Santuario dell'Amore Misericordioso di Collevalenza 
Mother arrived in the village of Hope Collevalenza, with the consent Bishop of Todi Bishop Alfonso Maria De Sanctis, 18 August 1951, together with the first Sons of Merciful and a small community of the Handmaids. He arrived
conducted by the Divine Providence and already aware, for outline of what should have been realized. In fact, his diary on 14 May 1949, we read of a singular premonition with God's help and the price of many sacrifices, she would have made a magnificent complex centered around a shrine dedicated to the Merciful Love of the Lord,
also includes facilities for the reception of pilgrims, the sick and the priests. All this to be a center of attraction for many participants.
It was not, Indeed, long time, not far from the village, they began to inaugurate the new development in the House of fam in 1953, the minor seminary in 1954, the Chapel of the Crucifix in 1955. This chapel was later built the same license as the "Shrine of Merciful Love" by Bishop De Sanctis, 1 October 1959.
Meanwhile the future of the operation was clear even to the religious who were on the side of the Mother of Hope as the first disciples and collaborators. An EU report, dated April 28, 1957, stating:
"... Mother, followed by some fam, went to see a piece of land there and says many things that deserve to be recorded and passed
Collevalenza become ... something great. How is today a place of pilgrimage Lourdes, source of so many wonders and known everywhere and yesterday (the area of \u200b\u200bthe cave) was a dismal campaign, so tomorrow in the old "roccolo" Collevalenza rise of many buildings, there will be a great Sanctuary of Love Gracious, there will be renewed pilgrimages and miracles at Lourdes, no less than ... All this, however, when the Mother is no longer on this earth "
Although these lines do not yet speak or water, or swimming pools, the explicit reference to Lourdes is already a glimpse of later developments.
Collevalenza become something great. .. a place of pilgrimage, the source of many miracles in the old ... "roccolo" Collevalenza rise of many buildings, there will be a great Shrine of Merciful Love, there will be renewed pilgrimages and miracles ... All this, however, when the Mother is no longer on this earth. "
The Pit and the Pools We can say that the small village of Collevalenza in its history, has always suffered from a lack of drinking water and those years the city of Todi was trying to make up with regular deliveries by road tanker.
In this context, the divine will on the well and the pools are made explicit: it was the beginning of the year 1960. The circumstances are very well described by the Secretary General of the Handmaids, "Our Mother has been ordered to carry out some pools for bathing patients and was shown the spot where you will find the necessary water. Our Mother, always faithful to the commands of Him who made no mistake, nor give orders so vain, you have to start a pit where there have been told that will get the water, that is next to the future "Basilica of Merciful Love" between this and the forthcoming "House of Youth". "Later he continues:" At the "enemy of good" hits you to design the pools for bathing patients (That clearly how these pools produce so much good) and contrasts in every way to our mother because of the well, and the threat, saying that if you will use della trivella, la romperà; che romperà tutte quelle che verranno portate e non ce ne saranno a sufficienza in tutta l'Umbria".
E in effetti l'escavazione del Pozzo fu, a dir poco, snervante sia per la profondità che si dovette raggiungere (122 metri), sia per la serie, umanamente inspiegabile, di complicazioni meccaniche e tecniche che si verificarono; per la Madre Speranza, poi, si aggiunsero numerose vessazioni del maligno. I lavori dell'intero progetto durarono precisamente 10 mesi: dal 1° febbraio al 1° dicembre del 1960, giorno in cui fu istallata sull'apposita colonna la statua in marmo di Maria Mediatrice.
Si iniziò la perforazione del Pozzo con una trivella a mano, azionata da uno dei Religiosi, with which it reached the depth of 9 meters. Then, in early March, conferred the task local impresario Joseph Willows, who, after he too adopted an auger (spezzatasi 12 meters deep), went up to 23 meters through a 'Roman well. " Not being able to go any further with this technique, in early April, it was agreed at last with a specialist company for the drilling of an artesian well: the company Guido De Togni Isola della Scala (VR).
When the question was already beginning to meander at home and outside of many comments were made maliciously, in the afternoon of May 6, the probe drilling, after having been stranded in deep for over an hour, finally met an abundant aquifer at 92 meters was a real liberation!
On that occasion the mother Hope, went into raptures at the well, spoke words of heartfelt thanks and trustful supplication.
