Tag Archives: Rome

The Virgin of Revelation, Tre Fontaine, Rome, Italy, 1947

“The Virgin of Revelation”
TRE FONTANE, ROME, ITALY  (1947) 

Bruno Cornacchiola, born in 1913, came from a poor background, joined the military, got married, and then decided to fight on the Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War to earn some money.  He deserted his wife in order to fight on the side of the anti-Catholic forces.  He came under the influence of a German Protestant, who managed to convince him that the papacy was the cause of all the world’s ills.  Bruno immediately conceived a hatred for the Church and vowed to kill Pope Pius XII – and bought a dagger in Spain for that purpose!  He carved the words on it: “Death to the Pope.”

Bruno Cornacchiola and his family
Bruno Cornacchiola and his family

Bruno returned to his wife, but he was far from a model husband.  He frequently used blasphemous and obscene speech, committed adultery, beat his wife and had forbidden her from going to a Catholic church or practicing her faith in any manner.  He joined the Seventh Day Adventists and plotted to kill the Pope on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 1947.

On the Saturday after Easter Sunday, April 12, 1947, Bruno took his three children (Isola-10, Carlo-7, and Gianfranco-4) for a picnic to Tre Fontane (the area outside of Rome where the Romans beheaded St. Paul).  On that lovely spring day, Bruno sat in a grove of Eucalyptus trees, preparing a talk to ridicule the Immaculate Conception.  Earlier that day, as if to manifest his bitter hatred for the Immaculate Mother, he had written on the base of a statue of the Holy Virgin, “You are neither virgin nor mother!”

One of his children lost his ball and asked for his help.  He followed this child but saw his youngest child kneeling at the entrance to a cave.  The child’s face was radiantly joyful as he stared into the cave, repeating, “Beautiful lady, beautiful lady.”  His hands were folded as if engrossed in deep prayer.  Bruno looked into the cave and could see nothing that would account for the boy’s action.  He then turned toward his other two children, but by then, they too, had dropped to their knees, hands folded in prayer with their eyes transfixed on someone in the cave.  The three children were mesmerized by something supernatural that he could not see.  Seized with fright, Bruno tried to grab his children and carry them away, but he could not move them!  It was as if they were glued to the ground.  Then, in the midst of an intense perfume of flowers, Mary appeared to Bruno as well.  An intense light filled his eyes for a moment, and then everything in front of him disappeared – his children and the cave.  He felt himself becoming weightless.

The knife that Bruno bought to kill the pope
The knife that Bruno bought to kill the pope

After this momentary blindness, Bruno saw in the most illuminated part of the cave a woman of indescribable celestial beauty.  She was dressed in a long, brilliantly white dress with a rose-colored sash.  Over her black hair was a green mantle which extended to her bare feet.  Her head was adorned by a halo of brilliant golden light.  Her face had an expression of motherly kindness, although cloaked by sadness at times.  She was holding a dark gray Bible close to her heart.  At her bare feet lay a black cloth which had a smashed crucifix on it.  Her hands were crossed at her breast, but she unfolded them once to point to the broken pieces of the crucifix.

“I am the one who is of the Divine Trinity.  I am Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, and Spouse and Temple of the Holy Spirit.  I am the Virgin of Revelation.
(Then she turned on Bruno.)  You persecute me.  Enough of it now!  Enter into the true fold, God’s Kingdom on Earth.  The Nine First Fridays of the Sacred Heart have saved you.  You must be like the flowers which Isola picked.  They make no protest — they are silent and do not rebel.”

Mary then spoke at length about many things with Bruno that afternoon, including her Assumption into Heaven.  “My body could not decay and did not decayMy Son came for me with His Angels.”  She revealed the sad condition of Bruno’s soul to him.  She was admonishing a return to God and a more literal living of the holy Gospel:  “Return to the pure source of the Gospel.”  At this point, Mary taught him the sure means of salvation for him and all mankind – which is prayer, and in particular, the daily praying of the Holy Rosary.

Bruno's three children that accompanied him to the park
Bruno’s three children that accompanied him to the park

“Pray much and recite the Rosary for the conversion of sinners, of unbelievers and of all Christians.”

As a reward for those who listen to her message of prayer, Mary said,

            “With this sinful soil, I will work powerful miracles for the conversion of unbelievers. I want to give you absolute proof of the divine reality which you are experiencing, so that you will exclude any other motive for this encounter – evil motivation included.  This is the sign:  Every time you meet a priest in church or in the street, approach him and address him with these words, ‘Father, I must talk to you.’  If he answers, ‘Ave Maria! My son, what do you want?’  Beg him to stop, because he is the chosen one.  Tell him what your heart dictates and obey him.  In fact, he will direct you to another priest by saying, ‘He is the one for you.’  Afterwards, you will go to the Holy Father, the Supreme Shepherd of all Christians, and give him My message personally.  The one that I will point out to you will take you to the Pope.  Some people will not believe, but let that not disturb you.”

The cave in the park where Blessed Mary appeared.
The cave in the park where Blessed Mary appeared.

