APPARITIONS
from
Living Miracles Website
(http://www.livingmiracles.net/Apparitions.html)
Visions, revelations and apparitions are supernatural manifestations due to the
direct intervention of a power superior to man. In which God makes himself, his
will, or other information known to mankind. The recipient of a revelation is
commonly referred to as a visionary, a seer or a prophet if the divine message
reveals future events. Supernatural apparitions of divine forces have been
known in every religion since ancient times and is by far the most frequent of
all miraculous phenomena within the Catholic Church.
Apparitions usually occur while the recipient is in a state of ecstasy, a
trance-like condition either induced spontaneously or brought on by intense
prayer, meditation or fasting. Ecstasy is characterized by expanded mental and
spiritual awareness while the activity of the senses is usually suspended.
Three types of apparitions
The Catholic Church, following St. Augustine, outlines three types of
apparitions or visions: intellectual, imaginative and corporeal.
Intellectual vision
The intellectual vision is perception without the presence of a visual object.
As St. Theresa has said, "It is like feeling someone near one in a dark
place." The object of an intellectual vision can be anything, but most
often is a higher theological concept such as the Holy Trinity, the essence of
the soul, the nature of heaven, and the like.
Imaginative vision
The imaginative vision is somewhat more 'concrete' than the intellectual.
Although it also lacks a visual object, the human imagination is touched to create
a visual representation. Often the visionary is aware that it is a purely
reproduced or composite image, which exists only in the imagination. This kind
of vision occurs most frequently during sleep.
Corporeal vision
The difference between an imaginative and a corporeal vision is that the
imaginative, while having a visual component, is not seen by the eyes and
leaves no physical evidence of its effects. The corporeal vision, on the other
hand, is registered by the human eye and at times leaves physical effects. The
corporeal vision can either be a figure really present or a power superior to
man, which directly modifies the visual organ and produces in the composite a
sensation equivalent to that which an external object would. The presence of an
external figure may be seen in two ways. Sometimes the very substance of the
being or the person will be presented; sometimes it will be merely an
appearance consisting in a certain arrangement of luminous rays.
Locution
Sometimes the apparition is only heard, usually as an inner voice. This
phenomenon is called locution.
Other phenomena
Phenomena such as weeping images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary and people showing
the marks of stigmata may obviously also be considered as divine apparitions.
These are therefore often investigated and judged by the Vatican congregation,
which deals with private revelations.
Biblical revelations
The Bible is replete with apparitions, visions and prophesies granted by God to
His followers. In the Old Testament God often communicates directly with His
people and traditional Christianity hold that the first five books of Moses
were dictated by God in such a fashion. Other apparitions include the vision of
Abraham during which his covenant with God is established, Jacob's dream of the
stairway to heaven and many others.
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In
the New Testament there are also numerous apparitions. Obviously first of all
Christ Himself as a revelation of God in human form. Some have suggested that New
Testament authors like Paul did not believe that Jesus actually existed in the
flesh, but that he was some kind of apparition or phantom only playing the role
of a man. After His death and Resurrection Jesus appeared several times to His
apostles and followers over a period of forty days.
According to St. Paul: " . . . he (Jesus) appeared to Peter, and then to
the Twelve (disciples). After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of
the brothers at the same time … Then he appeared to James, then to all the
apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also." [1 Cor 15:5-8].
Although it’s generally believed that Jesus’ resurrection was in the flesh, he
also appeared as a stranger as well as in visions. In his second letter to the
Corinthians St. Paul tells of "visions and revelations of the Lord"
which he himself experienced. The most notable occurred on the Road to Damascus
where he sees a blinding light and hears the voice of the Lord, which was not a
'normal' physical encounter, but rather a "heavenly vision".
The entire final book of the New Testament, popularly known as the “Book of
Revelation” or “The Apocalypse” (“apocalypse is” the Greek word for
"revelation"), written by a man named John (possibly John the
Apostle), records a vision he experienced, describing future events at the end
of the world. According to legend John was in exile on the Greek island of
Patmos. In a cave there, while dreaming or meditating, Christ appeared to him
standing in the midst of seven candlesticks and commanded him to write down
what he saw and heard.
Apparitions of Angels and Saints
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There
are also numerous apparitions of angels in the Bible, according to some as many
as one hundred and forty throughout both the Old and the New Testament. The
most renowned being the Archangel Gabriel making the Annunciation to Mary
concerning the birth of Christ.
Jesus Himself also has visions of angels after the temptation in the wilderness
and in the Garden of Gethsemane. Famous Saints have also frequently been seen
by visionaries usually accompanying the Virgin Mary.
Visions of the Devil or Demons
In the Bible, the Devil also frequently shows himself to humans in a sensible
form. He often transforms himself into an angel of light in order to seduce
souls. Through history many of the Christian mystics who have received divine
apparitions also experienced various kinds of demonic attacks.
Public and Private revelations
According to the Catholic Church there are basically two kinds of divine
revelations. The first category includes the public or universal revelations
experienced by the prophets, Christ, or the Apostles, found in the Bible and
the apostolic tradition. These ended with the death of the last Apostle and
must be believed by all Catholics. The second category is so-called private
revelations experienced by individuals or groups after biblical times. These do
not belong to the deposit of the Catholic faith and people are not obliged to
believe in them, even if the Church declares them worthy of belief. Catholics
may however not deny or doubt the possibility of private revelations.
The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17) reserved the approval of all new prophecies
and revelations to the Vatican. And at the Council of Trent (1545-1563) it was
established that the local bishops should investigate alleged apparitions by
the support of doctors and theologians before public worship of these could
take place. Apart from some minor changes, this practice has continued to this
day. In 1966, the Vatican issued a decree, abrogating Canon 1399, which until then
had prohibited publication of books that dealt with unapproved revelations,
visions, prophecies and miracles. In February 1978, the Vatican Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the latest version entitled "Norms of
the Congregation for Proceeding in Judging Alleged Apparitions and
Revelations."
A number of Marian apparitions since the 19th Century, like those at Fatima,
Portugal and Lourdes, France, seems to be directed to all Christians, not only
to one individual, they are however still technically regarded as private by
the Church.
Investigating apparitions
When an alleged divine apparition has occurred, it is the responsibility of the
local bishop to conduct an investigation, usually through a committee of
experts. Determinations at the local level are however not final but are
subject to the higher authority, which can either ratify the findings made at
the local level or reserve judgment.
When investigating miracle claims, the Church initially proceeds with caution.
Their first step is therefore merely to wait to be sure that all natural
explanations are exhausted and to observe whether believers continue showing an
interest towards the phenomenon. After a while, the bishop, in whose Diocese it
has occurred, can decide to set up a commission to investigate an alleged
apparition. These investigations are usually thorough and lengthy. The
commission may include scientists, doctors and theologians depending on the
nature of the phenomenon. After the investigation has been carried out the bishop
usually issue an official statement.
