I have talked about my visits to the city of Saint Francis in my book, A Hidden Sicilian History. I do not want to repeat what I have written there. Now, I just want to highlight something about my third trip to Assisi with my wife. We decided to go to Assisi while we were walking down the street and passing by a small green area that had recently been created next to the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, in Enna, with an olive tree and the statue of the saint surrounded by white doves.
We were going back home passing by that area when we smelled a subtle delicate indefinable scent in the air. We turned towards the statue of Saint Francis and then towards the olive tree, but we could not spot a flower or anything from which that perfume could come.
The following day, we passed by the same place again and smelled the same scent but this time it was much less intense. From then on, we no longer smelled any other scents as we passed by the same place.
However, that paradisiac scent had an effect on us because thanks to it we decided to go to Assisi. I had previously visited the city twice: the first time with my parents when I was still a boy and a second time during an organized trip. This time I would go with my wife.
We planned to take a tour of northern and central Italy. We would put our car on a ferry in Palermo and disembark in Genoa. From there, after visiting the beautiful city of Genoa, we would head south in the direction of Florence and then we would arrive in Assisi. So it happened!
Once in Assisi, we went directly to the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Francis and sat on a pew facing Saint Francis’s tomb. As soon as we sat down, I had a feeling that a kind of energy was telling something to me: “Purify your heart, mind, body, and actions, and then you will see God inside you!” the mysterious energy seemed to say. On my previous visit to Saint Francis’s tomb, I had also a similar feeling.
What was Saint Francis telling me this time? I felt that the real kingdom of God is inside every living being, but we cannot find it if too many materialistic desires pollute our minds or our actions are not directed towards the well-being of our fellow creatures. I also inferred that prayer and meditation are a good way to purify our minds and get close to God, as long as our actions aim not towards an egoistic goal but to the love of all creatures.
Were my contacts with St. Francis the fruit of hallucination? I cannot know. I can just say that what I have written above is the truth!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
The man I met in Rome, in the Church of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, who gave me a list of forty-two books, among other things, told me about two mystical figures: one was Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who had already died, and another Natuzza Evolo, who was still alive.
I trusted that man because the books he had recommended me to read were highly educational. I thought that if he told me about that mystic woman there must certainly be a reason.
I took information about that woman and learned that she lived in Calabria, a region near Sicily, in the village of Paravati, a hamlet of the municipality of Mileto.
Without assuming further information about her, I took a train at the Enna railway station, then crossed the Strait of Messina by ferry, and disembarked near the railway station of Villa San Giovanni. From there, I took another train to Mileto.
Mileto station was so small that it looked more like a level crossing than a railway station. I got off the train and walked through the countryside until I arrived at Paravati.
Natuzza Evolo lived in a community in the upper part of the village.
I knocked on the door and a priest opened it for me. He ushered me into a room and asked me to wait. However, he told me that he was not sure if Natuzza would come down, because she was very ill.
While waiting, I lounged about the large room. There were display cases containing photographs of Natuzza sweating blood, which formed crosses, halos, and similar figures on her knees. There were also books on her life. She was an extraordinary woman able to see what human eyes could not see.
After I had waited for five hours, the priest who had first welcomed me entered the room and in a disconsolate voice informed me that Natuzza could not come downstairs because she was not well.
I said goodbye to the priest and headed toward the railway station. Even though I had not spoken to Natuzza, I sensed her closeness and her empathy towards me.
I can only say that from that day on my life changed. She gave me the strength I needed to keep living in society as an ordinary human being. Al the rest is superfluous!
About twenty years had passed since my first visit to Paravati. On the way back to Sicily, we decided to make a stop in the village of Natuzza. I wanted to visit her grave and thank her for helping me through a difficult time in my life.
After twenty years, the village of Paravati seemed to have remained almost unchanged. The previous time I had reached it on foot from Mileto station, now we had arrived by car. We walked towards the community house that had once hosted Natuzza and entered through the same door as twenty years ago. Here something had changed: the small chapel had been enlarged; the old ceiling, on which I had heard Natuzza’s footsteps while I was waiting to meet her, had been transformed into a wooden roof; the display cases containing photographs and books about Natuzza had disappeared. Now, rows of pews stood in their place.
There were two rooms adjacent to the chapel, in one, there was a table with sacred objects on display for sale; in the other, was Natuzza’s tomb. I stepped into the latter and stood in silence for a few minutes. I said a short prayer for her soul and then thanked her for helping me get through a difficult time in my life.
