Disclaimer

NOTICE: I am a practicing Catholic, active and in good-standing with my local diocese, who professes faith and loyalty to the Church. This ministry - my "little work" - is strictly a personal expression of that faith and loyalty, and not an officially recognized ministry in the Diocese of Honolulu.

~ Peter, Ministry Administrator


Saturday, June 4, 2011

Mary, the "Rosa Mystica"



The Mystical Rose statue belonging
to Guadalupe House Ministry.

This author often uses a 3 foot tall Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose) statue as a "Pilgrim Virgin" whenever I lead Rosary Prayer Meetings in my parish, or conduct speaking presentations on our Blessed Mother. People have commented on its beauty and inquired about its origin. Given all the interest, I was inspired to share the remarkable story of the Rosa Mystica revelations...


A Brief History of the Rosa Mystica Devotion and the Marian Apparitions of Montichiari-Fontanelle

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin as the "Rosa Mystica" is an ancient tradition in the Church, whereby Our Lady's unique and exceeding virtue was poetically represented by the beauty and fragrance of the rose, which is widely considered to be the most splendid of all flowers.  The devotion was invigorated in these modern times after Mary allegedly appeared in Montichiari and Fontanelle, Italy, in a series of apparitions to a mystic - a local nurse named Pierina Gilli - beginning in 1947, and lasting until shortly before the seer's death in 1991.


The Holy Virgin identified herself as "Mary, the Rosa Mystica, Mother of the Church" (depicted above) and delivered urgent messages mainly directed towards priests and other consecrated souls.  She urged them to live their vocations worthily, while calling on others to pray for them.  It was a revelation, that in due time, proved to be highly prophetic in light of the ongoing clergy abuse scandal and the decline of religious vocations in the Church today.

"I am the Mother of Jesus and the
Mother of all of you.  Our Lord sends
me to bring you a new Marian devotion
for all male and female institutes, religious
orders, and secular priests.  I promise those
religious institutes, orders, and secular
priests who venerate me in this special
way my special protection, an increase
of spiritual vocations, fewer betrayed
vocations, and greater sanctity
among the servants of God."

~ Words of the Rosa Mystica,
June 13, 1947

Photos of the Fontanelle Shrine taken
by this author during a 1989 pilgrimage:
the shrine statue, the bathing pool of
healing spring water, and the 'Cross of
Grace' that Our Lady requested.

In the course of these apparitions, the Virgin Mary revealed herself to Pierina dressed all in white; in a long gown with a hooded mantle.  What was unusual about these appearances was the trio of roses blooming directly out of the Madonna's chest, which according to the seer, represented the "heart" of Our Lady's revelations to her:  PRAYER (White Rose); SACRIFIC (Red Rose); PENANCE (Gold Rose).

"My Divine Son is all Love.  The
world is walking the road to perdition.
Once again I have been able to obtain
mercy, and Jesus has sent me, therefore,
again to Montichiari to bring you the
grace of His Love.  Prayer, Sacrifice,
and Penance are required in order
to save mankind..."

~ Words of the Rosa Mystica,
May 1966

On April 17th, 1966, Pierina went to a stream at the outskirts of Montichiari, in a place called Fontanelle, where the Virgin directed her to go.  There, the Blessed Mother appeared and blessed the water with healing properties.  She also requested a chapel at the site, along with prayer services and processions, with July 13th being especially dedicated to her title as Mary, the Rosa Mystica. Signs and wonders occurred during the apparitions - cures, heavenly fragrances, and the dancing sun - and continue to be reported up to the present day.

Pierina Gilli died on January 12, 1991, after living an exemplary life of humble devotion and obedience to local church authorities.  After her public mission was fulfilled, she stayed away from the Fontanelle shrine and the general limelight, per her bishop's directive, but she still welcomed pilgrims who came to the private chapel in her modest home.  Pierina was also apparently a victim-soul and reportedly suffered the invisible stigmata.  Our Lady continued to visit her privately, although sporadically, and the latter messages she received were relayed to her confessor for discernment.

Pierina Gilli, the humble visionary
of the Rosa Mystica revelations.


The Hour of Grace

In keeping with her theme of
Prayer, Sacrifice, and Penance, Our Lady made a specific request through Pierina concerning the "Hour of Grace" to be observed annually on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  She referred to it at least twice during two separate apparitions to the visionary:

"… On the 8th December, at noon, I
shall appear again here in the Basilica
(of Montichiari).  It will be the Hour of
Grace.  This Hour of Grace will produce
great and numerous conversions.
Hardened and cold hearts resembling
this marble (the church floor) will be
touched by Divine Grace, and they
will become faithful to our Lord
in loyal love."

