Rosa Mystica A Noble Pilgrim
A statue of Virgin Mary - Rosa Mystica
weeping from January 27, 1984
in Montekanen, Belgium.
In Montichiari, Italy, a then unmarried woman - Pierina Gillio (1911 - 1991) began to have
visions of Our Lady. Pierina was an assistant nurse in a hospital at that time. After a
19-year pause, the visions shifted to the suburb of Fontanelle. After church authorities
banned Pierina from the place of the visions, Mary continued to appear to her favourite
soul in privacy until 1983. She had 8 visions in Montichiari, 4 in Fontanella and about 45
in privacy. During the visions Pierina saw souls tormented in hell. On June 13, 1947 Holy
Virgin told Pierina:
"Our Lord has send Me to bring you a new Marian feast ... I wish
that the 13th day of each month was celebrated as a Marian day. The twelve preceding days
should be devoted to preparatory prayers. This day should be a day of the forgiveness of
offences to Our Lord from souls consecrated to God. Their sins pierced My Heart and the
Heart of My Divine Son Jesus Christ as if by three red-hot swards."
A pre-announced vision on December 8, 1947 was attended by several thousands
of people. On that occasion, the Our Lady told Pierina: "By arriving here in
Montichiari I express My wish to be worshipped and venerated as Rosa Mystica. I wish that
an hour of mercy for all the world was celebrated at noon on December 8th each year. This
veneration will provide much grace for soul and flesh alike ... I wish that, for My mercy,
a statue of Rosa Mystica with My likeness was made and carried in processions."
Our Lady then stretched Her arms wide and took out Her Heart from Her
chest. On the Heart there were three roses - white, red and golden-yellow. The Heart
gave out a strong pervasive light. The meaning of the three roses was explained by Pierina
as follows: "The white rose - a spirit of worship, the red rose - a spirit
of reconciliation and readiness to sacrifice, the golden rose - a spirit of penance."
On August 31, 1975, the Our Lady told Pierina: "Where I rest as a
pilgrimage statue, where I am worshipped and where people pray a lot, My Divine Son Jesus
Christ lets special mercy flow out of Himself."
When one of the pilgrimage statues was returend to Montichiari, Pierine
had a vision of Virgin Mary accompanied by two Fatima children - Frank and Jacinta, the
holy Archangel Raphael and thousands of holy angels. Then Our Lady said: "When I
am brought to people as a pilgrim, as a Mystical Rose, I descend with angels and saints
from heaven, stand by the statue and protect and bless all the people ... With My Divine
mercy and My maternal love I will be standing close to My children at the time of their
death."
The Divine Son Himself then told Pierina: "On handing over the
statue of the Holy Mother, My Mother, let the priest or his deputy first give holy
blessing on behalf of Myself and then let him pray: "Acceept joyfully the noble
pilgrim who is coming to you in order to help you. Pray, pray!"
When investigated by a bishop's commission, Pierina confirmed the
authenticity of her story about having visions by Virgin Mary by taking an oath on the
Wholy Scripture.
Soon afterwards, the bishop recommended her to retire from the public life
and move to a secluded place. Pierina then lived as a guest in a Convent of Franciscan
sisters for nearly 20 years.
* * *
Prayer to Virgin Mary - Mystical Rose:
Mystical Rose, Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, we worship You in order
to venerate Your Divine Son and to win His mercy. We solicit Your help and mercy not for
our achievements, but for the clemency of Your Maternal Hearth being convinced that You
will hear us.
Hail, Mary ...
Mystical Rose, Mother Of Jesus, the Queen of Holy Rosary and the Mother of
Church and of the mystical Christ's Body, we beg on behalf of the world torn by
disagreements, please grant a gift of understanding and peace and all mercies capable of
amending the hearts of a number of your children.
Hail, Mary ...
Mystical Rose, the Queen of Apostles, let priests and religious people
abound around eucharistic altars whose sainthood and zeal would help to establish the
Kingdom of Your Son throughout the world. Pour on us your Divine mercy!
Hail, Mary ...
Hail, the Queen ...
Pray for us, Holy Mother of God!
So that we become worthy of promises of Jesus Christ.
Mystical Rose, Mother of Church, pray for us!
