church approved apparitions
DESCRIPTION
Church approved apparitions a sinthesisTRANSCRIPT
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History of Marian Apparitions ........................................................................... 3
Vatican Approved Apparitions ........................................................................... 4
Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531) ........................................................................................4
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (1830) ..................................................................... 12
Our Lady of Lourdes (1858) .......................................................................................... 17
Our Lady of Hope (1871) .............................................................................................. 20
Our Lady of Knock (1879) ............................................................................................ 22
Our Lady of Fatima (1917) ............................................................................................ 25
The Virgin with the Golden Heart (1932) ...................................................................... 33
Bishop Approved Apparitions ............................................................................36
Our Lady of Good Help (1859) ...................................................................................... 36
Our Lady of All Nations (1945) ..................................................................................... 39
Our Lady of Akita (1973) .............................................................................................. 42
Our Lady of Cuapa (1980) ............................................................................................. 48
Coptic Approved Apparitions ............................................................................51
Our Lady of Light (1968) .............................................................................................. 51
Our Lady of Assiut (2000) ............................................................................................. 53
Traditionally Approved Apparitions .................................................................54
Our Lady of La Vang (1798) ......................................................................................... 54
Our Lady of China (1900).............................................................................................. 58
Other Apparitions ...............................................................................................61
Our Lady of Soufanieh (1982) ....................................................................................... 61
Apparitions Awaiting Approvement ..................................................................62
Our Lady of Medjugorje (1981) ..................................................................................... 62
Stigmatist Katia Rivas ................................................................................................... 63
Additional Information.......................................................................................64
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History of Marian Apparitions
Throughout history, there have been innumerable reports of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. These apparitions have come in many forms and have been witnessed by a wide variety of
people: men and women, children and adults, Christian saints and atheists. People from all
corners of the globe have made claims to have experienced the presence of the Mother of God in
their midst.
The earliest known claim was from St. James the Greater who saw the Virgin Mary while he was
in preaching on the banks of the Ebro River in Saragossa, Spain in 40 A.D. Today, apparition
reports occur more frequently. Some scholars estimate the total number of apparition claims
throughout history to be approximately 2,500 (with about 500 of those coming in the 20th
century alone.) According to the Dictionary of Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, throughout
history 308 apparitions are attributed to Saints or Blesseds. They are generally unofficially
recognized by Church authorities (or or at least the orders and congregations that they have
founded or belonged to). Although not officially approved by the Roman Catholic Church,
visionaries in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina and elsewhere currently distribute messages
attributed to the Blessed Virgin.
The most famous apparitions have been those reported in Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), Rue du
Bac, France (1830), Lourdes, France (1858), Fatima, Portugal (1917), and Medjugorje, Bosnia-
Herzegovina (1984).
The most recently Vatican approved apparitions are those from Le Laus, France (1664) which
were approved in 2008. The most recently occurring apparitions with full Vatican approval are
those from Kibeho, Rwanda which ended in 1989. The 1859 Robinsonville, WI, USA
apparitions which were declared authentic on December 8, 2010 are the most recently
episcopally approved apparitions. The United States had never had an episcopally approved
apparition previously.
The Catholic Church has been very cautious to approve purported miraculous events. In fact, in
the 20th Century, of the hundreds of public claims, there have been only 8 with episcopal
approval (4 of those with Vatican approval) and a handful of others that have not received
official approval but have been approved for faith expression at the site. A total of 15 apparitions
throughout history have been investigated and have received episcopal approval. Additionally,
there have been four Egyptian apparitions approved by the Coptic Orthodox Church in the last
50 years. The list of rejected claims continues to grow.
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Vatican Approved Apparitions
Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531)
Location: Guadalupe, Mexico
First Apparition: Dec 9, 1531
Last Apparition: Dec 12, 1531
Investigated: 1666, 1723
Approved: 1555 by Archbishop Alonso de Montúfar
Visionaries: St. Juan Diego (57), Juan Bernardino
Number of Apparitions: 5
Miracles & Signs: Tilma of Juan Diego with imprint of image of Virgin; conversion of millions
of Indians.
Summary: Mary proclaimed herself "the Mother of the true God who gives life" and left her
image permanently upon the tilma of Juan Diego, a recent convert to Christianity.
Timeline
1474 Quauhtlatoatzin (Juan Diego) is born in Cuautitlan.
1476 Juan de Zumarraga was born in Spain.
1492 Christopher Columbus lands on an island in the Americas and named it San
Salvador.
1514 The first Marian Shrine in the New World is established in the city of Higuey.
1519 Hernan Cortez lands in Mexico
1521 The capital city of the Aztecs falls under Cortez
1524 The first 12 Franciscans arrive in Mexico City
1525 Quauhtlatoatzin is baptized by a Franciscan priest and receives the Christian
name of Juan Diego
1528 Friar Juan de Zumarraga arrives in the New World
1529 Juan Diego’s wife, Maria, dies
Dec 9, 1531 The Virgin appears to Juan Diego on top of mount Tepeyacac speaking to him in
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Nahuatl, his native tongue. She called him “Xocoyte,” her little son. She requests
that he petition the bishop of Mexico that a “teocalli,” a sacred little house, be
built on the spot. Juan Diego, calling her her “Xocoyata,” his littlest daughter,
agrees to comply with her mandate and meets with the Bishop who listens to the
message but does not believe his words. On his return he encounters the Virgin
again who insists that he return to the Bishop with the same message the next
day.
Dec 10, 1531
Juan does not return to the bishop the next day because his uncle Juan
Bernardino takes ill and requests Juan Diego to find a priest for his final
confession.
Dec 11, 1531
Juan goes from his home to Tlatilolco to summon a priest and despite trying to
avoid her, encounters along the way the Virgin who promises that his uncle will
be cured. She urges him to climb to the top of the hilltop and gather the roses
growing there in December as the sign for the Bishop to believe. When the
Bishop finally received him, Juan unfurled his tilma and revealed the image of
the Virgin miraculously painted there.
Dec 12, 1531
Juan Diego shows the Bishop the location of the apparition on which the church
was to be built. He then returned to his uncle who was cured of his illness and
had an experienced a visitation from the Virgin himself.
Dec 24, 1531
Bishop Zumarraga writes a letter to Cortez stating: "I want to dedicate my
cathedral to the Immaculate Conception because it was during that feast that God
and his Blessed Mother deigned to shower the land you won with great favor."
1533
The first sanctuary is erected at the request of the Virgin. With the Bishop's
permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near the
chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for
the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Virgin.
1541 Franciscan priest and early historian of New Spain “Motolinia” writes that some
nine million Aztecs had become Christians
1548 Bishop Juan de Zumarraga dies.
May 30, 1548 Juan Diego dies and is buried in the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of
Guadalupe.
1548
The Codex 1548 is discovered in a private collection. It commemorates the death
of Juan Diego in 1548 and provides the earliest illustration of him and the earliest
reference to his birth name, Cuauhtlatoatzin. It is signed by Antonio Valeriano
and Bernardindo de Sahagun.
1555 In the Provincial Counsel, the second archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de
Montúfar, formulates canons that indirectly approved the apparitions.
1556 Archbishop Montúfar begins the erection of the second church
1561 The Valeriano Relation (the Nican Mopohua) is written by an Indian named
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Antonio Valeriano between 1551 and 1561.
1564 An image is carried on the first formal expedition to the Philippine Islands
1567 The new church ordered by Archbishop Montufar is completed.
1570 Archbishop Montufar sends an oil painted copy of the image of Guadalupe to
King Philip II of Spain
1571
Admiral Doria carries a copy of the image aboard ship during the battle of
Lepanto and attributes the victory over the Ottoman Empire to the Virgin of
Guadalupe
1573
The “Primitive Relation” is written by the historian Juan de Tovar, who
transcribed the story from a still earlier source, probably Juan Gonzalez,
Bishop’s Zumarraga’s translator.
1647 The image is covered with glass for the first time.
1648 The priest Miguel Sanchez publishes “Image of the Virgin Mary, Guadalupan
Mother of God” in Mexico City
1649 Luis Lasso de la Vega publishes the “Huey Tlanahuicoltica”, telling the story in
Nahuatl. It refers to earlier Nahuatl sources.
1666
A formal inquiry and investigation, named Informaciones Guadalupana, is
conducted by the Church from February 18 to March 22. Juan Diego was called a
"holy man".
1695 The first stone of the new sanctuary is laid..
1709 The new sanctuary is solemnly dedicated
1723 Another formal investigation is ordered by Archbishop Lanziego y Eguilaz
1737 The Most Holy Mary of Guadalupe is chosen as the patroness of the city of
Mexico
1746 The patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe is accepted for all of New Spain
(California to El Salvador)
1746 The knight Boturini Benaducci promotes the solemn and official coronation of
the image
1754 Benedict XIV approves the patronage of New Spain and granted a Mass and
Office proper to the celebration of the feast on December 12
1756 Painter Miguel Cabrera publishes his extensive study of the Image in the book
“American Marvel”
1757 The Virgin of Guadalupe is declared patroness of the citizens of Ciudad Ponce in
Puerto Rico
1767 The religious of the Society of Jesus are expelled from the Spanish dominions,
and the image is carried to various parts of the world
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1895 The coronation of the image is performed, with pontifical authority and the a
great part of the episcopate of the Americas in attendance
1910 Pius X declares the Virgin of Guadalupe Patroness of Latin America
1911 A church is built on the site of Juan Bernardino’s home
1921 A bomb placed beneath the image explodes but the tilma survives
1924
A very important 16th century source documenting the miracle is found in
Tetlapalco, Peru in 1924 by anthropologist M.H. Saville. It is a pictorial calendar
known as the Codex Saville-Tetlapalco and shows the image of our Lady located
in the position representing the year 1531
1928 A coronation of the image was made in Santa Fe, Argentina
1929 First documented note of an apparent reflected image of a man’s head in the right
eye of the Virgin, by photographer Alfonso Marcue
1935 Pius XI extended the patronage of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the Philippines
1945
Pius XII states that the Virgin of Guadalupe was the “Queen of Mexico and
Empress of the Americas” and that she had been painted “by brushes that were
not of this world”
1946 Pope Pius XII declares her to be the Patroness of the Americas
1951 Carlos Salinas examines the tilma and observes the apparent reflection of a
man’s head in the right eye of the Virgin
1956 Dr. Torroela-Bueno, an ophthalmologist, examines the eyes of the Virgin on the
tilma
1958 Dr. Rafael Torija-Lavoignet publishes his study of the Purkinje-Sanson effect as
exhibited in the Guadalupan image
1961 Pope John XXIII prays to her as Mother of the Americas. He addresses her as
Mother and Teacher of the Faith to the peoples of the Americas
1962
Dr. Charles Wahlig, O.D. announces the discovery of two images apparently
reflected in the eyes of the Virgin when studying a photograph enlarged twenty
five times
1966 Pope Paul VI sends a Golden Rose to the Basilica
1975 Glass is removed so the image could be examined by another ophthalmologist,
Dr. Enrique Grave
1976 The New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, located four miles from central
Mexico City, is dedicated
1979 Dr. Philip Callahan takes 40 frames of infra-red photographs of the image. Later
concluded that the original image is unexplainable as a human work
1979 Pope John Paul II called her the “Star of Evangelization”, knelt before her image,
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invoked her motherly assistance and called upon her as Mother of the Americas
1979
Dr. Jose Aste-Tonsmann announces the finding of at least four human figures
apparently reflected in both eyes of the Virgin. Dr. Tosmann used sophisticated
image processing techniques with digitized photographs of both eyes.
1987 The Congregation for the Causes of Saints declares Juan Diego venerable
1988 The liturgical celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 is raised to
the status of a feast in all dioceses in the United States
May 6, 1990
Juan Diego is beatified on 6 May 1990 by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of
Santa Maria de Guadalupe, Mexico City. The Pope declares Dec. 9 the feast of
Juan Diego and invokes him as “protector and advocate of the indigenous
peoples.”
1992 Pope John Paul II dedicates a chapel in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St.
Peter’s Basilica
1995
The Codex 1548 is discovered in a private collection. it commemorates the death
of Juan Diego in 1548 and provides the earliest illustration of him and the earliest
reference to his birth name, Cuauhtlatoatzin. It is signed by Antonio Valeriano
and Bernardindo de Sahagun.
1996
Controversy over the historical authenticity of Juan Diego is stirred in 1996 by
Father William Schulenburg, a longtime abbot of the Basilica of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, who calls Juan Diego a "mythical
character".
Oct. 28, 1998
The Vatican subsequently established a commission of 30 researchers from
various countries to investigate the question of the historical authenticity of Juan
Diego. The commission successfully proved that Juan Diego had indeed existed,
and the results of their research were presented to the Vatican Congregation for
the Causes of Saints. Among research documents submitted at that time were 27
Guadalupe Indian documents. One called the “Escalada,” co-authored by
Valeriano and Franciscan Friar Bernardino de Sahagun, contained a death
certificate of Juan Diego.
