I am writing to you to support an application I understand to be in place regarding the possibility of the beatification of Pedro Ballester. Let me enlighten you:

During lockdown with restrictions imposed particularly for those in self-isolation, my husband found his faith being tested.

When he was suddenly hospitalised in early August of this year, I telephoned Father M to ask him as the hospital Roman Catholic chaplain for the hospital, if he could visit my husband B. I thought that the visit might have taken place the following morning as it was very late in the evening when I called him. But he set off straight away and arrived at the hospital a little while after midnight.

As he set off from the car park for the hospital building Father M reached for the prayer card for Pedro Ballester to take with him. But a few steps beyond the car, he returned it to its original place in the vehicle as it held great sentimental value to him. Apparently, the card had been placed in contact with either Pedro’s body or coffin by a member of the Catholic clergy who gave it to Father M and it held a very special place in his heart.

Unable to part with it, he set off again for the hospital building but was forced to stop when he heard the voice of the Lord insist that he take the card to B. It was such a strong and urgent calling that Father M returned to the car and collected the card, taking it and giving it to B when he visited him.

When I visited B the following day it was obvious that the card had made a huge spiritual impact upon him, and he suddenly panicked when he couldn’t find the card. It had been placed on his locker by one of the medical team and his state of distress at mislaying was so extreme that it was obvious that the Holy Spirit had had a huge influence on B. I found the card easily and reunited it with B, who relaxed into a state of great peace.

B had suffered from depression for a great part of his life and it was good to see him in this peaceful, relaxed state. I believe that the card meant so much to B and I believe it put in him the perfect spiritual place for the events that were about to unfold.

In the early hours of Saturday, 7th August 2021, B suffered a massive bleed to the brain and, fortunately, I reached him in time to sit several hours with him as he passed from this world to be with our Lord. Father M was able to visit B and give him the Last Rites before he died as well as hearing my confession and allowing my penance to be devoted not only to our Lord but to B as well.

I placed Pedro’s prayer card in B’s hand as he lay dying, and I firmly believe that the card made the difference to the state of peace that B’s soul was transformed to, with his faith fully restored in readiness to meet our Lord. B left this world on 7th August.

A short while after his funeral, his ashes were returned to me and we placed them on his bedside table. A little later, B’s brother, J, together with his daughter and grandson came to visit me and while his daughter, grandson and myself spent an afternoon alpaca-trekking, I suggested he might like to spend some time beside B’s ashes.

Before they left to return home I placed the card in J’s hand and urged him to sit with the card and pray beside B’s ashes. When he emerged from the room, it was obvious that something very spiritual had taken place. J, a cradle but lapsed Catholic, contacted me the following day to reveal that something indeed very spiritual had happened to him while he held the card. And I am hoping and praying along with others, that the intervention of Pedro’s card has awoken a spirituality and that it will lead John to return to his faith and he will become a practising Catholic once again.

I use the prayer card daily. It is inspirational and gives me a great sense of comfort during this particularly hard and painful process of grieving and I do believe that it holds the power of a deep and moving spirituality guided and inspired by Pedro and which is constantly at work helping to restore lost and broken souls.

Although the prayer card meant so much to Father M, he has insisted I keep it as it appears to hold a greater power than we can imagine, obviously driven by the Holy Spirit and he ardently believes that this card will continue to spread that power of the Holy Spirit to all those who come into contact with it.

It is down to me now to reveal the card, and the revelation of its impact upon the recent events, to others I meet during the rest of my life. There is obviously something extremely powerful at work in the possession and handling of this prayer card, from Father M’s guidance by our Lord to part with it in order to help the spiritual souls of brothers B and J and indeed myself also.

I do hope that this statement goes some way to supporting any case which is put forward for the beatification of Pedro Ballester Arenas.

With kindest regards.

KK (Pembrokeshire, Wales)

16 November 2021