There are many stories around Little Rose and the fragrance of roses; coming from soil taken from her grave, from mementos, prayer pamphlets, pictures and even correspondence received through the mail. Many of the people working closest for Rose, never received this gift of scent.  Perhaps she makes herself known to those who show doubt or perhaps she favors their interest in her.

Reverend Boyer writes of many detailed phenomenal accounts of persons attributing the presence of Little Rose with smelling a very intense odor of roses infused with incense.  Rev. Boyer explains the scent in this excerpt from his book “She Wears a Crown of Thorns”:    
 
Incense is a mixture of gums and spices, the product of aromatic plants.  When Our Lord blends the aroma of flowers with the fragrance of incense, the flowers take on a delicate odor and the gums and spices lose their sharpness.  Those who have scented this heavenly aroma agree that it is unique and that nothing can be compared to it.  That is the odor generally called the odor of the saints, it is the odor often mentioned in the Canticle of Canticles.  Some think it is the odor which Rose left in her trail.



 

Click to view the Collard Family Testimony from 2018!

Father Boyer writes:
 

On September 22, 1943, Mrs. Harry Harmon, of New York, came to see me with two companions.  One of them Miss Evelyn Gavin, came from Cleveland, Ohio, and the other, Mrs. Mae Connell, from Detroit, Michigan.  Both were interested in Little Rose and both had come to learn more about her.  As Villa Pauline was the end of their journey and they were preparing to leave, I told them the following anecdote.  After visiting Rose, when I was about to leave, she would say:  “I’ll be with you until you reach home.”  So I said to them:  “I’m asking Rose to be with you, to stay with you and protect you until you reach home.”
 
This farewell was most welcome and gave them much joy;  but no sooner were they out of the doors, than they forgot all about her.  Meanwhile, Rose did not forget.  She stayed with them following them where ever  they went until they all reached their destination. 
 
Account of Mrs. Mae E. Connell, Detroit, Michigan, about the odor of rose which was manifested to her and her companions on their way home:
 
“On September 22, 1943, accompanied by two friends, I spent the afternoon with Father Boyer.  He told us many interesting things about Little Rose and her sufferings.  When we were saying goodbye to Father, he gave us his blessing, afterwards saying “I will ask Little Rose to follow you.”  We went out to the taxi which was to take us to the train and at our feet was a large box.  I picked it up and found it to be so light, I asked “Are you taking an empty box back to New York?”  One lady said “No, that contains a Crown of Thorns made for me by the good nuns for my statue.”  We went to the station, I carrying the box. 

When the train arrived we boarded it with several others, and when I went up the steps to the vestibule behind the other, I smelled the most wonderful fragrance, and thought to myself, what grand perfume, but whoever has it, put on too much . . . it was so strong.  We proceeded to the end of the coach, to obtain a double seat.  I rode backward, facing my two companions, and when seated, I had the box on the seat alongside of me.  I mentioned the fragrance, and they both said, they smelled it and wondered about it.   We were riding along by this time, talking about our great privilege of the afternoon, etc., when the fragrance came again.  We then decided it must be an answer to Father’s “I will ask Rose to follow you.”   This went on all the way. . . time after time like a wave of roses.  I was quite concerned, as I thought, maybe some lady does have this odor on her handkerchief, and when taking it out of her bag, we might smell it.  Mentally I asked Rose and Little Flower to give us a sign if it was from them.  While asking this, I had my eyes closed, picturing Rose as she appears on the cover of Father’s book, “She Wears a Crown of Thorns,” when Evelyn said, “Roses and Thorns, they go together.”  I answered “We have the Crown of Thorns right with us.”  I had my hand on the box at the moment.  We just looked at each other as another wave of fragrance came.
 
When we arrived at the end of our train ride, we had to transfer to the ferry.  The three of us were standing all alone at the gate leading from the train to the ferry, a very smelly place, when like a light breeze the fragrance enveloped us three different times.  I then told my companions, I had asked for a sign from Rose, and this was her answer.  We were so thrilled and thankful, for the beautiful favor.  When we arrived in New York, we boarded a bus, and right at the steps, again came the fragrance.  From there on, all the way to the apartment, every time we changed from one vehicle to another, we were met with the fragrance.”
 
When these three ladies detected the odor of roses, the return of the fragrance had to be repeated many times before it led them to believe that Rose was the cause of it all.  In other words, Rose had to come back repeatedly and pound at the door to be admitted and when they opened, there was nothing else to do but to let her in.
Excerpt from "She Wears a Crown of Thorns" by Rev. Boyer