The Miracle Hunter : Marian Apparitions

The History of Marian Apparitions

Throughout history, there have been inumerable reports of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These apparitions have come in many forms and have been witnessed by a wide variety of people: men and women, children and adults, Christians and atheists. People from all corners of the globe have made claims to have experienced the presence of the Mother of God in their midst.

The earliest known claim was from St. James the Greater who saw the Virgin Mary while he was in preaching on the banks of the Ebro River in Saragossa, Spain in 40 A.D. Today, apparition reports occur more frequently. Some scholars estimate the total number of apparition claims throughout history to be approximately 2,500 (with about 500 of those coming in the 20th century alone.) Although not officially approved by the Roman Catholic Church, visionaries in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina and elsewhere currently distribute messages attributed to the Blessed Virgin.

The most famous apparitions have been those reported in Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), Rue du Bac, France (1830), Lourdes, France (1858), Fatima, Portugal (1917), and Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina (1984).

The Catholic Church has been very cautious to approve purported miraclous events. In fact, in the 20th Century, of the hundreds of public claims, there have been only 9 with episcopal approval (4 of those fully approved by the Holy See) and a handful of others that have not received official approval but have been approved for faith expression at the site. Additionally, there have been four Egyptian apparitions approved by the Coptic Orthodox Church in the last 50 years. The list of rejected claims continues to grow.