500 Years of Virgin Mary Sightings in One Map
Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, inspiring wonder and devotion among millions, have been tracked for centuries.
From a village in Rwanda to a rock cave in France, sightings of the Virgin Mary have been reported across the globe since A.D. 40. Since 1531, the Roman Catholic Church has investigated these reports and offered approval to multiple sites where bishops believe miracles occurred, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris.
MiracleHunter.com keeps a catalog of sightings. The map below shows where the sightings have been reported, and how they've been classified by the church. You can read about how the Virgin Mary has become the world's most powerful woman in our latest magazine cover story, and see how obsession with Mary can be taken to extremes on Explorer: The Cult of Mary, which premieres Sunday, December 13, at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) on the National Geographic Channel.
