IN times of chest pains, Neditha Maria Ariola, 57, prays to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

When she visited the relic of the “uncorrupted heart” of San Pedro Pio at the IC3 Convention Center yesterday morning, she prayed for healing for her heart condition, believing that the saint’s heart is not much different from Christ’s heart.

“Because he received the stigmata of Jesus when He was crucified. I believe it can heal, our faith will deepen through him and we can overcome all battle in our faith so we won’t be distracted by what’s happening these days,” said Ariola in Cebuano.

She was still in high school when her heart ailment started.

Next week, she will undergo a 2D Echo test for doctors to decide on what intervention they will do.

After the 6 a.m. sendoff mass at the IC3 Convention Center, the heart relic was headed for Davao City.

In his homily, Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo said that aside from getting healed from sickness, the faithful, through San Pedro Pio’s intercession, should also ask for eternal life.

“Eternal life is more important than surviving whatever illness we have right now. And while we pray for healing, let us also go towards that more complete healing, the total healing of transformation of one’s soul and conscience,” said Villarojo.

He also commented on the spate of killings in Cebu that involved personalities suspected to be involved in the illegal drugs business.

He criticized the acts of misleading the public mind to justify the killings of criminals who are allegedly involved in drugs.

“How can this heart be acceptable, be venerated in a country whose people have no hearts for justice and righteousness, who can justify evil with a twist of their minds. To twist our thinking, our minds, just so we can say that anyway, they were all criminals),” said Villarojo in Cebuano. (SCG)