Shrine of Our Lady of Banneux, Belgium and the seer Mariette Beco

History of Apparations in Banneux

From the 15th of January till the 2nd of March 1933, Our Lady appeared to Mariette Beco, a young girl aged 11 years, eigth times, calling herself the VIRGIN OF THE POOR. The so-called Little Chapel was built and inaugurated in 1933.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, come, alone or in a group, notably during the Triduum of the sick, to confide to Our Lady their poverties, their sufferings, their pains, their wants. They come to entrust themselves to the Mother of the Saviour and to express their confidence and their hope on Jesus Christ, the source of all graces.

Today, as she did to Mariette, the Virgin of the Poor leads each pilgrim in Banneux to the way of life. She invites them to «push the hands in the water» of the Spring, to discover in Jesus, the true Life.

See another apparition Marian site – Our lady of Beauraing, Belgium 

Triduum – the four days pilgrimages

Triduum is the name given in Banneux to the four days pilgrimages. These pilgrimages are organized by various diocese of Belgium and abroad (France, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary…). The first triduum started soon after the Apparitions. European catholic shrines and basilicas. 

It’s the goal:

– to answer the invitation of the Virgin of the Poor to “relieve suffering”.
– to give some time off to people who have few opportunities to quit their homes and to help them overcome their moral or physical sufferings.
– to enable everyone to live and celebrate its faith in a community; to listen, love, sing, and pray.

At Triduum is every person  welcome who:

– wishes to spread the Good News
– would like to entrust him/herself the Our Lady who knows better then anyone what suffering is;
– strong or not, young or not, wants to go to Banneux not only to pray but also to serve others, giving them the sun of a smile. Their listening, patience, smile help – with or without medical knowledge – is essential.

The Banneux Apparitions in 1933 to Mariette Beco

In January 1933, Mariette Beco was eleven years old. She was born on the 25th March 1921 and was the eldest of a family of seven children. Her family who was quite poor, lived in a simple working-class house, isolated and set back from the road, at the edge of the forest.

In the evening of Sunday, January 15th, Mary appeared for the first time in the garden of the little house. The lady beckoned her. Mariette wanted to go out, but her mother stopped her and locked the door.

Banneux on Wednesday, 18th January, at 7.pm., Mariette was in the garden on her knees, and her hands joined in prayer. Suddenly she left the garden and started walking up the road where the lady was calling her. Twice she fell to her knees on the frozen ground. A third time she knelt near the ditch in front of a pool of water coming from a spring.

The lady spoke to her. “Push your hands into the water.” Mariette does it. She repeated what the Lady had just said to her, “This spring is reserved for Me, Goodnight, good-bye.” On Thursday, January 19th, the weather was severe. Mariette was kneeling on the path. It was 7.pm. The Lady appeared. Mariette asked her “who are you, beautiful Lady ?” “I am the Virgin of the Poor.” The Virgin then led the child to the spring. Mariette asked another question : “beautiful Lady, yesterday you said ‘this spring is reserved for me’ why for me ?” Mariette pointed to herself. Smiling even more, the Virgin answered “this spring is reserved for all nations… for the sick.” Mariette replied “Thank you, thank you.” Then the Virgin said “I will pray for you – goodbye.”

Banneux on Friday, January 20th, Mariette stayed in bed all day to recover from a sleepless night. At a quarter to seven, she woke up, dressed and went out. When the Virgin appeared she cried out: “Ah. There she is”, then she started talking to the beautiful Lady. “What do you want, my beautiful Lady ?”

The Virgin answered with a smile “I would like a small chapel.” She stretched out her hands and blessed the child with her right hand. Then there followed three weeks of total silence. The Virgin interrupted her visits. Mariette however remained faithful: each day at 7.pm. she prayed in the garden.

Banneux on Saturday, February 11th, Mariette was on the road, she knelt twice, dipped her hands into the spring, and made the sign of the cross. Suddenly she stood up, ran towards the house and wept. She did not understand what the Virgin had told her. “I come to relieve suffering.” She did not understand the meaning of the words “to relieve.”

Three days elapsed. On Wednesday evening, 15th February, the Virgin appeared for the sixth time. Mariette passed on Father Jamin’s request to the Virgin: “the chaplain asks you for a sign.” The Virgin answered, “Believe in me, I will believe in you.” “Pray a lot: goodbye.” The Virgin confided a secret to the child.

Banneux on February 20th, Mariette knelt again in the snow, braving the cold. Suddenly she prayed the rosary louder and faster. She left the garden and knelt twice on the road, then again at the spring where she prayed and wept, “because she left too quickly.”

Mary told her “My dear child, pray hard.” Mariette waited ten days before seeing the Virgin for the last time. She appeared on Thursday, March 2nd. Torrential rain had been pouring down since three p.m. Mariette went out, it was 7. pm.

She was reciting her third rosary when the rain suddenly stopped. She remained silent, stretched out her arms, got up, took a step forward, and knelt down. At home, Mariette revealed the message entrusted to her by Mary. “I am the Mother of the Saviour Mother of God. Pray a lot.” The Virgin then laid her hands on her and said: “Adieu.