1

History of Marian Apparitions ........................................................................... 3 Vatican Approved Apparitions ........................................................................... 4

Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531) ........................................................................................4 Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (1830) ..................................................................... 12 Our Lady of Lourdes (1858) .......................................................................................... 17 Our Lady of Hope (1871) .............................................................................................. 20 Our Lady of Knock (1879) ............................................................................................ 22 Our Lady of Fatima (1917) ............................................................................................ 25 The Virgin with the Golden Heart (1932) ...................................................................... 33

Bishop Approved Apparitions ............................................................................36

Our Lady of Good Help (1859) ...................................................................................... 36 Our Lady of All Nations (1945) ..................................................................................... 39 Our Lady of Akita (1973) .............................................................................................. 42 Our Lady of Cuapa (1980) ............................................................................................. 48

Coptic Approved Apparitions ............................................................................51

Our Lady of Light (1968) .............................................................................................. 51 Our Lady of Assiut (2000) ............................................................................................. 53

Traditionally Approved Apparitions .................................................................54

Our Lady of La Vang (1798) ......................................................................................... 54 Our Lady of China (1900).............................................................................................. 58

Other Apparitions ...............................................................................................61

Our Lady of Soufanieh (1982) ....................................................................................... 61

Apparitions Awaiting Approvement ..................................................................62

Our Lady of Medjugorje (1981) ..................................................................................... 62 Stigmatist Katia Rivas ................................................................................................... 63

Additional Information.......................................................................................64

History of Marian Apparitions

Throughout history, there have been innumerable reports of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These apparitions have come in many forms and have been witnessed by a wide variety of people: men and women, children and adults, Christian saints and atheists. People from all corners of the globe have made claims to have experienced the presence of the Mother of God in their midst. The earliest known claim was from St. James the Greater who saw the Virgin Mary while he was in preaching on the banks of the Ebro River in Saragossa, Spain in 40 A.D. Today, apparition reports occur more frequently. Some scholars estimate the total number of apparition claims throughout history to be approximately 2,500 (with about 500 of those coming in the 20th century alone.) According to the Dictionary of Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, throughout history 308 apparitions are attributed to Saints or Blesseds. They are generally unofficially recognized by Church authorities (or or at least the orders and congregations that they have founded or belonged to). Although not officially approved by the Roman Catholic Church, visionaries in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina and elsewhere currently distribute messages attributed to the Blessed Virgin. The most famous apparitions have been those reported in Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), Rue du Bac, France (1830), Lourdes, France (1858), Fatima, Portugal (1917), and Medjugorje, BosniaHerzegovina (1984). The most recently Vatican approved apparitions are those from Le Laus, France (1664) which were approved in 2008. The most recently occurring apparitions with full Vatican approval are those from Kibeho, Rwanda which ended in 1989. The 1859 Robinsonville, WI, USA apparitions which were declared authentic on December 8, 2010 are the most recently episcopally approved apparitions. The United States had never had an episcopally approved apparition previously. The Catholic Church has been very cautious to approve purported miraculous events. In fact, in the 20th Century, of the hundreds of public claims, there have been only 8 with episcopal approval (4 of those with Vatican approval) and a handful of others that have not received official approval but have been approved for faith expression at the site. A total of 15 apparitions throughout history have been investigated and have received episcopal approval. Additionally, there have been four Egyptian apparitions approved by the Coptic Orthodox Church in the last 50 years. The list of rejected claims continues to grow.

Vatican Approved Apparitions

Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531)
Location: Guadalupe, Mexico First Apparition: Dec 9, 1531 Last Apparition: Dec 12, 1531 Investigated: 1666, 1723 Approved: 1555 by Archbishop Alonso de Montfar Visionaries: St. Juan Diego (57), Juan Bernardino Number of Apparitions: 5 Miracles & Signs: Tilma of Juan Diego with imprint of image of Virgin; conversion of millions of Indians. Summary: Mary proclaimed herself "the Mother of the true God who gives life" and left her image permanently upon the tilma of Juan Diego, a recent convert to Christianity. Timeline 1474 1476 1492 1514 1519 1521 1524 1525 1528 1529 Dec 9, 1531 Quauhtlatoatzin (Juan Diego) is born in Cuautitlan. Juan de Zumarraga was born in Spain. Christopher Columbus lands on an island in the Americas and named it San Salvador. The first Marian Shrine in the New World is established in the city of Higuey. Hernan Cortez lands in Mexico The capital city of the Aztecs falls under Cortez The first 12 Franciscans arrive in Mexico City Quauhtlatoatzin is baptized by a Franciscan priest and receives the Christian name of Juan Diego Friar Juan de Zumarraga arrives in the New World Juan Diegos wife, Maria, dies The Virgin appears to Juan Diego on top of mount Tepeyacac speaking to him in
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Nahuatl, his native tongue. She called him Xocoyte, her little son. She requests that he petition the bishop of Mexico that a teocalli, a sacred little house, be built on the spot. Juan Diego, calling her her Xocoyata, his littlest daughter, agrees to comply with her mandate and meets with the Bishop who listens to the message but does not believe his words. On his return he encounters the Virgin again who insists that he return to the Bishop with the same message the next day. Juan does not return to the bishop the next day because his uncle Juan Dec 10, 1531 Bernardino takes ill and requests Juan Diego to find a priest for his final confession. Juan goes from his home to Tlatilolco to summon a priest and despite trying to avoid her, encounters along the way the Virgin who promises that his uncle will be cured. She urges him to climb to the top of the hilltop and gather the roses Dec 11, 1531 growing there in December as the sign for the Bishop to believe. When the Bishop finally received him, Juan unfurled his tilma and revealed the image of the Virgin miraculously painted there. Juan Diego shows the Bishop the location of the apparition on which the church Dec 12, 1531 was to be built. He then returned to his uncle who was cured of his illness and had an experienced a visitation from the Virgin himself. Bishop Zumarraga writes a letter to Cortez stating: "I want to dedicate my Dec 24, 1531 cathedral to the Immaculate Conception because it was during that feast that God and his Blessed Mother deigned to shower the land you won with great favor." The first sanctuary is erected at the request of the Virgin. With the Bishop's permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Virgin. Franciscan priest and early historian of New Spa in Motolinia writes that some nine million Aztecs had become Christians Bishop Juan de Zumarraga dies. Juan Diego dies and is buried in the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The Codex 1548 is discovered in a private collection. It commemorates the death of Juan Diego in 1548 and provides the earliest illustration of him and the earliest reference to his birth name, Cuauhtlatoatzin. It is signed by Antonio Valeriano and Bernardindo de Sahagun. In the Provincial Counsel, the second archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de Montfar, formulates canons that indirectly approved the apparitions. Archbishop Montfar begins the erection of the second church The Valeriano Relation (the Nican Mopohua) is written by an Indian named
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1533

1541 1548 May 30, 1548

1548

1555 1556 1561

Antonio Valeriano between 1551 and 1561. 1564 1567 1570 An image is carried on the first formal expedition to the Philippine Islands The new church ordered by Archbishop Montufar is completed. Archbishop Montufar sends an oil painted copy of the image of Guadalupe to King Philip II of Spain Admiral Doria carries a copy of the image aboard ship during the battle of Lepanto and attributes the victory over the Ottoman Empire to the Virgin of Guadalupe The Primitive Relation is written by the historian Juan de Tovar, who transcribed the story from a still earlier source, probably Juan Gonzalez, Bishops Zumarragas translator. The image is covered with glass for the first time. The priest Miguel Sanchez publishes Image of the Virgin Mary, Guadalupan Mother of God in Mexico City Luis Lasso de la Vega publishes the Huey Tlanahuicoltica, telling the story in Nahuatl. It refers to earlier Nahuatl sources. A formal inquiry and investigation, named Informaciones Guadalupana, is conducted by the Church from February 18 to March 22. Juan Diego was called a "holy man". The first stone of the new sanctuary is laid.. The new sanctuary is solemnly dedicated Another formal investigation is ordered by Archbishop Lanziego y Eguilaz The Most Holy Mary of Guadalupe is chosen as the patroness of the city of Mexico The patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe is accepted for all of New Spain (California to El Salvador) The knight Boturini Benaducci promotes the solemn and official coronation of the image Benedict XIV approves the patronage of New Spain and granted a Mass and Office proper to the celebration of the feast on December 12 Painter Miguel Cabrera publishes his extensive study of the Image in the book American Marvel The Virgin of Guadalupe is declared patroness of the citizens of Ciudad Ponce in Puerto Rico The religious of the Society of Jesus are expelled from the Spanish dominions, and the image is carried to various parts of the world
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1571

1573 1647 1648 1649

1666 1695 1709 1723 1737 1746 1746 1754 1756 1757 1767

1895 1910 1911 1921

The coronation of the image is performed, with pontifical authority and the a great part of the episcopate of the Americas in attendance Pius X declares the Virgin of Guadalupe Patroness of Latin America A church is built on the site of Juan Bernardinos home A bomb placed beneath the image explodes but the tilma survives A very important 16th century source documenting the miracle is found in Tetlapalco, Peru in 1924 by anthropologist M.H. Saville. It is a pictorial calendar known as the Codex Saville-Tetlapalco and shows the image of our Lady located in the position representing the year 1531 A coronation of the image was made in Santa Fe, Argentina First documented note of an apparent reflected image of a mans head in the right eye of the Virgin, by photographer Alfonso Marcue Pius XI extended the patronage of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the Philippines Pius XII states that the Virgin of Guadalupe was the Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas and that she had been painted by brushes that were not of this world Pope Pius XII declares her to be the Patroness of the Americas Carlos Salinas examines the tilma and observes the apparent reflection of a mans head in the right eye of the Virgin Dr. Torroela-Bueno, an ophthalmologist, examines the eyes of the Virgin on the tilma Dr. Rafael Torija-Lavoignet publishes his study of the Purkinje-Sanson effect as exhibited in the Guadalupan image Pope John XXIII prays to her as Mother of the Americas. He addresses her as Mother and Teacher of the Faith to the peoples of the Americas Dr. Charles Wahlig, O.D. announces the discovery of two images apparently reflected in the eyes of the Virgin when studying a photograph enlarged twenty five times Pope Paul VI sends a Golden Rose to the Basilica Glass is removed so the image could be examined by another ophthalmologist, Dr. Enrique Grave The New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, located four miles from central Mexico City, is dedicated Dr. Philip Callahan takes 40 frames of infra-red photographs of the image. Later concluded that the original image is unexplainable as a human work Pope John Paul II called her the Star of Evangelization, knelt before her image,
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1924

1928 1929 1935 1945 1946 1951 1956 1958 1961

1962 1966 1975 1976 1979 1979

invoked her motherly assistance and called upon her as Mother of the Americas 1979 1987 1988 Dr. Jose Aste-Tonsmann announces the finding of at least four human figures apparently reflected in both eyes of the Virgin. Dr. Tosmann used sophisticated image processing techniques with digitized photographs of both eyes. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints declares Juan Diego venerable The liturgical celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 is raised to the status of a feast in all dioceses in the United States Juan Diego is beatified on 6 May 1990 by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, Mexico City. The Pope declares Dec. 9 the feast of Juan Diego and invokes him as protector and advocate of the indigenous peoples. Pope John Paul II dedicates a chapel in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peters Basilica The Codex 1548 is discovered in a private collection. it commemorates the death of Juan Diego in 1548 and provides the earliest illustration of him and the earliest reference to his birth name, Cuauhtlatoatzin. It is signed by Antonio Valeriano and Bernardindo de Sahagun. Controversy over the historical authenticity of Juan Diego is stirred in 1996 by Father William Schulenburg, a longtime abbot of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who calls Juan Diego a "mythical character".

