A world map of Virgin Mary apparitions

For centuries, the Virgin Mary has appeared to the faithful, requesting devotion and promising comfort.These maps show the geography of Marian apparitions – the handful approved by the Vatican, and many others.Historically, Europe is where most apparitions have been reported, but the U.S. is pretty fertile ground too. The divine is supernatural, but religion is very much of this world. The way people worship even has an impact on their physical surroundings. Here’s a telltale sign that you’re in Catholic country: chapels, shrines and grottoes dot the roadside. The latter are replicas of the cave in southern France where the Virgin Mary appeared to a local peasant girl in the early 19th century. Those Marian apparitions themselves are another peculiar point of contact between faith and the world. Typically, they happen in times of crisis to young children from a humble background. They are often the only ones able to see the apparition. The visitations sometimes reoccur over a prolonged …