Our Lady of the Pillar

Feast day: October 12

A few years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, James the Greater, brother of Saint John, was sent to the pagan lands of the Roman province of Hispania, the future Spain. He encountered many obstacles, and the apostle went through a period of great sadness. His efforts seemed doomed to failure, and he wondered whether he should leave this inhospitable land. One night, while kneeling in prayer on the banks of the Ebro, James is suddenly enveloped in a brilliant light. In the globe of light, he saw the Virgin Mary (note that at the time, She was still alive and living in Jerusalem). The Mother of God stood on a jasper column six feet high, borne by a multitude of angels.

The Virgin lifted up the Apostle’s courage and assured him that his work would bear abundant fruit, and that there would soon be many fervent Christians among the people. She requested that a church be built in Her honor, and left the jasper column to mark the precise spot where She had appeared. She also left a small statue of Herself holding the Infant Jesus in Her arms at the top of the column.

As She disappeared, the Mother of God said to James: “This place will be My home. This statue and this pillar will be placed in the temple you will build... and the people of this land will greatly honor My Son Jesus.”

James hurried to build the chapel, the first sanctuary dedicated to honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. The chapel soon became a conversion center for pagans. Over time, the simple chapel was transformed into a basilica, known as Our Lady of the Pillar, where the jasper column and wooden statue are still displayed on special occasions.

Numerous miracles attest to their miraculous origin. In the 17^th century, a man named Miguel Pellicer, from the town of Calanda, found himself unable to work after having his leg amputated. Reduced to begging, he constantly came to invoke the Virgin Mary’s help in Her shrine. After three years of pilgrimage and constant prayers, his leg was miraculously restored.

Our Lady of the Pillar was declared the first Patron Saint of the Hispanic nations. This is the origin of the name Pilar, popular among these peoples.

In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, Communist rebels bombed the cathedral, but the bombs that hit it failed to explode.

Our Lady of Mercy

Feast day: September 24

At the beginning of the 13^th century, most of Spain was under the yoke of the Saracens, who kept a vast number of Christians locked up in dungeons, with the purpose of making them renounce their faith. It was to put an end to this calamity that Mary established the work of the Redemption of the Captives.

On August 1, 1218, the Queen of Heaven appeared to saint Peter Nolasco, who was praying:

“My son,” She said to him, “I am the Mother of God; I have come to seek men who are willing, in imitation of My Jesus, to give their lives for the salvation and freedom of their captive brothers. I desire that an Order of religious be founded in My honor for this purpose. When you prayed to Me with tears to remedy the sufferings of the captives, I presented to My Son your ardent wishes, and it is He who sent Me to you.

— I believe with a strong faith that You are the Mother of the living God and that You appear to me for the relief of the poor Christian slaves; but who am I to accomplish this work?

— Do not fear, I will be with you, and soon what I ask will be accomplished.”

On the same day, the Blessed Virgin gave the same message to Saint Raymond of Penafort and to James I, King of Aragon.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Feast day: July 16

Of all the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the earth, that of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is among the most ancient and most famous in the Church. 

It was in 1251. On the night of July 15-16, the august Mother of God appeared to Saint Simon Stock, Superior General of the Carmelite Order. She held Her adorable Son in one hand, and with the other She presented the scapular of the Order to the holy monk, promising him that all those who wore this habit would be preserved from the eternal fire of hell. 

In 1316, Our Lady of Mount Carmel reappeared to James of Euze, the future Pope John XXII, adding that those who wore the scapular would be granted the grace of deliverance from purgatory on the first Saturday after death. 

What great tenderness and mercy on the part of the Blessed Mother!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Feast Day: June 27

After being venerated for a long time in Crete, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was brought to Rome at the end of the 14th century by faithful Cretans who were fleeing a Turkish invasion. At the invocation of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the ship carrying Her holy image was saved from a terrible storm.

Thanks to the care of the Augustinian monks, the holy image became the object of a very popular devotion which God rewarded over the centuries with numerous miracles.

