Ivetka Korcakova and Katka Ceselkova, Litmamova, Slovakia 1990

                                                                                          

Feastday not known                                               

Born not known                   

Died not Known

                                                                                                                       

In 1990 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to two 13 year old girls Ivetka and Katka, in a small town in north central Slovakia, Litmanova. Inhabited by only a few hundred families, this village is almost entirely Greek Catholic also known as Byzantine Catholics. They are divided ecclesiastically according to their national groups Carpatho-Rusyn, Ukrainian, Melkite, Russian, Hungarian and Rumanian and all are in full communion with the Pope in Rome and the Catholic Church.  It was in the Carpatho-Rusyn Zuir inhabited mountain peak on the outskirts of Litmanova where Our Lady first appeared to the two young visionaries.  Our Lady encourages youths to attend masses, to offer sacrifices and prayers in reparation for their sins, the sins of Slovakia and the world. When asked how she called herself by the two seers the Blessed Virgin replied “I am untainted Purity”  The visions would continue on every first Sunday of the month preceded by a procession lead by the two teenagers in front of the village Church up to the mountainside chanting hymns and reciting the rosary. Once at the summit they recite Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s and the Golden Our Father (see below) and the rosary and it is during this time that the virgin typically appears to the visionaries and joins them in prayer. The prayers are concluded by words from Our Lady and she departs after the Divine Liturgy is celebrated by the parish priest. At this point the seers announce the message of the Blessed Virgin over the microphone to all those gathered . Afterwards they are encouraged to draw water from the source Our Lady has Blessed for their spiritual needs. The messages, issuing from a total of 69 apparitions, continued throughout the early nineties until August 6th 1995 when the Mother of God announced that this was her last appearance.

 

 

 

The visions

Taken from Capatho-Rusyn Spirit Final Apparition in Litmanova (http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/limanova.htm)

 

August 5, 1990

We went up to the hillside - Katka Ceselkova, Ivetka Korcakova and Mikulas Ceselka. It was morning about seven o'clock. On the hill we played games all day long, we made a fire and we roasted some bacon and sang. The Liturgy was celebrated in the church at 5:00 p.m., but we did not want to go home to attend so we stayed up on the hill a little longer. At about 6:00 p.m., we heard a crackling sound in the forest near where we had made the fire. The sound was at first soft, then it intensified. We went inside our hut - Ivetka and Mitko lay down on their beds because they were tired. I (Katka) heard a noise as if someone was walking around the hut. I shouted “Ivetka, shut the door, I'm afraid!” We closed the door and then we heard a noise as if someone was rattling something made of tin. The noises became louder and we became so afraid that it took our breath away. After a while we heard yet a stronger knocking as if someone threw a lot of wood down from the high rocky hill. We were terrified! At this time, Mitko told us we should pray because we were afraid as the priest told him that once during a religious class. We prayed the “Our Father” three times, “Hail Mary” and then the “Golden Our Father” three times (these prayers we knew, and Mitko was praying some other prayers.) Suddenly, I (Ivetka), had the feeling to pray “Mary, Our Mother, protect us under your mantle.” I prayed it three times (this prayer I had never said before), and then prayed “Guardian Angel”…We started to promise that Katka would begin going to religious class, that she would go to the church and that she would go to holy confession. We were sorry for our sins and at this moment there was a glow but we did not pay attention to this because we thought that it was from the sun. We did not say anything - because we thought it was something from our imagination, or out of fear. We made ourselves a pledge that during this week we would go to church every day! At this moment our fear left.

 

We were sitting on the bed and suddenly a glow appeared in the middle of the room and we saw the Blessed Mother. We tried to see whether this was really her! She sat on the bench and she was listening to us. We were staring at the bench and Katka said “I see the Blessed Mother.” “I see her too.” said Ivetka. At this moment, we all ran out of the room. We left the place in a hurry, we did not even lock the door, we only ran home. The Blessed Mother followed us on the way, she stayed about two steps behind us. When we turned around, we saw her behind us. She accompanied us to the roadside cross. There, she knelt down and prayed. Then, she went behind us and then she started to gradually disappear. On the way home we were still afraid. I turned to look and I saw the Blessed Mother in front of my house for the last time. Ivetka saw the Blessed Mother in front of her uncle's house. She did not speak to us at the time. She was dressed in white dress, she had on a blue cloak, a blue transparent veil and on her head she wore a crown and in her hand she held a rosary.

