The story of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Pompeii and the Supplication
Summary
The icon of Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii (120 cm high and 100 cm wide) presents the image of the Madonna enthroned with Jesus in arm; at his feet, Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena. The Virgin bears in the hand left the crown of the Rosary which he hands to Saint Catherine, while Jesus, leaning on his right leg, he hands it to Saint Dominic. Three large spaces can be recognized in this picture. The space above, into which the humble but solemn enthroned figure of Mary invites the Church to move towards the mystery of the Trinity.
The space below is that of the Church, the mystical body, the family that has in Jesus his head, in the Spirit his bond, in Mary his eminent member and his Mother. The lateral space, represented by the arches, leads to the world, to history, towards which the Church it has the duty to be a "sacrament", offering the service of evangelical proclamation for the construction of a city worthy of man. The way that unites these spaces is the Rosary, a prayerful synthesis of writing, placed almost as a foundation at the foot of the throne, and delivered by the Son and from the Mother as a way of meditation and assimilation of the Mystery.
Bartolo Longo
This icon was given to Bartolo Longo, now blessed, by Sister Maria Concetta De Litala, of the Rosariello Convent at Porta Medina in Naples; the nun had had her in custody since father Alberto Radente, confessor of the Blessed, who had bought it from a second-hand dealer. To transport it to Pompeii, Longo entrusted it to the carter Angelo Tortora who, wrapped it in a sheet, placed it on a cart full of manure: it was November 13, 1875. The painting, however, needed restoration and was placed in the veneration of the faithful only on February 13, 1876.
First miracle
On the same day, a Naples, the first miracle took place through the intercession of the Madonna of Pompeii: the twelve-year-old Clorinda Lucarelli, judged incurable by the illustrious prof. Antonio Cardarelli, recovered perfectly from terrible epileptic seizures. Later, Bartolo Longo entrusted the icon to the Neapolitan painter Federico Maldarelli for further restoration, also asking him to transform the original Santa Rosa into Santa Caterina da Siena. In 1965, a highly scientific restoration was carried out at the Pontifical Institute of the Olivetan Benedictine Fathers in Rome, during which, under the colors superimposed in the previous interventions, the original colors were discovered which revealed the hand by a talented artist of the school of Luca Giordano (17th century).
Cathedral of Naples
In the same year, on April 23, the Framework was crowned by the Servant of GodPaul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini, 1963-1978) in St. Peter's Basilica. In 2000, for the 125th anniversary, the Painting stopped for five days in the Cathedral of Naples, where he was revered by thousands of faithful. The return to Pompeii was made on foot, following the 1875 route, with several stops in the cities of the province.
Throughout the day, hundreds of thousands of people crowded the thirty-kilometre route that separates Pompeii from the capital. When, in the middle of the night, the Picture arrived at the Shrine of Pompeii, he was welcomed by a city in celebration. On 16 October 2002, the painting returned to St. Peter's Square, at the explicit request of Blessed John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła, 1978-2005) who, next to the“beautiful image venerated in Pompeii”, signed the Apostolic LetterRosarium Virginis Mariae, with which he introduced the five new Mysteries of Light.
The painting of the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii, increasingly the object of profound veneration throughout the world, is kept on the high altar of the Pompeii Sanctuary. The construction of the Sanctuary began, by Bartolo Longo, on 9 May 1876 and ended in 1887.
In 1893 Longo offered Pp Leo XIII (Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci, 1878-1903) the ownership of the Sanctuary with all the Pompeian works; a few years later he too renounced the administration that the Pope had left him. The interior of the Sanctuary is in the form of a Latin cross, all worked in marble, gold, gilded mosaics, nineteenth-century paintings, with an immense crypt, the throne surrounded by columns, on the cross there is the enormous 57-metre dome all frescoed.
In addition to the construction of a massive 80-metre high bell tower, the Sanctuary was enlarged between 1933 and 1939, going from one to three naves, maintaining the Latin cross structure. The project was conceived by the architect and priest Monsignor Spirito Maria Chiapetta, who also directed the works. The two minor naves, which have three altars on each side, extend right behind the apse in an ambulatory enriched by four semicircular chapels.
