Beauraing is a small town in the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium, and it was here that the Blessed Virgin appeared to a group of 5 children, between late November 1932 and January 1933.
On the evening of Tuesday, November 29, 1932, Fernande Voisin (a 15 year-old girl) and her brother Albert (aged 11), were with Andrea Degeimbre (aged 14) and her sister Gilberte (aged 9), making their way to the local convent school to meet Fernande's and Albert's sister Gilberte (aged 13), who had stayed at school until 6:30 P.M. to study.
They entered the grounds and passed a small Lourdes Grotto in the convent gardens. Albert rang the bell, and then looking towards the Grotto he suddenly cried out: "Look! The Blessed Virgin, dressed in white, is walking above the bridge!" (It is in fact railroad embankment.)
Without turning around, Fernande replied that it was only automobile lights. But Albert insisted, and when the girls looked back, they too saw the luminous figure of a lady dressed in white walking in mid air, her feet hidden by a little cloud. The religious who answered the door could see nothing, but as soon as Gilberte came to the door she too saw the figure.
The next evening, the children went by themselves again to the convent to meet Gilberte. And, as the day before, the vision they claimed to have had took place again, just for them. Although very moved, the children took at closer look at the vision, and they were able to describe it: She was at the same place as the day before, holding her hands as in prayer, with rays of light surrounding her head.
The Apparitions at Beauraing (IV): A Chapel
On Saturday, December 17, 1932, there was an apparition to all the children, in the usual pervious settings. Gilberte Voisin asked Our Lady: "By request of the clergy, we ask you what you want." The answer came: "A chapel."
Soon, the apparitions no longer occurred every evening, although the children still assembled and said the rosary. If Mary did appear they would fall to their knees in unison. They were closely watched to ensure they could not talk to each other, and when the apparition was over they were questioned separately.
On December 28th the children reported that Our Lady had said: "My last apparition will take place soon." The next day Fernande saw the Blessed Virgin with a heart of gold surrounded by rays, and this was also seen by two of the children on December 30th, as Mary repeated the phrase, only heard by Fernande: "Pray, pray very much."
On Thursday, December 29th, again all the children saw the apparition. But during the interrogation, only Fernande said that at the moment when the Blessed Virgin opened her arms to leave, she saw a golden heart around the middle of the Blessed Virgin's chest. It was pointed on one end and surrounded by luminous rays about 10 cm each, thinner at their extremity.
| [Adapted from a Historical Summary of the Apparitions at Beauraing,
Doctrinal Commission (Beauraing Files Vol. 5: Official Inquiry 1933-1951)
Read: http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/appariti/beaurain.html ]
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