(posted by anonymous)
I first met Father Mendoza in 1992 in rather unlikely circumstances. I was not yet Catholic at that time although I was on my way (not that I realized it). I knew little about miracles but would soon be exposed to more than I could count.
My wife’s cousin, Tommy, was dying of AIDS. A practicing homosexual he was also a kind and caring person, as are so many homosexuals. This in itself presented a dilemma since we are taught to hate the sin but love the sinner. Tommy had come home from the hospital to spend his last few days at his apartment.
When my wife convinced him that he needed to go to confession he readily agreed. Amazingly his mother, an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, commented: “Oh, I don’t think they do that sort of thing any more”. Such was the state of Church in 1990. My wife, of course, knew better and set out to find a priest. When this proved more difficult than we thought, Father Graham of St. Jude’s Chapel in downtown Dallas suggested Father Mendoza since he himself could not make it. He readily agreed and we awaited his arrival.
Finally some hours later came a knock on the door. When I opened it I did not see anyone but heard some strange chanting going on. As I looked around there stood this little priest sprinkling the door frame and front of the apartment with holy water. Thus began my acquaintance with Father Mendoza.
Upon entering Tommy’s apartment he heard confessions. My wife’s brother (also in a homosexual relationship) had told her earlier: “no matter what, I am not going to confession”. Father Mendoza had other ideas, and as he looked around the room said “everyone needs to go to confession and we will start with you” pointing immediately to my brother in law! And so he went to confession after an absence of about 20 years.
After everyone had gone to confession, Father did another thing that might seem rather strange. He had us all gather around Tommy’s bed and started telling us jokes and encouraged us to start laughing. Somehow that did not seem out of place in front of a dying man. As father always said, “laughter is the best medicine”.
Tommy passed away two weeks later. Father Mendoza stated that he had asked God to extend Tommy’s life for those two additional weeks in reparation.
Father Mendoza became a bigger part of our lives after that and we witnessed many miracles that surrounded him. He could read souls, he was an exorcist, he was reported to have bi-located, and told everyone he had come from the Philippines to Dallas to evangelize.
I am posting this anonymously so as not to identify any of those mentioned in this story, but it is definitely true.