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.
Légende - Photo
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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