Nostra Signora dei Sette Veli / Our Lady of the Seven Veils, Foggia, Italy and Memorials of the Saints – 22 March

Nostra Signora dei Sette Veli / Our Lady of the Seven Veils, Foggia, Italy (11th Century) – 22 March:

In the Cathedral of Foggia one can find an ancient and mysterious image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This icon, called “Our Lady of the Seven Veils,” once caused Saint Alphonsus to go into ecstasy, which I will describe below. As a young priest, St Pio of Pietreclina would make a visit to this image everyday.
In the eleventh century Foggia, Italy was a tiny town perched around the Tavern of the Owl.   One day some local farmers saw three flames over a small pond or bog.   Intrigued, they dug where the miraculous fire had been and discovered a large “table” buried in the mud.   They realised that this “table” was actually a Byzantine icon that had remained somewhat preserved despite being soaked in water and mud.   The image was cleaned and then cloaked with new veils.   I assume there were seven veils and hence the name but I cannot verify this.   The icon was then placed in the local Tavern of the Owl for veneration.   Soon the tavern became a place of pilgrimage.   In 1080 Robert Guiscard built a church to honour the sacred image.   In 1172 the church was expanded by William II “the Good” of Sicily.   The “face hole” is all that one can now see of the original wooden icon.   It is black and the face is now indiscernible.   However, on Maundy Thursday of 1731, the Virgin Mary’s white face appeared in this portal, which was usually black and dark.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori heard about apparition and went to Foggia to venerate the Immaculate Mother of the Saviour.   He also received an apparition of the Virgin’s face in the small black portal.   He described the Blessed Virgin’s face on that occasion as a girl of 13-14 with a white veil.   The apparitions of the Virgin’s face on the icon continued until about 1745.
As the city grew larger, the church was decorated and enriched.   The Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spaniards and Bourbons considered the church to be one of the most important in Italy.  It has served as the site for several royal weddings. Today, the image is said to be covered in seven layers of precious metal and embroidered material – hence the name Madonna of the Seven Veils.

St Avitus of Périgord
St Basil of Ancyra
St Basilissa of Galatia
St Benevenuto Scotivoli of Osimo
Bl Bronislaw Komorowski
St Callinica of Galatia
Bl Clemens August von Galen
St Darerca of Ireland
St Deghitche
St Epaphroditus of Terracina
St Failbhe of Iona
Bl François-Louis Chartier
St Harlindis of Arland
Bl Hugolinus Zefferini
St Lea of Rome
Bl Marian Górecki
St Nicholas Owen S.J. (1562-1606)

St Octavian of Carthage
St Paul of Narbonne
St Saturninus the Martyr
St Trien of Killelga