May 6, 1990

1992

1995

1996

The Vatican subsequently established a commission of 30 researchers from various countries to investigate the question of the historical authenticity of Juan Diego. The commission successfully proved that Juan Diego had indeed existed, and the results of their research were presented to the Vatican Congregation for Oct. 28, 1998 the Causes of Saints. Among research documents submitted at that time were 27 Guadalupe Indian documents. One called the Escalada, co-authored by Valeriano and Franciscan Friar Bernardino de Sahagun, contained a death certificate of Juan Diego. 1999 Pope John Paul II, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declares the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent

July 31, 2002 Juan Diego is canonized by Pope John Paul II in Mexico City

The tilma was made from cactus fibres and as such should have turned into dust after approximately twenty years. Instead it has survived and been on diplay to the faithful for nearly 500 years despite being exposed to the smoke of candles throughout the centuries. Infrared spectroscopy has confirmed the integrity of the image. The image on the tilma is composed of pigments that have not been identified by chemical analysis as being the product of animal, vegetable, or mineral dye. No undersketch has been identified below the painting. Symbolism The 470-year-old image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is more than simply a picture. It contains symbols -- in a sense, hieroglyphics, or a story in pictures -- that reveal part of the message the Blessed Mother brought through Juan Diego to the Indians of Mexico and to all the people of the Americas. But the symbols had a special meaning to the Indians, who because of their culture could decipher the code in the Image.

1. Eyes The eyes of the image are looking down, a postion of humility, revealing that, as great as she is, she is not a god. Indian gods never looked down; they looked straight ahead. 2. Face The woman's face shows great compassion. The Indians felt that the face was the window of the inner person, a means by which one could read who a person was -- the way a person would act. A good woman to the Indians was one whose femininity showed in her face. The head of the woman in the image shows her with dark skin and dark hair like that of the Indians. 3. Hands Her hands are not poised in the traditional Western style of prayer, but in an Indian manner of offering, indicating that something is being offered, that something is to come from her.

4. Maternity Band The maternity band around the woman's waist was the sign of a pregnant woman, a mother who is about to give birth, it was a sign to the Indians that someone is yet to come. 5. Stars The stars on the mantle are a sign that a new civilization, or era, is beginning. The Indian tradition recognized the end and the beginning of different eras throughout the ages, and the destruction of a particular civilization or era was always accompanied by a comet, or a body of stars. 6. Sun Rays The rays of sun in the image recalled for the Indians that the sun played a key role in their civilization. But the woman in the image is greater than even the sun. She hides the sun, and only the rays come forth. She hides the sun but does not extinguish it. 7. Mantle The predominant color in the image's mantle is turquoise, the blue-green color reserved for the great god Omecihuatl. Although the Indians had many "intermediary gods." Omecihuatl was considered the supreme god. It was a motherfather god who sometimes was represented as a man and sometimes as a woman. It was a source of unity for everything that exists. 8. Moon The woman is standing on the moon, indicating that she is greater than the god of night, the moon god.

9. Angel The angel at the bottom of the image was seen by the Indians as an "intermediary god" carrying in a new era, the beginning of a new civilization. One era was at an end -- had died -- and a new one was beginning, was being born. Visionary St. Juan Diego was born in 1474 with the name "Cuauhtlatoatzin" ("the talking eagle") in Cuautlitln, today part of Mexico City, Mexico. He was a gifted member of the Chichimeca people, one of the more culturally advanced groups living in the Anhuac Valley.

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When he was 50 years old he was baptized by a Franciscan priest, Fr Peter da Gand, one of the first Franciscan missionaries. On 9 December 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is now Mexico City. With the Bishop's permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Mother of Jesus. Church Approval In 1555 In the Provincial Counsel, the second archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de Montfar, formulated canons that indirectly approved the apparitions. A formal inquiry and investigation was conducted by the Church from February 18 to March 22, 1666 and again by Archbishop Lanziegoy Eguilaz in 1723. Juan Diego was canonized by Pope John Paul II on July 31, 2002. The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12th.

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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (1830)

Location: Rue du Bac, Paris, France First Apparition: July 18, 1830 Last Apparition: Nov 27, 1830 Investigated: 1836 Approved: 1836 by Archbishop de Quelen of Paris Visionaries: St. Catherine Laboure (24) Number of Apparitions: 2 Miracles & Signs: Miraculous Medal; Prediction of Paris Revolution (1871); incorruptible body of Catherine Laboure. Summary: In the chapel of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Mary showed herself three times to novice Catherine Laboure. Laboure said she was commissioned by the Virgin to have the medal of the Immaculate Conception or "Miraculous Medal" made in order to spread devotion to Our Lady.

Timeline May 2, 1806 1815 1824 Jan 1830 Catherine Laboure is born at Fain-les-Motiers (near Dijon), Cte d'Or, France. She was baptized Zo Labour, daughter of a yeoman farmer. Catherine's mother dies. Her elder sister, Louisa, joins the Sisters of Charity. Catherine attends finishing school in Paris despite feeling a call to the religious life. Admitted to the Sisters of Charity at Chtillon-sur-Seine Sent to the Novitiate; After her postulancy, she went to a convent in the rue du Bac, Paris. She arrived several days before the translation of relics of Saint Vincent from Notre Dame to the Lazarist Church in rue de Svres. Starts to see visions of St. Vincent de Paul and Jesus.

April 1830

First Apparition of Mary. She was awakened about 11:30 p.m. on July 18 by a July 18, 1830 "shining child," who led her to the chapel. Our Lady appeared and talked with her for hours, telling her that she would have to undertake a difficult task. Nov 30, 1830 Second Apparition of Mary. Mary appeared in the same chapel in the form of a
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picture, standing on a globe, with shafts of light streaming from her hands, surrounded by the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!" The picture turned around, and on the reverse side appeared a capital M with a cross above it and two hearts, one thorn-crowned and one pierced with a sword, beneath. Catherine heard a voice asking her to have a medal struck, promising that all who wore the medal would receive great graces.Thus the design for Miraculous Medal revealed May 1831 Catherine confided in her confessor, Father Aladel, and he, convinced of her sincerity, persuaded Archbishop de Qulen of Paris to give permission for a medal to be struck. After her year of extraordinary grace, Catherine was sent to the convent EnghienReuilly on the outskirts of Paris. There Catherine served as portress until her death, engaging in menial tasks such as looking after the poultry and overseeing the aged living in the Hospice d'Enghien. The first 1,500 of the millions of medals to be made-now known to Catholics as the 'Miraculous Medal'-were struck. 50 thousand medals given out The archbishop initiated an official canonical inquiry into the alleged visions. Catherine refused to appear, wishing her identity to be kept a secret. Fr. Aladel pleaded to be allowed to keep her name anonymous. The tribunal, basing its opinion on the stability of her confessor and Catherine's character, decided to favor the authenticity of the visions. Approved as authentic by Archbishop de Quelen of Paris. The popularity of the medal grew, especially after the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne in 1842. Alphonse was an Alsatian Jew who, having been persuaded to wear the medal received a vision of Our Lady in the church of Sant'Andrea delle Frate at Rome, became a priest, and founded the religious congregation known as the Fathers and Sisters of Zion. Not until a few months before her death did she speak to anyone about the visions except her confessor; Catherine reveals her identity as the visionary and encourages construction of Virgin of the Globe statue. She confided in her superior, Sister Duf. Catherine dies. Her incorrupt body remains in the convent chapel at the rue du Bac, where miracles were reported at her tomb. Catherine is Beatified Catherine is Canonized

1832

June 1832 1832 &1833

1836

1842

1876

Dec 31, 1876 1933 1947

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Description of the Virgin "The Virgin was standing. She was of medium height, and clothed in all white. Her dress was of the whiteness of dawn, made in the style called a la Vierge, that is, high neck and plain sleeves. A white veil covered her head and and fell on either side of her feet. Under the veil her hair, in coils, was bound with a fillet ornamented with lace, about three centimeters in height or of two fingers' breadth, without pleats, and resting lightly on the hair. Her face was sufficiently exposed, indeed exposed very well, and so beautiful that it seems to me impossible to express her ravishing beauty." Messages FIRST APPARITION - July 18, 1830 "My child, the good God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will have much to suffer, but you will rise above these sufferings by refelcting that what you do is for the glory of God. You will know what the good God wants. You will be tormented until you have told him who is in charge with directing you. You will be contradicted, but do not fear, you will have grace. Tell with confidence all that passes within you. Tell it with simplicity. Have confidence. Do not be afraid. " "There will be bad times to come. Misfortunes will come crashing down on France. The throne will be toppled. The whole world will be turned upside-down by misfortunes of all kinds [...] But come to the foot of this altar. There, graces will be poured out on all those, small, or great, who ask for them with confidence and fervour. Graces will be poured out especially [on those who ask for them. Grave troubles are coming. There will be great danger, for this, the novitiate and other communities. At one moment when the danger is acute, everyone will believe all to be lost; you will recall my visit and [the novitiate] will have the protection of God. But it will not be the same for other communities." "There will be victims [...] There will be victims among the clergy of Paris; Monsignor the Archbishop will die [...] My child, the Cross will be held in contempt. It will be thrown to the ground and trampled. Blood will flow. Our Saviour's side will be opened anew. The streets will run with blood. Monsignor the Archbishop will be stripped of his vestments ...My child, the whole world will be plunged into gloom." "My eyes will ever be upon you. I shall grant you graces. Special graces will be given to all who ask them, but people must pray." "The ball which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular. These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."

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SECOND APPARITION- November 27, 1830 "Have a Medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence."

Prophecies By 1870, forty years after the first apparition, all the prophecies given at the time were fulfilled: There will be bad times to come. Misfortunes will come crashing down on France. The throne will be overturned. The" throne of King Charles X was overturned in the end of the year 1830; "The Cross will be treated with contempt, they will hurl it to the ground and trample it. Blood will flow. The streets will run with blood." Riots broke out all over Paris and Churches were desecrated. There will be victims among the clergy of Paris; Monsignor the Archbishop will die. The Archbishop Msgr. Darboy (1871) and two subsequent of Paris were murdered during this period. Monseigneur the Archbishop will be stripped of his garments. The Archbishop was beaten and stripped of his clothes. There will be great danger, for this, the [novitiate] and other communities. At one moment when the danger is acute, everyone will believe all to be lost ; you will recall my visit and the [novitiate] will have the protection of God. But it will not be the same for other communities. Some of the buildings housing religious communities were burned down; although threatened by angry crowds, the building housing the Sisters of Charity at the Rue du Bac went unharmed.

Miracles Her incorrupt body remains in the convent chapel at the rue du Bac, where miracles were reported at her tomb.

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Church Approval In 1836, the Archbishop de Quelen of Paris initiated an official canonical inquiry into the alleged visions. Catherine refused to appear, wishing her identity to be kept a secret. Fr. Aladel pleaded to be allowed to keep her name anonymous. The tribunal, basing its opinion on the stability of her confessor and Catherine's character, decided to favor the authenticity of the visions.The apparitions were approved as authentic by the Archbishop. The Feast Day fo St. Catherine Laboure is celebrated on December 31.