Other aquifers were later found at 114, 120 and 122 meters.
less problematic, however, was the construction of swimming pool, designed by the architect Julio Lafuente, and the arrangement of their surroundings: laying the foundations on August 22, everything was completed on 1 December of that year.
The purpose of the Shrine of Water E 'this is certainly the most important point of the speech: it includes the link between the pools and the Sanctuary, and, more particularly, the specific purposes for which the Divine Providence chose this water.
To answer these questions there is only one way: to use the Mother Hope everything he said or wrote about it, as an authoritative interpreter of divine desires; at least refer to at least the most essential things that it said.
The most authoritative answer probably comes from the "parchment" that the day July 14, 1960 was cast with a special container at the bottom of the well, during a simple ceremony in about half of the work. These words received from the Mother of Hope ecstasy during the previous April 3, having from the header value from a particular official. The text says:
"Decree. At this water and swimming pools should be given the name of my sanctuary. I want you to say, to engrave in the hearts and minds of all those who turn to you, they use this water with much faith and trust and will always be free from serious illness, and all that first pass to cure their poor souls from the wounds that afflict for my sanctuary where they do not expect a court to convict them and give them the punishment immediately, but a Father who loves them, forgives, and does not take into account, and forget ..
From here, of course, inspired one of the words carved on the facade of Pools: Use this water with faith and love, safe che ti servirà di refrigerio al corpo e di salute all'anima".
Le finalità taumaturgiche di quest'Acqua e la sua interdipendenza con l'azione pastorale del Santuario sono parimenti espresse nella "Preghiera per il Santuario", composta dalla stessa Fondatrice:
"... Benedici, Gesù mio, il tuo grande Santuario e fa che vengano sempre a visitarlo da tutto il mondo: alcuni a domandarti la salute per le proprie membra straziate da malattie che la scienza umana non sa curare; altri a chiederti perdono dei propri vizi e peccati; altri, infine, per ottenere la salute per la propria anima annegata nel vizio... E fa, Gesù mio, che vengano a questo tuo Santuario le persone del mondo intero, non solo col desiderio di curare i corpi the strangest and most painful disease, but also to heal the soul from the leprosy of sin, mortal and ordinary. "
Further details of the final water there are other attributes of the Mother of Hope. On February 6, 1960, when he still had to drilling of the first attempts by participating in a Community with its religious, so they explained the objectives of the Opera: "The Mother ... take this opportunity to tell us that the garden you will find water and that this will feed the pools of Merciful, the Lord that this water will give the power to cure cancer and paralysis, figures of souls in mortal sin and habitual venial sin. "
These concepts go back, even better developed in ecstasy at the Well had May 6, the day of the discovery of the first aquifer:
"... Thank you, Lord gives strength to this water to cure cancer and paralysis, a figure the mortal sin of sin and the other usual ... cancer kills man, he discarded, and the paralysis makes it useless, it does not walk to the water ... It gives the power to heal the sick, sick poor who have no means, even with a single drop of water ... Whether this water the shape of your grace and your mercy. "
should also be pointed out that among the various forms of cancer, the Mother of Hope became clear that we needed to make a specific reference to leukemia.
La apertura ufficiale delle Piscine Benché nel novembre del 1960 fosse ormai tutto pronto (Pozzo, Piscine e persino il personale sanitario) la Provvidenza volle che l'uso delle Piscine fosse consentito solo dopo una attesa lunga di 18 anni.
Piuttosto che accennare a questo episodio con la pretesa di individuare responsabilità o titubanze di singoli uomini, è certamente più opportuno limitarsi a rilevare come anche in questa circostanza rifulse "la fede della Madre, l'immolazione della sua obbedienza, il suo pieno abbandono al mistero della divina volontà".
Furono certamente ispirate, a questo proposito, le considerazioni fatte in quei giorni da Mons. Norberto Perini, arcivescovo di Fermo, who was passing through Collevalenza: "(He) gives with the Mother and urges to have so much confidence and perseverance for the work of the Sanctuary and swimming pools, being a work of God, even if through difficulties and suffering, must go ahead and the Lord himself will undertake to remove obstacles and overcome difficulties. "
In fact, by letter dated November 19, 1978, the Bishop of Todi Bishop Decio Lucio Grandoni granted permission for the use of swimming pools as from 1st March the following year. The letter ended with this hope: "I am confident with this act, I put in the hands of Christ the King, we have paid to the divine will."
