The last Marian apparition of Beauraing, also known as the Virgin of the Golden Heart or Our Lady of Beauraing, occurred on January 3, 1933, in the small town of Beauraing, Belgium. It was the 33rd and final appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to five children, who had been witnessing her visions since November 29, 1932. The apparition was recognized by the Catholic Church in 1949, and the site became a place of pilgrimage and devotion.
The five children who saw the apparitions were Fernande Voisin (15), Gilberte Voisin (13), Albert Voisin (11), Andrée Degeimbre (14), and Gilberte Degeimbre (9). They belonged to two families who lived near each other and were friends. The first apparition took place on November 29, 1932, when the four older children went to the convent school to fetch Gilberte Voisin, who was studying there. As they passed by a railway viaduct, they saw a luminous figure of a woman dressed in white, floating in the air. They ran to the school and told Gilberte, who also saw the figure when they returned to the spot. The nun who opened the door for them did not see anything, and neither did their parents, who dismissed their story as a prank or a hallucination.
However, the children insisted that they had seen the Virgin Mary, and returned to the same place the next day, hoping to see her again. They were not disappointed, as the figure reappeared and smiled at them. The children began to pray the rosary, and the figure joined them with her lips moving. The children also noticed that she had a rosary hanging from her right arm. The apparitions continued almost daily, usually around 6 p.m., and lasted for a few minutes. The children described the figure as having a white dress and veil, blue eyes, blonde hair, and a golden heart on her chest. She did not speak at first, but later communicated with them through gestures, nods, and words.
The news of the apparitions spread quickly, and attracted the curiosity and skepticism of many people. Some came to see the children’s reactions, while others came to pray and seek favors from the Virgin. The local authorities and the clergy were also alerted, and tried to investigate the phenomenon. The children were questioned, examined, and tested by doctors, psychologists, and theologians, who found no evidence of fraud, hysteria, or mental illness. The children remained consistent and sincere in their accounts, and showed signs of ecstasy, such as falling to their knees, gazing upward, and becoming oblivious to their surroundings, when they saw the apparition. They also reported physical sensations, such as warmth, cold, and fragrance, associated with the presence of the Virgin.
The Final Apparition
The last apparition took place on January 3, 1933, in the presence of about 30,000 people, who had gathered in the garden of the convent school, where most of the apparitions had occurred. The Virgin appeared to the children near a hawthorn tree, next to a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. She spoke to each of the children individually, and revealed her identity and her message. She said to Fernande: “I am the Immaculate Virgin. Pray always.” She said to Albert: “I am the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven. Pray always.” She said to Andrée: “I will convert sinners.” She said to Gilberte Voisin: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” She said to Gilberte Degeimbre: “Do you love my Son? Do you love me?” When Gilberte answered yes, she said: “Then sacrifice yourself for me. Goodbye.”
The Virgin also made three requests to the children: to build a chapel on the site of the apparitions, to come on pilgrimage, and to pray a lot. She also showed them her golden heart, which was a sign of her love and compassion for humanity, and a source of grace and healing for those who invoked her. The children said that the Virgin was very beautiful and radiant, and that she smiled and blessed them before disappearing. They were filled with joy and peace, and thanked God for the privilege of seeing his Mother.
Aftermath and Recognition
The apparitions of Beauraing had a profound impact on the lives of the children and the people who witnessed them. Many conversions, cures, and miracles were reported as a result of the Virgin’s intercession. The children grew up to lead simple and devout lives, and remained faithful to their mission of spreading the message of the Virgin. They also faced some difficulties and persecutions, such as mockery, slander, and threats, from those who did not believe or approve of their experience. They bore these trials with patience and humility, and trusted in God’s plan for them.
The Church authorities also followed the development of the apparitions with caution and prudence. They established a commission of inquiry to examine the facts and the fruits of the phenomenon, and to determine its supernatural origin and authenticity. The commission conducted a thorough and rigorous investigation, and consulted with various experts and witnesses. After 16 years of study and deliberation, the commission reached a positive conclusion, and submitted its report to the bishop of Namur, André-Marie Charue. On July 2, 1949, the bishop issued a decree, approving the public devotion to Our Lady of Beauraing, and declaring that the apparitions were worthy of belief. He also authorized the construction of the chapel that the Virgin had requested, and the celebration of the feast of the Virgin of the Golden Heart on November 29, the anniversary of the first apparition.
The recognition of the apparitions by the Church was a great joy and consolation for the children and the faithful, who had been waiting for this moment for a long time. It also confirmed the validity and importance of the Virgin’s message, which was a call to prayer, conversion, and sacrifice, in a time of great turmoil and distress for the world. The apparitions of Beauraing were a sign of hope and grace, and a reminder of the maternal love and care of the Mother of God for her children.
Donarreiskoffer, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparitions_mariales_de_Beauraing#/media/Fichier:Our_Lady_of_Beauraing_06.jpg
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