The Madonna's Milk

In our Sanctuary are kept many wooden reliquaries, highly decorated in gold with the relics of saints set in ovals.

It was the Basilian Monks that started this decorative way to conserve the relics.

Tradition says that when the sacred Image of the Madonna was discovered underground, at the same time various boxes were found, containing the relics of the Apostles, martyrs, other saints and those of the Santa Virgin.

The most precious of all was considered a white powder called the Madonna's Milk closed in a glass ampule.

This relic has been an object of great veneration by the devoted of Materdomini for many centuries.

There have been many extraordinary events and miracles attributed to the prayers offered to Maria whilst in front of the relic, healings, rain during the droughts, freedom from disasters such as Vesuvius's eruptions, cholera epidemics etc.

At the moment the white powder called the Madonna's Milk is kept in the original glass ampule , set in a carved, solid silver reliquary, enriched with rubies and other precious stones. It's no longer in the Sanctuary but conserved in the convent.

News from years gone by report that in some circumstances whilst the faithful were praying the powder transformed into a frothy liquid, completely filling the oval in which it is kept.

This event which is remembered happened in 1837, 1848, 1860 and on the 3rd of September 1884, it was witnessed by many people including priests and brothers.