Marian devotion
Our Lady of Beauraing
Patrona de Bélgica
Beauraing's apparitions belong to the documented history. In the small town of Beauraingin the region of Valonia (province of Namur, Belgium), the Virgin Mary appeared 33 times five children, including 29 November 1932 and 3 January 1933. The seers were the brothers Fernande, Gilberte and Albert Voisin (15, 13 and 11 years old) and the sisters Andrée y Gilberte Degeimbre (14 and 9 years), who saw the Virgin in the garden of the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Main data
Origin and history
Beauraing's apparitions belong to the documented history. In the small town of Beauraingin the region of Valonia (province of Namur, Belgium), the Virgin Mary appeared 33 times five children, including 29 November 1932 and 3 January 1933. The seers were the brothers Fernande, Gilberte and Albert Voisin (15, 13 and 11 years old) and the sisters Andrée y Gilberte Degeimbre (14 and 9 years), who saw the Virgin in the garden of the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
According to the testimonies collected, the Virgin presented herself as "Virgin of the Golden Heart", showing a bright heart and asking prayer, conversion, penance and love for his Son. In 1943, Bishop of Namur, Mons. André-Marie Charue, obtained from Rome the authorization for public veneration to Our Lady of Beauraing and the recognition of two miraculous healings; 2 July 1949 officially declared the authenticity of the apparitions.
As regards tradition / legend, some devotional accounts highlight spiritual interpretations of the Beauraing message (for example, see in the "heart of gold" a sign of God's mercy for a Europe wounded by wars), but these theological readings do not belong to strictly historical data. There are also popular narrations about the special protection of the sanctuary during World War II, accentuated by the memory of Beauraing as a place of comfort for Belgians in times of occupation, but these are devotional accents rather than officially defined miraculous facts.
The image and the sanctuary
The children described the Virgin as a woman dressed in white, con long robe and white veilthe head surrounded by fine rays of light that formed a crown. They usually saw her with the hands together and smiling; from December 29 they noticed a rosary on the right arm and at the end of the apparitions, with their arms open, they were shown a heart as bright as gold on the chest, origin of the title "Virgin of the Golden Heart".
A statue of Our Lady of the Golden Heart following the indications of the seers, placed in the exact place of the apparitionsnext to the thorn where, according to the children, the Virgin manifested herself. The sources consulted do not require the material of the image (not documented), but it is presented as a sculpture of round, sober style, which reproduces the prayer position described by children.
The place of veneration is the Santuario de Beauraing (Sanctuary of Beauraing), in rue de l'Aubépine, 12 – B-5570 Beauraing, within the diocese of Namur. In fulfilment of the desire attributed to the Virgin, a church between 1947 y 1954, conceived as a temple for the daily Eucharist and Reconciliation. The current complex includes:
– La Church of Our Lady (iglesia principal, con tres partes, entre ellas la capilla del Santísimo Sacramento). – El Garden of Apparitions, que conserva el espino y la estatua de la Virgen del Corazón de Oro. – La cripta de San Juan. – La Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, with capacity for more than 700 persons. – Espacios al aire libre preparados para acoger hasta More than 5,000 pilgrims in the great celebrations.
The sources consulted do not explicitly indicate that the sanctuary has the title of minor basilica or national sanctuary; it is officially designated as “Sanctuaires de Beauraing” and as a diocesan Marian sanctuary of great influx.
Sponsorship and coronation
Some Spanish-language materials present Our Lady of Beauraing as “patrona de Bélgica”. However, the sources linked to the sanctuary and historical documentation do not confirm a National canonical patronage specific; therefore, at the legal-liturgical level no consta officially who is the principal patron of Belgium. It is clear that it is important as reference Marian sanctuary for the region of Valonia and as a place of pilgrimage for the whole country.
As for the canonical coronationthe historical sources consulted on Beauraing and the sanctuary itself do not provide a clear and documented data on a pontifical canonical coronation (year and delegate) of the image of the Virgin of the Golden Heart. Since there is no firm and convergent reference to the ecclesial sources consulted, it should be noted: does not contain a documented canonical coronation.
