At the Hour of Death

By Dr. Jose Maria Alcasid

On April 16, 2012, fellow TFP member Michael Whitcraft and I gave a Fatima presentation on the west coast of Oahu, in Hawaii. We have been giving presentations in Hawaii for many years, and there was nothing unusual about this visit until someone in the group mentioned that a friend, who lived down the street, was dying.

She was an elderly lady who had been very devoted to Our Lady and lamented that she could not be present at the visit. We offered to take the statue to visit the dying lady after the rosary. Her friends jumped at the opportunity and made the necessary phone calls.

The lady’s home was filled with people. Most were members of her Samoan family. The Samoans are committed Catholics, family-oriented, and traditional. The patriarch of the family (usually referred to as the chief) greeted us and served as the spokesman. He directed us through the crowd to a back room where the dying lady lay in bed.

She was unconscious and clearly in her last moments. Her breathing was labored, and lacerations were visible on her tongue. We held Our Lady on a chair against her bed and her family poured into the room until it was quite full.

We placed her hand on the side of Our Lady. Several of her family members said she was actually gripping the statue, as if knowing that Our Lady was with her. The family members then began to sing traditional Samoan songs in praise of Our Lady and her intercession, in the Samoan language.

After some time for private prayers, we left in silence. Merely hours after our departure, the lady entered eternity. It seemed clear that Our Blessed Mother wanted to pay a visit to her devotee in order to strengthen her in her last moments, when as we all know, the trials of the devil are most fierce. The words of the Hail Mary fit well in this edifying and poignant experience, “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Truly, Our Lady came to this dying woman’s assistance. The lady’s name was Osie Morris. Please say a prayer for the repose of her soul.

From Crusade Magazine: July / August 2012

Header Image: At age 29, Dr. Alcasid sacrificed his doctor’s career to become a full time promoter of devotion to Our Lady.