THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

E-CARDS

THE APPARITIONS OF VIRGIN

BIBLE MAP

SANITS

   الصلاة اليومية لقلب يسوع الاقدس  

HOW GREAT .. MUSIC

The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary  

Crowned Queen of Heaven

Lourdes 1858                

 Our Lady of Lourdes - Optional Memorial: February 11th

Bernadette Soubirous is very closely associated with Gods plan and works in Lourdes. That is why I would like you to get to know her better. She is a Saint who is an ordinary person like you and I, it is her humanity and living the true gospel, which make her so attractive. She was just fourteen and did not know her catechism or her French. Bernadette Soubirous was taken in by the Hospice de Lourdes, run by the Soeurs de la Charité de Nevers (Sisters of Charity of Nevers), in January 1858 to learn to read and write in preparation for her first communion

Her parents were François Soubirous and Louise Soubirous-Casterot. Bernadette their first child was born on Sunday January 7th, 1844 in Lourdes. Her birth was registered locally with the names of Bernarde-Marie Soubirous. During the following years six other children were born, of which three died. Bernadet herself was never a healthy child, she suffered from asthma. She was always very close to her parents and siblings. They lived in the mill belonging to Boly. Due to the bad conditions in the mill, the amount and quality of the flour went down, as did the number of customers. Eventually the family Soubirous was forced to leave the mill and move to a much poorer dwelling. François Soubirous had to look for work daily, which was usually badly paid. Thus he was unable to take proper care of his family. Louise Soubirous tried to help out by going to work, whilst her eldest daughter Bernadet looked after the little ones. People did try to give Bernadet catechism lessons. This proved to be very difficult and Bernadet was very often to be found alone with her sheep. She very religious and was always praying her rosary which she always had with her. She knew no other prayers

First Apparition - Thursday, February 11, 1858

Bernadette Soubirous (14), her sister Tionette (12) and their little friend Jeanne Abadie (13) had gone out to hunt for wood. They had walked to Massabielle and saw a grotto in front of which there was a stream. So Bernadette Soubirous started to take off her shoes and socks to walk through the water. She had hardly got them off when she heard a sound much like a gust of wind. Again she heard the same sound and when she looked at the grotto, she saw in the upper most corner a beautiful lady clad in a white dress with a blue belt and a yellow rose on each of her feet. The lady signalled, with her finger that Bernadette should come nearer. Bernadette was almost frozen to the ground. She spontaneously grabs her rosary kneels down and tries to make the sign of the cross. But she cannot do this until The Lady who is carrying a Rosary with a large shining Crucifix has made the sign of the cross. Whilst Bernadet is praying the rosary she sees that The Lady is also letting her beads slide through her fingers, but without moving her lips. This ‘vision’ lasts for about 15 minutes. The other girls saw nothing of this ‘vision’ but Bernadette told them about it and thus the news is told to mother Soubirous

Second Apparition - Sunday, February 14, 1858

It is Carnival Sunday and Bernadette Soubirous feels forced to go to the grotto although her mother has forbidden her to do so. After a lot of persuasion Bernadette’s mother does agree with her going to the grotto which she does with the other two girls taking a bottle of Holy water with her to throw at the vision in the grotto should she see Her again. Bernadette gets the girls to kneel down and they pray the rosary together. Again Bernadette Soubirous sees The Lady with Her Rosary on Her arm. She sprinkles Holy water towards the lady and says: "if you are from God, stay. If not go away." As Bernadet sprinkles more water the Lady smiles more and more. When the bottle is empty Bernadette carries on with her rosary and the vision/lady disappears

Third Apparitiones - Thursday, February 18, 1858

It is still very early in the morning when Bernadette Soubirous once again kneels down at the grotto. A few adults from the village have come with her and they give her pen and paper. Bernadette goes into the grotto and asks The Lady: "would you please write down your name". The people of the village have told her to do this.
Bernadet Soubirous hears the answer,"That is not necessary". She then hears The Lady ask her: "will you be good enough to come to the grotto for fifteen days?" Bernadet answers: "Yes, I  

then the Lady says: "I would like to see lots of people here". This is the first time that Bernadette Soubirous hears Her Gentle very clear voice. This apparition lasts less than half an hour.

Fourth Apparition - Friday, February 19, 1858

Bernadette Soubirous is no longer afraid and feels a deep inner attraction/pull, to go to the grotto in Massabielle. Six or seven women including Bernadette’s aunt go with her. After barely three Hail Mary’s the vision reappears and it lasts for about 30 minutes. This day Bernadet takes a blessed candle with her, something that she continues to do every day until the fourteenth vision on 3 March 1858

Fifth Apparition - Saturday, February 20, 1858

On this day the group with Bernadette Soubirous has grown to about 30 people. The same vision appears and when it has ended Bernadet is immediately her normal quiet self. She says very little about the vision, only says, very clearly, that she had once again seen "aquero", "The beautiful Lady", who smiles at her from the grotto

Sixth Apparition - Sunday, February 21, 1858

On this Sunday morning the 100 or so people who go to the grotto with her are aware how deeply Bernadette Soubirous is moved. Our Lady appears to look with Her shining eyes over the whole world and She says: " pray for the sinners". In the afternoon Bernadet has to endure a long interview with the police commissioner Jacomet. Bernadette remains calm; Father Soubirous makes her promise never to go to the grotto again