1999 Pope John Paul II, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declares the date of
December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent
July 31, 2002 Juan Diego is canonized by Pope John Paul II in Mexico City
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The tilma was made from cactus fibres and as such should have
turned into dust after approximately twenty years. Instead it has
survived and been on diplay to the faithful for nearly 500 years
despite being exposed to the smoke of candles throughout the
centuries. Infrared spectroscopy has confirmed the integrity of the
image.
The image on the tilma is composed of pigments that have not been
identified by chemical analysis as being the product of animal,
vegetable, or mineral dye. No undersketch has been identified below
the painting.
Symbolism
The 470-year-old image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is more than simply a picture. It contains
symbols -- in a sense, hieroglyphics, or a story in pictures -- that reveal part of the message the
Blessed Mother brought through Juan Diego to the Indians of Mexico and to all the people of the
Americas. But the symbols had a special meaning to the Indians, who because of their culture
could decipher the code in the Image.
1. Eyes
The eyes of the image are looking down, a postion of humility,
revealing that, as great as she is, she is not a god. Indian gods
never looked down; they looked straight ahead.
2. Face
The woman's face shows great compassion. The Indians felt
that the face was the window of the inner person, a means by
which one could read who a person was -- the way a person
would act. A good woman to the Indians was one whose
femininity showed in her face. The head of the woman in the
image shows her with dark skin and dark hair like that of the
Indians.
3. Hands Her hands are not poised in the traditional Western style of
prayer, but in an Indian manner of offering, indicating that
something is being offered, that something is to come from her.
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4. Maternity Band
The maternity band around the woman's waist was the sign of a
pregnant woman, a mother who is about to give birth, it was a
sign to the Indians that someone is yet to come.
5. Stars The stars on the mantle are a sign that a new civilization, or era,
is beginning. The Indian tradition recognized the end and the
beginning of different eras throughout the ages, and the
destruction of a particular civilization or era was always
accompanied by a comet, or a body of stars.
6. Sun Rays
The rays of sun in the image recalled for the Indians that the sun
played a key role in their civilization. But the woman in the
image is greater than even the sun. She hides the sun, and only
the rays come forth. She hides the sun but does not extinguish
it.
7. Mantle
The predominant color in the image's mantle is turquoise, the
blue-green color reserved for the great god Omecihuatl.
Although the Indians had many "intermediary gods."
Omecihuatl was considered the supreme god. It was a mother-
father god who sometimes was represented as a man and
sometimes as a woman. It was a source of unity for everything
that exists.
8. Moon The woman is standing on the moon, indicating that she is
greater than the god of night, the moon god.
9. Angel The angel at the bottom of the image was seen by the Indians as
an "intermediary god" carrying in a new era, the beginning of a
new civilization. One era was at an end -- had died -- and a new
one was beginning, was being born.
Visionary
St. Juan Diego was born in 1474 with the name "Cuauhtlatoatzin" ("the talking eagle") in
Cuautlitlán, today part of Mexico City, Mexico. He was a gifted member of the Chichimeca
people, one of the more culturally advanced groups living in the Anáhuac Valley.
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When he was 50 years old he was baptized by a Franciscan priest, Fr Peter da Gand, one of the
first Franciscan missionaries. On 9 December 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on
Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is now Mexico City.
With the Bishop's permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near
the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for the church
and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Mother of Jesus.
Church Approval
In 1555 In the Provincial Counsel, the second archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de Montúfar,
formulated canons that indirectly approved the apparitions. A formal inquiry and investigation
was conducted by the Church from February 18 to March 22, 1666 and again by Archbishop
Lanziegoy Eguilaz in 1723.
Juan Diego was canonized by Pope John Paul II on July 31, 2002.
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12th.
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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (1830)
Location: Rue du Bac, Paris, France
First Apparition: July 18, 1830
Last Apparition: Nov 27, 1830
Investigated: 1836
Approved: 1836 by Archbishop de Quelen of
Paris
Visionaries: St. Catherine Laboure (24)
Number of Apparitions: 2
Miracles & Signs: Miraculous Medal; Prediction of Paris Revolution (1871); incorruptible body
of Catherine Laboure.
Summary: In the chapel of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Mary showed
herself three times to novice Catherine Laboure. Laboure said she was commissioned by the
Virgin to have the medal of the Immaculate Conception or "Miraculous Medal" made in order to
spread devotion to Our Lady.
Timeline
May 2, 1806 Catherine Laboure is born at Fain-les-Moûtiers (near Dijon), Côte d'Or, France.
She was baptized Zoë Labouré, daughter of a yeoman farmer.
1815 Catherine's mother dies. Her elder sister, Louisa, joins the Sisters of Charity.
1824 Catherine attends finishing school in Paris despite feeling a call to the religious
life.
Jan 1830 Admitted to the Sisters of Charity at Châtillon-sur-Seine
April 1830
Sent to the Novitiate; After her postulancy, she went to a convent in the rue du
Bac, Paris. She arrived several days before the translation of relics of Saint
Vincent from Notre Dame to the Lazarist Church in rue de Sèvres. Starts to see
visions of St. Vincent de Paul and Jesus.
July 18, 1830
First Apparition of Mary. She was awakened about 11:30 p.m. on July 18 by a
"shining child," who led her to the chapel. Our Lady appeared and talked with
her for hours, telling her that she would have to undertake a difficult task.
Nov 30, 1830 Second Apparition of Mary. Mary appeared in the same chapel in the form of a
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picture, standing on a globe, with shafts of light streaming from her hands,
surrounded by the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have
recourse to thee!" The picture turned around, and on the reverse side appeared a
capital M with a cross above it and two hearts, one thorn-crowned and one
pierced with a sword, beneath. Catherine heard a voice asking her to have a
medal struck, promising that all who wore the medal would receive great
graces.Thus the design for Miraculous Medal revealed
May 1831
Catherine confided in her confessor, Father Aladel, and he, convinced of her
sincerity, persuaded Archbishop de Quélen of Paris to give permission for a
medal to be struck.
1832
After her year of extraordinary grace, Catherine was sent to the convent Enghien-
Reuilly on the outskirts of Paris. There Catherine served as portress until her
death, engaging in menial tasks such as looking after the poultry and overseeing
the aged living in the Hospice d'Enghien.
June 1832 The first 1,500 of the millions of medals to be made-now known to Catholics as
the 'Miraculous Medal'-were struck.
1832 &1833 50 thousand medals given out
1836
The archbishop initiated an official canonical inquiry into the alleged visions.
Catherine refused to appear, wishing her identity to be kept a secret. Fr. Aladel
pleaded to be allowed to keep her name anonymous. The tribunal, basing its
opinion on the stability of her confessor and Catherine's character, decided to
favor the authenticity of the visions.
Approved as authentic by Archbishop de Quelen of Paris.
1842
The popularity of the medal grew, especially after the conversion of Alphonse
Ratisbonne in 1842. Alphonse was an Alsatian Jew who, having been persuaded
to wear the medal received a vision of Our Lady in the church of Sant'Andrea
delle Frate at Rome, became a priest, and founded the religious congregation
known as the Fathers and Sisters of Zion.
1876
Not until a few months before her death did she speak to anyone about the
visions except her confessor; Catherine reveals her identity as the visionary and
encourages construction of “Virgin of the Globe” statue. She confided in her
superior, Sister Dufé.
Dec 31, 1876 Catherine dies. Her incorrupt body remains in the convent chapel at the rue du
Bac, where miracles were reported at her tomb.
1933 Catherine is Beatified
1947 Catherine is Canonized
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Description of the Virgin
"The Virgin was standing. She was of medium height, and clothed in all white.
Her dress was of the whiteness of dawn, made in the style called a la Vierge, that
is, high neck and plain sleeves. A white veil covered her head and and fell on
either side of her feet. Under the veil her hair, in coils, was bound with a fillet
ornamented with lace, about three centimeters in height or of two fingers' breadth,
without pleats, and resting lightly on the hair. Her face was sufficiently exposed,
indeed exposed very well, and so beautiful that it seems to me impossible to
express her ravishing beauty."
Messages
FIRST APPARITION - July 18, 1830
"My child, the good God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will have much to suffer, but
you will rise above these sufferings by refelcting that what you do is for the glory of God. You
will know what the good God wants. You will be tormented until you have told him who is in
charge with directing you. You will be contradicted, but do not fear, you will have grace. Tell
with confidence all that passes within you. Tell it with simplicity. Have confidence. Do not be
afraid. "
"There will be bad times to come. Misfortunes will come crashing down on France. The throne
will be toppled. The whole world will be turned upside-down by misfortunes of all kinds [...] But
come to the foot of this altar. There, graces will be poured out on all those, small, or great, who
ask for them with confidence and fervour. Graces will be poured out especially [on those who
ask for them. Grave troubles are coming. There will be great danger, for this, the novitiate and
other communities. At one moment when the danger is acute, everyone will believe all to be lost;
you will recall my visit and [the novitiate] will have the protection of God. But it will not be the
same for other communities."
"There will be victims [...] There will be victims among the clergy of Paris; Monsignor the
Archbishop will die [...] My child, the Cross will be held in contempt. It will be thrown to the
ground and trampled. Blood will flow. Our Saviour's side will be opened anew. The streets will
run with blood. Monsignor the Archbishop will be stripped of his vestments ...My child, the
whole world will be plunged into gloom."
"My eyes will ever be upon you. I shall grant you graces. Special graces will be given to all who
ask them, but people must pray."
"The ball which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in
particular. These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from
which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."
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SECOND APPARITION- November 27, 1830
"Have a Medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should
wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence."
Prophecies
By 1870, forty years after the first apparition, all the prophecies given at the time were fulfilled:
“There will be bad times to come. Misfortunes will come crashing down on France. The throne
will be overturned.”
The" throne” of King Charles X was “overturned” in the end of the year 1830;
"The Cross will be treated with contempt, they will hurl it to the ground and trample it. Blood
will flow. The streets will run with blood."
Riots broke out all over Paris and Churches were desecrated.
“There will be victims among the clergy of Paris; Monsignor the Archbishop will die.”
The Archbishop Msgr. Darboy (1871) and two subsequent of Paris were murdered during this
period.
“Monseigneur the Archbishop will be stripped of his garments.”
The Archbishop was beaten and stripped of his clothes.
“There will be great danger, for this, the [novitiate] and other communities. At one moment
when the danger is acute, everyone will believe all to be lost ; you will recall my visit and the
[novitiate] will have the protection of God. But it will not be the same for other communities.”
Some of the buildings housing religious communities were burned down; although threatened by
angry crowds, the building housing the Sisters of Charity at the Rue du Bac went unharmed.
Miracles
Her incorrupt body remains in the convent chapel at the rue du Bac, where miracles were
reported at her tomb.
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Church Approval
In 1836, the Archbishop de Quelen of Paris initiated an official canonical inquiry into the alleged
visions. Catherine refused to appear, wishing her identity to be kept a secret. Fr. Aladel pleaded
to be allowed to keep her name anonymous. The tribunal, basing its opinion on the stability of
her confessor and Catherine's character, decided to favor the authenticity of the visions.The
apparitions were approved as authentic by the Archbishop.
The Feast Day fo St. Catherine Laboure is celebrated on December 31.
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Our Lady of Lourdes (1858)
Location: Lourdes, France
First Apparition: Feb 11, 1858
Last Apparition: July 16, 1858
Investigated: 1858
Approved: Jan 18, 1862 by Bertrand Severe Laurence,
Bishop of Tarbes
Visionaries: St. Bernadette Soubirous (14)
Number of Apparitions: 18
Miracles & Signs: Healings, Conversions, Incorruptible
body of St. Bernadette.
Summary: At the Grotto of Massabielle, the Virgin
showed herself 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous. Under
the title "the Immaculate Conception," she called for penance and prayer for the conversion of
sinners.
Timeline
Jan 7, 1844
Bernadette Soubirous is born the first of four children in a financially ruined
family from a small town in the Pyrenees mountains in France. She was the
eldest of six children of Francis Soubirous and Louise Caserot.
Feb 11, 1858
Bernadette first encounters Our Lady in a golden cloud and prays a Rosary in
her presence at the grotto. Her sister Marie told their mother all about the
incident and her mother forbade Bernadette from returning to the grotto.
Feb 14, 1858
Bernadette and her sisters finally persuade her mother to let her return to the
grotto. She encounters the Virgin again but the commotion the other children
cause makes her mother inclined not to let her return
Feb 18, 1858
Two influential ladies, Madame Milhet and her seamstress, Antoinette Peyret,
request a visit to the grotto with Bernadette in order to obtain the name of the
appearing woman. Our Lady asked her to come another 15 times and
promised her happiness not in this world but the next.
Feb 19, 1858 Bernadette's mother accompanies her to the grotto.