The 18-year wait was certainly not idle. In them we could complete all the other structures of the complex, the House of Young in 1962, the new basilica in 1965, the Casa del Pellegrino in 1967, the House for the Sick in 1973.
and the water of the Sanctuary, in the meantime was regularly drawn at "private", he immediately began to carry out his miraculous.
Another sign For better understanding it is worth remembering what happened to the shaft on September 14, 1960, the liturgical feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. From about three weeks trying to understand why the water was very murky, and what could be the most appropriate technique to overcome the inconvenience. Suddenly, at 9:30 am in the morning, in the presence of the Mother of Hope and some witnesses, the well lit inside for a couple of minutes, so everyone could see inside, of course, to the bottom. He saw a muddy stream poured from a height below the water making it cloudy.
E 'can be seen on this occasion a very singular sort of catechetical sign? Probably, yes. Even the "well of pain" that is generally dark and muddy and can lighten purified: this can be done either through a full restoration, the result of divine omnipotence, or through a peaceful and exemplary acceptance of their evil, to take on the up ' heroic expression Mother of Hope: "I thank thee, O Lord, you gave me a heart to love and to suffer a body" ..
This, then, seems to be the mission assigned by Divine Providence to water and swimming pools of the sanctuary: to illuminate "the well of suffering" with the radiant light of grace, or even with the blazing light of a full recovery, so that even the patient may feel, however, subject to the predilections of the Merciful Love of the Lord.
DATE OF HISTORY OF THE WELL OF POOLS February
February 1, 1960 In the garden, which will remain in the soil between the Basilica and the House of Young, the mother begins the drilling of a well to find water.
February 6, 1960 Saturday afternoon. The Mother, in conversation with the father, take this opportunity to tell us that the garden you will find water and this water will feed the pools of the Shrine of Merciful Love, which the Lord will give this water to cure the cancer and paralysis, figures of souls in mortal sin and venial sin habitually.
March
March 4, 1960 At 11.45 broke the auger while working about 12 meters deep. The mother had brought the place to pray there and to prevent breakage of the auger from the Lord. The Lord has also allowed the auger broke and then the mother has agreed not to proceed with more drills directly but to do a Roman well.
March 5, 1960 Willows Joseph began the construction of a Roman well for the search for water.
March 30, 1960 at 9.45 am slot is the first water from the well: this is also the Mother. The construction workers (about 22 meters) will send a first bottle of one liter: Mother takes a sip depositing it in the palm of your hand, then we all drank. Of what is advanced, the archive is part of the Sanctuary.
April
April 7, 1960 There is no longer possible to continue the Roman well and despite the negative result of remarks made by electrical equipment which shows that there is no water in the soil indicated by the Mother, the same mother who wants to conclude a contract with the firm De Togni Guido di Isola della Scala (Verona) for drilling on site.
April 8, 1960 Here comes the first drilling machine of De Togni, mounted on a Dodge truck, driven by Bruno Benfatti probe head, he too of Isola della Scala.
April 29, 1960 The drilling of the well is 83 meters deep.
May Friday 6 May 1960. In the well water for swimming pools, 92 meters deep. The Mother is praying rather worried because the probe has remained committed to the brook, about 90 meters deep. The Mother Superior says the rise of the nuns and invite them to pray for the intentions of a Trisagio Mother (because that could disimpegnare la sonda); il padre Gino da disposizioni che tutti i ragazzi vadano in Chiesa a pregare un Trisagio per la stessa intenzione. Alle tre e cinquanta si va tutti in Chiesa e si prega il Trisagio. Alla fine del Trisagio si riesce a liberare la sonda e a riportarla alla superficie in modo da riprendere il lavoro. Verso le ore 17 lo stesso capo-sonda corre in casa a portarci la notizia di aver trovato tanta acqua a 92 metri; tanta che la sonda ha avuto un rientro di circa tre metri.
19 maggio 1960 Alle 10,45, a 114 m. di profondità si trova ancora tanta acqua che causa il "rientro" della sonda per circa tre metri; la nuova falda è molto più forte delle precedenti.