Seventh Apparition - Tuesday, February 23, 1858

In the confessional, the chaplain, Father Pomian, tells Bernadette Soubirous that nobody has the right to stop her going to the grotto. Then her father, Soubirous lifts his ban on her visits to the grotto. On this day, once again, there are at least one hundred witnesses. Among whom are doctor Dozous and many other important men from the little town. Our Blessed Lady teaches Bernadette Soubirous  word for word a special little prayer. Which Bernadet keeps secret. She prays this prayer every day for the rest of her life. Mary also now gives her instructions. "Go to the Priests and tell them, that I want a Chapel built here"

Eighth Apparition - Wednesday, February 24, 1858

Two or three hundred people have come together at the grotto. They see the face of Bernadette Soubirous looking very sad She crawls on her knees over the ground stopping several times to mutter; penance…. penance.. penance…. She said that The Lady had asked her to do this as penance for the sinners

Hail Mary…pray for us sinners

Ninth Apparition - Thursday, February 25, 1858

Once again the grotto is full of people. The outward apparition of Bernadette Soubirous during this apparition is strange, due to what Mary is saying to her. :" My daughter, I want to tell you, just for you and about you one last secret, which you must never tell anyone else. Now go and drink and wash at the spring and eat of the grass growing nearby. Mary points with Her finger to the grotto. Then Bernadet sees dirty muddy water, she cannot drink it. She tries three times to dig deeper and deeper. On the fourth occasion she can drink it and washes herself with it. Then she eats the grass. Some of the people present say: "she is mad". But after Bernadet dug in it the spring became enormous. It was to become a spring of 100,000 litres a day. Many people call it the ‘miraculous water’. Late on this day Bernadet had to undergo an interrogation from the Procurer Imperial, M.Dutour. But the investigator did not get any were with this interrogation

Tenth Apparition - Saturday, February 27, 1858

The tenth apparition took place in the presents of 800 people. Once again Bernadette Soubirous drank water from the spring which was now bubbling and ate grass from nearby

Eleventh Apparition - Sunday, February 28, 1858

Even more people than the previous day (1150) followed Bernadette Soubirous to the grotto. The chief officer of the Gendarmerie from Tarbe was present with his secretary. He was impressed, and said that the vision lasted fairly long. In the afternoon there was another interrogation by the Procurer Imperial and the Chief of Police. The headmaster of the local senior school came to question her in private. He thought that she was suffering from catalepsy, prior to this questioning, when he became certain that she really was having these visions

Twelfth Apparition - Monday, March 1, 1858

According to the police count 1.500 people were present . Bernadette Soubirous sees the little girl who tells her that she is not carrying her own Rosary, but the one belonging to her sick girlfriend. Again Bernadette drinks from and washes herself at the spring. This was the first day that a Priest was present. The newly ordained Priest, Abbe Dezirat from Omex a small town close to Massabielle. He watches Bernadet very carefully and closely. Later, he said" What perfect peace! What perfect serenity! What a perfect saintliness! It is impossible for a child to make this up; so pure, so beautifully lovely. I felt as though I was standing on Heavens threshold."

Thirteenth Apparition - Tuesday, March 2, 1858

This time there were 1650 spectators. Bernadette Soubirous heard the following request; "go and ask the priests to build a chapel.  I want the people to come here in procession". Father Peyramale is so nasty to her when she sees him, that she only remembers to ask about the procession and forgets all about the church. Very shaken she returns to the priest in the evening and tells him and three chaplains the rest of her message. The Parish priest says that she must first ask the Lady Her name

Fourteenth Apparition - Wednesday, March 3, 1858

Early in the morning 3 or 4,000 people are present at the grotto, but nothing happens. In the afternoon Bernadette Soubirous returns and in the presence of a hundred or so people, she sees the vision. So as the parish priest had requested, she asked The Lady Her name. The Lady just smiles but gives no answer. Bernadet goes back to see the parish priest, who says that she is crazy and is being taken for a ride. He does however repeat his request that Bernadette should ask The Lady for Her name

Fifteenth Apparition - Thursday, March 4, 1858

It is market day in Lourdes and the last day of the fifteen days mentioned at the third apparition. An awful lot of people, about 20,000 wander down to the grotto. The local police with help from police from other villages have more to do than they can cope with. Bernadette Soubirous remains there for three quarters of an hour entranced at the grotto Once again when she leaves the grotto she goes to see the parish priest and tells him that The Lady only smiled when asked Her name, but she still wants a church built. Peyramale repeats his request that Bernadet must ask The Lady Her name

There follows a pause in the apparitions, which lasts for twenty days. During which time Bernadette does not go to the grotto. Neither does she feel that very strong pull which calls her to the grotto. This is a welcome pause for her in which she regains her peace. She goes to school and prepares for her First Holy Communion.

Sixteenth Apparition - Thursday, March 25, 1858

The feast day of the Annunciation. Bernadette Soubirous has not been to the grotto for three weeks. Then during the night of 24, 25 March she suddenly had a great urge to go to the grotto in Massabielle. At five in the morning, she is on her way to the grotto with some of her relatives. Even this early in the morning, several people, including the chief of police are at the grotto. As soon as Bernadet arrived, she saw The Lady. For about an hour she remains entranced as she looks at The Lady. She asks The Lady, her name, repeating the question three times. The Lady smiles at her and then Bernadette gets the courage to ask The Lady her name for a fourth time! Now she is given THE ANSWER



This statement from the Lady confirms the doctrine of Pope Pius 1X. She is "The Lady Clothed with the sun", The completely pure one. Our Lady announced Her Immaculate
Conception to Sister Catharina Labouré during the apparitions at the Rue du Bac in 1830. She also taught Sister Catharina Labouré the following prayer
 

The miraculous medal was at first called: "the medal of Mary of The Immaculate Conception". Bernadette Soubirous did not understand it, not even following her visit to the Parish Priest She started to understand it in the afternoon following her talk with Mr. Estrade, a learned man, that The Lady was The Virgin Mother.

