Nicolas Maccarinelli a 7-year-old blackberry boy was disappointed since his parents had not yet given him a baby brother as promised, but he did not know that his parents had failed to accommodate him. They live in a small hamlet Molinetto di Mazzano in the province of Brescia but as soon as they can they come to visit Fra Elia. I met Nicolas together with his grandmother on the bus back from Calvi after the meeting at the end of October. She was sitting right next to him in the opposite row. I had already heard about that bright little boy from my friend Cesira sitting by my side who called him intelligent and devoted like his parents….and so I asked him if he had anything to tell me as some ladies had already testified.Going back five years, he told me that having heard about Fra Elia, the whole family decided to go to him at the November meetings to get a blessing. When they arrived at Fra Elia beautiful church the former stable , they lined up in the pews waiting for the Friar to pass by. When he was in front of them, Nicolas immediately took the floor, expounding on his wish that his parents had not granted for years and that only He with His prayers could help them greatly. All right answered Fra Elia.
At the end, Fra Elia as always incites those present to pray and ask with strength,,,,,,,,,..go before the tabernacle…bring all your difficulties and ask, ask for what is in your heart…and also for the strength to face all your hardships and fears… Nicolas listened attentively but with the fear of doing something wrong since he was 7 years old, he chased Fria Elia, pulled him by the cassock… “Fra Elia remember to help me to have a little brother that I have longed for…” Fra Elia smilingly answered him, “you too must pray…you know St. Lucy don’t you? Soon it is her feast day. Go with your parents to Bergamo right to the chesa of Santa Lucia…next to her you will find a basket full of letters and in that basket put yours too…”
Ten days or so before the feast day of Santa Lucia, December 13, (in Bergamo it is Santa Lucia who brings gifts to children and not St. Nicholas or Santa Claus) a large group of relatives accompanied Nicolas to Bergamo. In front of the church there was already the usual queue of mothers and children with their little letters
They waited their turns patiently. Then Nicolas placed his little letter next to one with little stars to better attract attention and, finally satisfied went out with his little group. They walked a little, went around the church but Nicolas wanted to go into the church again to check if the letter was in good position. But over the basket his letter was gone.What about the others, I asked. “The others were all there even the one with the little stars. I looked everywhere but the letter was just gone.” Nicolas cried in despair convinced that his letter had been stolen by a thief. Everyone consoling him by saying that St. Lucy or Fra Elia had probably taken it….
They just couldn’t calm him down. The fact was that on December 13 of the very next year Matias arrived in his house…a little blond angel .We wholeheartedly thanked Fra Elia and also St. Lucy who on his birthday showed me that she had read my letter. God be praised!