Party and devotion
In many calendars and in popular devotion the feast of Our Lady of Beauraing on November 29, anniversary of the beginning of the apparitions. On the other hand, several sources also point to the 22 August as a date of celebration, previously linked to the memory of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and then to the party of Santa Maria Reinathe day on which the liturgical commemoration of the Virgin of the Golden Heart has been held in some places. They can therefore be noted as dates associated with devotion: 29 November (beginning of apparitions) and 22 August (liturgical feast in various calendars and devotionaries).
El Santuario de Beauraing is described as one of the most visited from Belgium. On the occasion of 90th anniversary of the apparitions, in 2022, an influx of approximately 200,000 pilgrimsaccording to the information of the sanctuary itself. The pilgrimages are frequent throughout the year, with important peaks around the dates of the 29 November - 3 January y en el summerwhen Marian days, processions and prayer vigil are organized.
The characteristic devotional features include:
– Procesiones y oraciones en el Garden of Apparitions y ante la estatua de la Virgen del Corazón de Oro. – Celebración diaria de la Eucharist and the possibility of confesions, en fidelidad al mensaje de conversión y encuentro con Cristo. – Peregrinaciones de enfermos y momentos dedicados a la prayer for healing, en recuerdo de las curaciones reconocidas oficial o devocionalmente. – Vigilias marianas con prayer of the Rosary, Eucharistic worship and consecration to the Heart of Mary.
Link to the Rosary
The very description of the seers stresses that, from December 29, 1932, the Virgin manifests herself with a rosary on the right arm. This detail explicitly connects the advocation of Our Lady of Beauraing with the practice of Rosary as a privileged form of Marian prayer and meditation of the mysteries of Christ.
In the message attributed to the Virgin, the perseverant prayer, la conversion and love of Jesus, deeply harmonized themes
A flower for the Virgin
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Pray Hail MaryDocumentary update: Our Lady of Beauraing
Where is he?
The shrine of Our Lady of Beauraing is located in Rue de l'Aubépine, in Beauraing, diocese of Namur, Belgium. The diocesan sanctuary identifies there the Basilica of Notre-Dame au Cœur d'Or and maintains a garden of apparitions. The new coordinate of the map corresponds to the basilica that OpenStreetMap identifies with that name, not to an approximate chosen location.
The children's account
The diocesan information places the first apparition on 29 November 1932 and speaks of five children from Beauraing. The tradition of the sanctuary conserves a cycle of apparitions in the garden of the Sisters of the Christian Doctrine, between 1932 and 1933, with messages of prayer and conversion. Institutional sources also recall that some messages were reserved and that the children were questioned during the process. This fact sheet distinguishes these testimonies from the pious interpretations that were added later.
The devotional title "Our Lady of the Golden Heart" is related to the way the children described the Lady and to the message that the sanctuary presents. The image and the words recorded in the garden belong to the public memory of the place. The curations or favors that pilgrims can attribute to the intercession of Mary are not listed as certified miracles: for each particular case, a proper ecclesial source would be needed.
Recognition and life of the sanctuary
On July 2, 1949, Mgr André-Marie Charue, Bishop of Namur, recognized the authenticity of the apparitions with the consent of the Holy See, according to the official source of the diocese itself. The date is linked to the celebration of the 75th anniversary of this recognition and is not confused with the date of the first apparition. The sanctuary continues to host pilgrims, celebrations and acts of prayer; the renewed garden leads to the statue and messages remembered by the local community.
Ecclesial State
The registered status is aprobadaon 2 July 1949. It refers to the recognition of the authenticity of the apparitions by the Bishop of Namur with the consent indicated by the diocesan source. Ecclesial approval does not allow all the particular stories of favors to be presented as proven facts, and this fact sheet retains that difference.
Sources of this enlargement
- Diocese of Namur: 75th anniversary of the recognition.
- Diocese of Namur: History of the Apparitions.
- Beauraing Sanctuary: account of the apparitions.
- OpenStreetMap: Basílica Notre-Dame au Cœur d’Or.
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