Then there is again a pause in the visions

Seventeenth Apparition - Wednesday, April 7, 1858

Bernadette Soubirous had been to confession a few days earlier and so people expected her to go to the grotto. This she did, as usual carrying a lighted candle in her left hand, her right hand protecting the flame against the wind. In the ecstasy, which follows and lasts for 15 minutes, the flame blows against her fingers. Dr. Dozous sees no burns and believes that Bernadet really does see what she says

This was followed by the longest pause between apparitions

Eighteenth Apparition - Friday, July 16, 1858

On the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Bernadette Soubirous feels a very strong inner pull to go to the grotto. She goes there at 8 p.m. Since the previous apparition the authorities have fenced off the grotto following a decree pasted on 10th June 1858 locked it up. Bernadet kneels down on the other Side of the river Gave with her auntie Lucille. For a short period of time she is in deep ecstasy just like the previous time a few months earlier. When she is later asked what The Lady said to her, she answered: "nothing", but does say that she has never seen The Lady looking so beautiful.

Following this apparition Bernadette Soubirous again returns to her normal life in faith, which means to her being completely faithful every day

The first of these eighteen apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes took place 11 February 1858. During and after Bernadette Soubirous is subjected to admiration, seen as being important and has people turning away from her! Her parents had a very hard time of it, how could these poor people defend themselves against threatening public pressures! But Bernadet remains her normal self. A simple, honest and devote girl. She remains calm and very open with some humour in the face of the investigations from the church and worldly authorities, displaying a resolute resistance in the face of their indelicate persistence whilst repeatedly telling them about the apparitions. A decision to become a nun develops in Bernadet at this time and finally she decides to enter the convent in Nevers, as her health is not good enough to follow the rules of any very strict orders, she loves to care for the sick and as "nobody has tried to force me to go there"

Bernadette Soubirous in Nevers

On July 1866, wishing to realize her desire for a life dedicated to religion, she joined the Soeurs de la Charité of Nevers in Saint-Gildard, the seat of the congregation. Before she left her beloved Lourdes and her family, Bernadette Soubirous went to the Grotto on the 14th of July 1866. Bernadet lives with the nuns in Nevers under name given to her at her baptism. Soeur Marie-Bernarde. At the beginning of her noviciate Sister Marie-Bernarde told the entire congregation of the nuns her full story about the apparitions, after which she was never again allowed to mention them. Some of her Mother Superiors put her to work at humble and menial tasks to keep her meek and mild. She did suffer under these humiliations, but she accepted the situation and remained very cheerful. On the day she took her final vows, the Bishop told her, that is was her work to pray. She was given work in the convents hospital room, where she became a good and efficient nurse She herself was sick with asthma, she developed tuberculosis, calcium lose from her bones and open wounds, these things gave her a lot of suffering which together with her mental suffering, remained her daily of what Our lady had asked in Lourdes." Do penance and pray for sinners"

"I promise to make, you happy, not in this world, but in the next"

She died on Wednesday 16th of April 1879 aged 35. On her deathbed she once more reinforced, at the request of Pope Pius1X and the Bishop of Lourdes, under oath, her statements about the happenings at Massabielle. Following a long and strict process, as order by church law, Sister Marie-Bernarde was declared a Saint by Pope Pius X1 on the 8th of December 1933. Her body, remains intact, in a glass Shrine in the chapel of the convent in Nevers

My personal note about Lourdes in relationship with Sister Marie-Bernarde

§         She did not even know what "I am The Immaculate Conception," meant. She was an honest and sincere young girl. It was very special, that Our Lady should choose her. The visions only brought her suffering! The world however is very greatly blessed by Lourdes. More than 5 million pilgrims per year are not unusual When the lord mayor, had the grotto, shut down and then the Bishop of Tarbe was asked to reopen it, He said," Only the Emperor can reopen the grotto. Lets who is stronger, Our Lady or the Emperor?" It was at the repeated and urgent request of Empress Eugenie that Napoleon III had the grotto reopened

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Feastday Our Lady of Guadalupe: December 12

 Guadalupe, Mexico 1531

Patroness of the Americas

December 9, 1531 (Saturday). Early in the morning, Juan Diego, a Christian convert, is on his way to attend Mass two and a half miles away at Tlatelolco, once an Aztec center and the place where the final battle of the Spanish conquest had taken place just 10 years earlier. Suddenly, Juan hears beautiful music and a woman’s voice calling him to the top of Tepeyac Hill which he is just passing. At the top of the hill he sees a radiantly beautiful woman, who reveals that she is the Virgin Mary and instructs him to go to the bishop and tell him that a temple should be built in her honor at the bottom of the hill. Juan Diego goes immediately to Tlatelolco to the palace of Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, a Franciscan friar. The bishop receives him kindly but, for the moment, is reluctant to believe Juan Diego’s story. And so a discouraged Juan Diego goes back to the top of Tepeyac Hill and admits his failure to the Virgin. The Lady directs him to go back to the bishop and repeat the request

