29 November 1932, at about 6pm: Mr Voisin asks his children Fernande (15 years) and Albert (11 years) to go and look for their sister Gilberte (13 years) at the nearby boarding school of the « Sœurs de la Doctrine chrétienne ». On their way they invite two friends, Andrée Degeimbre (14 years) and her sister Gilberte (9 years) to join them.
While Albert is knocking at the school door he looks around and sees the Holy Virgin walking above the railway bridge on the way to Rochefort. With some surprise the girls look to the bridge and see the “Beautiful Lady” too. The porter, Sister Valeria, opens the door.
As the children tell her they have seen the Virgin, she refuses to believe them and calls all that “nonsense”. Gilberte Voisin, coming from her class, does not know what happens. As she reaches the door she too sees the Virgin on the bridge. With a lot of fear the children run home, nevertheless resolving to come back the next day.
On the next day, 30 of November, the Blessed Virgin appears again on the bridge. On the 1st of December she shows herself, disappears, appears again near the holly (currently the place of the altar) and then comes under a branch of the nearby hawthorn, near the garden gate. There she will appear thirty three times, until the 3rd of January.
She is wearing a long white dress with light blue shades. On her head they can see a long white veil falling on her shoulders. Thin light rays fuse from her head, forming a crown. Her hands are joined in prayer and she smiles. From the 29 of December Our Blessed Lady seems to warn the children that her last visit is to come. She opens her arms and shows a bright, golden heart on her chest. Our Lady of Beauraing is therefore often called the Virgin with the Golden Heart.
Here are the words said by Our Lady to the children. On the 2nd of December, to the question of the children, “What are you expecting from us?”, she answers : “That you should always be wise”. In the evening, in a new apparition she says “Is that true that you will always be wise?” On December 8th the children fall in ecstasy for about a quarter of an hour. They will say “She was more beautiful than ever!” On December 17th, she says : “I want a chapel.” On December 21st the children ask her whom she is. The answer is : “I am the Immaculate Virgin.” To another question on December 23rd : “Why are you coming here?”, she answers : “In order that people come here on pilgrimage”.
From December 30th Our Blessed Lady delivers the core of her message. 30th : “Pray, pray a lot!” 1st of January : “Always pray!” 3rd of January : “I shall convert sinners”. “I am the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven.” “Do you love my Son? Do you love me? Then sacrifice yourself for me. Farewell!” She also confides the three yougest children a special secret.
Two healings at Beauraing were acknowledged as miraculous. The cult of Our Lady of Beauraing was allowed on the 2nd of February 1943 and Mgr Charue, Bishop of Namur, recognised the reality of the apparitions on the 2nd of July 1949. The five children are now dead. The yougest, Gilberte Degeimbre, died on the 10th of february 2015. She gives us her testimony in a video of 47 minutes, subtitled in english. A lot of pilgrims come now to pray the Virgen with a Golden Heart.
Testimony https://youtu.be/oBruEBGp8Kk
Sanctuary https://www.sanctuairesdebeauraing.be