Beauraing, Belgium (1932 - 1933)
|
Summary |
Timeline
June 21, 1917 |
Fernande Voisin was born. |
April 19, 1918 |
Andree Degeimbre was born. She married Georges van den Steen from Flanders in 1941. Andree had 3 children: Christian, Yvan and Marie-Ange. She died on June 11, 1978, the first of the five to die. |
June 20, 1919 |
Gilberte Voisin was born |
September 3, 1921 |
Albert Voisin was born. |
August 13, 1923 |
Gilberte Degeimbre was born. |
Nov 29, 1932 |
Albert and Fernande Voisin and Andree and Gilberte Degeimbre approached the convent door to call for Gilberte Voisin as they did every night. Albert ran ahead of the girls and rang the door to the convent. As he waited for a sister to come to the door, he turned around and looked toward the street and railroad bridge “Look! The Virgin, dressed in white, is walking above the bridge!” he cried out. The girls did not believe him but when they turned around they saw the figure of a beautiful Lady in white walking above the bridge and the grotto by the convent with clouds covering her feet. The sister who came to the door could not see the Blessed Virgin Mary, but Gilberte Voisin did. |
Dec 17, 1932 |
The Virgin Mary asks for a chapel to be built |
Dec 21, 1932 |
The Virgin clearly states, "I am the Immaculate Virgin." |
Dec 23, 1932 |
Our Lady states that she desires people to come on pilgrimage. |
Dec 29, 1932 |
The Virgin opened Her arms in Her usual gesture of farewell. This time Fernande saw a Heart of Gold, surrounded by glittering rays. All the children witnessed this in the remaining apparitions. |
Jan 3, 1933 |
The Virgin Mary appears for the final time at Beauraing. |
1934 |
Similar apparition claims multiplied throughout Belgium (Onkerzele, Lokere, Naasteveld, Tubize, Olsene, Etikhove) |
1935 |
The Holy Office turned the examination of the matter over to the Primate of Belgium, Cardinal Van Roy. |
1941 |
Andree Degeimbre married Georges van den Steen from Flanders in 1941. Andree had 3 children: Christian, Yvan and Marie-Ange. |
1941 |
Fernande Voisin married Albert Despas, who worked at the local tax office. Fernande was a nurse who made home visits. In 1954 they moved to Namur. She had five children: Rose-Marie, Michel, Emmanuel, Noel and Marie-Francoise. |
Feb 2, 1943 |
After long investigations and especially-difficult negotiations with Rome, the cult of Our Lady of Beauraing was recognized. |
1945 |
Gilberte Voisin married Amedee Pierret in 1945, a police officer from Sainte-Marie. He was killed while on active duty in 1953, leaving two children: Michel and Bernadette. Gilberte returned to Beauraing. |
July 2, 1949 |
The Bishop released a document to Clergy in the Diocese declaring that the Queen of Heaven did appear to the children. |
Aug 22, 1946 |
The statue of Our Lady of Beauraing was blessed the Feast of the Immaculate Heart. |
1947 |
Gilberte Degeimbre married Andre Philippe. For a long time she lived in Italy with her husband and their two children. She has since returned to live in Beauraing with her husband. |
1948 |
Albert Voisin married Yvonne Embrechts from Liege . That same year, they left for the Belgian Congo, first to Lubumbashi followed by Kowezi where their 3 children were born: Claude, Francine and Bridget. Previously, he spent his military duty in Ireland and Germany and was a teacher in Ottignies for 2 years.The family returned to Beauraing in 1961 where Albert taught at the "Institut Notre Dame." |
Aug 21, 1954 |
The Chapel was consecrated. |
June 11, 1978 |
Andree Degeimbre was the first of the five to die. |
May 9, 1979 |
Fernande Voisin died from kidney cancer. |
January 3, 2003 |
Gilberte Voisin died in an accident on January 3, 2003, the 70th anniversary of the last apparition at the exact hour that the Blessed Virgin said: "I will convert sinners" |
December 23rd, 2003 |
Albert Voisin died. |
Photo Gallery
|
Description of the Virgin
The Virgin Mary appeared as a beautiful lady in white walking above the
bridge and the grotto by the convent with clouds covering her feet. The
Virgin, with hands joined and turned toward the sky, carried a rosary
hanging from her right arm. During the five last apparitions, she showed
a heart of gold, surrounded by rays, on her chest.
Visionaries
The children belonged to two families: the Voisins (Fernande, 15 years;
Berthe, 13 years; and Albert 11 years) and the Degeimbres (Andre, 14
years, and Gilberte, 9 years old). These working families were for the
most part non-practicing Catholics.
Messages
The Virgin Mary urged the children to pray and sacrifice. She asked,
"that people pray much," "that a chapel be built" (December 17, 1932),
"that people come here in pilgrimage" (December 23). She promised the
conversion of sinners. All these points are common with Lourdes.
During the five last apparitions, she showed a heart of gold, surrounded
by rays, on her chest. During the fourth apparition (December 4) and
the seventh (December 21), she declared herself to be "the Immaculate
Virgin" (analogous to Lourdes). During the last apparition (January 3,
1933), she added: "I will convert sinners. I am the Mother of God, the
Queen of heaven." Twenty thousand persons were present that day.
The secrets given to the children have never been revealed.
Miracles and Signs
After the fourth apparition, there were sick people in the crowd. The
visionaries prayed Our Lady to heal them. But it was only after the
last apparition that healings took place. Here, however, the matter
begins to deteriorate. A certain Come Tilman, fifty-eight years old,
became a visionary in his turn, and at the first vision, he was healed
of spondylitis. However, a medical and psychic examination of the
visionary, made on June 1934, was negative. Meanwhile, similar
apparitions multiplied in Belgium. It was thus that in 1935, the Holy
Office turned the examination of the matter over to the Primate of
Belgium, Cardinal Van Roy.
During the apparition of December 8th, Dr. Maistriaux, Dr. Lurquin and
other doctors were there to pinch, slap, prick and shine flashlights in
the children eyes. There was no response from the children during the
Lady's visit.
Church Approval
Bishop of Namur approved the apparitions on February 2nd, 1943.