TESTIMONY 20

TESTIMONY 20

Name: Ms. Vijayamma (Veronikamma) 

Surname: Kanagala, W/o Joseph (Siva Ramakrishna) 

Date of Birth: 82 years 

Profession / Occupation: Housewife 

Address: C/o Boyapati Balaswamy, Avutapally Village, Unguturu Mandal, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh State 

Relationship: Direct Witness. She is a native of Avutapally village and daughter of Boyapati Francis (Basavayya). She knew Brother Joseph Thamby personally and witnessed his death.

When I was studying third standard, my great grand-mother fell down and broke her left leg ankle. There was no proper hospital in the village. Brother Joseph Thamby then recently came to Avutapally and took his residence. My father Boyapati Basavayya who heard about Thamby came to Fr. Calderaro [the then parish priest of Avutapally] and told about the incident and requested to send Brother Joseph Thamby to his house for prayer. But, instead Fr. Calderaro sent a doctor from the hospital there along with his cook Mr. Showry. Doctor checked her leg and said that he could do anything about it. He tied the leg with four bamboo sticks. Then they left. After 15 minutes, Brother Joseph Thamby and Mr. Showry came to our house. As soon as they reached the house, Brother Joseph Thamby said that there were three Satan in the house and he would not enter inside the house. Then my great grand-mother was brought outside the house and Brother Joseph Thamby made the Sign of the Cross and prayed over her. Instantly, her pain disappeared and she was fine. She sat down and then she was able to walk. Soon she took baptism and lived with great faith in Jesus. She was named as Elizabeth. My maternal uncle, namely, Vemuri Subbayya took her to his house in Manikonda. She lived there till her death. 

Brother Joseph Thamby built an altar with mud in my house. My parents were not at home. I helped him to carry the mud. He built it in one day. My father did not like it and wanted to destroy it. He brought an iron bar to dig it out and destroy it. As he lifted the iron bar to hit the altar, his hands were frozen in the air. I have seen this miracle. Even today, the incident is very fresh to me. 

Later my uncle Subbayya remained in my house for nine weeks. He and all my family members learned all the prayers taught by Brother Joseph Thamby and were reciting Rosary every day. My mother who was pregnant was able to pray in different languages from third Friday onwards. 

When Brother Joseph Thamby built the altar in my house, my parents and sister went to Manikonda village. I was at home. That day, Brother Joseph Thamby asked me for food and I had given food for him and he ate. But my parents told that on that particular day, Brother Joseph Thamby was there in Manikonda village. 

Brother Joseph Thamby foretold to my parents about his death three months before. He asked my father to buy Neem Wood and he bought and gave to Brother Joseph Thamby. With that wood, he got ready his coffin three months before his death. 

One Friday after fasting, he came to my house and ate little rice and the leftover he asked me to eat and I ate it. 

It was on 15 January 1945. Thamby came to our house after the morning Mass. He had bath and kept aside his sandals and clothes and wore the clothes of my father. He sat at the altar that he himself built and prayed there till his last breath in the evening at 5’o clock. 

Kanagala Vijayamma

Kanagala Vijayamma