The Rosa Mystica Hour of Grace

In the north of Italy, near the city of Brescia in Lombardy, is the small town of Montichiari. In the Spring of 1947, while praying in the chapel of the local hospital in Montichiari, nurse Pierina Gilli had an unforgettable experience. Mary, the Mother of God, appeared to her in a wonderful vision and magnificent light, as the exalted Lady, dressed in mauve, very sad and with tears in Her eyes. Pierina noticed that Her heart was pierced by three swords. The first sword means: the unworthy celebration of Holy Mass and Communion unworthily received; the meaning of the second sword is: being unfaithful to, and giving up, the vocation as a priest or a religious; and the third sword means: betrayal of the Faith. Our Lady asked for Prayer, Sacrifice, and Penance.

Our Lady was to appear eleven times to Pierina, including on December 8, 1947, when she came to request that an Hour of Grace be observed every December 8 at noon throughout the Church. She said of this Hour: "This Hour of Grace will produce great and numerous conversions. Hardened and cold hearts resembling this marble will be touched by divine Grace, and they will become faithful to Our Lord in loyal love." (1)

The Apparition of December 8, 1947

On December 8, 1947, thousands of people were present with Pierina in the Basilica of Montichiari. It was only with a great deal of effort that Pierina was able to get into the Basilica at all. She knelt in the center of the church, just where the other apparitions had taken place. During the recitation of the Holy Rosary, Pierina called out: "O, Our Lady!"

Great silence ensued. Our Lady appeared on a large white staircase, decorated with a white, red and yellow rose over her heart. She said with a smile: "I am the Immaculate Conception." And descending several steps with great majesty She continued: "I am Mary, full of grace, Mother of My Divine Son Jesus Christ." Descending even more, She said:

Through my coming to Montichiari, I which to be known as the Rosa Mystica. It is my wish that every year, on 8th December, at noon, the Hour of Grace for the World be celebrated. Many divine and bodily graces will be received through this devotion.

Our Lord, my Divine Son Jesus, will send His overflowing mercy if good people will pray continuously for their sinful brother.

One should very soon notify the Holy Father of the Church, Pope Pius XII, that it is my wish that the Hour of Grace for the World be made known and spread throughout the world. If anyone is unable to visit his church, yet will pray at noon at home, he will also receive graces through me. Whoever prays on these tiles and weeps tears of penance, will find a secure heavenly ladder and receive protection and grace through my motherly heart. 

Then Our Lady showed Pierina her heart and said:

Look at this heart which loves mankind so very much, but most people only shower offenses upon it. If the good and the bad unite in prayer they will obtain mercy and peace through this heart. The Lord is still protecting the good and is holding back a great punishment because of my intercession.

Our Lady smiled again and went on: "Soon one will recognize the greatness of this Hour of Grace."

When Pierina saw that Our Lady was going to depart, she said: "Dear Lady, I thank you! Bless my homeland Italy and the whole world, but especially the Holy Father, the priest, the religious, and the sinners."

Our Lady replied: "I have already prepared a flood of graces for all the children who listen to my words and keep them in their hearts."

The Hour of Grace

How should the Hour of Grace be prayed? Our Lady specified that:

- It was to be an uninterrupted hour of prayer to begin at noon, on December the 8, the date when the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

- It was to be a full hour of prayer, thus ending at 1:00 p.m.

- The Hour of Grace could be made at home or in a church

- One was to begin the Hour of Grace by three times praying Pslam 51, with arms outstretched

- The rest of the hour could be spent in personal prayer, praying the Rosary, silent prayer etc.

- One must make a concerted effort to make the Hour of Grace uninterruptedly, doing our best to pray undisturbed for the entire hour and resist distractions (obviously unintended temptations and distractions that plague most of us when we pray, and that are not our fault, would not invalidate the Hour of Grace)

The Rosa Mystica Apparitions Today

What is the current status of the Rosa Mystica apparitions? The present bishop of Brescia, Msgr. Giulo Sanguineti, has expressed his openness to the apparitions and to private pilgrimages, as evidenced by his letter of July 15, 2004:

Dear Dr. Miravalle,

I've received your request about a private pilgrimage to Rosa Mystica Shrine and I'm glad to give you my permission to go there, in the spirit you well explained through what you wrote me.

I hope your pilgrimage will bring you a joyful and helpful advantage for your faith, your studies and Christian life, always in communion with the Church of Christ.

God bless you all.

+ Giulo Sanguineti

Summation of the Rosa Mystica apparitions provided by Franz Sepeckbacher, at www.giftstor.org/RosaMystica.htm.

Notes

(1) Apparition of November 22, 1947