Banneux Belgium 1933 Apparitionby Amyobala Key
On January 15th, 1933, with snow on the ground, the first of eight
Apparitions appeared in Banneux, Belgium in the Province of Liege, to
11 year-old Mariette Beco. The young girl had been born March 25th,
1921, the eldest of seven, (later to be eleven) in a working-class,
Catholic family. He parents were not, at the time, significantly
dutiful to their religion. Even Mariette had stopped going to her
catechism clases, and her parents never attended church. At 7 p.m.,
Mariette sat at the kitchen window, looking out onto her family's small
garden as she awaited the return of her brother Julien who was late
coming home. It was then that an Apparition appeared in the form of a
Lady enveloped in a "great oval light." She was luminous, wearing a
long white gown with a sash of blue and a white transparent veil which
covered Her head and shoulders. Her right foot was visible and between
Her toes she clutched a single rose. She had a Rosary in her right hand
which had a golden chain and cross and which sparkled with diamond-like
beads. She stood on a cloud while bending slightly to one side. Mariette
called out to her mother to look. The young girl was about to go
outside when her cautious mother, startled at seeing something, but
thinking it might be a witch, stopped her daughter. When Mariette had
returned to the window, she saw the Lady smiling at her, and she
commenced reciting her prayers. Wanting to go out again, she was
blocked by her mother who secured the door, and this time when she
had returned to the window, the beautiful Lady had disappeared.
For the next 22 days, Mariette went to the garden to pray her Rosary in the cold. Despite the young girl's strong faith and dutiful prayers, the Blessed Lady did not appear. Weeks had passed and now Mariette was the only one who continued to believe in Blessed Lady, wanting so much to see her again. When Mariette and a young friend went to visit the parish priest to announce what she had seen, he dismissed it, accusing her of trying to imitate the notoriety of the visions which had been seen just one year earlier at Beauraing, Belgium. He ultimately told her that she should ask the Lady for a sign. Around the countryside, those who heard about the Apparitions were equally skeptical, some journalists calling it "Beauraing, Second Edition." The result is that there were no crowds, the greatest number ever being no more than thirty. On Saturday, February 11th, Mariette was praying on the road with a few other people. At the end of the girl's second Rosary, the witnesses saw her stand up and approach the familiar place near the stream, whereupon she knelt, dipped her hands into the water and made the sign of the cross. The Apparition reappeared and said: "I have come to relieve the suffering. I shall see you again soon." Mariette stood up and ran home, announcing that she did not understand the meaning of the words, "to relieve." Four days later, the Lady in White appeared for the 6th time. Mariette said that her priest had instructed her to ask Her for a sign. The Apparition replied "Have Faith in Me. I shall believe in you." It was then that she gave Mariette Beco a secret, which she was not to reveal to anyone. (This secret has never been revealed). Then She finished with, "Pray a lot," then said goodbye. On February 20th, the Lady appeared for the 7th time. She encouraged Mariette to "Pray much." And with a knowing, serious expression and emphasis, she said, "Goodbye for now." On Thursday March 2nd 1933, the Apparition appeared for the final time. The bitter cold days of winter had gone. Beginning at 3 p.m., Banneux was experiencing a heavy rain. It was 7 p.m. and Mariette was reciting her Rosaries, when by the third Rosary, the rain abruptly ceased. The Lady appeared and spoke to Mariette, saying: "I am the Mother of the Savior, the Mother of God. Pray much. Goodbye." That same year, upon the request of the Blessed Virgin, a Little Chapel was built in her honor. From 1935 to 1937 the Church commissioned an inquiry, and recognition was given to the site. After much deliberation, the Catholic Church approved of the Apparitions On August 22, 1949. Over the years, many pilgrims have visited the site, over half a million visiting annually. The Spring today continues to generate a few thousand gallons of waters daily, as a result of which there have been more than fifty documented healings. 
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