Not far from Natuzza’s grave, stood a large basilica recently built. I did not see it when I came to Paravati twenty years ago for the first time.
I had a feeling that the simplicity and humbleness of the village of Paravati had been lost and I even had a moment of doubt about Natuzza’s honesty. But suddenly I had a feeling that Natuzza was talking to me.
“You must love everyone, without making a distinction between honest and dishonest, good or bad people. Everyone is your brother and you must love everyone without exception,” Natuzza’s voice seemed to tell me.
Twenty years ago, Natuzza had helped me to re-enter the life from which I had detached myself, now he was helping me to abandon my petty ego and direct my attention to others, loving everyone without distinction.
Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart, my dear Natuzza!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Crown is one of the most evocative holy places I have ever seen.
It stands on the edge of a rocky ridge. The location is unique. I had never seen a Catholic church on the edge of a cliff hundreds of meters high.
To go there, we parked the car in the village of Spiazzi di Caprino, in the province of Verona, and then we walked on a paved road to the shrine for about a kilometer or two. Later, I learned that there was another way to reach the shrine from the valley floor, through a stairway of one thousand seven hundred and fifty steps.
I decided to visit the basilica for two reasons. First, because I was attracted by the unusual location on the edge of a cliff; second, because this same place had been visited by Pope John Paul II. I loved that pope and trusted him.
When we arrived at the church, I was stunned by the large number of votive offerings that were displayed in the rooms adjoining to the church. Apparently, many people had received favors by Our Lady of the Crown. The walls of the rooms also displayed thousands of photos of people who had had been saved or cured by a miracle, or had received a grace.
It seems that hermits had lived in that place since the year 1000, while the actual shrine was erected in the year 1522, when a statuette of Our Lady holding the dead Jesus on her knees was found on the edge of a rocky cliff. It was believed that angels had brought it from the island of Rhodes, which was under Muslim attack at the time. From then on, the area has been a place of pilgrimage.
The large number of people that visited the shrine surprised me. Some of them climbed the Holy Staircase on their knees. Overall, I enjoyed the place, which inspired peace, calmness, and love for nature.
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
I heard about Theresa Neumann for the first time about thirty years ago in Enna. At that time, I was strolling down the main street with a friend of mine. We were talking about religion. He was the brother of a priest and an honest person respected by everybody. I told him about my fear of death and my concern that after we die everything will end and we will vanish into eternal nothingness. In return, he told me about a woman, named Theresa Neumann who had lived for thirty-six years, without eating or drinking, feeding only on the Holy Host.
At that time, on hearing the story, I did not ask my friend any questions on that matter. I just looked into his eyes in amazement. How is it possible to live without eating or drinking for thirty-six years? I thought. However, I trusted my friend very much. Therefore, I didn’t doubt the truth of his words
Almost twenty years had passed since my conversation with my friend, who had died in the meantime. This time I was in Rishikesh in Northern India. Strolling through the narrow streets with the woman who later would become my wife, I noticed that many shops displayed the cover of a book with a photo of a man with an olive complexion and flowing hair. Intrigued, I stopped in front of a few shop windows to look closely at the man. I felt drawn to him, but I did not buy the book.
About ten years after my visit to Rishikesh, an American friend of mine advised me to read Autography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. I ordered the book and to my surprise I recollected my stay in Rishikesh, and noticed that the book at that time displayed in the shop windows was the same as that I had just ordered.
Strangely, the first time the book went missed. However, since I had other books to read, I preferred not to other it again before I finished reading the books I have piled on my desk. Meanwhile, my American friend pushed me to purchase the book by Paramahansa Yogananda. He insisted that it would answer my doubts about life after death.
I ordered again the book, this time secondhand. It was shipped from America, but it took too long to arrive to my address in Enna. When I left for Korea, the book still had not arrived. Therefore, I canceled the order.
When I returned to Enna from Korea, I ordered it again and this time it arrived within a few days. I kept the book on my shelf with the intention of reading it after I finished reading the other books stacked on my desk, which I had not yet finished reading. After four months, I left for Korea again and this time I took the book with me. I read it within a couple of months. If was well written and educative.
What surprised me was the author’s open-mindedness and his respect for religions. Thanks to him, I learned more about the woman my friend had told me about thirty years ago.
