The first recorded sighting of the Blessed Virgin was by James the Greater, brother to John the Beloved Disciple of Jesus. In approximately 44 C.E. a despondent James was visited by the Virgin. He built a church in her honor; Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa, Spain. Approximately three hundred years later, [352 C.E.] a Nobleman; John of Rome, his wife and Pope Liberius all had similar dreams. In their dreams, the Blessed Virgin requested that they build a church in her honor on one of Rome's seven hills - the Esquiline; thus St. Mary Major, the only Roman basilica which, in spite of several additional decorations, has retained its original shape

Lady Richeldis de Faverches, a devout Roman Catholic and noble Saxon woman, married to the Lord of the manor at Walsingham in England. also known as "England's Nazareth," was visited in the fields near her home. The Blessed Virgin requested that Lady Richeldis build a replica of her childhood home. To assure that Lady Richeldis knew exactly where to build, a spring gushed forth. This shrine was destroyed by Henry VIII, the spring was filled with trash and closed off, leaving the exact location to be forgotten.

IN 1208 Domingo de Guzman,. while praying at a chapel in Prouille, was visited by the Virgin Mary. Giving him a Rosary, she requested him to preach the Rosary as a remedy against heresy and sin. Domingo founded an order of preaching friars who not only halted the Albegesian heresy but also established Dominican monasteries all over the world.

Simon Stock, a member of the religious order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was visited by the Blessed Virgin while on a pilgrimage to the Holy land in 1251. The virgin presented him with a Brown Scapular. After the apparition, Friar Stock went on to establish Carmelite communities near university towns in England, France and Italy.

IN 1531 a fifty-seven year-old Christian convert, a poor Aztec Indian named Juan Diego had an apparition of the Blessed Virgin. Following the Virgin’s request founded Santa Maria de Guadalupe. Within six years of the sighting, more than six million Aztecs had converted to Catholicism.

North Vietnam was the scene of the next sighting of the Blessed Virgin in 1793. This time, the Virgin appeared to a group of persons who had taken to the jungle to avoid persecution for their religious beliefs. The Blessed Virgin told them how to make medicine and how to survive; she also promised these persons that their prayers would be answered. They constructed a Chapel in the midst of the jungle called, Our Lady of Lavang.

In the summer of 1830, a 24 year old novice of the Sisters of Charity, Catherine Laboure, was visited by the Blessed Virgin. Although her spiritual guides did not believe in her apparition, they allowed her to create a medal symbolizing the apparition as she had seen it. Shortly thereafter, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – was noted to have been directly responsible for both cures and religious conversions.

One of the most famous sightings of the Blessed Virgin was reflected by the theater as the Song of Bernadette. Bernadette, an impoverished, fourteen year-old girl who lived in the Pyrenees experienced eighteen visitations from Mary over a six month period never knowing who the Lady was until the last apparition. During the apparitions, Mary instructed Bernadette to dig a hole in the ground and drink and bathe in it. The hole later turned into a spring of water which Mary promised would be a healing spring for all who came to use its waters. Yet today thousands of people travel to Our Lady of Lourdes - Lourdes, France (1858) on a daily basis, wanting to be cured by the healing waters.

ON JULY 3, 1876, three young girls claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary near Marpingen, Germany; this apparition ultimately led to military intervention.

Our Lady of Knock

The final 19th century visitation occurred in Knock, Ireland on August 21st, 1879, For more than two hours, villagers could see a beautiful woman, clothed in white garments, wearing a large brilliant crown. Her hands were raised as if in prayer. On her right stood St. Joseph, on her left stood St. John the Evangelist,. To the left of St. John was an altar on which stood a lamb and a cross surrounded by angels. All of this was seen on the gable wall of the church in a cloud of light and lasted for about two hours.

In 1917, three poor children in Fatima were visited by the Blessed Virgin. The Virgin shared three secrets with the children, and to those who disbelieved, yet showed up when the children went to their designated visitation spot on October 13, 1917. More than 70,000 additional persons showed up despite the rain to see if they could witness what the children were seeing. Instead, they were treated to the sun dancing in the sky, as did nearly 10,000 additional persons in neighboring villages.

They witnessed the spin out of its orbit, and suddenly plunge toward the earth. A full twelve minutes had passed before the sun returned to normal. Many people, previously rain-soaked, people found their clothing completely dry. Others, who came with medical problems, found their ailments either completely healed or significantly alleviated.

Since 1981, in a small village named Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, The Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing and giving messages to the world. The fact is, every sighting has been made by a person of the Catholic faith. Whether or not these sightings can be recognized as miracles is questionable; what occurred because of the sightings are indeed miracles.

I have to admit that the sighting at Lourdes and Fatima are by far too well documented to be anything less than miracles, and despite my anti-religion status; I have often longed to visit Lourdes. I do believe in miracles. I do believe they occur daily to or for someone. My question remains, why is it that only those of the Catholic Religion have seen these apparitions? The Bible tells us that faith moves mountains; could it be that those of the Catholic religion have more faith than those of other religions? Or, does the possibility exists that it is not just those of the Catholic faith have seen these apparitions; others just refuse to acknowledge the apparitions because of their religious belief?

Is it possible that any of us, who are willing to pray will have miracles such as apparitions occurring? I would like to make a suggestion to all, no matter what your faith, no matter what your religious orientation, no matter if you are a believer in the spirit world, of God, or even an atheist; do a little experiment with me. Clear your mind of all of your religious convictions. Believe that there is a God and pray to him, for small things; faith building prayers. [Things like a parking space at a busy mall, or a winning lottery ticket so you haven’t wasted your dollar; small things that can be granted to make you believe; keep a notebook of these prayers and answers. Keep me informed, tell me when you have faith in prayer; then let’s all pray for an apparition, one that we can share with others. How else can we possibly know if anyone other than one of a Catholic background can witness apparitions?