The apparitions of Maria Rosa Mystica and its Sanctuary in Fontanelle

The apparitions of Maria Rosa Mystica to Pierina Gilli have given rise to a strong devotion at the Sanctuary of Rosa Mystica in Montichiari. Here is their story.

Among the many Marian apparitions recognized or not by the Catholic Church, those that occurred in Montichiari, in the province of Brescia, in 1947 and 1966, remain today shrouded in deep mystery. These are the apparitions of Maria Rosa Mystica, in which the visionary Pierina Gilli played a central role. Although the ecclesiastical authority has never recognized the apparitions, since December 2019, the place where they allegedly occurred, already a destination for devout pilgrims, has been declared by the Bishop of Brescia as the Diocesan Sanctuary of Rosa Mystica – Mother of the Church. Although the Church has not recognized the validity of the apparitions, the location is acknowledged as a Marian place of worship dedicated to Maria Rosa Mystica. It’s a place famous for the apparitions of Mary, but also for the cult that has developed over the years around the figure of the visionary, her messages, and Mary Mother of the Church.

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Pierina Gilli, the visionary of Montichiari

Pierina was an unusual visionary figure, especially because, despite the great fame brought to her by the apparitions and the influx of devotees and the sick to her home in Fontanelle di Montichiari, she never gave up leading a simple, sheltered, anonymous life. She never married, never wanted a family of her own, and died elderly in her home in Montichiari, surrounded by the love and devotion of friends and believers.

Born to peasant parents, in frail health, she was born in 1911 and showed a deep calling from a young age. Unable due to various illnesses, including meningitis which plagued her for a long time, to enter the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia, she worked as a housekeeper and later as a nurse in a hospital.

The apparitions in which she played a central role are divided into two cycles, and their descriptions can be read in Pierina’s Diary.

First cycle of apparitions 1946-1947

In November 1946, while Pierina was still convalescing after a severe bout of meningitis, she was visited by Saint Mary Crucified of the Rose, founder of the Handmaids of Charity congregation, who would later be canonized in 1954. Saint Crucified indicated to Pierina a point in the room, where “… a beautiful Lady appeared as if transparent, dressed in purple with a white veil descending from her head to her feet, holding her arms open, and I saw three swords pierced in her chest over her heart.”

It was always Saint Crucified who helped Pierina interpret the vision: the Lady was the Madonna, and the three swords tormenting her heart were caused by three categories of souls consecrated to God but inadequate to support their role and their faith, in particular:

• religious souls who did not correspond to the grace of their vocation;
• religious souls lingering in mortal sin;
• priests who had become unworthy of their sacred ministry.

To help these souls, the Saint imposed prayer, sacrifice, and penance on Pierina.

In a subsequent apparition, in July 1947, the Madonna appeared again to Pierina, this time dressed all in white. The three swords lay at her feet and had been replaced on her chest by three roses, one white, one red, and one golden yellow. The meaning of the three flowers was respectively the spirit of prayer, the spirit of sacrifice, and the spirit of penance. The Madonna asked Pierina to have the 13th of every month consecrated as a Marian day, dedicated to prayer and penance: “I wish the day 13 of each month to be the Marian Day, preceded by special prayers of preparation for 12 days […] This day must be one of reparation for the offences committed against our Lord by consecrated souls who, with their sins, cause three piercing swords to enter into my heart and that of my Divine Son.”

At the conclusion of the first cycle of apparitions, in November 1947, Maria Rosa Mystica warned Pierina that on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, she would appear in the Cathedral of Montichiari. After an initial apparition on December 7, in which Pierina reported seeing the shepherds of Fatima, Francisco and Jacinta, on December 8, 1947, Pierina saw the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Cathedral of Montichiari, which was filled with faithful gathered in prayer for the occasion. The Madonna, who wished to be invoked under the title of Rosa Mystica, asked Pierina to establish the Hour of Grace: “I wish that every year, on December 8, at noon, the Universal Hour of Grace be practiced; through this practice, many spiritual and corporal graces will be obtained… Be it reported as soon as possible to the Supreme Father of the Catholic Church, Pope Pius XII, that I desire this Hour of Grace to be known and extended throughout the world. Those who cannot go to their respective churches will obtain from me the graces even by praying in their homes.”

