Transcription and translation of father Boulos Fadel's Arabic video testimonial given on April 11^th at Soufanieh (Damascus, Syria)

Jesus has risen from the dead and vanquished death by His Death, He gave life to all those who were in the grave.

During Holy Week 2004, we have lived numerous specific events.

Pilgrims came from many countries: European and Arab doctors as well as a team of Scandinavian medics from Norway and Sweden arrived with the intent of performing medical tests and analysis on Myrna for five or six days.

There were also other doctors coming from the United States, Germany, France, Lebanon and Syria as well as a great number of pilgrims from Tahiti, France, Canada, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries.

In 2004, Eastern and Western Churches celebrated the Feast of Easter on the same date.

As is customary, when the Feast coincides on both calendars, Our Lord Jesus Christ’s wounds would appear on Myrna’s body. We were therefore expecting something to occur.

This is why all these delegations wanted to be present and especially the doctors who wanted to assess the validity or merits of these events.

Let me say a word on the first medical team that arrived.

This is the Swedish-Norwegian team led by Doctor Knut Kvernebo.

They brought along their own comprehensive set of scientific apparatus so as to perform on Myrna all the necessary tests, before, during and after the appearance of the stigmata, should the latter occur. This team wanted to study the evolution of her nervous system, her blood, her pulse, etc…

They began their initial examinations on Holy Wednesday, after asking Myrna some questions, about her family as well as her experience, which she has been living for these 22 years.

On Holy Thursday, April 8th, a beautiful atmosphere was prevailing in the house, thanks to all the various groups of pilgrims which came to pray and to sing, each one in his own tongue, in a warm and prayerful environment.

At 11am, father Adel Theodore Khoury, who had just arrived from Germany

-with a group in charge of preparing Myrna’s trip to Germany August next year-

celebrated Mass jointly with fathers Elias Zahlaoui, Nicolas Boutros, Joseph Besnier from France as well as Louis-René Gagnon from Canada.

During and after Holy Communion, Myrna sang "Everything that I have to endure is a gift from You, O Lord".

After Holy Communion, Myrna entered her room sensing some fatigue.

She sat on the edge of her bed in order to participate through prayer with the people outside.

Around 1pm, Myrna started to shiver despite the ambient warmth in the room from the many people there.

Doctors Antoine Mansour, a surgeon from Los Angeles (USA), Riad Hanna, a surgeon from Germany, Philippe Loron, a French neurologist, as well as many other doctors were also present in the room at that time.

At that moment, Dr Knut took her pulse and examined her breathing.

At 1:17pm, Myrna started to feel a pain gradually overtaking all her body.

Later, she was to say, "The pain was spreading throughout my body."

However, one must remember that Myrna twice said, "The Wound of My Heart suffices".

We asked Myrna what she had meant.

We learned later that this is the way Myrna shared Our Lord’s Passion, understanding it to mean "The Wound of My Heart is yours and this suffices".

Myrna’s pulse was reaching 130 beats per minute.

She was feeling pain throughout her body.

However, the pain was predominant in three specific areas: 

-First, on her left side.

-Second, her breathing was becoming very difficult.

(This was the first time she was living this painful experience)

-Third, she had a terrible headache, as if some heavy object was weighing on her head.

Towards 2pm, Myrna uttered in a very low voice three sentences which she heard from Our Lord. Although she was still hearing the voices of those around her, she could hear clearly and distinctly the words of Jesus:

This is the Source from which every soul may quench.

The Wound of My Heart is the Source of Love.

As for the Wounds, they are due to a crime I did not commit.

Myrna is certain that this voice was familiar to her.

She recognized it, it was Jesus’ voice, but she could not see anything.

She could not perceive the light she sees usually when she hears this Voice.

Earlier that morning, the Scandinavian medical team had already examined her.

However, at the moment the side wound appeared,

-revealed by the dripping of some blood on Myrna’s blouse-,

Dr Knut realized that something had happened.

He therefore lifted her blouse in order to observe the wound, and he saw it very clearly.

It measured 35mm (3.5cm).

At that moment, everyone left the room except the five doctors and their two assistants.

They performed all the important tests. They then left the room only to come back one hour later.

In order to let Myrna rest a little, fathers Zahlaoui and Khoury also left the room and told everyone outside in the lobby what had happened, even though this was directly relayed on a large TV set.

Father Elias Zahlaoui translated into French the Message given by Our Lord.

I would like that the objective of the Scandinavian medical team was purely scientific.

They were not motivated by any spiritual intentions nor mandated by the Church.

They are interested in studying people who receive the stigmata.

They have observed that some of those people who receive the stigmata show distinctive pathological symptoms in their body.

What they discovered in Soufanieh, however, is that Myrna is a simple, spontaneous, jovial person, through her interaction with people complemented by an atmosphere of joy, love and peace among the pilgrims and the local people.

They felt that in this house, joy, peace and the Presence of Our Lord prevail.

They were also surprised that most of the pathological symptoms, which usually manifest themselves on the hands and feet, did not appear on Myrna’s body.

The fact that only the wound on her side appeared, excludes the presence of any pathological symptoms in Myrna.

