Marian Shrines and Apparitions
Shrines of the Our Lady of Light – Part III
Madre Santissima del Lume, Sicily
Another series of Shrines of Our Lady of Light, having no direct connection with those mentioned in Parts I and II, had its origins in the first years of the eighteenth century.
At that time, the island of Sicily presented a scene of wild confusion and disorder. In 1720, rule over the island passed from the Italian House of Savoy, to the Austrian House of Hapsburg.
Oppressed and irritated by foreign troops, embittered by political strife and private brawls, terrorized by armed marauders and barbary pirates, and estranged from happy home-life,
the Sicilians had so far given up the practice of their religion that the churches were unfrequented, the Sacraments neglected, and impiety and vice were enthroned in their stead.
Bands of zealous missionaries traveled up and down the country, but their heroic exertions were fruitless. Often enough the only reward of their labors was a share in the contempt
which was heaped upon religion and all things sacred.
Among the preachers in this desert of sin was a religious remarkable for zeal and fervor in the service of God, who was known to cherish a tender and filial devotion to Our Blessed Lady.
This religious was Father Giovanni Genovesi, of the Society of Jesus (born March 4, 1684). Filled with sorrow at the utter fruitlessness of the labors of the missionaries,
he felt moved to call upon his Heavenly Mother for some new means to touch the hardened hearts of the Sicilians and, to ensure the success of his plan of operation,
he sought the cooperation of a holy woman (some call her a nun, so perhaps a member of a Third Order), who had already been the recipient of many celestial favors.
One day while this good woman was recommending the project to Our Lady's loving care, she was rapt in spirit and beheld herself in the presence of the Refuge of Sinners.
The Blessed Virgin appeared with a look of ineffable tenderness upon Her countenance, amid brilliant rays of heavenly light, and attended by a throng of heavenly spirits,
two of whom held a gorgeous diadem above Her head. On Her left arm, She supported the Divine Child, Who was reaching out His little hands toward a basket of flaming hearts,
presented to Him by an angel. With Her right hand, She was snatching a youth from the gaping jaws of a hideous dragon, keeping it from falling back in.
Daughter,
She said, heed well what thou seest and have it reproduced by the painter's art; the picture shall be called ‘Holy Mother of Light’ (Madre Santissima del Lume);
the abundant and extraordinary graces that I shall bestow under this invocation shall be the proof and earnest that thy prayers are heard.
The vision then disappeared.
Fr. Genovesi accepted without hesitation the saintly woman's relation of the Apparition and forthwith set about the execution of the commission. The artist whom he chose was a painter of no common ability and,
what was much more to the purpose, was a man of virtuous and edifying life.
The lady did not go to the painter's studio out of modesty, the priest did not supervise the work, and the result was not satisfactory. The choir of angels was lacking,
there was a crescent moon beneath Her feet, and Her robe was red rather than white. As a result, the Virgin Mary did not give the promised sign of approval.
Father Genovesi asked the woman to go to the painter, but she was extremely busy with family matters in Bagheria, which is some distance from Palermo, and couldn't get away. Our Lady, however,
appeared to her again and said She needed her in Palermo. The woman, in turn, protested that since the Virgin had all the resources of Paradise, how could such a vile worm as she carry out such an important task,
and, anyway, there was no way she could get away. Our Lady responded that whether or not she felt she could go to Palermo, she would, in no uncertain terms. As a result,
the woman was hit with a terrible pain in her chest and lost her voice. There seemed to be no cure, and she was taken to Palermo where the air was more temperate and healthy. In fact,
after she arrived she was soon healed.
Once the woman was in Palermo, and healed, she was visited again by the Virgin Mary. The lady said both she and the priest were very disappointed that the painting didn't turn out right
and asked if a new one should be made. The Virgin responded positively, and this notice was taken to Father Genovesi who arranged for a new painting to be done. The woman, following Our Lady's instructions,
then went to the painter's studio where she found him ready to begin work. The Blessed Virgin had said that She would meet her there, but only she would have the vision. The woman was to instruct the painter,
but the Virgin Mary would guide his brush. This in fact, happened, and the work was accomplished to Our Lady's satisfaction. Although numerous copies were subsequently made,
none approached the perfection of the original. Even the painter himself could not duplicate exactly his first work.
The result was in keeping with Mary's promise. Armed with this new weapon, Fr. Genovesi began with renewed courage his missionary work, which was thenceforth as fruitful in conversions
as it had before been in trials and sufferings. The picture of the Madre Santissima del Lume was always carried by Father Genovesi in his mission. Each time the people of a certain place
would know that he and the picture were coming, they would wholeheartedly prepare their chapel or church, and the altar on which the holy picture would be enshrined. The arrival of the priest and
the picture was always met by many people holding flowers or lighted candles. According to tradition, the visitation of the picture would always result in great love and devotion to the Virgin,
thereby making it very difficult for the people to part with the picture. This started the practice of leaving a faithful copy of the picture in the chapel or church of the place visited by Father Genovesi.
The devotion to Our Lady rapidly spread to the community of the faithful in Noviziato al Capo, where in 1736 a group was formed which became the
Confratemita della Madonna del Lume al Noviziato. On February 6, 1736, Pope Clement XII authorized through an apostolic letter the veneration of the Virgin Mary under this title.
Moreover with the same document, the Feast of the Virgin was established on the Second Sunday of September, and a plenary indulgence was granted to those who participated in the Mass on the feast day.
In Palermo, the Virgin became the Patroness of carpenters, while in Porticello, also in Sicily, She became the Patroness of fishermen.
