Blessed Alexandrina da Costa was born in Balasar, Portugal on March 30, 1904. When she was only 14, in 1918, she and her sister Deolinda and a young apprentice girl were at work sewing. Three men forced open the door. To preserve her purity and virginity, Alexandrina jumped out of the window 13 feet to the ground. The damage was irreversible and led to her becoming a paraplegic. Until she was 19 years-old she would drag herself to church, with a numb body and she'd remain there before the Most Blessed Sacrament. As the paralysis got worse and the pain unbearable, she lost all sense of movement. Finally she became completely paralyzed. Beginning April 14,  1925, Alexandrina was confined to bed permanently for the remaining 30 years of her life.

During the first years, she prayed for recovery, but finally embraced her life of suffering saying: "Our Lady has given me a greater grace: first, acceptance, then complete conformity to God's will, and, finally a desire to suffer."  With this greater union with Jesus in the Tabernacle, through the intercession of Mary, her first mystical phenomenon began. One day, while alone, she said: "Jesus, You are alone, You are a prisoner in the Tabernacle as I am in my bed. Let's keep company with each other." Her primary mission from that time was to be a pilgrim from one Tabernacle to another during the long painful nights.

More and more she sensed her mission to be a victim soul for the conversion of sinners. In 1936 she was told by Jesus to ask the Holy Father for the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She did this through her spiritual director, Fr. Pinho, SJ. She repeated this request until 1941.   Jesus asked her if she would be willing to suffer to bring about this consecration. She agreed and then began the passion. From Friday, October 3, 1938 until March 24, 1942, on every Friday she went through the Passion of Jesus.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and renewed the act in Rome on December 8, of that same year. Alexandrina's spiritual director, Fr. Phino, SJ, asked her to write down each time the word that Jesus and Mary spoke to her. On October 1, 1954, Our Lord said to her: "I want you to set fire to the world with this love of My Divine Heart, today extinguished in men's hearts. Set fire! Set fire! I want to give My love to all men. I want to be loved by all. They do not accept it and do not love Me. By you I want this love kindled in all humanity just as, by you, the world was consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of My Blessed Mother."

October 1. 1949, Alexandrina wrote: "Then, my dear Mother came to me. She was wearing a white mantle. She took me in Her arms and caressed me. She then placed into my hands the very Rosary beads hanging from Her own hands. Then She kissed the Crucifix and said: "My daughter, I am the Virgin of the Rosary. I am pleased to see that you recite daily, at least five decades of the Rosary in My honor. It is a devotion through which salvation can be gained. At present, many people are suffering and dying in sin. I ask for prayers and penance. My daughter, through the Rosary, protect those you love. I love them also and so does Jesus."

December 5, 1953: "I am the Mother of the Rosary.  I am the Mother of Carmel. I wind around your hands the Rosary that hangs from My blessed hands. On it I place the Scapular."  October 29, 1954: "Jesus placed in my hands the cross that was hanging from my Rosary, and said to me: 'Hold the cross tight in your hands; girdle it around your heart, the whole of mankind is going to remain within the Rosary. Speak to the people My daughter, speak to them about the Rosary and the Holy Eucharist. The Rosary, O the Rosary!  The Holy Eucharist, My Body and Blood! The salvation of the world lies in the Holy Eucharist and with My victim souls.  I wish I had plenty of generous souls; but I don't find them, I don't find them!"

April 24, 1925, Jesus said to her: "Do you want to console me? Then go to the Tabernacles where I am so greatly neglected and offended.....Some do not believe in My Presence, others blaspheme Me; still others neither love Me nor visit Me....Hence, I have chosen you to keep Me company in those little havens...Teach others to love Me in the Tabernacles of My Love, the greatest of all the Sacraments."

For the last thirteen and half years of her life, Alexandrina lived on the Sacred Species alone. her life was like a Living Lamp burning before the Tabernacles of the world, and inspiring others to faith in the Real Presence of Jesus and devotion to His Real Presence. Alexandrina died on October 13, 1955. Her epitaph, written by herself, discloses her insatiable desire to save souls:

     "Sinners, I want to tell you so many things, but the whole cemetery is not large enough for all of them to be written down. Be converted! Offend Jesus no longer! Desire not to lose Him forever! He is so good! Sin no more! Love Him! Love Him!"

The above messages are only a few from Alexandrina's Diary.

As a matter of interest. When people asked Alexandrina to pray for a special favor from God on their behalf, she advised them to first go to Confession.