Philippine apparition · Rare Periodicals · Open Access Repository @ UPD

Title

Philippine apparition

Language

English

Source

I (10&11) October-November 1949

Year

1949

Subject

Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint

Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace (Lipa, Batangas)

Religious apparitions

Catholic church

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The term Mediatrix is associated with an alleged 1948 apparition of the Virgin Mary to Teresita Castillo, with title Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace in the Carmelite monastery of Lipa, Batangas. The apparition is well known in the Philippines and among the Filipino movement, most notably the preserved rose petals which fell from the sky and are claimed to be miraculous.

Fulltext

"I wish this spot to be blessed tomorrow," She said. "At what time, Mother?" asked Teresita. "Any time your Mother :Prioress wants, My child. I forbid you to forget the incidents of those fifteen days." Then blessing the sister, She vanished. The blessing of the nook in the garden was at three o'clock in the afternoon the next da,y. Carmel's Chaplain, His Excellency Bishop ,Alfredo Ma. Obviar, wearing rochette and stole, entered the enclosure and the Community followed him to the spot. The Lady, visible only to Teresita, appeared with Her arms extended. As soon as Teresita knelt before Her, She said: "My child, kiss the ground and eat a little grass. Take a p"iece o'f paper and pencil and write down what I shall tell you for the Community." The following is Her message. "My daughters: I ask you, first to believe in Me and keep this a deep secret among yourselves for the time being. Second, love one another as true sisters. And third, come often to visit Me. Make this a sacred place and respect it. Gather the petals my children. I bless you all." Then the lady vanished and in the place of the apparition there were rose petals scattered. The Chaplain proceeded with the blessing of the place, after which he gave a short talk to the Community, emphasizing the Lady's message. At five o'clock in the afternoon the same day, Teresita went back to the spot, and as on the preceeding days the apparition was waiting for her. "I shalJ ask something from Carmel. I want a statue of Mine to be placed here. Clear this part of your garden so that it will be a real place of prayer. You need not tell Me all that your sisters are asking-, for I know them. Tell them that they must believe lest they lose grace. I shall always bless the Community, My child." On Thursday, September 16, the Lady told Teresita: "I want a statue of Mine to be placed here. I want you to describe Me to your Chaplain because I want it to be as you see Me and as Page 520 big as the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that is in the cloister. Tell your l\1other Prioress to have the Rosary recited by the Community here every afternoon during these days. Extend my Joye to all My daughters. Tell them that I love all my daughters in Lipa Carmel, that I shall always be with you Di!." Then blessing her little one, She departed. The following days the Lady and Teresita met each other at the spot. She gave Teresita Her mother,ly advice, telL ing her to be obedient, humble and simple; also. to tell the Community that ;implicity and humility are the virtues She loves most, and so Joye and practice them. One day the Apparition asked from the Community an individual consecration of its members to the spirit of St. Grignon de Montfort. On the last of the fifteen days, Sunday, September 26, the Lady repeated Her counsels to Teresita: "My child, you must love and obey your Mother Prioress. Tell your sisters to love one another as true sisters, to practice humility and simplicity, the virtues I love most. Tell them to lnYe and obey their superiors and not to forget the· things I ask. I shall not ask bigger things from you as you expect because you are My little ones. Do not forget to consecrate yourselves to Me on Oc• tober 7. Be very good. I am MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES. I shaM always bless the Community, morning and evening." !Blessing the Sister, She disappeared. On September 30 rose petals were strewn in the cells of the Monastery. On October 3 the shower fell on the staircase. On November 11 the petals fell outside and were seen by some Yisitors. On the First Friday of November, between noon and three o'clock, Teresita in· ecstacy reenacted the sufferings of Our Lord on the cross. On Friday, November 12, after Mass, Teresita was called to the place of the apparition and there was Mary, Mediatrix of Aili Graces. She looked tenderly but sadly as She said, "People be1ieve not My words. Pray, my child, pray much because of persecution. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW Pray for priests. vVhat I ask here is Pxactly what I asked at Fatima. Tell this to the people. They do not believe in Me nor do they give what I ask. Tell the Sisters that I ask them to pray and help spread My devotion and to do pen:mce for those who do not believe. These things may now be revealed. This is My last appartion in this spot." Blessing Her little one and the Community assembled, Mary, Mediatrix of All Jcraces, vanished. IMPRIMATUR: A. Verzosa, episcopus lipensis, Dec. 6, 1948 IMPRIMI 'POTE ST: Joannes S. Coronel, Censor Librorum, Dec. 5, 1948 Showers of rose petals occurred in the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa many times. Reported show-ers of petals were on the days of December 8, 10 and 12, 1948. LETTER F'ROM LIPA CARMEL Following is a letter written to Rev. J,)hn Ryan,, S. J., editor of "Fatima Findings." by the Reg. Mother Prioress of Lipa Carmel, where Our Lady appeared. November 14, 1948 Dear F'ather: Would Your Reverence believe that the Queen of Heaven would deign to 8toop down and choose this Carmel of Lipa as her privileged spot in our dear Philippines? On July 4 of this year, a fervent aspirant ran away from Tanauan, her home town, to enter our Carmel. Fervent and in earnest, she spent the first few weeks as any other postulant, but at the beginning of August the enemy of oi;r souls attacked her in visible form. He was furious against her because she obeyed her Mother in Heaven to enter Carmel, etc. After the assaults of the devil, our little Sister has received great graces: Our Blessed Mother has appeared to her fourteen times in a nook in our garden and every Friday the Sacred Passion of Our Lord is reenacted in her body. The message of the apparition is exactly the same as Fatima but the name Our Lady ~ave Herself is Marv, Mediatrix of All Graces. She complained that people do not believe her words and refuse to gi\·e what She asks. OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 1949 The apparitions started on September 13 and continued for thirteen consecutive days_ The fourteenth apparition was last Friday, November 12, when Our Lady permitted us to publish her Maternal Mercies. .From the outset of these e\·ents nothing has been hidden from our Chaplain, the Most Reverend Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa, who has studied and examined carefully the who!<> case and says that without anticipating the verdict of the Holy Mother Church, these apparitions bear all the signs of being true ... l.21esides the message for the publi.c, Our Dearest Mother has designed to give the Community of this Carmel her maternal instructions: to he obedient, simple and humble . . . to do penance for those who do not believe Her words, to pray much because of persecution, to pray much for priests and to help spread Her derntion. Ile!'ides the apparitions Our Blessed Mother showered rose petals at first with in the cloister when we were not ye't, allowed to reveal our precious secret but now, since it is public, three times the rose petals have fallen outside the cloister walls. His Excellency Bishop Verzosa came this morning to see the statue that Our Blessed Mother ordered us to have made exactly as She app~ared to our Sister and while the Bishop was here there was a shower of rose petals. It was then His Excellency revoked his prohibition of secrecy about y·hat is happening in our midst. Dea Gratias ! (Signed) Mother Mary Cecilia of Jesus, O.C.D., Prioress, Carmelite Monastery, Lipa City, P.I. Note: The above statement and letter was taken from the March-April 1949 issue of "The Scapular." ---oOo--SUPREME COURT . .. (Continued from paye 529) " GUILLERMO F. PAr,3LO G. PER(F'ECTO CESAR 'BENGZON MANUEL C. BRIONES PEDRO TUASON Mr. Justice Montemr,yor did not take part. Page 521