THE AGE OF MARIAN APPARITIONS

      In 1716 Pope Clement XI proclaimed that the Feast of the Holy Rosary be extended to the entire Church. That same year Our Lady appeared to Saint Veronica Giuliani in Italy. St. Veronica was born in Milan and began receiving messages from the Blessed Virgin at an early life in helping her mold her life to the Will of God. Our Lady revealed three mystical letters to Veronica as well as imparting vivid visions of Heaven and hell to the saint. Also that same year, French author Alexander de Rouville published "The Imitation of Mary," which was greatly patterned on Saint Thomas a Kempis' "Imitation of Christ."

      A year later Our Lady returned to the new world, this time in Brazil where she appeared as "Our Lady of Apparecida" and asked that a large cathedral be built which became the third largest in the world. Nine years later Pope Benedict XIII instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It was after this that Our Lady began giving messages to Saint Alphonsus Liguori, prompting him to found the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1732. This Order became known as the Redemptorists. In 1750 St. Alphonsus gave tribute to his Heavenly Mother publishing much of what was imparted to him by the Virgin Mary in his work The Glories of Mary.

      These glories were highlighted even further in 1754 when Pope Benedict XIV officially proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe, which we covered in past issues. Two other apparitions are reported to have occurred. One was in Westphalia, Germany when Our Lady first appeared to the mystic Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich and began revealing the life of Jesus in what would be published as the "Dolores Passion" in 1820. The other apparition, though not solidified by the Church, might have had a profound effect on the formation of America. It is the account of Our Lady appearing to none other than George Washington, the father of our country. During the bitterly cold winter of 1777 at Valley Forge, Washington had such an unusual and profound spiritual experience that on many occasions he told good friends and fellow patriots of this occurence. While he did not identify the woman who appeared to him, his description clearly describes the Blessed Mother - the Immaculate Conception and patroness of America. The first-hand observations of one of Washington's close cohorts Anthony Sherman George relate that Washington was alone in his tent when a beautiful lady appeared to him. The Lady of the apparition addressed Washington as the "Son of the Republic" as she presented him an overview of all the world and several separate visions of America at war. She advised him to "look and learn" and he said he "heard the smothered groans and cries of the American people." He was shown the future growth of towns and cities "springing up one after another until the whole land from the Atlantic to the Pacific was dotted with them." He was also shown a vision of the Civil War and of the World Wars and their outcomes. The final vision was of an event that has not yet happened. According to Washington, he writes: "I heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn.' At this a dark shadowy angel appeared, placing a trumpet to his mouth and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia and Africa. Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene: from each of these continents arose thick, black clouds that were soon joined into one. Throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light by which I saw hordes of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America. Our country was enveloped in this volume of cloud and I saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns and cities that I beheld springing up. As my ears listened to the thundering of cannon, clashing of swords, and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I heard again the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn.' The dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth and blew a long fearful blast. Instantly a light as a thousand suns shown down from above me, and pierced and broke into fragments the dark cloud which enveloped America. At the same moment, the angel whose head still shone the word Union, and who bore our national flag in one hand and a sword in the other, descended from the Heavens attended by legions of white spirits. These immediately joined the inhabitants of America, who I perceived were well nigh overcome, but who immediately taking courage again, closed up their broken ranks and renewed the battle. The dark cloud rolled back, together with the armies it had brought leaving the inhabitants of the land victorious." The Lady then interpreted the vision to him: "These great perils will come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, but in this greatest conflict the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land and the Union." With these words the vision vanished, and Washington wrote, "I felt that I had seen a vision wherein the Almighty had shown to me the birth, progress, and destiny of the United States."

      With all the appearances by Our Lady throughout the centuries, especially in the Twentieth Century, this vision is highly plausible. Though the source of this account, which Robert H. Goldsborough first published in "Washington Dateline", is secular in content, it contains highly spiritual and prophetic undertones that give credence to this purported apparition by the Blessed Mother to the Father of our country. We do not propose automatically that this account is true, only that we do know Our Lady cares very deeply for her children in America and even back in the late 1700's was trying to warn Americans through the most famous man in U.S. history. Quite possibly the American Revolution was successful through the intercession of Our Lady, whereas the French Revolution caused her great heartache as her children turned on her Divine Son's Church.

      In the next several chapters, we will return to Europe and launch into the pivotal Nineteenth Century when God sent His very Own Mother in earnest with more warnings even more explicit than what Washington received as we shall see when we deal with the apparitions at Rue de Bac, La Salette and Lourdes.

NEXT WEEK: The Modern Age of Marian Apparitions begins at Rue de Bac with the Miraculous Medal...
A True Shield to protect against the onslaughts of the evil one...especially in these End Times.