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.  Many people comment on its beauty and inquire 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 appeared in Montichiari and Fontanelle, Italy, in a series of apparitions to a local mystic - a 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:

inside the shrine chapel, 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, after living in relative seclusion for nearly 20 years, Pierina went to a stream at the outskirts of Montichiari, in a place called Fontanelle, where the Virgin had 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 had repeatedly taken the stance that the supernatural character of the apparitions had 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.

Effective July 5th, 2024, in response to a Dossier submitted by Bishop Pierantonio to the Vatican, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith issued a formal approval of his positive assessment of the spiritual fruits of the Rosa Mystica apparitions/messages in Montichiari-Fontanelle.  As a result, these apparitions are now considered one of just a few officially approved and recognized by Rome!  Thanks and Praises be to God!

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

a friend's prayer group in Mililani.

BELOW: This author's 36" statue at

a 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 another occasion

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 visionaries from the world-famous Marian apparition site of Medjugorje (also Vatican-approved as of September 2024).

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 are genuine ... and that the lovely Rosa Mystica statues now found all over the world in churches and private homes are indeed vessels of grace when they are sincerely venerated and honored by the Faithful.  As such, this ministry remains committed to promoting this rich devotion to Mother Mary.

"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).