During the Revolution of 1789-1793, the French troops occupying Rome destroyed the church of Saint Matthew where the holy picture was venerated. One of the religious of the sanctuary had time to secretly remove the miraculous Madonna. He hid it so carefully that for sixty years no one knew what had become of the famous painting.

By a combination of providential circumstances the venerated image was finally discovered.

On April 26, 1866, the Redemptorists solemnly enthroned Our Lady of Perpetual Help in their chapel.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Feast day: December 12

An Indian named Juan Diego was chosen by the Blessed Virgin as Her interpreter to the bishop of Mexico City. She asked for the construction of a church in Her honor. The prelate required a sign. The Mother of God showed Juan some wonderfully fresh flowers, even though it was the off-season. At Her command, Juan picks the flowers and puts them in his “tilma”. The tilma was a garment worn as a cape by the Aztecs of central Mexico. It came down the front like a long apron, or was draped over the shoulders like a cape. It was also frequently used as an all-purpose carrier.

“Carry these lilies and roses from Me to the bishop,” Mary said to him, “this is a sure sign of My will. Let there be no delay in building a temple here in My honor.”

Juan went to the bishop and dropped the flowers at his feet. Oh, wonder, on the mantle of the Indian was painted the image of the Queen of Heaven. The bishop reverently bowed.

The Basilica was built and the image of Mary, miraculously printed on Juan Diego’s mantle, has been kept there for 470 years. In the eight years following this apparition, 9 million indigenous people were converted to the Christian faith.

Our Lady of Laus — Refuge of sinners

Feast day: May 1^st

It was in May 1664 that Our Lady of Laus appeared for the first time to Blessed Benoite Rencurel, aged seventeen. From that day on and for 54 years, this humble country girl remained the pupil and confidante of the Queen of Heaven, who visited her nearly 600 times.

“Prayer and penance,” the Mother of Jesus entreated. “I have asked My divine Son for the Laus, and He has granted it to Me for the conversion of sinners.”

In turn, Mary asked Benoite to have a great church built where “many sinners, men and women, will be converted.” And indeed, countless wonders took place in this privileged place.

Virgin of the Miraculous Medal

Feast day: November 27

During the night of July 18-19, 1830, Sister Catherine Labouré was awakened by her guardian angel who led her to the chapel to see the Blessed Virgin, seated in the choir. This great favor was renewed on the evening of November 27. The saintly nun then saw Our Lady of Grace, as She is represented on the Miraculous Medal, which was struck at the express request of our Heavenly Mother.

It was because of the multitude of miracles obtained by it that it was called “The Miraculous Medal”. To those who devoutly wear this medal, the Blessed Virgin promises countless graces. Indeed, how many wonders are attributed to this Marian effigy!

How many graces obtained by the invocation, which is printed around the edge of the Miraculous Medal:

“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”

This short invocation is as powerful as an exorcism to cast away the devils and obtain deliverance from temptations and protection in dangers. Give this invocation a try today and experience its power for yourself!

Our Lady of La Salette — Reconciler of sinners

Feast Day: September 19

High in the Alps, the Mother of God sat with Her head in Her hands, weeping and heartbroken with sorrow. She then rose with majesty and spoke to two young shepherds, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud. Endless tears flowed from Her eyes....

“I have been suffering for you for so long,” She said.

She entrusted a secret to each of the two visionaries. Melanie’s, made public after 1858, is very long. It speaks of the deviations of priests and souls consecrated to God and of the great chastisements the world will incur if people refuse to pray and mend their ways.

At the end of the Secret, the Blessed Virgin addressed an urgent appeal to the Apostles of the Latter Times and dictated the Rule of the Order of the Mother of God, requesting its foundation. This Order, destined to “stand as a bulwark against the general apostasy” and to bring about the renewal of the Church, has been developing at St. Jovite, Quebec, since 1962 and has been implanted in various countries.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Feast Day: February 11

“I am the Immaculate Conception,” proclaimed the Blessed Virgin at Lourdes, thus confirming the dogma defined four years earlier by Pope Pius IX.

