Blessing of the Statue of the Virgin Mary Rosa Mystica

A statue of Mary Rosa Mystica (Mystic Rose) was blessed in the Vatican on Monday, April 14, by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The ceremony was attended by Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, along with the two Secretaries of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Monsignor John Joseph Kennedy and Father Armando Matteo. 

The statue was placed in a shrine next to the Floreria, near the area of the Vatican Gardens called Largo della Fontana del Sacramento (Fountain of the Sacrament), also known as the “Towers”.

The phenomenon of prayer and veneration toward the Virgin Mary as Rosa Mystica, Mother of the Church, is closely linked to the visions and spiritual experience of Pierina Gilli. The apparitions occurred in the town of Fontanelle, south of Montichiari, province of Brescia in northern Italy.

The mystical phenomena involving Pierina Gilli took place in two distinct periods: the first cycle in 1947, and the second in 1966, specifically in Fontanelle.

On July 5, 2024, Cardinal Fernández sent a letter to the Bishop of Brescia regarding the devotion to Mary Rosa Mystica in Montichiari:

“I am herewith sending the doctrinal judgment of this Dicastery concerning the messages disseminated by Pierina Gilli as support for the discernment you have been carrying out for a long time and which can now reach its conclusion.
In this regard, first of all, I wish to inform you that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has not found any elements that directly contradict the Catholic Church’s teaching on faith and morals
in the messages disseminated by Pierina Gilli. Nor are there any negative moral aspects or other critical issues connected to this spiritual experience. On the contrary, several positive aspects can be found throughout the messages, while others need further clarification in order to avoid misinterpretation.”