How I Found Christian Science December 30, 2019 Issue

Away from idol worship to Christian Science

Vincent Garramone

One summer day during my childhood on our family farm in southern Italy, I came down with an eye infection. Because our town doctor was away on vacation for several days, my parents begged the doctor from a nearby town to examine me. When he arrived late that evening, he gave me a few injections and told my parents, “There is nothing more I can do for him. The rest is up to God.” I eventually survived the incident, though with some loss of sight in my eye. But I found it interesting that the doctor thought God had anything to do with my health.

A few years later, my dad made arrangements for the rest of the family to reunite with him and my two older brothers in New York City. We were all excited about this. So on a beautiful day in the spring of 1961, we boarded a large passenger ship in Naples and headed for America. Upon arrival, we went on the top deck to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. I was overwhelmed with joy. I had kept a picture of her for a few years, waiting for this moment.

Relocating from a small farm town to a city of over seven million people took some adjusting. But as my language skills improved, so did my grades in school, and during my senior year in high school, I qualified for a four-year college scholarship. After the first semester of my freshman year, I thought I would do something important—read the Holy Bible. I’d heard so much about this great and popular book and thought my education would not be complete without it.

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