‘Mystical Rose’ Marian Apparitions in Italy Receive Vatican Approval (2024)

The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pierina Gilli took place in Brescia, Italy, in 1947 and 1966

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) announced the approval of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pierina Gilli, an Italian visionary who received apparitions and messages from the Virgin Mary in 1947 and 1966.

The apparitions took place in Montichiari and Fontanelle, Italy, located in the country’s northern province of Brescia.

In a letter approved by Pope Francis and sent to the bishop of Brescia on July 5, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández indicated that the “spiritual proposal that emerges from the experiences narrated by Pierina Gilli in relation to María Rosa Mystica does not contain theological or moral elements contrary to the doctrine of the Church.”

The letter includes excerpts from Gilli’s diaries in which the Italian visionary goes into great detail describing the apparitions and insights shared by the Blessed Virgin. Fernández shared that Gilli’s writings “reveal a humble and complete trust in Mary’s maternal action.”

Serving as a nurse and postulant for the Handmaids of Charity in Montichiari, Gilli first encountered the Blessed Virgin privately while praying in a hospital chapel in the spring of 1947. As Gilli described in her diary, the Virgin Mary appeared wearing a violet dress and white veil with an expression of sorrow and tears in her eyes. Showing her heart pierced with three swords, Our Lady asked for prayer, penance, and sacrifice.

Appearing again to Gilli on July 13, 1947, the Blessed Virgin Mary was dressed in white and instead of having three swords in her breast, she had three roses: a white one, a red one, and a yellow one that symbolized the spirits of prayer, sacrifice, and penance.

When asked by Gilli who she was, Our Lady responded: “I am the mother of Jesus and the mother of all of you. Our Lord sends me to bring a new Marian devotion to all religious orders and institutes, male and female, and to the priests of this world.”

According to Gilli, Our Lady continued on in wishing that “the 13th of July be celebrated every year in honor of the Mystical Rose.” Gilli would later translate this term as meaning that “Mary is the master teacher of the innermost mystical life and the mother of the mystical body of Christ — the mother of the Church.”

Our Lady would appear to Gilli five more times in 1947, including a series of public apparitions in November and December of that year. At the Cathedral of Montichiari on Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin told Gilli: “I wish to be known as the Mystical Rose. It is my wish that every year, on the 8th of December, at noon, the hour of grace for the world be celebrated.”

“Many divine and bodily graces will be received through this devotion. Jesus will send his overflowing mercy if good people will pray continuously for their sinful brother,” Our Lady continued. “The Lord is still protecting the good and is holding back a great punishment because of my intercession. Soon, one will recognize the greatness of this hour of grace.”

Shortly following these apparitions and investigations by the diocesan ecclesiastical authorities, Gilli secluded herself at the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Child in Brescia. It was not until years later, in 1966, that the Blessed Virgin appeared again to Gilli, in which she blessed a miraculous spring in Fontanelle, called “Fountain of Grace.”

Our Lady then asked Gilli to kiss the soil where the water sprang forth and to place a crucifix there so that “the sick and all of my children, before drawing or drinking water, may ask pardon from my divine Son with a beautiful kiss of love.”

More apparitions would follow in 1966, in which the Blessed Virgin continued to share various messages regarding prayer, penance, and devotion. According to Gilli’s diary, she would also have more private visits from the Blessed Virgin in the years to follow.

Nonetheless, the apparitions did not receive approval from the bishop of Brescia until 2019, when the Marian site was declared as the Diocesan Sanctuary of Mystical Rose, Mother of the Church by Bishop Pierantonio Tremolada, the current bishop of Brescia and recipient of the DDF’s letter.

This letter points out several of the “positive aspects” of the Our Lady’s messages and further elaborates on other points in order to “avoid misunderstandings.”

“Taking into account the other elements of judgment proposed by [Tremolada] in the cited dossier, such as the diverse and rich spiritual and pastoral fruits of this devotion,” the letter continues, “we believe that you can calmly arrive at the conclusion of your discernment, according to the already cited Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Supernatural Phenomena.

‘Mystical Rose’ Marian Apparitions in Italy Receive Vatican Approval (2024)

FAQs

‘Mystical Rose’ Marian Apparitions in Italy Receive Vatican Approval? ›

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Dicastery_for_the_Doctrine_...
has announced the approval of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary
the Blessed Virgin Mary
According to apocrypha, as well as Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Saint_Anne
to Pierina Gilli, an Italian visionary, in 1947 and 1966
.

Is Rosa Mystica approved by the Vatican? ›

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has officially approved the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pierina Gilli, an Italian visionary who reported receiving messages from Mary in 1947 and 1966.