What attracted Paramahansa Yogananda to Theresa Neumann, who at the time was little known even in her own country, is a mystery. Perhaps, great mystic souls have the ability to communicate with each other telepathically, who knows!
The account Paramahansa Yogananda gives of Theresa Newman was so vivid and detailed that it left me stunned.
Unfortunately, by the time I finished reading Autobiography of a Yogi, both Theresa Neumann and Paramahansa Yogananda had passed away. The former was born in the village of Konnersreuth, Germany on April 8, 1898 and died there on September 18, 1962; the latter was born Gorakhpur (India) on January 5, 1893 and died in Los Angeles on March 7, 1952.
I wished to visit Theresa Newman’s village and her house. I hoped to feel some kind of energy, as had happened to me while visiting the tomb of Saint Francis in Assisi or while passing by his statue in Enna. Therefore, I started toying with the idea of taking a trip to Germany.
The best way to get to Theresa’s village was by car. However, my car was sixteen years old and not very reliable for a long trip. While I was still staying in Korea, I planned my trip to Konnersreuth. I wanted to avoid traveling the entire Italian peninsula by car, from south to north. Therefore, I planned to take a ferry from Palermo to Genoa, and embark my car. From there it would be easier for me to go to Germany by car. On the way back, I would stop in Salzburg to visit Mozart’s birthplace, the house where he lived and the city. Then, I would make another stop in Spiazzi, in the province of Verona to visit the Sanctuary of Madonna della Corona. Afterwards, I would drive towards the east coast of Italy and make a short stop in Recanati, the hometown of the great poet Giacomo Leopardi. Continuing down south, I would visit the city of Matera and finally I would return to Sicily.
Keeping dreaming about my travel to Teresa’s village, while I was still in Korea, I sent emails to the car dealers in my hometown. I wanted to have an idea about the car to buy. In fact, I was determined to buy a new one. I considered it a gift by Theresa.
Everything seemed clear and well outlined in my mind, but a sudden unexpected accident happened. A Sicilian proverb says, ‘L’omu prupuni e diu dispuni (Man proposes and God disposes). God directs our steps and decides what we should do or not do and what is good for us.
Two days after I returned to Enna from Korea, I had a small stroke and stayed in the hospital for twelve days. The dream of my trip to Germany was fading away. The sandcastle I had built in my mind was about to be swept away by the tide!
My wife doubted that I could drive long distances. However, I felt strong because my stroke had not been too serious. Mostly, I had difficulty speaking, but my mobility in upper and lower limbs was still good.
Despite the obstacles on my dreamed trip to Konnersreuth, I decided to go on anyway. Two days after I left the hospital, I bought a new car and gave the old one in exchange. Then, I booked a ferry from Palermo to Genoa and a room in a hotel in Novi Ligure, a city near Genoa, which was on our way to Germany.
I considered Konnersreuth a kind of pilgrimage. I would ask Theresa to grant me three favors. First, to help my son. Even at the age of forty-one, he had neither a job nor a family of his own and he led a secluded life. I would also ask to help the sick in my own ward at the time I was there as a patient. Finally, I would ask to keep my wife and me in good health.
Fifteen days before our departure for Genoa, something unusual happened to me. I was having brunch with my wife. She had cooked rice, anchovies and a vegetable side dish. While I was eating, I was thinking that perhaps there would be no more obstacles to the trip to Konnersreuth, when, suddenly, I felt something hard in my mouth. I thought a tooth had fallen out. I spat out the hard thing in my mouth and to my surprise, I saw that it was a ten-eurocent coin. Have you ever found a coin in your mouth while eating? I really do not think so! I interpreted that coin as a message from Theresa. I considered that coin as a token or a pass for our trip to Germany. This time, everything would be okay! My wife suggested that I keep the coin I had found in my mouth. Therefore, we put it inside a jade container among the other items on our living room bookcase.
There were only three days left before our departure. We would embark in Palermo on September 27, 2023 in the evening and would land in Genoa in the afternoon of the following day.
This time, another major obstacle loomed on the horizon! The weather forecast did not bode well for September 28 in Genoa. We should avoid traveling in the Genoa area for that day because a hurricane, with heavy rain and hailstones as big as walnuts, was expected.