 

We returned home frightened. I went to my room and was quiet. Ivetka went home and told her mother about everything. Her mother did not believe her and so they went to Katka's house to ask her whether it was true. We both started to cry because they did not believe us. Ivetka's mother believed a little bit. When Katka's mother went to work the next day, she prayed “Blessed Mother, give me some visible sign that the girls are not lying “ That very evening she had a dream. 'I saw the Blessed Mother with a green garland.' 'I asked her why she had a green garland.' 'She replied “because I am a Virgin and I have a pure heart.”' Next I asked her whether it was true what the girls had said. The Blessed Mother relied, “Yes, do not doubt anything, but believe it all.” At the end of August, Ivetka, Katka, Mitko, Ivetka's mother and father went up to the hill again. When they got to the hut, only Ivetka, Katka and Mitko went into the room. “We asked our parents to leave us alone.” We prayed Our Father and Hail Mary three times, Golden Our Father three times and after that “O Mary, our Mother protect us under your mantle” for three times.” We sat on the bed and in a moment we saw a mist and in this we bean to distinguish the outline of the Blessed Mother, but she was hardly visible. She did not speak to us and did not leave any message. She disappeared into the fog and we ran out to tell our parents what we had seen, that it was really the Blessed Mother! Mitko did not see the Blessed Mother, the two of us only saw her - Katka and Ivetka.”

 

September 30, 1990:

Only Ivetka and a few women were present on the field. “I saw the Blessed Mother and asked her: “Blessed Mother, forgive me all my sins,” even though I had gone to confession only two days ago. The Blessed Mother asked me what I would like. I asked her for the health of my mother, her arms and back hurt her. I wished this because next month would be my birthday. The Blessed Mother told me “do not be afraid, your mother will soon be cured because of your tears.” At that moment, I began to cry, I felt sorry because the Blessed Mother was crying also and because Katka did not come. (Katka did not keep her promise to go to church and receive confession). She did not fulfil what she had promised the first time. Ivetka was kneeling very stiffly and was staring at the location of the apparition of the Blessed Mother. At this moment, Ivetka's mother opened the door and Ivetka jumped up and caught her mom around the neck and reproached her mother - why did she come and opened the door right at that moment as she begged the Blessed Mother to stay longer with her!

 

October 1, 1990

Today is the holyday “Protection of the Mother of God.” We were both on the field with about 20 men from the village. I (Ivetka), saw the Blessed Mother clearly but Katka saw her in a fog because she had sins on her soul. The Blessed Mother told her to go to confession today in order to be an example to the people. I asked the Blessed Mother to intercede for Sonka S. who was ill. The blessed Mother told me that “every illness is a result of sin. Sonka's parents were very materialistic and did not behave as Christians should in many affairs. Only fervent prayers to the Blessed Mother would help cure this child.”

 

October 2, 1990

The two of us girls were on the field with about twenty other girls. We started to pray “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” three times and then the “Golden Our father.” We saw the Blessed Mother - she was very happy. She told us that all during the month of October we would not see her, but she would pray for the conversion of sinners, and that she was always with us. I asked her about a deaf and dumb boy and the Blessed Mother told me that his father beat his mother and it was if he had beaten his spiritual Mother. We knew that in the church they were praying the rosary and so we wanted to return home. But the Blessed Mother asked us to stay with her and then we started to pray the rosary together. After finishing the rosary, we went home but were afraid of passing through the woods. Suddenly, Ivetka shouted that she saw the Blessed Mother near the woods. We prepared for prayer by saying “Mary, our mother, protect us under your mantle” and after the ninth time, the Blessed Mother opened her mantle and she guarded us the whole way home. During the way, we sang and prayed the “Our father.” The Blessed Mother accompanied us all the way to the roadside cross.

 

November 1, 1990

There were about 40 people present and we entered the hut. We prayed in the same way as the first time. Out of the fog, the outline of the Blessed Mother began to appear and gradually the entire shape of the Blessed Mother. She was dressed humbly and she was barefoot. I was wondering why the Blessed Mother was so sad, said Ivetka. The Blessed Mother told me: “I am very sad because Katka did not dedicate to me the entire month of October. She did not pray the rosary every evening in order to repent for her sins.” The Blessed Mother asked us to come to the field frequently. I was afraid how I would go to the field when winter would come and the snow begins to fall. The Blessed Mother told me not to be afraid because she never caused injury, only helped. Then, I started to cry and the people in the room with me also cried. We cried because Katka was not sufficiently prepared as of yet, she has insufficiently atoned for her sins. The Blessed Mother wanted to give us a message which we should spread.

