A threatening letter, the car damaged and then bleach in the water and wine cruets used in the celebration of Mass. The victim of these episodes is the parish priest of Pennaconi, a hamlet of Cessaniti, in the Vibo area, Don Felice Palamara, 39 years old. The priest thwarted this last attempt during the celebration: when he put the chalice to his mouth he smelled a strange odor and decided not to drink, subsequently discovering, through laboratory analysis, that the vials contained bleach. The bishop of the diocese of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea, Monsignor Attilio Nostro, immediately showed closeness to the priest by going to his community. The diocese “is experiencing a moment of suffering due to acts of intimidation that have nothing to do with the normal Christian life of the parishes”, we read in a note: “For this reason I once again appeal to the Christian communities so that they do not allow themselves to be discouraged by this language of violence. We must not give in to this logic, allowing ourselves to be tempted by despair and anger. We cannot accept this language, we must not respond to hatred with hatred, knowing that it is not possible to truly dialogue with those who refuse to do so.”
“My revenge is called love” wrote the priest, who is part of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart founded by the Blessed Don Francesco Mottola and who today are close to his brother. «My shield is forgiveness, my armor is mercy», wrote Don Palamara on social media, adding that my ability to act will be that of welcoming, «my word is prayer, my gesture is an open heart, my battle is their change. I will not dwell on obstacles, nor will I be frightened by the darkness, because beyond everything whoever he is, whatever has been done for me is, and remains that brother only to love, even if justice must take its course” .
A few days earlier he had written: «Love is that weapon that cures, heals, saves even before those who possess it, those who use it, since only love is that breath that pushes you to fly high, not to fall into the vileness of hatred, of resentment, but to avenge yourself only with forgiveness”. Significant words from this young priest born in Tropea in 1985 and became a priest on 13 May 2011. He first led the parish of Santa Maria dei Cento Ferri in Panaia di Spilinga and has been parish priest at the San Nicola in Pannaconi community for 10 years. During his journey to become a priest Don Palamara received the miracle that led to the beatification, in 2021, of Don Francesco Mottola, who passed away in 1969 (after 27 years in a wheelchair), defined as a “street Carthusian”, and “witness of the sufferings of Christ.”
It was 2008 and Don Felice was attending the Roman Major Seminary when he began to experience severe pain in his bladder and the inability to empty it completely. It was the beginning of an ordeal shared with his superiors and his seminary companions who constantly followed him even during his hospitalizations. He underwent surgery at the Careggi hospital in Florence but without any conclusive evidence. Don Felice was afraid of dying and wanted to become a priest and “celebrate at least one mass”. Every day he prayed in front of a painting by Don Mottola: on the night «between 13 and 14 May 2010 I had a dream: I was – he said – in a church, at a certain point I saw a priest arrive. I didn’t look at his face, I kept my eyes down on his cassock. I said to him: ‘Who are you?’. He replied: ‘I’m Father Mottola, you always call me, you talk about me to everyone’. ‘Father I’m sick, I have to do other surgeries’, I told him. And he said: ‘No, don’t worry. You will not have any other surgery. Your bladder will return to how it was before. Now get up and go to the bathroom.”
Don Felice had a bit of uncertainty but Don Mottola “putting his hand on my head and said to me: ‘Go ahead until the blood is shed because you will serve me for many good things in the Church’.” Don Felice recovered completely. It can therefore be said, after the episode of the bleach in the wine for the Mass, that he was miraculous twice.