GIUGNO
14 giugno 1960 Difronte a nuove difficoltà nella sistemazione The Well, the evening around 6 tells us that the Mother has promised three series of Gregorian Masses for the Holy Souls if by tomorrow will overcome the difficulties.
June 15, 1960 An easy everything proceeds normally.
June 17, 1960, you will begin the three series of Gregorian Masses, one for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, a second for Religious more in need of votes and the third for the souls most in need of votes.
July 14 July 1960 at 19.30 in the evening the mother, accompanied by the Sisters, the Fathers, with a good group of people Collevalenza and a representative of Assisi, goes to the well to throw in the bottom of the parchment memory. For the occasion calls all the people with great faith and trust in Merciful, taking care to make their lives more and more Christian. In the end he sings the Te Deum of thanksgiving.
August 8 August 9, 1960 At the beginning of the land surveys for the foundations of the pools. The works are progressing well at the well.
August 22, 1960 We are laying the foundations of the pools to be built on a design architect. Lafuente. One is forced to pit again to get the pump and the shirts are 305 because of new commitments. The Mother speaks of another source of below 122 m. and a little 'side. Cardinal Luigi Traglia visit the Sanctuary and is interested in the well, the pool, everything.
September September 14, 1960 Exaltation of the Holy Cross: 9.30 to present the Mother, Mother Ascension, Sr. Memorial, Straffi Father, Father Louis and Ferruccio, suddenly the lights inside the well and everyone can see through, clear tubes, water, bottom of the well , arrangement of gravel, etc.. The higher the pit shirt, then the first 73 meters, outside the shirt itself, the school saw a trickle of muddy water that was going to muddy the water source. Ferruccio Bordacchini in a letter dated 15 / 9 describes the fact: "... We do know that yesterday at about 9:30 I was in the well, our Mother, Mother Ascension, which would be the mother's sister, another Sister, Father Luigi and Mario P. Straffi. In a time when we were speaking of things well, the first Mother looked into the well at a depth of 80 meters and we sold all the water with the bottom of the well, all lit up as if in the end there was a large lamp light to the top, it is clear lasted for about two minutes later, everything was dark as always. Believe me my dear brother I was so impressed, I had taken a tremor that I could not calm down, a great thrill, because one thing I've never seen a real miracle. We were, those who were there, all stunned ...".
October
September 29, 1960 The Mother shows her concern for the organization of the pool, why should not complain about serious difficulties will for the staff of some people so seriously and so much confidence, at first it is essential to a doctor and at least one nurse and a nurse. Your doctor should take responsibility for who can put in swimming pools.
October 2, 1960 The mother sent some fathers in Upper Italy to find some doctors, nurses and nurse for swimming pools: the CUAMM of Padua (University College Prospective Medical Missionaries), Milan at ALAM (Association for Aid to Lay Missions) and boarding at the School for Professional Nurse (Milan-Niguarda). From all receive high hopes and an assurance that in the short few days would give confirmation or not.
October 17, 1960 the pool, now covered, will hoist the flag of Italy and the flag of Spain.
November November 13, 1960 The Mother called Dr. Albino Frongia and gives orders for the design of the pool area. Urge to hasten the delivery of completed work. From Carrara could get the Statue of Mary Mediatrix, the Crucifix and the Fountain for the day 29 cm wall that will hold the crucifix must be long after the end of the pool until the brick wall that borders our property, we will be there the gate closure, after which they can not pass cars.
November 14, 1960 We start the column foundations for the Statue of Mary Mediatrix.
November 15, 1960 From the Still is Exc. Mo Archbishop Norberto Perini, is interested in the well and the pools, and confer with the Mother calls for a lot of confidence and perseverance for the work of the Sanctuary and swimming pools, As a work of God, albeit through difficulties and suffering, must go on .
November 30, 1960 carried by a truck with a trailer coming from the Carrara statues of Mary Mediatrix, the Crucifix, the Fountain, the strips of the Ten Commandments. The statue of Mary Mediatrix, ten feet high, was provided by the Community eam of the General House in Rome, the Crucifix from the Community of Homes in Spain, the fountain and the four mosaics that will be placed inside the pool, the Community of the Sisters House of Collevalenza.
December 1 December 1960 with a mobile crane of the Quick Terni is the statue on the column. The statue weighs about 4 tons. The Mother gets three serious heart failure.
