| Rosa Mystica Mystical Rose – Mother of the Church | |
|---|---|
 The statue of Virgin Mary under the title of Mystical Rose enshrined within the chapel of Montichiari-Fontanelle (Italy) apparitions | |
| Location | Montichiari and Fontanelle, Italy |
| Date | 1947–1966 |
| Witness | Pierina Gilli |
| Type | Marian apparition |
| Shrine | Sanctuary of Mystical Rose – Mother of the Church |
| Attributes | TheBlessed Virgin Mary featuring three swords, or threeroses in red, white and yellow. |
| Feast day | July 13 (feast day) December 8 (at noon, the so-called "Hour of Universal Grace") |
Rosa Mystica (orMystical Rose) is a poetictitle of Mary. One form ofMarian devotion is invoking Virgin Mary's prayers by calling upon her using a litany of diverse titles, and the title 'Mystical Rose' is found in theLitany of Loreto. It is also aCatholic title of Our Lady based on the Marian apparitions reported between 1947 and 1966 byPierina Gilli atMontichiari and Fontanelle, in Italy.
The Biblical source of the title isSong of Songs 2:1, often translated, "I am theRose of Sharon". BishopRobert C. Morlino draws a connection to Isaiah 11:1, "But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.[1] This is also reflected in the German Advent hymnEs ist ein Ros entsprungen, known in English as ""Lo, how a rose e'er blooming", which makes reference to the Old Testament prophecies ofIsaiah which in Christian interpretation foretell theIncarnation of Christ, and to theTree of Jesse, a traditional symbol of thelineage of Jesus.[2]
A devotional image enshrined at the Maria Rosenberg Church inWaldfischbach-Burgalben, Germany, holds an 1138 painting of Mary, featuring roses.
John Henry Newman said,
Mary is the most beautiful flower ever seen in the spiritual world. It is by the power of God’s grace that from this barren and desolate earth there ever sprung up at all flowers of holiness and glory; and Mary is the Queen of them all. She is the Queen of spiritual flowers; and therefore, is called the Rose, for the rose is called of all flowers the most beautiful. But, moreover, she is the Mystical or Hidden Rose, for mystical means hidden.[3]
Roses have long been connected with Mary, the red rose symbolic of love, the white rose, of purity. In the fifth century,Coelius Sedulius referred to Mary as a "rose among thorns".[4] Known as the “queen of flowers”, the rose represents Mary as Queen of Heaven. Medieval writers also referenced a passage fromSirach 24:14 "like a palm tree in Engedi, like a rosebush in Jericho".Bernard of Clairvaux said, "Eve was a thorn, wounding, bringing death to all; in Mary we see a rose, soothing everybody's hurts, giving the destiny of salvation back to all." Mary is celebrated under the title "Our Lady of the Rose inLucca, Italy on January 30. Roses feature prominently in the apparition ofOur Lady of Guadalupe.
Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote a devotional poem called "Rosa Mystica" (c.1874-5), which includes the lines "Mary the Virgin, well the heart knows, / She is the mystery, she is that rose".[5]George Egerton's novelRosa Amorosa (1901) repeats the litany "Rosa mystica! Ora pro nobis!" but subsequently subverts this by transforming it into a pantheistic call "The elm overhead is myRosa mystica!".[6]Chrysogonus Waddell composed ana capella choral piece titled "Rosa Mystica", which was featured in the 2017 filmLady Bird.[7]
On 7 December 2019, theRoman Catholic Diocese of Brescia inaugurated a shrine to the Blessed Virgin under the title Rosa Mystica – Mother of the Church.[8][9] The sanctuary is a response to the claims ofPierina Gilli who reportedMarian apparitions inMontichiari and neighbouring Fontanelle, Italy, in 1947 and 1966. Whether or not the source was a genuine apparition of theVirgin Mary, Pierina actively promoted a devotion to Our Lady with three roses upon her breast and a way of practicing devotion to Mary under the title "Rosa Mystica".[10]
María, Rosa Mystica, arrived in Venezuela as the Pilgrim Virgin, traveling through homes in the arms of devoted followers.
In today's day and age various temples and some devout households in Venezuela celebrate the Virgin Rosa Mystica on the 13th of each month. These celebrations include the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the praying of the rosary, and the Holy Mass, in accordance with the Virgin's requests to Pierina during her apparitions. "Wherever my image goes, my presence is there." This sentiment is echoed by those who have hosted her image in their homes, reporting a palpable sense of her presence at every domestic altar.
The main feast day for the Virgin Rosa Mystica is on July 13. On October 13, the Reparative Communion is distributed during the celebrations. Additionally, on December 8 at 12:00 p.m., the "Hour of Grace" is observed. These events are organized by groups of priests, nuns, and committed laypeople who uphold this devotion in Venezuela.
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In 1993, at the Sisters Servants of Jesus Convent in Carrizal, Miranda State, Venezuela, the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to several people, including nuns, displaying various miraculous signs. One of those signs was glitter appearing on the hands of a seer. This apparition is known as the Virgin Mary Mother of the Consecrated Souls.
The glitter phenomenon has sparked controversy among people. Some believe it is a sign of the Blessed Virgin’s presence and assistance, as she told Sister Mary Carmen on February 9, 1993, during the Carrizal apparitions. Others reject this idea, some have doubts, and some mock it entirely.
In the chapel of Belén School (Colegio Belén) in Venezuela, two notable events have been recorded. In one instance, a nun was fervently praying to the statue of the Rosa Mystica when both she and the statue became covered in glitter. On another occasion, a statue in the convent was carried in a midnight procession to the main chapel after it began to "cry blood."
Since the Convent was trying to prove these as miracles, glitter was not permitted in any kind of school activity.
Several studies were conducted on multiple samples of glitter collected from several locations in Venezuela where this phenomenon took place:
In conclusion, thestudies demonstrated a different composition and chemical reactions from man-made samples and the samples collected in the abovementioned places where the glitter phenomenon took place.
Comforted by the support of the Holy See and in full communion with the Supreme Pontiff Francis, we have the joy of dedicating this sanctuary to the Mother of the Lord, recognizing in her the full truth that these two suggestive qualifications express.
