"The Little Lourdes of Italy" — Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows

Episode 6 — Rome is watching

Episode 6 – Rome Is Watching When news of the Marian apparitions of Castelpetroso reached Rome in 1888, everything changed. What began as the testimony of two humble women in a small Italian village soon attracted the attention of Pope Leo XIII and the Vatican. In this episode of The Little Lourdes of Italy, Danny Cicchino tells the remarkable story of the Church's investigation into the apparitions of Our Lady of Sorrows. Discover how Bishop Francesco Macarone-Palmieri personally reported the events to Pope Leo XIII, how he experienced an extraordinary vision at the grotto, and why the Holy See sent its own investigators—including the future Pope Benedict XV and scientists from the Vatican Observatory—to examine the site. Rather than rushing to proclaim a miracle, the Catholic Church spent years gathering testimonies, studying evidence, and seeking the truth. It is a powerful story of faith, discernment, and one of Italy's most fascinating Marian shrines.

Episode 5 — A Voice From the Diaspora

A phone call across the ocean. In this episode, Danny Cicchino shares the story of Nicola Antonio Di Marzio, a member of the Italian diaspora living in Florida whose family roots reach back to Castelpetroso. Halfway through "The Story of a Miracle," this is a quieter, more personal chapter — the story of one man whose heart never left the mountain where Our Lady of Sorrows appeared in 1888, told by the friend who picked up the phone to hear it. 🎙️ Hosted by Danny Cicchino, president of the Society of Castelpetroso Descendants 🏛️ A project of the Basilica Minore dell'Addolorata, Castelpetroso (Molise, Italy) Learn more about the Shrine and the podcast: 👉 www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/ [http://www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/] 📩 comunicazione@santuarioaddolorata.it [comunicazione@santuarioaddolorata.it]

Episode 4 — The Water

In July 1888, a few months after two peasant women had seen Our Lady of Sorrows on the rock of Cesa tra Santi, something else happened on that mountain. At the base of the rock, just below the place of the apparitions, water began to flow. It was the middle of an unusual dry season — streams had run low, wells were giving little, the fields were parched. And then, suddenly, there was water. In this fourth episode of The Little Lourdes of Italy, Danny Cicchino tells the story of the miraculous spring of Castelpetroso — the spring that, more than anything else, would earn this remote village in Molise its name as the "Little Lourdes of Italy." Danny follows the news as it traveled north — all the way to Bologna, where a Catholic publisher named Carlo Acquaderni had founded a small magazine called Il Servo di Maria in January of that same year, before the apparitions had even taken place. Acquaderni had already written to the parish priest of Castelpetroso asking for some of that water, long before his own young son Augusto fell gravely ill with scarlet fever. When the moment came, the water was already in his house in Bologna. And Augusto recovered. Episode 4 explores:• The appearance of the spring at Cesa tra Santi, in the summer of 1888• The first conversions — and the first physical healings that followed• Carlo Acquaderni and the recovery of his son Augusto• The quiet parallel with Lourdes, where thirty years earlier another spring had begun to flow at the feet of a young French girl named Bernadette Soubirous This is a story not only about physical healing. It is also — and perhaps above all — about a change of heart that so often came before it. Listen to all episodes and read more about the Shrine at:👉 www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/ [http://www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/] Short link: bit.ly/littlelourdesAll platforms: linktr.ee/basilicaaddolorata The Little Lourdes of Italy — Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows is produced by the Basilica Minore dell'Addolorata in Castelpetroso, Molise (Italy). Narrated by Danny Cicchino, president of the Society of Castelpetroso Descendants.

Episode 3 — The Skeptic: Father Achille Ferrara

When two peasant women came down from the mountain claiming they had seen the Mother of God, the parish priest of Castelpetroso did not believe them. His name was Don Achille Ferrara. He was a man of reason, formed in seminary, accustomed to the quiet rhythm of a small mountain parish. He had heard stories before — visions, dreams, voices in the night. He knew how the human mind could play tricks, especially in places where life was hard and faith ran deep. So when Fabiana Cecchino and Serafina Valentino came to him with their story, he listened — and he doubted. For weeks, he resisted. He questioned them. He waited. He watched. And then, on May 18th, 1888, something happened that would change his life forever. In this episode, Danny Cicchino tells the story of the man who tried not to believe — and who became one of the most important witnesses of Castelpetroso. From skepticism to certainty, from doubt to mission: the journey of Father Achille Ferrara is the story of every honest soul who has ever asked the hard questions about faith. A story of courage, humility, and the quiet power of truth. 🎧 Listen now and follow the podcast on:www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/ [http://www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/] 📲 Share with friends and family: bit.ly/littlelourdes ✝️ Basilica Minore dell'Addolorata — Castelpetroso (IS), Molise, Italy

Episode 2 — March 22, 1888: The First Apparition

It was a Thursday, the day before Palm Sunday. Two peasant women — Fabiana Cecchino and Serafina Valentino — climbed a mountain in Molise to work the land, with a few sheep at their side. One sheep wandered off. Fabiana went to find it. And what she saw at Cesa tra Santi would change Castelpetroso forever. In this episode, Danny Cicchino recounts the first apparition of Our Lady of Sorrows: half-kneeling on the rock, arms open, the dead Christ at her feet, covered in wounds — the crown of thorns and the nails laid aside. She spoke no words. Serafina climbed up and saw the same vision. This is where the story of the Little Lourdes of Italy begins. Full story and resources: www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/ [www.santuarioaddolorata.it/en/podcast/]