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A repentant homosexual

This article was originally published in December 1993

MICHAEL ZEROMSKI JR. was a homosexual who had contracted the AIDS virus, and had been dying in a Catholic hospital in Manhattan for several months.

            His father, Michael Sr., is a devout man and a father of four who has been attending the Bayside vigils for 17 years.  He first learned of his son's condition in September 1992 after having been out of touch with him for several years.

            Being a true and loving parent, he naturally took a deep concern over his son's salvation, and with the application of Our Lady's message, he was slowly winning his son's conversion over a period of time.

            On his day off on Saturday, he would religiously visit his son. By January, Michael Jr. was wearing the brown Scapular and Rosary around his neck.

            Even so, the quest for Michael Jr.'s conversion was a major battle, and one that was only won by prayer, perseverance, and the miraculous intercession of Our Lady of the Roses.

            Because for the most part, Michael Jr. had set himself against his father with spite and resistance to his admonitions.  This was due in part to his physician, who was a major deterrent in hampering the spiritual progress of his patient.  For he was a gay activist himself, who assumed a major role in meddling in this whole affair.

            Moreover, Michael Jr.'s visitors were homosexuals, which served all the more to fuel his ungodly convictions, as he would curse and call Our Lady a fake, and even threatened at one point to have his father thrown out of the hospital. The devil was viciously holding on to his prey that he had captured through forbidden relations.

            However, the tables turned in Heaven's direction on June 27, 1993. Attached to a respirator now, unable to speak, and a mere 70 pounds, his powerlessness and suffering had softened his heart so Our Lady could now move in to make the conquest.

            For as his father relates, at one point his son reached both arms up to him in a gesture of embrace, as if to receive the kiss of peace that had been offered him all along. "He was reaching out to me, like this," Michael Sr. exclaimed, as he demonstrated his son's act of love.  "It was so beautiful!" True love and grace had vanquished the demons of hatred and misery.

            Michael Jr. was now choosing God and life, as a sense of allegiance toward Heaven had taken precedence over his immoral conviction.

            This only served to infuriate the doctor, who went to work on him for the next two weeks in an effort to break his good resolution. For he was now telling him, you're too religious, you're insane, you're going to be a vegetable, you're going to die, etc.

            But Michael Jr. retorted, and earnestly confided in his father concerning the malice of the doctor. This was done in writing through 27 pages of hand‑written notes, since he was no longer able to speak. He also, though, wrote a precious note that moved his father to tears. It said: "I love you Dad."

            But on Saturday, July 17, Michael Jr. brought this whole drama to its climax when he asserted his belief in Our Lady of the Roses.  For at 2 o'clock that afternoon, his father handed him a sheet of paper on which he had written, "Michael, do you believe with all your heart and soul that Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers, can cure you of your AIDS virus?"  He responded by scribbling a big "Yes" on the paper, endorsing it with  his signature, M.Z.

            With his testimony of faith came also his complete renunciation of homosexuality. "He gave up his homosexuality on the 17th," Michael Sr. said.  "I was so happy over that."

            The next day, the priest heard his confession, he was administered Viaticum (the Eucharist given to a dying person) and the last rites.

            Later that day, at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, 1993, Michael Zeromski Jr., 39 years old, wearing his brown Scapular and Rosary relinquished his soul to God. He had made his peace with his Maker.

            Fighting back tears, Michael Sr. said, "There is no question that my son's conversion is attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers. I was just a simple instrument used by Her to win my son's salvation. I am eternally grateful."

            Three weeks after Michael's death, Michael Sr. approached Shrine director, Michael Mangan, and gave him a sheet of paper which reads, "A testimonial from my loving son Michael:  On Saturday, July 17, 1993, at St. Claire's Hospital in New York City at 2 p.m., Michael Zeromski Jr. believed in Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers.  May he rest in peace. Amen. Love Mom and Dad, Joseph and Josephine, Genesius and Marie."

            In addition to this, Mr. Zeromski gave Mr. Mangan the paper with the hand scribbled "Yes" of his son, and asked him if he would give it to Veronica.  So Mr. Mangan passed it on to Veronica along with a note informing her that this was from a repentant homosexual who had died of AIDS.

            On the following Saturday, August 14, Veronica received the material from Mr. Mangan.  Upon reading it, she was very moved and touched, and was pondering over the fate of the departed soul when she suddenly heard a booming voice say:

"Our Lady came for him.  Glory be to God in the highest.
Behold the advent of a sinner."

            So that afternoon, Veronica called Mr. Mangan and asked him, "Michael, what does advent mean?"  Mr. Mangan answered that in reference to the advent season, it meant the coming or arrival of Our Lord. 

            Veronica went on to inform him of the locution, stating that the booming voice she heard was not that of Jesus or Mary.  When asked by Mr. Mangan if it had been that of St. Michael, Veronica said it wasn't, saying, "My understanding is that it is the fellow's guardian angel." 

            In St. Luke 15:10, we see that the angels take great joy and interest in our salvation where it says, "I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance." The exhilarating response of Michael Jr.'s angel certainly gives credence to this.

            From the locution message, Veronica understood that Our Lady delivered Michael Jr. that day from purgatory, and was received into Heaven with open arms and heart.

            This all goes to show the tremendously important role that parents have before God in shaping their children's destiny.  This also bears forth the truth of Our Lord's June 6, 1987, message on AIDS victims, where He says, "The suffering that they incur will save many from hell, and give them the chance to enter upon a penance in purgatory."

            But it especially shows forth the great clemency of the Mother of God, and the powerful intercession She has in snatching sinners from Hell.

            Our Lady's love for sinners is indeed evident in Her work at Bayside, and will often call to mind the words of the Gospel where it says, "I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance" (St. Luke 5:32).  For though Our Lady cherishes Her own chosen elect, She always has a special eye out for sinners, and will do anything it seems to snatch them from satan's grasp and bring them safely to the feet of Her Divine Son.

            Like the woman consumed in diligent search for her lost coins, Jesus and Mary will leave their 99 sheep in the desert, and search high and low for that one lost sheep.  And should they find that one sheep and return it to the fold, there is more celebration made over that one sheep than for the 99 who are safe (St. Luke 15:7, 8).

            And indeed, there has been great celebration in Heaven over the salvation of Michael Jr., so much so, that Heaven has sought to share their joy with us and make this known to the world.

            But also, there is a lesson here for all of us that Heaven wants to impress upon us, namely, that no matter who we are or what we have done, there is no sin that God won't forgive if we will come to Him with sincere and contrite hearts.  For God is all goodness and love, and created us out of love. 

            Moreover, He redeemed us out of love and continues to sustain our every breath and heartbeat out of love.  And so if we will simply become little children as we are asked, and come to God with sincerity and trust, He will never turn us away.

            On Sept. 28, 1979, Our Lord gave us these comforting words: "We do not seek to place fear in your heart, but to bring to you a message of warning and counsel. My Mother shall not reject you, even in your debasement. I shall not reject you, My children. The Eternal Father, in the Spirit of Light, shall not reject you. But will you reject Us in Heaven now? You will be the loser."

            May the foregoing ever serve to remind us of God's goodness and mercy, and that He is always there with open heart and ears, ready to forgive.