PRAYER FOR THE SICK IS THAT into the pool
My Lord and my God, for your love and your mercy, heal us that we are your figlida every disease, especially those, which human science can not cure ago that with your aiutoconserviamo always purala our soul from every grave sin.
To make a proper use of the Shrine of Water Collevalenza should carefully consider its spiritual meaning and the reasons for which the Divine Providence has given us the means Mother of Hope.
1. The water, a sign of grace.
Water is one of those tangible assets that are used in the Bible to describe spiritual realities and supernatural
The water washing is the sign of Graziadivina that purifies our conscience from every stain of sin (Titus 3.3 -7).
The water that quenches thirst is a sign of divine grace that satisfies our thirst for truth and inner peace (Jn 4.5 to 15; 7:37-39).
The water that fertilizes is a sign of divine grace that renews our hearts and enables us to bring the "fruits of the Spirit" (Gal 5.16 to 25).
2. Water, an instrument of mercy.
In the Bible water is also used to perform some miracles, whose recipients are sometimes the terminally ill:
The people of Israel, led by Moses, he walks in the midst of the waters of the Red Sea that open and allow the passage (Ex 14.15 to 31).
Naaman, who suffers from leprosy, he was invited by the prophet Elisha to dip seven times in the Jordan River to be healed (2 Kings 5.1 to 19).
The man born blind is scored on the eyes with mud, by Jesus who then tells him: "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam" (John 9.1 to 41).
3. The origin of 'Water from the Sanctuary. In relation to the history of the Well which is located next to the Basilica of Love ' Merciful, you should know that:
Mother Hope they wanted to stop the execution is not on their own initiative, but clearly inspired by the supernatural character. The
Well Drilling was performed in 1960, the first aquifer was found at 92 meters, the other at 114, 120 and 122 meters.
The building housing the tanks for the immersion of the patients was carried out in the same period and is part of that "project".
4. The purpose of the Water Shrine. To understand the purpose of the wells and tanks, we must take account of what Mother Hope said about it: You
assured that through this water is renewed wonders, that is to heal from "serious illness", but incurable.
And among these "diseases that human science can not cure", she specifically named the "paralysis, cancer, leukemia.
In this sense, the water of the sanctuary should be regarded as a sign of grace and an instrument of God's mercy.
5. Water in relation to the message of the Sanctuary. The special feature of this water is closely connected with the spiritual message proclaimed at the Sanctuary:
The Lord wants to heal even incurable diseases to make us understand that His mercy can heal from any kind of spiritual illness.
fact, he heals us from the "habitual venial sin" which is like a paralysis that stops us and makes us walk the path of good.
And we care, also by all sorts of "mortal sin" which is like a cancer that corrodes and destroys us from within.
6. How to be ready to use the water to the Sanctuary.
those circumstances, you must follow some guidelines on how they use this water to make the best:
Before you ask the healing of the body, it must "heal the wounds of the soul", using the Sacraments at the Shrine , where it awaits the "Father who forgives, forgets and does not take into account".
The water should be used "with great faith and trust", arguing the request for healing prayer, in particular with the "Novena to Merciful Love", composed by the same Mother Hope.
And if the will of God possessed in a different way to requests made should be open to a peaceful acceptance of his suffering, in union with the passion of the Lord.
7. The discernment of ecclesiastical authority. view of the absolute particularity of the subject, you must also take into account the opinion expressed by the Ecclesiastical:
statamolto beginning it is prudent to formally suspend the use of tanks for the immersion of the sick.
This period of discernment has lasted for more than eighteen years, from November 1960 to March 1979.
Today, the Church's permission to perform this particular form of the apostolate is certainly a further guarantee for all.
Prayer for the Sanctuary: Fa ', my Jesus, they come to your sanctuary, the people of this world, not only with the desire to heal the body from disease more strange and painful, but also to heal the souls from leprosy of sin, mortal and ordinary. Help, consolation and comfort, Jesus, all those in need, and does' not everyone sees in you a severe judge, but a Father full of love and mercy, that does not take into account the miseries of their children, but forget and forgive.
Prayer for the dive:
My Lord and my God, for your love and your mercy, heal us that we are your children safe from disease, especially those that human science can not cure, and makes' with your help, we always keep our pure soul from every grave sin.
Click image above to connect to the site of the Sanctuary