The incredulous Bishop demanded that he be provided with some proof of the unlikely encounter. Confused and fearful, Juan Diego avoided Tepeyac for several days, but on December 12, while rushing to find a priest to attend a seriously ill uncle, he took a short cut across the hill. The Virgin once again appeared and Juan Diego told her of the Bishop's request. The Virgin instructed him to pick roses from the usually sere and desolate hill and deliver them to Zumarraga as the sign. Juan Diego gathered up the miraculous blossoms in his mantle and hurried off to complete his mission. Once again before the Bishop St. Juan Diego opened his tilma and several other witnesses, the roses fell to the floor and at the same time, the image of Our Lady appeared on the tilma. The Bishop fell to his knees, begging forgiveness for he had not believed. He took the tilma into his private chapel and placed it beside the Blessed Sacrament where he gave thanks and praise to the Lord for having been the recipient of such a wondrous gift. Within two weeks, the first humble house or temple was erected on Tepeyac Hill. Here, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe would remain. Word of the apparitions spread and people flocked to see the image of Our Lady

An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her. Yearly, an estimated 10 million visit her Basilica, making her Mexico City home the most popular Marian shrine in the world, and the most visited Catholic church in the world next to the Vatican. Altogether 24 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times: on his first apostolic trip outside Rome as Pope in 1979, and again in 1990, 1999 and 2002
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II, in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent. During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born.

These apparitions in Guadalupe are fully approved by Archbishop Alonso de Montúfar in 1555

Official website
http://www.virgendeguadalupe.org.mx/

Our Lady of the Miracle

The Jew Alphonse Ratisbonne and the Miraculous Medal (1842)
Basilica Sant Andrea delle Fratte, Rome

Marie Alphonse Ratisbonne was born at Strasburg France, on 1 May, 1814. He was the son and heir of a wealthy, aristocratic family of Jewish bankers. When Alphonse Ratisbonne was still a child his older brother, Theodor, converted to the Catholic faith and became a priest. The family Ratisbonne reacted with hostility and horror. Alphonse resolved never to communicate again with his older brother, and developed a violent antipathy to the Catholic faith and to all things Catholic. In 1842, 28 years old, he is engaged to his own niece, Flore Ratisbonne, whom he plans to marry the following August. Right now, he is touring Europe and the East, partly for pleasure and partly for his health; one last fling before settling down with Flore and assuming a partnership at his uncle's bank. Ratisbonne decided to go to Naples, to spend the winter in Malta, to strengthen his delicate health.

In Naples he had mistaken the road and instead of coming to the reservation office for Palermo, as he intended, he arrived at the stage-coach for Rome. Even after he realized what was up; he remained there and booked his passage on the steamer to Rome. He left Naples on the 5th and arrived in Rome on the 6th, the feast of the Three Kings. So here he is, making the best of it, avidly touring Roman ruins and museums in the company of a paid guide. On January 8, Ratisbonne was called by name on the street. It was his old classmate from Strasburg, Gustavo de Bussières, a Protestant. The two eagerly rekindle their friendship. Later, when Alphonse calls on Gustave, he encounters the latter's older brother, the Baron Theodore de Bussières, a convert to Catholicism and a close friend of Alphonse's priest-brother. Alphonse feels instinctive abhorrence toward this zealous Catholic convert, but he knows the baron is an expert on Constantinople, which Alphonse plans to visit, so he rashly agrees to call upon him for travel advice. De Bussières saw it as his mission to convert any unbeliever who crossed his path in life, to Catholicism. He and Ratisbonne became friends, but Ratisbonne's sarcasm and blasphemy irritated him enormously.

Finally, the baron makes an extraordinary proposition. "Since you abhor superstition and espouse such liberal views," he asks Alphonse, "would you consider submitting to a simple test?" "What test?" "To wear something I'm going to give you. It's a medal of the Holy Virgin. It appears quite ridiculous to you, no doubt. But as for me, I attach great importance to it." And he shows Alphonse the Miraculous Medal attached to a cord. Alphonse is dumbstruck. He can scarcely believe the baron's impertinence. But as a man of the world, he doesn't want to seem to be making too much of a trifle. So he consents, breezily quoting a line from The Tales of Hoffman: "If it does me no good, at least it will do me no harm." The baron's little daughter puts the miraculous medal around Alphonse's neck. And Alphonse burst out laughing: "Here am I, a Roman, apostolic Catholic!" But this was not enough for De Bussières. "And now", he said, "you must complete the test. Every morning and evening recite the Memorare, a short and efficious prayer, which St. Bernard composed to the Virgin Mary". Ratisbonne said: "Let it be! I promise to recite this prayer. If it will not do me any good, it will not do me any bad!"

In fact, the baron's relentless proselytism is starting to get on Alphonse's nerves. Far from drawing him toward Catholicism, it is repelling him further. Yet the baron, undaunted, persists. But the baron is not relying on argument alone. He's also praying very hard. And so are his friends, his fellow members of Rome's tight-knit community of aristocratic French expatriates. Notable among these friends is the Count Laferronays, ex-diplomat, once a notorious roue' and now a devout, fervent Catholic. Moved by the baron's pleas, the Comte drops into a church and fervently prays "more than 20 Memorares" for the conversion of the "young Jew." That very same evening, the Count suffers a fatal heart attack. After receiving his final Sacraments, he dies devoutly, surrounded by his loving family.