Often the Vatican doesn’t comment on statements made by the local bishop’s. But
if it’s decided to pursue the matter further, the case is passed on to the
Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Congregation can also
decide to intervene on their own account at an earlier stage if the event
assumes national or regional importance and affects a broad portion of the
Church or if the local bishop requests them to. If necessary a new examination
will then be carried out either by the Congregation itself, or by a commission
especially established for this purpose.
A positive statement from the local bishop thus only serves as a temporary
official approval. It’s not until the Vatican eventually decides to ratify
this, that an apparition has attained full recognition.
In a small number of cases the Pope or other high ranking members of the clergy
have stated publicly that they were favorably disposed to specific apparition.
And in recent times, popes such as Paul VI and John Paul II have visited
apparition-sites and encouraged the faithful also to visit these locations.
This of course makes a clear statement as to their credibility and is therefore
regarded as the highest possible level of approval. A sign of further
authorization is special privileges which may be granted to particular shrines
by the Church, such as an official feast day, as for example that of “Our Lady
of Lourdes” on February 11.
Norms for discernment
The first norm for evaluating a divine apparition is that there is certainty,
or at least great probability, that something truly exceptional beyond human
explanation has occurred. To determine this detailed statements are usually
taken from the alleged visionaries as well as evidence from several witnesses.
The commission may also visit the site of the events.
The second norm deals with the personal qualities of the individuals who claim
to have experienced the apparition; these must be mentally sound, honest,
sincere, of upright conduct and obedient to ecclesiastical authorities.
The third norm concerns the content of the revelations and any messages
received, which must be theologically acceptable and morally sound and free of
error.
The fourth criterion is that the apparition must result in positive spiritual
assets which endure (prayer, conversion, healings and increase of charity).
Finally the commission has to make sure that there is no hint of financial
advantage to anyone connected with the apparition and that the visionaries were
not accused of serious moral improprieties at the time when the visions were
being received and finally that there is no evidence of mental illness or
psychopathic tendencies.
At the end of the investigative process, the committee may submit one of the following
three verdicts to the bishop who will then determine whether public worship
should continue to be held at the apparition site.
1. Not Worthy of Belief (Constat non-supernaturalitate)
Which means that the claimed apparition is false, and hence not worthy of
belief.
2. Nothing Contrary to the Faith (Non constat supernaturalitate)
The supernatural character of the apparition in question is not evident. The
Church takes a neutral stance in this case. The apparition is not condemned
because there is nothing contrary to the faith and it might or might not be of
supernatural origin.
3. Worthy of belief (Constat supernaturalitate)
The event shows all the signs of being an authentic and truly miraculous
intervention from Heaven. The apparition is therefore recognized, approved and
declared "worthy of belief" by the Church.
If the investigative committee is unable to make a clearly positive or negative
judgment and the matter has to be further investigated, the bishop can permit
public worship to continue until a final decision has been made.
Apparitions through history
Some of the most renowned apparitions which have been reported through history
are:
40 AD - Saragossa, Spain - St. James (Our Lady of the Pillar)
The earliest known apparition of the Virgin Mary
allegedly occurred while she was still alive.
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Tradition holds that in 40 AD St. James the
Apostles traveled to the village of Saragossa in northeast Spain to spread the
gospel. While he was deep in prayer on the banks of the Ebro River, Mary
appeared to him and gave him a small wooden statue of herself and a column of
jasper wood and instructed him to build a church in her honor saying:
"This place is to be my house and this image and column shall be the title
and altar of the temple that you shall build."
Today the column and the 15 inch tall, wooden statue
known as “Our Lady of the Pillar” can still be seen on special occasions her
shrine in Saragossa.
According to persistent reports since ancient times,
the pillar is occasionally surrounded by a distinct fragrance of roses.
300-400 AD - Le Puy, France
Another famous early Marian apparition occurred on
Mount Corneille in the village Le Puy located in the Auvergne region of central
France. Mount Corneille's use as a sacred place has its roots in prehistoric
times and an enormous dolmen, or single standing stone, known as the Pierre des
Fievres, or Fever Rock, stood atop the hill. Nothing is known of the people who
erected this stone nor of the manner in which it was originally used, yet the
mysterious stone played a decisive role in the development of Le Puy as a
Christian pilgrimage site.
Legend says that sometime between the third and fourth
centuries AD, soon after the arrival of Christianity in the area, the Virgin
Mary appeared to a local woman who was suffering from an incurable disease.
Mary instructed her to climb Mt. Corneille and lie upon the Fever Rock. The
woman did as she was told, soon fell asleep, and awoke competently cured form
her illness. Appearing to the woman a second time, Mary gave instructions that
a church should be build on the hill.
According to legend, the local bishop then climbed the
hill and found the ground covered in deep snow even though it was the middle of
July. A lone deer walked through the snow, tracing the ground plan of the
cathedral that was to be built. Convinced by these miracles, the bishop
completed construction of the church by AD 430.
Despite ecclesiastical pressures, the great dolmen was
left standing in the center of the Christian sanctuary and was consecrated as
the Throne of Mary. By the eighth century, however, the pagan stone, popularly
known as the "stone of visions," was taken down and broken up. Its
pieces were incorporated into the floor of the church.
During the Middle Ages the shrine became on of the most
popular pilgrimage destination in France and over the years numerous visions
and healings were reported.
1061 - Walsingham, England - Richeldis de Faverches (Our Lady of
Walsingham)
Richeldis de Faverches was the lady of a manor near the
village of Walsingham in North Norfolk, England.
According to legend in 1061 her spirit was carried by
the Virgin Mary to the house in Nazareth where the Archangel Gabriel had
announced the birth of Jesus. The vision was repeated three times and Mary
asked Richeldis to build an exact replica of the house in Walsingham and gave
her the exact measurements. Directions regarding the location of the house were
however unclear to Richeldis and the carpenters therefore couldn’t start
working. But after Richeldis had spent a night in prayer, Mary herself had
angels complete the construction in one night on the site she wanted.
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This simple wooden structure measuring
23'6" by 12'10" became known as "England's Nazareth". Its fame
continued to grow, and for centuries it was a very popular point of pilgrimage.
Over the years, many miracles were attributed to Our Lady of Walsingham,
including one in which Kind Edward I was saved from a piece of falling masonry.
As the Protestant Revolt mounted, the fervor of Marian
devotion waned in England and in 1538 the house was stripped of its valuables.
The shrine’s statue of Mary was taken to London to be burned and the buildings
were used as farm sheds for the next three centuries.
In 1897 Pope Leo XIII re-founded the shrine and
pilgrimages were permitted to resume. A statue of Our Lady was enshrined in
1922 beginning an era of cooperation at the shrine between the Catholic and
Anglican Churches. Finally the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham was reinstated
in 2000.
1141 - Bingen, Germany - St. Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen was born in 1098, the tenth and
last child of noble parents. When she was eight years old Hildegard was sent to
a Benedictine monastery to be educated an. In 1116 she became a nun there and
twenty years later she was made the head of the monastery.
