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, Christian saints 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). According to the Dictionary of Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, throughout history 308 apparitions are attributed to Saints or Blesseds. They are generally unofficially recognized by Church authorities (or at least the orders and congregations that they have founded or belonged to). Only 7 Popes throughout history have witnessed Marian apparitions.

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 most recently Vatican approved apparitions are those from Le Laus, France (1664) which were approved in 2008. The most recently occuring apparitions with full Vatican approval are those from Kibeho, Rwanda which ended in 1989. The 1859 Robinsonville, WI, USA apparitions which were declared authentic on December 8, 2010 are the most recently episcopally approved apparitions and the first episcopally approved apparitions in the history of the United States.

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 with Vatican approval) and a handful of others that have not received official approval but have been approved for faith expression at the site. A total of 22 apparitions throughout history have been investigated and have received episcopal approval. 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.