Feb 20, 1858 The Lady teaches Bernadette a secret prayer which she recited the rest of her
life.
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Feb 21, 1858
Bernadette is accompanied by large crowds and in particular, Dr. Pierre-
Romaine Dozous, the town's most eminent doctor. He evaluates her
conditions and announces that there is no indication of "nervous excitement".
Feb 22, 1858
Despite being told she was imagining everything by the imperial procurator
and being called a liar by the police who threatened to imprison her,
Bernadette shows up at the grotto but does not encounter Our Lady.
Feb 23, 1858 Our Lady appears to Bernadette and gives her "three wonderful secrets"
which have never been revealed.
Feb 24, 1858 Our Lady stresses "Penitence" at the next apperance.
Feb 25, 1858
Bernadette is commanded to bathe in and drink from the fountain. Since there
was no fountain there, Bernadette digs up some gravel and reveals a pond
which she then drinks from and washes her face. This stream instantly
becomes a source of healing for visitors to the grotto.
Feb 26, 1858 Bernadette is asked to "kiss the ground on behalf of sinners".
Feb 27, 1858 Bernadette is asked to tell the clergy that they should build a chapel at the
grotto.
Mar 1, 1858 Bernadette is told that the people should come in procession to the chapel.
Mar 4, 1858
Twenty-thousand people gather at the apparition site. No sign is performed
despite the request of the parish priest, Abbe Peyramale, to have a rosebush
bloom in winter.
Mar 25, 1858 On the Feast of the Annunciation, Our Lady identifies herself: "Que soy era
Immaculado Conceptiou" ("I am the Immaculate Conception")
Apr 7, 1858 Dr. Dozous observes Bernadette putting her hand through the flame of a
candle without feeling pain or getting burned during ecstacy.
Jul 16, 1858 Bernadette receives a final invitation to meet the Lady at the Grotto.
July 4, 1858 Bernadette sees the Lady for the final (18th) time.
1858 Bernadette goes to study at a hospice run by the Sisters of Nevers.
July 18, 1858 An investigative commission is established.
Jan 18, 1862 The Bishop of the Diocese of Tarbes declares the apparitions to be authentic.
July 4, 1866
Bernadette leaves Lourdes for the final time to join the Sisters of Nevers. She
is given the name of Sister Mary Bernard and worked there as sacristan and
avoided publicity as best she could. She referred to herself as "a broom which
Our Lady used, but now I have been put back in my corner."
1876 The Basilica at Lourdes was consecrated.
April 16, 1879 Bernadette dies at age 35 and is buried in St. Gildard Convent in Nevers.
1890 The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was established for February 11
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approved by Pope Leo XIII and first granted to the Diocese of Tarbes in the
year
Nov 13, 1907 Pope St. Pius X proclaimed that it be observed throughout the universal
Church.
1925 Her body is exhumed and found to be incorrupt. She was beatified in 1925 by
Pope Pius X
Dec 8, 1933 Bernadette is canonized a saint by Pope Pius X on the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception.
Sept 12-15, 2008 Pope Benedict XVI makes a pilgrimage to the Lourdes for the 150th
Anniversary of the apparitions.
Description of the Virgin
"She has the appearance of a young girl of sixteen or seventeen. She is dressed in a white robe,
girdled at the waist with a blue ribbon, which flows down all along her robe. She wears upon her
head a veil which is also white; this veil gives just a glimpse of her hair then falls down at the
back below her below her waist. Her feet are bare but covered by the last folds of her robe except
at the point where a yellow rose shines upon each of them. She holds on her right arm a Rosary
of white beads with a chain of gold shining like the two roses on her feet."
Miracles and Signs (Additional Information)
In 1859, Professor Vergez of the Faculty of Medicine at Montpellier was appointed to examine
the cures. Seven cures were recorded before 1862 promoting the argument for the recognition of
the Apparitions by Bishop Laurence. Over 5,000 cures have been documented at the waters of
Lourdes. The Church has vigorously investigated and validated 67 of them.
For additional information see “Lourdes Cures” in the “Documents” folder
Approval
After a 4 year investigation commission, the bishop of the Diocese of Tarbes declared on January
18, 1962: " We judge that Mary Immaculate, Mother of God, really appeared to Bernadette
Soubirous on February 11, 1858, and on subsequent days, eighteen times in all. The faithful are
justified in believing this to be certain."
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Our Lady of Hope (1871)
Location: Pontmain, France
First Apparition: Jan 17, 1871
Last Apparition: Jan 17, 1871
Investigated: 1875
Approved: Feb 1875 Bishop Laval
Visionaries: Eugene Barbadette (12), Francoise
Richer (11), Jeanne-Marie Lebosse (9), Eugene
Friteau (6)
Number of Apparitions: 1
Miracles & Signs: Prussian army halts advances after
soldiers see Virgin in the sky.
Summary: During the devastation of the Franco-Prussian War, Mary appeared on a farm to
students at the nearby convent school. Mary's message was written on a banner that unfurled
from her feet: "But pray my children. God will hear you in a short time. My Son allows Himself
to be moved by compassion."
Timeline
Nov 7, 1871
Eugene Barbedette (12) encounters a beautiful lady suspended in air above a
neighboring house. The nearby adults could not see anything but when Francoise
Richer (11) , Jeanne-Marie Lebosse (9), Eugene Friteau (6) all claim to see the
woman, a nun in the crowd, Sister Marie Edouard, leads everyone in prayer.
Nov 7, 1871 The Prussians halt their advance across France when the Prussian commander
encounters an "invisible Madonna barring the way"
Nov 18, 1871 A peace treaty is signed between France and Prussia.
Feb 2, 1872
Mgr Casimir Wicart, Bishop of Laval, declares: "We judge that the Immaculate
Mary, Mother of God, has truly appeared on January 17th, 1871, to Eugene
Barbedette, Joseph Barbedette, Francoise Richer, and Jeanne-Marie Lebosse, in
the hamlet of Pontmain."
Pope Pius XI later confirmed the decision of the Episcopal court and granted a
Mass and Office proper to our Lady of Hope of Pontmain.
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July 16, 1932
Cardinal Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, passes a decree from the
Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica that the statue of the Mother of Hope be solemnly
honored with a crown of gold.
July 24, 1934 The statue of Our Lady is crowned in the presence of archbishop, bishops, priests
and the laity by Cardinal Verdier, Archbishop of Paris
Miracles and Signs (Additional Information
At 5:30 on the night of the apparition to the children, the Prussian army halted their advance
through France when the Prussian commander claimed to have seen an image of the Lady in the
sky. General Schmidt reported: "We cannot go any further. Yonder, in the direction of Brittany,
there is an invisible Madonna barring the way." A peace treaty between France and Prussia was
signed eleven days later. All the soldiers from Pontmain returned unharmed.
Approval of the Church
Mgr Casimir Wicart, Bishop of Laval, immediately requested a detailed inquiry after the events
occurred and came personally to Pontmain to question people. Other investigations and
questioning took place subsequently, but on February 2nd 1872, by means of a very definite
canonical act, the Bishop gave his decision. He recognised the authenticity of the apparition,
approved the cult of our Lady of Hope of Pontmain and called for the building of a sanctuary.
IHe declared: "We judge that the Immaculate Mary, Mother of God, has truly appeared on
January 17th, 1871, to Eugene Barbedette, Joseph Barbedette, Francoise Richer, and Jeanne-
Marie Lebosse, in the hamlet of Pontmain."
Pope Pius XI gave a final decision regarding the mass and office in honor of Our Lady of Hope
of Pont-Main.
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Our Lady of Knock (1879)
Location: Knock, Ireland
First Apparition: August 21, 1879
Last Apparition: August 21, 1879
Investigated: 1879, 1936
Approved: In 1936 Archbishop of Tuam, Dr.
Gilmartin's investigative commission returns a
positive verdict.
Visionaries: 18
Number of Apparitions: 1
Miracles & Signs: 300+ miraculous cures
Summary: During a pouring rain, the figures of Mary, Joseph, John the Apostle and a lamb on a
plain altar appeared over the gable of the village chapel, enveloped in a bright light. None of
them spoke. At least 15 people, between the ages of 5 and 75, saw the apparition.
Timeline
Aug 21, 1879 18 witnesses experienced the silent apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St.
Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist.
1879 Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. John MacHale, appoints an investigative commission to
study the phenomenon. No findings were published.
1936 Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Gilmartin, institutes a new investigative commission
which returned with a positive verdict.
Sept 30,
1979
Pope John Paul II visits the shrine for the 100th anniversary of the apparitions.
Over 450,000 people came to Knock on that day.
Description of the Virgin
According to visionary Mary Beirne:
"The Virgin stood erect, with eyes raised to heaven , her hands elevated to the shoulders or a
little higher. the palms inclined slightly toward her shoulders or bosom; she wore a large cloak of
a white color, hanging in full folds and somewhat loosely around her shoulders and fastened to
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the neck; she wore a crown on the head- a rather large crown- and it appeared to be somewhat
yellower than the dress or robes worn by Our Blessed Lady."
Visionaries
There were 15 official eye- witnesses (three men, six women, two teenage boys and a girl, and
two children) to the heavenly display, including:
Patrick Hill, 11
Mary McLoughlin, 45- Archbishop Cavanagh's housekeeper
Mary Byrne, 29 - daughter of Margaret Byrne
Patrick Walsh, 65
Patrick Byrne, 16
Mrs. Margaret Byrne, 68 - widow, friend of Mary McLoughlin
Dominick Byrne, Junior, 19 - son of Margaret Byrne
Mrs. Hugh Flatley, 44
Bridget Trench, 75
Catherine Murray, 8 - niece of Margaret Byrne
John Curry, 5
Judith Campbell, 22
Margaret Byrne, 21
Dominick Byrne, Senior, 36 - husband of Margaret Byrne
John Durkan, 24
Miracles and Signs
The place of the apparitions in Knock became a center for pilgrimage, now receiving a million
visitors per year. Over three hundred miraculous cures have been reported there, including the
cure of two blind men shortly after the apparition.
Church Approval
Two commissions of enquiry (1879 and 1936) were established. A Commission was set up
within six weeks of the Apparition by Most Rev. Dr. John MacHale, Archbishop. Fifteen
witnesses were examined and the Commission reported that their evidence was 'trustworthy and
satisfactory'. The Report was published in the newspapers and immediately pilgrims began to
flock from all parts of the country and overseas. The sick and disabled were taken along in great
numbers and hundreds of cures were reported in the public press of that time.
In 1936 All three surviving witnesses confirmed their original statements of 1879. They
confirmed the evidence they had given in 1879. One of the witnesses was Mary O'Connell (nee
Mary Byrne). She confirmed her evidence, on her death-bed, under oath and added, 'I am
perfectly clear about everything I have said and I make this statement knowing I am about to go
before my God'. She died six weeks later. The verdict of the Commission determined that the
"testimony of each of the fifteen official witnesses to the apparition was trustworthy and
satisfactory"
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OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM PATRICK HILL- VISIONARY FROM KNOCK
Patrick Hill was the first of the fifteen witnesses to give his deposition before the official
Commission which was set up by the Archbishop of Tuam six weeks after the Apparition.
"I remember the 21st August last - 1879- on that day I was drawing home turf from the bog, on
an ass. While at my aunt's at eight o'clock in the evening, Dominic Beirne came into the house
and cried beautiful vision that are to be seen there! I followed him; another man by name of
Dominic Beirne (senior) and John Durcan and a small boy John Curry, came with me.
We ran over towards the chapel and when the gable came into view, we immediately saw the
lights; a clear white light covering most of the gable, from the ground to the window and higher.
It was a kind of changing bright light, going sometimes up high and again not so high. We saw
figures - the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph and St John and an altar with a lamb on the altar, and a
cross behind the lamb. I went up closer; I saw everything distinctly.
The figures were full and round as if they had a body and life; they said nothing, but as we
approached they seemed to go back a little towards the gable. I distinctly beheld the Blessed
Virgin Mary, life size, standing about two feet above the ground, clothed in white robes which
were fastened at the neck, her hands were raised to the height of the shoulders, as if in prayer,
with the palms facing one another, but slanting inwards towards the face.
Her eyes were turned towards heaven. She wore a brilliant crown on her head, and over the
forehead where the crown fitted the brow. A beautiful rose. I saw her move, but she did not
speak. One old woman went up and embraced the Virgin's feet, and she found nothing in her
arms or hands, they receded, she said, from her. I saw St Joseph to the Blessed Virgin's right
hand; his head was bent, from the shoulder forward, he appeared to be paying his respects. I
noticed his whiskers, they appeared slightly grey. His hands were joined like a person in prayer.
