The apparitions and messages of Our Lady of Roses in San Damiano, Italy, happened to Rosa Quattrini, wife and mother of three children. Rosa was born January 26, 1909, in Santimento di Rottofreno.
Apparition and healing of Rosa in September 29, 1961: Rosa was very ill, with severe peritonitis, at home with her aunt Adele. At noon, a young and beautiful Lady knocks on the door. Aunt Adele answers and sees a beautiful Lady in a blue-gray dress and a black bag. The young Lady had blue eyes and asked for alms for the Sanctuary of San Giovanni Rotondo. Aunt Adele said her that Rosa was there, and very sick. The Lady asked to come in and see Rosa. She entered and invited Rosa to get out of bed. Rosa was healed at the same time. The Lady said that Rosa should go to Father Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo and left.
Time with Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: As soon as she could, Rosa went to San Giovanni Rotondo and there she saw the Lady who had healed her. She said to Rosa, “Do you recognize me? Now let everyone know that I am the Mother of Consolation and the Afflicted.” Afterwards, the Lady took Rosa to Father Pio and he received her. Rosa spent two years there taking care of the sick. Then Padre Pio sent Rosa home again and said that a mission was waiting for her. She began to be called affectionately and from then like Mamma Rosa.
First apparition on October 16, 1964: While Mamma Rosa, at the time 55 years old, was reciting the "Angelus" at noon, she heard a voice outside calling her:
- Come! Come, I will wait for you!
While Rosa hesitated, wondering if it was an illusion, the voice was heard a second time:
- Come! Come here, I'll wait for you!
Rosa left the house to the backyard holding her Rosary and saw a cloud of gold and silver in the sky surrounded by many stars and roses of various colors near a pear tree in the house. Our Lady appeared surrounded by light and said:
- My daughter, I come from far away. Announce to the world that everyone should pray, because Jesus can no longer carry the Cross. I want everyone to be saved, good and bad. I am the Mother of Love, Mother of all. You are all my children. So I want everyone to be saved. It is for this reason that I came: to lead the world to prayer, because the punishments are close. I will be back every Friday. I will give you messages and you must make then known around the world.
- Lady, but they won't believe me. I am just a poor ignorant peasant. They will put me in prison!
- Yes, they will believe you because, after I go, I will leave a sign: this tree will blossom.
The next day, the pear dawned in full bloom, out of season, giving off a strong and pleasant scent. This went on for three weeks. The news spread and many people came to see it. Many people believed in this sign, others did not. In the following years, people met with Mamma Rosa for the apparitions every Friday, near this pear tree, where she saw Our Lady and received messages about many topics. Our Lady said that her title there would be “Our Lady of Roses”. Our Lady appeared many times with a red rose in each hand and each foot, a golden Rosary wrapped around her waist, a blue robe and a cream-colored dress. Read some messages of Our Lady in San Damiano:
Message of September 6, 1967: “Many have forgotten me. They lost their perseverance, in spite of the graces that I have poured out on them with all my Mother's Heart. Therefore, I trust in your faithfulness to make me known and assert my presence on Earth. I am among you and my motherly cry calls all my children. I want to save everyone. Help me, help! Welcome my invitation of love!”
Message of September 12, 1967: “I come in your midst, my little children. Do not be afraid! Go ahead! Do not wait for the fierce and angry war to come to the world, from which no one can be saved. You must push it away. Make me triumph! You must be among those who bring love and peace. I'm by your side. You must not care what others think. Don't you see the damage that the devil does? He makes tragedies in souls and drags them to ruin, especially youth. You must make Jesus reign in hearts, in nations and everywhere. You must make me loved by reciting the Holy Rosary. You will see that everything will rise again. I promise you that I will still come with great light. But first, the light in the hearts, and then, the light in the whole world. I will shine love for me and my Son Jesus.”
Message of May 1, 1969: “Go to the Jesus-Host, which is a source of grace. He is all love, He is all mercy. Receive my Son Jesus into your heart. Receive him with much love, faith, penance and repentance.”
Message of August 5, 1967: “Don't think so much about things on Earth, my children. If you saw how beautiful Paradise is, how it is surrounded by Angels and Saints, what joy! What joy you would taste and it would be a comfort! Big consolation! There are only songs and harmony, only love, love for each other. Think, my children, always think about Heaven where you will remain forever! Think and reflect!”
Message of January 27, 1967: “My little children, keep your Rosary carefully over yourselves, day and night. He will always give you the strength to walk on the path of holiness.”
Message of May 5, 1967: “The world is in the mud. They don’t understand the truth of God. They want to ignore the truth. They want to do everything themselves!”
Message of June 29, 1967: “Jesus calls you, my little children. He calls you in the Eucharistic Banquet. And when you have Jesus in your heart, you will be strong and strengthened to fight. Jesus always fought and always won. He always took victory everywhere.”
Message of August 15, 1967: “Resist, my children, because the devil wants to do damage, my little children! But don't be afraid. Smash the demon with prayer and the Rosary.”
