How Mary stopped the plague on Monte Berico (II)

(Continued from A Moment with Mary, March 6th)

Two years later, on 1August 1428, the Virgin appeared again to Vincenza Parisi. The plague was at its peak and the city in extreme crisis. The Virgin repeated her request and her promises to the old woman, who came down the hill and returned to the city to deliver the same request. This time the people listened to her. The most prominent citizens, city leaders and different councils gathered in the great Hall of Reason, and decided to build a church almost immediately on Monte Berico. Construction started 24 days later.

The Virgin had spoken to Vincenza about a spring that would flow from the rock at the place where the shrine would be built, and that is what happened. During the work, “a large spring was uncovered, flowing generously like a river that descended with great noise from the hill.”

As part of the Virgin’s second promise, money flowed generously as well. Finally, after the construction had started on August 25th, the plague began to abate, and when the church was finished—in only three months—the whole province was completely rid of this great calamity, so that from that day, with the help of God, it was never again afflicted by this disease.

The popular shrine of the Madonna of Monte Berico is now one of the most important Marian sites in Europe: "On the first Sunday of the month we hear about 22,000 confessions on average, until 10 pm sometimes,” say the Servite priests whose order has been in charge of the shrine since 1435.

Adapted from an article by Pina Baglioni, published in the Italian magazine 30 Days

The quotes are taken from Codice n. 1430, from the Bertoliana library in Vicenza