From her early childhood Hildegard had visions, but
soon realized she was unique in this ability and hid the gift for many years.
However, in 1141, she had a series of visions in which God gave her instant
understanding of the meaning of the religious texts. God commanded Hildegard to
write down everything she observed in the visions and she devoted the next ten
years doing this (including 26 drawings of things she had seen during the
visions).
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When experiencing a vision, Hildegard would
see a bright light - more brilliant than a cloud over the sun - inside which an
even brighter light which she called "the living light" sometimes
appeared. But she didn’t see the visions with her bodily eyes, which remained
open, but in her soul. She also claimed to hear words, spoken in Latin.
As news of her visions began to spread and gain fame,
Pope Eugenius III decided to sent a commission to inquire into her work. This
commission found her teaching orthodox and her insights authentic, and reported
so to the Pope, who sent her a letter of approval.
Hildegard of Bingen has been called one of the most
important figures in the history of the Middle Ages and was a woman of many
extraordinary and diverse talents. Besides being the abbess of a large and
influential Benedictine abbey, she was a prominent preacher, healer, scientist,
and artist as well as a composer and theologian, writing nine books on
theology, medicine, science, and physiology, as well as 70 poems and an opera.
During a time when few women were accorded respect,
Hildegard was consulted by and advised bishops, popes and kings, and spoke out
openly against corruption in the church. Hildegard died on 17 September 1179 at
the age of 81.
1182 - Tuscany, Italy - St. Francis of Assisi (link)
1208 - Prouille, France - St. Dominic (Our Lady of the Rosary)
Dominic de Guzman was born in Caleruega, Spain around
1170 into a noble Castilian family related to the royal family. When his mother
was pregnant she had a vision of her unborn child as a dog setting the world on
fire with a torch it carried in its mouth. Later this became the symbol for the
order which he founded, the Dominicans.
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At Dominic's baptism, his mother had another
vision of a star shining from thi childs chest, which became another of St.
Dominic's symbols in art, and led to his patronage of astronomy. Dominic
studied philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. After completing
his studies he was ordained a priest and joined a group of Augustinian Canons
at Osma.
In 1215 he founded the Order of Friars Preachers
(Dominicans), a group living a simple, austere life, and an order of nuns
dedicated to the care of young girls.
Dominic went to southern France to oppose the
Albegesian heresy which was spreading rapidly. At one point Dominic became
discouraged at the progress of this mission. He then received a vision from Our
Lady who showed him a wreath of roses, representing the rosary. She told him to
say the rosary prayer daily, teach it to all who would listen, and eventually
the true faith would win out.
Dominic is often credited with the invention of the
rosary, which actually pre-dates him, but he certainly spread devotion to it.
Dominic was a renowned miracle worker and supposedly brought four people back
from the dead.
1251 - Aylesford, England - St. Simon Stock (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
Simon Stock was born in the County of Kent, England,
about 1165. Little is known about his early life, but legend has it that the
name Stock, meaning "tree trunk," derives from the fact that,
beginning at age twelve, he lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk of an oak
tree.
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According to the same tradition he later
went as a Pilgrim to the Holy Lands where he spent several years at Mt. Carmel.
When invading Muslims chased out the Christians he had to return home where he
entered the Carmelite Order which had just come to England.
The Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to Simon Stock in
Cambridge on July 16, 1251, at a time when the Carmelite Order was being
oppressed. Our Lady was holding a brown scapular in one hand, which she gave to
Simon with the words: "Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy
Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and
for thy children of Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be
preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of
danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection."
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A scapular (from the Latin, scapula, meaning
"shoulder blade") consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn on the
chest, and the other on the back, connected by straps or strings passing over
the shoulders. In certain Orders, monks and nuns wear scapulars that reach from
the shoulders almost to the ground as outer garments. Lay persons usually wear
scapulars underneath their clothing; these consist of two pieces of material
only a few inches square.
There are elaborate rules governing the wearing of the
scapular: although it may be worn by any Catholic, even an infant the
investiture must be done by a priest. If an individual neglects to wear it for
a time, the benefits are forfeited. The Catholic Church has approved eighteen
different kinds of scapulars of which the best known is the woolen brown scapular,
or the Scapular of Mount Carmel that the Virgin Mary gave to Simon Stock.
1373 - Vadstena, Sweden - St. Bridget of Sweden
Bridget was born in about 1303 as the daughter of one
of the greatest landowners in Sweden whose family was descendants of the Swedish
royal house. At the age of seven, Bridget began receiving visions, mostly of
the Crucifixion of Christ. In 1316, at age thirteen, she married prince Ulfo of
Nercia in an arranged marriage and became the mother of eight children.
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After her husband's death in 1344, Bridget
devoted herself entirely to religion and her visions became much more frequent.
She found herself united with Christ in a sacramental, life-long relationship.
This vocation led to what she interpreted as a command from Christ to found a
new order, a new convent. She dictated the rules that were revealed to her
confessor who translated them into Latin. In 1346, Bridget founded the Order of
the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines), which received confirmation by Pope Urban
V in 1370, and still survives today.
In 1349 Bridget went to Rome where she remained there
until her death. Here she founded hospices for pilgrims, the poor, and the
sick. She labored for the reform of religious life in Italy and the revival of
Rome as the centre of Christianity, became the main theme of Bridget's
political message.
Through letters and representations, supported by her
Revelations, she eventually became a figure to reckon with in ecclesiastical
politics. She chastened and counseled kings and Popes, urging them to return to
Rome from Avignon and encouraged all who would listen to meditate on the
Passion of Christ.
1425 - Loraine, France - St. Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc, by her contemporaries commonly known as
the Maid of Orleans, was born in January 1412 at Greux-Domremy, Loraine,
France. Joan's father was a small peasant farmer poor but not needy. Joan never
learned to read or write but was skilled in sewing and spinning. According to
legend she was a pious child, grave beyond her years who often was absorbed in
prayer, and loved the poor tenderly.
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At the age of thirteen and a half, in the
summer of 1425, Joan first became conscious of what she afterwards came to call
her "voices" or her "counsel." At first it was simply a voice,
as if someone had spoken quite close to her, accompanied by a blaze of light.
Later on she was able to discern those who spoke to her, recognizing them
individually as St. Michael (who was accompanied by other angels), St.
Margaret, St. Catherine, and others.
In May 1428 Joan's visions told her to find the true
king of France and help him reclaim his throne. Carrying a banner that read
"Jesus, Mary", she led troops from one battle to another. Her victories
from 23 February 1429 to 23 May 1430 brought Charles VII to the throne.
In May 1430, Joan was captured by the Burgundians and
sold to the English for 10.000 francs; she was tried by an ecclesiastical
court, and executed as a heretic. At her trial she constantly refused to
describe the apparitions and to explain how she recognized them. None the less,
she told her judges: "I saw them with these very eyes, as well as I see
you." 23 years later in 1456 her case was re-tried, and Joan was
acquitted.