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Our Lady of Lourdes (1858)

Location: Lourdes, France First Apparition: Feb 11, 1858 Last Apparition: July 16, 1858 Investigated: 1858 Approved: Jan 18, 1862 by Bertrand Severe Laurence,
Bishop of Tarbes

Visionaries: St. Bernadette Soubirous (14) Number of Apparitions: 18 Miracles & Signs: Healings, Conversions, Incorruptible body of St. Bernadette. Summary: At the Grotto of Massabielle, the Virgin showed herself 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous. Under the title "the Immaculate Conception," she called for penance and prayer for the conversion of sinners. Timeline Bernadette Soubirous is born the first of four children in a financially ruined family from a small town in the Pyrenees mountains in France. She was the eldest of six children of Francis Soubirous and Louise Caserot. Bernadette first encounters Our Lady in a golden cloud and prays a Rosary in her presence at the grotto. Her sister Marie told their mother all about the incident and her mother forbade Bernadette from returning to the grotto. Bernadette and her sisters finally persuade her mother to let her return to the grotto. She encounters the Virgin again but the commotion the other children cause makes her mother inclined not to let her return Two influential ladies, Madame Milhet and her seamstress, Antoinette Peyret, request a visit to the grotto with Bernadette in order to obtain the name of the appearing woman. Our Lady asked her to come another 15 times and promised her happiness not in this world but the next. Bernadette's mother accompanies her to the grotto. The Lady teaches Bernadette a secret prayer which she recited the rest of her life.
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Jan 7, 1844

Feb 11, 1858

Feb 14, 1858

Feb 18, 1858

Feb 19, 1858 Feb 20, 1858

Feb 21, 1858

Bernadette is accompanied by large crowds and in particular, Dr. PierreRomaine Dozous, the town's most eminent doctor. He evaluates her conditions and announces that there is no indication of "nervous excitement". Despite being told she was imagining everything by the imperial procurator and being called a liar by the police who threatened to imprison her, Bernadette shows up at the grotto but does not encounter Our Lady. Our Lady appears to Bernadette and gives her "three wonderful secrets" which have never been revealed. Our Lady stresses "Penitence" at the next apperance. Bernadette is commanded to bathe in and drink from the fountain. Since there was no fountain there, Bernadette digs up some gravel and reveals a pond which she then drinks from and washes her face. This stream instantly becomes a source of healing for visitors to the grotto. Bernadette is asked to "kiss the ground on behalf of sinners". Bernadette is asked to tell the clergy that they should build a chapel at the grotto. Bernadette is told that the people should come in procession to the chapel. Twenty-thousand people gather at the apparition site. No sign is performed despite the request of the parish priest, Abbe Peyramale, to have a rosebush bloom in winter. On the Feast of the Annunciation, Our Lady identifies herself: "Que soy era Immaculado Conceptiou" ("I am the Immaculate Conception") Dr. Dozous observes Bernadette putting her hand through the flame of a candle without feeling pain or getting burned during ecstacy. Bernadette receives a final invitation to meet the Lady at the Grotto. Bernadette sees the Lady for the final (18th) time. Bernadette goes to study at a hospice run by the Sisters of Nevers. An investigative commission is established. The Bishop of the Diocese of Tarbes declares the apparitions to be authentic. Bernadette leaves Lourdes for the final time to join the Sisters of Nevers. She is given the name of Sister Mary Bernard and worked there as sacristan and avoided publicity as best she could. She referred to herself as "a broom which Our Lady used, but now I have been put back in my corner." The Basilica at Lourdes was consecrated. Bernadette dies at age 35 and is buried in St. Gildard Convent in Nevers. The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was established for February 11
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Feb 22, 1858

Feb 23, 1858 Feb 24, 1858

Feb 25, 1858

Feb 26, 1858 Feb 27, 1858 Mar 1, 1858 Mar 4, 1858

Mar 25, 1858 Apr 7, 1858 Jul 16, 1858 July 4, 1858 1858 July 18, 1858 Jan 18, 1862

July 4, 1866

1876 April 16, 1879 1890

approved by Pope Leo XIII and first granted to the Diocese of Tarbes in the year Nov 13, 1907 1925 Dec 8, 1933 Sept 12-15, 2008 Pope St. Pius X proclaimed that it be observed throughout the universal Church. Her body is exhumed and found to be incorrupt. She was beatified in 1925 by Pope Pius X Bernadette is canonized a saint by Pope Pius X on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Pope Benedict XVI makes a pilgrimage to the Lourdes for the 150th Anniversary of the apparitions.

Description of the Virgin "She has the appearance of a young girl of sixteen or seventeen. She is dressed in a white robe, girdled at the waist with a blue ribbon, which flows down all along her robe. She wears upon her head a veil which is also white; this veil gives just a glimpse of her hair then falls down at the back below her below her waist. Her feet are bare but covered by the last folds of her robe except at the point where a yellow rose shines upon each of them. She holds on her right arm a Rosary of white beads with a chain of gold shining like the two roses on her feet."

Miracles and Signs (Additional Information) In 1859, Professor Vergez of the Faculty of Medicine at Montpellier was appointed to examine the cures. Seven cures were recorded before 1862 promoting the argument for the recognition of the Apparitions by Bishop Laurence. Over 5,000 cures have been documented at the waters of Lourdes. The Church has vigorously investigated and validated 67 of them. For additional information see Lourdes Cures in the Documents folder Approval After a 4 year investigation commission, the bishop of the Diocese of Tarbes declared on January 18, 1962: " We judge that Mary Immaculate, Mother of God, really appeared to Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858, and on subsequent days, eighteen times in all. The faithful are justified in believing this to be certain."

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Our Lady of Hope (1871)

Location: Pontmain, France First Apparition: Jan 17, 1871 Last Apparition: Jan 17, 1871 Investigated: 1875 Approved: Feb 1875 Bishop Laval Visionaries: Eugene Barbadette (12), Francoise Richer (11), Jeanne-Marie Lebosse (9), Eugene Friteau (6) Number of Apparitions: 1 Miracles & Signs: Prussian army halts advances after soldiers see Virgin in the sky. Summary: During the devastation of the Franco-Prussian War, Mary appeared on a farm to students at the nearby convent school. Mary's message was written on a banner that unfurled from her feet: "But pray my children. God will hear you in a short time. My Son allows Himself to be moved by compassion."

Timeline Eugene Barbedette (12) encounters a beautiful lady suspended in air above a neighboring house. The nearby adults could not see anything but when Francoise Richer (11) , Jeanne-Marie Lebosse (9), Eugene Friteau (6) all claim to see the woman, a nun in the crowd, Sister Marie Edouard, leads everyone in prayer. The Prussians halt their advance across France when the Prussian commander encounters an "invisible Madonna barring the way"

Nov 7, 1871

Nov 7, 1871

Nov 18, 1871 A peace treaty is signed between France and Prussia. Mgr Casimir Wicart, Bishop of Laval, declares: "We judge that the Immaculate Mary, Mother of God, has truly appeared on January 17th, 1871, to Eugene Barbedette, Joseph Barbedette, Francoise Richer, and Jeanne-Marie Lebosse, in the hamlet of Pontmain." Pope Pius XI later confirmed the decision of the Episcopal court and granted a Mass and Office proper to our Lady of Hope of Pontmain.
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Feb 2, 1872

Cardinal Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, passes a decree from the July 16, 1932 Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica that the statue of the Mother of Hope be solemnly honored with a crown of gold. July 24, 1934 The statue of Our Lady is crowned in the presence of archbishop, bishops, priests and the laity by Cardinal Verdier, Archbishop of Paris

Miracles and Signs (Additional Information At 5:30 on the night of the apparition to the children, the Prussian army halted their advance through France when the Prussian commander claimed to have seen an image of the Lady in the sky. General Schmidt reported: "We cannot go any further. Yonder, in the direction of Brittany, there is an invisible Madonna barring the way." A peace treaty between France and Prussia was signed eleven days later. All the soldiers from Pontmain returned unharmed.

Approval of the Church Mgr Casimir Wicart, Bishop of Laval, immediately requested a detailed inquiry after the events occurred and came personally to Pontmain to question people. Other investigations and questioning took place subsequently, but on February 2nd 1872, by means of a very definite canonical act, the Bishop gave his decision. He recognised the authenticity of the apparition, approved the cult of our Lady of Hope of Pontmain and called for the building of a sanctuary. IHe declared: "We judge that the Immaculate Mary, Mother of God, has truly appeared on January 17th, 1871, to Eugene Barbedette, Joseph Barbedette, Francoise Richer, and JeanneMarie Lebosse, in the hamlet of Pontmain." Pope Pius XI gave a final decision regarding the mass and office in honor of Our Lady of Hope of Pont-Main.

21

Our Lady of Knock (1879)

Location: Knock, Ireland First Apparition: August 21, 1879 Last Apparition: August 21, 1879 Investigated: 1879, 1936 Approved: In 1936 Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Gilmartin's investigative commission returns a positive verdict. Visionaries: 18 Number of Apparitions: 1 Miracles & Signs: 300+ miraculous cures Summary: During a pouring rain, the figures of Mary, Joseph, John the Apostle and a lamb on a plain altar appeared over the gable of the village chapel, enveloped in a bright light. None of them spoke. At least 15 people, between the ages of 5 and 75, saw the apparition. Timeline Aug 21, 1879 1879 1936 Sept 30, 1979 18 witnesses experienced the silent apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist. Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. John MacHale, appoints an investigative commission to study the phenomenon. No findings were published. Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Gilmartin, institutes a new investigative commission which returned with a positive verdict. Pope John Paul II visits the shrine for the 100th anniversary of the apparitions. Over 450,000 people came to Knock on that day.

Description of the Virgin According to visionary Mary Beirne: "The Virgin stood erect, with eyes raised to heaven , her hands elevated to the shoulders or a little higher. the palms inclined slightly toward her shoulders or bosom; she wore a large cloak of a white color, hanging in full folds and somewhat loosely around her shoulders and fastened to
22

the neck; she wore a crown on the head- a rather large crown- and it appeared to be somewhat yellower than the dress or robes worn by Our Blessed Lady." Visionaries There were 15 official eye- witnesses (three men, six women, two teenage boys and a girl, and two children) to the heavenly display, including: Patrick Hill, 11 Mary McLoughlin, 45- Archbishop Cavanagh's housekeeper Mary Byrne, 29 - daughter of Margaret Byrne Patrick Walsh, 65 Patrick Byrne, 16 Mrs. Margaret Byrne, 68 - widow, friend of Mary McLoughlin Dominick Byrne, Junior, 19 - son of Margaret Byrne Mrs. Hugh Flatley, 44 Bridget Trench, 75 Catherine Murray, 8 - niece of Margaret Byrne John Curry, 5 Judith Campbell, 22 Margaret Byrne, 21 Dominick Byrne, Senior, 36 - husband of Margaret Byrne John Durkan, 24 Miracles and Signs The place of the apparitions in Knock became a center for pilgrimage, now receiving a million visitors per year. Over three hundred miraculous cures have been reported there, including the cure of two blind men shortly after the apparition. Church Approval Two commissions of enquiry (1879 and 1936) were established. A Commission was set up within six weeks of the Apparition by Most Rev. Dr. John MacHale, Archbishop. Fifteen witnesses were examined and the Commission reported that their evidence was 'trustworthy and satisfactory'. The Report was published in the newspapers and immediately pilgrims began to flock from all parts of the country and overseas. The sick and disabled were taken along in great numbers and hundreds of cures were reported in the public press of that time . In 1936 All three surviving witnesses confirmed their original statements of 1879. They confirmed the evidence they had given in 1879. One of the witnesses was Mary O'Connell (nee Mary Byrne). She confirmed her evidence, on her death-bed, under oath and added, 'I am perfectly clear about everything I have said and I make this statement knowing I am about to go before my God'. She died six weeks later. The verdict of the Commission determined that the "testimony of each of the fifteen official witnesses to the apparition was trustworthy and satisfactory"
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OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM PATRICK HILL- VISIONARY FROM KNOCK Patrick Hill was the first of the fifteen witnesses to give his deposition before the official Commission which was set up by the Archbishop of Tuam six weeks after the Apparition. "I remember the 21st August last - 1879- on that day I was drawing home turf from the bog, on an ass. While at my aunt's at eight o'clock in the evening, Dominic Beirne came into the house and cried beautiful vision that are to be seen there! I followed him; another man by name of Dominic Beirne (senior) and John Durcan and a small boy John Curry, came with me. We ran over towards the chapel and when the gable came into view, we immediately saw the lights; a clear white light covering most of the gable, from the ground to the window and higher. It was a kind of changing bright light, going sometimes up high and again not so high. We saw figures - the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph and St John and an altar with a lamb on the altar, and a cross behind the lamb. I went up closer; I saw everything distinctly. The figures were full and round as if they had a body and life; they said nothing, but as we approached they seemed to go back a little towards the gable. I distinctly beheld the Blessed Virgin Mary, life size, standing about two feet above the ground, clothed in white robes which were fastened at the neck, her hands were raised to the height of the shoulders, as if in prayer, with the palms facing one another, but slanting inwards towards the face. Her eyes were turned towards heaven. She wore a brilliant crown on her head, and over the forehead where the crown fitted the brow. A beautiful rose. I saw her move, but she did not speak. One old woman went up and embraced the Virgin's feet, and she found nothing in her arms or hands, they receded, she said, from her. I saw St Joseph to the Blessed Virgin's right hand; his head was bent, from the shoulder forward, he appeared to be paying his respects. I noticed his whiskers, they appeared slightly grey. His hands were joined like a person in prayer. The third figure that stood before me was that of St John the Evangelist. He stood erect at the Gospel side of the altar, and at an angle with the Blesses Virgin so that his back was not turned to the altar, nor to the Mother of God.| St John was dressed like a bishop preaching; he wore a small mitre on his head, and held a Mass book or Book of Gospels in his left hand: the right hand was raised to the elevation of the head, as if he were preaching, but I heard no voice. I came so near that I looked into the book, I saw the lines and the letters. St John wore no sandals, his left hand was turned toward the altar that was behind him. On the altar stood a lamb, the size of a lamb eight weeks old, the face of the lamb was fronting the west, and looking in the direction of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph; behind the land a large cross was placed erect or perpendicular on the altar. Around the lamb I saw angels hovering during the whole time, for the space of one hour and a half, or more; I saw their wings fluttering but I did not perceive their heads or faces which were not turned to me. For the space of an hour and a half we were under the pouring rain; at this time I was very wet. I noticed that the rain did not wet the figures".
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Our Lady of Fatima (1917)

Location: Fatima, Portugal First Apparition: May 13, 1917 Last Apparition: October 13, 1917 Investigated: 1919 Approved: October 13, 1930 Visionaries: Lucia dos Santos (9), Jacinta Marto (8), Francisco Marto (7) Number of Apparitions: 6 Miracles & Signs: Miracle of the sun witnessed by 70,000 people, Healings, Conversion of Russia, Incorruptible body of Jacinta. Summary: While tending sheep, Lucia de Santos and her two cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, reported six apparitions of Mary, who identified herself as "Our Lady of the Rosary." Mary urged prayer of the rosary, penance for the conversion of sinners and consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart.

