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Pope John Paul II beatified Don Orione in 1980 St. Luigi Orione remained all his life full of love for the Church and the Pope. He also had a great love for Poland and kept the Polish flag in his bedroom. He sent many missionaries to Poland and there the Congregation is well established. THE OFFICIALLY APPROVED MIRACLE ATTRIBUTED TO DON ORIONE Rome, July 7th 2003, in the presence of the Holy Father, John Paul II, there was the official publication of the Decree that gives formal recognition to a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Luigi Orione, founder of the Little Work of Divine Providence, "father of the poor, benefactor of the suffering and abandoned humanity" as Pope Pius XII called him, "a genial expression of Christian charity" as John Paul described him on the day of his beatification. On this occasion at least, we can say that Don Orione has been a prophet in his own country: in fact, the healed man, Pierino Penacca, is from the diocese of Tortona (Alessandria), being born at Momperone on May 14th 1912. As a young man, Pierino knew Don Orione and it was natural that he and his family would turn to the Blessed when, in November 1990, following some frightening bouts of blood spitting, a lung tumour was diagnosed and confirmed. His general health worsened and on November 28th he was admitted to the San Raffaele Hospital, Milan. There, two further cytological tests detected the presence of a "lung carcinoma". It was at this stage that prayer to and the intercession of Don Orione intervened. He was aged 78 years old and the doctors declared that they could do neither chemotherapy nor radiotherapy and he was discharged from hospital. Pierino himself, his sons, some Don Orione priests and friends and even the disabled people of the little Cottolengo turned to Don Orione in prayer. Surprisingly and without any explanation there was a speedy recovery which did not leave traces of the deadly tumour on his body, and not even in the findings of the several tests of every kind that he underwent in the following 11 years. The Church has recognised in this healing, not explained scientifically, a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Luigi Orione. Pierino says of himself" Of the state of my health before going into hospital I remember only that I was very poorly. I remember the blood coming out of my mouth and feeling very worn out. I remember very little of being admitted to hospital; I find it easier to recall far away things, of my youth, rather than those nearer. " "After being discharged from hospital I started to feel well. I have always had a great trust in Don Orione and I pray to him always. Since I recovered I must thank the Lord and Don Orione."
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