Oh, Mary, Mystical Rose of Immaculate Conception, protector of priests and
the consecrated, win them the favour of Jesus! Amen.
(Imprimatur: Msgr. Dr. Jaroslav karvada, ordaining bishop of Prague)
* * *
A number of extraordinary phenomena took place in Fontanelle. It was the
scene of numerous healings of bodily and mental ailments. In Fontanelle there is a healing
spring blessed by the Holy Mother. Our Lady told Pierina about this spring (on February
27, 1966): "On the White Sunday My Divine Son Jesus Christ will once again send me
onto this earth in Montichiari to bring mankind abundant mercy. The spring will be
miraculous from then on."
Msgr. Abato Francesco Rossi who was a vicar in Montichiari between
1949 and 1971 is absolutely convinced about the authenticity of the visions.
Pope Pius XII granted Pierina a personal audience and blessed her. He
parted from her saying: "Please, pray for us, too."
Before opening the Vatican Council II, Pope John XXIII urged the whole
world by means of his Apostle letter to pray for the success of the council, to venerate
the Mother of God as a Mystical Rose and to pray rosary for this purpose. Likewise, the
believers were urged also by Pope Paul VI in his address of May 5, 1969 to invoke
Our Lady primarily as a Mystical Rose in May. On November 21, 1964, in his council speech
he proclaimed: "We wish that in the years ahead the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was
venerated and honoured by all Christian people under this title" (Rosa Mystica).
The events related to the vision of Virgin Mary and Her messages to Pierina
Gillio in Montichiari - Fontanelle were described in a 300-page book entitled Mary Rosa
Mystica published in Germany.
In 1988 the number of pilgrimage statues of Rosa Mystica was estimated at
50,000 and the number of their colour reproductions exceeded 1,000,000.
Many of these statues weep, sometimes even tears of blood.
E.g. a statue in Postel, Belgium, began weeping in October 1976. Statues in
Rosario, Argentina and in several places in Colombia, Italy and Hungary used to shed tears
in 1980 - 1981.
One of the most notable statues in Europe occurs in the Belgian town of
Maasmechelen where Holy Virgin started to weep in October 1983. And of course Montichiari
itself has several statues displaying this phenomenon.
A strange thing happened in Colombia in September 1984: a common colour
reproduction of A4 format wept tears of blood.
Verified in a multitude of places throughout the globe, these phenomena have
been witnessed by thousands of pilgrims and always entail deepening of religious beliefs
and numerous conversions. Vicar Jarsinski of the St. John parish in Chicago (a
statue here wept in 1974) says: "3 to 5 thousand people a day have been attending
my church for years. They pray before this statue which often sheds tears before pilgrims
... A local bishop with believers come every day to pray at least one rosary."
In 1994, Horst Mehring gave a list of 103 verified places with a date
where Rosa Mystica statues and reproductions began to weep. He estimates their actual
number at several hundreds, bur their verification and registration are far from simple.
Several cases of weeping Rosa Mystica statues mentioned by Mehring:
S. Francisco Solano, Argentina, tears of blood since 1988. Juiz de Fora,
Brazil, a picture postcard has been weeping since 1987. Louveira S. P., Brazil, in St.
Sebastian Church since 1990. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, oil tears since 1993. Olón, Ecuador,
tears of blood since 1990. Bajawa, Flores, Indonesia, Virgin Mary on an A5 photoprint has
been weeping since 1988. Surabaya, Indonesia, three statues have been sheding tears of
blood since 1993. Montreal, Canada, since 1985. Manizales, Colombia, in a Fatima chapel
since 1982. Ibadan, Nigeria, tears of oil since 1990. Barri o Harrara, Paraguay, a picture
postcard since 1988. Tumbes, Peru, three statues since 1991. Sinillan, Philippines, tears
of blood since 1994. Chotyniec, Poland, tears of blood since 1990. Sotogrande, Spain,
illustration in a book, tears of blood since 1994. Homokkomárom, Hungary, Reconciliation
church, since 1988. Szeged, Hungary, since 1979. New Orleans, Lousiana, USA, seven statues
have been weeping since 1985.
A procession carrying a Rosa Mystica statue in India