A Visitor from Heaven, Part IV: Apparitions in Northern Italy
In Part III, I sketched the troubled life of the Italian visionary Francesca Sgobbi, noting her remarkable humility and briefly tracing her journey through Poland.
THE DEVIL’S ASSAULT
Amid encounters with personal evil, Francesca repeatedly experienced physical pain and health problems, including fractured pelvic bones and hands. In this case, apart from material losses, she emerged unharmed.
Some time ago, Francesca was driving at about 60 km/h when, on a curve, “suddenly some black entity completely covered my windshield,” the visionary recalls. “It occurred near the town of Cervignano. To this day, the marks where my car struck a roadside linden tree are still visible. Then the vehicle overturned; as a result, it was a complete write-off.”
The next day, a note appeared in the local press stating that “something inexplicable must have happened there, as the driver had no right to survive.” Neither the police officers nor the ambulance doctor could understand how the driver was neither wounded nor injured.
The mystic vividly remembers that, as it was happening, as if in slow motion, she saw the figure of Fr. Jerzy first shield her from the impact and then support her as she emerged from the overturned car lying in a roadside ditch. As if that were not enough, she also heard his voice reminding her to take her documents and money from the car.
MARKS ON THE BACK
She was not laughing at all, even if the story may sound almost comic: the demon scratched her back quite painfully. It took place on the eve of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2010. That morning, Francesca and her husband were at the Marian Shrine on the island of Barbana near Grado. As is usually the case in such places, the visionary went to confession and then took part in Holy Mass. As soon as she fell asleep in her bedroom, “that nasty beast threw me from the bed onto the floor.”
In the morning, she woke up with such severe back pain that she could not lie down, nor could she make a sound, which was very strange; it was as if she were paralyzed. The wounds looked terrifying and so unusual that her husband asked a friend to take a photo of them. Because the wounds did not heal at all, the couple went to see a doctor. “As soon as he saw my back, he wanted to call the police immediately and accuse my husband of beating me,” Francesca recounts.
Here is part of the doctor’s description: “she has distinct marks on the skin of her torso and the base of her thighs, of the red dermographism type, and scratches on her shoulders, [without apparent explanation]. Their regularity makes it look as if she had been scratched with a wire mesh with spikes.”
A MYSTERIOUS FAST
The phenomenon known among mystics as inedia, as in the case of St. Catherine of Siena, does not occur in Francesca. Still, during a multi-day visit from guests from Poland, she was not seen to eat a thing, and despite the heat, she did not so much as bring a drop of water to her lips. Throughout it all, she sat firmly at the table, showing neither fatigue nor the slightest weariness.
Giorgio later revealed that, since the time of the apparitions, his wife has had periods in her life when she does not eat at all. Once, it even lasted forty days, throughout the whole of Lent. She drank only a little water.
A CALL TO NIGHT PRAYER
(Read Luke 6:12)
The mystic from Fiumicello was often encouraged to pray at night. Nocturnal hours of adoration have changed many lives, bringing healing and a deep intimacy with Jesus. This prayer is called a “pearl of great price.” At times, both body and spirit rebel, and getting out of bed takes a great act of will. Sometimes, we must begin with small steps, starting with 10 or 15 minutes at home, preferably between 3 and 4 a.m.
And on this subject, what did Fr. Jerzy say?
Francesca, I will tell you what Mary says: “I, your Mother, am with you and your spouse. I am with everyone, even when you do not realize it. You know, Francesca, how precious those brief moments are at night when someone keeps vigil with us out of love, making reparation for many sins. Night prayer has great power because of the sacrifice it requires. All the saints practiced it, and through it they obtained significant help for their brothers and sisters.
Night prayer, Francesca, is especially suited to counteracting the evil spreading throughout the world. We do not ask for many hours of prayer; a few minutes are enough. When you wake in the night, remember us; as a devoted daughter, turn to the Father, the Son, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Do this out of love and thanksgiving, for if you live, if you rise and walk, it is only by the grace of the Father…”
A FRIAR’S OPINION
Particularly compelling is the assessment of Francesca Sgobbi offered by the Polish religious priest and researcher of private revelations, Andrzej Baran, CAP. In his view, her theological outlook is Christocentric, with a strong Marian emphasis. He notes her awareness that she is a sinner in need of a Savior, her sense of human fragility and weakness, her recognition of her own passivity in the face of the visions she receives, and the way in which these experiences are leading her to become a more conscious member of the Church.
The priest also identifies six elements that, in his judgment, may support the authenticity of these experiences:
- The satanic torments she has undergone on many occasions;
- The so-called rule of dignity, according to which visions take place in an atmosphere of prayer, secondary and trivial matters do not overshadow what is essential, and Francesca’s behaviour corresponds to the gravity and dignity of supernatural action;
- The content of the messages, which is consistent with Revelation and the teaching of the Church, as well as the fact that Fr. Jerzy always appears in a cassock, while the psalm is recited in Latin, as the blessed one learned it in the seminary;
- An attitude of simplicity in both the visionary and the appearing person, marked by simplicity, cordiality, peace, and gravity;
- The rule of permanence, since the vision is not a one-time or accidental event and takes into account the current situation of the Church and its members;
- And, finally, the passivity of the subject, meaning that the visionary is aware of what is happening to her, that it is not the result of her own effort, and that she remains open and receptive.
CONCLUSION
As Pope Paul VI once warned, Satan’s greatest victory is that people have stopped believing in his existence. In a television interview, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris, was asked whether he believed in the devil. He replied, “Yes, I do.” When the journalist, astonished that he could still hold such a belief in an age of immense scientific and technical progress, pressed him again, the cardinal answered, “Yes, I still do.” Asked where the devil is, he said, “At Dachau, at Auschwitz, at Birkenau!” The journalist fell silent. For Lustiger, a Jew whose mother died in Auschwitz, the answer was unmistakable.
The authors of this nonfiction work, Dr. Milena Kindziuk and Rev. Prof. Józef Naumowicz, note that these apparitions have not been officially recognized by the Catholic Church and are still ongoing. This publication does not imply theological or doctrinal approval. In the case of private revelations, the Church proceeds with caution, yet it does not forbid the faithful from drawing spiritual fruit from them.
Authors’ Note: This article was based on the book Niezwykłe Objawienia Ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki we Włoszech, Milena Kindziuk, Ks. Józef Naumowicz, published by Wydawnictwo Esprit (Kraków, 2025).
Editor’s Note: Read the rest of this series on A Visitor From Heaven: Apparitions in Northern Italy here.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
