On June 5, 2026, at the age of 87, Monsignor Carlos Pérez died in Argentina. He was the first rector of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás and a central figure in the development of the Marian event that began in 1983. His death occurred during hospitalization for respiratory complications. His remains are being waked at the Sanctuary until 3:00 p.m., when the Bishop of San Nicolás, Monsignor Hugo Santiago, will preside over the funeral Mass. Afterwards, he will be buried in the crypt of the temple.
Connection with the Marian apparitions
Monsignor Pérez was the confessor of Gladys Motta, the laywoman who from October 13, 1983, to February 11, 1990, received more than 1,800 messages from the Virgin Mary. He was the first to learn of her testimony and, days later, found in the bell tower a forgotten image of the Virgin that Motta identified as the one in her apparitions. From then on, he accompanied the events that turned the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás into one of the most popular in the country.
Official recognition and legacy
In 2016, 33 years after the first apparition, the then Bishop of San Nicolás, Monsignor Héctor Cardelli, officially recognized the «supernatural manifestations» of the Virgin Mary. Monsignor Pérez collaborated in the development of the Sanctuary, of which he was the first rector, assuming pastoral leadership in its early years. The construction of the temple was completed in 2004, transforming it into a major pilgrimage center.
Biography and works
Born in Pergamino, Buenos Aires province, on August 13, 1938, Carlos Pérez was ordained a priest on June 2, 1963, in his hometown. His pastoral activity in the diocese of San Nicolás was extensive. Among his written works are Consagración a la Virgen, Soy tu Madre (Visión testimonial del Acontecimiento Mariano), and La violeta del Huerto, about the life of Blessed María Crescencia Pérez, of whom he was a nephew. In 2016, Pope Francis appointed him Chaplain of His Holiness, granting him the honorary title of monsignor.
Original source: www.aciprensa.com (published June 5, 2026)
