Teresa Giudice's mother Antonia Gorga passes away at 66

— -- The mother of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice, Antonia Gorga, has passed away. She was 66.

The Gorga family matriarch, who intermittently made appearances on the hit Bravo reality show, died Friday.

Giudice took to Instagram to remember her mother with a photo collage. She also had a message for fans.

"Thank you for the love and support during this extremely difficult time," the mother of four wrote. "My mother was a very cherished part of our family and she'll be deeply missed."

"Each and every one of your messages of love & support are so appreciated. Give her eternal rest O Lord and may your light shine on her forever," Giudice concluded.

Giudice, 44, and her family -- husband Joe and four daughters -- are featured on "Real Housewives of New Jersey." Joe Giudice is currently in federal prison, serving a 41-month sentence at Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, for tax fraud.

Other family members also took to social media to honor Gorga, including Giudice's sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga. She's the wife of Giudice's younger brother, Joe.

Melissa Gorga hinted that the family knew Antonia Gorga was ill for "the last three months," according to her caption.

"May she Rest In Peace," Melissa Gorga wrote. "She was a beautiful woman who loves her children & grandchildren so immensely. I watched Joe & Teresa sit by her side for the last three months, the heart in this family is strong & she will live in our hearts forever."

Giudice's eldest daughter, Gia, also honored her grandmother on Instagram.

"Now I have another beautiful guardian [angel] watching over me i love you," she wrote in a caption next to a throwback photo of herself with Antonia Gorga.

Antonia Gorga is survived by her husband, Giacinto Gorga, along with her two children, Teresa Giudice and Joe Gorga, and seven grandchildren.