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Rose Ferron Foundation of RI
Museum & Domestic Chapel
‘Le Château de La petite Rose'
'Little Rose’s Castle,’
339 Arnold Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895
Email: [email protected]
Excerpt - Father Boyer's "She Wears a Crown of Thorns"
Rose was asked if she understood how the Christians of the early church could go to the gallows rejoicing and singing? . . .
"Yes," she answered, "for death is the road that leads to life."
"Do you realize that it was a delight for them to suffer? . . ."
"Yes, for I myself hunger and thirst after suffering."
"And when you suffer, do you feel that your love of God increases in proportion to your sufferings?. . ."
"Yes," was Rose's reply, "for if it did not increase, I could not live, I think I would die."
Marie Rose Ferron, known as "Little Rose" was born on the 24th of May, 1902 in a stable in St. Germain de Grantham, Quebec, Canada. The 10th child of Rose de Lima Mathieu and Jean Baptist Ferron, she was baptized Marie Rose Alma on May 25th.
At the age of 2 and after a short prayer to St. Anthony, she would quickly go to any lost or hidden object. The children made a game of it and would hide things for her to locate. Their mom scolded them "It's all right to ask her but you mustn't hide them and say you lost them!"
In 1905, the family moved to Fall River, MA and around that time, Rose became ecstatic and remained so until her death. The Phenomenon of Weight accompanied her ecstasies. During one of them on the 13th of April 1929, in the presence of 5 witnesses, Rose asked Our Lord if her sufferings were to last very long and repeated the answer saying - Seven Years! She then counted on her fingers to know how old she would be and stopped at thirty-three. Rose was 26 at the time and she died at the age of 33, the same as Jesus.
May of 1925, the family moved to Woonsocket, RI, "the Quebec of the USA". They arrived at a time that the trouble was breaking out between Bishop William Hickey and the Sentinellists. She was visited by Bishop Hickey at her home and asked that she offer her sufferings to stop the threat of schism within the Diocese. She accepted and in time all 56 excommunicated Sentinellists submitted and returned to the fold of the Church.
At the end of 1926, the stigmata of the flagellation appeared; during Lent in 1927 those of the hands and feet; in November 1927, the reception of Holy Communion without deglutition was noticed; in January 1928, the stigmata of the thorns made their appearance; during Lent of 1929 that of her heart; in the month of August 1929, her eyes shed tears of blood. From that time on, each Friday, she represented the Holy Face. Towards the end of 1929 the crown of thorns fully developed. In 1930, during the month of July, the month of the Precious Blood, the phenomenon of the Holy Face was repeated every day. On the 1st of August 1930, the stigmata disappeared but the pains were felt with more intensity; still on the days she suffered the most her former stigmata became purple and oozed a kind of serum.
When she died in the 11th of May 1936, one could still see one of the branches of the crown of thorns stigmata.
"Always in pain, never complaining. Always smiling, hiding her pain!"
Ecstasy and stigmata are nothing but charisms and in themselves do not sanctify. What sanctified Little Rose was her virtuous life: she loved God so intensely that she communicated her Charity when she spoke. During life she suffered martyrdom with patience and joy for the good of the Church; her soul was adorned with Christian virtues and she practiced them with the heroism of a true Victim.
While she lived, people called on her and asked her for prayers; many favors were thus obtained. Since her death, they still call on her and favors continue to come. Meanwhile those who invoke her are increasing in number and some are reporting wonderful cures.
More on her life can be found in:
"She Wears a Crown of Thorns." by Rev. O.A. Boyer, S. T.L.
and
"A Stigmatist - Marie-Rose Ferron" by Jeanne Savard Bonin
Books are available from the the Book Nook at the Rose Ferron Foundation of Rhode Island, located inside "Little Rose Castle", 339 Arnold St., Woonsocket, RI