Cebu’s modern day St. Maria Goretti

It’s not everyday that we get a front seat to hear a remarkable true-to-life story that we only read in books, which are often made into a movie. But that’s what the members of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (BLD) a Covenanted Community heard in a full-packed Redemptorist Church last Aug.19, 2008 in the evening. We were having our Eucharistic Adoration when Msgr. Cristobal Garcia told us that there would be no procession inside the church that evening, but he would allow someone to speak before us because her story is so touching, it would seem like our Lord Jesus Christ himself is touching us.

This is the story of 22-year-old Ms. Dianez Lora V. Bacasmas from Cebu City, a member of the BLD Youth Encounter No. 8 and the Family Encounter No.14 and a pioneer member of the First Aboitiz Future Leaders Summit 3 years ago. She has since been working for a drug company in Ormoc City when last July 27th, she was already sleeping around dawn when suddenly she felt someone on top of her… a masked man who was going to rape her. She knew if she didn’t do anything; the inevitable would happen, so she started shouting for help and kicked her attacker and both of them fell on the floor. Her housemate next door heard her shouts and woke up. 

Hearing her frantic call for help, her housemate banged on her door, while inside Diane was virtually fighting for her life, because she was feeling sharp blows on her body because her attacker was already stabbing her furiously; she was now bleeding all over her body. Eventually, she learned that she had 19 stab wounds from different parts of her face and body, which pierced her lungs and struck her heart! Then finally the door broke open… and her terrified housemates carried her to the hospital just across the street, only to find out that the hospital couldn’t handle the gravity of her wounds.

So they rushed the profusely bleeding Diane to the Ormoc Sugar Planter’s Association Hospital (OSPA) and as she was wheeled inside, she was met by their General Surgeon and his wife an internist who ironically just happened to be the landlord of her apartment. To add to her woes, the Red Cross Chapter in Ormoc could only come up with four bags of blood, when she needed at least 16 bags. Somehow, the hospital nurses, maintenance people, security guards and bystanders offered their blood for her, which Diane later told us was a miracle, akin to the multiplication of the Loaves.

During this time, we were getting frantic text messages broadcasted to all BLD members asking for intercession prayers. Her Dad and Mom, Raul “Ging” and Jane Bacasmas were in Manila when they also got a message as to what happened to their daughter. All they could do was pray because Diane was already very critical and fast losing her life. Her father Ging finally offered this prayer… “Lord, this is very difficult for me but just save my daughter and I am willing to forgive and not seek any vengeance for her attacker.” At that very time, Diane was already a flat line, but then a few minutes later, she started responding again to the machine attached to her. I have no doubt that she was granted a new lease of life by our Lord Jesus.

Her parents arrived in Ormoc and two days later, transferred her to the ICU of the Perpetual Succor Hospital, courtesy of the Aboitiz Group of Companies who offered to bring her to Cebu by fast craft because she was one of the delegates to the Future Leaders Summit. We continued our prayer vigils, even if we didn’t know her personally… friends relatives and well-wishers came to visit her at the hospital, surrounding her with love, which allowed her to forget the hatred she had for her vicious attacker who turned later out to be the caretaker of her apartment. Yes, he’s in jail right now.

When she was about to be operated on her pierced septum, however doctors were surprised that her heart had already healed. On Aug.19 last Tuesday she stood before the BLD community on her own, a mere 22 days after her harrowing ordeal and being in the ICU for a pierced heart and ruptured lung and she spoke to us about her ordeal. But what broke us into tears was when she told us…”I have decided to forgive my attacker and along with it, let go of all hurts, fears, pride, anger, hatred and anything that I consider heavy to bear. These are unnecessary pains and I no longer have room in my heart for them.” It was a very emotionally charged atmosphere in the church.

After her talk, I asked her permission to write this story because I told her that she was our modern day St. Maria Goretti who also experienced a similar incident, but before she died, she forgave her attacker Alessandro Serenelli. But God allowed Diane to live so she could tell us her story about prayer, faith and forgiveness, which we learned from our Lord Jesus Christ who forgave those who crucified him, “for they know not what they do.”

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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can also be accessed through www.philstar.com. He also hosts a weekly talkshow entitled, “Straight from the Sky” shown every Monday only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 on SkyCable at 8 in the evening.