The Fifteen Saturdays - The First Saturday

Upon seeing this woman on her feet, dressed and walking, whom he had left virtually a corpse the day before, Dr. Massari could not keep himself from shouting, amazed: Miracle! Miracle!

But then, giving room to reflection and then to doubt, he did not believe what he himself was seeing: he wanted to be sure. He then examined her: turning her over and over, he noticed that everything had disappeared! No sores, no infirmity, no paralysis, no trace whatsoever of the illness could be found in this person considered a corpse by everyone.

Angela, who felt new life flowing in her bones and veins, in all of her limbs, as though born anew, had no other thought than to go to church and thank her heavenly Benefactress in person.

Therefore, like a person who, unmindful of the past which no longer exists, has one sole fixed objective before her, that of offering gratitude and thanks to the Lord, she left home a healed woman and without any support went straight to church.

The people who saw Angela walking along with sure steps drew near and surrounded her, asking a thousand questions.

In no time the extraordinary fact spread about Manduria, and many who little believed in miracles remained silenced.

From that day the number of the Associates of the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii grew, as well as the devotion to the Fifteen Saturdays, so pleasing to the Virgin; and everyone kept in mind this testimonial of the miracle performed by the intercession of so wondrous a Queen.

The extraordinary event of Manduria was not only certified by the entire population, but by a worthy physician as well, Dr. Tommaso Massari, who had the patient in his care, and especially by the respectable parish priest of this town, Fr. Leonardo Tarentini, her Confessor, who had administered to her the Holy Viaticum and the Anointing of the Sick. Both of these important testimonials can be read as they were literally reported in the Magazine Il Rosario e la nuova Pompei, in the Issue of September, Year VI, 1889.

This article was excerpted from The Fifteen Saturdays of the Holy Rosary by Bl. Bartolo Longo (Shrine of Pompeii).

Notes

(1) These prayers are not an integral part of the practice of the Fifteen Saturdays and therefore may be used as one likes.

(2) Partial Indulgence (Ench. Indulg. 1986 n. 10).

(3) For those who recite this prayer after Communion before the image of Jesus Crucified, full indulgence is granted on every Friday of Lent; on the other days, partial indulgence (Ench. Indulg. 1986, n. 22).

(4) See p. 397 of this text.