I would like to stress the following fact also:

-Dr Knut, head of the medical team came with a Danish theologian, Dr Niels Christian Hvidt.

-They arrived together in Damascus. Dr Hvidt had already written about Soufanieh and is convinced of the authenticity of the Phenomenon.

Moreover, he was approached by Dr Knut to join in the study of the Phenomenon.

Dr Knut’s excluded any religious motivation.

His only objective was the study of physiological developments, which could occur before, during and after the stigmata, should the latter occur.

I would also add that this eleven-member team traveled at its own expense.

No university, institution or people undertook to cover the costs of travel and lodging.

It was their private decision to be present at Soufanieh.

We were all impressed by the scientific know-how of the medical staff selected by Dr Knut.

They include specialists in different branches of medicine and in psychiatry.

On Holy Saturday, April 10th, a mass was celebrated in the house around 11am.

This mass, also known as "The Raising of the Light", was followed by prayers which lasted until noon. I also reviewed with Myrna the various events, which had occurred on Holy Thursday.

Towards 3pm, a team of Lebanese doctors led by Dr Sami Tohmé, neurologist and surgeon arrived at Soufanieh.

Dr Tohmé had arrived late in the evening of Holy Thursday and was therefore unable to witness the stigmata.

He had spoken with Myrna and expressed his interest in seeing the wound, adding that many doctors did not believe that such a phenomenon could occur.

Myrna showed him the wound.

He then asked her: "Did you take any tranquilizers in order to soothe the pain?" Myrna replied simply: "Had this wound not been supernatural, the tranquilizers would have been effective; however I feel that this is a consolation for me".

This group consisted of four doctors and two members of their family who wanted to speak with Myrna. She then told them "let us go up to the terrace so that I can tell you about the Phenomenon of the Apparitions".

Myrna was very tired, but, as always, every time she speaks about the Phenomenon, or the Apparitions of Our Lady, she is transformed into another person: she gains enough strength to concentrate, to explain, to draw attention and to listen.

Once her testimony is concluded, she becomes a normal person again, with her share of daily worries and difficulties, etc…

They therefore went up to the terrace.

Myrna explained to them everything in detail, especially on the beginning of the Phenomenon, its evolution, as well as what might happen in the future.

They were very satisfied with this interview and thanked Myrna for her time.

As they were bidding her farewell, before heading back to Lebanon, and while she was going down the stairs leading to the lounge, oil appeared on her face and hands, as is customary when she is about to enter into ecstasy.

Myrna was led to her room and laid down on her bed.

There, as usual, oil was exuding from her face and eyes.

We knew from past experience, that when oil exudes from her eyes, she would see Jesus.

Again, all the doctors were present.

Every one of them examined Myrna according to his specialty.

Myrna entered into ecstasy towards 5:25pm.

This ecstasy lasted four minutes during which she says to have seen Our Lady.

Then Myrna regained her senses.

Afterwards, she remained under the effect of the ecstasy for several hours. Nonetheless, Myrna smiled and pointed with her right hand towards the upper part of the room, as if she was seeing someone.

When I asked her "Myrna, are you seeing something?" once more, she contented herself by repeating silently the gesture of her hand. At 5:34pm, Myrna relays to us the following Message from Jesus:

This is my last commandment to you:

Each one of you, return back home.

However, hold the East in your hearts.

From here a light emerged anew

You are its radiance in a world seduced by materialism, sensuality and fame,

so much as to have almost lost its values.

As for you, hold on to your Eastern identity.

Do not allow your will, your freedom and your faith in this Orient to be taken away from you.

Therefore, for Myrna, through this ecstasy, or more exactly, through what she has lived for the first time on Holy Saturday, two events occurred simultaneously:

-an ecstasy, during which she sees the Virgin Mary,

-and an apparition of Jesus in the shape of a Person surrounded by light in her room.

Later on, Myrna explained to us what had really happened.

She told us in all simplicity what she had lived during the ecstasy: "I went toward Her (the Virgin Mary)". 

Our Lady caressed her head, as if to tell her: "Go".

As she was leaving Our Lady, Myrna says: "I came back with Jesus."

She opened her eyes and saw Jesus present in the room in the shape of a Person surrounded by light.

I would like to narrate a small episode, which had occurred previously.

While the doctors were performing their tests, I had requested them to leave Myrna alone for a while, since she often makes a gesture with her hand to indicate something, as we had seen in previous ecstasies.

There was even an intervention from her son John-Emmanuel who said: "Leave my mother alone… even now you want to examine her!"

Not because it annoyed him but out of sympathy towards his mother.

Whereupon Myrna answered in all simplicity and still under the effect of the ecstasy "Let them do whatever they want, Jesus is here and He is waiting".

And Myrna smiled because she realized how much Jesus respects man’s work and how much Jesus is full of tenderness and love.

She concludes by saying: "Jesus is adorable!"

Finally, Myrna’s inner light was slightly veiling her eyesight until midnight.

Later on, she gradually recovered her eyesight.

Myrna then said the following sentence, which requires a lot of prayers and time before being understood:

"Do not think that my mission has ended, it is starting now!"

This, in reference to what Jesus had told her "This is My last commandment to you…"