At the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii, tucked away beyond the basilica and up a flight of stairs, lies a little-known room where charity quietly takes shape. Here, Sister Rosalia Giannotti and the volunteers of the association Friends of Mary dedicate their time to mending, adjusting, and restoring donated wedding dresses for brides who cannot afford them—or who wish to choose a more simple and virtuous path to the altar.
As Sister Rosalia explains, generosity is at the heart of the initiative. “Here the dresses are donated to the donation room – because it’s the place where everyone can come. And at the same time, it’s always open because there are different people who run the donation room.” Hundreds of gowns—modern, classic, and bohemian—arrive each year. Brides are invited to make a small contribution if they can, but for those in need, the dress is offered free of charge.
Restoring Dresses, Restoring Dignity
Once the dresses arrive, careful work begins. Sister Rosalia describes the process simply: “Then they come here. And what do we do here? We select them, we clean them up and put them in order, if something doesn’t work we take it away.” The aim is not only to provide beautiful garments, but also to respect the choices and circumstances of each bride.
“Then there are people who can’t afford to spend much, also because instead of spending their money on a single day, they choose to spend it on some other charitable work… and then there are those who can’t afford it at all,” she adds. “There are those who give a little contribution but they are then able to dress up nicely—with wonderful clothes.”
For Sister Rosalia, the greatest reward is seeing a bride recognize her dress as truly her own. EWTN Vatican Correspondent Valentina Di Donato witnessed this moment while visiting the atelier with Felicia, a bride-to-be.
A Dress Chosen with the Heart
Asked how she felt trying on her gown, Felicia responded with emotion: “I feel emotional, indescribable emotion. In this place with these people that are so warm and kind – its hard to find such people now a days… But I immediately felt this dress to be mine.”
For Felicia, choosing a dress at Pompeii was a deliberate act of faith and gratitude. “My heart brought me to this initiative. Today we shouldn’t spend a lot on these things. The important thing is to do things with our heart… I was called to find my dress here and to give back.” She sees the wedding dress as deeply spiritual: “The wedding dress is what I wear when meeting God, what I wear when meeting my husband, what I wear before starting a family.”
Beyond the brides themselves, the work also transforms the lives of volunteers. Founded by Sister Rosalia, Friends of Mary brings together about 20 women who meet weekly to mend dresses and create handmade items to support the project. For Giovannina, one of the volunteers, the group became a source of healing. “Especially for me! This year I went through a difficult period… Then, little by little, the words of Sister Rosalia and the others told me: ‘Giovannina, you have to get back on your feet,’ and they helped me start to feel better.”
In the Shrine of Pompeii, wedding dresses become more than fabric and lace. They become signs of solidarity, faith, and hope—stitch by stitch, life by life.
Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Alexey Gotovskiy; Camera by Gianpiero Passalia; Video edited by Ilaria Chimenti.
