Our Lady of Beauraing, Belgium

Beauraing, Belgium

Since 1932, millions of pilgrims have visited the Sanctuary Our Lady of Beauraing to honor the Virgin with the Heart of Gold.

You, who come through Our Lady of Beauraing, stop for a few minutes regardless of your religious or moral convictions. Something is happening here. A message of serenity, peace, and joy. At the Sanctuaries, during retreats, contemplate the preserved surroundings of the region, you are invited to replenish yourself, to retrace the unfinished border between the essential and the accessory, between tolerance and rejection… TO FIND AGAIN A GOLDEN HEART!

Words were spoken by Our Lady of Beauraing

Beauraing, during the Winter of 1932-1933. An exceptional event. In an exceptional context. A cold and dark time. The first stirrings of the drama of the Second World War.

A light appeared in the night.

Towards 6 o’clock on the 29th November 1932, Mr. Voisin asked his children Fernande (age 15) and Albert (age 11) to go and pick up their sister Gilberte (age 13) from the boarding school run by the Sisters of Christian Doctrine of Nancy.

Along the way, the children invited their friends Andrée Degeimbre (age 14) and her younger sister Gilberte (age 9) to join them. After Albert had rung the doorbell of the boarding school, he turned around and saw the Blessed Virgin walking in the air above the railway bridge which spanned the road leading to Rochefort.

His sister and her friends, disbelieving, turned around and they too saw the “beautiful Lady”. Sister Valeria opened the door. The children alerted her to the presence of the Virgin Mary. Not believing their fantasies, the Sister went to fetch Gilberte from her studies.

Not knowing what had just taken place, Gilberte arrived on the doorstep and also saw the Blessed Virgin walking in the air above the bridge. The children ran home, afraid. They nevertheless promised that they would return the next day at the same time to pick up Gilberte.

On the 30^th November, the Blessed Virgin appeared again above the bridge; again on the 1^st December but then disappeared to reappear by the holly bush (to the right of the existing podium), disappeared again; then reappeared under a branch of the hawthorn tree near the entrance gate to the garden.

It is there that Mary would appear for another 30 times until the 3^{rd of} January.  She was dressed in a long white dress with a faint blue hue. Her head was covered with a long veil that fell down to her shoulders. Thin rays of light came out of her head which gave the impression she was wearing a crown. Usually, Mary’s hands were joined together and she was smiling.

From the 29^th of December, as a sign of farewell, the children saw her heart illuminated between her outstretched arms, it looked like a golden heart. From this, we have the title of Our Lady of Beauraing: the Blessed Virgin with the Golden Heart.

On the 2^nd December, to the question asked by the children “What do you want from us ?”
Mary spoke for the first time: “Be very good“.
Then on the occasion of another apparition:”Is it true that you will always be good ?“.

On the 8^th of December, the children were in ecstasy for a quarter of an hour.
“She was more beautiful than ever !”

On the 17^th Mary asked for “a Chapel“.

On the 21^st to the question “Tell us who you are ?”
Mary said: “I am the Immaculate Virgin“.

On the 23^rd to the question “Why do you come here ?” She answered: “So people come here on pilgrimage“.
From the 30^th, Mary revealed the heart of her message:
On the 30^th: “Pray, pray much” and on the 1^st of January: “Pray always“.

On the 3^{rd of} January, Mary revealed a secret to the three younger children.
She promised: “I will convert sinners“.
She said again: “I am the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven“.
She asked: “Do you love my Son, do you love me ?”
“Then sacrifice yourselves for me“.
“Good-bye.”

Words were spoken by Mary at Beauraing

There have been two recognized miraculous healings.
The cult of Our Lady of Beauraing was authorized on the 2^{nd of} January 1943.
The authenticity of the events was recognized by Mgr Charue, Bishop of Namur, on the 2^nd July 1949.

What happened to Five Children witnessing the apparitions of Our Lady of Beauraing?

Andrée Degeimbre, was born on the 19th of April 1918 and married Georges van den Steen from Haltert (Flanders) in 1941. Andrée had 3 children: Christian, Yvan, and Marie-Ange. She died on the 11th of June 1978. She was the first of the five seers to die.

She was known for her strong faith, her common sense, the frankness of speech, and unfailing loyalty. For more than 40 years she recited the Rosary every day at 6.30 pm in front of the hawthorn tree, even in the snow.

Her routine was only interrupted by her husband’s illness, from September 1974 till 3rd April 1975, then later on by her own illness. She recited the Rosary for the last time on the 29th November 1977 on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the first apparition. European catholic shrines and basilicas. 

Fernande Voisin was born on 21st June 1917 and in 1941 married Albert Despas from Bure. He worked at the local tax office. Fernande was a nurse who made home visits. In 1954 they moved to Namur where she died on the 9th May 1979 from a long illness (cancer of the kidneys).

She had five children: Rose-Marie, Michel, Emmanuel, Noel, and Marie-Françoise. According to a witness, she was the most self-effacing of the seers. She led a generous life. It was to her that Our Lady asked on the 3rd January 1933: “Do you love my Son ?”

Gilberte Voisin, was born on the 20th of June 1919. She was a kindergarten teacher and in 1945 married Amédée Pierret, a police officer from Sainte-Marie. He was killed while on active duty on the 22nd April 1953 leaving two children: Michel and Bernadette. Gilberte returned to Beauraing where she later died in an accident on the 3rd January 2003, the 70th anniversary of the last apparition at the very hour that Mary promised her: “I will convert sinners”.

Albert Voisin, was born on the 3rd September 1921 and studied with the Brothers in Carlsberg. He spent his military duty in Ireland and Germany. He was a teacher in Ottignies for 2 years and then in 1948 married office worker Yvonne Embrechts from Liège.

That same year, they left for the Belgian Congo, first to Lubumbashi followed by Kowézi where their 3 children were born: Claude, Francine, and Bridget. The family returned to Beauraing in 1961 where Albert taught at the “Institut Notre Dame” which was founded in 1949 upon the initiative of Dean Lafontaine and run by the “Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes” (Brothers of Christian Schools). He died after a long illness on the 23rd of December 2003.

Gilberte Degeimbre, was born on the 13th August 1923, and in 1947 married André Philippe, an engineer. For a long time, she lived in Italy with her husband and their two children. She was employed as a secretary. She has since returned to live in Beauraing with her husband. She died 10th of February 2015.