He has been officiating healing masses for almost ten years nationwide and overseas, but Fr. Nelson Osorio, OSJ admits that he is not a “big time” healing priest.

He is aware that his name sometimes does not ring a bell. According to him, that is because he chooses to be low profile instead of being “masyadong showbiz.”

“St. Joseph was a silent man,” he said of the patron saint of his congregation, the Oblates of St. Joseph. “He was mentioned 14 times in the Gospel but he did not utter a single word,” he told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

While he wants to maintain a low profile, he also welcomes interview invitations from the media in order to promote the dedication to St. Joseph.

“Kaya ako ang kaniyang spokesman, kaya ako ang daldal ko,” he remarked. In fact, he hosts “Mabuting Balita” on Batangas’ Spirit FM 99.1 every Wednesday from 5:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.

But he shared an observation of many cases when there was media coverage in a healing mass. “Mas maraming nakakalakad na naka-wheelchair kapag walang video. Minsan na-lo-low batt ang camera.”

Fr. Nelson, known to family and friends as Fr. Nel, stressed that everything he does is to promote his patron saint. “Makalimutan na ako huwag lang si St. Joseph.”

“That’s my mission,” he mentioned. “Sabi ko kay Mama Mary huwag siyang magtatampo. Ang dami niyang endorser, pero kakaunti kay St. Joseph kaya I really promote St. Joseph.”

Healing mass

A healing mass starts with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. After that, the healing session begins with the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. A small group sings all throughout the healing session. Fr. Nelson then sings beautifully and speaks in different languages. This is what they call prayer in tongues.

Fr. Nel admitted that he does not know how to sing. “Sabi nila maganda boses ko pag nag-he-healing pero sa videoke di ako marunong.”

During the healing mass and session held at the Mega Tent in Pasig City, beautiful notes emanated from him. There were even chants of “shalalala.” He said he has received feedback after his previous masses that his singing relieved some mass-goers.

Aside from singing, he spoke and prayed in English and Filipino. He sometimes said the specific condition of a patient without being told. He also talked in Italian, Spanish, Latin, Arabic and other languages.

“Hindi ko alam,” he shared of his experience of speaking in tongues. Though he is unaware of what he is saying when he speaks other languages, he said those words are uttered in faith in, love for and worship of God.

He noted that those with the gift interpretation understood his prayer in tongues. There were only four times when someone with the gift of interpretation was present in his healing mass.

‘Faith not guarantee’

While Fr. Nelson was in front of the altar, four patients were waiting at four stations with a mat, bed sheet and pillow behind them. They stood as they waited for the pray over. The healing priest approached them one by one. He talked to them, sang and prayed while holding his miraculous St. Joseph statue.

During or after the pray over, some patients were “slained,” meaning they fell on the mat. Male volunteers were designated as catchers. The patients “fell” without getting any contact from Fr. Nelson. Some fell abruptly as Osorio started praying over them while others took a longer time.

After the pray over, some patients were given reflexology by massage therapists, as recommended by Fr. Nel.

The patients who went to the Pasig healing mass included an infant with congenital heart disease, a toddler who suffered a stroke, cancer patients, and diabetics. Those without a health condition had general prayers for their intention. A few had employment and financial concerns.

All of them went to Mass in hopes of having their intentions granted and their illnesses cured.

But Osorio noted that, “Faith is not a guarantee. But it helps.”

He shared that curious cats (“usiyoso”) and those who did not believe in faith healing were the ones being healed sometimes.

“Pero maganda yung malakas ang pananampalataya kasi mas madali sa nag-pre-pray over,” he added.

He also said that not all mass attendees get healed. Some get cured during the healing mass (instant healing), while others recover after a few healing sessions (by process).  Others even send their intentions via e-mail and text messaging.

Fr. Nelson includes them in his healing mass by praying out loud “the people who e-mailed and texted.”

He noted that there are different types of healing—physical, spiritual, emotional, financial and psychological.

But in the end, he says “Diyos talaga ang nagpapagaling, not me.” Every time he talks about praying over, he follows it up with “in Jesus’ name.”

“Daluyan lang naman kami ng biyaya,” Fr. Nel acknowledged. “Lahat naman ng healing priests ay instrument lang. Parang tubig, ang tubig dumadaan sa tubo pero ang tubig ang nagpapapatid ng uhaw. Pero dumaadaan ang tubig sa faucet.”

Gift of healing

Born on March 27, 1970 in San Juan, Batangas, Fr. Nelson is the third among six children. He studied at San Juan West Elementary School in his hometown, entered the OSJ Minor Seminary, then went to St. Francis de Sales Regional Seminary in Marawuoy, Lipa City, Batangas.

His gift of healing first manifested when he was still a novice in 1993.

He related that there was a retreat house beside the OSJ novitiate house in Victoria Homes, Muntinlupa City. There were retreatants who were elementary students at that time. Three of them were possessed.

The nuns at the retreat house looked for the novice master but he was not around. So Osorio, then Bro. Nelson, and two other novices went to the retreat house to pray over the possessed children “in Jesus’ name.”

After a few minutes, the bad spirit was cast out, but it transferred to another retreatant. So the three novices prayed over again until the spirit was cast out. They did not even use holy water because they were unaware that they were supposed to perform an exorcism.

The next morning, Osorio told about his experience to a charismatic group. One member told him, “Brother, you have a gift.”

But Osorio was hesitant because he replied, “Siguro ho ay napagod lang ang bad spirit.”

In February 1993, his novice master assigned him to give communion to a liver cancer patient who had just two months to live.

“Parang may nagsabi sa akin, ‘You pray over that person,’” he shared. In May, he said he just heard that the liver cancer patient already went back to teaching.