~ From the Message of
November 22, 1947

+ + + + +

"I am the Immaculate Conception...
It is my wish that every year, on 8th
December, at Noon, the Hour of Grace
for the world be celebrated.  Many divine
and bodily graces will be received through
this devotion.  Our Lord, my Divine Son
Jesus, will send His overflowing mercy if
good people will pray continuously
for their sinful brothers.

One should very soon notify the Holy
Father of the Church, Pope Pius XII, that
it is my wish that the Hour of Grace for
the world be made known and spread
throughout the world.  If anyone is unable
to visit a church, yet will pray at noon at
home, they will also receive graces
through me."

~ From the Message of
December 8, 1947

So consider observing the Hour of Grace at noon each year on December 8th. The recommended prayers to be offered during the hour are the Rosary and the Miserere (Psalm 51), as well as general prayers for the conversion of sinners.


About the Pilgrim Statues

Another unique aspect of the Rosa Mystica apparitions was Our Lady's direct request to Pierina to have "Pilgrim Madonnas" sent throughout the world to be ambassadors of her messages, as well as special channels of grace.  The Blessed Mother reportedly said in May and November 1975:

"I invoke a blessing on these
statues, which represent me.  Wherever
I go, I shall bring with me Joy, Peace, and
Grace for very many souls...  I am always
near you with my motherly protection
and the Lord's very special blessing."

+ + + + +

"... wherever I stay (through the pilgrim
statues) I bring with me the Lord's graces
and the love of this motherly heart."

It's important to point out that over one hundred such statues (and pictures, too), in various sizes, throughout the world, have reportedly wept water, oil, and even bloody tears, which further spotlights Mary's words given at Montichiari-Fontanelle.  Clearly, there's a sense of urgency to these messages.

  

A sampling of the many Rosa Mystica
statues miraculously weeping in different
parts of the world.

            


The Church's View

The local diocese has repeatedly taken the stance that the supernatural character of the apparitions has not been established. However, successive Bishops have approved the development of the existing shrine in Fontanelle, allowing Mass, Reconciliation. and other public expressions of faith at the site (e.g. processions), which is a remarkable and uncharacteristic accommodation on the Diocese's part.

On December 7, 2019 the Bishop of Brescia - Monsignor Pierantonio Tremolada - under whose jurisdiction Fontanelle falls, designated the Rosa Mystica Shrine an official "Diocesan Marian Sanctuary" under the beautiful title of Rosa Mystica-Mother of the Church; indeed, a highly significant development, if not tacit approval of the events that occurred there.


A Personal Testimony

I, Peter - this ministry's administrator - visited the Fontanelle Shrine in 1989 during a trip to Italy and came away completely impressed by the aura of holiness I experienced at the site.  I was also granted a very important personal grace by Our Lady, under this particular title of hers, which is the reason why I initially developed a devotion to this apparition; became attracted to this particular representation of Mary.


Two occasions when Rosa Mystica
statues were personally observed to
move and were captured on video...
ABOVE: The 26" statue belonging to
friend's prayer group in Mililani.
BELOW: This author's 36" statue at
First Saturday Rosary in Kailua.


My own Rosa Mystica pilgrim statue has never wept, but it has exhibited other unusual phenomena: it has emanated the fragrance of fresh roses; noticeably changed its facial expression on several occasions in front of me and other witnesses; exhibited physical movements (blinking and mouth/lip movements); materialized shiny flakes of Escarchas (see the short videos below of escarcha manifestations)... and, if these weren't graces enough, my statue was also personally blessed by Mary...


Escarchas that manifested during a
Rosary Prayer Meeting on 7/13/15, shortly
after I spoke of the Rosa Mystica Devotion...
and still more during and after a First
Saturday Rosary at my parish...


On February 14, 2011, my pilgrim 
statue was blessed in an extraordinary manner by Our Lady, herself, during a Hawaii speaking tour by Ivan Dragicevic, one of the 6 alleged visionaries from the world-famous Marian apparition site of Medjugorje.

I was invited to a friend's home, where Ivan was a special guest, and he experienced one of his daily (evening) apparitions while kneeling before the statue, which our hosts asked me to bring. The visionary later informed us Our Lady appeared with three little angels (a rare occurrence!) and had prayed a benediction over the people present... as well as, imparted her blessing on my statue and the other sacramentals brought to the event.  It was a deeply moving experience that affirmed and fused my belief in both the Rosa Mystica devotion and Medjugorje into one special statue!


