Meetings with Mary: Visions of the Blessed Mother

by Janice T. Connell

Through the centuries and across the world, the Virgin Mary has appeared to ordinary people of every race and culture, from scholars to illiterates, from the devout to the unbelieving, from young children to the dying. In this exquisite and inspiring volume, Janice T. Connell chronicles authenticated Marian apparitions and messages Mary has brought from God--as mother, comforter, Queen of Angels, and Prophet of the Apocalypse.
Drawn from scripture, legend, and never-before-published eyewitness accounts, these are personal stories--the author's own, and her interviews with other visionaries--filled with beauty, wonder, and joy. Meetings with Mary ranges from Elijah's vision of Mary eight hundred years before her birth to the world-famous children of Medjugorje in Bosnia, whose encounters with her began in 1981 and continue daily. Here also are lesser-known, deeply touching encounters with the Mother, from an office worker in Holland to a Japanese nun, from a Jewish banker in Rome to an awestruck crowd of visionaries, few of them Christians or of any other faith, in Egypt.
Meetings with Mary asks also: as the millennium draws near, shadowed by disasters, disease, and brutal civil warfare, are Mary's frequent appearances a signal to the faithful? Perhaps she is calling us all to join her now on a voyage toward the eternal shores of peace, joy, and abiding love. . . .
"[Connell is] passionate about prayer and sharing her love of Jesus'
mother. . . . She has a way of simplifying complex theology."
--Rocky Mountain News

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Christianity, Spirituality, Faith, Christian

416 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1995

About the author

Janice T. Connell is an attorney and recognized authority on the subject of Marian apparitions. She is the author of ten books, an international speaker and frequent radio and television commentator.

Reviews

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim years ago. I scoffed at most books dealing with Catholicism, but was intrigued enough to give it a try. As a child I had a deep devotion to Mary. I still do. The Virgin Mary is my strongest hold over from Roman Catholic upbringing. Connell's book on Mary helped to deepen this devotion, and brought into focus why I have such a love for Mary.

Connell goes into great detail on Maryology and discussing Marian apparitions. She also explains why we pray with Mary. A great misunderstanding is that we pray to Mary. Mary for me is a prayer partner.

The world famous visionaries of Medjugorje are talked about along with interviews. The powerful story is revealed. The six visionaries have received secrets about the world's future. Three of the visionaries continue to see Mary every day. The other three see her once a year on a specific date.

Why is Mary appearing so frequently? To share her message that we must find our Spiritual core and live in a state of love and forgiveness if we are to turn things around here on Earth. I agree. I really think Peace is breaking out all over the world.

Connell's book is unique and beautiful. Reading this leaves one with a sense of peace. This book has strengthened my faith and inspired me.

[Bill reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I go again with another book by a Catholic true believer of the numerous apparitions of the Virgin Mary. I appreciate her description of Elijah and his flock at Mt. Carmel in Palestine. They lived in solitude, with lives of silence, prayer and fasting. I was recently in a similar mode, avoiding television for more than 40 days and 40 nights. It is an unnecessary distraction. Palestine, here I come. St. Ignatius is up first. He gave up great wealth and dedicated his life to Mary and founded the Jesuit Order. Juan Diego was an Aztec Indian who saw Mary on December 12, 1531, and after presenting roses in the winter time, convinced the local bishop to build the Guadalupe basilica in her honor. St. Teresa of Avila saw Mary and reformed the Carmelite Order as a result. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had the good fortune of visits by both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His Mother on separate occasions. From this, the tradition of First Friday's began for Catholics. Alphonse Ratisbonne was born into a wealthy Jewish banking family. While in Rome, a friend gifted him a Miraculous Medal. Later, at a church, Alphonse had a vision of Mary and eventually became a priest. Two children saw Mary shortly after the French Revolution and She warned of the end times if mankind did not repent and pray. Few have listened, as the altar of sixty inch flat screens have become the place of nightly worship. Twelve years later, France remained Mary's choice of countries at Lourdes. Bernadette Soubirous, a twelve year-old girl, received the same messages of penance and prayer. The shrine remains one of the most popular in the world. In Pontmain, Prussian soldiers were about to invade when Mary appeared to some chidren and the village was protected from the invaders. The people of Knock, Ireland saw Mary with St. Joseph and St. John at her sides in 1879. Lucia dos Santos was still living as a nun in Portugal when this book was published in 1995. She, along with two cousins, Francisco and Jacinta, saw Mary in 1917. Much speculation as to the third secret continues to this day. More recently, from 1961-1965, four girls in Garabandal, Spain, were visited by Mary and given the usual messages of penance and prayer. For a change, Mary appeared above a coptic cathedral in Cairo, Egypt in 1968. Most of the huge crowd were Muslim. A nun in Akita, Japan not only saw Mary, but experienced the stigmata, bleeding from her hands. A Mary statue also bled and tears streamed from her eyes. Since 1976, in Betania, Venezuela, many pilgrims claim to have seen Mary at a waterfall. In 1980, at Cuapa, Nicaragua, during the Sandanista Civil War, Mary appeared to Bernardo Martinez and asked that he pray the Rosary for peace. For seven years, beginning in 1983, Mary gave dire messages to Gladys de Motta in St. Nicolas, Argentina warning of the end times unless mankind repented and prayed daily. From 1945-1959, Mary called herself Lady of All Nations to Ida Pederman of Holland. She asked for prayers for peace in the world. The same message was given to Sister Tereita Castillo of the Philippines by Mary. In 1981, Six children in Medjugorje, Bosnia began receiving daily messages from Mary. She gave them ten secrets which may involve the Apocalypse. Perhaps global warming and Covid 19 are a portent of things to come. In the same year in Rwanda, six girls and one boy had visits by Jesus and Mary with similar warnings. A civil war followed with two of the visionaries killed in the violence. Myrna(Maria) Al Akharas is not Catholic. She she is of the Melkite, Byzantine Rite and she lives in Damascus. In 1982 her hands exuded oil which she used to heal her gravely ill sister. Many cures followed and Myrna later suffered from the stigmata. In Arabic, Mary's message was one of unity, love and faith. More end time warnings occurred to Julia Kim of Naju, South Korea. Beginning in 1985, a small statue of Mary shed blood and tears for seven hundred days and a lab test showed human blood. Later, oil flowed from the head of the statue. While praying in church, Kim's hand received a large Communion Host from St. Michael which was broken into small pieces and given to parshioners. Kim was given visions of heaven which she describes as ones of incredible beauty. Ukraine has a history of Mary's appearances for over 350 years. The most recent were in 1955 and 1987. She spoke of fire this time, for it was the age of the kingdom of Satan. A group of nine unrelated people in Scottsdale, Arizona reported visions of Mary with messsges to pray and repent. The book has concludes with more apparitions in America, from Conyers, Georgia where Nancy Fowler gathered thousands to pray near a farmhouse in 1992. A few more personal stories of conversion by troubled people are included. Janice Connell is an excellent writer with a great facility with the English language. It comes as no surprise that she is a lawyer with multiple degrees from Georgetown, a Jesuit institution. She is a woman of deep faith, as I continue to struggle with my own beliefs. The recent death of my devout mother has shaken me to the core. Mom left this book, and at least it has given me the possibilty of hope.