Her confidante, the poor and humble Bernadette Soubirous, had the honor of contemplating the Immaculate Virgin 18 times between February 11 and July 16, 1858.

The Blessed Virgin descended into a rocky hollow at Massabielle in the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France.

“Prayer, penance, penance, penance,” the Immaculate Virgin repeated. She also requested a chapel. As proof of the truth of Her apparitions, She caused a spring to well forth whose waters have healed great numbers of sick and infirm people. Many sinners have been converted at this privileged shrine.

Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain

Feast Day: January 17

“Pray, My children!
God will answer you in a little time.
My Son is letting Himself be touched.”

This was the message of hope of the Blessed Virgin in Pontmain.

One winter evening, six children contemplated in the sky the Virgin, sometimes sad, sometimes joyful.
It was a dark moment: The Prussian Army had invaded France. The faithful turned to Heaven in their distress.

In Pontmain, the parish priest inaugurated a campaign of prayers to the Virgin Mary, Protectress of France. The fervor of the faithful touched the Heart of God and of His holy Mother. Ten days after the heavenly Apparition, the Franco-Prussian war suddenly ended.

Our Lady had fulfilled Her promise.

Our Lady of Gietrzwałd

The apparitions of the Virgin Mary took place when Poland no longer existed as a State. Its territory was divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria. Through repressive measures, the invaders tried to secularize the people.

On June 27, 1877, Justine Szafranska was returning home with her mother: when the Angelus rang, they began to pray. The young girl saw a white light in a maple tree. As the light grew, she saw a beautiful Lady inside.

The next day, in the same location, while Justine was praying the rosary with several friends, she again saw the Virgin carrying the Child Jesus. One of her friends, Barbara Samulowska, also saw Our Lady. In these first apparitions, Our Lady appeared seated on a golden throne, wearing a crown, surrounded by angels, one of whom held a scepter. In the following apparitions, the Virgin will appear alone and without these royal attributes.

On the fourth day, Our Lady said to the young girls: “I want you to pray the rosary every day”.

More than 160 apparitions have been recorded. Sometimes there were several apparitions in the same day. The privileged young girls asked one day: “Will the Church in the Kingdom of Poland be freed?” To this Our Lady replied, “Yes, provided the people pray fervently. Then the Church will cease to be persecuted and the orphaned parishes will receive priests.”

An estimated fifty thousand pilgrims came to the apparitions.

For Her last message, Our Lady gave the young girls the recommendation to “always pray the rosary.”

The Virgin of the Smile

Feast Day: May 13

“The Blessed Virgin came towards me! She smiled at me.”

So said Thérèse Martin, the future Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus.

She lay sick in bed on May 13, 1883, stricken with a mysterious illness that had lasted several days. The family was making a novena to Our Lady of Victory because the little girl’s condition had given rise to great fears. Thinking she was at the point of death, her sisters cast themselves with faith and confidence at the feet of the Madonna adorning the sick girl’s room.

Suddenly little Thérèse’s face lit up: the statue had come to life, and the child saw the Blessed Virgin move towards her and smile. Thérèse was healed at that very moment.

Our Lady of the Cape

Feast Day: August 15

In March of 1879, in order to obtain the miracle of a bridge of ice over the river, allowing the transportation, from one bank to the other of the St. Lawrence River, of the stones necessary for the construction of a new church, the parish priest Luc Desilets made a vow to consecrate the ancient church of 1714, to the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. The whole parish recited uninterrupted rosaries.

Thus, the bridge of ice, called the Rosary Bridge, was obtained. Nine years later, Father Désilets fulfilled his wish. The little church in Le Cap was solemnly consecrated on June 22, 1888 and a statue of the Virgin Mary was installed on the high altar.

