To the most glorious Heavenly Queen.Through whom all love and mercy flow;
To thee I dedicate these lines
They tell of joys; thy tell of woes.
To the most glorious Heavenly Queen.
Through whom all love and mercy flow;
To thee I dedicate these lines
They tell of joys; thy tell of woes.
And if they draw one heart the more
To sing thy praises loud and sweet,
Then let me die with joy escape
To lisp thy name at Jesus feet.
- William James Walsh
This work is the result of many years labor in collecting, choosing and arranging material from every available source. It gives a chronological account of the Apparitions and principal Shrines of Our Blessed Lady in different countries.
The compiler places before the reader all that has been written on these subjects from time to time, with the sanction of the Church.
The object of the work is to bring before the faithful, more clearly, the love of the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, her maternal love for us banished children wandering wearily in this vale of tears. Her pure love, drawn from the heart of her Divine Son, is manifested in the description of her many Apparitions to faithful Catholics in different countries.
As may be seen the primitive Christians of the Roman Catacombs honored Our Blessed Lady, so do the Catholic Christians of our days, and so would our separated brethren if they knew her; for to know her is to love her.
Diligent attention has been given to bring all out in correct order of dates time has been willingly spent the most reliable Catholic authors have been referred to spiritual works examined, and learned, and religious men consulted all for one object: that of procuring more devoted children for her who is ever proving her maternal care for those who are struggling in this weary exile.
Though Apparitions of the Mother of God may be well known in the places in which they occurred, and be scarcely heard of in other countries, my intention is to place before the reader an account of the many Apparitions and Shrines, from the earliest ages of Christianity to the present time.
It is not through pride that I have undertaken this work, but in the belief that it is Our Blessed Lady's desire to have these manifestations universally known to all her devoted followers. In 1846, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to Maximin and Melanie on the mountain of La Salette, in France, before leaving them she said: "Well, my children, you will make this news known to all my people."
It is strange that some Catholics appear to be surprised when they hear of an Apparition of Our Blessed Lady, and they wish to know the cause of such a manifestation.
We read in the Holy Scriptures, that God always sent a warning to His erring people before He punished them. As an illustration: Jonas was sent to the Ninevites, and Daniel to the Babylonians. And in these latter days, our dear Mother comes for our protection, and tells us how to avert the just anger of God by repentance, and when she deigns to do so, it is intended for the guidance of her people in every country.
Sacred history tells that all the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin besides having one end, common to all, which is to open a new channel of graces and blessings to the faithful people amongst whom they took place were directed to some special purposes sometimes to excite repentance, by foretelling Divine chastisements; at other times to revive the fervor of languid faith; now to manifest the desire of Mary; again to show us the compassion the Blessed Virgin feels for our miseries, and to point out to us the remedies for them.
In 1876, an Apparition took place at Pellevoisin in France, and Our All-Merciful Mother amongst other things, said to her beloved servant Estelle:
"What afflicts me most is the want of respect shown by some people to My Divine Son in Holy Communion and the attitude which they assume at prayer when the mind is occupied by other things." "I am come in particular for the conversion of sinners." "The treasures of my Son are open; let them pray, and have confidence in me."
Many Catholics are careless about their eternal salvation; they attend Church on Sundays, and when the holy Sacrifice of the Mass is finished, they go away, and during the week repass the Church, and enter not to receive that loving benediction ever ready to be poured on the devout worshipper; and our loving Redeemer complained to His favored servant, Margaret Mary Alacoque, saying: "The streets are crowded and the churches empty."
A special feature of the book is the choice and appropriate selection of poems and hymns, some of them specially written for this work; others are by the most celebrated writers in Europe and America, as will be seen some of the best poems are by the non-Catholic writers, who have contributed some of their choicest verses to the praise of Our Immaculate Mother. "Our tainted nature's solitary boast," as Wordsworth fittingly styles her.
Dear reader, it is my earnest desire that by perusing this work you should know more about Our Blessed Mother, and to assist in publishing her praises is to me a labor of love.
"Blessed are they who are bound by love and confidence to these two anchors of salvation Jesus and Mary: They certainly shall not be lost." - Saint Alphonsus Ligourie
May those pages written for the honor and glory of the most Immaculate Mother of God contribute in drawing souls to know, imitate, and love, more and more our dear Mother Mary, Our Life, our sweet ness, and our Hope.
I am greatly indebted to many kind friends who have assisted me in various ways in the preparation of this work, especially publishers and authors who have given permission of making selections from their copyrighted works. Special acknowledgement is due to the kindness and courtesy of the following periodicals: "Ave Maria," "Messenger of the Sacred Heart," "Pilgrim of Our Lady of Martyrs," "Rosary Maga zine," "Irish Monthly," "Our Lady's Dowry," and "Lives of the Saints;" also to Houghton, Mifflin & Co., D. & J. Sadlier, P. J. Kenedy, W. R. Jenkins, Burns & Oates, London, and James Duffy & Co., Dublin, Ireland.
- William James Walsh
- 7 November 1904
- text taken from Heaven's Bright Queen, by William James Walsh