The set of constructions is harmonized by contrasting structures, in perfect balance of masses, designed so as not to undergo displacement effects for any cause. The 2,000 m2 interior can accommodate around 6,000 people. The total volume is 40,000 meters.
The founder of the Sanctuary, Bartolo Longo, had found a marshy and unhealthy area, practically abandoned since 1659 due to the overflowing of the nearby river Sarno. Upon his death on 5 October 1926, he left a repopulated, healthy city entirely to the Sanctuary and its numerous works, which was later joined by tourism for the excavations of the city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius.
Bartolo Longo was elevated to the honors of the altar by Saint John Paul IIon October 26, 1980.
His was the initiative of the supplication, which he compiled, to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii which is recited solemnly and with a great concourse of the faithful, on 8 May and on the first Sunday of October.
O august Queen of Victories, O Sovereign of heaven and earth, in whose name the heavens rejoice and the abysses tremble, O Glorious Queen of the Rosary, we devoted sons yours, gathered in your temple in Pompeii (on this solemn day), we pour out the affections of our hearts and with confidence sons we express our miseries to you.
From the throne of clemency, where you sit as Queen, turn, O Mary, your pitiful gaze upon us, upon our families, upon Italy, upon Europe, upon the world. Take pity on the troubles and travails that embitter our lives. See, O Mother, how many dangers in soul and body, how many calamities and afflictions force us.
O Mother, beg mercy for us from yours Son divine and conquer the hearts of sinners with clemency. They are our brothers and sons yours that cost blood to sweet Jesus and they sadden your most sensitive Heart. Show yourself to everyone who you are, Queen of peace and forgiveness.
Ave Maria
It is true that we, first, although yours sons, with sins we return to crucify in our hearts Jesus and pierce your heart again.
We confess it: we deserve the harshest punishments, but you remember that, on Golgotha, you collected, with the divine Blood, the testament of the dying Redeemer, who declared you our Mother, Mother of sinners.
You therefore, as our Mother, are our advocate, our hope. And we, moaning, stretch out our imploring hands to you, crying out: mercy!
O good Mother, have mercy on us, on our souls, on our families, on our relatives, on our friends, on our deceased, above all on our enemies and on so many who call themselves Christians, yet offend the loving heart of your Son. Mercy today we implore for the nations gone astray, for all of Europe, for the whole world, so that you may return repentant to your heart.
Mercy for all, O Mother of Mercy.
Ave Maria
Graciously deign, O Mary, to grant us! Jesus he has placed in your hands all the treasures of his graces and mercies.
You sit, crowned Queen, to the right of yours Son, shining with immortal glory upon all the choirs of angels. You extend your dominion as far as the heavens are extended, the earth and all creatures are subject to you. You are almighty by grace, so you can help us.
If you don't want to help us, why sons ungrateful and undeserving of your protection, we wouldn't know who to turn to. Your Mother's heart will not allow us to see, yours sons, lost. The child we see on your knees and the mystical crown we aim at in yours hand, they inspire us confidence that we will be heard. And we fully trust in you, we abandon ourselves as weak sons in the arms of the most tender of mothers, and, today, we await the longed-for thanks from you.
Ave Maria
We now ask you for one last grace, O Queen, which you cannot deny us (on this most solemn day). Grant us all thelove yours constant and in a special way the maternal blessing.
We will not leave you until you have blessed us. Bless, O Mary, at this moment the Supreme Pontiff. To the ancient splendor of your crown, to the triumphs of your Rosary, by which you are called Queen of Victories, add this again, O Mother: grant triumph to religion and peace to human society. Bless our bishops, priests and especially all those who are zealous for the honor of your Shrine. Finally, bless all those associated with your temple in Pompeii and all those who cultivate and promote devotion to the holy Rosary.
O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain that binds us together God, constraint of love who join us to the angels, tower of salvation, in the assaults of hell, safe harbor in the common shipwreck, we will never leave you again.
You will be there comfort in the hour of agony, to you the last kiss of the life that goes out.
And the last accent of our lips will be your sweet name, or Queen of the Rosary of Pompeii, or our dear Mother, or Refuge of sinners, or Sovereign consoler of the mesti.
Be blessed everywhere, today and always, on earth and in heaven. Amen.
