Philippines: Cebu Lay Movement marks 32 years of Divine Mercy miracle

As Divine Mercy devotees in the Archdiocese of Cebu, Philippines, prepare for the 28th Divine Mercy Convention scheduled for May 24–25, 2025, organizers recall how the devotion was ignited by a miracle experienced by an ordinary government employee and family man.

In an interview with Radio Veritas Asia, Divine Mercy Crusade advocates Jun Villavicencio and Dominic Quibido recounted the astounding miracle that happened 33 years ago to Stanley Villavicencio, a native of Tabada, Mambaling, Cebu City.

On March 2, 1993, Villavicencio was found lying in bed, bleeding profusely from the mouth. Alarmed by the emergency, his family rushed him to the ICU of a private hospital, where doctors attended to him immediately.

A team of physicians monitored his vital signs and later declared him clinically dead, including a highly esteemed doctor who had topped the medical board exams. Despite the grim prognosis, Villavicencio’s family continued to pray fervently. Three days after his vital signs ceased, Stanley came back to life.

The miraculous recovery became widely known in the local church, prompting then-Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to launch an investigation.

According to Villavicencio’s testimony, while he was presumed lifeless, he encountered Jesus, who showed him a "film of his life." Scenes from childhood to adulthood flashed before him like a movie. Whenever he committed sins, the playback slowed down. After the vision, Jesus reportedly told him, “Go back there, because you still have many things to do.”

From 1993 to 2011, Villavicencio claimed to have received 34 messages from Jesus in his dreams. These messages were reportedly confirmed through interlocution by his spiritual adviser, Monsignor Cristobal Garcia. According to Stanley, Jesus instructed him to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet unceasingly.

Cardinal Vidal declared Stanley’s experience to be an authentic miracle. In June 2011, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) gave Villavicencio permission to share his testimony through an endorsement letter signed by then Monsignor Pedro Quitorio.

The miracle turned Villavicencio into a sought-after speaker. He traveled extensively across the Philippines and received invitations from the United States, Europe, Ireland, Macau, and other parts of the world. According to his son Jun, Stanley delivered the message of God’s mercy at more than 6,000 speaking engagements.

Stanley died in 2013, but his legacy lives on through the lay movement Divine Mercy Crusade.

The upcoming 28th Divine Mercy Convention will be held at the UC-Marine Engineering Training Center, located in SRP Mambaling, Cebu City. Registration is free.

The two-day convention will feature seven speakers, each addressing the theme:

“Divine Mercy: The Last and Only Hope of Salvation.”

Organizers Jun Villavicencio and Dominic Quibido expect at least 2,500 participants from across the Archdiocese of Cebu and its four suffragan dioceses: Dumaguete (Negros Oriental), Maasin (Southern Leyte), and Tagbilaran and Talibon (Bohol).