The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has approved the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pierina Gilli, an Italian visionary who experienced these events in 1947 and 1966 in Montichiari and Fontanelle, Italy, in the northern province of Brescia.

In a letter dated July 5 and endorsed by Pope Francis, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández informed the bishop of Brescia that the spiritual messages received by Gilli from María Rosa Mystica align with Church doctrine. Excerpts from Gilli's diaries reveal her profound trust in Mary's maternal care.

Gilli, a nurse and postulant with the Handmaids of Charity in Montichiari, first saw the Virgin Mary in a hospital chapel in 1947. Mary appeared sorrowful, dressed in violet with a white veil, and with her heart pierced by three swords, calling for prayer, penance, and sacrifice. On July 13, 1947, Mary appeared again, this time with three roses—white, red, and yellow—symbolizing prayer, sacrifice, and penance. Mary identified herself as "the mother of Jesus and the mother of all of you" and introduced a new Marian devotion. She requested that July 13 be celebrated annually in her honor as the Mystical Rose.

Our Lady continued to appear to Gilli throughout 1947, including public apparitions in November and December. On December 8, at Montichiari Cathedral, she asked for the annual celebration of the "hour of grace for the world" at noon. Mary promised that many graces, both divine and bodily, would be received through this devotion and that Jesus's mercy would overflow if people prayed continuously for sinners.

After these apparitions, Gilli secluded herself at the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Child in Brescia. In 1966, the Virgin Mary appeared to her again, blessing a spring in Fontanelle known as the "Fountain of Grace." Mary asked Gilli to kiss the soil and place a crucifix there, encouraging the sick and all visitors to seek forgiveness from Jesus before drinking the water.

Despite initial skepticism, the bishop of Brescia approved the apparitions in 2019, designating the Marian site as the Diocesan Sanctuary of Mystical Rose, Mother of the Church. The DDF's letter acknowledges the positive aspects of Mary's messages and provides guidance to prevent misunderstandings. It supports the bishop's discernment, recognizing the significant spiritual and pastoral benefits of the devotion.