The third figure that stood before me was that of St John the Evangelist. He stood erect at the
Gospel side of the altar, and at an angle with the Blesses Virgin so that his back was not turned
to the altar, nor to the Mother of God.|
St John was dressed like a bishop preaching; he wore a small mitre on his head, and held a Mass
book or Book of Gospels in his left hand: the right hand was raised to the elevation of the head,
as if he were preaching, but I heard no voice. I came so near that I looked into the book, I saw
the lines and the letters. St John wore no sandals, his left hand was turned toward the altar that
was behind him.
On the altar stood a lamb, the size of a lamb eight weeks old, the face of the lamb was fronting
the west, and looking in the direction of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph; behind the land a
large cross was placed erect or perpendicular on the altar. Around the lamb I saw angels
hovering during the whole time, for the space of one hour and a half, or more; I saw their wings
fluttering but I did not perceive their heads or faces which were not turned to me.
For the space of an hour and a half we were under the pouring rain; at this time I was very wet. I
noticed that the rain did not wet the figures".
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Our Lady of Fatima (1917)
Location: Fatima, Portugal
First Apparition: May 13, 1917
Last Apparition: October 13, 1917
Investigated: 1919
Approved: October 13, 1930
Visionaries: Lucia dos Santos (9), Jacinta Marto
(8), Francisco Marto (7)
Number of Apparitions: 6
Miracles & Signs: Miracle of the sun witnessed
by 70,000 people, Healings, Conversion of Russia,
Incorruptible body of Jacinta.
Summary: While tending sheep, Lucia de Santos
and her two cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto,
reported six apparitions of Mary, who identified
herself as "Our Lady of the Rosary." Mary urged
prayer of the rosary, penance for the conversion of
sinners and consecration of Russia to her
Immaculate Heart.
Timeline
March 22,
1907 Lucia dos Santos was born on to Antonio and Maria Rosa dos Santos.
1908 Portugal's monarchy is overthrown
June 11, 1908 Francisco Marto was born on to Manuel and Olimpia de Jesus Marto. He was the
older brother of Jacinta and the first cousin of Lucia dos Santos.
March 11,
1910 Jacinta Marto was born.
1911-1916 1,700 priests, nuns, and monks were killed by anti-Christian groups and public
religious ceremonies were forbidden.
May 5, 1917 Pope Benedict XV sends out pastoral letter to the world asking the faithful to
petition Mary "that her most tender and benign solitude may be moved and the
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peace we ask for be obtained for our agitated world"
May 13, 1917 Date of Eugenio Pacelli's (Pope Pius XII) Episcopal consecration.
May 13, 1917
Three shepherd children, Lucia, Jacinta, & Francisco, see a ball of light near an
oak tree and when they approach make out the light to be a beautiful lady. She
says she is from Heaven and that she wishes the children to come to the Cova on
the 13th of the month for 6 months.
June 13, 1917 Our Lady appears for the second time to the children who came despite their
parents' wishes for them to attend the St. Anthony Festival.
July 13, 1917
The parish priest and Lucia's mother think the apparitions are diabolical but she
decides to join the others at the Cova with 3,000 onlookers. They are told that a
devotion to her Immaculate Heart would bring more souls to salvation. They are
given three secrets: a vision of Hell, the consecration of Russia, and a papal
assassination.
Aug 13, 1917 The fourth apparition does not occur as planned due to the kidnapping of the
children by an anti-Church civil administrator
Aug 19, 1917 The children see Our Lady for the fourth time and she speaks of the need for
penance for one's sins and those of the world.
Sept 13, 1917
A crowd of thirty thousand witnesses the sun dim at noon and then a globe of
light descending on the oak tree. White roses are seen falling from the sky and
the visionaries are reminded of the importance of praying the rosary to end the
war. They are told that St. Joseph and the child Jesus will accompany her at the
October apparition.
Oct 13, 1917
Our Lady appears to the children for the sixth time. She identified herself as
"Our Lady of the Rosary" and the famous dance of the sun took place, witnessed
by a crowd of 70,000 people.
Oct 1918 Francisco and Jacinta became seriously ill with the Spanish flu. Our Lady
appeared to them and said she would to take them to heaven soon.
April 4, 1919 Bed-ridden, Francisco requested his first Communion. The following day,
Francisco died, April 14, 1919.
1919
Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, the Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima,
appointed a commission to study the case and began the official canonical
inquiry.
Feb 20, 1920
Jacinta Marto dies after suffering a long illness. She had been transferred to a
Lisbon hospital and operated for an abscess in her chest, but her health did not
improve.
1925 At age 18 Lucia became a postulant at the convent of the Dorothean Sisters at
Pontevedra, Spain.
Dec 10, 1925 At Pontevedra, Our Lady gave the young postulant nun the promise of the Five
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First Saturdays.
Oct 3, 1928 Lucia pronounces her first vows.
Oct 13, 1928 The foundation stone for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary was laid.
June 13, 1929
At Tuy, where, in the presence of the Holy Trinity, Mary further revealed to
Lucia the spirit of this great devotion of reparation. "The moment has come in
which God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the
world, the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it
by this means."
Oct 1, 1930
The Sacred Penitentiary under Pius XI granted a partial indulgence to those who
individually visited the Shrine and prayed for the intentions of the Holy Father,
and a plenary indulgence once a month to those who went there in a group.
Oct 13, 1930
Announcement of Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, Bishop of the Diocese of
Leiria-Fatima on the results of the Investigative Commission, declaring the
apparitions "worthy of belief".
May 13, 1931 The Portuguese bishops consecrated their nation to the Immaculate Heart
Aug 1931
Sister Lucia was staying with a friend at Rianjo, Spain to rest and recover while
ill. In the chapel there, Our Lord complained to Sister Lucy of the tardiness of
the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Feb 6, 1938
Seven months before the declaration of war, Sister Lucy wrote to her bishop,
Msgr. da Silva to tell him that war was imminent, but then spoke of a miraculous
promise: "in this horrible war, Portugal would be spared because of the national
consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary made by the bishops."
May 13, 1938
The Portuguese bishops had vowed in 1936 that if Our Lady protected Portugal
from the Communists, they would express their gratitude by renewing the
National Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. True to their word, they
renewed the Consecration of Portugal to the Immaculate Heart in thanksgiving
for Our Lady’s protection. Cardinal Cerejeira acknowledged publicly: "one
cannot fail to recognize that the invisible hand of God has protected Portugal,
sparing it the scourge of war and the leprosy of atheistic communism."
1940
Pope Pius XII spoke of Fatima for the first time in an official Papal text, his
encyclical Saeculo exeunte, which was written to encourage the Church in
Portugal to further its foreign missionary activity. In the text he stated: "Let the
faithful not forget, especially when they recite the Rosary, so recommended by
the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima, to ask the Virgin Mother of God to obtain
missionary vocations, with abundant fruits for the greatest possible number of
souls. ..."
1940 The Holy Father granted the new diocese of Nampula, in Mozambique, Our
Lady of Fatima as its Patroness.
Aug 31, 1941 Lucia reveals first two secrets in her writings in the “Third Memoir” for the
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Bishop of Leira-Fatima.
Oct 31, 1942 In honor of the 25th Anniversary of the apparitions, Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)
solemnly consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
1943
Sister Lucia explained that the Lord told her that He would accept this Act of
Consecration to help speed the end of the World War II, but that it will not
obtain worldwide peace. As predicted, this act obtained the end of the war, but
did not usher in the reign of peace Our Lady promised, as it was not a
consecration of specifically Russia, and the world’s bishops did not participate in
it.
1946 Lucia entered the convent of the Carmelite Sisters of Coimbra under the name of
Sister Maria Lucia of the Immaculate Heart.
May 13, 1946
Cardinal Masella, Papal Legate, crowned the statue of Our Lady of Fatima on
the 300th Anniversary of the consecration of the nation of Portugal to Mary
Immaculate.
Sept 1944 Bishop da Silva suggested that Sister Lucy write down the text of the Third
Secret and issues a formal order the following month at her request.
Jan 2, 1944
Sr. Lucia finally writes down the Third Secret after previosuly having claimed to
have physically been unable to obey the command due to paralysis of a
preternatural cause.
Jan 9, 1944 Sr Lucia wrote to Bishop da Silva to tell him that the Third Secret had been
written down and placed in a sealed envelope.
May 4, 1944 The Holy See instituted the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
June 17, 1944
The envelope was delivered to Bishop da Silva, by Sr Lucia's bishop confessor in
Tuy. (The five month delay had resulted from Sister Lucia's unwillingness to
entrust the envelope to anyone but a bishop.)
May 13, 1946
Cardinal Masella, Papal Legate, crowned Our Lady of Fatima "Queen of the
World" on the 300th Anniversary of the consecration of the nation of Portugal to
Mary Immaculate. The entire Portuguese episcopate and over 600,000 pilgrims
gathered at Fatima for the event.
Oct 13, 1951
Pope’s Legate, Cardinal Tedeschini, was sent to Fatima for the closing of the
Holy Year. He told the crowd that Pope Pius XII had himself seen, repeated in
Rome, the Miracle of the Sun that had occurred at the last Fatima apparition. The
Holy Father had, in fact, been graced to see the Miracle of the Sun on four
separate occasions the previous year: October 30 and 31, November 1 , and
November 8 .
July 7,1952
Pope Pius XII consecrated Russia and her people to the Immaculate Heart. But
he did the Consecration in a private ceremony, without inviting the world’s
bishops to join him, as Our Lady requested.
Oct 6, 1953 The Basilica was solemnly consecrated by Cardinal Cerejeira, the Patriarch of
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Lisbon.
Oct 11, 1954 Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical on the Queenship of Mary, and in it he
referred to Her miraculous appearance at Fatima.
1956 The church on the apparition site was elevated to the rank of Basilica.
1964
At the closing ceremonies at the end of the third session of the Second Vatican
Council, before all the Catholic bishops of the world, Pope Paul VI renewed Pius
XII’s consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He also
announced that a special envoy was to be sent to Fatima. In the Pope’s name the
Papal Legate would carry, as a symbolic gift, a Golden Rose to the Fatima
Shrine. The inscription on it would say that Pope Paul was entrusting the entire
Church to the care of Our Lady of Fatima.
May 13, 1965 Pope Paul through his Papal Legate presented the Golden Rose at Fatima,
commending the whole Church to Our Lady of Fatima’s care.
May 13, 1967
50th Anniversary of the apparitions, on May 13, 1967, Pope Paul VI went to
Fatima on a pilgrimage of prayer and peace. On that occasion, he published an
Apostolic Exhortation, Signum Magnum, in which he invited "all members of the
Church to consecrate themselves to Mary Immaculate and to put this pious act
into concrete action in their daily lives."
May 13, 1981
A young Turk, Mehmet Alì Agca, shoots the Pope John Paul II in the abdomen
and hand while he circles St. Peter's Square. The pope later attributes being
saved from the point blank assasination attempt to the intercession of Our Lady
of Fatima: "It was a motherly hand that guided the bullet's path."
May 13, 1982
Pope John Paul II offered Mass in Fatima to give thanks for Mary's intercession
in saving his life a year earlier. He reminded the faithful that "the message of
Fatima is a call to conversion and repentance, the nucleus of the message of the
Gospel." He re-consecrated the world to Mary's Immaculate Heart and called all
to prayer, especially the Rosary.
May 13, 2000
Pope John Paul II beatified the two deceased seers, Jacinta and Francisco. He has
also made the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima universal by ordering it to be
included in the Roman Missal. Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, are the youngest
non-martyrs to be beatified in the history of the Church.
June 26, 2000 The third secret of Fatima is revealed by Pope John Paul II with Sr. Lucia in
attendance.
Nov. 17, 2001
Sr. Lucia makes a statement to the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone that the Fatima secret has been totally
revealed by the Vatican, and Russia has already been consecrated as Mary
requested.
Feb 21, 2005 Lucia dos Santos dies at age 97.
2008 Pope Benedict XVI lifted the normal five-year waiting period to begin her
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canonization process.
Description of the Virgin
"It was a lady dressed all in white, more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and
stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays
of the sun."
Church Approval
On October 13, 1930, Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima
announced the results of the Investigative Commission, declaring the apparitions "worthy of
belief". Every Pope since the apparitions has expressed approval of the supernatural character
and stressed the importance of the messages of Fatima.
On May 13, 2000, Pope John Paul II beatified the two deceased seers, Jacinta and Francisco. He
has also made the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima universal by ordering it to be included in the
Roman Missal. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the normal five-year waiting period to begin
the canonization process of Sr. Lucia dos Santos.
Secrets of Fatima
The first secret was a vision of Hell:
“Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire
were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or
burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that
issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every
side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of
pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be
distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all
black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to
our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to
take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.”
The second secret was a statement that World War I would end and goes on to predict another
war, World War II during the reign of Pope Pius XI, should men continue offending God and
should Russia not convert. The second half requests that Russia be consecrated to the
Immaculate Heart:
“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in
the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be
saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God,
a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XI. When you see a night
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illumined by an unknown light*, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is
about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the
Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the Consecration of
Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my
requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her
errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be
martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the
end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she
shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”
The third part of the secret was written down "by order of His Excellency the Bishop of Leiria
and the Most Holy Mother" on 3 January 1944. In 1943, Lúcia fell ill with influenza and
pleurisy, which had killed her cousins. For several months, she was sure she was going to die.
