At the age of 16, Joseph Lomangino from Lindenhurst, New York was blinded in a freak accident which also severed his olfactory nerve.
He journeyed through life sightless and with no sense of smell until 1964 when he made a second visit to Padre Pio at San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Through the intercession of the famed stigmatist, Joey regained his sense of smell.
While there, he asked Padre Pio if the Virgin Mary was appearing at Garabandal and if he should go there. The Padre replied in the affirmative and so Joey went. He soon made fast friends with visionary Conchita Gonzalez, became convinced of the urgency of the message and was determined to tell others about it. The Blessed Virgin told Conchita that on the day of the great Miracle, Joey would receive “new eyes.”
He began by going around to friends’ houses and telling them about the apparitions. He then laid the foundation for an organisation that would fulfil another prophesy of Our Lady: ” The house of charity that he [Joey] will establish in New York will bring great glory to God.” The local talks soon became conferences which spread to other parts of the United States and eventually overseas.
