In February of 2020, a very dear and close friend, Sam Papandrea, who was aware of my diagnosis at the time, organised for a recognised faith healer, Alan Ames, to hold a special ‘Healing Mass’ at the Mona Vale Catholic Church. After much deliberation, prompting from Sam and reflection on a previous text message that an ex-student (Rina) had sent me, I decided to attend this Healing Mass at the last minute.

 

I think of Jesus as being the greatest example of someone who changed the world. I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I pray you will too.

 

From the moment I sat down in Church I knew something was different, as I quickly became mesmerised by a picture of Jesus that was hanging above the alter. Just as the healing ceremony started, I was asked by Sam if I minded being one of the ‘catchers’. To my utter amazement, I must have caught at least a dozen people who, as soon as they were touched by Alan, fell to the ground in a semi-conscious state. It was when I caught my last person, that I felt something mysteriously pass through me. The closest description I can think of, at the time, was that it like a surge of warm energy passing through me. It was at this point I started to believe that my goal of becoming a survivor of this disease was no longer in the realm of being an impossibility.

 

So strong was this experience, I organised and spoke to Fr Peter Jones, who is Head of the Augustinian Order in Australasia. The name of this leaf reflects my understanding of what happened that night.