1515 - Avila, Spain - St. Theresa of Avila
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Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada was born in 1515,
the daughter of a Spanish merchant. After her mother had died in 1530, Teresa was
entrusted to the care of the Augustinian nuns and soon after she decided to
enter a religious life. About 1535 Teresa joined the Carmelite order and spent
a number of relatively average years in the convent, interrupted by a severe
illness that left her legs paralyzed for three years.
In 1555 Teresa experienced a profound awakening,
involving frequent visions of Jesus, hell, angels, and demons; at times she
felt sharp pains that she claimed were caused by the tip of an angel's golden
spear piercing her heart. With these visions as her impetus, she set herself to
the reformation of her order. Gathering a group of supporters, Teresa
established a more primitive type of Carmelite nuns, the movement of Discalced
or shoeless Carmelites.
As well as a mystic of extraordinary spiritual depth,
Teresa was a gifted organizer endowed with common sense, tact, intelligence,
courage, and humor. She eventually managed to found 17 convents and purified
the religious life of Spain in a period when Protestantism gained ground
elsewhere in Europe. Teresa's writings, all published posthumously, are valued
as unique contributions to mystical and devotional literature and as
masterpieces of Spanish prose.
The incorrupt heart of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582),
which is still kept as a Holy relic, is said to bear a mark as if it had been
penetrated by a lance.
1531 - Guadalupe, Mexico - St. Diego (Our Lady of
Guadalupe) (link)
1674 - Paray, France - St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque
Margaret of Alacoque was born in 1647 in Burgundy,
France. Her father was a prosperous notary; the family owned a country house
and farmland, and had some aristocratic connections. In 1655 her father died
and eight years old Margaret was sent to the Poor Clares School at Charolles.
Only two years later she had to return home because of a rheumatic affliction
and was bedridden for the next five years. By then some of her father's
relatives had moved in and taken over the direction of the farm and household.
Margaret and her mother were disregarded, and treated almost as servants. For a
while Margaret considered marriage, but at the age of twenty, inspired by a
vision of Christ, she put aside all such thoughts and entered the Visitation
convent at Paray-le-Monial.
Some years passed quietly in the convent, before
Margaret began to have experiences of supernatural origin. The first of these
occurred on December 27, 1673. When she was kneeling in the chapel, she felt
suffused by the Divine Presence, and heard the voice of Jesus inviting her to
take the place which St. John had occupied at the Last Supper.
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This was the beginning of a series of
revelations covering a period of eighteen months in which Christ informed
Margaret that she was His chosen instrument to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart.
He instructed her in a devotion that was to become known as the “Nine Fridays”
and “the Holy Hour”, and asked that the feast of the Sacred Heart be
established. When Margaret told her Superior about these mystical experiences,
she was reprimanded for her presumption. Seriously overwrought, Margaret
suffered a collapse, and became so ill that her life was despaired of. When
Margaret recovered, the Superior invited a group of theologians to hear her
story. These priests listened and judged the young nun to be a victim of
delusions.
For many years Margaret suffered from despair, from
self-inflicted punishments, and also from the slights and contempt of those
around her. In 1683, opposition in the community ended when a new Superior
Mother was elected and named Margaret Mary her assistant. Margaret Mary died at
the Paray-le-Monial in October 1690, and was canonized in 1920. The devotion of
the "Sacred Heart" was officially recognized and approved by Pope
Clement XIII in 1765.
1790 - Westphalia, Germany - Bl. Anna Catherine Emmerich
Anne Catherine Emmerich was born in September 1774 in
Westphalia, Germany, the daughter of poor peasants. She suffered with poor
health from an early age and started receiving visions of Jesus and John the
Baptist, who appeared to her as children like herself. These visions were so
frequent that she thought all children could see Jesus and the souls in
Purgatory. Allegedly she was able to diagnose illness and recommend cures, and
to see a person's sins.
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In her twenty-eighth year Anne entered an Augustinian
convent in Dulmen. The other sisters were puzzled and annoyed by her strange
powers, her weak health, and her ecstasies in church, cell, or at work.
Consequently she was treated with some antipathy.
When the convent was closed by government order in
1812, Anne moved in with a poor widow. In 1813 her health failed and instead of
working as a servant she became a patient. Her visions and prophesies
increased, and later that year she received the stigmata with wounds in her
hands and feet, her forehead, crosses on her chest. She did her best to hide
the wounds, but word leaked out, and the local Church authorities instituted a
lengthy and detailed investigation. The vicar-general and three physicians
conducted this with scrupulous care and became convinced of the genuineness of
the stigmata.
In 1819 the government opened their own investigation.
Sick unto death Anne was imprisoned, threatened, and kept under 24-hour-a-day
surveillance. After three weeks the commission eventually gave up. They departed
without finding anything suspicious, could not get Anne to change her story,
and failed to publish their findings.
A written record of the visions and revelations that
Anne had received, were made by the german poet Clemens Brentano, who
translated them from Anne's Westphalian dialect to common German. In 1833 these
were published as “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, followed in
1852 by “The Life of The Blessed Virgin Mary”, and a three-volume “Life of Our
Lord” from 1858 to 1880. Significant parts of Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion
of the Christ” was based on these writings.
1798 - La Vang, Vietnam - Numerous refugees (Our Lady of La Vang)
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In 1798, when Vietnamese Catholics were
being persecuted, many took refuge in the jungle in central Vietnam. One day, as
a group of refugees was assembled in prayer in the La Vang forest about 60
kilometers from the former capitol Huê, the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to
them.
The apparition was a beautiful Lady in a long cape,
holding a child in her arms, with two angels at her side. She presented herself
as the Mother of God, encouraged and consoled them, and instructed them to boil
leaves from nearby trees to use as medicine. She also told them that from that
time on, all those who prayed in this place would be heard and answered.
Mary continued to appear in the La vang forest during
nearly one hundred years of religious persecution.
1830 - Rue Du Bac, France - St. Catherine Laboure (The Miraculous
Medal)
Catherine Laboure was born in Burgundy on May 2, 1806
as the 9th of 11 children to a farmer family. In 1830 Catherine entered the
Sisters of Charity and after a few months she was sent to the motherhouse at
rue du Bac in Paris.
On November 27, 1830, during evening prayer, the Virgin
Mary appeared to Catherine in the convent chapel, standing on a large globe
with dazzling rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. An oval
shape appeared around the Blessed Virgin with the inscription: “O Mary
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”.
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The Virgin instructed Catherine to have a medal
made of this vision, spreading the word that those who wore it around the neck
would receive great graces. The vision then seemed to turn to show the reverse
of the Medal: the letter M surmounted by a cross with a bar at its base; below
this monogram, the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns, and the
Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.
