APPARITIONS OF HEEDE,
Germany (1937- 1945)
APPROVED for 'FAITH
EXPRESSION' by the local bishop – formal approval still pending but
events are recognised as SUPERNATURAL. (Indicates Heede is still
favourably viewed by the Church and we are permitted to spread the
messages.)
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Nov. 1, 1937
In Heede, which is the
north west of Germany in Lower Saxony, four young girls went to
church for the feast of All Saints in 1937 - Anna Schulte, Greta
Gauseforth (11) (1926 - d.1996) and Margaret Gauseforth (13) and
Susanna Bruns (d.1994).
The two sisters, Greta
and Margaret, were surprised when they saw in the church-yard cemetery
a "floating light" about 100 feet away from them and a
meter from the ground, which then began to form into a woman's shape
– it was a beautiful Lady holding the Christ Child and they both
wore beautiful crowns.
Frightened, they entered
the church and reported that The Blessed Virgin had appeared to them
with the Divine child in her arms. Anna Schulte was curious and went
to explore, but apparently didn't find anything and went back in to
Mass, for it was after Mass when they all went back to look to find
the Lady and Child. This time accompanying Greta, Maria and Anna,
were Adele Bruns (15), and Anna's sister, Susanna Bruns.
Margaret suddenly
exclaimed: “It's there – between the two cypresses!”
The apparition remained
silent, also, Adele couldn't see it, so she impatiently wanted to go
back home. However, Margaret and Grete told their mother who
immediately alerted Fr. Staelberg, the parish priest.
The news was received in village with predictable scepticism and amusement. It wasn’t until the girls had shown a dramatic change in their way of life that villagers began to wonder. The girls switched from pleasures and amusements to long and fervent prayer, impatiently waiting for the hour when they would see the Heavenly Vision again.
The news was received in village with predictable scepticism and amusement. It wasn’t until the girls had shown a dramatic change in their way of life that villagers began to wonder. The girls switched from pleasures and amusements to long and fervent prayer, impatiently waiting for the hour when they would see the Heavenly Vision again.
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Nov 2, 1937 – at the
same time the Lady appeared again, this time without the Baby, and
she remained silent, but had her hands clasped in prayer.
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Nov. 5, 1936 – this time
Our Lady brought the Baby, and, she asked the girls questions. The
Virgin Mary stood on a white cloud with a luminous halo “about
30-40 cm surrounding her.” Her age seemed to be 18 or 19.
“She wore a golden
crown, richly worked … a long white dress fitted at the waist by a
cord … a non-transparent white veil falls on each side, doing some
folds, and hides her hair … On her left hand, covered by the veil,
sits the Christ Child. She raises her arm.”
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Nov. 7, 1937 – By this
time the villagers were no longer sceptical about the visions and
close to 5,000 came to the next apparition. This time, several
priests saw the apparitions.
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Nov. 8, 1937 - More than
7,000 returned to the site the next day on November 8. But the civil
authorities forbade Father Staelberg from accompanying the girls.
Another priest was present that day from Herkenhoff and reported
these details:
“Suddenly, the (four)
girls fell to their knees, all together, without one or another
making a signal to her companions … They posed several questions to
the apparition. After a quarter of an hour – during which they
continued to be constantly stiff, eyes fixed on a precise point –
their questions seemed unanswered, even when they spoke. When Greta
was alongside me later, she told me that she had wondered how the
Mother of God feels. The response she received was a sad countenance.
Greta said, ‘The Mother of God was very sad and very bright.’”
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There were an
estimated 100 visits by Our Lady to these four girls in Heede. Here
are some highlights:
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April 5, 1939: Margaret
was alone for this apparition.
“I saw the Mother of
God directly in front of me, standing two feet away, and asked her
how she would like to be invoked.”
She replied, “as Queen
of the Universe and Queen of the Poor Souls in Purgatory.”
When asked what prayer
she would like to honour her, she indicated the “Litany of
Laurentanas.” (i.e the Litany of Loreto, click here.)
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May 12, 1939: Greta
asked, “Will we have diseases?”
Our Lady: “Not
yet.”
Then Greta asked, “Can
we come here every day?”
Our Lady: “Yes.”
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But then the number of occurrences decreased.
Many were fearful of
visiting Heede because Hitler ruled Germany with an iron fist and
forbade participation in this “superstitious nonsense.” The
Gestapo forcefully took the children to an insane asylum and strictly
forbade the pilgrimages to Heede.
After one month, the
children were released but disregarded the orders of the Gestapo and
resumed their visits to the place of the apparitions. The Queen of
Heaven continued her appearances in secret locations.
Greta Ganseforth received the stigmata in 1939.