At midday, January 20, 1842, when the Baron was arranging the funeral of his friend Count Laferronays in the basilica of St. Andrea delle Fratte in Rome he asked Ratisbonne to wait for him in the church. When the Baron came back to the church he found Ratisbonne on his knees in prayer. This sight moved him to tears. In Ratisbonne's own words: "I was scarcely in the church when a total confusion came over me. When I looked up, it seemed to me that the entire church had been swallowed up in shadow, except one chapel. It was as though all the light was concentrated in that single place. I looked over towards this chapel whence so much light shone, and above the altar was a living figure, tall, majestic, beautiful and full of mercy. It was the most holy Virgin Mary, resembling her figure on the Miraculous Medal. At this sight I fell on my knees right where I stood. Unable to look up because of the blinding light, I fixed my glance on her hands, and in them I could read the expression of mercy and pardon. In the presence of the Most Blessed Virgin, even though she did not speak a word to me, I understood the frightful situation I was in, my sins and the beauty of the Catholic Faith.

The baron helps Ratisbonne outside and into his carriage. He takes him to the Hotel Serny, where Alphonse is staying, and loosens his cravat so he can breathe. But Alphonse is still sobbing, clasping his Miraculous Medal, murmuring thanks to God. At last he turns to the baron, embraces him, and with a face "presque transfiguree" says: "Take me to a confessor! When can I receive baptism, without which I can no longer live?" "What has happened?" exclaims the baron. "What have you seen?" "That," says Alphonse, "I can reveal only on my knees and to a priest." So...the baron takes him to the Gesu, the Jesuit mother-church, to see Father Villefort. There, Alphonse tries to explain himself, but he is still sobbing so hard that he is unintelligible. At last he calms down, takes the Miraculous Medal from his neck, holds it up, and cries: "I saw Her! I saw Her!"

Alphonse Ratisbonne confessed and thought that his family would believe he was insane and would have ridiculed him. So he prefered to flee totally from the world, its chatter and its judgments. He entered the convent of the Jesuits to make a retreat under the guide of Father Villefort. January 31, 1842, he received from the hands of His Eminence Cardinal Patrizi, the Vicar of His Holiness, baptism, confirmation and his first Holy Communion. The following month, the Vatican holds a canonical process to investigate the circumstances surrounding Alphonse's conversion. After lengthy investigation and many depositions, it concludes that his sudden conversion was entirely miraculous; an act of God wrought through the powerful intercession of the Virgin. In May 1842, only a few months after the apparition, a painting of the Madonna of the Miracle was placed for veneration in exactly the same spot and in the same form as She appeared. The canvas was painted by the artist Natale Carta, who according to tradition, followed the indications of Ratisbonne himself. In the same year, after a formal inquest about the apparition of January 20, the Vicar General of Pope Gregory XVI, Cardinal Patrizi, declared on June 3, 1842, that it was a divine miracle operated through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and permitted the publication and spread of texts recording the miracle.

After his conversion he assisted his brother, Theodor, in founding the Sisterhood of Our Lady of Sion in 1843, was ordained priest in 1847, and entered the Society of Jesus. Desirous, however, to devote himself entirely to the conversion of the Jews, he left the society with the consent of Pope Pius IX, transplanted the Sisters of Sion to Jerusalem in 1855, and built for them in 1856 the large Convent of Ecce Homo with a school and an orphanage for girls. In 1860 he erected the Convent of St. John on the mountain at Ain Karim, together with a church and another orphanage for girls. Here Alphonse laboured with a few companions (Pères de Sion) for the conversion of Jews and Mohammedans until his death. He died there May 6, 1884. Ratisbonne did try to get in contact with Catherine Labouré, but never succeeded, as the Sister was shielded from the outside world. There were so many miracles operated by Mary in the Shrine, that on January 17, 1892, Pope Leo XIII coronated the venerated icon with a diadem. On April 25, 1942, Pope Pius XII elevated the title of the church to the rank of a basilica. On March 12, 1960, Pope John XXIII elevated the basilica of Sant Andrea delle Fratte to the title of a cardinal's church. The visit of Pope John Paul II to this church took place on February 28, 1982.

"This apparition to Alphonse Ratisbonne in Rome is fully approved by the Holy See: June 3, 1842"

Our Lady of Fatima

February 20: Feastday of Blessed Jacinta and Francisco

First apparition in Fatima of the Angel  

The shepherd children saw in spring 1916 in Fatima the vision of an angel of peace whose mission was to prepare them for the Coming of the Lady Mary three times. The Angel demonstrated to the children the fervent, attentive, and composed manner in which we should all pray, and the reverence we should show toward God in prayer.

Second apparition in Fatima of the Angel

During the summer of 1916, the angel appeared a second time to the children, who were playing and urged them to pray: "Constantly offer prayers and sacrifices to the Most High". He presented himself as the guardian angel of Portugal.

Third apparition in Fatima of the Angel

In his third and final apparition to the children in autumn 1916 in Fatima, the Angel gave them Holy Communion, and demonstrated the proper way to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist: all three children knelt to receive Communion; and Lucy was given the Sacred Host on the tongue and the Angel shared the Blood of the Chalice between Francisco and Jacinta.   

