St. Lawrence Parish

On September 8th 1952 the Congrega of St. Lawrence Church with the people of Pescasseroli celebrated the 200th Anniversary of this devotion. Another memorable occasion of this Society occurred on November 10th 1955 when our local Society celebrated its 35th Anniversary. A banquet was held in St. Lawrence School Hall with Monsignor Leo R. Pulling the Pastor and honorary chairman. There were about 90 members present including Mrs. Maria Battistoni who was the oldest living member at that time.

Over the years the Congrega Society has always cooperated with the Church and community affairs. We are sure that through sacrifice and many years of prayer many spiritual and temporal benefits have been received. It is our fervent hope that this beautiful devotion continues and becomes a source of blessings and inspiration to all faithful people.

Continued correspondence was received from Don Luigi di Genova, Abbot Father of Pescasseroli on February 12, 1970. Greetings and holy cards were sent to St. Lawrence Parish in Buffalo, New York from S.S. Peter and Paul Church in Pescasseroli, Italy.

The most recent correspondence has been a letter sent to S.S. Peter and Paul Church in Pescasseroli, Italy on July 7, 2004 to Don Vincenzo De Mario, Pastor of the Church. A response was received in October 2004 in the form of a package of commemorative books, holy cards, photographs of the statue and a lithograph of our Holy Father John Paul II blessing the original devotional statue of Our Lady. All the information was from the Mass commemorating the 250th Anniversary of Vatican approval of the devotion. It was held in the year 2002. A video was received of the 250th Anniversary Mass that was viewed by those attending the devotional mass and meeting at St. Lawrence on September 10, 2005. This information is now kept at St. Lawrence parish for those who want to learn more about the devotion.

On November 7, 2005 a package was sent to Don Vincenzo De Mario at the parish of S.S. Peter and Paul in Italy. This package contained a Thank You letter for all of the information that was sent to our parish and the e-mail addresses to observe our new website. It also included photographs of the renovations done to the statue kept at St. Lawrence and the people responsible for the work and continuation of the devotion. Also sent were swatches of the material used to create the new vestments now adorning the statue of Our Lady and a $50.00 donation to the parish of S.S. Peter and Paul for all of the efforts made to update the knowledge of this devotion done on our behalf.

In 2007, we updated the website with local and worldwide history surrounding the devotion in English and Italian in an effort to continue our international correspondence.

Worldwide History of the Crowned Virgin Black Madonna (La Madonna Nera) La Madonna Incoronata di Pescasseroli, Italia

Historical facts, folklore, spiritual, cultural and pastoral stories of the miraculous surround the devotion to Our Blessed Mother. The love for the Blessed Mother has been passed down for centuries and this is part of our Catholic faith, our Catholic heritage and documented in world history.

The devotion to the Crowned Virgin also known as the Black Madonna is prevalent in Italy in Pescasseroli in the province of Abruzzo and in Foggia the region of Apulia. Much devotion is given to the Crowned Virgin in Pescasseroli.

Geographically, Pescasseroli is a small city situated in the Alta Marsica in the province of L’Aquila in Abruzzo. Some information concerning the origin of the name is rooted in folklore. A story that has been documented confirms that a crusader named Serolo, son of the owner of the Castle Mancino (Castel Mancino) met a beautiful Arabian girl from Palestine by the name of Pesca. They fell in love and she converted to Catholicism and married Serolo. She was sent to live in the Castle by her husband. Unfortunately, his father the “Count” tried to win her affections and she fled the castle. When Pesca was found she was killed by order of the Count near a well which later was given the name the “Well of Bad Faith” (Pozzo di Malafede). Serolo came home from the crusades and learned about the unfortunate fate of his wife but eventually forgave his father. However, Serolo died soon after near the same well possibly of a heart attack or because of a broken heart. In memory of the two lovers the father named a new village “Pesca-Serolo” or Pescasseroli. Another legend states that the city names are derived from the Latin Pesculum and Serolum.

People lived around the castle until about the year 1000 A.D. and then moved into the valley. At that time the original village was dissolved and disappeared but the castle remained standing for another century. There was a small chapel in the castle where the statue of the Black Madonna was kept.

