Marian apparitions refer to events in which the Virgin Mary is purported to have supernaturally appeared to one or more persons, typically but not always Christians, often Catholics. They are often given names based on the town in which they were reported, or on the soubriquet which was given to Mary on the occasion of the apparition. They have been interpreted as psychological (pareidolia), and as religious phenomena, occasionally as theophanies. Apparitions sometimes recur at the same site over an extended period of time. Marian apparitions sometimes involve statues or images of Mary; of particular note are weeping statues , witnessed as producing tears.

List of Marian apparitions

• the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Italy (352)
• Appearance to Richeldis of Walsingham , Walsingham, England (1061)
• Appearance to St. Dominic, giving him the Rosary (1214)
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel to St. Simon Stock , instituting the scapular - Aylesford, England (1251)
• The Black Madonna - Czestochowa, Poland (1382)
• Our Lady of Guadalupe - Villa Guadalupe (Gustavo A. Madero), Mexico, to ], an indigenous farmer, (1531)
• Our Lady of Good Success - Quito, Ecuador (1634)
• Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal , to St. Catherine Labouré, a nun of the Sisters of Charity convent at Rue du Bac , Paris, France (1830)
• Our Lady of La Salette, France, to two cowherder children (1846)
• Lourdes, France, to Bigourdane peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous (1858)
• Pontmain , France (1871)
• Our Lady, Queen of Ireland - Knock, Ireland, to numerous witnesses, along with Saint Joseph and Saint John, (1879)
• Our Lady of Beijing - Beijing, China (1900)
• the weeping statue of Santai , China (1900)
• Our Lady of China - Donglu, China (1900)
• Our Lady of Fatima - Fatima, Portugal, to three shepherd children (1917)
• Beauraing, Belgium, to five schoolchildren (1933)
• Banneux , Belgium, to schoolgirl Mariette Beco (1933)
• Garabandal, Spain, to four country girls (1961-1965)
• Zeitoun, Egypt (1968)
• Sabana Grande , Puerto Rico, to three children (1955)
• Medjugorje, Herzegovina, to five children (1981)
• Hrushiv , Ukraine (1987)
• Litmanová , Slovakia, to two girls (1990-1995)
• Conyers, Georgia, United States (1990 - 1998)
• Sydney, Australia (February 2003) [1] The image is thought to be an optical illusion. [2]
• A highway underpass in Chicago, Illinois, United States (April 2005) [3]

Further reading

• Josyp Terelya with Michael H. Brown , Witness to Apparitions and Persecution in the USSR: An Autobiography, Faith Publishing, 1991, trade paperback, 324 pages, ISBN 1877678171

See also

• Marian shrine