How many Marian apparitions have been approved by the Vatican? ›

The Vatican has approved 16 apparitions of Mary, according to MiracleHunter.com, which tracks them. They include Guadalupe, Mexico (1531); Lourdes, France (1858); Knock, Ireland (1879); and Fatima, Portugal (1917).

What did the Vatican say about apparitions? ›

In mid-May, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) published a new expedited procedure for vetting spiritual phenomena in which things such as alleged Marian apparitions will no longer be judged “supernatural,” but simply that nothing stands in the way to promoting devotion.

How does a Marian apparition get approved? ›

If, after an investigation, the bishop determines that the apparition constitutes an authentic supernatural appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then the apparition is considered approved for the entire Catholic Church, unless his successor or the Holy See were to contradict his decision.

Does the Vatican approve of Medjugorje? ›

This second commission completed its work in May 1986. Eleven members determined that the events at Medjugorje were Non constat de supernaturalitate (i.e., apparitions are neither approved nor condemned, but further study is needed to determine whether a supernatural character is present).

Which version of the Bible is approved by the Vatican? ›

The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) is a Bible translation approved for use by the Catholic Church, receiving the imprimatur of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1991.

What do Protestants think of Marian apparitions? ›

In fact, Protestant apologists who have looked at the evidence for Marian apparitions don't dismiss them as hallucinations. Instead, they are convinced that the people involved saw some kind of extra-mental or actually existing phenomena.

What is the only Marian apparition in the United States? ›

The only apparition approved by the Church in the United States took place in Wisconsin in the 19th century. Since then, many faithful come to the Champion area to receive the graces of the Virgin Mary.

How many Eucharistic miracles have been approved by the Vatican? ›

These events are called Eucharistic miracles and more than 150 such cases have been approved by the Vatican.

Do Catholics have to believe in Marian apparitions? ›

Catholics are obligated in faith to accept all general or public revelation, but they are not guilty of sin if they decline to believe in particular private revelations, even if those private revelations really occurred.

Has there been any miracles at Medjugorje? ›

Also, the Commission found that there were no miraculous healings connected to the apparitions in Medjugorje. Regarding the pastoral fruits of Medjugorje, the commission voted in two phases.

Are all rosaries from the Vatican blessed? ›

Our tour guide said if you want a blessed rosary, you can pick one up at the gift shop. There were no signs or anything else that stated that these are and these are not blessed and we did not ask. We assumed that they all were blessed, but not 100% positive. I hope you get a better answer, if not I hope this helps.

What is the most important Marian apparition? ›

Our Lady of Lourdes

In 1858, Mary appeared to 14-year-old St. Bernadette in the small French town of Lourdes. Our Lady appeared 18 times, encouraging people to pray and return to God. She urged people to pray the rosary, and called herself the Immaculate Conception.

How many Vatican approved Marian apparitions are there? ›

Of the countless apparitions that have been reported throughout church history, only 25 have been approved by the local bishop, and 16 of those have been recognized by the Vatican. Yet, throughout the Catholic world, hundreds of shrines commemorating a miraculous appearance of Mary enjoy devotional followings.

Did the Virgin Mary appear in Medjugorje? ›

Our Lady of Medjugorje is the title given to the apparition by those who believe that the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, has been appearing from 24 June 1981 until today to six children, now adults, in Medjugorje (then part of communist Yugoslavia).

Did the mystical rose Marian apparitions in Italy receive Vatican approval? ›

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has announced the approval of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pierina Gilli, an Italian visionary, in 1947 and 1966.

Is Our Lady of Lourdes approved by the Catholic Church? ›

The Catholic Church has formally endorsed, although not dogmatic, for sick people to bathe and visit Lourdes for healing. Since the apparitions, many people have claimed to have been cured by drinking or bathing in it, and the Lourdes authorities provide it free of charge to any who ask for it.

How does the Vatican approve miracles? ›

Because miracles play such an important role in the Catholic faith, a Vatican-appointed Miracle Commission composed of scientific experts and theologians works to determine whether these claims are authentic and genuine.

Are the Garabandal apparitions approved by the church? ›

The Catholic Church has not officially approved the apparitions but has not condemned them either. Regardless of official recognition, Garabandal has become a place of pilgrimage for countless individuals seeking spiritual nourishment and an encounter with the divine.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Allyn Kozey

Last Updated:

Views: 5722

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Allyn Kozey

Birthday: 1993-12-21

Address: Suite 454 40343 Larson Union, Port Melia, TX 16164

Phone: +2456904400762

Job: Investor Administrator

Hobby: Sketching, Puzzles, Pet, Mountaineering, Skydiving, Dowsing, Sports

Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.