Did you know Saint John Paul II survived an assassination attempt in Saint Peter's Square on May 13, 1981–the feast of Our Lady of Fatima?
Saint John Paul II credited his providential survival to the miraculous hand of Our Lady, saying, "One hand shot, and another guided the bullet.”
This attempt on his life gave us the blood-stained undershirt he was wearing–now a relic the Church preserves and venerates in Rome.
The Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul preserve this important relic at the Regina Mundi Figlie Della Carità house in Rome. People without resources, single mothers, and immigrants go to this home for help.
The house is also a pilgrimage site, preserving Saint John Paul II’s blood-stained undershirt. It is viewable upon request.
“You can still see the pope’s blood stains on the relic, and you can make out three distinct holes,” Sister Maria Rosario of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul told Rome Reports.
“They are holes caused by bullets. Not because there were three bullets, but since the shirt was folded over itself, because of how he was standing.”
Sister Maria also explained how the relic came to them: through nurse Anna Stanghellini, who had preserved the undershirt in her closet for many years.
“In the operating room, they cut his shirt into two pieces and threw it on the floor because they had to operate on the Pope,” Sister Rosario explained. “When they finished, she realized that the shirt was still there and would probably end up in the garbage. So she decided to pick it up.”
Stanghellini felt close to the Daughters of Charity, so she donated the shirt to their community. The relic’s display attracts many visitors for veneration.
The sisters say many share stories of Saint John Paul II’s miraculous intercession.
Miracle After Venerating Saint John Paul II's Shirt Relic
Sister Rosario said a woman wanted a child but could not become pregnant. When she eventually became pregnant, the doctors said, "she and her child were in great danger."
"She came here to pray almost every day. Finally, she became pregnant, but the doctors told her that she and her child were in great danger.
“She and her husband asked Saint John Paul II for a miracle. In the end, the child was born and is in good health. So is she. They named him John Paul.”