I am writing again to share a favor I received through the intercession of Pedro Ballester in the hope that it may contribute, in a small way, to the many testimonies being gathered in support of his cause for beatification. I simply wish to express my gratitude and add this experience to the many favors already entrusted to your office.
I marked May 22 as a special day because Pedro would have turned 30 years old. Yet the day passed, and I realized that I had not written down any of the countless favors I have received through his intercession. So I promised myself that I would write this one, especially since I felt his help in less than twenty-four hours.
Yesterday, I had an online call with my nine-year-old niece who lives in Illinois. I had previously sent her a copy of the comic book about Pedro Ballester, and we agreed that we would read it together, taking turns reading each page aloud. Along the way, she asked me about some difficult words such as “celibacy,” “apostolate,” “associate”, and “supernumerary”. Sensing her interest, after we finished reading, I invited her to watch parts of the documentary about Pedro on YouTube, beginning with the part that recounts the return of his cancer. As she watched, I connected what we had read in the comic with the scenes in the documentary. To my surprise and delight, she ended up finishing the entire video.
At the same time, I was preparing for a retreat for young women scheduled for the weekend. We still had around eight slots to fill, so I asked Pedro to intercede — not only that the retreat would be filled, but also that those who would attend would truly make the most of it.
By the end of the day, we had only four slots remaining. The next morning, I discovered that we had actually overbooked by one person. However, since some of the rooms were for sharing, we still had exactly the right number of participants for the retreat.
Once again, I can only offer a prayer of thanksgiving to this young brother who never tires of helping me — in both the big and the little things.
MM (Manila, Philippines)
16 June 2026

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