Queen of the Holy Rosary, restore me to health!

I have had the above pictured holy card for years.  I used it as a bookmark while homeschooling all the way back in the 4th grade.  It stayed in my books all the way through my senior year.  Imagine that.  It was my companion through history text pages mostly.  But the funny thing is, I never knew the history behind this image!  Tomorrow, however, is her feast day, so I thought I'd explore this devotion.  It turned out to be quite fascinating.

The first part of the story starts with a man named Bartolo Longo.  He was born in 1841 and raised by devout Catholic parents in a small town in southern Italy.  When he went off to college though, he strayed far away from his upbringing.  He became indifferent, then hostile to the Catholic Faith eventually becoming a Satanist and was ordained a "priest".  What a back story.  What a falling away!  But his story wasn't over yet.  Bartolo was not satisfied but instead, became depressed and obsessed with the Demonic.  He was on the point of a mental breakdown.  A good friend, Vincenzo Pepe directed him to a good Dominican priest, Fr. Alberto Radente who helped him, heard his confession, and brought him back into the Church.  Bartolo became a Third Order Dominican in 1871 and took the name Frater Rosario. He decided to preach against the occult and to help the poor in order to make reparation for his life of sin.  Through his charitable works, Bartolo met Countess Marianna de Fusco.  He helped her with legal matters in Pompeii and while he was there, he saw both the material and spiritual poverty of the people.

One day in October, as Bartolo walked near the chapel in Pompeii, he began to contemplate his life.  He wrote: 

"As I pondered over my condition, I experienced a deep sense of despair and almost committed suicide. Then I heard an echo in my ear of the voice of Friar Alberto repeating the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 'If you seek salvation, promulgate the rosary. This is Mary's own promise.' These words illumined my soul. I went on my knees. 'If it is true. I will not leave this valley until I have propagated your rosary.'" (source)

Bartolo realized that his mission was to restore the Church in Pompeii and the Rosary would be the key to doing this.  He and the Countess de Fusco started a Confraternity of the Rosary, organized missions, and helped the poor.  The Confraternity grew and the group wanted to find an image of Our Lady to aid in their devotion and meditation.  So Bartolo went to look for one in Naples, but couldn't afford the one he wanted.  Sister Maria Concetta de Litala of the Monastery of the Rosary at Porta Medina gave one which Fr. Alberto Radente had found at a Neapolitan junk shop.  (Thrifting at it's finest!!)  The image was in sad shape and didn't look very pleasing.  Bartolo described it as follows:

"Not only was it worm-eaten, but the face of the Madonna was that of a coarse, rough country-woman ... a piece of canvas was missing just above her head ... her mantle was cracked. Nothing need be said of the hideousness of the other figures. St. Dominic looked like a street idiot. To Our Lady's left was a St. Rose. This I had changed later into a St. Catherine of Siena ... I hesitated whether to refuse the gift or to accept ... I took it." (source)

The image was restored, enshrined, and many miracles began to happen there.  Pilgrims came and the church building was fixed up as well in October of 1873.  In 1876, construction on a new, beautiful, larger church was begun and the church was consecrated in 1891.  Bartolo along with the Countess Marianna de Fusco continued his charitable works helping orphans, evangelizing, sponsoring candidates for the priesthood, preaching against the occult, and promoting the rosary until his death on October 5th, 1926, at the age of 85.  His last words were,

“My only desire is to see Mary, who has saved me and who will save me from the clutches of satan.”(source)

In 1939 the church was enlarged and re-consecrated as a basilica and officially renamed the Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Pompeii.

The picture, already summarily restored in 1875, was subjected in 1879 to a second and far more accurate retouching which stabilized the colors and the image. Finally, in 1965, at Rome, the cloth was renovated for a third time, at the hands of the Benedictine Monks. Moreover, before being returned to Pompeii (on April 25, 1965), the picture remained in the Vatican Basilica by express request of Paul VI.  During the homily (March 23, 1965), the Pope expressed the hope that

"just as the image of the Virgin has been repaired and decorated .... so may the image of Mary that all Christians must have within themselves be restored, renovated, and enriched." 