 

November 4, 1990 (Sunday)

We went up to the field where we together prayed the rosary. The Blessed Mother appeared from out of the mist from where she began to make her outline. We asked the Blessed Mother whether there should be a Divine Liturgy offered here. The Blessed Mother told us that the Divine Liturgy should be offered in honour of her Immaculate Heart. There were many people present and we did not feel well. We went to the spring, we washed ourselves and returned. We knelt down again. The Blessed Mother told us that we see her faintly because our hearts were stained with sin. She told us to pray the rosary three times. Then she told us that she had blessed the water from the spring. She wanted all people to take the water from the spring. The Blessed Mother is all pure. She was shining brightly and she told us to turn our faces towards the people. When we did, we saw that all the people have dirty faces and then the Blessed Mother disappeared.

 

November 11, 1990 (Sunday)

There was a lot of people. We prayed two decades of the rosary and then the Divine Liturgy started. We has an appearance: The Blessed Mother began to form herself out of the mist - first an outline, then totally. She told us that at the deliverance of the message, only two of us and the priests should stay in the room. During the Divine Liturgy, we did not see her - only after we had finished. When the people began to pray, they continued with the holy rosary. We did not hear them because the Blessed Mother appeared again and told us that she could not look at the sins of Slovakia, that her children had a lot of everything but they did not worship her Son and Her. Her son would send a disaster to Slovakia; but if people stoned themselves, and if they would start to pray fervently, the disaster would be postponed. The Blessed Mother was sad and she told us to spread this message all over Slovakia in order for all of Slovakia to come and pray here.

 

November 19, 1990 (Sunday)

We went to the field and there was a lot of people. On the way up, we prayed and sang. Then, the people began to sing this hymn: “We have made a wreath for you, Mary....” We looked to the side and we saw the Blessed Mother. She had roses around her feet. We climbed higher and then the people sang “Jesus and Mary are coming with us.” We looked to the right and we met the Blessed Mother with Jesus in her arms. She was barefoot Jesus was wrapped in a white cloth. Then, we all sang together. When we finished the rosary, we saw the Blessed Mother walking with a rosary. Then we turned around but we did not see her anymore. When we arrived at the place of the apparitions, we knelt down and prayed as always. Then, the Blessed Mother appeared with Jesus in her arms. Jesus was weeping. She gave us a message. She said that there are very few people that sacrifice, that Jesus made Himself a sacrifice for all nations. She gave us a proposal: “Why don't men make sacrifices as Jesus did so many years ago? She told us that people have many material things, they have everything they want and they would even kill each other for it. They only want to get more possessions. Jesus Himself taught us that we should love one another, that we should forgive one another.” The Blessed Mother said: “ Even if the water in the spring might have some dirt, if anything is immersed in the water, the water is still good.” The Blessed Mother told us to spread the message all over Slovakia. Then, she asked us to tell the people not to lie but to tell the truth - and she asked why there were not more people coming to pray with us. One woman came to us and brought us a sheet of paper on which was written that her son had abandoned the faith and how could she return him to believe in God again. The Blessed Mother replied: “Her son became distracted from the faith because he has gone to Prague to pursue his studies, he fell in with a bad group and then he turned bad because he his the fact that he was a Christian from his friends. He did not want to mention it to anyone. He was ashamed to say that he was a Christian.” The Blessed Mother said that his mother should pray for him. She should fast and then the Blessed Mother would take care of everything. One woman asked this request to the Blessed Mother whether she should make sacrifices for her husband who had died, what she should do for his salvation, and how was he doing in the after life? She asked whether some prayers, liturgies or sacrifices were necessary? The Blessed Mother said that “the wife of the dead man should continue praying and that she should give Divine Liturgies. Her husband was doing well there and that she should keep up such a strong faith as she now has.”

 

November 21, 1990:

The Blessed Mother appeared dressed all in white. She wore a beautiful white veil and in her hands a white rosary.  She gave a second warning to us. There were very few people present. “Jesus sacrificed Himself for all nations. My children, have so much material things that they even kill one another. My Son Himself preached and taught that men should love one another and forgive one another. But it is not realized here!” We asked her about Danka who was ill. The Blessed Mother told us to bring the child up to the field, to the place of apparitions, not listening as to what people say - oh, what a little child you bring here... “It is necessary to wash the child in the holy spring. Take two to five litres of this water and bathe the child in it. Pray together the holy rosary and make sacrifices for the child.”