First apparition of Our Lady in Fatima

It was on the 13th of May 1917 that Our Blessed Lady appeared for the first time in Fatima. They were playing and building a wall when they suddenly saw a flash of lightening. They thought that a storm was brewing and herded the sheep together to take them home. They once again saw a flash of lightening and shortly afterwards they saw above a small holm oak tree a Lady dressed entirely in white and shining more brilliantly than the sun. They were standing so close to it that they were standing in this Light. The Beautiful Lady said; “be not afraid, I shall do you no harm”. Lucia asked;” where have you come from?” It is Lucia who asks all the questions. “ And what to you want from me?” The Blessed Virgin said: ”I come from Heaven, I come to ask to you to come back here on the thirteenth of the month at the same time for six months. Then I shall tell you who I am and what I want. Then I shall come a seventh time.” Then Lucia asked, “ Shall I also go to Heaven?” -----“ Yes.”—And Jacinta?”-----“as well”-------“And Francesco?”----“He too, but he must first say a lot of rosaries.” Then Lucia asked about two girls’ aged 16 and 20, who had died recently, if they were in Heaven. “The first is and the second not”. Was the reply. 

This was the first apparition when they got to know Our Lady. Then Our Lady started to tell them why She had come. “ Will you all offer yourselves to God to carry the suffering. that He shall give you in reparation for sin and for the conversion of sinners?” In childlike and heroic simplicity they answered. “ We want to”. “Then you suffer a lot, but the Grace of God shall be your strength!” Whilst She said the words: - “ The grace of God She opened Her hands out of which came beams of such a strong light, that it dug into the deepest depths of our souls. In this way She showed us ourselves in God, Who is this Light.

We saw ourselves better than in the very best mirror, Lucia tells us. Due to an enormous inner urge to do so, we fell to our knees and repeated:  “Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and I offer You the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.” After a short time, Our Lady said; “ Pray the rosary every day for peace in the world and for the end of the war! At the end of the rosary say the following prayer: My Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fire of Hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have the most need of Thy Mercy.” Then She slowly moved away to the east.

Second apparition of our Lady in Fatima

The second encounter took place on the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua. Our Lady asked the children to pray the Rosary daily. She promised to take Jacinta and Francesco to heaven soon. To Lucia, She gave the mission of remaining in the world to establish devotion to Her Immaculate Heart. She promised Lucia: "My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God." On that occasion Our Lady gave the children another vision of God and revealed to the Her Immaculate Heart, surrounded by thorns, outraged by the sins of humanity, and seeking reparation for them.

Third apparition of Our Lady in Fatima

The apparition of July 13th would prove to be in many ways the most controversial aspect of the message of Fatima, providing a secret in three parts which the children guarded zealously. The first two parts, the vision of hell and the prophecy of the future role of Russia and how to prevent it, would not be revealed until Sr. Lucia wrote them down in her third memoir, at the request of the bishop, in 1941. The third part, usually called the Third Secret, was only later communicated to the bishop, who sent it unread to Pope Pius XII.

The vision of hell in Fatima

Lucia later revealed that as she spoke these words, Lady Mary opened her hands and rays of light from them seemed to penetrate the earth so that they saw a terrifying vision of hell, full of demons and lost souls amidst indescribable horrors. This vision of hell was the first part of the "secret" of Fatima, and was not revealed until much later. The children looked up to the sad face of the Blessed Virgin, who spoke to them kindly: "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wants the devotion of My Immaculate Heart to be spread over the world and to increase. If people do what I shall tell you, many will be saved and there will be peace, the war shall end if people truly stop blaspheming God. If they don’t, during the pontificate of Pius X1 a worse war shall start. If you suddenly see a bright unknown light one night, know that that is a sign from God, which He is giving you to let you know that He is going to punish the world for her sins. This with war, famine, persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I ask that Russia be consecrated to my Immaculate Heart. And that you receive Holy Communion every first Saturday of the month as reparation. If  the people do as I ask and really take heed of my words, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If this does not occur, Russia will spread her false teaching throughout the world, war and persecution of the church are inevitable. The good shall suffer martyrdom; The Holy Father shall suffer much; different nations will be annihilated. But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me and it will be converted and some time of peace will be granted to humanity.  In Portugal the people will keep their faith. Tell this to no one other than Francesco. When you pray the rosary, say after each decade:  “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, take all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Your mercy.” Lucie then asked, “ Do you want me to do anything else?” “ No I desire nothing more from you today.” Then She glided slowly towards the East, ‘ She disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament.

Fourth apparition of Our Lady in Fatima

August 13th 1917 the children were in prison in Ourem, a few kilometres from Fatima. Jacinta, in tears offered everything for the conversion of sinners. The time that Our Blessed Lady would appear came and went. The twenty thousand people in Fatima saw and hear the rumble of thunder and a vividly brilliant flash of lightening in the clear blue sky. The sun grew pale and the whole atmosphere changed to a dull, sickly sort of yellow, while a light cloud, of beautiful shape, appeared and hovered a while over the oak tree and the place of the apparitions.

On the 19th of August Lady Mary appeared in Fatima to the children in the area which is called Valinos, a small village near Fatima. Once again She appeared above a holm oak tree. Lucie said: “What do you wish of me?” Our Lady answered,” I want you to come to Cova da Iria on the thirteenth and continue to pray the rosary, at the last apparition, I shall do a miracle, so that all people may believe.” “What are we to do with the money which the people leave at Cova da Iria?” “This money is for the the feast day of  Our Lady of The Rosary, that which is left over is to build a Chapel.” When Lucie asked Our Lady to heal some sick people. Our Lady answered, “ During the next year I shall heal some. Pray! Pray! A lot and bring offers for the sinners, as a lot of souls go to hell because nobody offers themselves for these souls or prays for them. Pray!” Our Lady was elevated and moved off towards the East.