Timeline March 22, 1907 1908 June 11, 1908 March 11, 1910 1911-1916 May 5, 1917 Lucia dos Santos was born on to Antonio and Maria Rosa dos Santos. Portugal's monarchy is overthrown Francisco Marto was born on to Manuel and Olimpia de Jesus Marto. He was the older brother of Jacinta and the first cousin of Lucia dos Santos. Jacinta Marto was born. 1,700 priests, nuns, and monks were killed by anti-Christian groups and public religious ceremonies were forbidden. Pope Benedict XV sends out pastoral letter to the world asking the faithful to petition Mary "that her most tender and benign solitude may be moved and the
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peace we ask for be obtained for our agitated world" May 13, 1917 Date of Eugenio Pacelli's (Pope Pius XII) Episcopal consecration. Three shepherd children, Lucia, Jacinta, & Francisco, see a ball of light near an oak tree and when they approach make out the light to be a beautiful lady. She May 13, 1917 says she is from Heaven and that she wishes the children to come to the Cova on the 13th of the month for 6 months. June 13, 1917 Our Lady appears for the second time to the children who came despite their parents' wishes for them to attend the St. Anthony Festival.

The parish priest and Lucia's mother think the apparitions are diabolical but she decides to join the others at the Cova with 3,000 onlookers. They are told that a July 13, 1917 devotion to her Immaculate Heart would bring more souls to salvation. They are given three secrets: a vision of Hell, the consecration of Russia, and a papal assassination. Aug 13, 1917 Aug 19, 1917 The fourth apparition does not occur as planned due to the kidnapping of the children by an anti-Church civil administrator The children see Our Lady for the fourth time and she speaks of the need for penance for one's sins and those of the world.

A crowd of thirty thousand witnesses the sun dim at noon and then a globe of light descending on the oak tree. White roses are seen falling from the sky and Sept 13, 1917 the visionaries are reminded of the importance of praying the rosary to end the war. They are told that St. Joseph and the child Jesus will accompany her at the October apparition. Oct 13, 1917 Our Lady appears to the children for the sixth time. She identified herself as "Our Lady of the Rosary" and the famous dance of the sun took place, witnessed by a crowd of 70,000 people. Francisco and Jacinta became seriously ill with the Spanish flu. Our Lady appeared to them and said she would to take them to heaven soon. Bed-ridden, Francisco requested his first Communion. The following day, Francisco died, April 14, 1919. Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, the Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima, appointed a commission to study the case and began the official canonical inquiry. Jacinta Marto dies after suffering a long illness. She had been transferred to a Lisbon hospital and operated for an abscess in her chest, but her health did not improve. At age 18 Lucia became a postulant at the convent of the Dorothean Sisters at Pontevedra, Spain. At Pontevedra, Our Lady gave the young postulant nun the promise of the Five
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Oct 1918 April 4, 1919

1919

Feb 20, 1920

1925 Dec 10, 1925

First Saturdays. Oct 3, 1928 Oct 13, 1928 Lucia pronounces her first vows. The foundation stone for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary was laid.

At Tuy, where, in the presence of the Holy Trinity, Mary further revealed to Lucia the spirit of this great devotion of reparation. "The moment has come in June 13, 1929 which God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means." Oct 1, 1930 The Sacred Penitentiary under Pius XI granted a partial indulgence to those who individually visited the Shrine and prayed for the intentions of the Holy Father, and a plenary indulgence once a month to those who went there in a group. Announcement of Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima on the results of the Investigative Commission, declaring the apparitions "worthy of belief".

Oct 13, 1930

May 13, 1931 The Portuguese bishops consecrated their nation to the Immaculate Heart Aug 1931 Sister Lucia was staying with a friend at Rianjo, Spain to rest and recover while ill. In the chapel there, Our Lord complained to Sister Lucy of the tardiness of the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seven months before the declaration of war, Sister Lucy wrote to her bishop, Msgr. da Silva to tell him that war was imminent, but then spoke of a miraculous promise: "in this horrible war, Portugal would be spared because of the national consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary made by the bishops."

Feb 6, 1938

The Portuguese bishops had vowed in 1936 that if Our Lady protected Portugal from the Communists, they would express their gratitude by renewing the National Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. True to their word, they May 13, 1938 renewed the Consecration of Portugal to the Immaculate Heart in thanksgiving for Our Ladys protection. Cardinal Cerejeira acknowledged publicly: "one cannot fail to recognize that the invisible hand of God has protected Portugal, sparing it the scourge of war and the leprosy of atheistic communism." Pope Pius XII spoke of Fatima for the first time in an official Papal text, his encyclical Saeculo exeunte, which was written to encourage the Church in Portugal to further its foreign missionary activity. In the text he stated: "Let the faithful not forget, especially when they recite the Rosary, so recommended by the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima, to ask the Virgin Mother of God to obtain missionary vocations, with abundant fruits for the greatest possible number of souls. ..." The Holy Father granted the new diocese of Nampula, in Mozambique, Our Lady of Fatima as its Patroness.

1940

1940

Aug 31, 1941 Lucia reveals first two secrets in her writings in the Third Memoir for the
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Bishop of Leira-Fatima. Oct 31, 1942 In honor of the 25th Anniversary of the apparitions, Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) solemnly consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sister Lucia explained that the Lord told her that He would accept this Act of Consecration to help speed the end of the World War II, but that it will not obtain worldwide peace. As predicted, this act obtained the end of the war, but did not usher in the reign of peace Our Lady promised, as it was not a consecration of specifically Russia, and the worlds bishops did not participate in it. Lucia entered the convent of the Carmelite Sisters of Coimbra under the name of Sister Maria Lucia of the Immaculate Heart.

1943

1946

Cardinal Masella, Papal Legate, crowned the statue of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 1946 the 300th Anniversary of the consecration of the nation of Portugal to Mary Immaculate. Sept 1944 Bishop da Silva suggested that Sister Lucy write down the text of the Third Secret and issues a formal order the following month at her request. Sr. Lucia finally writes down the Third Secret after previosuly having claimed to have physically been unable to obey the command due to paralysis of a preternatural cause. Sr Lucia wrote to Bishop da Silva to tell him that the Third Secret had been written down and placed in a sealed envelope. The Holy See instituted the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Jan 2, 1944

Jan 9, 1944 May 4, 1944

The envelope was delivered to Bishop da Silva, by Sr Lucia's bishop confessor in June 17, 1944 Tuy. (The five month delay had resulted from Sister Lucia's unwillingness to entrust the envelope to anyone but a bishop.) Cardinal Masella, Papal Legate, crowned Our Lady of Fatima "Queen of the World" on the 300th Anniversary of the consecration of the nation of Portugal to May 13, 1946 Mary Immaculate. The entire Portuguese episcopate and over 600,000 pilgrims gathered at Fatima for the event. Popes Legate, Cardinal Tedeschini, was sent to Fatima for the closing of the Holy Year. He told the crowd that Pope Pius XII had himself seen, repeated in Rome, the Miracle of the Sun that had occurred at the last Fatima apparition. The Holy Father had, in fact, been graced to see the Miracle of the Sun on four separate occasions the previous year: October 30 and 31, November 1 , and November 8 . Pope Pius XII consecrated Russia and her people to the Immaculate Heart. But he did the Consecration in a private ceremony, without inviting the worlds bishops to join him, as Our Lady requested. The Basilica was solemnly consecrated by Cardinal Cerejeira, the Patriarch of
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Oct 13, 1951

July 7,1952 Oct 6, 1953

Lisbon. Oct 11, 1954 1956 Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical on the Queenship of Mary, and in it he referred to Her miraculous appearance at Fatima. The church on the apparition site was elevated to the rank of Basilica. At the closing ceremonies at the end of the third session of the Second Vatican Council, before all the Catholic bishops of the world, Pope Paul VI renewed Pius XIIs consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He also announced that a special envoy was to be sent to Fatima. In the Popes name the Papal Legate would carry, as a symbolic gift, a Golden Rose to the Fatima Shrine. The inscription on it would say that Pope Paul was entrusting the entire Church to the care of Our Lady of Fatima. Pope Paul through his Papal Legate presented the Golden Rose at Fatima, commending the whole Church to Our Lady of Fatimas care.

1964

May 13, 1965

50th Anniversary of the apparitions, on May 13, 1967, Pope Paul VI went to Fatima on a pilgrimage of prayer and peace. On that occasion, he published an May 13, 1967 Apostolic Exhortation, Signum Magnum, in which he invited "all members of the Church to consecrate themselves to Mary Immaculate and to put this pious act into concrete action in their daily lives." A young Turk, Mehmet Al Agca, shoots the Pope John Paul II in the abdomen and hand while he circles St. Peter's Square. The pope later attributes being May 13, 1981 saved from the point blank assasination attempt to the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima: "It was a motherly hand that guided the bullet's path." Pope John Paul II offered Mass in Fatima to give thanks for Mary's intercession in saving his life a year earlier. He reminded the faithful that "the message of May 13, 1982 Fatima is a call to conversion and repentance, the nucleus of the message of the Gospel." He re-consecrated the world to Mary's Immaculate Heart and called all to prayer, especially the Rosary. Pope John Paul II beatified the two deceased seers, Jacinta and Francisco. He has also made the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima universal by ordering it to be May 13, 2000 included in the Roman Missal. Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, are the youngest non-martyrs to be beatified in the history of the Church. June 26, 2000 The third secret of Fatima is revealed by Pope John Paul II with Sr. Lucia in attendance.

Sr. Lucia makes a statement to the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone that the Fatima secret has been totally Nov. 17, 2001 revealed by the Vatican, and Russia has already been consecrated as Mary requested. Feb 21, 2005 2008 Lucia dos Santos dies at age 97. Pope Benedict XVI lifted the normal five-year waiting period to begin her
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canonization process.

Description of the Virgin "It was a lady dressed all in white, more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun." Church Approval On October 13, 1930, Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima announced the results of the Investigative Commission, declaring the apparitions "worthy of belief". Every Pope since the apparitions has expressed approval of the supernatural character and stressed the importance of the messages of Fatima. On May 13, 2000, Pope John Paul II beatified the two deceased seers, Jacinta and Francisco. He has also made the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima universal by ordering it to be included in the Roman Missal. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the normal five-year waiting period to begin the canonization process of Sr. Lucia dos Santos.

