she felt marked diminution of pain. The following day he had herself examined again in the hospital. The health workers who did so noticed the almost complete disappearance of teh swelling in her neck. An abdominal X-ray and examination showed no more evidence of unusual liquid in teh system. Another CAT-scan on 6 November confirmed the complete disappearance of the liquid deposits. They dismissed her with a clean bill of health.
Successive examinations revealed no after-effects of the illness.
The diocesa investigation of the miraculous healing took place at the Salerno curia from 24 July 1996 to 27 June 1997, and with its decree of 26 September 1997, accepted the validity of the cure. Two experts ex officio and then a medical consultant studied the documentation published. On 30 April 1998, these experts unanimously announced the “extraordinary and scientifically inexplicable” nature of the cure of Signora Consiglia.
On 22 June 1998, the convened Special Congress of Theologians discuss the theological aspects of teh healing, and on 20 October, the Ordinary Session of Cardinals and Bishops also met. On 21 December, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints published the decree on Padre Pio’s miracle.
Source: Inside the Vatican