Veritas et Lux

Our Lady of Banneux, or Our Lady of the Poor, refers to a set of Marian apparitions that took place in Banneux, Belgium, in 1933. Mariette Beco was a 12-year-old girl from a working-class family, and she was not particularly religious at the time of the apparitions. Between January 15 and March 2, 1933, Beco reported seeing 8 apparitions of the Virgin Mary in her family’s garden.

On January 15, Beco saw a luminous figure of a lady standing in the garden. The lady beckoned her to come closer, but Beco’s mother prevented her from going outside. In subsequent apparitions, Beco went outside and knelt before her. Mary identified herself as the “Virgin of the Poor”. During several apparitions, the Virgin Mary took Beco to a small spring in the woods and told her that the spring was reserved for all nations, to heal the sick.

The Virgin Mary conveyed several messages to Beco including:

• “Believe in me, and I will believe in you”
• “This spring is reserved for all nations… for the relief of the sick”
• “I am the Virgin of the Poor”
• “I am the Mother of the Savior, Mother of God”

Beco underwent numerous medical and psychological examinations, and in 1949, Bishop Louis-Joseph Kerkhofs of Liège officially recognized the apparitions.

Our Lady of Banneux brought a message of hope and comfort during a time of economic hardship and social unrest. The title “Virgin of the Poor” emphasizes Mary’s concern for the marginalized and those in need, and serves as a reminder for us to help those in need. The spring continues to flow to this day, and many attribute healing powers to it.