As we Catholics throughout the world honor Mary as Queen and Mediatrix of Graces on May 31 every year, may we hopefully obtain the graces we seek and need in accordance with God’s Holy Will. Pope Leo XIV, was elected on May 8, 2025, on the very feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei. To his credit, Pope Leo XIV invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary when he first appeared as pope to the public at St. Peter’s, greeting the Mother of God with the “Hail Mary”.
Travelers to Pompei, a southern Italian city nestled among the undulating surroundings of Naples and overlooked by the currently active Vesuvius volcano, generally go there for two main reasons.
The first reason (and generally more popular one) would be to marvel at aspects of ancient Roman life and excavations frozen in time when a volcanic eruption in 79 AD enveloped the erstwhile Roman city of Pompeii in lava and ash, killing its inhabitants.
Yet for the Catholic pilgrim devoted to Mary, the Mother of God, Pompei is home to one of Italy’s most famous Marian shrines, namely, the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei (Italian: Pontificio Santuario della Beata Vergine del Santo Rosario di Pompei).
This Marian shrine’s background is inextricably associated with the story of Bartolo Longo, a lawyer who was baptized as a Catholic but unfortunately apostatized during his university years and even got involved in the occult, before experiencing a drastic conversion back to the Catholicism of his childhood. A short biography of Longo by Catholic Company stated:
“At last, under the influence of a family friend, Professor Vincenzo Pepe, and a Dominican priest, Friar Alberto Radente, he returned to the Faith. He became a Third Order Dominican and set about doing good works and repairing the harm he had done—including revisiting occultist meeting places and denouncing their practices.”
Yet even after God had forgiven through the Sacrament of Confession, the convert Longo was not able to forgive his own past actions. As Catholic Company elaborated:
“Though he had confessed and was in union with the Church again, Bartolo was still tortured by his past life. He remembered his consecration to Satan and feared that he belonged to him forever. He nearly despaired of his salvation and almost committed suicide. But at that moment he remembered the words of Father Radente, words spoken by Our Lady herself: Whoever propagates devotion to the Rosary will be saved.From that day forward, Bartolo made that his life’s mission.”
Likewise, in his very own words, Longo admitted:
“As I pondered over my condition, I experienced a deep sense of despair and almost committed suicide. Then I heard an echo in my head of the voice of the Dominican Priest, repeating the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary: ‘Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved!’ Falling to my knees, I exclaimed: ‘If your words are true that he who propagates your Rosary will be saved, I shall reach salvation because I shall not leave this earth without spreading your Rosary.’”
The website Laudate Mariam details what Longo did after his determination to spread Mary’s Rosary:
“On March 25, 1871, Longo joined the Third Order of Dominicans, adopting the name Br. Rosario in homage to the Rosary. He soon became involved in charity work in Pompeii with Countess Mariana di Fusco, a wealthy widow he would marry a year later on Pope Leo XIII’s recommendation. Together, they founded a Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. To honor Our Lady, they sought a suitable Marian painting. They received a dilapidated painting from Sister Maria Concetta de Litala, which, despite its poor condition, Longo accepted as a divine gift. After restoration, it was placed in a renovated church in October 1873, quickly becoming a site of reported miracles, prompting the bishop of Nola to endorse the construction of a larger church. That larger church is now the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei. This basilica became a center for Marian devotion and attracted pilgrims from all over the world.”
Subsequently, devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii among the faithful spread among the locals of Pompei as well as throughout the region of Campania. To this day, millions of pilgrims visit the sanctuary every year to seek refuge in the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.
As the life of Bartolo Longo (now beatified and soon-to-be saint) shows, no one is too sinful to be redeemed. The Blessed Virgin Mary as Mediatrix of God’s graces and executrix of God’s desires can rescue anymore mired in the depths of hell and thoroughly transform him or her into a saint.
Among these pilgrims to the basilica was Fortuna Agrelli, a young lady who became ill with three types of seemingly incurable diseases in the 19th century.
One day, Fortuna was praying in the sanctuary with her family before the image of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, when she received a vision that depicted the Blessed Virgin sitting on a throne adorned with flowers.
Fortuna’s vision showed the Mother of God holding a Rosary in her hand, accompanied by the Infant Jesus on her lap, as well as St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena.
Fortuna then implored the Blessed Mother, saying, “Queen of the Holy Rosary, be gracious to me, restore me to health.”
The Blessed Virgin responded:
“You have invoked me by various titles and have always obtained favors from me. Now, since you have called me by the title so pleasing to me, ‘Queen of the Holy Rosary,’ I can no longer refuse the favor that you petition; for this name is most precious and dear to me. Make three novenas, and you will obtain all.”
Indeed, as Our Lady had promised, Fortuna was cured of her diseases on May 8, 1884. Upon appearing to the previously sick girl once more, the Blessed Virgin Mary declared: “Whoever desires to obtain favors from me should make three novenas of the Rosary in petition and three novenas in thanksgiving.”
Such was the origin of the now popular 54-day Rosary Novena in honor of Our Lady of Pompei, a powerful prayer given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, to obtain favors and great graces.
Providentially, our current pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, was elected on May 8, 2025, on the very feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei. To his credit, Pope Leo XIV invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary when he first appeared as pope to the public at St. Peter’s, greeting the Mother of God with the “Hail Mary”. Again, may our new pope’s public Marian devotion assist him in his interior life and the great responsibility of his papal apostolate.
As the life of Bartolo Longo (now beatified and soon-to-be saint) shows, no one is too sinful to be redeemed. The Blessed Virgin Mary as Mediatrix of God’s graces and executrix of God’s desires can rescue anymore mired in the depths of hell and thoroughly transform him or her into a saint. In this light, we can confidently expect our Heavenly Mother to guide our new pope, as well as the entire Catholic Church, from the treacherous waters of heresy and indifferentism to the shore of Christ’s truths and teaching, as long as the Holy Father and the clergy cooperate with God’s graces.
As we Catholics throughout the world honor Mary as Queen and Mediatrix of Graces on May 31 every year, may we hopefully obtain the graces we seek and need in accordance with God’s Holy Will.
“Blessed Lady of Pompeii, who has ever turned to you with confidence and has not been heard? You have never turned down any of your children, any of your worshipers, who were looking for your help, hear my plea, o Mother of the Word, and through your Holy Rosary and the Temple of Pompeii please look with favor on my devotion. Amen.”
—The Petition Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii
Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary and Mediatrix of Graces, pray for us.
Blessed Bartolo Longo, pray for us.
