Banneux, Belgium (1933)

Summary

In a garden behind the Beco family's cottage, the Blessed Mother is said to have appeared to Mariette Beco (age 10) eight times. Calling herself the "Virgin of the Poor," Mary promised to intercede for the poor, the sick and the suffering.

Timeline

March 25, 192	Mariette Beco as born the eldest of a family of seven children in a Catholic working family, who, however, did not practice their religion. She dwelt in a house isolated on the plateau of the Ardennes, along the route of Pepinster.
Jan 15, 1933	For two months Mariette had not gone to church. She sees through the window of her house a beautiful and luminous lady with a Rosary in her hands . Her mother caught a glimpse of something, but forbade the girl to look at the vision. Mariette became pious and restarted her catechism.
Jan 16, 1933	Mariette and a friend go to see the parish priest who dismisses her as trying to copy the Beauraing apparitions.
Jan 18, 1933	The Virgin appears a second time and leads Mariette from her house to a spring ("Shove your hands in the water") which she says would bring healing to all nations.
Jan 19, 1933	As Mariette prays the Rosary, The Virgin appears for the fourth time and identifies herself as "The Virgin of the Poor".
Jan 20, 1933	The Virgin appears for the fourth time and requests that a small chapel be built on the site.
Feb 11, 1933	The Virgin appears for the fifth time.
Feb 15, 1933	The Virgin appears for the sixth time while Mariette prays the Rosary with her mother and friends. Mariette asks for a sign but is only encouraged to "Believe in me."
Feb 20, 1933	The Virgin appears for the seventh time and encourages her to "Pray much."
March 2, 1933	The Virgin appears for the eighth and final time. "I am the Mother of the Saviour, the Mother of God. Pray much. Adieu."
1933	The Little Chapel was built and inaugurated.
1935	Investigations by an Episcopal commission begin.
1937	The evidence collected by the comission is submitted to Rome.
January 2, 1942	The Holy Office had in effect given to these bishops the liberty to "judge these extraordinary events." Msgr. Kerkhofs, bishop of Liege, immediately lifted the restrictions, and promulgated full and entire authorization for practicing the "cult" which to that point had been simply tolerated.
March 25, 1942	Cardinal Van Roy, primate of Belgium, intervened to exclude all the apparitions which had abounded in Belgium, except Beauraing and Banneux, which were being examined by their respective bishops (Namur and Liege).
May 1942	Bishop Msgr. Louis-Joseph Kerkhofs of Liege approves the cult of the Virgin of the Poor.
1947	The apparitions receive preliminary approval.
Aug 22, 1949	The apparitions receive final approval.

Photo Gallery

Description of the Virgin

The Virgin was enveloped in a "great oval light" and wore a long white gown with a sash of "unforgettable blue" and a white, tranparent veil covering her head and shoulders. Her right foot was visible and "crowned with a golden rose" between the toes. She had a rosary on her right arm with diamond-like beads and a golden chain and cross. She stood on a cloud with her head and shoulders bent sllightly to the left.

Messages

Calling herself the "Virgin of the Poor," Mary promised to intercede for the poor, the sick and the suffering in her eight messages.

Additionally, Mariette Beco had reportedly received a secret which never was made public.

Miracles and Signs

Many people, including Mariette's father, were converted to Catholicism upon hearing accounts of the apparition. Five hundred thousand pilgrims visit the site of the apparitions every year. Over fifty miraculous cures have been documented at the spring.

Church Approval

Banneux was investigated from 1935 until 1937 by an Episcopal commission, after which the evidence collected was submitted to Rome. Meanwhile growing numbers of pilgrims came to the shrine, and on March 19th, 1942 Bishop Mgr. Louis-Joseph Kerkhofs of Liege approved the cult of the Virgin of the Poor. In 1947 the apparitions themselves received preliminary approval, with this becoming definite on August 22, 1949.

"Two times, first in 1942 and then in 1947, we have officially recognized the reality of the apparitions of Banneux. Today after two new years of prayer and observation, we believe in conscience to be able and to be required to recognize without reserve this reality, namely, the reality of the eight apparitions of the Holy Virgin to Mariette Beco" (Dessain. Notre Dame de Banneux, Paris, 1967, p. 207)

The Feast of Our Lady of Banneux is observed on May 31.

Prayer

Invocations to Our Lady of Banneux

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
lead us to Jesus, the Source of Grace.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
save all nations.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
Fountain of Grace, sanctify us.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
relieve the suffering.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
relieve the sick.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
pray for each one of us.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
we believe in thee.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
believe in us.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
we shall pray very much.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
bless us.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor,
Mother of the Savior,
Mother of God,
we thank thee.