WHY OUR LADY
18TH CENTURY -1729 - MADONNA OF MONTAGNAGA
MONTAGNAGA, ITALY
VISIONARY: Domenica Targa, shepherdess
NUMBER OF APPARITIONS: 5
FIRST APPARITION: May 14, 1729
LAST APPARITION: May 26, 1730
APPROVED: 1894
FEAST DAY: May 26th
"I chose this place as the throne of my Mercy.
Those who care to pray there with living faith and grace will not return home empty-handed.
Take care that a church be built for large mass flow to my devotees. "
SUMMARY
Domenica Targa of Guardia, thirty years old, was busy supervising the cattle grazing, when suddenly, with no apparent visible reason, they started running in all directions as if they were crazy. The shepherdess then began to cry out: "Mary, Jesus, help me." As soon as she uttered these words, the Virgin Mary appeared before her with a white veil on her head, and thus addressed her: "You called Jesus and Mary for help and they will help you ... Do you promise once again to visit Our Lady of Caravaggio? But do not go to Caravaggio! Go rather to the Feast of the Ascension of Christ in the chapel of St. Anne in Montagnaga. There you will find a portrait of the Blessed Virgin by Caravaggio. Kneel down and address your prayers with a sincere heart to Jesus and Mary, then you will see miraculous things. "
On Sunday, Domenica went to the chapel of St. Anne in Montagnaga; while praying fervently, she again had an apparition of Mary. The robe of the Blessed Virgin radiated a golden light shining, crowned with a diadem on her head and gave off rays of clear light, even the Child Jesus, who was in her arms, was dressed all in gold. In the right hand of the Madonna holding a crown, she said: "I am Mary, the Mother of the Lord. Please tell this apparition to the local priest. Do not be afraid! Nothing bad will happen to you. I will be with you. In my name you must announce that every year on this day is set up a feast. "
Only a few believed the story and especially the priest showed himself very skeptical. In another appearance, the Virgin said on Sunday: "I chose this place as the throne of my Mercy. Those who care to pray there with living faith and grace will not return home empty-handed. Take care that a church be built for large mass flow to my devotees. "
After other vicissitudes, in 1730, an ecclesiastical investigation was ordered on the case which resulted in a positive opinion. A sanctuary was built and consecrated in 1750. Domenica led a life of deep Christian devotion and died in 1764.
BEFORE THE APPARITIONS
In the 16th century, there were 3 approved apparitions of Our Lady, and in the 17th century, there were 3 more approved apparitions, the last in 1664 at Laus, France. And now, 65 years later, Our Lady appeared once again to a your shepherdess at Montagna, Italy, which is the only approved apparition from the 18th century.
THE APPARITIONS
May 14, 1729 - Around noon on Saturday, Domenica Targa was with her cattle in the basin of the "Palustel." Suddenly, all the beasts, as if caught by terror, started to flee disoriented. Domenica, who was reciting the rosary, cried out: "Jesus, Mary, help me." She had just pronounced the invocation, when she saw before her a beautiful lady dressed in white as snow with a rosary in her hand. "My daughter, what are you doing?" She asked. "I am reciting the rosary," said Domenica.
The Lady praised her and, after having expressed a burning desire to go to Caravaggio, she added: "Obey me. Do not go to Caravaggio. Instead, the evening of the feast of the Ascension, go to the church of Saint Anne, where you will be exposed to the picture of Our Lady of Caravaggio. You kneel on the first step of the altar and you will see a beautiful thing. " "I wonder if my parents will let me go Montagnaga at that!" said the girl. "Fear not, I will be there for sure!" added the beautiful Lady, and disappeared.
May 26, 1729 - On Ascension Day, without too much difficulty, Domenica could intervene to function in the church of Montagnaga. During the singing of the Litany of the Saints and the invocation "Omnes Sancti Martyrs" Domenica saw the Virgin with the Child in her arms and the rosary in her right hand, who invited her to express her appearance to all the people present. Of course, there were also skeptics, especially among the clergy. But the pious young woman, before returning home, was forced by an inner strength to proclaim three times, the wonders of the Virgin Mary, and Her presence.
September 8, 1729 - Already people of Montagnaga were collected in church, and you could hear the cries of the people for procession from Baselga, when the Blessed Virgin. appeared to the seer with the Child in her arms, but this time wounded and bleeding, followed by Saints Joachim and Anna S. Joseph. The Holy Virgin herself blessed the picture that was painted and placed on the altar after the second apparition, and then - after imposing, Domenica shouted three times "the Blessed Virgin is here " - she assured them that this would be the place which would receive the prayers of his devotees. Showing then the wounds of his little Jesus she explained that they were caused by the sins and urged prayer for the conversion of sinners.
Sept 10, 1729 - The most Holy Virgin, as if to console Domenica for the skepticism surrounding the apparitions, appeared two days later for the fourth time, in the locality called "Pralongo" and urged her to explain everything to her confessor, Father Michael Bernardi, who would help.
May 20 - 23, 1730 - The trial began May 20, 1730 in the Castle of Good Counsel in Trento, continued to the 23rd of the same month, and on August 22 the same year was taken in the country of Montagnaga, where he had brought the delegate Flamacino for this purpose. In Trento, during the interrogation of 22nd and 23rd of May, the good shepherd told word for word the story of the pparitions which she had been favored by the Madonna. At Montagnaga, on another occasion, she confirmed the statements made in Trento, without contradicting herself.
May 26, 1730 - The Virgin appeared for the last time on Sunday in the church of Sant'Anna to Domenica in Montagnaga. Surrounded by a brilliant light, and surrounded by a bevy of virgins, Our Lady invoked God's blessing on the multitude of these, worked some healing, manifested her satisfaction in Domenica, and greeted her kindly; then she walked away forever.
AFTER THE APPARITIONS
Approval
The diocesan authorities promoted a regular canonical process, which lasted several years. With the rescript of surrender of the Vicar General of the diocese of Trent, dated May 17, 1730, the priest Antonio Flamacino, examiner prosinodale and treasurer of the Chamber bishop, was appointed to proceed to examine the extraordinary events that took place in the village of Montagnaga.
Shrine
The Sanctuary of Piné, an expansion of the church of Sant'Anna in Montagnaga, was made in 1740 by Antonio Brusinelli, presenting for the devotion of the pilgrims a copy of Our Lady of Caravaggio painted by Elena Zambaiti in 1729 and blessed by the Virgin herself in the appearance of September 8th, 1729. The sanctuary was enlarged in 1881 and the image was crowned on August 11th, 1894.
On the site of the first event in 1887 was erected a beautiful monument in molten metal, depicting the scene of the apparition. In 1900 was built on the highest point of the hill, a majestic monument to the Redeemer, in renaissance style, containing a replica of the Holy Stairs in Rome .
The new church was consecrated on May 26, 1751. The style is baroque, is in the shape of a cross with a single nave and containing sixteen valuable paintings by various authors of the eighteenth century, enclosed in stucco cornices, and the painting of Our Lady of Caravaggio. The high altar in polychrome marble, is dedicated to St. Anne and the background of the apse is the altarpiece of the Holy by Francesco Unterberger of 1747. The right arm is placed an altar with the image healer blessed by Our Lady in the apparition of September 8th. In the left arm the third altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Anthony. The dome of the apse bears a fresco by Duilio Corompai of Venice, which is the first apparition of the Virgin Mary in the woods of the event.
On August 11, 1894 the image of the Madonna was crowned by the Bishop of Trento.
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