[Letter published September 28, 1994, eve of the feast of St. Michael]

Dear Pilgrim,

On Friday, September 16 at 11:10 a.m., Our Lady appeared and gave this beautiful message:

"I will kiss the Rosary on October 29. It will be after the recitation of the Rosary."

As you may know, it is customary for the pilgrims to line up after a Vigil or Holy Hour to venerate the crucifix of the Rosary that adorns the statue of Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers. The understanding is that this crucifix has been kissed by Our Dear Blessed Mother.

Recently someone was asking me when this specifically occurred, and after some study we really couldn't find anything conclusive. I called Veronica and we discussed this. She seemed to remember but it was difficult for her to provide specifics too. After all, it has been many years.

So I asked Veronica if she would kindly request Our Lady to kiss the Rosary again. Veronica enthusiastically agreed. We thought this would be a timely and refreshing grace for all the devotees, and plus we would have something substantive for our records that was lacking before.

It was then that Our Lady suddenly appeared and Veronica added, "Boy is that quick." It seems Our Lady is kicking off the new Vigil hours (7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.) in grand fashion.

This historic occasion presents a great incentive to make the pilgrimage, especially in assisting your organizer in filling his/her bus for the 29th. Any assistance we can lend, don't hesitate to call. In the meantime, we will be praying that you will be able to attend this very special Vigil.

May God be with you and we'll see you at Christ the King.

In Jesus and Mary,

Michael Mangan, Shrine director

"The sacred grounds . . . shall be a sanctuary of peace and solace." (Our Lady, March 18, 1973)