I first met Gwen on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Sutton Monastery St Helens Shrine of Blessed Dominic Barberi (Apostle of England). This was June 1989. Gwen invited us to come and visit her at her home in Mariners Park. We went to see her September or October that year. She told us that she had be asked by Herrs Mheering who was head of the German apostolate to take over the apostolate of Rosa Mystica in England. At that time Gwen was getting the statues from Mr Mheering, but because of the big demand, Germany could not keep up with orders, so he asked Gwen if she could have the statues made and blessed here in England. This request had the approval of Maria Rosa Mystica through Pierina Gilli. The statues where made in Liverpool and Gwen made sure that they were very beautiful. The blessings took place on the first Saturday’s in the exact same way as they were blessed in Montichiari/Fontanelle with an identical service of prayers and procession, so we are actually united with them in prayers at the same time. Each blessed statue is then sent or taken to homes, monasteries, convents, churches and prisons, and places where she Rosa Mystica is needed, loved and venerated. Gwen sent many many statues around the world most especially to the poor people of Africa, India, Srilanka, Philippines ECT. The only country Gwen did not send one to was China.

The first blessings of Rosa Mystica statues took place on the 7th July, 1990 at Holy Trinity church Garston Liverpool, then for a short time at St Lawrence’s Birkenhead. But the longest St Marys Wigan. Every statue is blessed with the water from the spring of grace at Fontanelle. Incidentally in January 1990 a statue in the shrine was vandalised, and immediately the water dried up from the spring of grace, and on the day we had the first blessings in England the water started to flow again. Gwen was so delighted she believed it to be a grace from our Lady that the blessings had taken place in England. Gwen spent many hours well into the early hours parcelling up books medals prayer cards, rosaries to be sent throughout the world, along with the statues, especially for the missionaries and the poor also making up rosaries to go around the hands of Rosa Mystica. Many requests came from all over the world for information and requests for statues ECT. Even from a man on death row. EWTN the catholic television network were sent statues, Mel Gibson also received a statue whilst filming passion of the Christ, and Mother Theresa of Calcutta.

A pilgrim statue of Rosa Mystica in a home in Birmingham between the 25^th and the 28^th June 1993 wept. The priest of the parish was informed but due to Illness he sent a Eucharistic minister. This is his testomy,

 ‘On Friday June 25^th, 1993 I went to visit an elderly couple bringing holy communion, I witnessed there the apparent weeping of our blessed lady Rosa Mystica statue, and the same phenomenon again, when I visited June 28^TH 1993. The first time our lady’s faced seemed particularly drawn and drained as though from protracted suffering, very different from the normal appearance of the statue. On Monday a small amount of oily fluid had gathered on our lady’s neck.

On December 13^th a different Rosa Mystica statue wept, and omitted perfume in the same home. On December the 30^th, there were traces of blood in the tear that flowed. Several witnesses where present, on both occasions. Both these statues where made and blessed in Liverpool.

Rosa Mystic wept in the heart of England at the same time Sunday was virtually abolished by the Sunday trade deregulation act (8^th December, 1993). Birmingham was the first British city to decide to drop all further reference to Christmas.

Wigan – Tamil Nada

Every year Madge Tracy from Wigan visits her friends in Tamil Nada in India. She brings whatever she can because they are very poor. Her parish priest, Fr Johnson, asked her to bring a pilgrim Rosa Mystica to a parish in Tamil Nadu. Madge agreed willingly but would later wonder how she would manage. She was amazed when perfect strangers gave her money to accompany the Rosa Mystica, £1,600 altogether.

Say it with flowers

Madge broke her journey at Jedda in Saudi Arabia, an Islamic Country officially hostile to the faith. Returning to her room, she was amazed to find a box containing the Rosa Mystica surrounded with the heads of pink roses and red carnations at her feet. Somebody had an understanding of love and reverence due to the mother of God. By now Madge was beginning to realise this was no ordinary trip.

Who makes the rain fall?

In Tamil Nadu Madge set out in bicycle rickshaw to deliver the statue of Father Peter. She was caught in a terrifying monsoon. In minutes the roads were flooded and the bridge submerged. It was impossible to go forward or back.

Journeys end.

In desperation they made for the only light in the darkness. It was a lighted chapel in which father Baytone and the people were praying to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. It was the Tuesday Novena. Madge knew that this little church in a poor village was where Rosa Mystica wanted to be.

These are the children.

Madge returned on the Tuesday, still undecided as to what to do with the £1,600. Fr Baytone took her around his parish and finally to the hostel ‘Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception’. They had to cross an open sewer to reach the hovel in which Father rented two rooms to shelter blind and deaf boys. It was only what he could afford. Madge’s indecision disappeared. This was where the £1,600 was to go.

All’s well that ends well.

In trepidation, Madge returned to Wigan to say that she had robbed Fr Peter of his statue and money to give it to Fr Baytone and his blind and deaf boys. The Donors were delighted, Fr Peter would get his statue next year. Another donor has offered £16, 7000 for the boys ‘hostel’. Our Lady, Rosa Mystica, had arranged all the things well and answered their Novena prayer.

The new hostel, which has now been built for orphans (mostly blind and deaf children), has been dedicated to ‘Our Lady, Rosa Mystica’.

For the last 24 years, Gwen arranged with Father Johnson at St Marys Wigan, to celebrate the feast day of Rosa Mystica on the 13^th July with holy mass, benediction, rosary and procession. People come from all over the country including Scotland to join in this most beautiful day for honouring Maria Rosa Mystica. Gwen dedicated herself whole heartedly to making Our Lady Rosa Mystica, Mother of the Church known, loved and honoured. Wherever she went, she never missed an opportunity to speak of, or give a medal or prayer card of Rosa Mystica.

After the blessings at St Lawrence’s, Gwen invited a number of devotees of Rosa Mystica back to her little flat for refreshments and chat. She had so much information to tell us on the devotion and her experiences, and such wisdom on church matters. This continued when she moved into her bungalow. I will never forget when she told us she was to transform her garage into a chapel. She knew exactly how she wanted it. This is when we started to come over on the 13^th of every month (our Lord asked the 13^th to be a Marian day) to say the prayers to Rosa Mystica and on occasions we had a priest to say mass for us. She had as many as 15 people present for prayers. The chapel became a power house of prayer. Gwen was also so happy to see us, and never wanted us to go home. This continued religiously up to about 2 years ago when her health started to deteriorate.

Gwen arranged pilgrimages to the shrine; the first pilgrimage was in 1990. The first coach booked unfortunately cancelled last minute, Gwen then prayed an SOS to Rosa Mystica for another coach. And low and behold she ended up with the Liverpool Football Clubs luxury coach. Not only did Gwen take pilgrims, but also statues to be blessed at the shrine. These statues were plaster and none were damaged in transit.

Re-wrapping statues after blessing

Blessed statues under the cross of grace.

Gwen praying in the shrine

Gwen walking through the basin of Rosa Mystica water

Pierina Gilli’s Grave