Secrets of Fatima
The first secret was a vision of Hell: Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror. The second secret was a statement that World War I would end and goes on to predict another war, World War II during the reign of Pope Pius XI, should men continue offending God and should Russia not convert. The second half requests that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart: You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XI. When you see a night
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illumined by an unknown light*, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. The third part of the secret was written down "by order of His Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and the Most Holy Mother" on 3 January 1944. In 1943, Lcia fell ill with influenza and pleurisy, which had killed her cousins. For several months, she was sure she was going to die. Bishop Silva, visiting her on 15 September 1943 while she was bed-ridden, first suggested that she write the third secret down to ensure that it would be recorded in the event of her death. Lucia was hesitant to do so, however. She was under strict obedience according to her Carmelite vows, but when she received the secret, she had heard Mary say not to reveal it. Because Carmelite obedience requires that orders from superiors be regarded as coming directly from God, she was in a quandary as to whose orders took precedence. Finally, in mid-October, Bishop Silva sent her a letter containing a direct order to record the secret, and Lcia obeyed. In June 1944, the sealed envelope containing the third secret was delivered to Silva, where it stayed until 1957, when it was finally delivered to Rome. It was announced by Cardinal Sodano on 13 May 2000, 83 years after the first apparition of the Lady to the children in the Cova da Iria, that the Third Secret would finally be released. In his announcement, Cardinal Sodano implied that the secret was about the persecution of Christians in the 20th century that culminated in the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on 13 May 1981. The third part of the secret revealed at the Cova da Iria-Ftima, on 13 May 1917. The text of the Third Secret was published on 26 June 2000: I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine. After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of
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the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God. Messages For the complete text of the messages, see: Messages Our Lady of Fatima in the documents folder.

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The Virgin with the Golden Heart (1932)

Location: Beauraing, Belgium First Apparition: Nov 29, 1932 Last Apparition: Jan 3, 1933 Investigated: 1949 Approved: July 2, 1949 by the Bishop of Namur Visionaries: Fernande Voisin (15), Andree Degeimbre (14), Gilberte Voisin (11), Gilberte Degeimbre (9) Number of Apparitions: 33 Miracles & Signs: Miraculous cures, fireball. Summary: From November 29, 1932 to January 3, 1933, Mary appeared 33 times to the playground of a convent school to five children. The children belonged to two families: the Voisins (Fernande, 15 years; Berthe, 13 years; and Albert 11 years) and the Degeimbres (Andre, 14 years, and Gilberte, 9 years old). Identifying herself as "the Immaculate Virgin", "Mother of God and Queen of Heaven," she called for prayer for the conversion of sinners.

Timeline June 21, 1917 April 19, 1918 June 20, 1919 September 3, 1921 August 13, 1923 Fernande Voisin was born. Andree Degeimbre was born. She married Georges van den Steen from Flanders in 1941. Andree had 3 children: Christian, Yvan and MarieAnge. She died on June 11, 1978, the first of the five to die. Gilberte Voisin was born Albert Voisin was born. Gilberte Degeimbre was born. Albert and Fernande Voisin and Andree and Gilberte Degeimbre approached the convent door to call for Gilberte Voisin as they did every night. Albert ran ahead of the girls and rang the door to the convent. As he waited for a sister to come to the door, he turned around and looked toward the street and railroad bridge Look! The Virgin, dressed in white, is walking above the bridge! he cried out. The girls did not believe him but when they turned around they saw the figure of a
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Nov 29, 1932

beautiful Lady in white walking above the bridge and the grotto by the convent with clouds covering her feet. The sister who came to the door could not see the Blessed Virgin Mary, but Gilberte Voisin did. Dec 17, 1932 Dec 21, 1932 Dec 23, 1932 Dec 29, 1932 Jan 3, 1933 1934 1935 1941 The Virgin Mary asks for a chapel to be built The Virgin clearly states, "I am the Immaculate Virgin." Our Lady states that she desires people to come on pilgrimage. The Virgin opened Her arms in Her usual gesture of farewell. This time Fernande saw a Heart of Gold, surrounded by glittering rays. All the children witnessed this in the remaining apparitions. The Virgin Mary appears for the final time at Beauraing. Similar apparition claims multiplied throughout Belgium (Onkerzele, Lokere, Naasteveld, Tubize, Olsene, Etikhove) The Holy Office turned the examination of the matter over to the Primate of Belgium, Cardinal Van Roy. Andree Degeimbre married Georges van den Steen from Flanders in 1941. Andree had 3 children: Christian, Yvan and Marie-Ange. Fernande Voisin married Albert Despas, who worked at the local tax office. Fernande was a nurse who made home visits. In 1954 they moved to Namur. She had five children: Rose-Marie, Michel, Emmanuel, Noel and Marie-Francoise. After long investigations and especially-difficult negotiations with Rome, the cult of Our Lady of Beauraing was recognized. Gilberte Voisin married Amedee Pierret in 1945, a police officer from Sainte-Marie. He was killed while on active duty in 1953, leaving two children: Michel and Bernadette. Gilberte returned to Beauraing. The Bishop released a document to Clergy in the Diocese declaring that the Queen of Heaven did appear to the children. The statue of Our Lady of Beauraing was blessed the Feast of the Immaculate Heart. Gilberte Degeimbre married Andre Philippe. For a long time she lived in Italy with her husband and their two children. She has since returned to live in Beauraing with her husband. Albert Voisin married Yvonne Embrechts from Liege . That same year, they left for the Belgian Congo, first to Lubumbashi followed by Kowezi where their 3 children were born: Claude, Francine and Bridget. Previously, he spent his military duty in Ireland and Germany and was a teacher in Ottignies for 2 years.The family returned to Beauraing in 1961 where Albert taught at the "Institut Notre Dame."
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1941

Feb 2, 1943

1945

July 2, 1949 Aug 22, 1946

1947

1948

Aug 21, 1954 June 11, 1978 May 9, 1979 January 3, 2003

The Chapel was consecrated. Andree Degeimbre was the first of the five to die. Fernande Voisin died from kidney cancer. Gilberte Voisin died in an accident on January 3, 2003, the 70th anniversary of the last apparition at the exact hour that the Blessed Virgin said: "I will convert sinners"

December 23rd, 2003 Albert Voisin died. Description of the Virgin The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in white walking above the bridge and the grotto by the convent with clouds covering her feet. The Virgin, with hands joined and turned toward the sky, carried a rosary hanging from her right arm. During the five last apparitions, she showed a heart of gold, surrounded by rays, on her chest. Messages The Virgin Mary urged the children to pray and sacrifice. She asked, "that people pray much," "that a chapel be built" (December 17, 1932), "that people come here in pilgrimage" (December 23). She promised the conversion of sinners. All these points are common with Lourdes. During the five last apparitions, she showed a heart of gold, surrounded by rays, on her chest. During the fourth apparition (December 4) and the seventh (December 21), she declared herself to be "the Immaculate Virgin" (analogous to Lourdes). During the last apparition (January 3, 1933), she added: "I will convert sinners. I am the Mother of God, the Queen of heaven." Twenty thousand persons were present that day. Miracles and Signs (Additional Information) After the fourth apparition, there were sick people in the crowd. The visionaries prayed Our Lady to heal them. But it was only after the last apparition that healings took place. Here, however, the matter begins to deteriorate. A certain Come Tilman, fifty-eight years old, became a visionary in his turn, and at the first vision, he was healed of spondylitis. However, a medical and psychic examination of the visionary, made on June 1934, was negative. Meanwhile, similar apparitions multiplied in Belgium. It was thus that in 1935, the Holy Office turned the examination of the matter over to the Primate of Belgium, Cardinal Van Roy. During the apparition of December 8th, Dr. Maistriaux, Dr. Lurquin and other doctors were there to pinch, slap, prick and shine flashlights in the children eyes. There was no response from the children during the Lady's visit. Dr. Lurquin took a lighted match to Gilberte Voisin's left hand; still there was no response. After the apparition Dr. Lurquin looked to see what damage the match had done. There was no sign of injury.
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Bishop Approved Apparitions

Our Lady of Good Help (1859)
Location: Robinsonville, WI, USA First Apparition: October 8, 1859 Last Apparition: October 17, 1859 Investigated: 2009 Approved: Dec 8, 2010 by Bishop David L. Ricken Visionaries: Adele Brise Number of Apparitions: 3 Summary: Our Lady appeared 3 times to a 28 year old Belgium farm woman and asked to pray for the conversion of sinners and encouraged her to evangelize and catechize the local people. Miracles & Signs: On October 8, 1871 -- exactly 12 years to the date since her first appearance - a tremendous catastrophe struck by way of a raging fire that destroyed massive swaths of northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan -- indeed, the worst recorded forest fire in American history. By the time it was over, 1.2 million acres -- 1,850 square miles (the size of Rhode Island) -- had been consumed, and one to two thousand were dead. It was described in some parts as "a wall of flame, a mile high, five miles wide, traveling 90 to 100 miles an hour, hotter than a crematorium, turning sand into glass." October 8, 1871 -- date of the Wisconsin catastrophe -- was also the day of the Great Chicago Fire. Over the years there have been hundreds of stories of people coming to the shrine and being healed. Old crutches and canes were left behind.

Timeline January 30, 1831 August 7, 1855 Oct 8, 1859 Marie Adele Joseph Brise was born Lambert and Marie Brise purchased 240 acres of land in the town of Red River, Wisconsin. First apparition of the Virgin Mary to Adele Brice (Brise). Adele could see the
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beautiful lady, clothed in dazzling white, with a yellow sash around her waist. Her dress fell to her feet in graceful folds. She had a crown of stars around her head, and her long golden wavy hair fell loosely over her shoulders. Such a heavenly light shone around her that Adele could hardly look at her sweet face. Overcome by this heavenly light and the beauty of her amiable visitor, Adele fell on her knees. When Adele told her parents, they wondered if it was a poor soul who needed prayers. On the following Sunday the young woman had to pass there again on her way to Mass at Bay Settlement, which was the nearest place, when she saw the Virgin again. When she asked what the apparition wanted, Mary responded: Oct 15, 1859 "I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning and that is good. But you must do more. Make a general confession and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them." 1859 1861 1865-1868 1869 October 8, 1871 A small oratory was built of logs. A second chapel was built as a frame structure. Between these dates a frame convent and school was built near the Chapel. A school known as St. Mary's Academy was formally announced. The "Great Fires of Northern Wisconsin," popularly known as the "Peshtigo Fire" raged.

October 8, 1871 The Great Chicago Fire 1880 July 5, 1896 Dec 8, 1941 July 12, 1942 January 2009 Dec 8, 2010 A third chapel was built as a brick structure. Sister Adele Brise dies at the Chapel. The Most Reverend Paul P. Rhode, Bishop of Green Bay, laid the cornerstone for the fourth Chapel. The new Chapel was dedicated by Bishop Rhode under the title of "Our Lady of Good Help." Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay opened an investigation into the authenticity of the apparitions Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay declared the apparitions to be authentic, making them the first approved apparitions in the United States.

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Description of the Virgin "... there appeared between two trees, one a maple and the other a hemlock, which stood for years after, a blinding white light which paralyzed the poor girl with fear. She cowered before it and prayed rapidly and breathlessly as the light took definite form, and between the trees stood a marvelously beautiful lady, clothed entirely in dazzling white garments, with no touch of color save a wide yellow sash or girdle. Her hair was auburn; her eyes deep and dark and she bore a radiant and kindly smile. Adele trembled with fear. The vision faded gradually away." (Green Bay Gazette, August 13, 1925)

Approval Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona of Green Bay placed his imprimatur on a booklet describing the events and containing the messages. On December 8th, 2010, Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay declared the apparitions to be authentic, making them the first approved apparitions in the United States.

