schio 1

The church of San Martino... 

is one of the oldest in the Schio area [NW van Venetië]. 

After the Napoleonic occupation, which requisitioned [opeiste] all ecclesiastical assets, the church was redeemed [teruggekocht] by a private individual in 1810, and since then it has been the private property of a family from Schio. 

Renato Baron, since he was young, thanks to his friendship with the owner of the building, became its custodian [concierge]. Inside the church, there is the statue of the Madonna del Rosario, now Queen of Love, which was sculpted by Cremasco in 1940 to comply with a vow made by the families of S. Martino and Poleo for the start of World War II. 

The image was inaugurated and placed in the church of the Capuchin friars of Schio, and Renato, who was then 8 years old, was present at the blessing ceremony, and was extraordinarily impressed by the sweet expression on the face of the Madonna and Child. 

One day in 1951, with regret, Renato found the statue in a corner of the Capuchin sacristy, and so he came up with the idea of ​​taking it to the church of San Martino, which was devoid of an image of the Virgin. After not a few difficulties, he obtained the prior's assent, but only for the month of May, and to recite the Rosary every evening, while, at the end of the Marian month, he had to bring her back, with a solemn procession. 

At the end of May, however, a sudden storm prevented the return of the statue from the friars and this same meteorological event was repeated for four consecutive years, so much so that the prior, at the end of May 1954, said to Renato: 'We see that the Madonna wants to stay here to be close to you.' 

The story of the Apparitions began in this small church... 

when on March 25th, 1985 the statue came alive in front of Renato's eyes... 

starting a story of endless conversion and salvation.

[bron]