What to do? When the hailstones are very big they are likely to break the windshield of a car. They can also cause serious damage to the bodywork. I had bought the car less than a month ago. It was brand new. However, I was not so much afraid for material damage as for our safety. If I had told my wife about the weather forecast for that day, I am sure she would have refused to leave for Genoa. On the other hand, I did not feel like leaving without her. Therefore, I did not tell her anything. I trusted in the Divine Providence and in God who is the ultimate ruler of winds, rain, hail and hurricanes. I also hoped that Theresa would come to our rescue and would safely lead us to Novi Ligure, our first stop. I considered the ten-eurocent coin I had found in my mouth while I was eating and thinking of her as a safe-conduct to Konnersreuth. I was sure she would watch over us during our trip. I also thought of Jesus that calmed the winds and stopped the storm on The Sea of Galilee. Even now, he would stop the hail and heavy rain until we arrived at the hotel in Novi Ligure. However, I was very worried.
We left Enna in the early afternoon with the sun shining and a mild temperature. When we arrived in Palermo after a couple of hours, a warm sirocco wind was blowing.
Upon arriving at the port of Palermo, I received a text message from the shipping company, informing that the ferry’s departure would be delayed by half an hour, due to bad weather conditions along the route. However, in the end we boarded our car on the ferry.
It was late in the afternoon when we arrived in Genoa. At the time, the sun peeked through the clouds. Previously, there had been heavy rain in Genoa and lightning had damaged the railway line in Novi Ligure. However, we got to our hotel without any problems. Not a single drop of rain fell along our route.
We had the second stop in a German city near the border with Switzerland. We stopped there because it had started raining and it was a bit late. I cannot recollect the name of the city. It was a German name difficult to memorize, but I remember the name of the hotel, which was ‘Adler’, the same as that of the well-known psychologist.
On the third day, we arrived in the village of Konnersreuth and decided to stay there for two days.
The place was quiet, clean and tidy. The locals were warm and friendly. The climate was serene. The hotel we stayed in was clean and the staff was kind. I think it was the only hotel in Konnersreuth.
After placing our bags in the room, we took a walk around the village. As if led by an invisible energy, we soon arrived at the cemetery where Theresa rested.
The grave was quite simple with a flowerbed on it. Behind the grave was a tall rectangular headstone with a carved image of Theresa. Below the image were engraved words written in German, which I was unable to decipher.
We stood for a few minutes in front of the grave; I said a prayer for her soul and asked her to grant me the three favors. Then, we entered an open chapel containing a wooden cross, photos of Theresa, lit candles and votive offerings.
We strolled through the streets of Konnersreuth until the evening. While we were walking, I had the feeling that Theresa was whispering something in my ear: “Drop your ego, and then you will live your life better!” From that moment on, I have been considering Theresa’s suggestion more, even though I already knew that my strong ego hindered my inner development and the relationships with others.
The following day we visited the museum dedicated to Theresa. We saw a video of her and photos of her with the stigmata and with her blood coming out of her eyes.
Then we continued walking through the quiet and very clean streets of Konnerseuth. A small color drawing made by a little girl or boy from a nursery school caught my attention. It was a clean, simple drawing, and it depicted Theresa with two small tears of blood coming out of her eyes.
Perhaps the path to God passes through simplicity and egolessness, I thought.
I left Konnersreuth with a feeling of having a cleaner and simpler soul. I will never forget our walks in the quiet little town of Theresa!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
Enna is the city where the cult of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Kore was particularly rooted. Perhaps, it is the only Italian city where paganism survived until the end of the Middle Ages!
To put an end to this situation, in 1412 the municipality of Enna sent a delegation to Venice with the task of buying a statue of the Madonna to replace that of Demeter.
The delegation went to Venice and bought a beautiful wooden statue of Our Lady holding Baby Jesus.
According to legend, the ship that carried it was wrecked, but the statue miraculously floated and landed in Messina.
When it finally reached the slopes of Enna, the notables of the city welcomed the statue and tried to carry it into the city on their shoulders, but they were not able to do it.
Then, some farmers who were reaping wheat at that moment stopped working for a while and succeeded in taking the statue into the Cathedral.
Legend says that the route of the procession was traced by two white doves which were released outside the Cathedral and landed on the roof of the Church of Montesalvo.
Deep down, only the shape of the statue has changed, but the cult of the goddess Demeter is the same and it still alive in the hearts of the people of Enna!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
The celebrations in honor of the patron saint of Enna, Our Lady, last for two weeks.