Bishop Silva, visiting her on 15 September 1943 while she was bed-ridden, first suggested that
she write the third secret down to ensure that it would be recorded in the event of her death.
Lucia was hesitant to do so, however. She was under strict obedience according to her Carmelite
vows, but when she received the secret, she had heard Mary say not to reveal it. Because
Carmelite obedience requires that orders from superiors be regarded as coming directly from
God, she was in a quandary as to whose orders took precedence. Finally, in mid-October, Bishop
Silva sent her a letter containing a direct order to record the secret, and Lúcia obeyed. In June
1944, the sealed envelope containing the third secret was delivered to Silva, where it stayed until
1957, when it was finally delivered to Rome.
It was announced by Cardinal Sodano on 13 May 2000, 83 years after the first apparition of the
Lady to the children in the Cova da Iria, that the Third Secret would finally be released. In his
announcement, Cardinal Sodano implied that the secret was about the persecution of Christians
in the 20th century that culminated in the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on 13
May 1981.
The third part of the secret revealed at the Cova da Iria-Fátima, on 13 May 1917. The text of the
Third Secret was published on 26 June 2000:
“I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the
Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.
After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we
saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as
though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our
Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the
Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light
that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a
Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops,
Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big
Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father
passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain
and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of
32
the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who
fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other
Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and
positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal
aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled
the souls that were making their way to God.”
Messages
For the complete text of the messages, see: “Messages – Our Lady of Fatima” in the
“documents” folder.
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The Virgin with the Golden Heart (1932)
Location: Beauraing, Belgium
First Apparition: Nov 29, 1932
Last Apparition: Jan 3, 1933
Investigated: 1949
Approved: July 2, 1949 by the Bishop of Namur
Visionaries: Fernande Voisin (15), Andree
Degeimbre (14), Gilberte Voisin (11), Gilberte
Degeimbre (9)
Number of Apparitions: 33
Miracles & Signs: Miraculous cures, fireball.
Summary: From November 29, 1932 to January 3, 1933, Mary appeared 33 times to the
playground of a convent school to five children. The children belonged to two families: the
Voisins (Fernande, 15 years; Berthe, 13 years; and Albert 11 years) and the Degeimbres (Andre,
14 years, and Gilberte, 9 years old). Identifying herself as "the Immaculate Virgin", "Mother of
God” and Queen of Heaven," she called for prayer for the conversion of sinners.
Timeline
June 21, 1917 Fernande Voisin was born.
April 19, 1918
Andree Degeimbre was born. She married Georges van den Steen from
Flanders in 1941. Andree had 3 children: Christian, Yvan and Marie-
Ange. She died on June 11, 1978, the first of the five to die.
June 20, 1919 Gilberte Voisin was born
September 3, 1921 Albert Voisin was born.
August 13, 1923 Gilberte Degeimbre was born.
Nov 29, 1932
Albert and Fernande Voisin and Andree and Gilberte Degeimbre
approached the convent door to call for Gilberte Voisin as they did every
night. Albert ran ahead of the girls and rang the door to the convent. As
he waited for a sister to come to the door, he turned around and looked
toward the street and railroad bridge “Look! The Virgin, dressed in
white, is walking above the bridge!” he cried out. The girls did not
believe him but when they turned around they saw the figure of a
34
beautiful Lady in white walking above the bridge and the grotto by the
convent with clouds covering her feet. The sister who came to the door
could not see the Blessed Virgin Mary, but Gilberte Voisin did.
Dec 17, 1932 The Virgin Mary asks for a chapel to be built
Dec 21, 1932 The Virgin clearly states, "I am the Immaculate Virgin."
Dec 23, 1932 Our Lady states that she desires people to come on pilgrimage.
Dec 29, 1932
The Virgin opened Her arms in Her usual gesture of farewell. This time
Fernande saw a Heart of Gold, surrounded by glittering rays. All the
children witnessed this in the remaining apparitions.
Jan 3, 1933 The Virgin Mary appears for the final time at Beauraing.
1934 Similar apparition claims multiplied throughout Belgium (Onkerzele,
Lokere, Naasteveld, Tubize, Olsene, Etikhove)
1935 The Holy Office turned the examination of the matter over to the
Primate of Belgium, Cardinal Van Roy.
1941 Andree Degeimbre married Georges van den Steen from Flanders in
1941. Andree had 3 children: Christian, Yvan and Marie-Ange.
1941
Fernande Voisin married Albert Despas, who worked at the local tax
office. Fernande was a nurse who made home visits. In 1954 they moved
to Namur. She had five children: Rose-Marie, Michel, Emmanuel, Noel
and Marie-Francoise.
Feb 2, 1943 After long investigations and especially-difficult negotiations with
Rome, the cult of Our Lady of Beauraing was recognized.
1945
Gilberte Voisin married Amedee Pierret in 1945, a police officer from
Sainte-Marie. He was killed while on active duty in 1953, leaving two
children: Michel and Bernadette. Gilberte returned to Beauraing.
July 2, 1949 The Bishop released a document to Clergy in the Diocese declaring that
the Queen of Heaven did appear to the children.
Aug 22, 1946 The statue of Our Lady of Beauraing was blessed the Feast of the
Immaculate Heart.
1947
Gilberte Degeimbre married Andre Philippe. For a long time she lived in
Italy with her husband and their two children. She has since returned to
live in Beauraing with her husband.
1948
Albert Voisin married Yvonne Embrechts from Liege . That same year,
they left for the Belgian Congo, first to Lubumbashi followed by Kowezi
where their 3 children were born: Claude, Francine and Bridget.
Previously, he spent his military duty in Ireland and Germany and was a
teacher in Ottignies for 2 years.The family returned to Beauraing in 1961
where Albert taught at the "Institut Notre Dame."
35
Aug 21, 1954 The Chapel was consecrated.
June 11, 1978 Andree Degeimbre was the first of the five to die.
May 9, 1979 Fernande Voisin died from kidney cancer.
January 3, 2003
Gilberte Voisin died in an accident on January 3, 2003, the 70th
anniversary of the last apparition at the exact hour that the Blessed
Virgin said: "I will convert sinners"
December 23rd, 2003 Albert Voisin died.
Description of the Virgin
The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in white walking above the bridge and the grotto
by the convent with clouds covering her feet. The Virgin, with hands joined and turned toward
the sky, carried a rosary hanging from her right arm. During the five last apparitions, she showed
a heart of gold, surrounded by rays, on her chest.
Messages
The Virgin Mary urged the children to pray and sacrifice. She asked, "that people pray much,"
"that a chapel be built" (December 17, 1932), "that people come here in pilgrimage" (December
23). She promised the conversion of sinners. All these points are common with Lourdes. During
the five last apparitions, she showed a heart of gold, surrounded by rays, on her chest. During the
fourth apparition (December 4) and the seventh (December 21), she declared herself to be "the
Immaculate Virgin" (analogous to Lourdes). During the last apparition (January 3, 1933), she
added: "I will convert sinners. I am the Mother of God, the Queen of heaven." Twenty thousand
persons were present that day.
Miracles and Signs (Additional Information)
After the fourth apparition, there were sick people in the crowd. The visionaries prayed Our
Lady to heal them. But it was only after the last apparition that healings took place. Here,
however, the matter begins to deteriorate. A certain Come Tilman, fifty-eight years old, became
a visionary in his turn, and at the first vision, he was healed of spondylitis. However, a medical
and psychic examination of the visionary, made on June 1934, was negative. Meanwhile, similar
apparitions multiplied in Belgium. It was thus that in 1935, the Holy Office turned the
examination of the matter over to the Primate of Belgium, Cardinal Van Roy.
During the apparition of December 8th, Dr. Maistriaux, Dr. Lurquin and other doctors were there
to pinch, slap, prick and shine flashlights in the children eyes. There was no response from the
children during the Lady's visit.
Dr. Lurquin took a lighted match to Gilberte Voisin's left hand; still there was no response. After
the apparition Dr. Lurquin looked to see what damage the match had done. There was no sign of
injury.
36
Bishop Approved Apparitions
Our Lady of Good Help (1859)
Location: Robinsonville, WI, USA
First Apparition: October 8, 1859
Last Apparition: October 17, 1859
Investigated: 2009
Approved: Dec 8, 2010 by Bishop David L. Ricken
Visionaries: Adele Brise
Number of Apparitions: 3
Summary: Our Lady appeared 3 times to a 28 year old Belgium farm woman and asked to pray
for the conversion of sinners and encouraged her to evangelize and catechize the local people.
Miracles & Signs: On October 8, 1871 -- exactly 12 years to the date since her first appearance -
- a tremendous catastrophe struck by way of a raging fire that destroyed massive swaths of
northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan -- indeed, the worst recorded forest fire in
American history. By the time it was over, 1.2 million acres -- 1,850 square miles (the size of
Rhode Island) -- had been consumed, and one to two thousand were dead. It was described in
some parts as "a wall of flame, a mile high, five miles wide, traveling 90 to 100 miles an hour,
hotter than a crematorium, turning sand into glass."
October 8, 1871 -- date of the Wisconsin catastrophe -- was also the day of the Great Chicago
Fire.
Over the years there have been hundreds of stories of people coming to the shrine and being
healed. Old crutches and canes were left behind.
Timeline
January 30,
1831 Marie Adele Joseph Brise was born
August 7, 1855 Lambert and Marie Brise purchased 240 acres of land in the town of Red
River, Wisconsin.
Oct 8, 1859 First apparition of the Virgin Mary to Adele Brice (Brise). Adele could see the
37
beautiful lady, clothed in dazzling white, with a yellow sash around her waist.
Her dress fell to her feet in graceful folds. She had a crown of stars around her
head, and her long golden wavy hair fell loosely over her shoulders. Such a
heavenly light shone around her that Adele could hardly look at her sweet
face. Overcome by this heavenly light and the beauty of her amiable visitor,
Adele fell on her knees.
Oct 15, 1859
When Adele told her parents, they wondered if it was a poor soul who needed
prayers. On the following Sunday the young woman had to pass there again on
her way to Mass at Bay Settlement, which was the nearest place, when she
saw the Virgin again.
When she asked what the apparition wanted, Mary responded:
"I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I
wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning and
that is good. But you must do more. Make a general confession and offer
Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do
penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them."
1859 A small oratory was built of logs.
1861 A second chapel was built as a frame structure.
1865-1868 Between these dates a frame convent and school was built near the Chapel.
1869 A school known as St. Mary's Academy was formally announced.
October 8, 1871 The "Great Fires of Northern Wisconsin," popularly known as the "Peshtigo
Fire" raged.
October 8, 1871 The Great Chicago Fire
1880 A third chapel was built as a brick structure.
July 5, 1896 Sister Adele Brise dies at the Chapel.
Dec 8, 1941 The Most Reverend Paul P. Rhode, Bishop of Green Bay, laid the cornerstone
for the fourth Chapel.
July 12, 1942 The new Chapel was dedicated by Bishop Rhode under the title of "Our Lady
of Good Help."
January 2009 Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay opened an investigation into the
authenticity of the apparitions
Dec 8, 2010 Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay declared the apparitions to be authentic,
making them the first approved apparitions in the United States.
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Description of the Virgin
"... there appeared between two trees, one a maple and the other a hemlock, which stood for
years after, a blinding white light which paralyzed the poor girl with fear. She cowered before it
and prayed rapidly and breathlessly as the light took definite form, and between the trees stood a
marvelously beautiful lady, clothed entirely in dazzling white garments, with no touch of color
save a wide yellow sash or girdle. Her hair was auburn; her eyes deep and dark and she bore a
radiant and kindly smile. Adele trembled with fear. The vision faded gradually away." (Green
Bay Gazette, August 13, 1925)
Approval
Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona of Green Bay placed his imprimatur on a booklet describing the
events and containing the messages.
On December 8th, 2010, Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay declared the apparitions to be
authentic, making them the first approved apparitions in the United States.
39
Our Lady of All Nations (1945)
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
First Apparition: March 25, 1945
Last Apparition: May 31, 1959
Investigated: 1956, 2002
Approved: May 31, 2002 by Bishop Jozef Marianus
Punt of Haarlem.
Visionaries: Ida Peederman
Number of Apparitions: 56
Summary: During a series of 56 apparitions, lasting 14
years, prophecies were given to Ida Peederman along
with an image of the Blessed Mother and a prayer. The
revelations emphasize the importance of the Eucharist
and portray in detail the events will bring about the
Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, most importantly the
declaration of the final Marian dogma of Mary as The
Lady of All Nations: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and
Advocate.