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Our Lady of All Nations (1945)

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands First Apparition: March 25, 1945 Last Apparition: May 31, 1959 Investigated: 1956, 2002 Approved: May 31, 2002 by Bishop Jozef Marianus Punt of Haarlem. Visionaries: Ida Peederman Number of Apparitions: 56 Summary: During a series of 56 apparitions, lasting 14 years, prophecies were given to Ida Peederman along with an image of the Blessed Mother and a prayer. The revelations emphasize the importance of the Eucharist and portray in detail the events will bring about the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, most importantly the declaration of the final Marian dogma of Mary as The Lady of All Nations: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate. Notes: It should be mentioned that the apparitions of Our Lady of Akita (1973) (see picture on the left) took place on an image of Our Lady of All Nations. In addition, the apparitions of Akita are considered a continuation of Fatima (see Our Lady of Akita).Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that all three apparitions are connected! Messages For the complete text of the messages, see: Messages Our Lady of All Nations in the documents folder. See Our Lady of All Nations in the Videos folder. Online Petition for 5th Marian Dogma http://fifthmariandogma.com/index.php?option=com_breezingforms&view=form&Itemid= 602

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Prophecies The Virgin said that she would give no signs other than her words to validate her appearance: "You are as yet unable to appreciate my words. My signs are inherent in my words" (May 31, 1955). "Now I will give a reply to those who have asked for a sign. To all of them I say: my signs are contained in my words. O you of little faith! You are like children who insist on fireworks, whereas they have no eyes for the true light and for the true fire" (May 31, 1957). The messages of Our Lady of all Nations contains many prophecies including the convening of the Second Vatican Council II, the preparations of bacteriological weapons (prophecy dated Dec 26, 1947), "another great catastrophe for the world" against the West and coming from the East (June 9, 1946), war in the Balkans (May 7, 1949, Oct 1,1949, May 27,1950, Aug 15, 1950, Aug 27, 1977), a "terrible pain coming over India" (Feb 14, 1950), a "struggle in Rome against the Pope" (June 9, 1946), the Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown (Dec 10, 1950), the dissent regarding celibacy (May 31, 1956 and May 31,1957), the 1949 Communist takeover of China (Oct 7, 1945), the division of Korea into North and South (Aug 15, 1950 and December 10, 1950), the changing of the fasting requirement to receive the Holy Eucharist (Jan 25, 1951), the construction of the Berlin Wall (Feb 14,1950, Aug 15, 1950, Dec 10, 1950), the turmoil and battles within Jerusalem. (Dec 26, 1947, March 28, 1948), the eventual victory of Israel as a nation (April 21, 1945), troubled times for Taiwan. (Aug 15, 1950, Dec 10, 1950). Other revelations predicted the deaths of three popes. Prophecies dated: February 19, 1958 - the death of Pope Pius XII in October of the same year; June 11, 1978 - the death of Pope Paul VI, less than two months later; September 28, 1978 - the death of Pope John Paul I, the following day. In addition to these revelations, Ida also was also made aware of the identity of two future Popes on two separate occassions, namely: Pope Paul VI "Montini" on May 31, 1963; and Pope John Paul II on October 15, 1978! Timeline March 25, 1345 The date of the great Eucharistic Miracle of Amsterdam. Aug 13, 1905 On August 13, 1905, Isje ("Ida") Johanna Peerdeman is born in Alkmaar, Holland, as the youngest of five children.

Ida was drawn to an adjoining room by a mysterious force. There she saw a March 25, 1945 brilliant light out of which a Lady stepped towards her and spoke to her. 'Are you Mary?' Ida asked. The Lady replied, 'They will call me 'Lady, Mother.'" May 31, 1959 May 7, 1956 March 2, 1957 May 24, 1972 The Virgin appears for the last time to Ida. Bishop of Haarlem finds no evidence of the supernatural nature of the apparitions, and prohibits public veneration. Bishop of Haarlem confirms this decision with consent of the Holy Office (March 13,1957). Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responding to a letter of March 29 from the Bishop, re-affirms its decision.
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June 27, 1974

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith affirms its earlier decision, after a deeper investigation, inviting the faithful to discontinue all forms propaganda with regard to these alleged apparitions and revelations. The Bishop of Haarlem, Henry Bomers, published a Notification clarifying the distinction between the title, image and prayer, on one hand, and the messages on the other. The title, image and prayer had been approved for private veneration since the 1950s (according to this decree), and he was now granting the privilege of public veneration, as well. The belief in the messages had been prohibited, but now was permitted according to one's own conscience, the Church being unable to rule definitively "at the moment". As the decree notes, he consulted with "official authorities", without specifying who those authorities were. Ida Peerdeman, at the age of 90, dies after the approval of the devotion according to the promise of The Lady. The Bishop writes Letter (HB-97-403) commending the "Action of The Lady of All Nations" and the work of Fr. Paul Maria Sigl. Bishop Jozef Marianus Punt of Haarlem, having concluded a period of investigation, declared the apparitions accorded Ida Peerdeman of Amsterdam, Holland, in which the Blessed Virgin Mary asked to be known as Our Lady of All Nations, to be "of a supernatural origin". The Vatican's Congregation for the Docrtrine of the Faith objected to the phrase, "who once was Mary" in the prayer propogated from Ida Peederman. The controversy began when the Secretary of the CDF, Archbishop A. Amato, wrote to bishops in the Philippines regarding this one particular aspect of the devotion and asking that it be eliminated. Amato, the Titular Archbishop of Sila, Italy added: "In fact, this Dicastery, in a letter to His Excellency, The Most Rev. Francois Bacque, Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands, has indicated that Marian devotion must be nourished and developed in accordance with the indications given by the Holy Father in"Redemptoris Mater" and "Rosarium Virginis Mariae" and not according to private apparitions nor according to a 'new' name of Mary, such as "Lady of All Nations who was once Mary". After the local bishop, Mgr Joseph Marianus Punt, consulted with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2006 in regard to the prayer, the Congregation approved the text of the prayer but with the directive to change the original phrase "who was once Mary" to "the Blessed Virgin Mary" due to possible misunderstanding.

May 31, 1996

June 17, 1996 Dec 3, 1997

May 31, 2002

August 8, 2005

2006

Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now Your Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war. May the Lady of All Nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our advocate. Amen.
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Our Lady of Akita (1973)

Location: Akita, Japan First Apparition: July 6, 1973 Last Apparition: October 13, 1973 Investigated: 1973 Approved: Dec April 22, 1984 approved by Bishop John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata. In 1988, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger allowed Ito's pastoral letter and its dissemination to the faithful. Visionaries: Sr. Agnes Sasagawa (43) Number of Apparitions: 3 Miracles & Signs: Bleeding and Weeping Statue (101 times), Stigmata. Timeline 1930 May 12, 1973 Agnes Sasagawa is born. Agnes enters the convent of the Institute of the Handmaids of the Eucharist in Akita, Japan.

Sr. Agnes encounters on several occasions a bright light emanating from the June 12, 1973 tabernacle in the chapel and "spiritual beings" worshipping the Eucharist. She reports these experiences to Bishop John Ito. June 1973 Sr. Agnes begins to experience the stigmata. On Thursdays she feels initial pain and on Fridays and Saturdays finds a cross of blood on her left hand. Sr. Agnes encounters her guardian angel and subsequently a three-foot high wooden statue of the Virgin ablaze with light. The statue spoke to Agnes and asked her to pray for the reparation of the sins of humanity and to follow her superior. After the apparition, Agnes and the other nuns discover a bleeding wound in the hand of the statue. The angel appears again and promises that the pain in her wound would subside. The statue speaks again and warns of a great chastisement. The statue stops bleeding but tears start flowing down its cheeks. Sr. Agnes receives her last message from the Virgin. She was told that the
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July 6, 1973

July 26, 1973 Aug 3, 1973 Sep 29, 1973 Oct 13, 1973

Father would inflict a terrible punishment on humanity, that fire would fall from the sky and wipe out part of the population, and that the devil would infiltrate the Church. This message is received on the anniversary of the miracle of the sun of Our Lady of Fatima (1917). May 1974 Oct 13, 1974 Jan 1975 Dec 1975 Sep 15, 1981 The angel tells Agnes that her hearing will be temporarily restored and then permanently cured later. Agnes temporarily regains her hearing. The tears, sweat and blood from the statue were sent for laboratory analysis. The angel appears again. The statue weeps for the 101-st and last time Her guardian angel shows her a vision of the Bible and asks her to read Genesis 3:15: "I will place enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman (Mary), between thy seed and hers. She will crush thy head and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." Theresa Chun is cured of a brain tumor after praying to our Lady of Akita.

Sep 28, 1981

Aug 4, 1981

May 30, 1982 Agnes' hearing is restored permanently in accord with the promise of the angel. April 22, 1984 Approved by Bishop John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata June 1988 In 1988, Bishop Ito brought his letter to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger -- now Pope Benedict XVI -- who allowed the pastoral letter and its dissemination to the faithful.

Miracles, Cures, and Signs The statue wept 101 times. Her guardian angel explained it with the following: "There is a meaning to the figure 101 (the number of times the statue wept). This signifies that sin came into the world by a woman and it is also by a woman that salvation came into the world. The zero between the two signifies the Eternal God who is from all eternity until eternity. The first one represents Eve, and the last, the Virgin Mary." The actual weeping of the statue was not only witnessed by the local bishop but was shown on national Japanese TV. Theresa Chun, a Korean woman diagnosed with a brain tumor, placed an image of Our Lady of Akita under her pillow and prayed to her for a miraculous healing. On August 4, 1981, the tumor was found to have disappeared. This healing was well documented by Fr. Joseph Oh of Seoul, S. Korea. In May 1982, her angel told Agnes that her hearing would be permanently restored that month, and on May 30 the deafness was cured. (Tests performed on Agnes at the Akita Muncipal Hospital in 1975 had confirmed that she was deaf and that her deafness was incurable.)
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Description of the Virgin In the events of Akita, there was no "apparition" of the Virgin. Agnes reported the appearance of her guardian angel but the messages attributed to Mary were said to emanate from a bleeding 3-foot high wooden statue. The wooden statue in the convent at Akita was carved by a Buddhist woodcarver from an identical image of The Lady of All Nations (1945). Approval The first tests on the samples of blood, tears, and sweat from the statue were performed by Professor Eiji Okuhara, a Catholic physician in the Akita University Department of Biochemistry and a former Rockefeller Foundation fellow. Professor Okuhara, who had witnessed the weeping statue himself, also passed the samples on to a non-Christian forensic specialist, Dr. Kaoru Sagisaka. The scientists confirmed that the samples were of human origin- the blood was found to be type B and the sweat and tears were type AB. Initially the nun's claims were rejected by an archbishop, then accepted by the bishop of her actual diocese, Most Reverend John Shojiro Ito of Niigata, who on April 22, 1984, after years of extensive investigation, declared the tears to be of supernatural origin and authorized veneration of the Holy Mother of Akita. "After the inquiries conducted up to the present day, one cannot deny the supernatural character of a series of unexplainable events relative to the statue of the Virgin honored at Akita (Diocese of Niigata). Consequently I authorize that all of the diocese entrusted to me venerate the Holy Mother of Akita." Bishop John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata (April 22, 1984)

MESSAGES OF AKITA

JULY 6, 1973 Her Guardian Angel: "Be not afraid. Pray with fervor not only because of your sins, but in reparation for those of all people. The world today wounds the most Sacred Heart of Our Lord by its ingratitudes an d
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injuries. The wounds of Mary are much deeper and more sorrowful than yours. Let us go to pray together in the chapel." The Virgin Mary: "My daughter, my novice, you have obeyed me well in abandoning all to follow me. Is the infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed, be sure. Does the wound of your hand cause you to suffer? Pray in reparation for the sins of men. Each person in this community is my irreplaceable daughter. Do you say well the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist? Then, let us pray it together." "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart, being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father pleading for the coming of His Kingdom." "Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls." "Most holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your Special Child. Amen." "Pray very much for the Pope, Bishops, and Priests. Since your Baptism you have always prayed faithfully for them. Continue to pray very much...very much. Tell your superior all that passed today and obey him in everything that he wil tell you. He has asked that you pray with fervor."

JULY 26, 1973 Her Guardian Angel: "Your sufferings will end today. Carefully engrave in the depth of your heart the thought of the blood of Mary. The blood shed by Mary has a profound meaning. This precious blood was shed to ask your conversion, to ask for peace, in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages against the Lord. As with devotion to the Sacred Heart, apply yourself to devotion to the Most Precious Blood. Pray in reparation for all men. Say to your superior that the blood is shed today for the last time. Your pain also ends today. Tell them what happened today. He will understand all immediately. And you, observe his directions."

