Our Lady of Banneux: "I am the Virgin of the Poor"

Mariette Beco was born on March 25, 1921, into a working-class family and lived in a modest house on the outskirts of the village of Banneux, near a large pine forest. 

On the evening of January 15, 1933, Our Lady appeared for the first time in the family yard. She called Mariette by a sign of the hand, but Mariette's mother forbade her to go out.

On Wednesday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m., Mariette was in the yard, praying on her knees. Suddenly, she got up and went toward the road where the Lady was calling her. Twice on the road she fell to her knees. A third time she knelt down by the ditch, before a "pool" of water from a spring. The Lady spoke to her, saying: "Put your hands into the water." Mariette did so and repeated what the Lady told her: "This fountain is reserved for me. Good night, goodbye."

On January 19, the weather was very bad. Mariette was kneeling on the path. The Lady appeared. Mariette asked her, "Who are you, beautiful Lady? 

- I am the Virgin of the Poor.

She led the girl along the path to the spring. Mariette asked again: "Beautiful Lady, you told me yesterday: 'this spring is reserved for me.' Why for me?" Mariette was pointing to herself, believing that the spring was for her. Smiling, Our Lady replied, "This spring is reserved for all nations...to bring comfort to the sick."

- "Thank you, thank you," Mariette said. Our Lady added, "I will pray for you. Goodbye."

On Friday, January 20, Mariette stayed in bed all day: she had slept badly. At 6:45 p.m., she woke up, got dressed and went out. When the Virgin appeared, Mariette exclaimed, "Oh, here she is!" Then she asked, "What do you wish, my beautiful Lady?" Smiling, the Virgin answered, "I would like a little chapel."

Then for three weeks the Virgin stopped coming. On February 11, Mariette was once again led along the road. She knelt down twice, dipped her hands in the water at the spring and made the sign of the cross. The Virgin appeared and said: "I come to alleviate suffering."

Mary appeared again on the following February 15 and 20 to the young girl, asking her insistently to "pray very much." Ten days later, Mariette saw the Virgin again for the last time, on Thursday, March 2. She delivered the message given by Mary: "I am the Mother of the Savior, Mother of God. Pray very much."

Father Joseph Schmetz