Catherine asked how she was to have this medal struck
andMary told her to consult her confessor for help. Catherine did as she was
told but her confessor, Father Aladel, at first did not believe her, but after
two years, he finally went to the archbishop. With approval of the Church, two
thousand medals Medals were struck and distributed in Paris in 1832. Almost
immediately the blessings that Mary had promised began to shower down on those
who wore her Medal. The devotion spread like wildfire as a flood of reported
cures and spiritual conversions were attributed to the medal. Before long
people were calling it the Miraculous Medal.
By autumn of 1834 there were already 500,000 medals in
existence and in 1835 more than one million worldwide. In 1836, a Canonical
inquiry undertaken at Paris declared the apparitions to be genuine and in 1876
more than a billion medals were distributed. Father Aladel kept Catherine’s
identity secret and until shortly before her death in 1876, nobody knew who had
begun the devotion.
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Front Side of the Miraculous Medal
Mary is standing upon a globe, as the Queen of Heaven and
Earth. Her foot is crushing the head of a serpent to proclaim that Satan and
all his followers are helpless before her. The reference to Mary conceived
without sin supports the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Back Side of the Miraculous Medal
The twelve stars refer to the Apostles and also recall
the vision of Saint John, writer of the Book of Revelation (12:1), in which “a
great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under
her feet and on her head a crown of 12 stars.” The cross symbolize Christ and
the redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M”
stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s
close involvement with Jesus. The two hearts represent the love of Jesus and
Mary.
1846 - La Salette, France - Melanie Calvat & Maximin Giraud
On September 19, 1846, two children, 11-year-old
Maximin Giraud and Melanie Mathieu aged 14 were tending cattle in the French
Alps near the village of Corps.
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Suddenly there was a thunder like sound and
Melanie noticed a large circle of brilliant light shinning in the ravine and
called out to Maximin. They then saw a globe of fire, as if, in the children's
words, "the sun had fallen there." The light swirled, then grew in
size and, opening, revealed within it a woman, seated on a stone, her head in
her hands, her elbows on her knees, in the attitude of one oppressed with
grief. The children later described her as very tall and beautiful, wearing a
long, white, pearl studded, sleeved dress, and a white shawl, with a lucent
crown on her head. Hanging from her neck was a large golden crucifix adorned
with a hammer and pincers on either side.
After a while the tearful young woman stood up, crossed
her arms at her chest and talked to the children in a most serious tone. After
complaining of the impiety of Christians, and threatening them with dreadful
chastisements in case they should persevere in evil, she promised them the
Divine mercy if they would amend. She then told each of the children a secret
individually. After a final admonition to both to "make this known"
she rose in the air looking heavenward in joy, glanced momentarily toward Rome,
and then gradually disappeared.
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When the children returned home they told
their accounts to the villagers. But at first only few believed them. As time
progressed, conversions, miracles and a number of healings associated with a
stream of water, which flowed again from a dried-up spring at the apparition
site, finally made the villagers believe the story. And as the news spread,
pilgrims flocked to the place by the thousands.
After a while the Bishop of Grenoble appointed a
commission to examine the event. This investigation lasted for almost three
years and eventually led to the Bishop's approval of the apparition. In 1852,
the first stone of a great basilica was laid on the mount of La Salette.
Today, La Salette is one of the most visited Catholic shrines
with millions of pilgrims each year. In 1851, the secrets, which Mary confided
to each of the two children, were sent to Pius IX on the advice of the local
bishop. Several versions of these secrets have been published over the years.
It is however questionable if any of these are the original texts.
1858 - Lourdes, France - Bernadette Soubirous (Our
Lady of Lourdes) (link)
1871 - Pontmain, France - Several children
César Barbadette, his wife, Victoire, and their two
sons Joseph and Eugene, aged ten and twelve were living in Pontmain, France - a
small village, inhabited by simple and hardworking farmers. On the evening of
January 17, 1871, the two boys were helping their father in the barn.
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When Eugene had finished his chores, he went
outside and looked up to the neighbor’s house, which was about 70 feet away.
Above the roof, the stars suddenly separated and the figure of a tall and
beautiful woman appeared in the sky. She wore a brilliant blue robe covered
with golden stars and a black veil that completely covered her hair. A golden
crown sat on top of her head with a red band around the middle. Her hands were
extended and she had a beautiful smile. Eugene’s father, his brother and a
neighbor came rushing out, but only Joseph could see the woman, the adults
didn’t see anything.
After a while the boys were called in for dinner, and
they ate as fast as they could as they wanted to go back outside to see the
woman. When Joseph went outside, he started yelling, "Look she’s still
there!" When the two boys persisted in seeing the woman, their parents
decided to send for the local schoolteacher, Sister Vitaline. She arrived soon
after but couldn't see the Lady. She then went to fetch some children from the
school to see their reactions. Immediately when these children arrived, two
girls aged nine and eleven, expressed their delight at the apparition,
describing it as the boys had done.
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The teacher was impressed because the girls described
the apparition exactly as the boys without having talked to them. She therefore
called the parish priest and said that the children might be seeing the Blessed
Mother. As the priest was coming up the hill, he met a mother carrying her
two-year-old daughter who was clapping and looking up to the sky.
The adults in the crowd, which had now grown to about
sixty people including the priest, could still see nothing. They all began
praying the rosary and the children exclaimed that something new was happening.
Additional stars appeared on the Lady’s dress and a large blue oval formed
around her. Words appeared on the oval, saying "But you must pray, my
children, God will hear you in time. My Son allows himself to be touched.”
The children were beside themselves with joy at the
beauty of the Lady, but suddenly her expression changed to one of extreme
sadness, and a red cross appeared in her hands with a dark red figure nailed to
it. The children then reported that a white veil was rising from the Lady's
feet gradually blotting her out, until finally, at about nine o'clock, the
apparition disappeared.
The following March a canonical inquiry into the
apparition was held, and in May the local bishop questioned the children, the
inquiry being continued later in the year with further questioning by
theologians and a medical examination. The bishop was satisfied by these
investigations, and in February 1872 declared his belief that it was the
Blessed Virgin who had appeared to the children. A large basilica was built at
Pontmain and consecrated in 1900.
1879 - Knock, Ireland - fifteen people
In the evening of August 21, 1879, Margaret Beirne was
locking up the small Church in the village of Knock, when she noticed a strange
light emanating from between the wall enclosing the church grounds and the
church itself. Going to investigate, she saw several small figures of Mary,
Joseph, St. John the Evangelist and a lamb. At first she thought the priest had
got new statues for the chapel but soon realized that the figures were moving.
She ran home but soon returned with her mother and about thirteen other
villagers whose ages ranged from six years to seventy-five and included both
men and women.
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They all witnessed that wall of the church was
now basking in a brilliant light and the figures were hovering nearly two feet
above to the ground. The Blessed Virgin was clothed in white garments, wearing
a large brilliant crown. On her right stood St. Joseph and on her left stood
St. John the Evangelist, dressed as a bishop. To the left of St. John was an
altar on which there was a lamb and a cross surrounded by angels. Patrick Hill,
one of the villagers witnessing the apparition, tried to touch the figures, but
they back away, not allowing anyone to handle them. He later said that they
appeared to be real people, not statues at all.
