Our Lady of Tears

Our Lady of Tears (Nossa Senhora das Lágrimas) is one of the Marian invocations attributed to the Virgin Mary. This Brazilian invocation originated in the apparitions received by Sister Amalia of Jesus Flagellated in 1930.

The apparitions appeared in the chapel of the convent of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus Crucified, located in the city of Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil.

The monastery
The Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus Crucified was founded by Bishop Francis of Campos Barreto, Bishop of Campinas, and Mother Maria Villac, who lived with Sister Amalia de Jesus Flagelado, a Spanish Galician nun. Sister Amalia (born Amália Aguirre) was co-founder of the Congregation and part of the group of first sisters. She made her perpetual vows on 8 December 1931.

Apparitions
Sister Amalia received the phenomenon of the sacred stigmas of Jesus Christ, as well as several Marian apparitions. These appeared in the chapel of Benjamin Constant Avenue, no. 1344, in Campinas, State of São Paulo.

On March 8, 1930, the Virgin Mary presented herself as Our Lady of Tears and revealed to her the Crown (or Rosary) of Tears.

Both the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ appeared several times to Sister Amalia, communicating many messages to her with calls for prayer, sacrifice and penance.

Ecclesiastical recognition
On March 8, 1931, Monsignor Francisco de Campos Barreto, Bishop of Campinas, recognized the veracity of the phenomena of stigmata and the apparitions received by Sister Amalia. He granted the proper authorizations - among them, the Imprimatur - for the publication of all her writings (which included the original messages of Jesus and Our Lady) and the prayers of the Crown (or Rosary) of Our Lady of Tears. On February 20, 1934, he published an episcopal declaration and reinforced the importance of devotion to the Virgin Mary under the invocation of Our Lady of Tears.

In 1935, the Crown of Our Lady of Tears received more authorizations for its dissemination: by Archbishop John Robert Roach of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota (United States); bishop Michael James Gallagher of the Diocese of Detroit, Michigan (United States); the diocesan censor in Sopron (Hungary); Bishop Stephanus Breyer of the Diocese of Győr (Hungary); and also by Vicar General Ferdinand Buchwieser of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising (Germany).