My name is Royston D’Souza. I come from Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu. I was born and brought up in Roman Catholic family. My father was an officer in the Railways and subsequently in BHEL. My mother was a teacher. I am the fifth in a family of seven (four boys, three girls). I did my school education in Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, Trichy, and my diploma in Seshasayee Institute of Technology. I got a job in BHEL. I did my BE in the Regional Engineering College.
I am married and God blessed us with three sons. I used to go to church daily and I thought I was a good Christian. I did not lack anything.
Life was going on smoothly when suddenly, in June ‘92, a few red spots appeared on my left forearm. I taught it must have been an insect bite while plucking flowers to put near the photo of my mother, who had died in 1983. I did not take notice of this since it did not give me pain, but after a few months these spots started to get bigger. My wife asked me to visit the doctor. I went to the skin specialist, who examined and gave me medicine for fifteen days, asking me to return if the spots did not disappear. After fifteen days of treatment, the spots did not go away.
Diagnosis: Shocking beyond words
I was playing in a band and, as we were booked for all the functions for Christmas and New Year, we were busy with practice and I did not see the doctor. During the first week of Jan ‘93, these spots became patches and started spreading all over my body. I felt numbness in my left fingers, I found that I was losing sensation in my skin. My ears lobe started to pain. I told my wife of this and I met the doctor. who asked me why I had not come after fifteen days. I told the doctor of my busy programme with the band. After a thorough examination, the doctor told me, “D’Souza, I do not know how you will take it. You are suffering from leprosy.”
I got the shock of my life. I started arguing with the doctor: How is it possible for me to contract this without any physical contact? The doctor told me, “There are many ways of contracting this disease, I do not know how you have got it, but the fact is you are suffering from leprosy.”
He recommended me to go to “The Sacred Heart Leprosy Centre,” Kumbakonam. I was totally shattered. I went home and, before my wife could ask me what the doctor said, I started weeping. I told my wife, and she started weeping. We did not know what to do. I told my father, and he wept, I told my mother-in-law and father-in-law, and they wept. I did not tell anyone else.
On January 14, 1993, I went to the Sacred Heart Leprosy Centre, Kumbakonam. I was examined by Doctor Thompson. After conducing lab tests, he confirmed that I was suffering from leprosy, that it was positive and in the reactive (infectious) stage. He started me on multi-drug therapy and gave me instructions that I should do no manual work, must not get worried or tensed, and I should be secluded to prevent my family members from getting the disease.
Two years of treatment
The treatment was for a year. Every month I had to go for a checkup. I went home desperate. I cannot tell you how I felt while I was sitting amongst lepers waiting to see the doctor. I asked God why I was given this sickness. What had I done? I started wearing long sleeve shirts to cover the patches on my hands. I did not have any patches on my face.
A terrible fear entered my life. I was very afraid of death. I became very superstitious and was wondering what people would think of me if they know I was suffering from leprosy. I could not get sleep at night for days. I lost my peace of mind.
My wife went through a lot of suffering during this time. Leprosy can be cured, but it takes a long time (years). Two thousand years ago, during Jesus’ time, lepers were considered sinners and cursed by God. They were outcast and looked down by society. Today this situation has not changed much, with the stigma attached to this disease. I tried to end my life on more than two occasions, but God saved my life.
I was very fair. The medicine taken settled under the skin and made me dark. My friends used to tell me, “D’Souza, something is wrong with you.” I would tell them lies—that my children were giving me trouble, or that I did not get proper sleep. How could I tell them the truth?! I pretended that nothing was wrong with me.
After a year of treatment the doctor told me that I needed another year of treatment. I took it. I visited The Sacred Heart Leprosy Centre twenty-six times. The doctor then told me the treatment was over, but I had no feeling in my skin, I had numbness in my left fingers, my ear lobes used to pain and, if I happen to hit my hand on anything, my bone would pain very badly, but my skin had no feeling. I could cut my skin; blood would come out, but I had no pain.
An Unexpected Voice
It happened in the first week of February 1995. I was talking on the telephone to a friend when there was cross connection. A voice said, “D’Souza, you are going to Chalakudy.”
I recognized the person who spoke. His name is Arulraj. I did not know why he said what he did. He did not know my situation. He started meeting me and telling me that I was going to Chalakudy. I had no idea about the Divine Retreat Centre, nor did I have faith. I told him I could not go, as my wife is a teacher and it was exam time for my children. I told my wife about this experience. A few teachers working along with my wife had visited Divine and told her about this retreat centre. My wife and I talked this over, and decided to give it a try. I inquired about the food which was served at Divine, as I was used to eating very good food four times a day. Myself and my wife went to Divine during the last week of April ‘95.
I went to Divine for only one reason: to get mental peace. I attended the retreat on the first day and was told to say, “Praise the Lord!” to shout “Alleluia!” and to clap our hands and to raise them up and to pray. At the end of the day, nothing happened.
The second day, after the talks on sin, time for Confession. I got a flash back of all the sins I committed from my youth. I took a pen and paper and started writing them down one by one. I made a very good Confession. After that I found myself very light, as if some great load had been removed from me. I tell you, this was the best confession I ever made in my life.
Something Beyond Expectations
The third day was a day of surrender and physical healing. During this physical healing, the preacher prays with all present in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and after the prayer he will announce the healing.
Something totally unexpected happened during that prayer.
I felt something like an electric shock from my head right down to my feet. I did not know what was happening. I was crying. At that moment, the preacher on the dais said: “Two persons here have been healed of skin disease.” Without my knowledge, I stood up. I found that the numbness of my fingers had gone, I could feel sensation in my skin, my ear pain had gone, all dryness of the skin where the patches were disappeared, my skin came to normal. I was totally healed! I could not believe my eyes! Me and my wife, we were filled with utter joy. I did not want to disclose this to anyone, but then I heard a voice from inside saying, “Go, tell everyone what I have done for you.”
That same evening, in presence of eighteen thousand people, I bore witness to the miracle God had done in my life. Words cannot explain this utterly blissful experience of the touch of God. I came to Divine Retreat Centre only for mental peace, but God healed me physically, mentally, spiritually. I got mental peace. My fear was gone.
From that day until today I have not visited the doctor or taken any medicine for this disease. I returned home to my family and friends, who were wonder struck. I visited many parishes and bore witness to God’s love. Many people have visited Divine and were delivered from their bondages. I have never looked back. Although I am a sinner, God has worked many more miracles in my life. He has brought me closer to Him and has given me the gift of praying for others. Many of my relatives and friends contact me in time of crisis. My loving God hears my cry.
Today, when I look back on my life, I have gone through a lot of problems and crises. Many times I have slipped back, but, as soon as I call on Him, He gives the courage and strength to overcome all difficulties. Prayer, Holy Mass, Bible-reading, reciting the Rosary, and prayer meetings have become an integral part of my life. My prayer is that all of you may have that blissful touch of the Lord Jesus. Alleluia!
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