AUGUST 3, 1973 "My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you."

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"It is very important...You will convey it to your superior." "Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty for the sinners and ingrates." "In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. WIth my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire this also from your community...that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men. Recite the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning; put it into practice; offer in reparation (whatever God may send) for sins. Let each one endeavor, according to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord." "Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered together. Without attaching to much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the Master." "Is what you think in your heart true? Are you truly decided to become the rejected stone? My novice, you who wish to belong without reserve to the Lord, to become the spouse worthy of the Spouse, make your vows knowing that you must be fastened to the Cross with three nails. These three nails are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Of the three, obedience is the foundation. In total abandon, let yourself be led by your superior. He will know how to understand you and to direct you."

OCTOBER 13, 1973 "My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior." "As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests." "The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of
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those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. "The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them" "With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray and to accomplish works of reparation." "It is Bishop Ito, who directs your community." "You have still something to ask? Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior." "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamites which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."

DECEMBER 1975 Her Guardian Angel: "Do not be surprised to see the Blessed Virgin weeping. She weeps because she wishes the conversion of the greatest number. She desires that souls be consecrated to Jesus

SEPTEMBER 28, 1981 Her Guardian Angel: "There is a meaning to the figure 101 (the number of times the statue wept). This signifies that sin came into the world by a woman and it is also by a woman that salvation came into the world. The zero between the two signifies the Eternal God who is from all eternity until eternity. The first one represents Eve, and the last, the Virgin Mary."

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Our Lady of Cuapa (1980)

Location: Cuapa, Nicaragua First Apparition: April 15, 1980 Last Apparition: Oct 13, 1980 Investigated: 1981 Approved: Nov 13, 1982 by Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega Visionaries: Bernardo Martinez Number of Apparitions: 4+ Notes: After the initial 4 apparitions, the Virgin reportedly subsequently appeared in later years with messages of the destruction of atheistic communism and the whole world. She also requested the propagation of the devotion to the shoulder wounds of Christ. Summary: Church sacristan Bernardo Martinez entered an old chapel and observed a supernatural light illuminating from a statue of the Blessed Virgin. On another day, the Virgin appeared clothed in white (similar to the statue in the church) and asked for the daily Rosary with Biblical citations and have the First Saturday Devotions renewed. She also warned of future sufferings for Nicaragua if the people didn't change. Not wanting further problems, he ignored the Virgin's request to spread the message, and when he avoided the location of the apparition, the Virgin appeared to him a few days later in a pasture promising him help.

Timeline 1880 Fr. Andres Rongier, SJ, a Jesuit missionary from Mexico, prophesied that Cuapa would be a famous future site of a Marian apparition.

Aug 20, 1931 Bernardo Martinez is born. April 15, 1980 Bernardo discovered that the statue in the chapel was supernaturally lighting up on its own. The Virgin appeared clothed in white (similar to the statue in the church) and asked for the daily Rosary with Biblical citations and have the First Saturday Devotions renewed. She also warned of future sufferings for Nicaragua if the people didn't change. Not wanting further problems, he ignored the Virgin's request to spread the message. Not wanting further problems, he ignored the Virgin's request to spread the message, and when he avoided the location of the apparition, the Virgin appeared
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May 8, 1980

May 16, 1980

to him in a pasture promising him help. The next morning, an inner peace filled his soul which allowed him to tell what happened with no fear of ridicule. The Virgin gave him a nighttime vision (a 'movie in the sky') which moved from the early church to men in white (likely Dominicans) praying the Rosary, then June 8 , 1980 Franciscans, and finally ordinary people with Rosaries whose example he was told to follow. July 8, 1980 An Angel appeared and told him and foretold several events which shortly took place (including the death of a cousin which could have been prevented had he listened to Bernardo's warnings). The Virgin appeared as a child and told him to not raise funds for a new Church: "The Lord does not want material churches. He wants living temples which are yourselves."

Sept 8, 1980

The Virgin Mary appeared in a big luminous circle forming over the ground and allowed everyone (50) there to witnessed. When her form appeared he pleaded with her to allow herself to be seen by the others for they didn't believe. Her face Oct 13, 1980 turned pale and her garments grey as she became visibly saddened by their hardness of heart. As Bernardo apologized profusely, she instructed him to pray the Rosary, turn from violence, pray for the world, and make peace. She tells him that he will no longer see her in that place and vanishes. 1982 Bishop Bosco M. Vivas Robelo, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Managua, authorizes "the publication of the narration of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cuapa."

Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega M., Prelate Bishop of Juigalpa (the diocese of the apparitions) declares that he has "an obligation to assure the authenticity of the Nov 13, 1982 events in order to be able to assist in discerning the true value of the alluded to message." Bernardo Martinez is ordained a priest.

Description of the Virgin "Suddenly I saw a lightning flash. I thought and said to myself, 'It is going to rain.' But I became filled with wonder because I did not see from where the lightning had come. I stopped but I could see nothing - no signs of rain. Afterward I went over near a place place where there are some rocks. I walked about six or seven steps. That was when I saw another lightning flash, but that was to open my vision, ans she presented herself. "I was then wondering whether this could be something bad, whether it was the same statue as in the chapel. But I saw that she blinked and that she was beautiful. She remained above the pile of rocks as if on a cloud. And there was a little treeon top of the rocks and over that tree was the cloud. The cloud was extremely white. It radiated in all directions the ray of sun light. On the cloud were the feet of a very beautiful lady. Her feet were bare. The dress was long and white
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with a celestial cord around the waist, and it had long sleeves. Covering her was a veil, a pale cream color, with gold embroidery along the edge. Her hands were held together over her breast. It looked like the statue of the Virgin of Fatima." - Bernardo Martinez

Messages The Virgin asked for the daily Rosary with Biblical citations and have the First Saturday Devotions renewed. She also warned of future sufferings for Nicaragua if the people didn't change. After the initial 4 apparitions, the Virgin reportedly subsequently appeared in later years with messages of the destruction of atheistic communism and the whole world. She also requested the propagation of the devotion to the shoulder wounds of Christ. For the complete text of the messages, see: Messages Our Lady of Cuapa in the documents folder.

Approval In 1982, both Bishop Bosco M. Vivas Robelo, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Managua and Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega M., Prelate Bishop of Juigalpa (the diocese where the apparitions took place) released statements positively affirming the apparitions.

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Coptic Approved Apparitions

Our Lady of Light (1968)
Location: Zeitun, Egypt First Apparition: April 2, 1968 Last Apparition: 1971 Investigated: 1968 Approved: May 4, 1968 by Pope of Coptic Orthodox Church and Local Catholic Bishop. Visionaries: Millions Number of Apparitions: Many Miracles & Signs: Accompanying objects (Doves, Stars and Glowing Balls of Light, Cross, Incense, Clouds), Healings, Conversions. Summary: Our Lady reportedly appeared in Zeitoun, Egypt hovering above Saint Mark's Coptic Church for a span of three years. She appeared on many occasions especially at night, and sometimes she was accompanied by white doves. The apparitions attracted large crowds up to 250,000 people including Christians, Jews, and Moslems. The apparitions were photographed, filmed and broadcast on Egyptian TV. An estimated 40 million people witnessed the events. Timeline Mary first appeared on the roof of the Church in a kneeling position, surrounded by light. The first man who saw her, Muslim, Farouk Mohammed Atwa, was April 2, 1968 undergoing operations for a case of gangrene. The following day when he went to hospital for his scheduled operation, he was certified completely healed. May 1968 May 5, 1968 1971 Roman Catholic Cardinal Stephanos performs an investigation and submits his findings to Pope Paul VI. Coptic Orthodox Pope Kyrillos VI approves the apparition. Mary appears for the final time.

Description of the Virgin She was wearing a long robe extending to below Her feet. Sometimes She was surrounded by
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bright stars, and at other times She had a shawl about Her head, and Her hands were extended forward. The Virgin would walk over the church, especially over the middle dome, and to bow in front of the cross that shone, then, with a bright light. She sometimes made Her apparition with a child in Her arms. Messages No messages were given at these apparitions.

Miracles, Cures, and Signs The glowing image of our Lady was accompanied by doves and orbs of light, said to make formations in the shape of a cross. Additionally, people made reports of the presence of incense smelling smoke.

Approval Anba Kyrillos VI, Pope of Alexandria, delegated a commision of priests to research and investigate the phenomenon. They stayed there for several nights enquiring and investigating until they saw with their own eyes the blessed Virgin's apparition in the full form moving on the domes and blessing the multitudes in front of the church. Kyrillos VI's official statement was: "The Blessed Virgin mary has appeared several times on the Coptic Orthodox Church named after her at Zeitun in Cairo." The apparitions were also confirmed by the Jesuit Father Dr. Henry Ayrout. Nuns of the Society of the Sacred Heart also witnessed the phenomenon and sent a detailed report to the Vatican, resulting in the arrival of an envoy on April 28 who also saw the apparitions and sent a report to Pope Paul VI.

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Our Lady of Assiut (2000)

Location: Assiut, Egypt First Apparition: Aug 17, 2000 Last Apparition: January 2001 Investigated: 2000 Approved: Approved by H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Coptic Orthodox Church. Visionaries: Millions Number of Apparitions: Many Summary: Apparition of Mary on top of St. Mark's Church accompanied by lights and doves. Notes: See Our Lady of Assiut in the Videos Folder!

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Traditionally Approved Apparitions

Our Lady of La Vang (1798)
Location: La Vang, Vietnam First Apparition: 1798 Last Apparition: 1798 Approved: Traditional approval only. Pope John Paul II celebrated the 200th anniversary of the apparitions. Visionaries: 100,000 Number of Apparitions: 1

Summary: Many Christians took refuge in the jungle near Quang Tri, a village in central Vietnam, where they prepared themselves for martyrdom. Many people died from the bitter cold weather, lurking wild beasts, jungle sickness and starvation. At night, they often gathered in small groups to pray the rosary. Unexpectedly, one night they were visited by an apparition of Our Blessed Mother in a long cape, holding a child in her arms, with two angels at her sides. She comforted them and told them to boil the leaves from the surrounding trees to use as medicine. She also told them that from that day on, all those who came to this place to pray, would get their prayers heard and answered. All those who were present witnessed this miracle.

Timeline The Le Dynasty is usurped by the family's chief Regent, Mac Dang Dung. Two political elite families, Trinh and Nguyen, regained power and split Vietnam into a northern (Trinh) and southern region (Nguyen and Le). The Nguyen capital was established at Dinh Cat. Catholicism was introduced into Vietnam by Father Diego Aduarte, a Dominican, who came onboard a Spanish merchant ship and established a mission in Dinh Cat. Jesuit priest Francisco Buzoni maintained his predecessor's mission through good relations with the Nguyen family. With the arrival of Father Francisco de Pina, an Italian Jesuit who was fluent in Vietnamese language, many people
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1593

converted to Catholicism, including the kings aunt. Thirty-seven parishes were established around Dinh Cat. Father Alexander de Rhodes, a French Jesuit, arrived and initiated the Vietnamese alphabets that are being used today. For more than forty years, Catholicism was marginally tolerated due to the opened relations with European powers, such as Spain, France and Portugal. The Nguyen dynasty expanded their territory southward and re-united the north and south regions into what is now Vietnam. The official capital of Vietnam was moved once again, sixty kilometers southward, to Hue. The Nguyen Dynasty decreed Catholicism as a foreign religious sect leading a working class revolt against the dynasty. A few months later, direct attacks for extermination were aimed at all thirty-seven parishes in Dinh Cat. More than 100.000 Vietnamese Catholics died as martyrs. Many Christians took refuge in the jungle near Quang Tri, a village in central Vietnam, where they prepared themselves for martyrdom. Many people died from the bitter cold weather, lurking wild beasts, jungle sickness and starvation. At night, they often gathered in small groups to pray the rosary. Unexpectedly, one night they were visited by an apparition of Our Blessed Mother in a long cape, holding a child in her arms, with two angels at her sides. She comforted them and told them to boil the leaves from the surrounding trees to use as medicine. She also told them that from that day on, all those who came to this place to pray, would get their prayers heard and answered. All those who were present witnessed this miracle. From the time the Lady of La Vang first appeared, the refugees erected a small chapel in her honour. During the following years, her name was spread among the people in the region to other places. Despite its isolated location in the high mountains, groups of people continued to find ways to penetrate the deep and dangerous jungle to pray to the Lady of La Vang. Gradually, the pilgrims that came with axes, spears, canes and drums to scare away wild animals were replaced by those holding flying flags, flowers and rosaries. New pilgrimages went on every year despite the continuous persecution campaign. The persecution ended. The original chapel, made of straw, soon became too small. From 1885, several chapels were built one after another: the last, with its three small huts, was blessed in 1928 by Bishop Eugene Maria Giuseppe Allys (Ly, in Vietnamese), who was then Vicar Apostolic of Hue. During the period 1886-1928, the locality of La Vang was dependent on the parish of Co-Vuu, in the Province of Quang Tri. In 1928, in order to respond to the needs of the growing number of pilgrims, Bishop Allys erected La Vang as an independent parish. Aug 6, 1901 After the persecution had officially ended, Bishop Gaspar ordered a church to be
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1788 1789

1798

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built in honour of the Lady of La Vang. Because of its precarious location and limited funding, it took 15 years for the completion of the church of La Vang. It was inaugurated by Bishop Gaspar in a solemn ceremony that participated by over 12,000 people. The bishop proclaimed the Lady of La Vang as the Protectorate of the Catholics. 1924 A larger church was built to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims.

