Our Lady of Knock

Ireland, Knock
Thursday 21 August 1879 at 8pm

On August 21 1879 Margaret Beirne was locking up the church when she saw a strange brightness but left. At the same time Mary Beirne and the housekeeper who she has been visiting both saw "Statues". The housekeeper said that it were no statues but it was the

Blessed Virgin. After that 13 more people saw the beautiful women,who was all dressed

in white and wearing a brilliantcrown. On the right of the Blessed Virgin was St. Joseph

and on the left St. John the Evangelist dressed like a bishop. On the left of St. John was an

altar with a lamb and a cross surrounded by angels. This vision lasted for 2 hours.

Miraculous healings have been reported soon after the area. And still today it is a place

where many pilgrims visit.Our late beloved Pope John Paul II visited Knock in 1979

and Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the shrine in 1993.

Our Lady of La Salette

Visionaries Melanie Mathieu and Maximin Giraud

In the years 1845 to 1850 were troubling times for Europe of epic proportions as we will discover. This was a time when many in Europe were still feeling the effects of the the French Revolution, which devastated France and sent tremors into neighbouring countries.

But it is the year 1846 that we will focus on, for this was the year when Our Lady appeared to two illiterate youths, namely Melanie Mathieu and Maximin Giraud.

These were two simple children, who's main job was to protect the cattle on the pasture above La Salette, for their employers. These two children had received very little in the way of education and came from very poor families.

But it was on Saturday, 12th September, 1846 that would irrevocably change the lives of these two youths forever. For it was on this day that the two children would see a beautiful Lady of indescribable beauty.

This beautiful Lady appeared to them as if on a circle of light, and when the light opened it revealed this most beautiful Lady sitting on a rock with her head in her hands as she wept inconsolably. She seemed to be wearing a long, white dress with pearls studded on it and also a white shawl, hanging from her neck was a crucifix and upon her head a Crown.

The two children were very upset to see one so beautiful, weeping so bitterly and both were also a little afraid, when confronted with this most wondrous Lady, they did not know what to do nor how to console her.

Our Lady looked at both children and still weeping she told them to warn the people that unless they changed their way, great tribulations would strike the population, for she could no longer hold back the Hand of her Son.

The children were horrified at what Our Lady was to reveal to them, and also overwhelmed. She warned of a coming famine that would corrupt crops and bring untold misery and tragedy to many families. Our Lady told the children the reason why such punishment would come, as nearly all people had lost sight of God and were dismissive of Him, even unto blaspheming His Holy Name!

Our Lady told the children these words, "If my people do not obey, I shall be compelled to loose my Son's arm. It is so heavy I can no longer restrain it. How long have I suffered for you! If my son is not to abandon you, I am obliged to entreat Him without ceasing. But you take no heed of that. No matter how well you pray in the future, no matter how well you act, you will never be able to make up to me what I have endured on your behalf. I have given you six days to work. The seventh I have reserved for myself, yet no one will give it to me. This is what causes the weight of my Son's arm to be so crushing. The cart drivers cannot swear without bringing in my Son's name. These are the two things which make my son's arm so heavy."

Our Lady then went on to ask the children, "Do you say your prayers well, my children?" Both Melanie and Maximin told the truth and declared they did not pray much at all, Our Lady beseeched them to practice and keep a good prayer life, she also said that so few practiced prayer nor attended any type of Worship, except for a very few elderly people in the villages.

She once again warned both children of the coming Chastisements if people did not ammend their ways or repent of their sins. Our Lady also imparted secrets to each child and recommended that both children share with the world her message of grief and to warn people to once again embrace God, or they would face a great Tribulation!

When the children told the local community and the Presiding Bishop they both faced much opposition and at times open ridicule leading to persecution, not too many people wanted to hear of coming chastisements. But even though Melanie nor Maximin had great education, they both remained steadfast and resolute in warning the world of what Our Lady had commissioned them to do!

Unfortunately what Our Lady predicted came to pass in the Great Potato Famine which spread from Europe to Ireland with untold and unparalelled tragedy. During the years 1845 to 1850, more than a million Irish people starved to death, and millions more left the shores of Ireland never to return to their homeland again.

The children eventually confided the secrets given to each of them privately to the Reigning Pontiff Pope Pius1X, at his request. The Pope was later heard to exclaim, " These are the secrets of La Salette: Unless the world repent, it shall perish!"

Later Mgr de Bruillard as Bishop of Grenoble released this statement:"We declare that the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to two shepherds, on September 19, 1846, on a mountain in the Alps in the parish of La Salette, bears in itself all the marks of truth and that the faithful are justified in believing without question in its truth. And so, to mark our lively gratitude to God and the glorious Virgin Mary, we authorise the cult of Our Lady of La Salette."

As for both Melanie and Maximin they were to lead complicated lives, both tried to enter religious communities which they failed at. Maximin after trying to gain employment, eventually started his own religious shop selling devout items, due to many unsrupulous people, there were questions raised about his level of business acumen. Maximin died a holy death at only 38 years old.