At the end of the Mass, the Pope solemnly enthroned the Child and Madonna, placing on their heads two precious diadems that had been offered by the faithful. (source)

Bartolo was beatified by John Paul II on October 26, 1980 who called him the "Apostle of the Rosary".

Find this free coloring page and more at the artist's store here.

Blessed Bartolo Longo also instituted the "Supplication to the Queen of Victories" which, begun at Pompeii on October 1883, is recited all over the world on May 8, and on the first Sunday in October.  You can find the full text of the prayer here.  Please join me in praying this prayer tomorrow, May 8th, the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii.

Did you notice something?  All of the dates with months that I mentioned above were in the month of October.  The day he discovered his mission in Pompeii, the restoration of the little church, his death (and thus his feast day), and his beatification all took place in October, the month of the Holy Rosary.  I do not think it was a coincidence that Our Lady chose to use Bartolo to spread devotion to her Rosary.  Bartolo is a wonderful reminder that no matter where you've come from, no matter the terrible sins of your past, if you repent, you can be saved; you can be healed.  Have recourse to the blessed Virgin.  She will lead you to Her Son.  Pray her Rosary.

Rosary in hand, Blessed Bartolo Longo says to each of us:

“Awaken your confidence in the Most Blessed Virgin of the Rosary. Venerable Holy Mother, in You I rest all my troubles, all my trust and all my hope!”

- Pope John Paul II in his homily during the beatification ceremony for Blessed Bartolo (source)

Blessed Bartolo Longo, pray for us!  Our Lady of Pompeii, pray for us!

I know this post is already so long and you're probably thinking, "This post turned out to be about Bl. Bartolo instead of Our Lady of Pompeii," and its true, in searching for the history of Our Lady of Pompeii, I became fascinated with Bl. Bartolo.  But he would not have gotten where he did without Our Lady so his story is really a testament to her intercession.  And I just wanted to mention one more story about her so please bear with me!

On March 3, 1884 a young girl named Fortuna Agrelli received an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was given a special and powerful devotion.

Fortuna had been ill with 3 separate incurable diseases for thirteen months and her doctors had given up. Her case looked hopeless. In desperation, the young girl and her family began a novena of Rosaries.

Mary appeared sitting upon a high throne, surrounded by luminous figures, holding the divine Child on her lap, and in her hand a Rosary. The Virgin Mother and the Holy Infant were clad in gold embroidered garments. They were accompanied by Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena. The throne was profusely decorated with flowers; the beauty of Our Lady was marvelous.

Our Lady looked upon Fortuna with maternal tenderness. The sick girl cried out to her with the following supplication:

Queen of the Holy Rosary, be gracious to me, restore me to health! I have already prayed to Thee in a novena, O Mary, but have not yet experienced Thy aid. I am so anxious to be cured!” 

““Child”, responded the Blessed Virgin,

 “thou hast invoked me by various titles and hast always obtained favours from me. Now, since thou hast called me by that title so pleasing to me, ‘Queen of the Holy Rosary’, I can no longer refuse the favour thou dost petition; for this name is most precious and dear to me. Make three novenas, and thou shalt obtain all”.

Once more, the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to the young Fortuna and said,

 “"Whoever desires to obtain favors from Me should make three novenas of the prayers of the Rosary, and three novenas in thanksgiving.”"

Obeying Our Lady’'s instructions, the young girl was healed and restored to perfect health.

This miracle of the Rosary made a very deep impression on Pope Leo XIII, and greatly contributed to the fact that in so many circular letters, he urged all Christians to love the Rosary and say it fervently.

This story has been recounted from Roman Catholic Man and 54daynovena.com where you can also find more information about Our Lady of Pompeii's 54 Day Rosary Novena.  

So you see, Our Lady of Pompeii is very willing to help us if we just call upon her name, Queen of the Holy Rosary.  When invoked, she healed Fortuna in body.  No doubt, she healed Bl. Bartolo in spirit too.  She has healed so many people, both physically and spiritually through her miraculous image.  Especially during this time of pandemic, let us invoke Our Lady under her title of Our Lady of Pompeii, the Queen of the Holy Rosary.  Let us make Fortuna's cry our own,

"Queen of the Holy Rosary, ... restore me to health!"  

In corde Mariae,
Sarah