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Dec 3rd - Our Lady of Filermo, Vergine di Montesanto - No Greater Delight
Celebrations
The MADONNA OF PHILERMO is an ancient sacred icon painted, according to legend, by Saint Luke, which had travelled miraculously across the sea from Jerusalem to Mount Phileremos on the island of Rhodes, where it was kept in a shrine, which later became a sanctuary. From earliest times the icon was venerated as an object of great devotion. Christianity was brought to Rhodes by Saint Paul (as later to Malta) so the Christian community on this island was of great antiquity.
The church of Our Lady of Victory in Paris was built in 1629 by King Louis XIII in thanksgiving for favors granted him by the Blessed Mother. The parishioners for a century and a half were known for their devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
With the French Revolution the church fell upon evil ways and days. All sorts of outrages were performed in it by the revolutionists. Afterwards it was used by a schismatic sect and later became a stock exchange. In 1809 it was restored to its original purpose but there were few parishioners left.
Father Charles Fritche des Gennettes was transferred to the church of Our Lady of Victories in 1832. He had been the pastor of Catherine Laboure. Father noticed that scarcely anyone came to Mass or received the sacraments. He tried all in his power, but to no avail, to bring the people back to the faith. Discouraged, he decided it was his duty as a failure to resign.
On Sunday, December 3, while saying Mass in an almost empty church, he, at the cannon of the Mass, cried out in distress. At that moment he heard a calm distinct voice say very solemnly:
“Consecrate your parish to the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
After Mass he wondered whether he had imagined it; then again during his thanksgiving, he heard the same words. No longer doubting, he took a pen and composed the rules for the confraternity of Our Lady and received the Bishop’s approval the same week.
The following Sunday, he told the ten people at Mass about his project and said there would be vespers of Our Lady that evening, and afterwards all details of the Confraternity of Our Lady would be given.
When Father Gennettes entered the church that evening, he found it filled for the first time in years; more than 400 people were there. The parish continued to flourish from then on. People came to the church from all other parts of Paris and France and finally, all parts of the world knew of the famous shrine, which now holds about 90,000 thank offerings for cures and favors.
On the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, there used to be a small church run by Carmelite friars, called St. Mary of the Holy Mountain after Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. The church housed a miraculous Madonna and Child, believed to have been painted by an 11-year-old girl with supernatural help. After the painting was canonically crowned on December 3, 1659, Cardinal Gerolamo Gastaldi decided to build the Madonna a more splended sanctuary. It was the work of three great architects. Gian Lorenzo Bernini modified Carlo Rainaldi's original plan to give the building an oval shape more in keeping with its site, and Carlo Fontana supervised its completion in 1679. Around the same time the "twin" church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli was built next door. The painting, hard to date but typical of the late 1400s, occupies a large columned altarpiece with stucco angels by Filippo Carcani. In 1953, Pius XII designated the Basilica di Santa Maria in Montesanto the official church for artists, who still come before the Virgin seeking divine help.[3]
[1] https://saintjohnofjerusalem.blogspot.com/p/icon-of-our-lady-of-philermo.html
[2] https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-victory-paris.html
[3] https://www.wherewewalked.info/feasts/12-December/12-03.htm
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By No Greater DelightCelebrations
The MADONNA OF PHILERMO is an ancient sacred icon painted, according to legend, by Saint Luke, which had travelled miraculously across the sea from Jerusalem to Mount Phileremos on the island of Rhodes, where it was kept in a shrine, which later became a sanctuary. From earliest times the icon was venerated as an object of great devotion. Christianity was brought to Rhodes by Saint Paul (as later to Malta) so the Christian community on this island was of great antiquity.
The church of Our Lady of Victory in Paris was built in 1629 by King Louis XIII in thanksgiving for favors granted him by the Blessed Mother. The parishioners for a century and a half were known for their devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
With the French Revolution the church fell upon evil ways and days. All sorts of outrages were performed in it by the revolutionists. Afterwards it was used by a schismatic sect and later became a stock exchange. In 1809 it was restored to its original purpose but there were few parishioners left.
Father Charles Fritche des Gennettes was transferred to the church of Our Lady of Victories in 1832. He had been the pastor of Catherine Laboure. Father noticed that scarcely anyone came to Mass or received the sacraments. He tried all in his power, but to no avail, to bring the people back to the faith. Discouraged, he decided it was his duty as a failure to resign.
On Sunday, December 3, while saying Mass in an almost empty church, he, at the cannon of the Mass, cried out in distress. At that moment he heard a calm distinct voice say very solemnly:
“Consecrate your parish to the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
After Mass he wondered whether he had imagined it; then again during his thanksgiving, he heard the same words. No longer doubting, he took a pen and composed the rules for the confraternity of Our Lady and received the Bishop’s approval the same week.
The following Sunday, he told the ten people at Mass about his project and said there would be vespers of Our Lady that evening, and afterwards all details of the Confraternity of Our Lady would be given.
When Father Gennettes entered the church that evening, he found it filled for the first time in years; more than 400 people were there. The parish continued to flourish from then on. People came to the church from all other parts of Paris and France and finally, all parts of the world knew of the famous shrine, which now holds about 90,000 thank offerings for cures and favors.
On the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, there used to be a small church run by Carmelite friars, called St. Mary of the Holy Mountain after Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. The church housed a miraculous Madonna and Child, believed to have been painted by an 11-year-old girl with supernatural help. After the painting was canonically crowned on December 3, 1659, Cardinal Gerolamo Gastaldi decided to build the Madonna a more splended sanctuary. It was the work of three great architects. Gian Lorenzo Bernini modified Carlo Rainaldi's original plan to give the building an oval shape more in keeping with its site, and Carlo Fontana supervised its completion in 1679. Around the same time the "twin" church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli was built next door. The painting, hard to date but typical of the late 1400s, occupies a large columned altarpiece with stucco angels by Filippo Carcani. In 1953, Pius XII designated the Basilica di Santa Maria in Montesanto the official church for artists, who still come before the Virgin seeking divine help.[3]
[1] https://saintjohnofjerusalem.blogspot.com/p/icon-of-our-lady-of-philermo.html
[2] https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-victory-paris.html
[3] https://www.wherewewalked.info/feasts/12-December/12-03.htm