Fifth apparition of Our Lady in Fatima

13th of September. Rumours were spreading that God was going to do something special on this day. Lucies mother, who often hit her child as she thought that Lucie was telling lies had fixed all her hopes on this. But nothing happened which made the apparitions clearer. This meant that her position at home got worse. But Lucie offered her suffering up as Our Lady had taught her.” My Jesus, I offer all to You, it is for Your Love and reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and for the conversion of sinners.” Our Lady said: “God is pleased with your offers, but He wants you to wear those penance belts only at night.” The children had made these belts themselves.

Sixth and last apparition of Our Lady in Fatima

On a rainy day at October 13th of 1917 in Fatima the mystic Lady appeared for the sixth and last time to the children. More than 70.000 people in Fatima were present that evening. The children were still the only one who can seen her and she declared that she was the Holy Maria. She declared the children her three secrets and appeared then. Suddenly, the rain stops and the clouds drove away to reveal the sun. The sun begans to turn around and seems to fall down ! witnesses declared later. The people thought that the world ends but the sun got his normal position back to the sky. By tradition it is told that this phenomenon happens twice.

The Miracle of the Sun in Fatima

The sun miracle which all these people had witnessed can best be described in the following words. After the long extensive rains, the sky became blue, people could easily look into the sun, which started to spin round like a wheel of fire which radiated wonderful shafts of light in all sorts of colours. The people, the hills, the trees and everything in Fatima seemed to radiate these marvellous colours.Then the sun stood still for a moment then the wonderful thing that had happened reoccurred. It was repeated for a third time. But now the sun broke loose from the heavens and came down to earth with a zigzagging movement. It became bigger and bigger and looked as though it would fall on the people and flatten them. All were frightened and fell to the ground while they prayed for mercy and forgiveness. The people prayed…

Then everything returned to normal and the people who had been kneeling in the mud realised that they were filthy all over. They turned to the children and fired a barrage of questions at them. This continued well into the night before they permitted the children to get some rest, only to be continued the next day. They offered all this up for the sinners and (never told before) for the Holy Father The Pope.

The deaths of Francisco and Jacinta

After this the interrogations commenced and as always people tried to get the children to tell the secrets that Our Blessed Lady had told them. But without success, as even the little Jacinta said, " rather die than tell".  Jacinta died soon afterwards 20th of February 1920. She died alone in hospital in Lisbon, just as Our Lady had said.
Francesco had died the previous year on the 4th of April 1919. Lucie is still alive. Our Blessed Lady had said that she would live longer as Our Blessed Lord had chosen her to be  His worker to make Our Lady known and to increase the devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.

The Apparition at Pontevedra December 10, 1925

Eight years after the Fatima events, when Sister Lucy was living in a convent in Pontevedra, Spain, she experienced another apparition of Our Lady. On the 10th of December 1925 Our Blessed Lady appeared to her in Pontevedra, with Her Child in a cloud of light. The Child said: "have mercy on the heart of your Blessed Mother, it is surrounded with thorns with which the ungrateful people still continue to pierce it. Continually piercing Her heart with nobody removing the thorns by acts of restitution". Then Our Blessed Lady said: "My daughter, see My heart surrounded by thorns with which the ungrateful people pierce it with their blasphemous language and ungratefulness.Will you try to comfort me and to make it known, that all who have attended Mass on the first Saturday for five consecutive months, been to confession and received Holy Communion, prayed the rosary and kept Me company for fifteen and ungratefulness. to make it known that all minutes whilst contemplating the mysteries of the rosary and do this has restitution I shall grant them the mercy which they will need in their hour of death".

The Vision of the Most Holy Trinity and Our Lady of Fatima at Tuy, Spain, June 13, 1929

Lucy was moved from Pontevedra to Tuy, Spain, just over the national border, on July 16, 1926, nine months after she first entered the nunnery at Pontevedra. We have no evidence that her superiors made this move because they were concerned about her personal welfare. Her “apparitions” continued. As Our Lady said at the apparition of 13 July 1917: "I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia". She did this on 13 June 1929, when She appeared to Lucy in the Chapel of Dorotheas, in the town of Tuy, Spain. My mother superior and Father confessor had given me permission to hold a holy hour from Thursday 23.00 hours until Friday Midnight. One night, I was alone praying on my knees in the Chapel, the prayer of the Angels.( Notice how faithful she has remained). I was feeling very tired and stretched,  continuing to pray with my arms stretched out. The perpetual sanctuary lamp was the only light. Suddenly the entire chapel was filled with a super natural light, a Cross of Light appeared which spread to the edges of the altar. In a very clear light, in the upper part of the Cross, was the Face and upper torso of the Body of a person. In  front of the chest was a Dove of light and the Body of another Person was nailed to the Cross. Just below the waist a chalice was suspended, above which there was a large Host onto which fell some drops of  blood. from the Face of  the crucified and some drops of Blood from the wound in His chest. These drops rolled from the host into the chalice. Under the right arm of the cross stood Our Lady of Fatima with Her Immaculate Heart in Her left hand. It was devoid of the sword or the roses, but with the crown of thorns and flames. Under the left arm of the cross, appeared some large letters looking like crystal clear water that flowed towards the altar forming the words:

      "MERCY AND CHARITY"

I then received more detail about the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, which is a secret that I may not tell. Then Our Blessed Lady said: " Now is the time for The Pope to invite all the Bishops of the world to join him to dedicate Russia to my Immaculate Heart. He 'God' has promised to save it if this done. So many souls are condemned  by God's Righteous Justice because of the sins against Me. That is why I ask for reparation. Offer yourself to pray for this intention!!!"

