Mary's Marriage Ring

ON the 29th of July, 1821, Sister Emmerich had a vision on the grave clothes of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the wonderful prints of His body, which showed themselves miraculously upon the winding sheet in which He had been wrapped. As on this occasion she found herself conducted to several places, where these holy relics were found, some religiously preserved, others forgotten by men and honored only by the angels or certain holy souls, she believed that she saw preserved in one of these places the marriage ring of the Blessed Virgin, and she then related as follows :

I have seen the marriage ring of the Blessed Virgin. It is neither silver, nor gold, nor any other metal : it is of a dark color with changing reflections ; it is not a small circle, it is as thick and as wide as a finger. I saw it quite smooth and still, as if encrusted with small regular triangles where there were letters. I saw it kept under several locks in a beautiful church there were some pious people, who before celebrating their marriage touched their marriage rings with it.

On the 2ist of August, 1821, she said :
I have learned during the last few days many details relative to the history of the marriage ring of Mary, but I cannot relate them all in order. I have seen to day a festival in a church in Italy where it is found. It is exposed in a kind of monstrance, which was placed above the tabernacle. There was there a large altar, richly decorated, with many ornaments in silver. I saw that they touched the monstrance with several rings.

I saw during the festival, on the two sides of the ring, Mary and Joseph appear in their bridal dresses. It seemed to me that St. Joseph placed the ring on the finger of the Blessed Virgin. I saw the ring all luminous and as if in motion.*

* When the writer wrote this on the 4th of August, 1821, he could not understand why the Sister had this vision precisely on the 3rd of August. He was much surprised many years afterwards when he read in a Latin writing on the ring of the Blessed Virgin, preserved at Perouse, that they exhibited this ring to the people on the 3rd of August, of which probably neither he nor the Sister knew anything. He found this information on page 39 of the writing en titled, " Of the Marriage Ring of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, religiously preserved at Perouse" (The Commentator of S. B. Laurus of Perouse, 1626).

When the marriage was finished Anne returned to Nazareth and Mary departed also, in company of several virgins who had quitted the Temple at the same time as she did. I do not know how far these virgins conducted her on her way. The first place at which they stayed to pass the night was at the School of the Levites at Betheron. Many made the journey on foot. Joseph, after the marriage, went to Bethlehem to regulate some family affairs. It was not until later that he returned to Nazareth.