OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS

Day 163: October 22

Our Lady of the Snows, Torre Annunziata, Naples, Italy



In the fourteenth century, at the time when the nascent town began to populate, some fishermen from Torrese saw a chest floating on the waves of the sea near the rock of Rovigliano. It was on 5th of August 1354. They picked it up and to their surprise found the image of Mary in it. The image was made of terracotta, of the Greek type, with a bust: the Madonna held the Child Jesus with her left arm. After a heated quarrel with the fishermen of Stabia, the image was transported to the church of the Holy Annunciation. Since there was no sign or writing indicating her name, she was called "MARIA SS. AD NIVES" (Holy Mary of the Snows) in memory of the snow that fell on Rome on August 5, 352, on the Esquiline Hill. According to Ilardi, in the fourteenth century, the religious orders migrated from the East to these coasts, saving the sacred images from the fury of the iconoclasts.

This image might have been thrown into the sea and was found at the rock of Rovigliano by the fishermen of Torresi: it is here that history is intertwined with legend. In 1448 Orsini ceded the territory to Count Nicola D'Alagno who had the current church of "AVE GRATIA PLENA" built. This was entrusted with an adjoining convent to the Celestine Fathers for the Care of Souls. And the Holy Image, which had long been hidden due to pirate raids, was transferred to the new church. Of the primitive church of the Annunciation as well as the shelter for travelers and the tower built on the lido, no trace remains.

In 1794 another terrible conflagration, comparable to that of 79 and 1631, shook the city. After destroying Torre del Greco, new lava gushed out on the south-east side, towards Torre Annunziata. Lava flowed into a ditch and filled it, it overflowed, but although it proceeded for three days, it did not reach the town. On that occasion, people ran to the church, took the Venerated Image of Our Lady of the Snow and carried it in procession through the town. A strong explosion broke the glass that protected the sacred image and the Virgin was seen turning her eyes to the Child clasped in her arms. The people cried out: "Grace, Grace" and like water thrown on the fire, the violent eruption was interrupted. From that moment, as has been handed down, the Virgin always kept her eyes fixed on her Child.

It is curious that Our Lady of the Snow is invoked as heavenly Patroness and Liberator against the flames and ardors of Vesuvius. This prodigious liberation, the most impressive in the history of the town, took place on October 22, 1822, when the wrath of the volcano seemed to bring back the fearful days of the eruption that buried Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia in 70 AD. On the morning of October 22, 1822, Torre was shrouded in intense darkness, while the lava current threatened Boscotrecase. In a leap of faith, the people ran to the feet of Our Lady defying danger and organizing a procession of penance. The Sacred Image was exposed to the veneration of the people off St Theresa (today Piazza Cesàro). While the priest Don Rocco Baly incited devotion and faith, a ray of sunshine rested on the face of the Virgin. The eruption ended. And Torre was saved. The miracle of October 22, 1822 is remembered with solemn celebrations. October 22nd is consecrated by resolution of the Municipal Authority, as a votive feast of the city: the influx of foreigners and pilgrims who join the people of Torre Annunziata every year in October is moving. One hundred years later, on October 22nd, 1922, the Virgin of the Snow was solemnly crowned Queen of Torre Annunziata by Monsignor Gregorio Grasso in Piazza Cesàro where the miracle had taken place.


Supplication to Mary of the Snow

O Mary Most Holy of the Snows, who in this thaumaturgical Image,

came to us on the waves of the sea,

you have brought us from the East the beauty of your face,

the sweetness of your gaze, the smile of your divine Son,

the treasures of your mystical Snow,

oh! Accept our regards, and now and always pray for us.


When hell wars against us, when the world seduces us,

when the flesh drives us to evil, when God, justly indignant,

shows us his anger, O Mary of the Snows,

watch over the people of Torre del Greco and over all your devotees and save us.


You have always protected us

because you have always loved us, you still protect us because, we are sure,

you have not ceased to love us: well, we love you as children,

we invoke you as children, we turn to you as children who hope in their Mother.


This hope comforts us, it makes our joy sweeter,

it soothes our sorrows, it sustains us in life,

it makes us look at death without fear,

because, having longed with a devout heart here on earth

for the treasures and beauties of your mystical Snow,

we shall one day be its blessed admirers in the eternal joys of Paradise.

Amen.


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"We believe in the Perpetual Visitation of Mary to every soul, especially those souls working on their personal sanctification: particularly to souls favored with a religious and priestly vocation and even more to every promoter of vocations."

(Ascension, trans. Louis Caputo, Vocationist Fathers, New Jersey, 1997, p. 379)

Comments

Post a Comment

Hot Picks

OUR LADY OF MELIAPORE

Image
Day 47: June 26 This is the shrine in the East Indies, where Saint Francis Xavier often retired to pray during his eleven years with the people of India. The Blessed Virgin Mary was Francis’ constant source of strength and inspiration. The image before which Saint Francis used to pray is called Mylai Matha in Tamil, or Our Lady of Mylapore in English. It is an ancient statue about three feet tall, Our Lady of Meliapore can still be venerated at the church. The church of Saint Thomas of Mylapore – spelled somewhat differently from the above – contains Mary’s shrine. According to tradition, the Apostle Saint Thomas came to India in 52 AD. Due to his success making converts to the True Faith, he was persecuted and finally martyred in the year 72 AD. Saint Thomas is buried at the shrine of Our Lady of Meliapore, and there are relics of Saint Francis Xavier. There was a church known to be in Mylapore going back to the 1st century, and built by St Thomas. According to tradition, there was a ...
Read more

Marian Year 2025-26

Image
  MARIAN YEAR The year 2026 marks the first centenary of the apparition of Our Lady to St Justin Russolillo, the Founder of the Vocationists. As the feast of Our Lady of Divine Vocations falls on May 11, the year preceding to that year (May 11 2025 – May 11 2026) has been declared to be celebrated as Marian Year by the Vocationists. The reason behind this year-long celebration is, as Pope Pius XII decreed prior to the Marian Year in 1953 on the occasion of the first centenary of the definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mother, “that the faith of the people may be increased and their devotion to the Virgin Mother of God become daily more inflamed.” As Rev. Fr. Louis Caputo SDV rightly points out, “the life of Fr. Justin here on earth began with the…apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary…, it developed in the shadow of Mary and ended in union with Mary.” The birth of Justin was preceded by an announcement by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Fr. Sa...
Read more

OUR LADY OF DIVINE VOCATIONS

Image
The Devotion to Our Lady of Divine Vocations The devotion to Our Lady of Divine Vocations has its foundation on the Marian Apparition that St Justin Russolillo had on May 10, 1926. He was praying breviary near a hut made of straws called pagliarella. St. Justin describes it in his diary (Book of the Soul) "May 10, 1926, first day of the Rogations. It was given to me the certainty that the Blessed Trinity has given the Blessed Lady the Office of the Immediate Superior of the Society of Divine Vocations and therefore of all the offices, mansions, studies, works, spheres and everything. She is the authority of the Society. Glory and thanks to God and Mary. Therefore, the established practice of having one person always present and on guard in the room dedicated to Our Lady to honor and venerate her perpetually." After the Marian Apparition, St Justin rushed to the rectory of St George's parish in Pianura where he used to be the parish priest. He asked Fr Luigi Diodato to pre...
Read more