Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás
America · Argentina
What happened
In the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina), on September 25, 1983, Gladys Quiroga de Motta, a humble woman from a family with no theological training, claimed to have begun seeing and hearing the Virgin Mary in her own home. At first, she remained silent for fear of not being believed. The apparitions continued until 1990, and tradition speaks of approximately 1,800 messages in total. The devotion became linked to an old image of Our Lady of the Rosary kept in the local cathedral: according to the account, it had been relegated due to its deterioration, and Gladys recognized it as the image of the Virgin who had appeared, who then asked to be enthroned. This detail of the "discovery" belongs to local devotional tradition and is not fully documented as a historical fact. The event gave rise to an intense popular pilgrimage and, beginning in 1987, to the development of a large prayer site on the banks of the Paraná River. The local Church observed and studied the phenomenon for decades before making a statement.
The message of the Virgin
The messages, published by the diocese with imprimatur as early as 1990, emphasize conversion, prayer—particularly the Rosary—consecration, reading the Word of God, the Eucharist, and doctrinal fidelity, with abundant biblical quotations. The Virgin Mary is presented as a Mother who gathers her children and reconciles them with God, calling them back to the Father's house, with a tone of tenderness and simple faith. These are not messages imposed as mandatory doctrine.
The sanctuary today
On the banks of the Paraná River, in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, stands a large sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás, which receives numerous pilgrimages, especially on September 25, the anniversary of the beginning of the apparitions. The sanctuary belongs to the Diocese of San Nicolás de los Arroyos and has become a major pilgrimage center. The venerated image is that of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The Church's recognition
After a lengthy period of discernment, Bishop Héctor Sabatino Cardelli of San Nicolás de los Arroyos declared the supernatural nature of the events on May 22, 2016, during a Mass for pilgrims, and approved the devotion, officially authorizing its veneration. The central formula of the decree read by Cardelli was: "I recognize the supernatural character of these blessed events." The bishop based his judgment on both positive and negative criteria and concluded that there was no doctrinal error in the messages. The complete text of the decree is not found in the verified sources; only this fragment and the date of the act are available. It is one of the Marian apparitions recognized by the Church in the Americas through a diocesan declaration, though this does not constitute a universal definition by the Holy See.
A grace that touches the heart
The most documented and verifiable fruit of the San Nicolás apparition is the movement of prayer and conversion that arose around the shrine: massive pilgrimages, a return to the sacraments, and a revitalization of faith in the region—elements valued by the diocese in its discernment. The humility of its beginnings is also moving: a simple woman, without theological training, who initially remained silent for fear of not being believed, and whom the diocese eventually recognized after decades of study. Local chronicles also recall that news spread throughout the city when people spoke of rosaries that inexplicably glowed in homes in San Nicolás before the first apparitions; this detail belongs to the devotional tradition. While there are testimonies from devotees regarding specific physical healings, details of canonical processes with medical expertise are not recorded here, and therefore these remain within the realm of devotional accounts.
Link with the Rosary
Saint Nicholas, by its very name, is an apparition of Our Lady of the Rosary: the recitation of the Rosary is at the heart of the message and the pilgrimage. To pray it is to accept the Mother's invitation to return to the Father's house, mystery by mystery, hand in hand with Mary.