Notes: It should be mentioned that the apparitions of Our Lady of
Akita (1973) (see picture on the left) took place on an image of Our
Lady of All Nations. In addition, the apparitions of Akita are considered
a continuation of Fatima (see “Our Lady of Akita).Therefore it is
reasonable to conclude that all three apparitions are connected!
Messages
For the complete text of the messages, see: “Messages – Our Lady of
All Nations” in the “documents” folder.
See “Our Lady of All Nations” in the “Videos” folder.
Online Petition for 5th
Marian Dogma
http://fifthmariandogma.com/index.php?option=com_breezingforms&view=form&Itemid=
602
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Prophecies
The Virgin said that she would give no signs other than her words to validate her appearance:
"You are as yet unable to appreciate my words. My signs are inherent in my words" (May 31,
1955). "Now I will give a reply to those who have asked for a sign. To all of them I say: my
signs are contained in my words. O you of little faith! You are like children who insist on
fireworks, whereas they have no eyes for the true light and for the true fire" (May 31, 1957).
The messages of Our Lady of all Nations contains many prophecies including the convening of
the Second Vatican Council II, the preparations of bacteriological weapons (prophecy dated Dec
26, 1947), "another great catastrophe for the world" against the West and coming from the East
(June 9, 1946), war in the Balkans (May 7, 1949, Oct 1,1949, May 27,1950, Aug 15, 1950, Aug
27, 1977), a "terrible pain coming over India" (Feb 14, 1950), a "struggle in Rome against the
Pope" (June 9, 1946), the Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown (Dec 10, 1950), the dissent
regarding celibacy (May 31, 1956 and May 31,1957), the 1949 Communist takeover of China
(Oct 7, 1945), the division of Korea into North and South (Aug 15, 1950 and December 10,
1950), the changing of the fasting requirement to receive the Holy Eucharist (Jan 25, 1951), the
construction of the Berlin Wall (Feb 14,1950, Aug 15, 1950, Dec 10, 1950), the turmoil and
battles within Jerusalem. (Dec 26, 1947, March 28, 1948), the eventual victory of Israel as a
nation (April 21, 1945), troubled times for Taiwan. (Aug 15, 1950, Dec 10, 1950).
Other revelations predicted the deaths of three popes. Prophecies dated: February 19, 1958 - the
death of Pope Pius XII in October of the same year; June 11, 1978 - the death of Pope Paul VI,
less than two months later; September 28, 1978 - the death of Pope John Paul I, the following
day. In addition to these revelations, Ida also was also made aware of the identity of two future
Popes on two separate occassions, namely: Pope Paul VI "Montini" on May 31, 1963; and Pope
John Paul II on October 15, 1978!
Timeline
March 25, 1345 The date of the great Eucharistic Miracle of Amsterdam.
Aug 13, 1905 On August 13, 1905, Isje ("Ida") Johanna Peerdeman is born in Alkmaar,
Holland, as the youngest of five children.
March 25, 1945
Ida was drawn to an adjoining room by a mysterious force. There she saw a
brilliant light out of which a Lady stepped towards her and spoke to her. 'Are
you Mary?' Ida asked. The Lady replied, 'They will call me 'Lady, Mother.'"
May 31, 1959 The Virgin appears for the last time to Ida.
May 7, 1956 Bishop of Haarlem finds no evidence of the supernatural nature of the
apparitions, and prohibits public veneration.
March 2, 1957 Bishop of Haarlem confirms this decision with consent of the Holy Office
(March 13,1957).
May 24, 1972 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responding to a letter of March 29
from the Bishop, re-affirms its decision.
41
June 27, 1974
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith affirms its earlier decision, after a
deeper investigation, inviting the faithful to discontinue all forms propaganda
with regard to these alleged apparitions and revelations.
May 31, 1996
The Bishop of Haarlem, Henry Bomers, published a Notification clarifying the
distinction between the title, image and prayer, on one hand, and the messages
on the other. The title, image and prayer had been approved for private
veneration since the 1950s (according to this decree), and he was now
granting the privilege of public veneration, as well. The belief in the messages
had been prohibited, but now was permitted according to one's own
conscience, the Church being unable to rule definitively "at the moment". As
the decree notes, he consulted with "official authorities", without specifying
who those authorities were.
June 17, 1996 Ida Peerdeman, at the age of 90, dies after the approval of the devotion
according to the promise of The Lady.
Dec 3, 1997 The Bishop writes Letter (HB-97-403) commending the "Action of The Lady
of All Nations" and the work of Fr. Paul Maria Sigl.
May 31, 2002
Bishop Jozef Marianus Punt of Haarlem, having concluded a period of
investigation, declared the apparitions accorded Ida Peerdeman of Amsterdam,
Holland, in which the Blessed Virgin Mary asked to be known as Our Lady of
All Nations, to be "of a supernatural origin".
August 8, 2005
The Vatican's Congregation for the Docrtrine of the Faith objected to the
phrase, "who once was Mary" in the prayer propogated from Ida Peederman.
The controversy began when the Secretary of the CDF, Archbishop A. Amato,
wrote to bishops in the Philippines regarding this “one particular aspect” of
the devotion and asking that it be eliminated.
Amato, the Titular Archbishop of Sila, Italy added: "In fact, this Dicastery, in
a letter to His Excellency, The Most Rev. Francois Bacque, Apostolic Nuncio
to the Netherlands, has indicated that Marian devotion must be nourished and
developed in accordance with the indications given by the Holy Father
in"Redemptoris Mater" and "Rosarium Virginis Mariae" and not according to
private apparitions nor according to a 'new' name of Mary, such as "Lady of
All Nations who was once Mary".
2006
After the local bishop, Mgr Joseph Marianus Punt, consulted with the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2006 in regard to the prayer, the
Congregation approved the text of the prayer but with the directive to change
the original phrase "who was once Mary" to "the Blessed Virgin Mary" due to
possible misunderstanding.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now Your Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy
Spirit live in the hearts of all nations that they may be preserved from degeneration,
disaster and war. May the Lady of All Nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our advocate.
Amen.
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Our Lady of Akita (1973)
Location: Akita, Japan
First Apparition: July 6, 1973
Last Apparition: October 13, 1973
Investigated: 1973
Approved: Dec April 22, 1984 approved by Bishop
John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata. In 1988, Joseph Cardinal
Ratzinger allowed Ito's pastoral letter and its
dissemination to the faithful.
Visionaries: Sr. Agnes Sasagawa (43)
Number of Apparitions: 3
Miracles & Signs: Bleeding and Weeping Statue (101
times), Stigmata.
Timeline
1930 Agnes Sasagawa is born.
May 12, 1973 Agnes enters the convent of the Institute of the Handmaids of the Eucharist in
Akita, Japan.
June 12, 1973
Sr. Agnes encounters on several occasions a bright light emanating from the
tabernacle in the chapel and "spiritual beings" worshipping the Eucharist. She
reports these experiences to Bishop John Ito.
June 1973 Sr. Agnes begins to experience the stigmata. On Thursdays she feels initial pain
and on Fridays and Saturdays finds a cross of blood on her left hand.
July 6, 1973
Sr. Agnes encounters her guardian angel and subsequently a three-foot high
wooden statue of the Virgin ablaze with light. The statue spoke to Agnes and
asked her to pray for the reparation of the sins of humanity and to follow her
superior. After the apparition, Agnes and the other nuns discover a bleeding
wound in the hand of the statue.
July 26, 1973 The angel appears again and promises that the pain in her wound would subside.
Aug 3, 1973 The statue speaks again and warns of a great chastisement.
Sep 29, 1973 The statue stops bleeding but tears start flowing down its cheeks.
Oct 13, 1973 Sr. Agnes receives her last message from the Virgin. She was told that the
43
Father would inflict a terrible punishment on humanity, that fire would fall from
the sky and wipe out part of the population, and that the devil would infiltrate
the Church. This message is received on the anniversary of the “miracle of the
sun” of Our Lady of Fatima (1917).
May 1974 The angel tells Agnes that her hearing will be temporarily restored and then
permanently cured later.
Oct 13, 1974 Agnes temporarily regains her hearing.
Jan 1975 The tears, sweat and blood from the statue were sent for laboratory analysis.
Dec 1975 The angel appears again.
Sep 15, 1981 The statue weeps for the 101-st and last time
Sep 28, 1981
Her guardian angel shows her a vision of the Bible and asks her to read Genesis
3:15: "I will place enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman (Mary), between
thy seed and hers. She will crush thy head and thou shalt lie in wait for her
heel."
Aug 4, 1981 Theresa Chun is cured of a brain tumor after praying to our Lady of Akita.
May 30, 1982 Agnes' hearing is restored permanently in accord with the promise of the angel.
April 22, 1984 Approved by Bishop John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata
June 1988
In 1988, Bishop Ito brought his letter to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger -- now Pope
Benedict XVI -- who allowed the pastoral letter and its dissemination to the
faithful.
Miracles, Cures, and Signs
The statue wept 101 times. Her guardian angel explained it with the following: "There is a
meaning to the figure 101 (the number of times the statue wept). This signifies that sin came into
the world by a woman and it is also by a woman that salvation came into the world. The zero
between the two signifies the Eternal God who is from all eternity until eternity. The first one
represents Eve, and the last, the Virgin Mary."
The actual weeping of the statue was not only witnessed by the local bishop but was shown on
national Japanese TV.
Theresa Chun, a Korean woman diagnosed with a brain tumor, placed an image of Our Lady of
Akita under her pillow and prayed to her for a miraculous healing. On August 4, 1981, the tumor
was found to have disappeared. This healing was well documented by Fr. Joseph Oh of Seoul, S.
Korea.
In May 1982, her angel told Agnes that her hearing would be permanently restored that month,
and on May 30 the deafness was cured. (Tests performed on Agnes at the Akita Muncipal
Hospital in 1975 had confirmed that she was deaf and that her deafness was incurable.)
44
Description of the Virgin
In the events of Akita, there was no "apparition" of
the Virgin. Agnes reported the appearance of her
guardian angel but the messages attributed to Mary
were said to emanate from a bleeding 3-foot high
wooden statue. The wooden statue in the convent at
Akita was carved by a Buddhist woodcarver from an
identical image of The Lady of All Nations (1945).
Approval
The first tests on the samples of blood, tears, and
sweat from the statue were performed by Professor
Eiji Okuhara, a Catholic physician in the Akita
University Department of Biochemistry and a former
Rockefeller Foundation fellow. Professor Okuhara,
who had witnessed the weeping statue himself, also
passed the samples on to a non-Christian forensic
specialist, Dr. Kaoru Sagisaka. The scientists
confirmed that the samples were of human origin- the
blood was found to be type B and the sweat and tears
were type AB.
Initially the nun's claims were rejected by an archbishop, then accepted by the bishop of her
actual diocese, Most Reverend John Shojiro Ito of Niigata, who on April 22, 1984, after years of
extensive investigation, declared the tears to be of supernatural origin and authorized veneration
of the Holy Mother of Akita.
"After the inquiries conducted up to the present day, one cannot deny the supernatural character
of a series of unexplainable events relative to the statue of the Virgin honored at Akita (Diocese
of Niigata). Consequently I authorize that all of the diocese entrusted to me venerate the Holy
Mother of Akita."
Bishop John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata (April 22, 1984)
MESSAGES OF AKITA
JULY 6, 1973
Her Guardian Angel:
"Be not afraid. Pray with fervor not only because of your sins, but in reparation for those of all
people. The world today wounds the most Sacred Heart of Our Lord by its ingratitude’s and
45
injuries. The wounds of Mary are much deeper and more sorrowful than yours. Let us go to pray
together in the chapel."
The Virgin Mary:
"My daughter, my novice, you have obeyed me well in abandoning all to follow me. Is the
infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed, be sure. Does the wound of your
hand cause you to suffer? Pray in reparation for the sins of men. Each person in this community
is my irreplaceable daughter. Do you say well the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist?
Then, let us pray it together."
"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to
be entirely one with Your Heart, being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world
and giving praise to the Father pleading for the coming of His Kingdom."
"Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father
and the salvation of souls."
"Most holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Your Divine Son. Please defend and
protect me as Your Special Child. Amen."
"Pray very much for the Pope, Bishops, and Priests. Since your Baptism you have always prayed
faithfully for them. Continue to pray very much...very much. Tell your superior all that passed
today and obey him in everything that he wil tell you. He has asked that you pray with fervor."
JULY 26, 1973
Her Guardian Angel:
"Your sufferings will end today. Carefully engrave in the depth of your heart the thought of the
blood of Mary. The blood shed by Mary has a profound meaning. This precious blood was shed
to ask your conversion, to ask for peace, in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages against the
Lord. As with devotion to the Sacred Heart, apply yourself to devotion to the Most Precious
Blood. Pray in reparation for all men. Say to your superior that the blood is shed today for the
last time. Your pain also ends today. Tell them what happened today. He will understand all
immediately. And you, observe his directions."
