Our Lady of Marienfried

Having promised to build a chapel in Our Lady's honor if the town of Pfaffenhofen were spared from destruction during the war, the pastor and several parishioners went to the nearby area of Marienfried to select a site for the chapel in fulfillment of their promise. It was there, on April 25th, that the series of apparitions began.

As at Fatima, an angel had appeared to one of the seers, Barbara Ruess, prior to the visits of Our Lady, calling himself the Angel of the Great Mediatrix of Graces. Preceding the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 25th, the Angel told Barbara to kneel in profound reverence as he prayed: "Act as the Mother of Grace; act as the thrice miraculous Mother; the thrice admirable Mother of Grace, Thou Great Mediatrix of Graces!"

As the Angel prayed, Our Lady appeared... "unspeakably beautiful, brilliant, a blinding vision of most pure light and radiance... above Her head were brilliant rays forming a three-tiered crown." As the Immaculate Queen raised Her hand in blessing, She became as transparent as crystal. Barbara was completely blinded by the brilliance and could not look upon it anymore.

Again as at Fatima, profound devotion to the Most Holy Trinity (as at the Cabeco) was emphasized by the Angel and, at the June 25th apparition, a large number of angels surrounding their Immaculate Queen, knelt on the ground and bowed over profoundly. They then prayed in adoration of the Most Holy Trinity.

At Marienfried, as at Fatima, the importance of the Rosary was emphasized and at the conclusion of the Rosary it was requested that an appeal should be made to Our Blessed Mother as the Mediatrix of All Graces. (It was a fitting response to this request that the Founder and Superior of our own Religious Community composed a most appropriate invocation to Our Lady under this title which he ordered to be recited after our Community Rosary.)

In addition to exhortations for greater sacrifice and a more perfect living of our total consecration, Our Blessed Mother exhorted Her wayward children to offer more frequent acts of love, praise, and gratitude to the Eternal Father and the Most August Trinity. She said that Almighty God wished the Church and Its members to acknowledge Her role as Mediatrix of All Graces, and She exhorted us all not to be seekers of self, but rather to spend every moment in giving honor and glory to God.

The following is a compilation of the essence of the various messages given to mankind by Our Immaculate Mother and Queen during Her series of most significant apparitions in southwestern Germany:

"I am the powerful Mediatrix of Graces. As the world can find mercy only through the sacrifice of the Son with the Father, so can you only find favor with the Son through my intercession. Christ is so unknown because I am not known. Because the nations rejected His Son, the Father poured out His cup of wrath upon them. It is true that the world was consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, but this consecration has become a fearful responsibility for many men. I demand that the world live this consecration."

"I am the sign of the Living God. I place my Sign on the foreheads of my children (those who consecrate themselves to my Immaculate Heart). The star (Lucifer) will persecute the Sign. But my Sign will conquer the star."

"Have unreserved confidence in my Immaculate Heart! Believe that I am able to do everything with my Son. Substitute my Immaculate Heart in place of your sinful hearts. Then it will be I who will draw the power of God, and the love of the Father will renew the fullness of Christ in you. Fulfill my request so that Christ may reign as the King of Peace."

"The world will have to drain the cup of wrath to the dregs because of the countless sins through which His Heart is offended. The Star of the infernal regions will rage more violently than ever and will cause frightful destruction, because he knows that his time is short, and because he sees that already many have gathered around my sign. Over these he has no spiritual power, although he will kill the bodies of many; but through these sacrifices, my power to lead the remnant host to victory will increase."

"Some have already allowed my Sign to be impressed on them; their number will increase. But I want to tell you, my children, not to forget that the very cross of those bloody days is a grace."

"Pray, make sacrifices for sinners. Offer yourselves and your works to the Father through me, and put yourselves at my disposal without reserve. Pray the Rosary. Pray not so much for external things - weightier things are at stake in these times. EXPECT NO SIGNS OR WONDERS (such as the many phony visions and apparitions deluging the world today). I shall be active as the powerful Mediatrix in secret."

"After this, the Devil will be possessed of such power that those who are not firmly established in me will be deceived. There is a time coming when you will stand in this place all alone and will be frightfully calumniated. Because the Devil knows how to deceive men, they permit themselves to be completely blinded to the higher things. But you should establish everything on confidence (in my Immaculate Heart)."

"The devil has power over all people who do not trust in my Heart. Wherever people substitute my Immaculate Heart for their sinful hearts, the devil has no power. But he will persecute my children. They will be despised, but he can do them no harm."

"I am the powerful MEDIATRIX OF GRACE. It is the will of the Father that the world acknowledge this position of His Handmaid. People must believe that I am the permanent Bride of the Holy Ghost and the faithful Mediatrix of All Graces. God wants it so. Only my children recognize this Sign because it reveals itself in secret, and for it they give glory to the Eternal God. I cannot manifest my power to the world in general. I must still hold myself aloof with my children."

"In secret I shall work marvels in souls until the required number of victim souls will be filled. Upon you it depends to shorten the days of darkness. Your blood and your sacrifices shall destroy the image of the beast. Then I can manifest myself to the world for the glory of the Almighty. Choose my Sign, so that the Triune God may soon be adored and honored."

"Apostles and Priests should consecrate themselves to me especially, so that the great sacrifices which the Inscrutable One demands above all from them may, when placed in my hands, increase in sanctity and worth."

"Pray and offer sacrifices through me. Pray always; pray the Rosary. Make all your entreaties to the Father through my Immaculate Heart. If they are conducive to His honor, He will grant them. In your prayers ask Him not for things of temporal worth, but implore graces for individual souls, for the community; for the nations, so that all may come to love and honor the Divine Heart. Keep the Saturdays, which have been dedicated to me, as I have requested."

"Bring many sacrifices and offerings to me. Offer your prayers to me as sacrifices. Be not seekers of self. That honor be shown to the Eternal and atonement be made to Him is required of these times. If you consecrate yourselves without reserve, I shall take care of all the rest. Crosses weighty and deep as the sea I shall lay upon my children, because I love them in my Sacrificed Son. I beseech you, be prepared to carry the cross that peace may soon be achieved."

"I have already given many signs and spoken often to the world, but people have not taken them seriously. On account of these outward signs the greater multitude do not even grasp the essential things. Outward signs only succeed in distracting many, who do not draw the necessary conclusions from them."

"I urge my people to fulfill my wishes quickly, because today more than ever such fulfillment of my will is necessary for God's greater honor and glory. The Father pronounces a dreadful woe upon all who refuse to obey His Will."