Others not present reported seeing a very bright light
illuminating the area around the church. The witnesses watched the apparition
for two hours, reciting the Rosary. As word spread of the apparition, pilgrims
started flocking to the village and miraculous healings began to occur. The
parish priest recorded 300 in the first three years, including a deaf child who
was cured and a man born blind, who could suddenly see.
After some time, the Church formed a commission to
gather testimonies of those claiming to have seen the apparition and of the
purported cures contributed to the phenomenon. After the investigation had been
completed, the Commission reported that the evidence was "trustworthy and
satisfactory." A second Commission in 1936 confirmed the same evidence
given in 1879. Today, over one million pilgrims visit the Shrine of Knock each
year.
1917 - Fatima, Portugal - three children (link)
1931 - Warsaw, Poland - St. Faustina Kowalska
Helena Kowalska was born in the village of Glogowiec,
Poland, on August 25, 1905, the third of ten children to a poor peasant family.
From her earliest days she desired to give her life entirely to Christ in some
way. At the age of 15, she left the school, which she had been attending for
only three years, to work in support of her family.
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She wanted to become a nun, but at first her
parents wouldn’t let her. After a period of trying to enjoy worldly pleasures like
dancing, she had a vision of Jesus who asked her how long he must put up with
her. Immediately she set out to discover God's will for her life and entered a
convent in Warsaw, as Jesus had commanded her. In 1926 she became a novice and
adopted the name Maria Faustina. Two years later she took her vows as a nun and
joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw.
In the convent Jesus began appearing to Faustina
regularly. On February 22, 1931, He appeared to her wearing a white garment
with one hand raised in a sign of blessing. From beneath the garment emanated
two large rays of light, one red the other pale. Jesus asked St. Faustina to
have an image painted of Him as she saw Him. Her spiritual director assisted
her in having this image made and used his own money to have copies of it
printed on leaflets for wide distribution.
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Jesus also told Faustina that he desired
that a special feast of Mercy be established in the Church, the second Sunday
after Easter (Pope John Paul II established this feast in the year 2000). And He
taught her to pray a special chaplet of Divine Mercy, promising that he would
grant abundant graces through this prayer, especially mercy for dying sinners.
Faustina’s spiritual director told her to write her
experiences in a diary, which she did, even though she had a hard time writing
and spelling because of her scanty education. The diary was later published
under the title “Divine Mercy in My Soul: The Diary of St. Faustina“. Faustina
wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director and some of her
superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life.
After enduring intense physical sufferings, some caused
by natural sources, others by her supernatural experiences, Sister Faustina
died at the age of thirty-three on October 5, 1938. After her death, even her
closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings
and deep mystical experiences had been given to this ordinary, poorly-educated,
peasant-class nun.
1932 - Beauraing, Belgium - five children
Beauraing is a small town in the southern, French
speaking part of Belgium. On the evening of 29 November 1932, Fernande Voisin,
a fifteen year old girl, Andree Degeimbre, aged fourteen, her sister Gilberte,
aged nine, and Albert Voisin, aged eleven, were on their way to the local
convent school to meet Albert's sister, Gilberte Voisin. They entered the
grounds and passed a small Lourdes grotto in front of the railway embankment
that skirted the convent garden.
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While waiting for the front door bell to be
answered, Albert looked towards the embankment over the grotto and cried out:
"Look! The Blessed Virgin is walking above the bridge!" The two girls
looked and saw the luminous figure of a lady dressed in white walking in mid
air, her feet hidden by a little cloud. The teacher who answered the door could
see nothing, but as soon as Gilberte Voisin reached the door she too saw the
figure.
Over the next few evenings a pattern gradually
developed in which the children would see Mary by a hawthorn tree, through the
railings, from the outside of the convent gate. They would then simultaneously
drop to their knees.
On December 2, Albert asked the vision if she was the
Virgin Mary, to which she smiled and nodded her head, and in answer to what she
wanted she answered: "Always be good." On Thursday 8 December, a
crowd of about fifteen thousand assembled expecting a great miracle, but they
only saw the children in ecstasy, impervious to lighted matches held underneath
their hands, pin pricks, or lights shone in their eyes. Meanwhile, the local
priest, and the Church authorities generally, were taking a very prudent and
circumspect attitude towards the events, refusing to get involved: the local
bishop ordered his priests not to go to the site.
The apparitions did not occur every night, although the
children assembled, but when Mary did appear they would fall to their knees in
unison. On 28 December the children claimed that Mary had said that: "My
last apparition will take place soon." On 2 January 1933, Mary told the
children that on the next day, at what was to be the final apparition, she
would speak to each of them separately. A very large crowd, estimated at
between thirty and thirty-five thousand people, assembled that evening as the
children began their rosary.
After a while, four of them called out and fell to
their knees, leaving Fernande, the oldest, in tears because she didn’t see
anything. Mary first spoke to Gilberte Voisin, imparting to her what has been
seen as the main promise of Beauraing, "I will convert sinners," and
then: "Goodbye." To Andree she said: "I am the Mother of God,
the Queen of Heaven. Pray always," before disappearing.
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Fernande remained kneeling while the other children
went inside for questioning, when suddenly, she, and many in the crowd, heard a
loud noise like thunder and saw a ball of fire on the hawthorn tree. Mary then
appeared to Fernande asking her if she loved her Son and herself; when Fernande
replied that she did, the response was: "Then sacrifice yourself for
me." At this the Blessed Virgin glowed with extraordinary brilliance and
extended her arms, so that the girl could see her golden heart, before saying,
"Goodbye," and then disappeared.
Although there were problems from some quarters,
opposition to Beauraing had practically ceased by the time the bishop appointed
a commission of inquiry in 1935. In February 1943 the Bishop authorized public
devotions to Mary at Beauraing, but it was not until July 1949, following the
Second World War, that the shrine was officially recognized. Since then
numerous alleged miraculous cures have occured at Beauraing.
1933 - Banneux, Belgium - Mariette Beco
Just 12 days after the apparition at Beauraing, Mary
appeared in Banneux, another Belgian village about fifty miles north-east of
Beauraing.
On the evening of January 15, 1933, eleven-year-old
Mariette Beco was in the kitchen with her mother while waiting for her younger
brother Julien to arrive home. She looked out of the window to see if he was
coming, and was surprised to see a young lady in the yard, seemingly made of
light and smiling at her. An oval light surrounded the woman’s body and she was
wearing a long white gown with a blue sash, as well as a transparent white veil
on her head. She had a golden rose on her right foot and a rosary with a golden
chain was hanging on her right arm.
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Mariette told her mother about this, but
Mrs. Beco became frightened and quickly closed the curtain. Mariette though took
another look and still saw the Lady smiling now beckoning her with a finger to
come outside. Mariette moved towards the door, but her mother wouldn’t let her
go outside, and by the time she had returned to the window the Lady was gone.
