Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres (1563-1635) was urged repeatedly by Our Lady of Good Success to have a statue made and consecrated by Bishop D. Salvador de Ribera of Quito. She also asked the bishop to place the keys of the cloister, along with the crosier, in the right hand of the statue. Mother Mary promised special protection for the convent and the people through devotion to Our Lady of Good Success.

After much hesitation, Mother Mariana finally told the bishop of Our Lady’s request. Mother Mariana also predicted the bishop would only have two more years to live. She told him to put his soul in order before God and predicted a long period of purgatory for him, saying, “We will not forget you in our prayers. I will await you in heaven for, even though I shall die long after Your Excellency, I will ascend before you to heaven.” The bishop believed in Mother Mariana and was deeply moved. He helped begin the process of making the statue.

While the statue was being made, on Dec. 15, 1610, Bishop Ribera had a prophetic dream regarding his own death. He saw himself stricken by a violent illness and, in his last agony, Mother Mariana praying for him. He was being accused of many serious faults committed in his government, and he couldn't search for anything to assert in his favour.

In this anguished situation, Our Lady approached and carried in her hands a set of silver keys. She knelt before the judgment seat of God, saying, “This son of mine delivered to me the keys of the cloisters of the Convent of my Immaculate Conception. With these keys, therefore, I will now close the terrible tribunal of justice and open the one of infinite mercy in response to the unceasing prayers of the daughters of my Immaculate Heart for this servant of mine.”

With this a judgment of mercy began and the bishop saw before him the long years in the expiatory fires of purgatory assigned for him.

Bishop Ribera was a Dominican and a learned man. He was a professor and held many high offices in his order. He also enjoyed fame as an excellent preacher. He was influenced by pride due to the nobility of his family. As a result, he was lacking love and understanding towards his flock. He favoured certain persons and thus caused division within his diocese.

During the same night when the bishop had his prophetic dream, Mother Mariana saw a vision of Christ. He was vested like a bishop and pastor. Christ said, “My chosen spouse, how My Heart yearns for prelates and pastors to be true fathers to each and every one of their children. But, oh sorrow! The vain pleasures of learning, nobility, and wealth obscure the minds of prelates and incline them to favour certain persons, thus toppling that great edifice of pastoral charity that should stand strong and high in the pastors of the Church ... How many times a poor country peasant, ignorant of human sciences but a good Catholic who fulfilled his duties, has more glory in heaven than the learned in high offices, who, vain about their nobility, studied the stars without studying themselves.”

Our Lord pointed out to Mother Mariana that the colony was suffering in many ways from the imprudence of its present bishop, but because of his love for Our Lady and the Rosary, he would be viewed with mercy on the day of his death, which would take place on March 24, 1612. According to Mother Mariana, Bishop Ribera, who governed as bishop for seven years, would suffer 80 years in purgatory.

A year before his death, on Feb. 2, 1611, Bishop Ribera anointed the statue of Our Lady of Good Success. With tears, he placed a crown on the head of the statue, then he placed the crosier in her right hand. Afterward, he placed the keys of the cloisters in the same hand holding the crosier.


主教受長年煉苦                                                                                         

 

聖母,「成功之母」多次敦促瑪利娜.耶穌.陶麗詩姆姆 (1563-1635) ,在修院內豎立一尊「成功之母」聖像,由主教前來祝聖,把修院的牧杖和修院迴廊的鑰匙,放在聖像的右手;她承諾會保護無玷修會和敬禮「成功之母」的人。

 

雖然猶疑良久,瑪利娜姆姆最終還是向基多的主教、薩維道.里貝拉轉達聖母的吩咐。瑪利娜姆姆又斷言主教只餘兩年壽命,要他在天主面前準備好自己的靈魂,因為他要在煉獄較長的時間。她對主教說:「我們會在祈禱中記得你。我將會在天堂等候你。雖然我會比你活得長久,但我會比你先升到天堂。」主教相信她的話,深受感動,並籌備豎立聖母像的事。

 

聖像製成後,1610年12月 15 日,主教在夢中看到自己在重病的痛苦中死去,瑪利娜姆姆不斷為他祈禱。他目睹被指控當主教期間,犯了很多嚴重的錯誤,也沒有任何能辯解的地方。在這難受的時刻,聖母出現,手提一串銀色鑰匙,跪在天主審判座前,向天主說:「我這個兒子,把無玷修院迴廊的鑰匙交給了我。現在我要用這些鑰匙來關閉公義而可怕的法庭,並打開無限慈悲的法庭,以回應我無玷聖心的女兒們為我這僕人作的無間的祈禱。」慈悲的審判隨即展開,主教最後見到他將要在煉獄受長期的贖罪之火。

 

主教是很有學問的道明會會士,同時是一位教授,任道明會的高職,被譽為是傑出的講道者。在自身貴族家庭地位的影響下,他心生驕傲,對自己牧區信眾缺乏關愛和理解,卻又偏愛一些人,致使他的教區呈現分裂。

 

同一主教發奇夢同一晚上,瑪利娜姆姆見到基督,衣著如一位主教牧者,對她說:「我的被選的淨配,我心多麼渴望我的主教及牧者們,成為他們每一個神子真正的父親;但,唉,真痛心!學問、尊貴與財富而來的空虛快感矇蔽了他們的頭腦,促使他們偏愛某些人,因而推翻了牧靈愛德的偉大建築….有幾多次,那些目不識丁的貧農,但善盡本分的好教友,比有學識而任高職的人在天堂上更有光榮。」

 

吾主向瑪利娜姆姆指出,因為現任主教的不明智,使這殖民地在多方面受苦;但因他對聖母及玫瑰經的愛,在他的死亡時刻(1612年3月24日),將受慈悲看待。而據瑪利娜姆姆說,那位主教將會在煉獄八十年。

 

1611年2月2日,里貝拉主教死前一年,他把「成功之母」聖像傅油,在淚眼中將聖像嘉冕,把修院的牧杖和修院迴廊的鑰匙,放在聖像的右手。