Message of August 4, 1967: “Be strong, my children, and do not be afraid because struggles will come. Everyone must face them. I will cast the demon into the abyss and you will all rise in faith. You must not be afraid, my little children! Lift your eyes to Heaven and repeat the Credo many times. During the day, pray the Credo many times!”
Message of June 13, 1969: “There are so many sacrileges around the world ... They step on my Son Jesus! They give Jesus to anyone! What a pain for me! What a pain to see my Son's Body and Blood outraged!”
Message of June 9, 1967: “When the time comes for anguish, darkness and the dish, call me with the sweet name of Mother and I will come to embrace you and I will take you to Heavenly Motherland. There you will sing with the Angels and Saints. There you will have forgiveness and everyone will be saved with so much joy and where we will have a great party.”
Message of August 13, 1967: "Everything you suffer in the name of Jesus will be written in the Book of Life."
Message of January 20, 1967: “Bear the cross that will come, with love and resignation. Support it! I too suffered as much as I was on this Earth, so much! I will give you strength to bear the cross with my Son Jesus. Follow it with great joy. Follow my Son's Way of the Cross! When you reach the summit of Calvary, I will embrace you and open the door of Heaven to you. I will come to meet you with your Guardian Angel.”
Message of 1967: “So many are in the mud, in the mud of television, in the mud of cinemas, in the mud of theaters, sins that hurt my Son Jesus!”
Message of December 24, 1967: “You religious, I do not want pride, nor haughtiness, nor vanity, which are so great in so many convents! Souls cannot enter because I only see things that are not going well. The devil acts in convents and religious because they allow themselves to be overcome by temptations and dangers. They no longer embrace the cross nor Jesus and they no longer follow their Bridegroom. These only make Him cry and I have a broken Heart when I see my children consecrated in so much mud!”
Message of August 4, 1969, message of Jesus to the priests: “You priests, be small, small. Your presence in the world must resemble mine: always have a smile, even at the cost of sacrifices and bear the cross as I did: slanders, betrayals and injustices. And after that, they still crucified me! But you, too, must follow me and not follow the world.”
Message of December 10, 1967: “You mothers, make your children pray! Prepare us, prepare us! Pray for your girls and boys! Send them the Angels so that may be enlightened and protected, defended from every danger in which they are so in the mud! Mothers, say prayers for your children! The Rosary! And you will have joy, comfort, serenity and harmony in your homes! Remain often at the side of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Call me by the sweet name of Mother and I will come to your homes and comfort you.”
Message of January 5, 1968, message of Saint Michael the Archangel: “Fight and make your Heavenly Mother triumph, because the time has come! Your Mother has already announced that they must be united in one heart: lay people and priests, brothers and sisters. Walk and talk! We will do everything: me with the sword and you with the Rosary in your hands. We will make it triumph as soon as possible. Can't you see the terrible time has come? The time has come! Do you understand? Heavenly Mother has already announced. Now, she sent me on her behalf to announce yet. It's time, wake up! I will enlighten you. I will protect you. I will defend you with the sword in the name of all Angels and Saints. You will all be protected and no one can harm you. Go ahead, go ahead! Triumph with Jesus and Mary.”
Message of August 11, 1967: “Call always your Guardian Angels by your side during the day! May they always be by your side and guide you on the path of virtue.”
Message of August 13, 1967: “Offer at all times all your pains, your work, your anguish. Everything that you have endured for the love of Jesus will be written in Heaven and you will have the glory of Paradise, you will be crowned, you will be loved and Jesus will give you so much joy, so much comfort! Do not fear, my dear little children.”
Message of November 15, 1966: “Wake up because Jesus in the Eucharist calls you! Jesus wants to inflame your heart. He wants to be reborn in your heart. He wants to give you gifts. Jesus will give you such a great light, so great! He will give you a very big light so that may you can awaken all souls.”
Message of May 5, 1967: “Go frequently at the foot of the Altar and in front of the Tabernacle. Go trust Him. He hears your prayers. He will give you so many graces and comfort...”
Message of May 25, 1967: “The world is getting lost in every moment... They don't accept my invitation... And I am so despised! So offended!”
Place of the apparitions: Our Lady said that the place of apparitions was blessed and loved by her and called it "Little Garden of Paradise." She said that many graces would be poured there. Rosa also received some apparitions from Saint Michael the Archangel and Jesus. Our Lady gave a Rosa a new name: Rosa de Jesus e Maria. In 1974, the Our Lady of Roses Association was established to welcome pilgrims and spread the messages.
Continuity of events and apparitions: The public apparitions lasted from 1964 until 1970. During these years, many came to the site for the apparitions of each Friday. Mamma Rosa always attended to them, prayed for them and consoled them. The apparitions ended in 1970, out of obedience to the bishop and at the request of Mamma Rosa herself. Then Rosa Quattrini began to live in a conventual, more secluded way, in her home. She was widowed by her husband in 1971. In the following years, she continued to live as a housewife, widow and mother. She always practiced the requests of Our Lady, who still appeared to her, but these messages were only concerned to her. Rosa Quattrini passed away on September 5, 1981, at the age of 72. Her funeral was celebrated in San Damiano, on September 8, at the Nativity of Our Lady.