[Lu]

Visions of the Blessed Mother--Good reference

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Well-researched but outdated (written in 1995), this book offers the reader historical accounts, some authenticated by the Church; others not, of Marian apparitions throughout the world. While the Blessed Mother's locutions are, of course, subject to being misheard or misunderstood by the recipient, there are 20/20 hindsight examples worth noting. For instance, Medjugorje was not Her last appearance, nor was the period leading up to the end of the 20th century the End Times. With all that in mind, I would still recommend this book, especially in light of today's world events (2022) and discussion of Her past visits to Ukraine and Russia.

[Deodand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a religious person or a Christian but I enjoyed this book. It is written with care by an author who is committed to her subject. It's like sitting down with Connell because the tone is quite intimate - which is interesting, given the large scope of the history of Marian apparitions. I initially borrowed it from a friend who is devout, just to learn about Lourdes, and wound up buying my own copy.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book on Marian apparitions that I ever read. A friend recommended it to me and he said it really opened his eyes. I had the same experience. The book gives concrete examples of times which the Blessed Mother has appeared. It's a good read!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that moves a reader to change for the better is a top shelfer. I know this will be a future re-read as well...I was sad to see this 300+ pager end.

[Martha A. Galvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about every 2 weeks, just a chapter or 2, makes me feel good.
A book that says on my bed stand.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely freaked me out. I had a panic attack last night just thinking about it. So I went several times to Conyers, GA when Mary appeared to Nancy Fowler, so I am a believer, but this book messed with me mentally so much! I was home alone a lot while reading this and every time I walked into a dark room I thought Mary would be in there. It had me on edge. So all of the messages are basically the same-repent because bad things are coming. Mary knows what is in the future and she is begging her child to turn back to God. When I started reading about apparitions in the 60s and beyond, I turned to youtube and found videos and pictures of the apparitions and more. Some of it was so disturbing! The women who get the wounds of Christ is horrific to watch. Blood just pours out of them and they are clearly in agony. Medjugorje is the big one. When I was reading about that one it was very disturbing. Those visions were still occurring until 2020. Mary said Medjugorje would be her last visit on Earth and the visionaries have said the end will come in their lifetime. After reading that and realizing that the monthly visions stopped, I had a complete panic attack and immediately prayed a rosary because it absolutely terrified me! Get right with God ya'll! I'm going to back to reading fiction now!

[MaryL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the stories told in this book of the many different visionaries who talked with the Blessed Virgin Mary. I am a "fallen away" Catholic who still loves and prays the Rosary and reveres the saints and the prayers. This book told the beautiful in the messages that Mary gave to the people who saw and talked with her. One of the passages I remember said that Mary urged people to treat their bodies as the holy tabernacles of God that they are. God lives in your soul, which gives you the responsibility of caring for that sacred space. This was a lovely and unexpected book for me to read.

[Helen Kennedy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book of mostly unapproved Marian apparitions (poorly) written by someone without a background in theology, trying ride the wave of hype from medjugorie in the mid 90s. There are much better books about Our Lady.

[Lauren Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of BEAUTIFUL gems in this book. Like the way one of the women describes seeing Jesus embrace someone for the first time in heaven had me nearly in tears. But it is sadly quite outdated. I would love to see a revised version for the 2020s Era.

[Maria Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in their life. It reminds you of what is most important, and it brought me a lot of hope by the end of it. I highly recommend it!

[JR Eftink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became inspired about all the apparitions of The Blessed Virgin Mary all over the world!!!