In the church of St. Paul (now known as St. Peter and St. Paul) there is a note with the sacred seal from Pope Pasquale II in the year 1115 A.D. showing the village name “Ecclesia Sancti Pauli ad Pesculum Serulae” and another note in 1154 A.D. made by an Arabian student named Edrisi regarding a village (Pescasseroli) that seemed like a small city. In 1188 A.D. Pope Clement III mentions the Church and the town again to prove its existence with the words “Sancti Pauli cum titulis suis in Pesculo Serulae”.

In 1283 A.D. during a period of feudal control, King Carlo d’Angio’ allowed a fair or festival on September 8th in honor of the Crowned Virgin (La Madonna Incoronata). This same observance continues today.

Two articles of folklore surround this devotion:

Some people believe the statue came from southern Italy brought by a Monk or a shepherd. Nomadic shepherds (pastori) herded sheep and walked hundreds of kilometers between two geographic areas from Abruzzo to Apulia from about 753 B.C. until 1962 A.D. This was called the “Transumanza”. The shepherds may have brought this statue and their strong devotion to the Black Madonna around 1100 A.D. This aided the continuance of the devotion to the Black Madonna between the two regions. It is believed the statue of the Madonna was kept in a chapel in the old Castle Mancino (Castel Mancino). The castle was destroyed by feudal wars in 1141 A.D. and the statue was placed in the church in the village of Pescasseroli. Later, the church and the village were almost completely destroyed by an earthquake around 1349 A.D. and this could have continued to foster the devotion as well.

Another legend says that a sculptor during his stay in the Orient made 7 statues referred to as the 7 sisters. By divine intercession these statues were distributed in different parts of the world. One statue is the Crowned Madonna of Pescasseroli. The second is the Madonna of the Tranquil Mountain in Foggia in southern Italy. Both are considered the Crowned Virgin (La Madonna Incoronata). The locations of the other 5 statues are unknown.

The statue that is kept in the church in Pescasseroli is made of one piece of wood that is hollow in the center to make it light. The wood is from the poplar tree (pioppo) which is not very resistant to humidity and weather changes. Our Lady is in a rigid position on a throne covered by a medium blue dress with white dots and a golden mantle with geometric black designs at the border holding a globe in her right hand. Baby Jesus has a red tunic with triangular black designs around the neck. He sits on her left knee. Some of the wood due to a fire became carbonized over time. Today the statue has been restored and is more like a medium brown to resemble the original wood.

Feudal wars disturbed the peace of Europe during the Middle Ages. Statues and religious relics were moved and hidden over time but the devotions to Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord Jesus continued. It is believed that in about 1268 A.D. Princess Katherine Von Hohenstaufen found papers in her family’s Russian archives to insinuate that the bandages and linens of the “Shroud of Turin” (the linens were scented with the fragrance of aloe and myrrh) might have been hidden in Pescasseroli for 40 days in the Benedictine Monastery of the Black Madonna. 16 year old Corradino Di Svevia, the last of the Von Hohenstaufen dynasty inherited the titles of the Kingdom of Sicily and Duke of Svevia; received these holy linens from his grandfather Frederick II Von Hohenstaufen who had the titles King of Sicily, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Jerusalem because he led a crusade. Corradino died during a feudal war in 1268 A.D. and people claim the linens went to Chalon in France. In 1999 Journalist Stefania Marini published an article in the magazine “Il Tempo” indicating cultural research speculates the “Shroud of Turin” and linens would have been kept in Pescasseroli within the Benedictine Monastery of the Black Madonna for 40 days in 1268 A.D.

During the years of 1349 A.D. and 1579 A.D. earthquakes almost completely destroyed the church of St. Paul which was rebuilt around 1400 A.D. A few antique pieces from the interior of the church were saved such as the circular stone staircase, the steeple, and etc.

It was in this period that the name St. Peter was added to the church. It is thought that the Madonna was brought from Castle Mancino (Castel Mancino) to the reconstructed church of S.S. Peter and Paul in the valley below.