 

November 25, 1990:

The Blessed Mother appeared out of the mist, from which we started to see the outline. Later, we saw her clearly in a blue dress with a blue rosary. The crucifix on the rosary had a golden border and was entirely gold. The Blessed Mother appeared kind and gave us a message for the Father (priest) - “Please celebrate the Divine Liturgy here on Sunday. Invite believers from all the parishes. They can come without fear. The Holy Spirit will help them. The Holy Liturgy should be celebrated in honour of My Son and Me. The Blessed Mother then said thank you.” I asked her about Helenka - her leg hurts her. The Blessed Mother gave the message that God allowed a test for her - whether she would turn away from God. If she would pray, then she would be cured. I asked her about a woman who drank. The Blessed Mother said “it was necessary to bring her to the place of apparitions. She must be sober. Let her come into the hut and leave her alone to pray various prayers. All of them will be accepted. Let her wash in the holy spring and she should do it often.” After all this, the Blessed Mother gave us the message that her power is strongest on the field, in the hut and near the spring where she can work her miracles.

 

November 26, 1990:

Ivetka was in school and during a 20 minute break, she saw a very clear brightness and in the centre was a heart. She felt a strange feeling later as if she were dizzy. Ivetka said “I returned to the classroom and I took out my rosary and I put it on the table. All of the children assembled around me and asked me to tell them of the apparitions. I sat down and began to speak. It was not my voice, but rather, it seemed to me that someone else was speaking instead of me. Everything rhymed as in a poem. All the children were enthusiastic from this talk even non-believers listened to me. They asked me to pray for them, to obtain icons and rosaries, also, to pray for them and for their parents who are disbelievers too. I told the children that the holy rosary has a great power and that no bad spirit would ever overcome it.”

 

December 2, 1990:

During this apparition Our Lady reportedly stressed the importance of the rosary and deplored that there was so much hate among the people and that people sought material riches more than anything else.1 She reminded them of the pending disaster which could be put off only if people amended their lives. 2

 

December 13, 1990:

During this apparition Our Lady besought the people to pray more earnestly and to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. 3

 

December 16, 1990:

“All the people need in order to guarantee themselves beautiful and joyous holidays is to have done penance and pray the rosary” As Our Blessed Mother spoke these words , with Her fingers She pointed to Her Heart.” 4  

 

December 23, 1990:

On this occasion the seer reportedly asked why Our Lady was always recommending the rosary. The Virgin Mary responded and told the seers that the rosary was Her prayer so that anyone who prayed the rosary was thereby praying for all of God’s graces5  

 

December 25, 1990:

“I love all the people who pray the rosary, but also all non-believers that offend Me and My Son Jesus” 6

 

December 30, 1990:

Our Lady requested a medal be struck in her honour. Her initials were to be above Her shining heart together with a lily (the sign of Her purity) on one side of the medal. One the other side of the medal a depiction of Herself with Her Divine Son Jesus. These medals are to be distributed to those who venerated Jesus and Mary, and the people who wear this medal and invoke Her as “Immaculate Purity” honouring Her purity could expect help whenever they ask. Our Lady did also warn that “….a disaster impends over Slovakia” but if enough people prayed and devoted themselves to God, the catastrophe could be averted. Our Lady taught the seers a short prayer to appeal to Her when they are tempted. 7

 

January 20, 1991:

Our Lady grived over the slaughter in Bosnia. She said that war was of Satan, who prevailed in the world for years. Then “A Disaster impends over Slovakia” It all depends on whether or not the people prayed for her Help. If people devoted themselves to God and implored “Thy will be done, Lord,” the catastrophe would be averted. 8

 

February 2, 1991:

“My Dear child, you may know it is my Holiday today. My hands are replete with gifts. I shall perform numerous miracles, sinner will convert and the sick will find that the rich are those who posess spiritual wealth and that material possessions do not matter to them. And those bearing pride in their hearts will see they have nothing to take pride in. I say this to you as your mother” 9  

 

March 3, 1991:

“I will be appearing on the First Sunday of every Month” 10

 

April 7, 1991

It is reported that Our Lady gave a secret to Iveta: Our Blessed Mother was sad when she did so. No report of the contents of the secret is given. 11

 

May 5, 1991:

“This month your prayers will particularly be heard, but the prayer must originate in a pure and sincere heart. When praying you should know and think about your words…”12