AUGUST 3, 1973
"My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to
say to you."
46
"It is very important...You will convey it to your superior."
"Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him to soften the anger of the
Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their
poverty for the sinners and ingrates."
"In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a
great chastisement on all mankind. WIth my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the
wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of
the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort
of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire
this also from your community...that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparation
for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men.
Recite the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning; put it into
practice; offer in reparation (whatever God may send) for sins. Let each one endeavor, according
to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord."
"Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way
to being gathered together. Without attaching to much attention to the form, be faithful and
fervent in prayer to console the Master."
"Is what you think in your heart true? Are you truly decided to become the rejected stone? My
novice, you who wish to belong without reserve to the Lord, to become the spouse worthy of the
Spouse, make your vows knowing that you must be fastened to the Cross with three nails. These
three nails are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Of the three, obedience is the foundation. In total
abandon, let yourself be led by your superior. He will know how to understand you and to direct
you."
OCTOBER 13, 1973
"My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior."
"As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible
punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will
never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good
as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so
desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the
Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary,
pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests."
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see
cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be
scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of
47
those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to
leave the service of the Lord.
"The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the
loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there
will be no longer pardon for them"
"With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray
and to accomplish works of reparation."
"It is Bishop Ito, who directs your community."
"You have still something to ask? Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice.
From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior."
"Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamites
which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."
DECEMBER 1975
Her Guardian Angel:
"Do not be surprised to see the Blessed Virgin weeping. She weeps because she wishes the
conversion of the greatest number. She desires that souls be consecrated to Jesus
SEPTEMBER 28, 1981
Her Guardian Angel:
"There is a meaning to the figure 101 (the number of times the statue wept). This signifies that
sin came into the world by a woman and it is also by a woman that salvation came into the
world. The zero between the two signifies the Eternal God who is from all eternity until eternity.
The first one represents Eve, and the last, the Virgin Mary."
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Our Lady of Cuapa (1980)
Location: Cuapa, Nicaragua
First Apparition: April 15, 1980
Last Apparition: Oct 13, 1980
Investigated: 1981
Approved: Nov 13, 1982 by Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega
Visionaries: Bernardo Martinez
Number of Apparitions: 4+
Notes: After the initial 4 apparitions, the Virgin reportedly subsequently appeared in later years
with messages of the destruction of atheistic communism and the whole world. She also
requested the propagation of the devotion to the shoulder wounds of Christ.
Summary: Church sacristan Bernardo Martinez entered an old chapel and observed a
supernatural light illuminating from a statue of the Blessed Virgin. On another day, the Virgin
appeared clothed in white (similar to the statue in the church) and asked for the daily Rosary
with Biblical citations and have the First Saturday Devotions renewed. She also warned of future
sufferings for Nicaragua if the people didn't change. Not wanting further problems, he ignored
the Virgin's request to spread the message, and when he avoided the location of the apparition,
the Virgin appeared to him a few days later in a pasture promising him help.
Timeline
1880 Fr. Andres Rongier, SJ, a Jesuit missionary from Mexico, prophesied that Cuapa
would be a famous future site of a Marian apparition.
Aug 20, 1931 Bernardo Martinez is born.
April 15,
1980
Bernardo discovered that the statue in the chapel was supernaturally lighting up
on its own.
May 8, 1980
The Virgin appeared clothed in white (similar to the statue in the church) and
asked for the daily Rosary with Biblical citations and have the First Saturday
Devotions renewed. She also warned of future sufferings for Nicaragua if the
people didn't change. Not wanting further problems, he ignored the Virgin's
request to spread the message.
May 16,
1980
Not wanting further problems, he ignored the Virgin's request to spread the
message, and when he avoided the location of the apparition, the Virgin appeared
49
to him in a pasture promising him help. The next morning, an inner peace filled
his soul which allowed him to tell what happened with no fear of ridicule.
June 8 , 1980
The Virgin gave him a nighttime vision (a 'movie in the sky') which moved from
the early church to men in white (likely Dominicans) praying the Rosary, then
Franciscans, and finally ordinary people with Rosaries whose example he was
told to follow.
July 8, 1980
An Angel appeared and told him and foretold several events which shortly took
place (including the death of a cousin which could have been prevented had he
listened to Bernardo's warnings).
Sept 8, 1980
The Virgin appeared as a child and told him to not raise funds for a new Church:
"The Lord does not want material churches. He wants living temples which are
yourselves."
Oct 13, 1980
The Virgin Mary appeared in a big luminous circle forming over the ground and
allowed everyone (50) there to witnessed. When her form appeared he pleaded
with her to allow herself to be seen by the others for they didn't believe. Her face
turned pale and her garments grey as she became visibly saddened by their
hardness of heart. As Bernardo apologized profusely, she instructed him to pray
the Rosary, turn from violence, pray for the world, and make peace. She tells him
that he will no longer see her in that place and vanishes.
1982
Bishop Bosco M. Vivas Robelo, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the
Archdiocese of Managua, authorizes "the publication of the narration of the
apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cuapa."
Nov 13, 1982
Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega M., Prelate Bishop of Juigalpa (the diocese of the
apparitions) declares that he has "an obligation to assure the authenticity of the
events in order to be able to assist in discerning the true value of the alluded to
message."
Bernardo Martinez is ordained a priest.
Description of the Virgin
"Suddenly I saw a lightning flash. I thought and said to myself, 'It is going to rain.' But I became
filled with wonder because I did not see from where the lightning had come. I stopped but I
could see nothing - no signs of rain. Afterward I went over near a place place where there are
some rocks. I walked about six or seven steps. That was when I saw another lightning flash, but
that was to open my vision, ans she presented herself.
"I was then wondering whether this could be something bad, whether it was the same statue as in
the chapel. But I saw that she blinked and that she was beautiful. She remained above the pile of
rocks as if on a cloud. And there was a little treeon top of the rocks and over that tree was the
cloud. The cloud was extremely white. It radiated in all directions the ray of sun light. On the
cloud were the feet of a very beautiful lady. Her feet were bare. The dress was long and white
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with a celestial cord around the waist, and it had long sleeves. Covering her was a veil, a pale
cream color, with gold embroidery along the edge. Her hands were held together over her breast.
It looked like the statue of the Virgin of Fatima."
- Bernardo Martinez
Messages
The Virgin asked for the daily Rosary with Biblical citations and have the First Saturday
Devotions renewed. She also warned of future sufferings for Nicaragua if the people didn't
change.
After the initial 4 apparitions, the Virgin reportedly subsequently appeared in later years with
messages of the destruction of atheistic communism and the whole world. She also requested the
propagation of the devotion to the shoulder wounds of Christ.
For the complete text of the messages, see: “Messages – Our Lady of Cuapa” in the
“documents” folder.
Approval
In 1982, both Bishop Bosco M. Vivas Robelo, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the
Archdiocese of Managua and Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega M., Prelate Bishop of Juigalpa (the
diocese where the apparitions took place) released statements positively affirming the
apparitions.
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Coptic Approved Apparitions
Our Lady of Light (1968)
Location: Zeitun, Egypt
First Apparition: April 2, 1968
Last Apparition: 1971
Investigated: 1968
Approved: May 4, 1968 by Pope of Coptic
Orthodox Church and Local Catholic Bishop.
Visionaries: Millions
Number of Apparitions: Many
Miracles & Signs: Accompanying objects (Doves, Stars and Glowing Balls of Light, Cross,
Incense, Clouds), Healings, Conversions.
Summary: Our Lady reportedly appeared in Zeitoun, Egypt hovering above Saint Mark's Coptic
Church for a span of three years. She appeared on many occasions especially at night, and
sometimes she was accompanied by white doves. The apparitions attracted large crowds up to
250,000 people including Christians, Jews, and Moslems. The apparitions were photographed,
filmed and broadcast on Egyptian TV. An estimated 40 million people witnessed the events.
Timeline
April 2, 1968
Mary first appeared on the roof of the Church in a kneeling position, surrounded
by light. The first man who saw her, Muslim, Farouk Mohammed Atwa, was
undergoing operations for a case of gangrene. The following day when he went
to hospital for his scheduled operation, he was certified completely healed.
May 1968 Roman Catholic Cardinal Stephanos performs an investigation and submits his
findings to Pope Paul VI.
May 5, 1968 Coptic Orthodox Pope Kyrillos VI approves the apparition.
1971 Mary appears for the final time.
Description of the Virgin
She was wearing a long robe extending to below Her feet. Sometimes She was surrounded by
52
bright stars, and at other times She had a shawl about Her head, and Her hands were extended
forward. The Virgin would walk over the church, especially over the middle dome, and to bow in
front of the cross that shone, then, with a bright light. She sometimes made Her apparition with a
child in Her arms.
Messages
No messages were given at these apparitions.
Miracles, Cures, and Signs
The glowing image of our Lady was accompanied by doves and orbs of light, said to make
formations in the shape of a cross. Additionally, people made reports of the presence of incense
smelling smoke.
Approval
Anba Kyrillos VI, Pope of Alexandria, delegated a commision of priests to research and
investigate the phenomenon. They stayed there for several nights enquiring and investigating
until they saw with their own eyes the blessed Virgin's apparition in the full form moving on the
domes and blessing the multitudes in front of the church.
Kyrillos VI's official statement was:
"The Blessed Virgin mary has appeared several times on the Coptic Orthodox Church named
after her at Zeitun in Cairo."
The apparitions were also confirmed by the Jesuit Father Dr. Henry Ayrout. Nuns of the Society
of the Sacred Heart also witnessed the phenomenon and sent a detailed report to the Vatican,
resulting in the arrival of an envoy on April 28 who also saw the apparitions and sent a report to
Pope Paul VI.
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Our Lady of Assiut (2000)
Location: Assiut, Egypt
First Apparition: Aug 17, 2000
Last Apparition: January 2001
Investigated: 2000
Approved: Approved by H.H. Pope
Shenouda III, Pope of Coptic Orthodox
Church.
Visionaries: Millions
Number of Apparitions: Many
Summary: Apparition of Mary on top of St. Mark's Church accompanied by lights and doves.
Notes: See “Our Lady of Assiut” in the “Videos” Folder!
54
Traditionally Approved Apparitions
Our Lady of La Vang (1798)
Location: La Vang, Vietnam
First Apparition: 1798
Last Apparition: 1798
Approved: Traditional approval only. Pope John Paul II
celebrated the 200th anniversary of the apparitions.
Visionaries: 100,000
Number of Apparitions: 1
Summary:
Many Christians took refuge in the jungle near Quang Tri, a village in central Vietnam, where
they prepared themselves for martyrdom. Many people died from the bitter cold weather, lurking
wild beasts, jungle sickness and starvation. At night, they often gathered in small groups to pray
the rosary. Unexpectedly, one night they were visited by an apparition of Our Blessed Mother in
a long cape, holding a child in her arms, with two angels at her sides. She comforted them and
told them to boil the leaves from the surrounding trees to use as medicine. She also told them
that from that day on, all those who came to this place to pray, would get their prayers heard and
answered. All those who were present witnessed this miracle.
Timeline
1552
The Le Dynasty is usurped by the family's chief Regent, Mac Dang Dung. Two
political elite families, Trinh and Nguyen, regained power and split Vietnam
into a northern (Trinh) and southern region (Nguyen and Le). The Nguyen
capital was established at Dinh Cat.
1593
Catholicism was introduced into Vietnam by Father Diego Aduarte, a
Dominican, who came onboard a Spanish merchant ship and established a
mission in Dinh Cat.
Jesuit priest Francisco Buzoni maintained his predecessor's mission through
good relations with the Nguyen family. With the arrival of Father Francisco de
Pina, an Italian Jesuit who was fluent in Vietnamese language, many people
55
converted to Catholicism, including the king’s aunt. Thirty-seven parishes were
established around Dinh Cat.
1624
Father Alexander de Rhodes, a French Jesuit, arrived and initiated the
Vietnamese alphabets that are being used today. For more than forty years,
Catholicism was marginally tolerated due to the opened relations with European
powers, such as Spain, France and Portugal.
1788 The Nguyen dynasty expanded their territory southward and re-united the north
and south regions into what is now Vietnam.
1789 The official capital of Vietnam was moved once again, sixty kilometers
southward, to Hue.
1798
The Nguyen Dynasty decreed Catholicism as a foreign religious sect leading a
working class revolt against the dynasty. A few months later, direct attacks for
extermination were aimed at all thirty-seven parishes in Dinh Cat. More than
100.000 Vietnamese Catholics died as martyrs.
1798
Many Christians took refuge in the jungle near Quang Tri, a village in central
Vietnam, where they prepared themselves for martyrdom. Many people died
from the bitter cold weather, lurking wild beasts, jungle sickness and starvation.
