A religious sister, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres, reported that the Virgin Mary appeared to her at the Conceptionist Convent in Quito, Ecuador, under the title “Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso” According to Mother Mariana, Mary requested that a statue be made in her likeness and made several predictions, saying that the Church and the world would enter into a period of crisis beginning in the mid-20th century, and that this period would be followed by a complete restoration. Although the phrase “Good Event” in the apparition title is also understood to refer to this prophesied restoration, the phrase, properly speaking, refers to the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus. The Apparitions was approved in 1611.
Our Lady appeared to her for the first time and said: “I am María del Buen Suceso, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I have come to console your tormented heart! Satan tries to destroy this work of God by using My unfaithful daughters, but he will not achieve the goal, because I am the Queen of victory and the Mother of Good Event, and under this title I wish to be known for the preservation of My monastery and its inhabitants. ”
Soon after this vision, the community elected a new superior under whose rule the religious rule was relaxed; the strict silence faded. Sr. Marianna tried to convince the new superior of the dangers of doing so, which drew the anger of the other sisters. Once again, she was touched by slander and lies, and even worse, the vicar general agreed to send her to prison on charges of disobedience. The good sisters, who had suffered such blatant injustice, were also imprisoned; there were 25 of them in total.
Over the next five years, Sr. Marianna, who was imprisoned three times for a long time, received many special favors and had visions of Our Lady who showed her the future of the convent and Ecuador. She also ordered the statue of Our Lady of the Good Event to be made and placed on the throne of the Superior of the Order as a sign that she was the Lady of the monastery: “In my right hand, place the crosier and keys as a symbol of my authority and a sign that the monastery is my property.”
At the end, Mother Superior realized that she was wrong to deal with the founding sisters, released them and resigned from her office. Then Bishop Quito ordered a hearing about the accusations against the sisters. When it turned out that he had been misled by slander, he had the main person responsible for the confusion arrested – La Capitana’s sister. However, she did not plead guilty, refused to eat and began to blaspheme. Then Mother Marianna asked the bishop for permission to transfer the rebellious sister to the convent infirmary, where she looked after her herself, despite the fact that she only experienced curses and insults in return. Fearing for this sister’s eternal life, Mother Marianna fervently asked Jesus to save her soul. She realized then that her request would be heard if she agreed to live spiritually five years of Hell’s punishment. She immediately consented to it, and shortly after that, La Capitana converted, made a general confession and became a model of humility and piety for the rest of her life. She died a year after the death of Marianna’s mother.
Meanwhile, Mother Marianna had to fulfill a promise: during the five years she felt condemned and rejected by the God whom she loved so much; she spiritually experienced the torments of the damned.