Fr. Giovanni Genovesi is said to have become the superior of the novices and the rector of the college in Messina, when a fatal plague broke out in 1743. The college was turned into a
hospital where the Jesuits untiringly served those who were stricken by the plague. As time went on, the novices were inflicted by the plague one by one. On July 6, 1743, Father Genovesi himself died
after being struck by the plague.
Nuestra Señora Reina del Universo – María Santísima Madre de Lumen, Cainta, Philippines
Soon, even Jesuit churches from far-away lands were requesting copies of the image. The devotion was introduced in Cainta, Philippines by the Jesuits in 1727. The Jesuit missionary
ministering in Cainta during that time, Father Bartolommeo Cavanti, may have been instrumental in introducing the devotion, since he came from Ferrara, Italy. The holy picture of the Our Lady of Light
brought by the Jesuits had a gilded frame and crest, and was enshrined in one of the side altars of the church of Cainta. Before 1853, the holy picture was transferred to the main altar.
Above it was the image of St. Andrew the Apostle, the principal patron, and on both sides were the images of St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Numerous miracles were reported through Her
intercession over the centuries.
Unfortunately, the original picture of Our Lady was burned with the church in March 1899. Nevertheless, there are two existing faithful copies of the original picture.
The first is an 1801 print that has a description at the bottom which would read like this when written fully: Real image of Our Lady Queen of the Universe, Mary Most Holy Mother of Light
(Nuestra Señora Reina del Universo, María Santísima Madre de Lumen), which is venerated in the church of Cainta in Her own chapel, thanks to the care and generosity of certain devotees of this great Lady,
in the year 1801.
Copies of this print were usually given to those who would give donations to Our Lady, and to this day, there are many homes in Cainta where such a copy is enshrined.
The second faithful copy of the original picture is a charcoal painting by Mariano Javier of Cainta, which he did in 1857.
The present image (above) of the Virgin was painted using oil on canvas by the renowned National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. Her feast day is on December 1, after the feast of St. Andrew,
while Her secondary feast is observed on Thursday after Pentecost Sunday. The devotion to the Virgin of Light became so popular in Cainta, and the devotion was so widespread,
She became the Secondary Patroness of Cainta, with St. Andrew as its Titular Patron. Years later, with the publication of the first Tagalog (native Filipino) novena to Our Lady of Light in 1884,
Our Lady was named the Titular Patron of the Parish and the Town of Cainta.
Nuestra Madre de la Luz, León, Mexico
In 1707, another Sicilian Jesuit, Fr. Genovese – this one named Giuseppe Maria, and believed to be related to Fr. Giovanni Genovesi – arrived in Mexico as a missionary.
About fifteen years later, when news of the miraculous painting of Our Most Holy Mother of Light had spread, this Fr. Genovese began erecting altars in Her honor in Mexico.
The devotion flourished as it had in Sicily. At this point in the story, there is a small controversy. Most sources say the Jesuit authorities decided to send the original miraculous image to Mexico –
perhaps on account of the political unrest in Sicily, mentioned above. It is claimed that the choice of which mission in Mexico should receive it was made by lots – and in three consecutive drawings
the mission at León was the choice. Accordingly on July 2, 1732, the painting arrived at León in triumph,
amidst indescribable enthusiasm.
On the back of the painting is a notice of
authenticity with four signatures – including that of Fr. Giovanni Genovesi: This image is the original which came from Sicily and which was blessed by the same Virgin, who with Her blessing,
entrusted it with the power to do miracles.
It is dated August 19, 1729. However, some sources claim that this was only one of the many authentic copies
of the image; that the original
remained in Sicily; and that it was destroyed with the Church of Casa Professa, when it suffered bombardment during the Second World War in 1943.
Whatever the truth may be, it is certain that the devotion and honor paid to the image in León eventually surpassed that in Sicily. The Cathedral of León houses the image;
it was begun by the Jesuits in 1746. Perhaps the most notable favors attributed to Nuestra Madre de la Luz, took place in the 19th century. Our Lady of Light had just been declared the Patroness of León in 1849,
when a cholera epidemic broke out in the city in 1850. At first the people were paralyzed with terror; but the parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of the Angels urged them to place their confidence in
Our Lady of Light, and vowed a triduum of thanksgiving before the Feast of the Assumption, in perpetuity, if She would come to the relief of the terrified people. On the 14th of August,
every vestige of the cholera disappeared. The memory of this grace is perpetuated by a votive tablet. When León was made a diocese in 1872, the old Jesuit Church housing the image became the Cathedral,
and Pope Pius IX approved of Our Lady of Light as Patroness. On June 18, 1876, the Cathedral was packed that Sunday morning for the 11:00 Mass. Suddenly, without warning, a loud crack reverberated throughout
the entire church. To everyone’s horror the keystone of the main arch, a tremendous block of masonry, fell into the aisle.
It looked as if the entire ceiling would crash down killing everyone below.
The congregation froze in terror. At this terrible moment, Bishop de Sollano, with supreme presence of mind and faith, walked down from the altar and stood under the arch.
The congregation held its collective breath. He prayed urgently to Our Lady of Light to support the arch so that all would be protected. His prayers were heard. Miraculously,
not a single person in the church was injured.
Copies of the holy picture became objects of devotion throughout Mexico and Latin America, as they had in Sicily and the Philippines. Many a little Mexicana is name Luz,
in honor of Our Lady of Light. One such copy (image on home page), painted by the famous Mexican artist Miguel Cabrera, was given to the Loretto Academy and Convent in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1870.
Unfortunately, the Santa Fe Loretto was closed in 1968, and the image was moved to the Loretto Center in Denver. In 2022 the image was donated to the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and so returned to Santa Fe.
In 1902 Pope Leo XIII authorized the solemn crowning of the miraculous image of León, Mexico.
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