The Virgin Mary, who, at the message of the angel, received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave life to the world, is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer. Redeemed by reason of the merits of her Son and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie, she is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the Mother of the Son of God, by which account she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace, she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, no. 53.
Today, we would like to celebrate all that Mary does by presenting a brief gallery that shows how great our Mother’s love is for people in all parts of the world. She comes to the aid and comfort of her children, even those in the most remote places, to show her never-ending care and compassion. Each time she calls for conversion of heart, repentance of sin, and dedication to pray as she points us to her beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus.
Mary, our mother, our model to follow, reminds us in each of her names that she is watching over us, caring for us, advising us, and interceding for our salvation.
11 Times Mary’s Apparitions Show Her Love For All People
This was the first appearance of the Virgin Mary in Africa approved by the Church. The Virgin Mary appeared in the poorest area of Rwanda, in Kibeho, on November 28, 1981. She appears to 3 visionaries and warns about the genocide that would happen a few years later in Rwanda. She asks for conversion, fasting, prayer, and repentance. It was not just a call for Africa but for the whole world.
The image dates from the 1600s, when an Indian named Joseph promised the Virgin that he would make her an image of wood if she saved him from the enemy Mbaya tribe. Legend has it that the very same Virgin appears and shows him the place where he should hide in safety. The Indian Joseph delivers on his promise and sculpts this beautiful image that is now the patron of the Paraguayan people. Among the countless miracles attributed to her, one of the most remarkable was the preservation of the city of Caacupé amidst a great flood that produced the Ypacarai Lake.
The image is most venerated in southern Peru. The story of this lady and her sanctuary in the remote and inhospitable Valley of Chapi dates back to 1700. The priests entrusted with establishing a parish closer to the population ordered that the Virgin be carried to another place. It was said that the image became so heavy that it was impossible to move it from that place. Every May 1st, a pilgrimage is held to the sanctuary of Chapi.
Also known as Our Lady of the Golden Heart, it is the image that appeared 33 times to some Belgian children between the years 1932 and 1933 in the small village of Beauring. The apparitions were approved by the Holy See in 1949. The most important message of these appearances was: Do you love my son? –Yes – they said to her. –Do you love me? –Oh, Yes! -Then, sacrifice for me.
The Black Virgin of Czestochowa is the oldest relic revered in Poland and is one of its national symbols. It is said that the wood on which the icon is painted came from a board of the house of the Holy Family and that it was painted by none other than Saint Luke himself. In this painting, the Virgin draws attention beyond herself, pointing to Jesus, who extends His right hand toward the viewer in a gesture of blessing.
The Virgin of La Salette is another appearance of our Holy Mother to two little shepherds in the small village of La Salette, France. In these apparitions, the Virgin asks once again for prayers, especially for priests and religious.
The most important Catholic shrine in China is located at Sheshan and is one of the largest pilgrimage sites in Asia. Built by Jesuit priests in 1863, the sanctuary was damaged during revolutions and Catholic persecutions; however, Christians in Asia continue to trust Our Lady of Sheshan, the Virgin who kept them safe.
Also known as the Fátima of the East, the local bishop approved the public veneration of this appearance of Mary in 1988. The image is located at the community of Siervas de la Eucaristía in Akita, Japan. The same Virgin healed the original visionary, Sister Agnes, from deafness. In June 1988, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave definitive judgment on the events and messages of Akita, judging them reliable and worthy of faith. The cardinal noted that Akita is a continuation of the message of Fatima.
The first appearance of Our Lady of La Vang was in 1798. There had been Catholic persecutions throughout the country. Many Catholics took refuge in the forest of La Vang, and in the evenings, they would gather to pray the Rosary and talk to God. One night, a beautiful lady visited them with a child in her arms. She brought them solace and taught them to boil the leaves of trees for medicinal use. The persecutions against Catholics did not cease, and many times the town shrine was destroyed. It would eventually be designated the Basilica of La Vang and finally completed and blessed by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly in the year 2000.
The Catholic Church and the Orthodox alike approved this apparition. It so happened that a young, newly married 17-year-old Catholic who, along with her husband, was not very religious, received this vision of Mary. There was an image the couple kept next to their bed that began to drip oil. Soon, oil began to drip from the hands of the young bride. Numerous apparitions and healings ensued. The Virgin’s message was that we are instruments of unity through conversion and love. As a result of this apparition, Catholic priests, Orthodox, and Muslims began gathering at the site to pray to the Virgin.
Also known as the Lourdes of the East, this story recounts the apparition of the Virgin to a Hindu boy carrying milk to a wealthy prince. The Virgin appeared, carrying the Child Jesus, and asked for milk for him. Later, when the boy arrived at his destination, he recounted the story and apologized for having no milk to deliver. The prince saw that the milk was not missing, and asked the child to take him to the place of the apparition, where he could also see the Virgin. She appeared numerous times in the same way, but there is no official historical record of these appearances, only the oral tradition and the countless miracles in the area attributed to her. Ecclesiastical recognition elevated the shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni to the designation of basilica on November 3, 1962. The last attributed miracle occurred in 2004 during the tsunami of December 26; the basilica, which was visited by 2000 pilgrims, was the only building to remain standing, and not one of the pilgrims was injured.
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