By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box
Q: Which Marian apparitions has the Church approved? Do Catholics have to believe in them?
A: There have been 16 Marian apparitions approved by the Vatican after a rigorous process of investigation. The oldest of these is Our Lady of Guadalupe, the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. The most recent is Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda in 1989. Other well-known apparitions include Our Lady of Lourdes (1858, France), Our Lady of Knock (1879, Ireland), and Our Lady of Fatima (1917, Portugal).
Obviously, the Church takes this very seriously. I always feel badly for the clergy and bishops in the stories of these apparitions, as they often are presented as the “villains” who do not want to believe. The fact is, they have a duty to do due diligence to ensure the faithful are not being deceived. The approval of these 16 apparitions means that every aspect of the accounts and every word of the messages was examined carefully. The apparitions were determined to have been of supernatural origin and that nothing contrary to the faith was presented in the messages.
Having said that, no Catholic is obligated to believe in any of these apparitions. Yes, that means one can be skeptical or even unbelieving in regard to any or all of these and still be a good Catholic.
However, when it comes to certain Marian dogmas, such as the Immaculate Conception, the perpetual virginity of Mary or her Assumption into heaven, these are not “optional” beliefs. Because they pertain to the central truths of our faith and have been officially defined and declared by the Church, they are to be believed by all the faithful.
There have been other Marian apparitions that while not yet approved by the Vatican, have been at least initially approved by the local bishop. In the United States there is just one such apparition, Our Lady of Champion, Wisconsin in 1859. In 2009 Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay opened an investigation into the apparitions and in 2010 declared them “worthy of belief.”
A national shrine was designated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2016, making it the only national shrine in the United States with an approved Marian apparition.
A well-known alleged apparition is to several visionaries in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina beginning in 1981. While not yet approved by the local bishop, private pilgrims have been going to Medjugorje since the apparitions began. In 2024, Pope Francis granted approval to the devotion linked to Medjugorje in light of the many apparent spiritual fruits. Again, Catholics can believe what they want regarding these apparitions and messages. They will certainly merit further investigation prior to any more official approval.
I have been to Medjugorje. My personal assessment was that if this is a hoax, then it is a very elaborate one that has been ongoing for more than four decades. If it is deception of the evil one, then he “shot himself in the foot,” given the number of people returning to the practice of their faith. In the end, of course, I will accept whatever judgment the Church comes to on this.
I recognize that for some people such apparitions and maybe Marian devotion in general may stir up some natural skepticism. This is not all unhealthy. At the same time, an obstinate or categorical unwillingness to believe that such things can and have occurred seems equally unhealthy.
One thing we can say for sure: the last thing Mary wants to do is to get in the way of our relationship with Jesus.
(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)
I am trying to compose a list of the Marian Apparitions which have been approved by the church and I find various interpretations of what qualifies. Can you direct me to the most accurate and complete list of church approved Marian apparitions? Many thanks