Ignacio Pérez is a young father and engineer who, about five years ago, had the idea of compiling all the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in one place. It all began when he became interested in “because of the Virgin of Fátima and her messages during that apparition” and observe “the very limited organization, or structure, that exists online regarding the nearly one hundred different apparitions approved by the Church” of Santa María.
Ignacio hoped to find “a Vatican website or ecclesiastical authority that provides a list of apparitions serving as the definitive source on the Church’s position regarding the various apparitions (both genuine and those rejected) of the Virgin Mary”. However, all he found was “a list of disorganized web pages that presented information—almost always with the best of intentions—that was biased and/or incomplete”.
So Ignacio decided to design it himself “a place where all the information is organized in a way that’s easy enough for visitors to simply let themselves be guided or learn a little more about the apparition or message that the Virgin Mary wishes to convey to them that day”.
The result of their efforts is Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, a website that is “”a journey through the most significant accounts of the Mother of God's presence among humankind". On this website, users can find information about all Marian apparitions, from the oldest to the most recent. These apparitions are accompanied by a map showing their locations, as well as an explanation of the classification assigned by the Holy See to each of these events, taking into account both the old and new guidelines.
In addition, the website features a table that summarizes information on all sightings and makes it easy to search for details on each event.
Faith and Historical Accuracy
It is not difficult for Ignacio to remain objective while working on this project because “The documentary or historical approach inevitably leads to the approach based on faith, since the Catholic faith is the true faith.”. Therefore, it is impossible to separate one thing from another “After so many miracles, gifts, and fulfilled prophecies that our Mother has bestowed upon us all this time”.
According to the website's founder, these signs—which include “The videos of the Virgin of Akita weeping on television, the tilma of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico, the prediction of World War II by the Virgin of Fátima… these are gifts that our Mother constantly leaves for us—for those of us who, like Saint Thomas, are a little hard of heart unless we are shown clear proof of the love and the call to conversion that our Mother expects of us.”.
A Mother for Everyone
These gifts, Ignacio points out, are for all Catholics “regardless of the thousands of kilometers, cultures, or historical periods that may separate us”. Along the same lines, and drawing on the many apparitions he has researched, he highlights the intrinsic beauty of “How, over the years, the Virgin Mary has been depicted with features as diverse as Asian, African, American, or European—all portrayed with such love and tenderness that they unmistakably point to our very own mother”.
This, the engineer says, is proof that “There are many cultures and devotions, but, as Leo XIV so aptly shows us, in Christ (and, if I may add, in Mary) we are one.”.
In Mary, who, as Mother, chose to make herself present in a special way in the 20th century—a century filled with wars and, at the same time, “where there have been more apparitions of the Virgin Mary than anywhere else in the history of the Church”.
“We know that Jesus Christ was born, lived, and suffered for us more than 2,000 years ago”, ", Ignacio continues, “And we know that when He returns to Earth for the second time, it will be at the end of time. Therefore, if the living Jesus—who is truly present every day in so many churches scattered throughout the world—will not return in all His glory until the Day of Judgment, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to imagine that He might choose to use the Blessed Virgin Mary—as a loving Mother—to call each one of us to conversion one last time, in the face of a world that may not have as much time left as we think.”.
Between Faith and Mystery
All these apparitions of the Virgin Mary can arouse a fascination in people that goes beyond faith and enters the realm of mystery. “In this regard, and despite that”, says the website's founder, “I believe that the main value may not lie so much in the reason why they turn to the Virgin and her apparitions, but rather in how they allow themselves to be transformed by that call.”.
Therefore, “Although the reasons why someone might visit our website can vary widely—from a purely faith-based perspective to someone drawn by a sense of mystery— I’d like to think about the good that the Virgin’s testimony and messages (through her apparitions) can do, even if it’s just for a single person who visits the website.”.
The Future of the Project
When discussing what Ignacio expects for the future of his website, he believes that his “Our only duty regarding the website on Marian apparitions should be to report what happened exactly as it happened, since this information is of such gravity that it can transform each one of us through the intercession of the Virgin’s grace in our lives.”.
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