Later Life
In June 1938, based on the request of Father Mariano Pinho, several bishops from Portugal wrote to Pope Pius XI, asking him to consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, based on the request of Alexandrina Maria da Costa. At that time Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII) was the secretary of the state of the Vatican, and he later performed the consecration of the world. However, there is no specific evidence at the Vatican that Pius XII acted on behalf of Alexandrina Maria da Costa.
According to her Vatican biography, from March 1942, for about 13 years until her death, she received no food except for the Holy Eucharist, and her weight dropped to about 33 kilograms (i.e. approximately 73 pounds). She was examined by medical doctors, with no conclusion.
Based on the advice of a priest, her sister kept a diary of Alexandrina's words and mystical experiences. According to her Vatican autobiography Jesus spoke to her, at one point saying: "You will very rarely receive consolation... I want that while your heart is filled with suffering, on your lips there is a smile". In 1944, she joined the "Union of Salesian Cooperators", offering her suffering for the salvation of souls and for the sanctification of youth.
Read more about this topic: Alexandrina Maria Da Costa
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