From 1431 A.D. to 1447 A.D. Pope Eugenio IV encouraged people to ask for plenary indulgences. These are extra graces to help your soul during a stay in purgatory. In order to obtain plenary indulgences the faithful should go to Confession, Mass and Communion and recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be on the following dates:

1. Feb. 2nd The Feast of Purification / The Presentation in the Temple
2. March 25th The Feast of the Annunciation
3. May 31st/July 2nd Feast of the Visitation (changes in Liturgical year change the dates)
4. September 8th Birth of the Blessed Mother.

However, original documentation from the Pope was not found.

The original coronation occurred in 1752 A.D. on the “Golden Hillside” near the town. Bishop Brizi solemnly crowned the Black Madonna (La Madonna Nera) in 1752 A.D. with Vatican approval. The September 7th vigil was started in 1778 A.D. with the approval of Ferdinand IV.

The vigil (“La Vestizione”) begins when the gown (vestment) is placed on the original statue while Marian Litanies are sung occurring on September 7th of each year. This is at the time of vespers or at dusk approximately 6:30 PM. The church of S.S. Peter and Paul (the patron saints of Pescasseroli) has a niche that holds a copy of the original statue of the Crowned Madonna (La Madonna Incoronata) which was done in 1999 by the sculptor Ermenegildo Di Pirro and painted by Emanuela Di Pirro. On the vigil (Sept. 7th) the original statue substitutes the copy. The statue is placed by the major altar and the priest places the special vestments with gold threads and the crowns for the Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus on the statues. The crowns are made of pure gold and were donated by the Vatican. At the feet of the statue is a half moon where people have donated jewels in honor of past favors and blessings that were bestowed upon the faithful. The original statue is used on the vigil and feast day -ONLY to discourage thievery. The feast day for this devotion to the Crowned Virgin is September 8th. The day begins with the 11:00 AM Mass. Afterwards, bells ring and the band plays while the procession starts in the piazza where the Crowned Lady (Madonna Incoronata) will be carried through the streets of the town. The order is as follows:

1. The wooden cross followed by children with their First Communion dress
2. Women by twos
3. The band
4. Religious Authority
5. People dressed in white and light blue with the men carrying Our Lady on a pedestal of Baroque style
6. The Civil Authorities
7. The rest of the people

After the procession the ceremonial vestments are removed while Marian Litanies are sung. The Priest distributes the Blessed “oil of healing” to the elderly and others to take home. The rest of the Blessed oil is burned in a lamp in front of the Blessed Mother’s statue throughout the year. The oil is used to help the sick and is given to animals that are sick as well. Many people throughout Rome, Lazio and the Napoli regions request the oil. There have been many miracles related to this oil.

There is documentation that in 1727 A.D. in the church dedicated to Maria Santissima in a marble chapel there was a painting of the Mother of God with the title of Madonna Incoronata which holds in the right hand a ball and in the left hand the Baby Jesus. This was a very old image that came from an old castle and was brought to the new valley at the foot of the mountain in Pescasseroli.

Also, there is documentation that 2 fires occurred during 1760 A.D. and 1829 A.D. Locals tell of the receding of these fires when the statue of Our Lady was brought out by the Clergy and the people were protected by their faith.

The livelihood of the simple people living in the region where the statue of the Crowned Virgin remains is mainly shepherding and remains quite rural. Although fires, earthquakes and civil unrest have plagued the region over many centuries there are claims that the Blessed Mother has helped her faithful persevere. Between 1890 A.D. and 1920 A.D. people emigrated to the U.S. due to changes in the economy. On September 9, 1922 A.D. the National Park of Abruzzo was inaugurated which became a place of tourism giving the area a sense of security for the future.

During the years 1890-1920 when the immigration laws were changed about 2000 people chose to leave the region to start a new life bringing their traditions to the United States.

Our story continues in 1920 A.D. with the healing of Mrs. Cora Saviola and our continued tradition of the Crowned Madonna at St. Lawrence Parish in Buffalo, New York.