My friend Lalage and I decided to attend a meeting at the Westminster Central Hall in London where the main speaker was a charismatic Franciscan priest who was well known for having the gift of healing.
We were sitting on the side of the first-floor balcony as the place was packed to capacity. I was amazed to hear this priest say that very often in the morning he would see several people outside waiting for prayers for healing or whatever. He insisted that it was vital he did not respond to their needs at that time but would continue to go and play his game of tennis or whatever. Obviously, his suggestion was that he needed some private time to look after his own health.
My mind instantly went to his fellow Franciscan, Padre Pio, who devoted his whole life to praying for others and listening to their confession. Regardless of the huge suffering he must have endured, Padre Pio always put others first and prayed the rosary constantly. My thought was, I cannot see this person remaining a Franciscan for very long.
Meanwhile though, he was certainly doing the Lord’s work in a particularly powerful way. He took centre stage and instantly commanded all evil spirits to leave the hall in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. As he said this, I could hear screaming at the far end of the room and some sort of disturbance. Something made me look up and, in the middle of the hall, suspended in mid air, was a huge figure all in white. He appeared to be a young man of about 20 with the most serene, relaxed look. There was no movement, he simply looked, and in that look, great power was present with no effort whatsoever. Then he was was gone and after he disappeared, I saw a tiny replica of the same figure in my mind’s eye. I was mystified and asked Lalage if she had seen anything. She insisted she had neither seen nor heard anything.
Months later, Lalage said she had something to tell me. It seems she was at some religious meeting when one of her group members said she too had a similar experience at the Westminster Central Hall that day. I did not need any reassurance that it had happened, but it was good to hear that it was an experience shared by others.
The Franciscan priest eventually did leave the order and the priesthood and got married to a very devoted Christian. I am glad to say he is still very much involved in prayer, healing and deliverance and continues to work within the body of Christ both in and outside of the Catholic church.