On October 19, 1940, Our
Lady gave the four girls a “secret” intended for the Pope.
Our Lady then warned
them, “Do not say anything to anyone other than the Holy Pope of
Rome.”
The message was placed in
a sealed envelope that was carried by Bishop Berning to Pope Pius
XII.
The Virgin also showed them visions of future catastrophes and warned them that a horrifying event described as a “Minor Judgment” was in store for the future.
Our Lady: “The world
will have to drink the dregs of the chalice of Divine wrath for their
innumerable sins through which they have wounded the Sacred Heart of
Jesus (Then she admonished them). Pray…pray much, especially for
the conversion of sinners.”
She recommended they pray
the Rosary in particular.
Despite Our Lady’s
incredible beauty, she was usually solemn-faced, stern, or even
shedding tears.
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The apparitions of the Blessed Mother came to an end at 8:30 p.m. on November 3, 1940. Each girl received a “secret” from Mother Mary, who then spoke:
“Be good and faithful to the will of God. Pray often – especially the Rosary. Now farewell, my children, until we meet in Heaven.”
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On July 23, 1942, Bishop Berning made the following remarks during his homily:
“From Heede came a rich blessing. I could see that Marian devotion dramatically increased; that sacramental life, in particular, has flourished dramatically in this parish.”
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NEW WARNINGS
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Greta Ganseforth began receiving visits from Our Lord starting in 1945 and included the Angel of Justice.
Her spiritual director
gave her orders to keep a diary of her mystical events. She did not
see Our Lady again but did hear her voice, speaking to her from a
brilliant light on numerous occasions.
A Warning about
DANCES
There was an occasion when a school dance was being prepared for October 21, 1945, which apparently was going to exceed Catholic norms for decency. At the request of Our Lord, Greta sought to have the dance cancelled or at least modified so that it would not be a dangerous occasion of sin. Greta warned the parents as Our Lord declared:
“If they proceed
with that dance, all involved will have to answer to Me at their
Judgement.”
The dance was
subsequently cancelled.
Along with this event
and a number of miraculous healings, other parish priests and
clergymen finally believed.
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Our Lord gave an
imperative warning to mankind ~ we are in the last hour:
“Men did
not listen to My Most Holy Mother when she appeared to them at Fatima
and admonished them to do penance. Now I, Myself, am coming at the
last hour to warn and admonish mankind!
The times
are very serious! Men should at last do penance, turn away from
their sins and pray, pray much in order that the wrath of God may be
mitigated. Particularly the Holy Rosary should be prayed very often.
The Rosary is very powerful with God. Worldly pleasures and
amusements should be restricted.
Men do not listen to My voice. They harden their hearts; they resist My grace. They do not wish to have anything to do with My Mercy, My Love, My merits. Mankind is worse than before the deluge. Mankind is suffocating in sin. Hatred and greed rule their hearts. This is the work of the devil. They live in great darkness. Through the wounds that bled, Mercy will again gain victory over justice. My faithful souls should not be asleep now like the disciples on Mt. Olivet. They should pray without ceasing and gain all they can for themselves and for others.
This
generation deserves to be annihilated but I desire to show myself as
merciful. Tremendous things are in preparation; it will be terrible
as never before since the foundation of the world. All those, who
in these grave times have suffered so much, are martyrs and form the
seed for the renovation of the Church. They were privileged to
participate in My captivity, in My scourging, in My crown of thorns,
and My Way of the Cross.
That which
will shortly happen, will greatly surpass everything that has ever
happened until now.
The Blessed Virgin Mary and all the choirs of angels will be active during these events. Hell believes that it is sure of the harvest, but I will snatch it away from them. I will come with My peace. Many curse me now, but these sufferings will come over mankind that they may be saved through it … Many expiate all they can for those who curse Me now …
With a few
faithful I will build up My kingdom. As a flash of lightning this
Kingdom will come … much faster than mankind will realize. I will
give them a special light. For some this light will be a blessing;
for others, darkness. The light will come like the Star that showed
the way to the wise men. Mankind will experience My love and My
power. My beloved, the hour comes closer. Pray without ceasing!
Those who are not in the State of Grace (when the Minor Judgment happens) – it will be frightful for them.”
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On March 7, 1946, Bishop Berning authorised a statue of the “Mary, Queen of the Universe” to be made for placement in the church cemetery as directed by the visionaries. Finally, after years of investigation, the Bishop of Osnabruck declared on June 3, 1959, the following:
“The apparitions are
undeniable proof of the seriousness and authenticity of these
manifestations … In the apparitions and messages of Heede we find
nothing contrary to the Faith. Indeed, their similarity to the
approved apparitions of Fatima, Lourdes, and La Salette give good
indications of their authenticity.”
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