At night, they often gathered in small groups to pray the rosary. Unexpectedly,
one night they were visited by an apparition of Our Blessed Mother in a long
cape, holding a child in her arms, with two angels at her sides. She comforted
them and told them to boil the leaves from the surrounding trees to use as
medicine. She also told them that from that day on, all those who came to this
place to pray, would get their prayers heard and answered. All those who were
present witnessed this miracle.
1876
From the time the Lady of La Vang first appeared, the refugees erected a small
chapel in her honour. During the following years, her name was spread among
the people in the region to other places. Despite its isolated location in the high
mountains, groups of people continued to find ways to penetrate the deep and
dangerous jungle to pray to the Lady of La Vang. Gradually, the pilgrims that
came with axes, spears, canes and drums to scare away wild animals were
replaced by those holding flying flags, flowers and rosaries. New pilgrimages
went on every year despite the continuous persecution campaign.
1886
The persecution ended. The original chapel, made of straw, soon became too
small. From 1885, several chapels were built one after another: the last, with its
three small huts, was blessed in 1928 by Bishop Eugene Maria Giuseppe Allys
(Ly, in Vietnamese), who was then Vicar Apostolic of Hue.
During the period 1886-1928, the locality of La Vang was dependent on the
parish of Co-Vuu, in the Province of Quang Tri. In 1928, in order to respond to
the needs of the growing number of pilgrims, Bishop Allys erected La Vang as
an independent parish.
Aug 6, 1901 After the persecution had officially ended, Bishop Gaspar ordered a church to be
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built in honour of the Lady of La Vang. Because of its precarious location and
limited funding, it took 15 years for the completion of the church of La Vang. It
was inaugurated by Bishop Gaspar in a solemn ceremony that participated by
over 12,000 people. The bishop proclaimed the Lady of La Vang as the
Protectorate of the Catholics.
1924 A larger church was built to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims.
April 13, 1961
The Bishops of South Viet Nam (then divided from North Viet Nam by the 18th
parallel), assembled in Hue, made a vow to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to
consecrate a temple to the Blessed Virgin when circumstances permitted, asking
Our Lady for freedom for the Church and peace for both parts of Viet Nam.
Aug 8, 1961 In their joint letter of the same year, La Vang was recognized as a national
Marian Centre.
Aug 22, 1961 Pope John XXIII elevated the church of La Vang to the Basilica of La Vang. (In
1959 it had been raised to minor basilica status)
1972 This church was destroyed in the summer of 1972 during the Vietnam War
April 30, 1975
After the country's reunification when South Vietnam fell under the control of
the communists, the Lavang complex had enlarged to include a retreat center, a
hospitality center, an outdoor amphitheatre and a beautiful statue of Mary
commemorating her apparitions.
May 1, 1980
All the Bishops of Viet Nam, gathered in Ha Noi solemnly renewed the
recognition of La Vang as a national Marian centre, singing the Salve Regina on
their knees and in unison with great faith and devotion.
June 19, 1988
Pope John Paul II in the canonizing ceremony of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs,
publicly and repeatedly recognized the importance and significance of the Lady
of La Vang and expressed a desire for the rebuilding of the La Vang Basilica.
Nov 25, 1992
in his General Audience , the presence of Archbishop Etienne Nguyen Nhu The,
the current Archbishop of Hue, gave the Holy Father the opportunity of
referring to the La Vang Shrine and emphasizing the Vietnamese Catholics'
filial attachment to Christ and to his representative on earth;
Aug 15, 1993
During the World Youth Day in Denver, His Holiness spent one hour with the
Vietnamese who were present and entrusted the whole Vietnamese Catholic
community to the Blessed Virgin's protection, with the wish that the celebrations
for the bicentenary of La Vang might help to reinforce unity and mutual
understanding between the Catholics and their fellow countrymen;
Oct 26, 1994
In his General Audience, the Holy Father asked the priests and religious
gathered in Rome to study the pastoral needs of the Vietnamese diaspora, to
deepen their faith and to cherish the teaching of the Church with a view to
preparing the celebration of the bicentenary of La Vang;
Dec 16, 1997 Pope John Paul II issues a letter to Cardinal Paul Joseph Pham Dinh Tung of Ha
57
Noi to mark the 200th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in La
Vang.
Aug 1998 200th anniversary of the first apparition of the Lady of La Vang presided by
Phan Dinh Tung, archbishop of Hanoi.
April 15, 2008
The local government of Quang Tri province said that it would return nearly all
of the land surrounding the basilica of Our Lady of La Vang, which had been
seized after the Communist takeover of 1975.
Description of the Virgin
One evening, according to tradition, a lady of great beauty appeared to the refugees in the jungle,
clad in white and surrounded by light, holding the infant Jesus in her arms, with two charming
boys holding torches at her side. The lady walked back and forth several times in front of the
Christians, her feet touching the ground. Even the non-Christians who were there witnessed the
vision.
Church Approval
Unfortunately, there is no written documentation of these apparitions: such documents were
perhaps kept in the Hue church archives, which were destroyed during two local wars: in 1833,
under King Minh Mang, and in 1861 in the reign of King Tuduc.
No formal approval has been given to the apparition of the Our Lady of Lavang- the Vietnamese
hierarchy has not offiicially pronounced on the historicity of Mary's apparition at La Vang. The
elevation of the church to Basilica status and the visit of Pope John Paul II gives implicit
approval to the apparition claim.
58
Our Lady of China (1900)
Location: Dong Lu, China
First Apparition: 1900
Last Apparition: 1900
Approved: In 1932, Pope Pius XI approved it as an
official Marian Shrine.
Visionaries: Thousands
Number of Apparitions: 1
Miracles and Signs: When the Boxer Rebellion
broke out, nearly 10,000 hostile soldiers attacked the
small impoverished village of Dong Lu, home of
approximately 1,000 Christians. The Virgin Mary
appeared as a beautiful lady in the sky surrounded by
light. A fiery horsemen - perhaps St. Michael (the
Archangel) - chased the attackers out of the village.
Summary: The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in the skies when Catholics implored
her to save them from their enemies and their city from destruction during the Boxer Rebellion.
In thanksgiving for Our Lady’s protection over the city of Dong Lu (Tong Lu), a beautiful
church was built in her honor. It was meant to serve as a constant reminder to the people of
Mary’s loving and motherly protection.
Timeline
April 1900
When the Boxer Rebellion broke out, nearly 10,000 hostile soldiers attacked the
small impoverished mission village of Dong Lu (near Peiping), home of 700 -
1,000 Christians and founded by Vicentian fathers. The Virgin Mary appeared as
a beautiful lady in white in the sky surrounded by light. The soldiers, in senseless
rage, started to shoot into the sky. Then suddenly they fled, frightened, and never
came back again when a fiery horsemen - perhaps St. Michael - chased the
attackers out of the village. The Chinese pastor of the village, Father Wu, had
prayed for Our Lady's intercession.
In thanksgiving for Our Lady’s protection, a beautiful church was built in her
honor. It was meant to serve as a constant reminder to the people of Mary’s
loving and motherly protection.
59
The pastor secured a painting of the Dowager Empress Ci Xi, the long time ruler
of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, dressed in imperial robes.He commissioned an
artist to use it as the background for the image of Our Lady holding the Christ
Child. The picture was hung above the altar in the Church of Dong Lu, which
eventually became a famous place of pilgrimage starting in 1924.
1924
Shanghai Synod of Bishops in China, the first national conference of bishops in
the country, chose this image to be denoted as "Our Lady of China" or "Our Lady
Queen of China". People began coming to the shrine.
1924
Following the event, Archbishop Celso Costantini, Apostolic Delegate in China,
along with all the bishops of China, declared the Chinese people dedicated to Our
Lady of China, using the official image.
1928 An officially-sanctioned image of Our Lady of China was blessed, granted and
promulgated by Pope Pius XI.
1929 First official pilgrimage to Dong Lu.
1932 Pope Pius XI approved it as an official Marian Shrine.
1941 Pope Pius XII designated the feast day as an official feast of the Catholic
liturgical calendar.
1941 Shrine is destroyed during the Second World War when it caught fire due to
Japanese artillery bombardment
1973
Following the Second Vatican Council, the Chinese Bishops conference, upon
approval from the Holy See, placed the feast day on the vigil (day preceding) of
Mothers Day (the second Sunday of May).
1992 Shrine rebuilt as the largest church building in north China.
May 23,
1995
Over 30,000 Catholics from the unofficial Church had gathered for Mass at the
Donglu shrine on the vigil of the Feast of Our Lady, Mary Help of Christians.
There were four bishops of the unofficial Church concelebrating the Mass and
nearly 100 unofficial priests standing in the open field. Suddenly, during the
opening prayer and again during the consecration, the people observed the sun
spinning from right to left. Light rays of various shades emanated from the sky.
Participants saw Our Lady fo China and the Child Jesus in the sky and also the
Holy Family, the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit. The phenomenon lasted
approximately twenty minutes.
May 24,
1995
The Public Security barred all pilgrims from joining anyone on the hill. The
police forced people back into buses and trains without offering any explanation.
Still, as many as 100,000 successfully reached the area by finding alternative
ways to get there to celebrate the Feast of Mary Help of Christians.
April 1996
An official government announcement forbade anyone from going to the Dong lu
shrine. The Chinese government mobilized 5000 troops, supported by dozens of
armored cars and helicopters, destroyed and leveled that Marian shrine,
60
confiscated the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and arrested many priests.
The picture of Our Lady of China remains intact because only a copy of the
picture was used in the church. The original was hidden in the wall behind the
copy, and this was recovered and found intact. It is now in possession of Chinese
priests who carry out their activities in disguise.
Description of the Virgin
The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in white in the sky surrounded by light. The
resulting painting using a painting of Empress Dowager CiXi as a backdrop, features the image
of the Blessed Virgin in the royal robes of the pagan Empress, with the Christ Child on her
knees, is vivid expression of Chinese tradition. It is a shrine of the Mother and her Son. Though
her robes be pagan, she belongs to every age, to all people and to every race.
Church Approval
The Church has not issued an official judgment of the apparition at Dong Lu. Pope Pius XI's
establishment of the church as an official Marian Shrine constitutes implicit approval. In 1941,
Pope Pius XII designated the feast day as an official feast of the Catholic liturgical calendar.
Following the Second Vatican Council, the Chinese Bishops conference, upon approval from the
Holy See, placed the feast day on the vigil (day preceding) of Mothers Day (the second Sunday
of May).
61
Other Apparitions
Our Lady of Soufanieh (1982)
Location: Soufanieh, Damascus, Syria.
First Apparition: December 15, 1982
Last Apparition: The apparitions are ongoing.
Approval:
The messages focus on unity between the
churches, therefore approval and recognition is
needed from a number of churches:
Catholic – Nhil Obstat (nothing stands in the way)
http://www.soufanieh.com/nihil.obstat.html
Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch – Approved by
the patriarch.
Melkite Greek Catholic Church – Approved by the
patriarch.
Visionaries: Myrna Nazzour.
Number of Apparitions: Many
Miracles and Signs: Healings, Stigmata, Large quantities of 100% olive oil flow from the
hands, face & neck of the visionary and from an image of the Virgin with Jesus.
For more information:
See “Our Lady of Soufanieh” in the “Videos” folder.
See “Light from the East – Our Lady of Soufanieh” in “Documents” folder.
http://www.soufanieh.com/menuenglish.htm
http://www.catholicdigitalstudio.com/miracleofdamascus.htm
62
Apparitions Awaiting Approvement
Our Lady of Medjugorje (1981)
Location: Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
First Apparition: June 24, 1981
Last Apparition: The apparitions are ongoing.
Status: Undecided. The Holy See announced in
March 2010 that it had established a commission
under the auspices of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith to evaluate the apparitions,
headed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.
Notes: It should be noted that (in most cases) no
reported claim of a supernatural apparition can
receive approved status until the alleged phenomena
have ceased.
Visionaries: 6.
Number of Apparitions: Many
Miracles and Signs: Healings, Conversions, Rosaries turned into gold. According to the
visionaries, once the apparitions are over, the Virgin Mary has promised to leave a “supernatural,
indestructible, and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared”.
For more information:
http://www.medjugorje.org/overview.htm
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Stigmatist Katia Rivas
Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia
First Apparition: 1993
Last Apparition: The apparitions are
ongoing.
Status: As is the case with most stigmatas,
no formal judgment has been given by the
church.
For more information:
See “Katya Rivas” in the “Documents” folder.
See “Katya Rivas” in the “Videos” folder.
http://youshallbelieve.com
64
Additional Information
http://fifthmariandogma.com/index.php?option=com_breezingforms&view=form&Itemid=
602
http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/index.html
http://www.ladyofallnations.org
http://www.ourladysmantle.org/index_files/Page1149.htm
http://www.circleofprayer.com/theladyofallnations-marian-dogma.html
http://www.soufanieh.com/menuenglish.htm
http://www.catholicdigitalstudio.com/miracleofdamascus.htm
http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/