Betania, Venezuela (1976-90)

The Reconciler of People and Nations

Summary

Maria Esperanza of Betania, Venezuela has witnessed 31 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the course of 15 years. The Virgin called herself the "Reconciler of People and Nations" and warned of impending war and suffering. Many visitors have come to the site, reporting numerous miracles and signs. On one occasion in 1984, over 100 people claimed to have witnessed a public apparition of the Virgin.

The local bishop approved the authenticity of Maria's experiences in 1987.

Timeline

Nov 22, 1928	Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini is born in Betania, Venezuela.
1933	Maria has a vision of St. Theresa of Lisieux who gave her a rose.
1940	Maria nears death from pneumonia and receives a vision of Mary who recommmends the appropriate medications. She subsequently enters a convent for a brief period before being told that she did not have a vocation.
1950	Visits Padre Pio and promises her that "When I leave, she will be your consolation."
Dec 8, 1956	Maria marries Geo Bianchini on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
1974	Maria and Geo purchase a farm shown to her by Mary in a vision predicting that it would become a center of "constant prayer and pilgrimage" for all "the nations of the world".
March 25, 1976	First Apparition of Mary at the grotto site.
March 25, 1984	Over a hundred people see the Virgin at the grotto.
Nov 21, 1987	Archbishop Pio Bello Ricardo emits the Pastoral Instruction on the apparition of Our Blessed Virgin Mary in Finca Betania, approving the apparitions received by Maria.
Jan 5, 1990	The Virgin appears for the last time to Maria.
Aug 7, 2004	Maria Esperanza dies in New Jersey, USA.

Photo Gallery

The Reconciler of People and Nations - Betania, Venezuela

Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini(1928-2004) at age 14

Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini(1928-2004): seer, healer, stigmatist

Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini(1928-2004): seer, healer, stigmatist

Funeral and wake of Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini (Aug 2004)

Description of the Virgin

"And when she revealed herself, she went to the top of the tree, and I saw she was beautiful, with her hair brown, dark brown, her eyes that were lgiht brown and she had very fine, very pretty eyebrows, tiny mouth, a nose very straight and her complexion was so beautiful, it was skin that seemed like silk. It was bronzed. It was beautiful. Very young. Her hair was down to here, to her shoulders."

- Maria Esperanza

Messages

The Virgin appeared 31 times between March 25, 1976 to January 5, 1990. Twenty-four of the apparitions came after 1984.

Click here to read messages.

Miracles, Cures, and Signs

There have been over 500 miracles and cures reported at Betania. On December 8, 1991, a eucharistic miracle was reported in which the Host began to bleed. Tests in Caracas later determined the blood to be human.

Pilgrims have claimed to have seen the Virgin (over 2,000 testimonies) and various celestial phenomena.

Maria was the subject of many miraculous happenings including the stigmata and exuding sweet aromas.

Approval

November 21, 1987 --"After having studied repeatedly the apparitions of the Most Holy Virgin in Betania, and having begged the Lord earnestly for spiritual discernment, I declare that inn my judgement the said apparitions are authentic and have a supernatural character. I therefore approve, officially, that the site where the apparitions have occurred be considered as sacred."

- Bishop Pio Bello Ricardo

Pastoral Instruction on the apparition of Our Blessed Virgin Mary in Finca Betania

Books and Videos

The Bridge to Heaven: Interviews with Maria Esperanza of Betania
by Michael Brown, Drew Mariani

God-Sent: A History of the Accredited Apparitions of Mary
by Roy Abraham Varghese

Meetings with Mary
by Janice T. Connell

Betania: Land of Grace (1993) 58 min