Since June 24–25, 1981, the eve and feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, when six children in a small village in Bosnia-Herzegovina first reported seeing and receiving messages from the Blessed Virgin Mary, more than 40 million pilgrims from around the world have flocked to the small village named Medjugorje. Pilgrims attend Read more
The Vatican has approved pilgrimages to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a significant site of alleged Marian apparitions, but has stopped short of declaring the visions authentic. By issuing a decree of nihil obstat (literally “nothing stands in the way”), the Holy See “authorises prudent adherence” to the messages of Medjugorje but has not formally recognised the Read more
The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has given the go-ahead for the Spanish pilgrimage site of Chandavila and the veneration of Our Lady there. On Thursday, the dicastery published a letter from Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Faith, to the Archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz, José Rodríguez Carballo, in which he confirms Read more
This week, the Vatican is set to publish a new set of guidelines on apparitions, including Marian apparitions, that is, reports from individuals or groups that the Virgin Mary has appeared to them. There are many kinds of apparitions and visions, but Marian ones predominate in the Catholic Church. The last major Vatican document addressing Read more
Several Hindu and Catholic schoolchildren in India say Christ and Our Lady appeared to them while they were praying. They also say when they saw Our Lady the smell of jasmine became very strong. Father Merton D’Silva, who is the assistant at the St Ambrose parish church next door to the children’s school, said archdiocesan Read more
It’s the most popular and well-known Marian apparition in the recent history of the Church. One hundred years ago, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in a field in Fatima, Portugal. She brought with her requests for the recitation of the rosary, for sacrifices on behalf of sinners, and a secret regarding Read more
In a recent Vimeo video produced by Spirit Juice Studios and the Knights of Columbus, Fr. Donald Calloway recalled his radical transformation from atheist, drug-addicted high school dropout to Catholic priest. One night, an almost-21-year-old Donnie was spending a quiet night at home in his room. Without the distraction of music or the noises of Read more
A bishop in Argentina has recognised as supernatural the apparitions of Our Lady to a local woman. Bishop Hector Cardelli of San Nicolas in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province made the announcement on May 22 concerning Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas. Apparitions from 1983 to 1990 have been investigated and approved as worthy Read more
Pope Francis has said he will visit Portugal in 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions in Fatima. Following a private audience with the Pope, Bishop Antonio Marto of Leiria-Fatima told media that Francis expressed a desire to make the trip, provided he is still “alive and healthy” at the time. If Francis Read more