The next couple of days nothing unusual happened. On
January 18, Mariette left the house at seven o'clock in the evening. Acting on
a sudden impulse, she knelt to say the rosary near the front gate. Suddenly she
saw the beautiful lady descending towards her between two tall pine trees,
growing larger and more luminous as she approached stopping about a foot from
the ground. The lady joined the prayers and after a while Mariette rose and
went out through the gate and onto the road following the vision. On the lady’s
command, she fell to her knees on the ditch, placing her hands into some water
there.
As the apparition disappeared over the pines, Mariette
came to herself and was questioned about what she had seen. The next evening
Mariette again left the house and knelt down in the snow to pray. After a while
she saw the lady and asked her who she was. The lady answered: "I am the
Virgin of the poor." Mariette then took the same path to the spring by the
ditch, again falling to her knees. The lady then told her that: "This
spring is reserved for all the nations - to relieve the sick." After a
while she said "I shall pray for you. Au Revoir" and disappeared.
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Although Mariette continued to pray every
evening, it was only after three weeks of disappointment that the lady again
appeared to her. Six people were present on this cold, moonlit, Saturday
evening, and after reaching the spring, Mariette plunged her hand into the
water and blessed herself. After a few minutes she thanked her unseen visitor
and tearfully made her way back to the house, repeating the Lady's words:
"I come to relieve suffering."
There were no more apparitions until February 15, when
Mariette, her mother and several other women were praying the rosary in the
garden. Five days later Mariette again saw the vision. The eighth and final
apparition took place on March 2, 1933. In reply to Mary's words, "I am
the Mother of the Savior, Mother of God; pray much," Mariette said,
"Yes, yes." After which Mary blessed her saying "Adieu,"
instead of "Au Revoir," as before.
From 1935 until 1937 the apparitions were investigated
by an Episcopal commission, after which the evidence collected was submitted to
Rome. Meanwhile growing numbers of pilgrims came to the shrine. In May 1942 the
Bishop of Liege approved the cult of the Virgin of the Poor. In 1947 the
apparitions themselves received preliminary approval, with this becoming
definite in 1949.
1961 - Garabandal, Portugal - four girls (link)
1968 - Zeitoun, Egypt - large crowds
Zeitoun is a suburb of the Egyptian capital Cairo. In
the 1960ties there was a big garage on the district’s main street for the buses
of the Public Transport Authority. On April 2, 1968, just after sunset, the
watchman in charge of guarding this garage noticed a strange light over the
Coptic Orthodox Church across the street and called the other workers. They all
witnessed a bright light hovering over the large dome of the church. When they
looked closely, they saw that it emanated form a young lady in white, kneeling
by the cross at the top of the dome.
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At first they thought that the woman was
about to jump from the building and cried out. Meanwhile people passing by
started gathering in the street. The figure now seemed to become clearer and
appeared as a beautiful girl in a bright gown seemingly made of light holding
an olive branch in her hand. The bystanders realized that this vision had to be
of supernatural origin and some started to shout and cry saying: "She is
the Virgin ... She is the Mother of Light ..." The news spread like
wildfire and soon the traffic had to be redirected as a huge crowd of people
gathered to watch the vision.
Thus began almost three years of Marian apparitions
over the church in Zeitoun. The apparition appeared about two or three times a
week, lasting from a few minutes up to several hours, attracting large crowds,
sometimes up to 250.000 people, including Egyptians and foreigners, Copts,
Orthodox and Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews and people of no
particular faith. The vision was photographed, televised, written about in the
international press, and seen by both religious and political dignitaries such
as Abdul Nasser, president of Egypt.
The luminous figure was seen sometimes vaguely, often
quite clearly, smiling, bowing, and waving an olive branch, blessing people,
praying deeply, or kneeling before the cross on the dome. Sometimes the vision
was accompanied by white stars or dove-shaped luminous bodies that would fly
around her at high speeds.
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The local police, who initially thought the apparitions
were an elaborate hoax, searched a 15-mile radius surrounding the site to
uncover any type of device that could be used to project such images, but were
completely unsuccessful. The phenomenon finally ended in 1971. During the three
years of apparitions there were numerous inexplicable healings recorded by
various medical professionals.
The Coptic Pope, Kyrillos VI, appointed a committee to
investigate the apparitions, and on May 4, 1968, the Coptic Orthodox Church
officially approved the apparitions.
Catholic nuns from the Sacré-Coeur order also witnessed
the events and conveyed a detailed report to the Vatican. On April 28, 1968, an
envoy from the Vatican arrived, saw the apparitions and sent a report to the
Pope Paul VI in Rome, who also approved them as a genuine visitation of the
Mother of God.
1973 - Akita, Japan - Sister Agnes Sasagawa
In 1973, Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa, a Japanese nun
who had recently become deaf, joined a small religious community in Akita,
Japan. On June 12, Sr. Agnes was alone in the convent chapel. When she opened
the tabernacle door a brilliant light suddenly appeared at which point she
quickly prostrated herself on the floor, where she remained for about an hour,
subjugated by an overwhelming power.
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On June 14, Sr. Agnes again witnessed the
light at the tabernacle, this time encompassed by an intense red flame
radiating rays of light in every direction. Again, on June 28, she saw the
brilliant light but this time there also appeared a multitude of angels
surrounding the altar in adoration before the Communion Host.
This marked the beginning of a series of supernatural
events lasting nine years from 1973 to 1982. On June 28, 1973, after having
been visited by her Guardian Angel, a cross-shaped wound appeared in the palm
of Sr. Agnes left hand. The wound was extremely painful and the following weeks
it continued bleeding profusely.
On July 6, Sister Agnes' guardian angel again appeared
to her and led her to the chapel, where a 3-foot wooden carved statue of the
Virgin Mary purportedly came to life and spoke to her saying: "Don't be
afraid. You will be healed. Be patient …” Later that day, some of the other
sisters noticed drops of blood flowing from the right palm of the same statue.
This continued for two months and after three weeks, blood also started
streaming from the eyes. The statute wept 101 times in the course of 6 years
and 8 months. It also perspired abundantly and sent out a sweet perfume.
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Sister Agnes' pain continued and in the afternoon
of July 27 it became almost unbearable. She went to the chapel to seek comfort
and prostrated herself in prayer. After a while she heard the voice of her
guardian angel saying: "Your sufferings will end today.” The angel then
vanished and the pain in her hand immediately ceased and the wound healed
without a trace.
On May 18, 1974, the angel once again appeared to
Sister Agnes and gave her the following message: "Your ears will be opened
in October. You will hear. You will be healed ..." On October 13, 1974,
exactly as the angel had predicted, Sister Agnes regained her hearing.
On April 22, 1984, following lengthily investigations,
the tears of the wooden statue were declared authentic by the local bishop.
Scientific analysis of the substance from the statute confirmed that the blood,
tears, and perspiration are real human tears, sweat, and blood. In June, 1988,
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, gave definitive judgment on the Akita events and messages as
reliable and worthy of belief.