During this time, the wooden statue of the Madonna is exhibited in the church annexed to the Franciscan Monastery of Montesalvo.
In the same place, pagan rites in honor of Demeter were celebrated until the end of the Middle Ages. The small Catholic church was built there for the purpose of putting an end to paganism, which was considered an obsolete religion. But, paganism remained in the heart of the people of Enna and it is brought back to life every year for fifteen days through the devotion to the Madonna, which replaced the old cult of the goddess Demeter.
Yesterday, the confraternities of the various neighborhoods of Enna paid homage to the Madonna. The confraternities were born during the Spanish domination of the island, but some, like that of the Most Holy Savior, claim that their foundations date back to the Knights Templar.
When I arrived at the place, the processions had just ended, while the music of the town band continued for a while. I too entered the church and said a prayer to Our Lady, the patroness of the people of Enna!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
Since time immemorial, the feast in honor of the Mother Goddess has been celebrated in Enna on July 2. At the beginning, it was the celebration in honor of the mother goddess, Demeter; later, with the end of paganism it turned into the feast in honor of the Madonna. On this day, people in Enna thank Our Lady for protecting the city.
The statues that parade down the streets are those of Saint Michael the Archangel, carried by children on their shoulders, the statue of St. Joseph, and finally that of Our Lady covered with gold.
When I am in Enna, I cannot help but participate in the procession.
I pray that Our Lady will continue to protect the citizens of Enna as she has always done.
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
Yesterday, May 27, was a day of celebration in Korea, on the occasion of Buddha’s birthday, according to lunar calendar. We too enjoyed the event by visiting Jikjisa Temple, which consisted of several small temples scattered in a wooden hill.
It is believed that this temple was established in 418 AD, under the reign of King Nulchi (417-458).
The place was crowded and free lunch was given to everybody. I entered one of the small temples in the area. There were hundreds of small Buddha statues inside. I bowed to the statues three times, to pay homage to Buddha.
We then had a walk in the area and to my surprise I found a labyrinth. I walked on it, as I had done in Canada a few years ago. There, I had learned the magic of this very ancient symbol. It is believed that by walking on it, you purify yourself.
We spent a beautiful, peaceful day in an ancient Korean temple on Buddha’s birthday. Happy birthday, Buddha!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
Yesterday was March 22, a holy day for the Balinese people. They call this day ‘Nyepi Holy Day’, dedicated to total silence. The day before, people go the beach to purify themselves with sea water.
The Balinese people spend Nyepi Day praying, meditating, and introspecting. Any activity is forbidden, even going to the street for a walk. Tourists must comply with this rule. They cannot leave their hotels or accommodations.
Nyepi Day starts at six am, on March 22 and ends at six am on March 23. During this time, it is forbidden to do any activity: no traveling, no cooking, no swimming, no surfing on the Internet, no watching television, and so on. No cars, taxis, or public transportation on the streets. Even Bali International Airport is closed!
What did I do on Nyepi Day? I decided to conform to the religiosity of the people of Bali. Therefore, I stayed in my room all day, meditating and introspecting. Today, I had a feeling of being reborn.
How about the powerful rulers of the world have a Nyepi Day too? Who knows, maybe something good would come of it!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English version)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English version)
– The Vibrations of Words (English version)
– Travels of the Mind (English version)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (versione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (versione in lingua italiana)
Pope Karol Wojtyla, in his will, asked that his spiritual diaries be burned upon his death, but his secretary did not; instead, he presented them to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.
Later, the notebooks were published in Polish, and then translated into several languages. I read the English edition.
The spiritual diaries range from 1962 to 2003, before and after Karol Wojtyla became a Pope.
Reading this book, I have been surprised that he attended the gatherings not as the supreme head of the Catholic Church, but as a simple participant. The retreats were led by others, usually a bishop or an archbishop, not by him! This shows how humble he was.
In his diaries, the word ‘meditation’ is recurrent. Obviously, during the spiritual retreats he meditated. I thought that the term ‘meditation’ only belonged to the Eastern religion. As a child, I learned that prayer was enough to get to heaven. Apparently, also Catholics meditate. I think Pope John Paul II meditated on the Bible, but who knows what was hidden in his great, noble, and humble heart!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
Ettore Grillo's Blog and Books 