by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The Archbishop of the Filipino Archdiocese of Lipa has formed a new commission to revisit the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary that allegedly occurred in a Carmelite monastery in Lipa in 1948.
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles issued a decree on Nov. 12 that established the new investigation. He also renewed the 1994 lifting of a ban that was placed on the site in 1951 when the Church declared that “there was no supernatural intervention in the reported extraordinary happenings including the shower of rose petals in Lipa.”
The Blessed Mother is said to have appeared 19 times to a Carmelite novice, Teresita Castillo, from September to November of 1948. During these apparitions, Mary identified herself as the “Mediatrix of All Grace” and often appeared amidst a shower of rose petals bearing holy images.
Supernatural events began occurring to Sr. Castillo on August 18, 1948, when the smell of roses filled her room. Two days later, rose petals fell from the ceiling of her room and formed a cross on the floor. On September 12, as she was praying in the garden, she heard a voice, interpreted as the Virgin, asking her to return to the spot daily for the next 15 consecutive days. She consulted with the prioress and was granted permission to do as bidden.
On the next day, Mary made her initial appearance. She was dressed in white with a golden rosary in her left hand, and indicated that her messages would be primarily for the priests and nuns. She called for the community to have the spot blessed, and to gather there. A local auxiliary bishop, Msgr. Alfredo Obviar, performed the blessing on September 15 and in the midst of the ceremony, Sr. Castillo entered a state of ecstasy. Everyone present experienced the fall of the rose petals.
The following day, Mary requested that a statue of her be created showing her as she appeared in the apparitions as Our Lady the Mediatrix of All Grace. During the remaining apparitions, Sr. Castillo received numerous messages and secrets.
The sisters did as Mary requested and erected the requested statue at the site of the apparitions.
Our Lady made her last appearance on Nov. 12 to warn the sisters of hard times ahead for both the convent and the country. A final falling of roses preceded the event.
As word spread of the apparitions, the bishop of the diocese became upset and ordered the statue removed. It is said that when he went to the convent to demand an end to all activity surrounding the apparitions, he was met at the convent door with a shower of rose petals. He promptly reversed his decision and ordered the statue returned to the garden.
After announcing his approval of the apparitions, pilgrims began to flock to the site. However, the bishops of the Philippines were not convinced about the authenticity of the events. In April, 1951, a committee established to investigate the apparitions concluded that no supernatural events had occurred. The statue was ordered removed and the sisters were forbidden to speak of the apparitions.
This ban remained in force until 1991 when Archbishop Mariano Gaviola ordered the statue be made available to people by having it placed in the chapel at the convent. He also called together a new commission to reinvestigate the apparitions.
Archbishop Arguelles said his decree lifting the ban was merely a “reiteration” of Gaviola’s 1991 order and that he was doing it because “there was nothing wrong in praising apparitions” and was aware of “the love of the people for the Blessed Mother.”
More recent showers of rose petals are said to have occurred within the past few years, but the Carmelite sisters have made no comment about these events.
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