On the evening of this beautiful day, the Blessed Virgin Herself showed Her gratitude. Around 7 o’clock in the evening, in the presence of Father Desilets, Blessed Father Frederic of Ghyvelde and an elderly and disabled man, the statue came to life, the Virgin opened Her eyes, looking straight ahead into the distance. The miracle lasted from 5 to 10 minutes. Since then, many miracles and healings have attested to Our Lady of the Cape’s love for Her children.

Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima

Feast Day: May 13

On the 13^th of each month, from May 13 to October 13, the Blessed Virgin appeared to three young shepherds: Lucy dos Santos, and Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

During these visits, Our Lady requested that people do penance and say the Rosary.

She also asked that Russia be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart:

“If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and you will have peace. If not, it will spread its errors throughout the whole world, stirring up wars and persecutions against the Church... The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, several nations will be annihilated.”

The Blessed Virgin also asked for Communions of reparation on the first Saturday of the month.

During Her last apparition, Our Lady provided proof of Her coming with the great Miracle of the Sun, witnessed by about 70,000 people. Lucy received a secret which was to be revealed to the world in 1960, but the Church kept it under lock and key.

Our Lady of Beauraing — The Virgin of the Heart of Gold

Feast Day: August 22

Five children from Beauraing — Andrée and Gilberte Degeimbre and Fernande, Albert and Gilberte Voisin — had the joy of seeing the Queen of Heaven appear to them 33 times from November 29, 1932, to January 3, 1933.

The Virgin of the Heart of Gold gave a secret to the three youngest children, but to Gilberte Voisin She made the great promise that constitutes the very essence of the message of Beauraing:

“I will convert sinners.”

The Virgin requested a chapel. She also asked them “to pray a great deal, pray always.”

Despite skepticism and persecution, the privileged children returned to the apparition site to say their Rosary every evening for 14 years, even in the harshest weather.

And, faithful to Her promise, the Blessed Virgin Mary has converted many sinners at Beauraing.

Our Lady of Banneux — The Virgin of the Poor

Feast Day: January 15

The Virgin of the Poor showed Herself at Banneux only twelve days after Her last apparition at Beauraing.

Mariette Béco, a poor, ignorant 12 year old girl, the eldest child of a non-practicing family, had the privilege of seeing Her. The Virgin appeared to her eight times between January 15 and March 2, 1933, during the Great Depression.

“My dear child,” She said, “pray a great deal. I am the Virgin of the Poor. I have come to relieve suffering.”

The beautiful Lady wanted a little chapel, and She gave miraculous powers to a nearby spring. Before leaving the child, She laid Her hands on her in a motherly blessing.

Our Lady of Prayer

Feast day: December 8

In December 1947, major strikes paralyzed France. Civil war seemed imminent and the government took emergency measures. In L’Ile-Bouchard, four little girls witnessed “a beautiful lady” in the parish church. Dressed in white, She held a rosary in Her hand. One day, the children saw the word Magnificat written on Her heart. Several times, the Mother of God asked the congregation to pray the rosary or to sing the “Hail Mary”. Upon finishing the song, She asked them to sing it again! She taught the girls the invocation, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.” At Her last apparition, She asked them to sing the Magnificat.

Here are the main messages of our “Heavenly Mother,” as the children would say.

“Tell the little children to pray for France, for it is in great need.
— Yes, I am your heavenly Mother.

— Do you pray for sinners?
— Yes, Madam, we do.
— Well, especially pray a lot for the sinners.

— Madam, what must be done to console Our Lord for the sorrow that sinners cause Him?
— You must pray and make sacrifices. Pray a decade of the rosary with your arms outstretched in the form of a cross.”

Thanks to the prayers of the little children, of the pious people who supported them and of the intercession of the Virgin Mary, France was then saved. Against all odds, the strikes ceased overnight to the great astonishment of all.

The power of our heavenly Mother is not diminished. The help so promptly granted to France in 1947, She offers it to us today. It is up to us to obtain the salvation of the Church and the world. Let us take the means recommended at the time: the praying of the rosary, invocations to our good Mother. Let us pray with our arms outstretched in cross, let us make many sacrifices and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary will come at last.

