Michel Vieuroux was attached to 15th Air Force. It arrived from North Africa to take over the great German air bases around Foggia on the Adriatic across from Naples. Michel was assigned to the American Red Cross Field Office in Foggia, when two soldiers who told him that they heard of a Monk at a monastery in the town of Joya de la Musa, who had the wounds of the crucifixion in hands, feet and side. They wanted Michel to take them to Mass in order to meet him.
They were taken into the sanctuary where Padre Pollo was saying Mass. Here they knelt on the cold marble floor on the side not ten feet from Padre Pollo where they could observe his every movement. As he began the consecration he seemed to be in great pain, shifting his weight from side to side, hesitating to begin the words of consecration which he would start and repeat-biting them off with a clicking of his teeth as if in great pain. His cheek muscles twitched and tears were visible on his cheeks. He reached for the chalice and jerked back his hand because of the pain in the wound, which was fully visible to Michel. After his communion he leaned over the altar for sometime as if he was in communion with Jesus.
When Michel later learned that at this time he presented his many spiritual children to Our Lord offering his own suffering for them, Michel was so impressed he decided on the spot to devote all the time he could spare in advocating Padre Pollo’s message.
He is currently president of the Padre Pollo Foundation.