Having said that to Bruno, she turned and serenely moved in the direction of St. Peter’s Basilica.  Still transfixed in an ecstasy, he could not move for a few moments.

Bruno and the children cleaned the grotto as best they could, and he chiseled the date of the apparition with his house key on the spot where the Virgin had stood.  Bruno’s conversion took place immediately, and he eventually gifted Pope Pius XII with the dagger he had planned to kill him with.  (Mary had directed him, as predicted, through priests to the Pope.)  He passed police interrogations and psychiatric examinations.

True to Mary’s promise, the dirt from the Grotto of Tre Fontane has proven to be miraculous.  It has worked wonders for the welfare of both bodies and souls.  There have been so many bodily cures and conversions that no one disputes that these graces have been received through the intercession of the Virgin of Revelation.

"The Virgin of Revelation" appears to Bruno and his children.
“The Virgin of Revelation” appears to Bruno and his children.

Mary appeared to Bruno three more times.  He repented his sinful life and became an outstanding Catholic.  Like Paul, he dedicated his life to evangelizing and teaching the truths of the Catholic Faith.  From that moment on, the grotto has been a gathering place for thousands of the faithful.  Every April 12, the Apparition is commemorated with a solemn celebration.

On April 12, 1980, on the 33rd anniversary of the Virgin’s visit, approximately 3,000 people, including 25 priests, had gathered to hear Bruno recall the first apparition and attend a Mass.  Suddenly, during the Holy Sacrifice, they were astounded by a supernatural display in the sky.

“Strange images appeared in the sky above the Grotto.  The sun seemed to turn backwards in the heavens and then began to draw near the earth.  It could be seen without straining the eyes.  It appeared bigger than normal, and showed within its corona brilliant and diverse colors (much in the same way as the sun “danced” in the sky over Fatima).  In rapid movements, as an incandescent magma forming diverse figurations, the sun appeared as a cross, an ‘M’, a heart surrounded with stars or dripping with blood, the monogram of Christ (IHS), hands joined in prayer, the Holy Family, etc.  Some saw the sun separate into three circles, then come back together again.  In spite of the numerous trees which should have impeded vision, the sun stood out clearly and brightened the chapel, faces, and the clothing of the people.”

Bruno Cornacchiola is immediately converted by this experience.
Bruno Cornacchiola is immediately converted by this experience.

The phenomenon lasted about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, the Mass that had been in progress was halted so that the people could calm down and return their attention to the service.  There were many physical cures.  A medical center was set up; after extensive research, it was confirmed that the cures were indeed miraculous and beyond any medical or scientific explanation.

Two years later, on the same anniversary date, April 12, 1982, the phenomenon of the miracle of the sun was repeated.  Again, the people could look directly at the sun without hurting their eyes.  This time, Our Lady had a message for priests:

“You are to have a deeper faith in the revealed truths of the Faith, greater obedience to the Teaching Authority of the Church, a vigilant prudence in dealing with people, and a pure and dignified lifestyle.”

The Shrine of the Virgin of Revelation in the cave at Tre Fontaine
The Shrine of the Virgin of Revelation in the cave at Tre Fontaine

From the very beginning of his conversion, Bruno was intent in passing on the truths of the Faith which he formerly so poorly understood.  Under the inspiration and direction of Our Lady Herself, he founded the catechetical organization called SACRI at Tre Fontane.  From the early months of his conversion, he was associated with an existing congregation of Sisters there.  In one of the apparitions, Our Lady told him:

“Go to my beloved daughters, the Teachers Filippini, and tell them that their mission is to be one of intense prayer for the conversion of non-believers and sinners.”

An attractive, simple shrine was built and staffed by the Conventual Franciscans.  Pope Pius XII blessed the statue of Our Lady of the Revelation in St. Peter’s Square.  Pope John Paul II blessed three statues of Our Lady of the Revelation for Italy, Australia, and the United States.  Our Lady then commented,

“Wherever a Sanctuary of the Virgin of Revelation is erected, it will be for all an oasis of conversion during the purgation of the Church.”

Many years later, Bruno still speaks about his amazing experience.
Many years later, Bruno still speaks about his amazing experience.

In 1997, Pope John Paul II approved that the shrine be renamed: “Holy Mary of the Third Millennium at Three Fountains.”

 

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Rome, Italy, 1842

ROME, ITALY  (1842)

An Austrian Jew named Alphonse Ratisbonne was the youngest son of an important banking family in Strasbourg.  Alphonse was a Jew by race and religion and was very well off in material possessions.  He harbored a great hatred for Catholics and anything to do with the Catholic Church – largely due to his brother George converting and becoming a priest.  He blamed the Catholic Church for “bewitching” his brother.  A series of mishaps brought him to Rome, a city he had vowed to never visit.  He became acquainted there with Baron Theodore de Bussieres, a very fervent Catholic.

Alphonse Ratisbonne
Alphonse Ratisbonne

One afternoon, during a raging argument with Bussieres in which Ratisbonne was ridiculing the superstitions of the Catholic religion, the Baron challenged him to submit to a simple test and wear the Miraculous Medal.  Ratisbonne consented so that he could prove the ineffectiveness of such religious baubles.  The Baron also added that Ratisbonne must recite the Memorare once a day.  He promised that he would, saying, “If it does me no good, at least it can do me no harm.”

