As May is the Month of Mary – we share a story you may not know.
Mary, Mystical RoseHave you heard of the devotion to Mary, Mystical Rose?
On Monday of Holy Week, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, blessed a statue of “Mary, Mystical Rose” at the Vatican. The statue, donated by Pope Francis, was placed in a shrine close to the Sacrament Fountain in the Vatican Gardens.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith declared last summer that after thorough consideration the devotion to Our Lady under the title Mary, Mystical Rose is officially approved.
According to Vatican News, last July, the Dicastery’s decision was based “on the new norms regarding alleged supernatural phenomena, granting the ‘nulla osta’ authorizing public devotion to Mary under the title ‘Mystical Rose,’ in connection with messages purportedly received between 1947 and 1966 by visionary Pierina Gilli.”
This will allow churches and sacred places to be dedicated/named under this title to Mary.
“The alleged apparitions of Mary under the titles of “Mystical Rose” and “Mother of the Church” are connected to the locality of Fontanelle, located south of the town of Montichiari in the Italian province of Brescia.
“The visionary, Pierina Gilli, was born into a peasant family, and worked as a housekeeper and nurse in a hospital, leading a very simple life until her death in 1991 at the age of 80.
Her mystical experiences occurred over two different periods, the first dating back to 1947, when Our Lady is said to have appeared to Pierina, presenting herself under the titles ‘Mystical Rose’ and ‘Mother of the Church.’ On Mary’s white robe, Gilli says she saw three roses: one white, one red and one yellow, symbolizing prayer, penance and suffering.”
The Marian title ‘Mystical Rose’ can also be found in the Litany of Loreto, which dates back to 1587, to be said at the Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto.
To recite the Litany of Loreto, go to: https://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_en.html