1981 - Kibèho, Rwanda - six girls
Rwanda is a small country in the heart of Africa with a
population of about 5.5 million of which approximately half are Catholics. The
country consists mainly of two tribes: the Hutus and the Tutsis, which have
been at conflict with each other for long years. The 1990 uprising between the
two tribes resulted in the deaths of close to 200,000 people.
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Between 1981 and 1989, the Virgin Mary appeared
to six school age girls in the city of Kibeho, located in the south Rwanda.
Three of these were boarders in a college administered by nuns in a poor area,
and three others lived in the bush. Mary, who had dark skin, encouraged the
visionaries to pray, fast, and do penance and told them that there would be a
'river of blood.' if the country did not come back to God and they were shown
terrifying glimpses into the future of the 1994 ethnic genocide in Rwanda (two
of the visionaries were killed in the holocaust).
In one vision that lasted eight hours they saw
terrifying images of people killing each other, and decapitated bodies thrown
into rivers. They were weeping and crying and the witnesses who crowded around
the seers were left with an unforgettable impression of fear and sadness.
For six of the visionaries, the apparitions ended in
1983, however one of the girls continued to receive apparitions almost every
year on November 28 until 1989. Two commissions, one composed of medical
doctors and the other of theologians, started investigating the apparitions in
1982. Six years later, in August 1988, the local bishop authenticated the
apparitions in a formal declaration, thus allowing public devotion.
1981 - Medjugorje, Bosnia - six young people
Medjugorje is a small village in a mountainous part of
Bosnia-Herzegovina some 30 km from the town of Mostar. The parish and its
neighborhood are populated mainly by Roman Catholic Croats. In the summer of
1981, Ivanka Ivankovic age 15 and Marjana Dragicevic age 16 - two
secondary-school students, one from Mostar, the other from Sarajevo - had come
to spend their holiday with relatives in Medjugorje.
On the afternoon of June 24, 1981, they walked on a
hill along a road to Crnica when Ivanka suddenly spotted in front of her the
bright silhouette of a young woman wearing a gray dress. She instinctually
cried out: "Look, Gospa!" (Gospa is Croatian for the Virgin Mary).
Marijana wouldn’t look at the figure and they both ran off in fear. Later the
same day the two girls went back to Crnica to bring home a flock of sheep and
saw the Lady again (some sources claim that they actually went out to smoke,
which they hid from their parents). This time they called Vicka Ivankovic and
Ivan Dragicevic both age 16, who happened to walk along that road at that time.
On seeing the vision, these two children panicked and ran away.
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The following day, the four children agreed
to meet at the same location in hope of seeing the vision again. They were
joined by Maria Pavlovic age 16, and Jakov Colo age 10. At the apparition site
they suddenly saw a flash of light. All six children looked up and saw the
Lady, gesturing to them to come closer. They braced themselves, went up to her
and immediately fell to their knees.
After a while Vicka sprinkled the vision with holy
water and said: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! If you are the
Mother of God, stay here. But, if you are not, go away!" The Lady just
smiled. Mirjana then asked who she was and the vision replied: "I am the
Blessed Virgin Mary." The children asked her if they would see her the
following day, she replied by nodding her head. Finally the vision left them
with the words: ”God be with you my angels!"
On June 26, the children came back and at 18.15, a
glare appeared three times above the horizon above the place of the vision.
This glare was allegedly seen by people from a wide area and lured about 3000
people from the nearby villages. Everyone wanted to be as close to the
visionaries as possible. And in the ensuing throng, Ivanka and Mirjana almost
fainted. When the vision appeared Jakov and Mirjana asked for a sign, because
some people had accused them of lying and of taking drugs. "Do not be
afraid of anything", Our Lady replied.
From then on the Virgin Mary continued appearing to the
children at least once a day. But she didn't always appear in the same place,
or to the same group of visionaries, nor did the apparitions always last a
specified period - sometimes they lasted only two minutes, sometimes an hour.
Sometimes she appeared to one and not to the others. If she hadn't promised an
appointed time, nobody knew when she would appear, or if she would appear at
all. Neither did she appear always to just the visionaries, but to others also.
At one point, the local priest told the children to ask Mary to appear in the
local church instead of on the hill. Mary agreed to this and from January 15,
1982 the visions moved to the church.
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In
addition to the messages they daily received, Mary promised to give each of the
six visionaries a total of ten "secrets" or happenings that would
occur in the near future. Some of these secrets pertain to the visionaries
themselves and the village while others concern the whole world. Ten days
before each of the warnings, Mirjana will advise a priest of her choice, who,
three days before the warning is to take place, will announce to the world
what, where, and when the warning will occur.
After the first warning, two others will follow within
a rather brief period of time. Then a supernatural, visible, and permanent sign
will be left on the mountain where Our Lady first appeared in Medjugorje. This
sign will lead to many healings and conversions. The ninth and tenth secrets
are a chastisement for the sins of the world and those who haven’t converted
yet.
The chastisement can be lessened by prayers and
penance, but it can not be suppressed entirely. When each of the six
visionaries has received all ten "secrets", Our Lady stops appearing
to them on a daily basis. Currently, Marija, Vicka, and Ivan have received nine
secrets, and Our Lady still appears to them every day. Mirjana, Jakov, and
Ivanka have received all ten secrets, and Our Lady appears to them once per
year, and will do so for the rest of their lives.
Initially the local representatives of the former
Yugoslavian government were rather hostile towards the events in Medjugorje.
Police officers repeatedly took the children to Citluk and Mostar for interrogations
and the visionaries were ordered not to visit the hill again or to speak about
their visions to anyone. Militia guarded their houses of to prevent them from
leaving. The police sealed off the Crnica area and trespassers faced hefty
fines and all bus connections to Medjugorje were cancelled. Even so, pilgrims
from Yugoslavia and elsewhere thronged Medjugorje.
The visionaries have been extensively examined by
medical experts. In 1983 alone, they were studied by some 50 experts in various
sciences. On June 29, only five days after the first apparition, the children
were taken to Mostar for a psychiatric examination, which indicated that they
were healthy. Three days later they were driven to Mostar for further
examinations. Again, their psychical state was found to be entirely good.
In 1982, the local bishop's formed a Commission to
investigate the events thoroughly. Two year later the Yugoslavian Bishops'
Conference issued an order prohibiting official pilgrimages to Medjugorje. In
1985 the bishop disapproved the apparitions which he found explainable by
natural means. Subsequent investigations have been inconclusive as to the
supernatural character of the apparitions. But in spite of the official Church
disapproval and even during the civil war, pilgrims continue to visit the
apparition site.
It has been estimated that 15 to 20 million people from
all over the world have visited Medjugorje since the visions began in 1981,
making this one of the most popular contemporary Catholic shrines. Many pilgrims
who have visited Medjugorje bring back stories of miracles in the form of
healings as well as supernatural visual events.
