Janice T. Connell - Meetings With Mary: Visions Of The Blessed Mother

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by Janice T. Connell

Angel Power
Queen of the Cosmos
The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart
Visions of the Children: The Apparitions of the
Blessed Mother at Medjugorje

A Ballantine Book
Published by The Random House Publishing Group

Copyright 1995 by Janice T. Connell
Foreword copyright 1995 by Random House, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

Permissions acknowledgments can be found on , which constitute an extension of this copyright page.

DECLARATION

The decree of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, A.A.S. 58, 1186 (approved by Pope Paul VI on 14 October 1966) states that the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are no longer required on publications that deal with private revelations, provided that they contain nothing contrary to faith or morals. The author wishes to manifest her unconditional submission to the final and official judgment of the Magisterium of the Church in matters of faith and morals.

Ballantine and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

www.ballantinebooks.com

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-96587

ISBN 0-345-39705-3
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8041-8105-1

Photo research by Omni Photo Communications

v3.1

This book was consecrated to God in thanksgiving for the gift of the Incarnation through the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the actual site of the Archangel Gabriels visit to Mary at Nazareth, in the Grotto of the Annunciation in the Holy Land, during a Mass offered by the Reverends Thomas Stahl, S.J., Thomas King, S.J., Brendan Hurley, S.J., Josef Kadlec, S.J., Daniel OConnell, S.J., and Harold Bradley, S.J., on March 7, 1995. Father Thomas King, S.J., invoked a special blessing at the holy site upon all those who read this book, all who prepare it, all who handle it. He placed each under the special protection of the Lord Jesus Christ and His entire Nine Choirs of Angels.

Meetings with Mary is dedicated to the children of Mary, Mother of God, with great love and gratitude through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T he visionaries and locutionists, their families, spiritual directors, interpreters, translators, assistants, and facilitators, for the graciousness with which they shared their experiences.

The countless dedicated children of Mary throughout the world who personally helped on this project for the glory of God and, in their humility, are known to Him alone.

My revered brothers and sisters throughout the world who toil lovingly and tirelessly in the Marian Centers on behalf of the Blessed Mother and her Divine Son. Their commitment and generosity bring the beautiful apparitions of the Blessed Mother to the four corners of the earth.

The Marian prayer groups throughout the world who prayed this book into being.

My family, especially my husband Ed, whose love for the Blessed Mother has provided inspiration and encouragement, our daughter Betsy, our sons, Ted, Will and Derek, and our grandchildren, Mary Christian and Ricky. Their love has given life to this joyous book.

My professional colleagues whose graciousness facilitated this book, especially Thomas V. Fritz, Margaret M. Heckler, Gino Marchetti, Joy Flowers Conti, Carol Los Mannsman, J. Jerome Mannsman, Harold Cassidy, Robert Sensale, Robert R. Redfield, Brian J. Tiboni.

My Marian colleagues who heroically supported the vision contained in this book, especially Claire and Bob Schaefer, the late Frances Reck and Bill Reck, Marjorie and Stanley J. Karminski, Rita Klaus, Larry Galloway, John Haffert, Rosalie Turton, Courtney Bartholomew, Mother Angelica, Sister Isabel Bettwy, Sister Margaret Catherine Sims, Sister Agnes McCormick, Sister Emmanuel, Dennis Nolan, David Manuel, Emily and Tom Petrisko, Thomas Rutkowski, John Hill, Wayne Wieble, Eleanor Wetzel, Tom Collins, Inga McNeil, Susan A. Muto, Terry Colofrancisco, Maureen and Ted Flynn, John and Isabel McGilviry McGregor, the Anthony Azorres family, Joan and John Mitchel, Sue and Bernard Ellis, Debbie and Don Ralph.

Robert Faricy, S.J.; Thomas King, S.J.; Edward OConnor, C.S.C.; Thomas Thompson, S.M.; Luke Zimmer, S.S.C.C.; Adrian Van Kaam, C.S.Sp.; Michael Scanlan, T.O.R.; and Tomislav Pervan, O.F.M., for their committed devotion to the Mother of God, and for their discernment, scholarship, and encouragement, all of which find expression in this book.

Jolle Delbourgo, whose wisdom and courage guided its pages.

Leigh Ann Sackrider for her expertise and graciousness.

The generous staff at Ballantine Books for their dedication and commitment to this project.

Marcy Posner and Matthew Bialer for their assistance.

AUTHORS NOTE

T his book represents the contributions of Father Thomas King, S.J. of Georgetown University, who edited and guided this text. May the Blessed Mother of his Order reward his graciousness abundantly.

The sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel mobilized Herculean prayer support on behalf of this book. May the Queen of Heaven smile tenderly on her dear daughters of Loretta, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California; La Plata, Maryland; and Lafayette, Louisiana; especially Mother Teresa Margaret.

Mariologist Father Ren Laurentin deserves immense gratitude for much of the information that is available concerning the contemporary apparitions of the Blessed Mother. May his gifts reap a bountiful harvest for the Holy Trinity.

Father Michael Scanlan, T.O.R., and Mark Miravalle, S.T.D., pastored the beginnings of this book. May their efforts bear sweet fruit for the Kingdom of Marys Son.

Any mistakes or errors are totally due to my inadequacies.

The Spirit of God descended upon Jesus on Mount Tabor and proclaimed: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matthew 17:5). God has revealed all things in His Word, His Son. There are no answers or revelations that surpass the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The entire vision, locution and response, and revelationwhich God has already spoken, answered, manifested, and revealed to usis Jesus. He is given to us as our brother, saviour, companion, and reward. Saint Paul told us that in the Son of God are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Colossians 2:3). One of His gifts to us is His Blessed Mother Mary.

Books, movies, newspapers, newsletters, television documentaries, audio and video tapes abound that report current apparitions of the Blessed Mother of Jesus. Many such apparitions contain alleged messages from the Blessed Mother for these times.