PELLEVOISIN - APPARITION OF OUR LADY OF MERCY
Among the listed 120 shrines to the Virgin Mary is the shrine of Our Lady of
Mercy at Pellevoisin in France.
Estelle Faguette was born in 1843.
She became a Child of Mary devoted to the sick at the age of 17. But after this
she was struck with ill-health and general weakness.
In the year of the apparition at Pellevoisin in 1876, Estelle was reputedly
dying of pulmonary tuberculosis, acute peritonitis and an abdominal tumour.
On the night of February 14, she was told she had only a few hours to live. She
had a vision of the Devil at midnight in her bedroom. The Devil despaired when
Mary appeared to scare him off. Mary said, "Don't worry. You know you are my
daughter. Have courage. Be patient for my Son will be touched. You will suffer
for five days in honour of the five wounds of my Son. On Saturday you will be
either dead or cured."
The next night Mary appeared to tell her that she would be freed from her
infirmities on Saturday.
The first sign of suspicion is how Mary told Estelle to stick it out for five
days and she would be dead or cured and then the next night there is a change of
plan. Estelle will be cured on Saturday.
The Virgin told Estelle that Jesus will let her live so that she may know the
glory of God and the glory of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. There was an
apparition every night. The last one until 1 July that year was on 18th
February. That night Mary showed her these words, "I called to Mary in the
depths of my despair. She pleaded with her Son for me and gained my total
healing for me." These words appeared in gold letters on a tile. Estelle however
didn't get better until she went to Mass the morning after. Mary pleading with
Jesus implies he didn't want to help but was talked into it. Clearly Mary is
better than God and kinder!
The sixth apparition was on the 1 July 1876. She saw Mary surrounded by roses
and graces raining from her hands.
The seventh apparition took place on the next day. Mary said she had come to
convert those with the hardest hearts. Estelle thereupon asked for a sign. Mary
said she didn't need one, "Your healing is one of the greatest signs of my power
is it not?"! This is another error for Estelle's cure is no more impressive than
the miracle cures of Lourdes. The cures are then seen to be luck rather than
miracles. And the diagnosis of Estelle may have been incorrect. That was 1879
when medicine got diagnoses wrong more often than right. Estelle was the real
origin of the message. She wanted to get attention by boasting one of the
greatest miracles. But it was not that great! She was arrogant.
On September 9, the Virgin asked for a new scapular to be made. Pope Leo XIII
approved the scapular.
The Church had a number of scapulars and miraculous medals and it is hard to
believe Mary would institute another. Why not emphasise the scapulars and medals
that were there already?
Estelle died in 1929.
The Church approved the apparitions and now a shrine has been created. The
bedroom where Estelle had her apparitions is now a chapel. There is no evidence
that Estelle had any visions at all. She was never observed while having her
visions. We don't even know if she went into ecstasy. There were no tests
performed while she was having her visions.
The real Mary would not ask us to depend on what Estelle said about her. That
gives more importance to Estelle than Mary.
The apparition is a hoax. Did Estelle get better before her apparition? Did she
pretend to be sick to create a mystery and a tale about a miracle cure?
