Article in Journal of Religion and Society

Beauraing, Belgium

I have published an article on apparitions of Mary in Belgium in the on-line journal Journal of Religion and Society. It was placed on their site by the editor in June 2013. The article reflects on the outbreak of apparitions in Belgium in 1933, eighty years ago. Two cases led to large-scale shrines, at Beauraing and Banneux in the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium; one case resulted in a smaller, but still well-attended shrine, at Onkerzele in the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) region; of the rest, mere vestiges remain and only older people or local historians will have any knowledge of them, although there are a few memorials.

Why 1933? Economic depression, the rise of Hitler (Belgium had suffered considerably under German occupation in 1914-18), concerns for the future of Catholicism because of the growth of nationalism and socialism – all of these contributed to general anxiety and pessimism which was fertile ground for the belief that Mary had come to console and encourage. It is an interesting story! Belgium is a country often overlooked but worth getting to know and I hope that their very promising football team does well in the World Cup and attracts some public attention.