Banneux: The Virgin of the Poor

From January 15 to March 2, 1933, the Virgin Mary appeared eight times to an 11-year-old girl called Mariette Béco, in Banneux, Belgium.

Mariette Béco was born on March 25, 1921, the oldest child of a modest and non-practicing Catholic family of seven children. She did not attend church or catechism.

On Sunday, January 15, 1933, at about 7 pm, Mariette was sitting near the kitchen window looking out onto a small garden. It was dark and snowing, about 10°F and freezing outside. As Mariette moved the curtain she was surprised to see a light in her yard—looking closer she saw a "beautiful lady," who called Mariette to come to her. The girl wanted to go out, but her mother stopped her and locked the door.

On Thursday, January 19th, the weather was severe. Mariette was kneeling on the sidewalk in her yard. It was 7 pm. The Lady appeared. Mariette asked her: “Who are you, my beautiful Lady?” - “I am the Virgin of the Poor.” Then the Virgin led the child to a spring and invited Mariette to plunge her hands into it.

"Beautiful Lady, you said that this source is reserved for me. Why is it reserved for me?" Smiling, the Virgin answered: "This spring is reserved for all nations... for the sick." Mariette replied: "Thank you, thank you." Then the Virgin said: "I will pray for you—goodbye."

On the 11th of February, at 7pm, Mariette went outside as she did before, accompanied by six people. She recited a first Rosary, without anything happening.

"Why don’t we say a second Rosary?” Mariette suggested. At the beginning of the 5^th decade, she suddenly fell on her knees. Then, as in previous apparitions, she went to the spring, knelt down and dipped her Rosary in the cold water. Then she heard the words: "I have come to relieve suffering. I shall see you again soon."

At the last apparition, on March 2, 1933, the Virgin Mary said to Mariette: "I am the Mother of the Savior, Mother of God. Pray a lot. Farewell!"

(Note that 1933 was the year when Hitler rose to power. It is easier to understand the message of the apparitions in this context).

On April 25, 1933, the first stone of the chapel was laid. Then, on August 22, 1949, the diocesan bishop officially approved the apparitions of Banneux.

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Patrick SBALCHIERO, Excerpts from the article "Banneux" in: René LAURENTIN and Patrick SBALCHIERO, Dictionnaire encyclopédique des apparitions de la Vierge. Inventaire des origines à nos jours. Méthodologie, prosopopée, approche interdisciplinaire Fayard, Paris 2007.

Official website: banneux-nd.be/fr/