Our Lady of Banneux

Banneux, Belgium 1933: January 15th - March 2nd 1933
Visionary: Mariette Beco (11 years old)

Mariette was born on March 25, 1921 and the oldest of 7 children. Her family was very poor. Mariette came from a Catholic family who never went to church or pray. Still she was religious, she once found a rosary and kept it with her all the time.

It was January 15th 1933 and it had snowed and it was cold. She was looking after the baby of the family and while she sat there she suddenly saw outside a young lady who was very beautiful with light all around her. She called her mother and said this is Our Blessed Lady and she is smiling at me. She then took out her rosary and started to pray while she kept looking at the Lady. The Lady wanted her to come to her, so Mariette wanted to go outside, but her mother locked the door cause she had not seen the Lady and didn´t trust it. Mariette looked outside the window and the Lady was not there anymore.

January 18th Mariette goes outside in the evening, and although she is very afraid of the dark she starts to pray her rosary kneeled down in the snow. She sees Our Blessed Lady again, and she must follow Our Lady. Mariette obeys and comes to a small stream where Our Blessed Lady stands above the road. Our Blessed Lady says to Mariette that she needs to put her hands into the water and the Lady said that the stream was specially for her. The lady says goodnight and leaves again.

January 19th Mariette goes outside again with her fathers old coat over her head to protect her from the cold. She kneels down again to pray. Her father was in the garden too. Mariette then saw the Lady again and asked herwho she was. Our Blessed Virgin then said:

"I am the Virgin of the Poor".

Our Blessed Lady then leads her again to the stream and Mariette asks Her why the stream is devoted to her(whilst she was pointing at herself). Our Blessed Lady said that this stream was for all nations..... for the sick! Mariette thanked Her and Our Blessed Lady said goodbye to her.

January 20th Mariette goes out again although she feels sick, to pray the rosary. Then she sees Our Blessed Lady again and asks Her what Her wishes are. Our Blessed Lady then answers that she would like a small chapel. And blesses Mariette for this task. Mariette looses consciousness cause she is sick but was carried inside by her father and a neighbour. Inside she regaind consicousness again.

From January 21 till February 11th Mariette keeps prayingher rosary outside in the carden, even though it is very cold. She didn´t see Our Blessed Lady and so far only Mariette beliefs in Our Blessed Lady of the Poor.

February 11th Mariette is outside with a few other people praying the rosary. Near the end of the second rosary, people see Mariette stand up and kneel down at the stream. She dips her hands into the water and makes the sign of the cros. Our Blessed Lady says: I have come to relief the suffering, I shall see you again soon. After that she disappears.

February 15th Our Blessed Lady appears again and Mariette asks Her for a sign as her Chaplain has instructed. Our Blessed Lady answers: Have faith in Me: I shall believe in you. She then tells Mariette a secret. Then she says:Pray a lot and goodbye.

February 20th Our Blessed Lady appears again at the end of thesecond rosary Mariette is praying and leads her to the stream. She asks Mariette again to pray a lot and says goodbye again.

March 2nd.It was 7 pm and raining. Mariette goes out and starts praying the rosary. At the third rosary the rain suddenly stops. Our Blessed Lady appears again and says to Mariette:
I am the Mother of the Savior, Mother of God, pray a lot. Adieu. This was the last time
Mariette saw Our Blessed Lady.

The apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin in Banneux arefully approved by the Holy See in 1949.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Visionary St. Bernadette Soubirous

Lourdes is probably one of the best known Apparitions of Our Lady, which also verified and made clear the Dogma/Doctrine of The Immaculate Conception, which was authorised by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854.

But let us take a closer look at this young girl and the message of Our Lady, which was entrusted to the young Bernadette Soubirous. She was born into a poor peasant family, in the year 1844, the first of six siblings. These were difficult years for her family and five of her brothers were to die at very young ages. Bernadette herself almost died of cholera, but, was able to survive this illness. As the family was destitute neither parent could afford medications.

Because of the poverty of her parents, Bernadette lived at different times with a foster mother at Bartres. Being that she was so poor, Bernadette was denied a decent education, and could neither read nor write. This was discovered as she began to receive instruction to prepare for her first Communion.

But it was in the year 1858 on February 11th, that Bernadette’s life would be changed forever. It was a cold day and Bernadette with two of her sisters were sent out to gather firewood for their cold and austere home. Being fragile in health, Bernadette did not cross the stream, but instead decided to wait for her sisters.

It was here that Bernadette thought she heard what sounded like a clap of thunder, as she pulled her shawl closer about her shoulders. It was as she was gazing at the sky to see if there were storm clouds, that Bernadette first saw a very beautiful woman looking at her from across the stream. The beautiful lady was dressed in what looked like a luminous white dress with a sash of blue around her waist and two golden roses on her feet. Bernadette was awestruck but also frightened as to what to do, she then saw the beautiful lady make the sign of the Cross before she disappeared, no words were spoken.

Bernadette was entranced by this beautiful lady, and thereby she returned to what is the grotto at Massabielle. It was on February 18th that Our Lady told Bernadette that she would not live a happy life on earth, but that her happiness was assured in Heaven. Our Lady gave several messages to Bernadette asking for Penance from the people and a greater devotion to our Lord and Savior.

It was here that Our Lady requested that Bernadette dig the ground so that a spring could burst forth. Bernadette immediately began digging the ground, taking no account of some of the derision from the crowds. Eventually a spring did burst forth which remains to this day.

But it was the message on March 2nd where Mary told Bernadette, "Tell the priests that people should come here in procession and that a chapel should be built on the site." Also on March 25th, the Blessed Virgin revealed to Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

Our Lady was true to her word and Bernadette upon the completion of the messages from the Blessed Virgin Mary, decided after suffering ridicule and the curious crowds which followed her around, to enter the Religious life.

She eventually entered the Sisters of Notre Dame, but after a health scare she was given the last rites, the Church therefore gave approval for Bernadette to make her vows. Bernadette was able to recover and spent time working in the Sacristy as part of her duties.

Bernadette was a very humble soul and disliked the 'fame' that seemed to plague her. She always referred to herself when questioned by the curious as 'the broom placed behind the door once it has been used', she never sought nor received special treatment. If anything the opposite occurred, when some in her community became jealous of the favour that was shown to this young nun. She suffered in silence many cruel taunts and persecutions from within her religious community. After suffering much agony and in her death throes, she cried out "Blessed Mary, Mother of God, pray for me! A poor sinner, a poor sinner".

Bernadette died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35.

She was canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI.

Upon exhuming the body of this Great Saint her body was found incorrupt and she lay in a glass reliquary, in the convent chapel.

I encourage all to read about this most momentous Vision, Our Lady of Lourdes.

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.