Me, sitting next to Medjugorje visionary -
Ivan Dragicevic (middle) - at the Kupau
residence in Waipahu, Hawaii (my Rosa
Mystica statue is in the background).

In lieu of the signs I've witnessed in connection with this devotion, my personal faith has definitely grown and has been enriched.  It's my personal opinion that Our Lady's apparitions, messages, and miracles at Montichiari and Fontanelle were/are genuine... and that the lovely Rosa Mystica statues now found all over the world in churches and private homes are indeed vessels of blessing when they are sincerely venerated and honored by the Faithful.  As such, I pray these events will one day soon be officially approved by the Church for the edification and good of all souls.  Mother Mary, the Mystical Rose,  Mother of the Church, pray for us!

"I have an abundance of graces ready
for all those children who hear my voice
and take my wishes to heart."

~ Words of the Rosa Mystica,
December 8, 1947


Prayer to Mary, the Mystical Rose

... and lastly, here's a prayer to the Rosa Mystica that's widely circulated by devotees.  It may be prayed for nine days as a novena: 

  Maria Rosa Mystica - Mystical Rose, Immaculate Conception - Mother of Our Lord, Jesus Christ - Mother of Grace - Mother of the Mystical Body, of the Church; You came down on earth to call upon us children of this earth to love each other, to unite, and live in peace. You request from us Charity, Prayer, and Penance.  We thank God from the bottom of our hearts that He has given you to us as our Mother and Mediatrix in all our needs.  Mary, full of grace, please help me I beseech you, and grant me my special intention (state your prayer intention here). You promised us your motherly protection, full of graces; “I am always very close to you with My motherly love.” Rosa Mystica, Immaculata, Mater Dolorosa, please show me that you are my Mother, Bride of the Holy Spirit, and Queen of Heaven and Earth.  Amen.  


*** This lay-ministry currently has a limited supply of wallet-sized Relic Prayer Cards, which we offer to readers of this blog at no charge (Hawaii or US-mainland residents only).  Each hand-assembled card has a beautiful image of the original Rosa Mystica statue that is venerated at Fontanelle, on one side, and a short prayer on the other; affixed with a small piece of fabric that was prayed over and touched to a rare, certified relic of Our Lady's veil ("Ex Velo") in the custody of this ministry.  If you would like to receive one of these cards (one per person, per request), please email me - Peter - with your full name and mailing address at guadalupe_house@yahoo.com (indicate "Rosa Mystica Prayer Card" in the subject line).

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for the beautiful website and information.
    Could you please tell me where you got your fish that swim and eat? They are delightful.
    Thank you kindly.
    YOli
    parables35mm@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I agree... the swimming fish are quite charming, aren't they? I actually have a couple of friends who visit my blog just to feed the fish rather than to read the stories here. Anyhow, the fish program was part of a set of standard optional widgets I could select from and customize, as part of this blogger website. I tweaked it with an appropriate Scripture Passage to suite my blog. Thanks very much for visiting and commenting. God bless you.

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    2. I am very much impressed by your website.... I am from India...I too have a collection of Marian images and statues...for my personal devotion and for the pilgrim ministry... few of hem being, statues of Our Lady of Fatima, Virgin of Poor , Virgin of Golden Heart, Our Lady of Knock, Our Lady of Medjugorje etc and images of perpetual succor, Our Lady of Brezje, Our Lady of Swepta Lipka, our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Consolation, OL of miracles, Black Madonna of Jasna Gora, Our Lady of Pompeii, etc...

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    3. Thank you. May our dearest Blessed Mother always watch over you; guide you; and reward you for your strong devotion to her.

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    4. thank you dear Guadalupe House for your wishes and blessings... By the way I do not Know your name... Feel free to contact me at : domigary@gmail.com... I too am a Marian devotee and propagates the devotion to Our Lady in India

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  2. I havent been able to find a pretty statue of our Mary Mystical Rose can you help me with links of shops please .Im in the UK ! Thank you so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aloha Beelynda, I ordered my two Rosa Mystica statues - a 27" and a 36" sizes - from the 101 Foundation. I think they are beautiful and the prices are very, very economical compared to other merchants that I have seen them sold from. A friend of mine ordered the 18" size from the same foundation and it has a pretty face, as well. You can order the Rosa Mystica statues, online, via the 101 Foundation's website: www.101foundation.com. I hope this reply helps. Take care and God bless you.

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  3. Hail Mary, white lily of the most Holy Trinity. Hail brilliant Mystical Rose of the garden of heavenly delights. Oh you by whom God wanted to be born and by whose milk the King of Heaven wanted to be nourished, nourish our souls with effusions of divine grace.

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