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Second cycle of apparitions 1966

The second cycle of apparitions took place in 1966 in Fontanelle, in the countryside of Montichiari. On April 17, 1966, the second Sunday of Easter (also known as Divine Mercy Sunday), the Madonna of the Rosa Mystica appeared in the fields, near a fountain, the source of San Giorgio. In that fountain, she invited all the sick and suffering to bathe for relief. On May 13, 1966, she requested that the fountain be named the Fountain of Grace, and that a basin be installed to facilitate ablutions.

On June 9, 1966, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, Pierina again saw Maria Rosa Mystica in the wheat fields ready for harvesting. The Madonna ordered that those ears of wheat become flour for the Eucharistic Bread: “How much I would desire that this wheat became Eucharistic Bread… in many reparative Communions.”

On August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration, the Virgin asked Pierina to have October 13 celebrated as the world day of Reparative Communion: “My Divine Son Jesus has sent me again to ask for the worldwide union of Reparative Communion, and this shall be on October 13 […] Let the news of this holy initiative that must begin this year for the first time and shall always be repeated every year be spread throughout the world.”

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Sanctuary of Maria Rosa Mystica in Fontanelle di Montichiari

In reality, the sanctuary of the Madonna of Montichiari is not a true sanctuary, in the sense that there is no building or church. There are only two small chapels located within a large amphitheater, which also includes the water source declared miraculous by Maria Rosa Mystica, where many immerse themselves, which is why the sanctuary has earned the nickname of small Lourdes. One peculiarity: the sanctuary of the Madonna della Rosa Mistica is particularly dear to the Romani and Sinti communities, as well as the sanctuary of the Gypsies and the Blessed Zeffirino located near the Sanctuary of Divine Love in Castel di Leva.

Maria Rosa Mystica: meaning of the three roses

In the apparition of July 13, 1947, Pierina saw the three roses on Mary’s white robe. The Madonna’s message regarding them is a true proposal of “Rosa Mystica” for all religious communities and groups scattered around the world: prayer, penance, suffering to repair and eliminate the infidelities of consecrated persons and of every Christian.

• White Rose: spirit of prayer to repair the offenses against the Lord committed by consecrated persons who do not live their vocation with coherence;
• Red Rose: spirit of sacrifice to repair the offenses against the Lord committed by the consecrated living in mortal sin;
• Yellow-gold Rose: spirit of immolation to repair the offenses against the Lord committed by priests who betray their vocation and, in particular, to obtain their sanctification.

Only if these three roses are offered with love will the three swords fall from the Heart of the Madonna.

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Prayer to Maria Rosa Mystica

Among the many prayers that can be addressed to the Madonna of Montichiari is the Novena to Maria Rosa Mystica, which is prayed for twelve days. The thirteenth day the requested Grace will be granted.

Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Grace, Rosa Mystica in honor of your Divine Son, we prostrate ourselves before You to implore mercy from God: not for our merits, but for the goodness of Your maternal heart, we ask for Help and Grace, certain that You will assist us.

(Hail Mary)

Mother of Jesus, Queen of the Holy Rosary and Mother of the Church, the mystical Body of Christ, we implore for the world, burned by discord, the gift of unity and peace and all those Graces that can convert us and the hearts of many children.

(Hail Mary)

Mystical Rose, Queen of the Apostles, make numerous religious and priestly vocations flourish around the Eucharistic Altars, so that with the holiness of life and fervent zeal for souls they may extend the Kingdom of Your Jesus throughout the world, also fill us with your heavenly favors.

(Hail Mary)

Mystical Rose, Mother of the Church, pray for us.