Melanie herself also tried different religious Orders none of which worked out. Being of an outspoken nature, Melanie did not attract large groups of friends, Melanie possessed a deep honesty but little personal 'charm'. She eventually died alone in Italy at the age of 73.

The message of La Salette still holds true for today, and I would encourage all to read of this momentous Vision, our Lady of La Salette.

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Paris, France on Rue de Bac, 1830
Visionary Sr. Catherine Laboure


Catherine Leboure and the appartions

Catherine Leboure was born on May 2nd 1806 atFainles-Moutiers a little village in France.
She came from a family of 11 children and she was the 9th child. She lost her mother at when she was just 9 years old so she already experienced suffering then. She had a divine call and joined the community of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. In the first few months she started as a novice the appartions started, the first one on July 18th 1830. Against noon Catherine hears somebody calling her name. Catherine is a 24 year old novice and she looked in the direction of the sound and pulled away a curtain. there she saw a child like 5 years old, dressed in white.The child says:"Come to the chapel, the Holy Virgin is waiting for you". Catherine walks to the chapel of the convent, together with her guardian angel. She sees Mary sitting on the directors seat. The guardian angels says again:"There is the Holy Virgin." Mary enthrusts her several things. She tells Catherine that she has an assignment for her for the difficult times there were about to come. Mary promised help and mercy for those in prayer. Specificly she talked about the religious persecution later in that century. Catherine told her confessor, who didn´t believe much of it untill a week later the revolutionstarted in Paris. On November 27th, that same year,Catherine sees Mary again in the chapel. She is dressed in white, standing on a globe with a golden ball in her hands. A voice within says her that the ball represents the world and the rays of light which came from it, is the mercy for the people who love her. The golden ball dissapears when Mary moves. A scene shows with around her golden letters who form the text: "Oh Mary conceived without sin; pray for us who have recourse to thee. On the backside Catherine saw a big M above the cross, under it a heart, one surrounded with thorns, theother pierced with a sword. Again Catherine heard the innervoice to make a medal of this scene. Later this medal would be called the "Miraculous Medal". Until shortly before she died Sr. Catherine didn´t tell anybody about the apparitions, only to her confessor since that is what Our Lady had asked her to do. On December 31st. 1876 Sr. Catherine dies at an age of70 years. 57 years later her body was exhumed and found in perfect condition. And her body was placed in a shrine in Rue de Bac. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 27, 1947

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Vision received by St. Juan Diego

The Aztec culture practiced for many years human sacrifices to appease their 'god' Huitzilpochtli (the Hummingbird Wizard). The estimate of their total human sacrifices was approx 20,000 people a year, the Aztec culture also practiced cannibalism.

But it was in the year 1531 that a beautiful lady appeared to a simple peasant, who was very devout, his name was Juan Diego, he was amazed at the beauty of this lady who then identified herself as the 'Mother of the one True God'.

This beautiful lady brought a message of love and compassion for that region and country and instructed Juan to tell his Bishop of her appearance, Juan as you can imagine was overcome by this august mission, for he was a very simplistic soul. Juan himself was born in 1474 but it was in the year 1524 and 1525 he was converted and baptized, as well as his wife, receiving the Christian name of Juan Diego and his wife the name of Maria Lucia.

Being of a devout nature Juan each day would walk miles to attend Mass, in very rough terrain often taking up to 3 hours to arrive, but it was on one of these journeys that Juan’s life took an unexpected turn, when the lovely lady appeared before him with these words, “Juanito, Juan Dieguito “, “the most humble of my sons”, “my son the least”, “my little dear”.

After revealing who she was to Juan our Lady gave these messages to Juan to deliver to the local Bishop, “Know and understand well, you the most humble of my son, that I am the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth...I vividly desire that a church be built on this site, so that in it I can be present and give my love, compassion, help, and defense, for I am your most devoted mother . . . to hear your laments and to remedy all your miseries, pains, and sufferings."

Juan took this message to the Bishop, who obviously was sceptical of what Juan was relating to him and the Bishop then asked for proof, that this was indeed Our Lady. After several Visitations from Our Lady she instructed Juan to pick some flowers and place it in his 'tilma', Juan did as he was instructed. When he returned to the Bishop he emptied his 'tilma' and there to the astonishment of the Bishop was the miraculous image of Mary Most Holy. Eventually a Church was built where Our Lady had instructed and thousands converted to Christianity. Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patroness of the Americas.

Juan Diego died on May 30, 1548, at the age of 74.

In April of 1990 Juan Diego was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. The following month, in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, during his second visit to the shrine, John Paul II performed the beatification ceremony.On July 2002 he was canonized by the Church, during a ceremony celebrated by John Paul II, again in the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Since then there has been scientific research which purportedly shows the reflection of Juan Diego in the Image of Our Lady on his tilma. I would encourage all to read this most miraculous of Apparitions, Our Lady of Guadalupe.