The Mother of Salvation

Feast day: August 15

In America, the Blessed Virgin manifested Herself, among others, to two ladies under the title of Mother of Salvation. First to Mrs. Mary Fullum, in Fort Covington, New York, who was favored with 33 apparitions. One day, Our Lady dictated to the visionary the “Prayer to the Mother of Salvation” to implore from the Eternal Father conversion and mercy for the sinners. The Virgin repeated three times with strength and majesty, “Mercy for the sinners”. A powerful echo carried Her words far and wide. “It was utterly beautiful,” said the seer.

From July 16, 1950, the Mother of Salvation appeared to Gracia Thibault, a mother who was practically illiterate. After having shown Herself three times, the Blessed Virgin would transmit Her wishes through the mouth of the visionary in ecstasy, without her having the slightest idea of what she was repeating.

Weeping bitterly, Our Lady announced chastisements for the Church and the sinful world. Then She added: “Have confidence! I will protect you, My children. It will not be as hard as you think. I will protect those who pray to Me.”

“To bring the shepherds back to the Cross, we must suffer. How beautiful it is to suffer. How beautiful it is to save souls!... Those who want to follow Me, those who want to carry this Cross, will save many priests... My Son suffered and died on the Cross for the sinners. Those who follow Him will be saved and will bring back many shepherds who have gone astray unknowingly.”

“My beloved children, be courageous. Wage the battle for Jesus. I will be near you with Jesus to fight, to fight furthermore. Do not be afraid. Combat until the end. You will have the victory. By which means? With your Hail Mary’s, your sufferings, My dear children of the earth. Rejoice! The victory is beautiful, although the sufferings are profound. I love you. Be strong, even though the army of demons is raging.”

Our Lady of Garabandal

Four teenage girls were chosen by the Blessed Virgin to carry Her message. Many are the witnesses of the tangible miraculous facts which accompanied the ecstasies. Alas! Here again, the Church opposed the pleading calls of the Mother of God who wants to save her at all costs.

Here is the last message of Our Lady in Garabandal, given to the world on June 18, 1965 through the intermediary of Saint Michael, the Blessed Virgin being too sad to transmit it Herself:

• “Since My message of October 18 (1961) has not been fulfilled and too little of it has been made known to the world, I will tell you that this is the last one. Before, the vase was filling up, now it is overflowing. Cardinals, bishops and priests are going down the road to perdition in great numbers and are leading many other souls with them. The Eucharist is given less and less importance. You must, by your efforts, avoid the wrath of God upon you. If you ask Him for forgiveness with a sincere soul, He will forgive you.
• “I, your Mother, through Saint Michael the Archangel, ask you to make amends. You have reached the time of the last warnings. I love you very much and I do not want your condemnation. Ask Us sincerely and We will heed you. You have to sacrifice yourselves more. Remember the Passion of Jesus.”

Our Lady of Tears

Feast day: May 9

On May 9, 1977, the Mother of God appeared in tears to make Herself heard by Her children. She presented Herself dressed as Our Lady of La Salette to signify that She had come to continue the work begun on the Holy Mountain in 1846.

It is with a voice choked with sobs that the Queen of Heaven transmitted Her first message and several of those that followed.

Pointing to the waterfalls swirling nearby, She said:

“You see this torrent... My tears are worse... For you, I shed a thousand times more tears... Pray, My children, pray, do not grow weary, pray...”

Then, the Blessed Virgin descended under the bridge. What for?

At La Salette, at Fatima, at Ormstown, finally at Garabandal and elsewhere, the Mother of God intervened to save the Church. Her messages and secrets were systematically rejected, trampled on.

In Pointe-Noire, the Blessed Virgin placed Herself under a bridge, ready to undergo the trampling of men, in order to issue a new Call of salvation, a Call of profound distress!...

“I want you to save the Church of My Son. It is the sole treasure He has left on earth, which is now in perdition.”