Weeping Madonna of Syracuse

Our Blessed Mother did not appear in Syracuse
She sent Her tears to people there

Antonina Jannuso and her husband Angelo Jannuso got married and went to live temporarily with his mother and brother in Syracuse. Syracuse is in Sicily, the large island at the foot of Italy. They were very poor. One of their wedding presents was a plaster plaque of Our Blessed Lady. This plaster sculpture, or plaque, which depicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary was mass-produced in a studio in Tuscany. When Antonia discovered that she was pregnant, her condition was accompanied by toxemia that expressed itself in convulsions that at times brought on temporary blindness. The doctors said that this was due to the difficult pregnancy and said that she had to go to bed and stay there. Antonia found her refuge in prayer. For which her husband mocked her

On 29th of August 1953 she started with very bad cramps which lasted a lot longer than normal. The people who were with her wanted to fetch the doctor and her husband. Suddenly the patient became calm. Antonina suffered a seizure that left her blind. At about 8:30, her sight was restored. In Antonina’s own words:
"I opened my eyes and stared at the image of the Madonna above the bedhead. To my great amazement I saw that the effigy was weeping. I called my sister-in-law Grazie and my aunt, Antonina Sgarlata, who came to my side, showing them the tears. At first they thought it was a hallucination due to my illness, but when I insisted, they went close up to the plaque and could well see that tears were really falling from the eyes of the Madonna, and that some tears ran down her cheeks onto the bedhead. Taken by fright they took it out the front door, calling the neighbors, and they too confirmed the phenomenon…"

Her auntie and sister-in-law witnessed this miracle. All the other members of the family were called and also saw this miracle. Antonia stayed watching by Our Blessed Lady and for several hours she witnessed the miracle, whilst she tried to wipe away the tears of the Blessed Virgin. Firstly with a handkerchief and then with cotton wool. The Madonna was weeping for four days, from August 29 to September 1, on numerous occasions and attracted thousands of pilgrims in Syracuse. Three priests visited the home during this time. One of them notified the Chancery, which assembled a group of distinguished clergymen, four men of science and three reputable witnesses, to comprise an investigative commission. The commission gathered at the Jannuso home the morning of Tuesday, September 1 for the purpose of studying the phenomenon and collecting a sample of the tears for chemical analysis. After the tears were analyzed, it was found that they were of the same composition as human tears

THE TEARS WHERE HUMAN TEARS AND THE THIS WAS DOCUMENTED AND SIGNED BY FOUR DIFFERENT DOCTORS

The Parish Priest bears witness to the fact that the doctors swore to this fact on The Bible. The pieces of cotton wool, which were soaked with the tears of the weeping Madonna, were send to different places around the world and many miracles occurred as in Spain. The Most Blessed Mother cries because the world does not pray anymore. People can no longer pray, as they are ruled and lead by pride and no longer turn to God. People no longer cry out in prayer to The Most Holy Spirit of God. They only trust in human knowledge and science, and no Longer in God. The first person to experience a miracle of healing was also the first to observe the weeping. From the time Antonina Iannuso first saw the tears, she recovered completely from severe toxemia and gave birth to a healthy son on December 25, 1953. Archbishop Baranzini officiated at the infant’s Baptism. The weeping bust of Our Lady of Syracuse in Italy was approved the next year by Pope Pius XII: October 17, 1954

Lady of Pontmain

In the village of Pontmain, about 30 kilometres to the north of Laval, a farmer was working in his barn with his little boys Eugene and Joseph Barbadette, aged 12 and 10. On the evening of 17 January 1871, the two boys were helping their father in the barn when the eldest, Eùgene, walked over towards the door to look out. As he gazed at the star studded sky he noticed one area practically free of stars above a neighbouring house. Suddenly he saw an apparition of a beautiful Lady smiling at him. Their father sees nothing, except three large bright stars forming a triangle in the sky. But Joseph also sees the Lady. She is wearing a long blue cloak strewn with golden stars; a black veil and a golden crown about 20cm wide with a red stripe in the middle. The lady is also wearing blue shoes and her hands reach out slightly to the side as on the Miraculous Medal. Undaunted, they call their mother, who also fails to see anything even after going back to the house for her eyeglasses.

There is nothing to it, declare the parents, and the boys are to get on with work and then come in for supper. After a quick meal, the boys still see the beautiful Lady, so the Sisters of the school are called. Again, they see nothing. The Blessed Virgin Mary smiled constantly and remained motionless in the same position until 9 p.m. The children, parish priest and a lot of parishioners have gathered together, Father Guerin commences to pray with the parishioners.Of course the first prayer is the rosary. At this moment the Lady becomes larger and the stars on Her cloak multiple and a lighted banner is unfurled under her feet. Later, two girls from a local school, Francoise Richer age 11 and Jeanne Marie LeBosse age 9, were brought and could also see the Lady, while a growing crowd of sixty adults, who had begun to pray the Rosary at the suggest of the local priest.

The parish priest of Pontmain starts to pray the Magnificent and golden letters appear on the banner, one by one and as if they were being written by an invisible hand. The village children say the letters one by one and when complete they read:

BUT PLEASE PRAY MY CHILDREN

The parish priest says:”we must pray to the Lady, making Her will known”. The people now pray The litany of The Blessed Virgin Mother. More words appear as they did earlier:                              

GOD WILL SOON HEARYOUR PRAYERS

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