The Bishops of South Viet Nam (then divided from North Viet Nam by the 18th parallel), assembled in Hue, made a vow to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to April 13, 1961 consecrate a temple to the Blessed Virgin when circumstances permitted, asking Our Lady for freedom for the Church and peace for both parts of Viet Nam. Aug 8, 1961 Aug 22, 1961 1972 In their joint letter of the same year, La Vang was recognized as a national Marian Centre. Pope John XXIII elevated the church of La Vang to the Basilica of La Vang. (In 1959 it had been raised to minor basilica status) This church was destroyed in the summer of 1972 during the Vietnam War

After the country's reunification when South Vietnam fell under the control of the communists, the Lavang complex had enlarged to include a retreat center, a April 30, 1975 hospitality center, an outdoor amphitheatre and a beautiful statue of Mary commemorating her apparitions. May 1, 1980 All the Bishops of Viet Nam, gathered in Ha Noi solemnly renewed the recognition of La Vang as a national Marian centre, singing the Salve Regina on their knees and in unison with great faith and devotion.

Pope John Paul II in the canonizing ceremony of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs, June 19, 1988 publicly and repeatedly recognized the importance and significance of the Lady of La Vang and expressed a desire for the rebuilding of the La Vang Basilica. in his General Audience , the presence of Archbishop Etienne Nguyen Nhu The, the current Archbishop of Hue, gave the Holy Father the opportunity of referring to the La Vang Shrine and emphasizing the Vietnamese Catholics' filial attachment to Christ and to his representative on earth; During the World Youth Day in Denver, His Holiness spent one hour with the Vietnamese who were present and entrusted the whole Vietnamese Catholic community to the Blessed Virgin's protection, with the wish that the celebrations for the bicentenary of La Vang might help to reinforce unity and mutual understanding between the Catholics and their fellow countrymen; In his General Audience, the Holy Father asked the priests and religious gathered in Rome to study the pastoral needs of the Vietnamese diaspora, to deepen their faith and to cherish the teaching of the Church with a view to preparing the celebration of the bicentenary of La Vang; Pope John Paul II issues a letter to Cardinal Paul Joseph Pham Dinh Tung of Ha
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Nov 25, 1992

Aug 15, 1993

Oct 26, 1994

Dec 16, 1997

Noi to mark the 200th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in La Vang. Aug 1998 200th anniversary of the first apparition of the Lady of La Vang presided by Phan Dinh Tung, archbishop of Hanoi.

The local government of Quang Tri province said that it would return nearly all April 15, 2008 of the land surrounding the basilica of Our Lady of La Vang, which had been seized after the Communist takeover of 1975.

Description of the Virgin One evening, according to tradition, a lady of great beauty appeared to the refugees in the jungle, clad in white and surrounded by light, holding the infant Jesus in her arms, with two charming boys holding torches at her side. The lady walked back and forth several times in front of the Christians, her feet touching the ground. Even the non-Christians who were there witnessed the vision. Church Approval Unfortunately, there is no written documentation of these apparitions: such documents were perhaps kept in the Hue church archives, which were destroyed during two local wars: in 1833, under King Minh Mang, and in 1861 in the reign of King Tuduc. No formal approval has been given to the apparition of the Our Lady of Lavang- the Vietnamese hierarchy has not offiicially pronounced on the historicity of Mary's apparition at La Vang. The elevation of the church to Basilica status and the visit of Pope John Paul II gives implicit approval to the apparition claim.

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Our Lady of China (1900)

Location: Dong Lu, China First Apparition: 1900 Last Apparition: 1900 Approved: In 1932, Pope Pius XI approved it as an official Marian Shrine. Visionaries: Thousands Number of Apparitions: 1 Miracles and Signs: When the Boxer Rebellion broke out, nearly 10,000 hostile soldiers attacked the small impoverished village of Dong Lu, home of approximately 1,000 Christians. The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in the sky surrounded by light. A fiery horsemen - perhaps St. Michael (the Archangel) - chased the attackers out of the village. Summary: The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in the skies when Catholics implored her to save them from their enemies and their city from destruction during the Boxer Rebellion. In thanksgiving for Our Ladys protection over the city of Dong Lu (Tong Lu), a beautiful church was built in her honor. It was meant to serve as a constant reminder to the people of Marys loving and motherly protection.

Timeline When the Boxer Rebellion broke out, nearly 10,000 hostile soldiers attacked the small impoverished mission village of Dong Lu (near Peiping), home of 700 1,000 Christians and founded by Vicentian fathers. The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in white in the sky surrounded by light. The soldiers, in senseless rage, started to shoot into the sky. Then suddenly they fled, frightened, and never came back again when a fiery horsemen - perhaps St. Michael - chased the attackers out of the village. The Chinese pastor of the village, Father Wu, had prayed for Our Lady's intercession. In thanksgiving for Our Ladys protection, a beautiful church was built in her honor. It was meant to serve as a constant reminder to the people of Marys loving and motherly protection.

April 1900

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The pastor secured a painting of the Dowager Empress Ci Xi, the long time ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, dressed in imperial robes.He commissioned an artist to use it as the background for the image of Our Lady holding the Christ Child. The picture was hung above the altar in the Church of Dong Lu, which eventually became a famous place of pilgrimage starting in 1924. 1924 Shanghai Synod of Bishops in China, the first national conference of bishops in the country, chose this image to be denoted as "Our Lady of China" or "Our Lady Queen of China". People began coming to the shrine. Following the event, Archbishop Celso Costantini, Apostolic Delegate in China, along with all the bishops of China, declared the Chinese people dedicated to Our Lady of China, using the official image. An officially-sanctioned image of Our Lady of China was blessed, granted and promulgated by Pope Pius XI. First official pilgrimage to Dong Lu. Pope Pius XI approved it as an official Marian Shrine. Pope Pius XII designated the feast day as an official feast of the Catholic liturgical calendar. Shrine is destroyed during the Second World War when it caught fire due to Japanese artillery bombardment Following the Second Vatican Council, the Chinese Bishops conference, upon approval from the Holy See, placed the feast day on the vigil (day preceding) of Mothers Day (the second Sunday of May). Shrine rebuilt as the largest church building in north China. Over 30,000 Catholics from the unofficial Church had gathered for Mass at the Donglu shrine on the vigil of the Feast of Our Lady, Mary Help of Christians. There were four bishops of the unofficial Church concelebrating the Mass and nearly 100 unofficial priests standing in the open field. Suddenly, during the opening prayer and again during the consecration, the people observed the sun spinning from right to left. Light rays of various shades emanated from the sky. Participants saw Our Lady fo China and the Child Jesus in the sky and also the Holy Family, the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit. The phenomenon lasted approximately twenty minutes. The Public Security barred all pilgrims from joining anyone on the hill. The police forced people back into buses and trains without offering any explanation. Still, as many as 100,000 successfully reached the area by finding alternative ways to get there to celebrate the Feast of Mary Help of Christians. An official government announcement forbade anyone from going to the Dong lu shrine. The Chinese government mobilized 5000 troops, supported by dozens of armored cars and helicopters, destroyed and leveled that Marian shrine,
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1973 1992

May 23, 1995

May 24, 1995

April 1996

confiscated the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and arrested many priests. The picture of Our Lady of China remains intact because only a copy of the picture was used in the church. The original was hidden in the wall behind the copy, and this was recovered and found intact. It is now in possession of Chinese priests who carry out their activities in disguise. Description of the Virgin The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in white in the sky surrounded by light. The resulting painting using a painting of Empress Dowager CiXi as a backdrop, features the image of the Blessed Virgin in the royal robes of the pagan Empress, with the Christ Child on her knees, is vivid expression of Chinese tradition. It is a shrine of the Mother and her Son. Though her robes be pagan, she belongs to every age, to all people and to every race. Church Approval The Church has not issued an official judgment of the apparition at Dong Lu. Pope Pius XI's establishment of the church as an official Marian Shrine constitutes implicit approval. In 1941, Pope Pius XII designated the feast day as an official feast of the Catholic liturgical calendar. Following the Second Vatican Council, the Chinese Bishops conference, upon approval from the Holy See, placed the feast day on the vigil (day preceding) of Mothers Day (the second Sunday of May).

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Other Apparitions
Our Lady of Soufanieh (1982)
Location: Soufanieh, Damascus, Syria. First Apparition: December 15, 1982 Last Apparition: The apparitions are ongoing. Approval: The messages focus on unity between the churches, therefore approval and recognition is needed from a number of churches: Catholic Nhil Obstat (nothing stands in the way) http://www.soufanieh.com/nihil.obstat.html Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch Approved by the patriarch. Melkite Greek Catholic Church Approved by the patriarch. Visionaries: Myrna Nazzour. Number of Apparitions: Many Miracles and Signs: Healings, Stigmata, Large quantities of 100% olive oil flow from the hands, face & neck of the visionary and from an image of the Virgin with Jesus. For more information: See Our Lady of Soufanieh in the Videos folder. See Light from the East Our Lady of Soufanieh in Documents folder. http://www.soufanieh.com/menuenglish.htm http://www.catholicdigitalstudio.com/miracleofdamascus.htm

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Apparitions Awaiting Approvement

Our Lady of Medjugorje (1981)
Location: Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina First Apparition: June 24, 1981 Last Apparition: The apparitions are ongoing. Status: Undecided. The Holy See announced in March 2010 that it had established a commission under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to evaluate the apparitions, headed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. Notes: It should be noted that (in most cases) no reported claim of a supernatural apparition can receive approved status until the alleged phenomena have ceased. Visionaries: 6. Number of Apparitions: Many Miracles and Signs: Healings, Conversions, Rosaries turned into gold. According to the visionaries, once the apparitions are over, the Virgin Mary has promised to leave a supernatural, indestructible, and visible sign on the mountain w here she first appeared. For more information: http://www.medjugorje.org/overview.htm

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Stigmatist Katia Rivas

Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia First Apparition: 1993 Last Apparition: The apparitions are ongoing. Status: As is the case with most stigmatas, no formal judgment has been given by the church.

For more information: See Katya Rivas in the Documents folder. See Katya Rivas in the Videos folder. http://youshallbelieve.com

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Additional Information
http://fifthmariandogma.com/index.php?option=com_breezingforms&view=form&Itemid= 602 http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/index.html http://www.ladyofallnations.org http://www.ourladysmantle.org/index_files/Page1149.htm http://www.circleofprayer.com/theladyofallnations-marian-dogma.html http://www.soufanieh.com/menuenglish.htm http://www.catholicdigitalstudio.com/miracleofdamascus.htm http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/

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