The Baron and a close circle of aristocratic friends increased their prayers for the skeptical Jew.  One of them, Comte de la Ferronays, was a devout, but seriously ill, Catholic, who offered his life for the conversion of this young Jew.  On that same day Comte entered the church and prayed 20 Memorares, then suffered a heart attack and died.  Although Ratisbonne was ready to return the medal and leave Rome, the Baron asked Ratisbonne to accompany him the next day to the church while he was making funeral arrangements.  Ratisbonne felt obligated – due to the dead man’s prayers.

Alphonse is stunned by the unexpected appearance of the Virgin Mary in 1842.
Alphonse is stunned by the unexpected appearance of the Virgin Mary in 1842.

While waiting for Bussieres, he wandered through the church, admiring the beautiful artwork, but then decided to turn to leave out the front door.  A huge black dog suddenly appeared and blocked his path.  The animal was vicious, baring his fangs.  As Ratisbonne froze in his place, unable to move, the dog vanished and a brilliant light began glowing from a side chapel directly in front of him.  As he stood before the altar dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, Our Lady suddenly appeared to him (January 20, 1842).  She was wearing a crown and a simple long white tunic with a jeweled belt around her waist and blue-green mantle draped over her left shoulder.  Her peaceful gaze reached deeply into his soul.  Her hands were open, spreading rays of graces.  The light coming from her was so brilliant that he had to look away from her enchanting face and captivating eyes.  Her height and elegance gave the impression of a great lady, fully conscious of her own dignity.  She transmitted both grandeur and mercy in an atmosphere of great peace.  He said that her hands “expressed all the secrets of the Divine Pity.”  Ratisbonne understood that he was in the presence of the Mother of God.  Although Mary never said a word to him, he felt that he “understood all.”  He fell to his knees, sobbing, and converted.

Official documentation of the miraculous conversion.
Official documentation of the miraculous conversion.

The Baron was surprised to find him praying fervently on his knees.  Ratisbonne immediately asked to go to a confessor so that he could receive Baptism.  Eleven days later he received Baptism, Confirmation, and his first Communion.  The entire Catholic world became aware of this amazing conversion.  Ratisbonne became a Jesuit priest and founded a religious group, the Daughters of Zion – to help with the conversion of Jews!

 

Our Lady of the Snows, Rome, 352AD

A wealthy aristocrat and devout Christian known by tradition as John lived in Rome with his wife in the fourth century.  They had no children and feared that lack of an heir would end their family’s long prominence in the government of the city.  They had often prayed for a child but without success.  One day John’s wife said, “Let’s pray to the Blessed Virgin to nominate an heir.”

In August of that year, John had a dream that the Virgin Mary wanted a church built in her honor in Rome.  He was told that they would know where to build it because snow would fall on that spot.  Amazingly, Pope Liberius had the same dream on the same night.  Despite it being a very hot summer in Rome, snow fell the next day on Mount Esquiline, one of the famous Seven Hills.  However, it fell into a precise rectangular pattern – as if outlining the boundaries of the church Mary desired to have built.

When Pope Liberius showed up on Mount Esquiline to witness the miraculous snowfall, he found John and his wife already there, kneeling in prayer to the Virgin.  People crowded to see the rectangular patch of snow, which would not melt despite the hot summer heat of August.  John was convinced that its shape and size indicated that a church should be built on that precise spot.  As soon as the plot for the building had been staked out, the snow melted.

Basilica of St. Mary Major
Basilica of St. Mary Major

John met the costs of building this church, which was completed in 354 A.D.  It was dedicated as the Basilica Liberiana after Pope Liberius.  Seventy years later, it was rebuilt on a grander scale by Pope Sixtus III, who added decorations and ornaments of silver.  It was renamed the Basilica Sixti at that time.  Today, it is called the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) and is one of the largest basilicas in the world.  They celebrate the Miracle of the Snow every year on August 5th.

Pope Liberius provided a special painting of Madonna and Child from St. Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, to be housed in this new basilica.  Many miracles are attributed to this wonderful painting.  When Gregory I was Pope (590-604 A.D.), Rome was ravaged by a plague.  Pope Gregory carried the image of the Holy Mother in a procession from the basilica as far as Hadrian’s Mausoleum.  When the procession arrived, they heard an invisible heavenly choir singing Regina Coeli.  When the Pope asked the Virgin to pray for the city, he saw an apparition of St. Michael replacing the sword of vengeance into its scabbard.  And the plague ended.

Basilica of St. Mary Major, side altar
Basilica of St. Mary Major, side altar

The magnificent Basilica of St. Mary Major, still stands today as the seat of devotion to Our Lady of the Snows.  Father Paul Schulte, of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, introduced a shrine in her honor in the Midwest in 1941, which stands today in Belleville, Illinois.

Our Lady of the Snows
Our Lady of the Snows