 

July 7, 1991:

Our Lady told the girls “When you are tempted realize that I’ve always been with you and pray: ‘Immaculate Purity, help me preserve the purity of my heart!” 13

 

August 4, 1991:

“My Children, do not sin, for you don’t know how much you thereby harm yourselves. I wish you to pray and offer sacrifices” 14

 

September 8, 1991:

“However more saddened am I to have to tell you the following on my Holiday: ‘God’s visit is near; search for love!” 15

 

October 6, 1991:

“Dear Children, I wish that you pray together for the conversion of sinners this month…”16

 

February 9, 1992:

“My dear children, try to be God’s grace to everyone. Pray the holy rosary and pray for the youth because it is necessary” 17

 

January 3, 1993:

“I will fill you with the love of My Son because that is the only way you can accept every grace and pray with every thought and deed of yours…”18

 

April 4, 1993:

“My Dear children, I’m begging you again, change your lives and completely devote them to God because that’s the only way your lives will be eternal” 19. Our Lady also taught the girls the following prayer “Thy will be done everywhere and in everythingm for in Thee resides eternal peace” 20

 

May 9, 1993:

“Please bring sacrifices for others with love; totally donate yourselves to Jesus. You don’t know how much sacrifice this world needs” 21

 

July 4, 1993:

“Little souls, double your prayers and begin truly fasting. You don’t know how much I need your praying and to convert the strays” 22

 

September 5, 1993:

“In the name of the Holiest God, I beg you, change your lives! Lay your old life onto My heart, and from My Son learn to live eternally” 23

 

October 3, 1993:

“My beloved, I would like us to be connected through prayer especially this time. Let the Holy Ghost into your prayer. You don’t know how many special graces for your souls, meditation over the mysteries of the rosary will bring. Please let’s pray for the conversion of sinners” 24

 

November 7, 1993:

“My Dear Children, I love you and I am happy to be here with you. The King of Love would like for you during this time to meditate upon His great sufferances. Through them He wants to bring your souls back to life. Reflect more upon the words of your Mother” 25

 

March 6, 1994:

“Many of you pray perfunctorily and experience nothing through prayer. To pray profoundly, we need to apply ourselves altogether; all we have and all we are…”26

 

April 3, 1994:

Our Lady said in part “I want to teach you to live for love. I invite you to God’s mercy and want to give you a bit of joy from heaven” 27

 

 

 

On the authenticity of the apparitions

 

“Recently we have received many petitions asking our opinion about the events in Litmanova where it is said that the Blessed Mother appears…

 

Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mother sometimes use individuals to communicate in extraordinary form -- appearing to people - to call attention to some sacred truth or duties which have been neglected, or in order to avert punishments.

 

This is in our great God's plan which we should with gratitude and willingness receive. But it is also true that through such communications there can rise errors, and from these rise self delusion and fraud, and other traps of evil spirits. Therefore, the church is very attentive in matters of apparitions in order not to make such mistakes in self-delusion or fraud and in order not to mistake such uncertain apparitions as true apparitions of God.

 

But, through all this, everyone must advance according to their best conscience. If the apparitions are true, the Saviour Himself or the Blessed Mother will take care of the accuracy of their apparitions and then will not be denied forever. I want to stress that at first we must refute and exert a critical attitude which will enable us later on the truth to reveal itself more clearly if this is a genuine supernatural apparition.

 

Speaking about the doubting of St. Thomas, St. Augustine said that he was more a proof of faith than any of the other apostles. And rightfully so for the Saviour Himself acceded to St. Thomas' doubt who can therefore strengthen the faith of weaker people,

 

Bishop Jan Hirka…”28

 

References

1.  Peter Heintz A Guide to Apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin Mary (Gabriel Press, Sacramento, California 1995) p. 648

2. ibid p.650                                                                                                  

3. ibid p.648

4. ibid p.648

5. ibid

6. ibid

7. ibid p.647

8. ibid p.650-651

9. ibid p.650

10. ibid p.646

11. ibid p. 649

12. ibid p.647

13. ibid p.649

14. ibid p.648

15. ibid p.650

16. ibid p.647

17. ibid p.648

18. ibid p.647

19. ibid p.648

20. ibid p.649

21. ibid. p648

22. ibid

23. ibid

24. ibid p.647

25. ibid p.646

26. ibid p.647

27. ibid

28. Bishop Jan Hirka Greek Catholic Ordinary in Presov (abridged)