Pellevoisin and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart—Pt. 4: The Final Apparitions

Ex-voto left by Estelle Faguette to the Immaculate Heart. The French can be loosely translated as “I have invoked MARY at the worst of my misery. She has obtained from her SON my complete healing.”

CJS.Org Introductory Remarks:

Here we resume with the fourth part of our series on the reported Apparitions of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

These are taken from a invaluable 1904 book by Bernard St John – who, in fact, personally knew Estelle Faguette, the visionary at Pellevoisin.

Thus, we feel fortunate to be able to re-present this serialised account of the reported Apparitions of Our Lady of Pellevoisin by Bernard St John.

Five parts of this serial have so far appeared, covering the most important events. You can easily navigate through these by clicking on this table of contents:

We also refer the interested reader to further series at this site regarding Marian Apparitions in France, also taken from Bernard St John’s 1904 book.

For example, the Apparitions of Our Lady of La Salette can be found here, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes (here) and Our Lady of Pontmain (here).

For more about the sources of this series here, please see our first part here, which also contains some introductory notes regarding reports of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, from Pellevoisin – RB.

2nd STAND-ALONE Part of Video on Sacred Heart—Article Continues Below

From Bernard St John:

The next Apparition occurred six weeks later, on the Feast of All Saints.

To continue to quote from Estelle’s narrative: ‘Today I have again seen my good Heavenly Mother.

She appeared, as usual, with arms extended, and wearing the scapular she had revealed to me on September 9th. As usual, too, she gazed intently at something I could not see.

She did not speak, but cast upon me a loving glance. Then she disappeared.’

The next Apparition took place five days later.

The following account of it was written by Estelle the same day: ‘At about half-past two o’ clock I went to my room to say the Rosary. As soon as I had finished saying it, I saw the Blessed Virgin standing before me.

She looked as beautiful as ever. As I gazed upon her, I thought of how many persons there were more deserving of her favours than myself, and who could do far more than I could to make her glory known.

Looking at me and smiling, she said: “I choose the weak and the lowly ones for my glory.”

She paused again, and then added: “Be brave; your time of trial is near.”

Then, crossing her hands on her breast, she disappeared.’

This vision lasted nearly a quarter of an hour.

The fourteenth Apparition was on November 14th.

‘Yesterday,’ says Estelle, ‘I again saw my Heavenly Mother. I had finished saying the Rosary, and had just said a Memorare, when she appeared.

Her arms were outstretched, and she wore the scapular.

As on former occasions, she remained a few moments silent. When she spoke, she told me something concerning myself alone.

She paused again, and then said: “Have courage.”

Then, crossing her hands on her breast, she disappeared.’

Five persons were present. These included three nuns of the religious community at Pellevoisin, and Mademoiselle Thersile Salmon, sister of the parish priest.

They each state that Estelle’s eyes remained fixed, and that she was insensible to noise and movement.

They say, too, that towards the end she sighed heavily, while great tears rolled down her cheeks.

According to the testimony of these witnesses, this vision lasted forty minutes.

The fifteenth, and last Apparition, was on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

‘Today, after High Mass,’ says Estelle, ‘I again saw the Blessed Virgin. She was encircled by a garland of roses, as in the Apparition of July 2nd.

She said to me: “Recall to mind all my words.”

The voyante tells us that, at that moment, all that had been said to her in the course of the previous Apparitions became present to her memory.

‘She kept looking at me,’ she continues, in reference to the Blessed Virgin; ‘then she said: “My child, remember my words.

Repeat them often in order that they may strengthen and console you in your trials. You will see me no more.”

To Estelle’s reply the answer was: “I shall be near you, though unseen.”

Holding the scapular up with both hands, the celestial figure on whom the eyes of the voyante remained fixed, continued: “Go yourself to the prelate and show him the model of the scapular you have made.”

It must be mentioned here that Estelle had already attempted to produce with her needle a facsimile of the square of white cloth displaying the red heart in relief, which she had seen on the breast of the Apparition.

Scapular of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

The words that followed were: “Tell him (the prelate) that he is to help you to the utmost of his power, and that nothing will he more agreeable to me than to see this livery on each of my children, in reparation for the outrages of which my Son is the object in the Sacrament of His love.

Behold the graces that I will obtain for those who wear it with confidence and who help you to make it known.”

Estelle tells us that here she saw the effect, already alluded to several times in these pages, as that of abundant raindrops falling from the out stretched hands of the Blessed Virgin.

She tells us also that this effect was indicative to her of the flood of graces that was to descend on mortals in connection with the wearing of the scapular.

She then listened to the following words, pregnant with meaning to the Catholic mind: “These graces are from my Son. I take them from His heart. He can refuse me nothing.”

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‘I felt that the Blessed Virgin was about to leave me,’ says Estelle, who continues her narrative thus: “Courage,” she said, gently ascending the while.

“Should he (the prelate) not be able to grant you what you ask, and should difficulties arise, you will go farther. Fear nothing; I will help you.”

She went half-way round my room and disappeared at a short distance from my bed.’

As has been already intimated, there are minor details in connection with the Apparitions which we have not attempted to give here, our aim having been to reproduce the phenomena in their leading lines only.

Fifteen persons were present at the last Apparition.

These included Abbé Salmon and the Comtesse Arthur de la Rochefoucauld, who is now living the life of a Dominican tertiary in the convent she has founded on the site of, and in commemoration of, the facts with which we have to do.

We heard from this lady’s lips, in the summer of 1900, that her object in founding this convent was that the Church’s liturgical voice might never cease on the spot where the events we are recording had taken place.

The testimony of these witnesses coincides in the most perfect manner with what, according to Estelle, took place in the course of the last Apparition.

During the quarter of an hour that the vision lasted, the voyante whether on her knees or standing, was insensible to external sights and sounds.

Towards the end she was seen to turn her head slowly in a certain direction, and seemed to be following, with an intense fixity of expression, something that was moving.

This, as was afterwards learnt, was when the Apparition was making half the semi-circuit of the room before disappearing at the foot of the bed, from which Estelle had risen to life and health, nearly ten months before.

To be Continued …

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