Still in the same year, he was assigned to a retreat house in Marawuoy. He related that it was always brownout that time.

He borrowed a flashlight from a seminarian. “A few minutes paghawak ko, nag-iinit ang flashlight. After nun, nawawala yung ilaw.”

He then removed the battery from the flashlight and wrapped it with a kitchen towel hung by the refrigerator. The next morning, the battery was still hot.

He also bought new batteries to replace the weak ones. Even if the battery was new, he said the flashlight was still releasing a faint light. “Pag hinawakan nila malakas. Pag balik sa akin, pundi ulit.”

Because of this, he just wanted to use a candle. He noted that three flashlights stopped functioning.

He also said that when he watched television, the picture in the TV was blinking while whenever he used the telephone, the dial tone disappeared.

This caused him to worry. “Kung lahat ng bahay na hawakan ko nasisira, tiyak na palalabasin ako sa seminaryo,” he said to himself.

During that time, a lot of seminarians had chicken pox. Osorio said he heard a voice telling him to pray over them. He did so and after two days, the chicken pox was gone and the seminarians did not have dark scars.

He continued to heal until people would go to Marawuoy to be healed. But his family only knew about it when his sister had a cyst in her breast. That was when he was about to be ordained as a priest, after four years of healing. “Madalang makauwi… walang panahon mag-kwento.”

He recounted that one priest told him, “Mas lalakas ang iyong healing power mo pag pari ka na.” Fr. Nelson confirmed this because his healing power manifested after after he was already anointed. He was ordained Sept. 8, 1999. His first healing mass was held on November 13, 1999.

But he said that healing powers are not exclusive to priests alone. “Actually, all of us merong gift of healing kaya lang we do not know that.” He said that the Catholic faithful receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit when they are baptized and confirmed.

“Kaya lang we are not aware, we are not conscious. Para iyang regalo, pag ‘di mo nabuksan ‘di mo alam ang laman. Yung iba naman pag nabuksan na ang laman di nila ginagamit, di nila gusto o takot sila. Minsan alam mo may gift ka pero takot kang gamitin, tumitigil ka sa pag-healing,” he said.

He expounded that a “gift is not a gift unless it's being shared.” He said he shared his gift of healing with different kinds of people, to the rich and poor.

Fr. Nel recounted that he has officiated about 500 healing masses. He said he has a lot of stories to share, including that of Boy Espino.

On December 9, 2005, Osorio prayed over Espino, who was comatose for six days at the Davao Doctors Hospital. He also gave the patient reflexology for two hours. “Nagkamalay daw siya nung ako’y makaalis na,” Fr. Nel said.

Espino currently spearheads Osorio’s healing masses in Davao.

“Isa pala sa forte ko yung di magkaroon ng anak,” shared the healing priest, who is now a godfather of 102 children. The kids’ parents were prayed over by Fr. Nelson.

“Ngayon ang usapan, i-pe-pray over kita, pag nagkaanak, huwag mo na akong kukuning ninong kasi magastos sa Batangas ang mag-ninong,” he added.

‘I love my priesthood’

Espino and the parents blessed with children are just some of the people Osorio met in his journey as a priest.

He remembers very clearly that he has officiated 5,378 masses, 387 of which are weddings. He has a record book that lists all of his masses.

“Yun lang ang aking treasure, may book of records ako,” he said.

Meeting a lot of people from different walks of life is what he considers a perk in his vocation as a priest. He also cites traveling for free and more importantly, promoting the devotion to St. Joseph as the things he likes about his priesthood.

But he said that officiating healing masses is really hard work. “Matrabaho ito. Atsaka more on kailangan ang dedication.”

He shared that he prays daily for at least 30 minutes to one hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He spends a longer time for his vigil if there will be a healing mass.

As a healing priest, Fr. Nelson said he also gets sick. “Nakakapagod din kasi ang mag-healing.”

He feels drained after a healing mass especially if the attendees amount to 2,000.  Though he said around 500 to 1,000 people usually go to his healing mass. “Di naman ako ganun ka sikat na healing priest.”

He said that it is normal to get sick, which is why he takes care of his health. He takes vitamin C, drinks more water, exercises and tries to get enough rest.

“Kailangan iyan. Pag nagkasakit ay mahirap na healing priest ka, ikaw ang mismong may sakit,” he remarked.

He has never prayed over himself even if a fellow priest dared him to do so when he broke his nose during a basketball game. Fr. Nel said he just prays whenever he is not feeling well.

Fr. Nelson has been officiating healing masses for almost ten years. He shared that he was able to collect “love offerings” for over six years amounting to P1.1 million.

But the donations vanished as Osorio is also a Legacy mess victim. His foundation, God’s Healing Foundation, Inc. (thru Fr. Nelson Osorio), had an account in a Legacy-member rural bank.

“Pinakita ng Diyos sa isang kisapmata puwedeng lahat ay kunin ng Diyos. Basta ang mahalaga, huwag mawawala ang Diyos,” he noted.

He also learned that as a religious, he should not be attached to material things because “everything will pass away.”

If there is one thing that he does not want to lose, he said it is his priesthood. “Gusto ko ako’y mamamatay bilang paring Oblato.”

He even said “Oblates or nothing,” relating that he declined invitations to become a diocesan priest because he loves his congregation.

Meanwhile, he looks to the future with a wish of putting up a healing center where St. Joseph’s statue will be enshrined. He also hopes that the healing center will cater to special children.

But he said that he is in no rush to build the healing center. “Ayaw ni St. Joseph ang nagmamadali. Hinay-hinay lang, dahan-dahan lang,” he ended.