The narrative of Our Lady of La Salette is a remarkable account of a Marian apparition that occurred in 1846 in the small hamlet of La Salette-Fallavaux, nestled in the French Alps. Let’s explore the story, including how the Church recognized its authenticity:
1. Setting and Witnesses:
o On September 19, 1846, two young shepherds, Mélanie Calvat (aged under fifteen) and Maximin Giraud (eleven years old), were tending their herds near La Salette.
o Around 3 p.m., they witnessed a globe of fire at the spot where they had slept. Within this light, they saw a beautiful lady, seated and weeping.
2. The Beautiful Lady’s Message:
o The Lady spoke to them in French: “Come near, my children, be not afraid. I am here to tell you great news.”
o She emphasized reconciliation and urged them to convey her message to the world.
o The children described her as tall, made of light, and weeping like a mother who had suffered.
3. Church Investigation:
o The local bishop, Bishop Philibert de Bruillard, took the children’s testimonies seriously.
o The Church subjected their accounts to rigorous scrutiny:
Interviews, consistency checks, character assessment, and theological examination.
The Lady’s message aligned with Church doctrine.
4. Authenticity Confirmed:
o On September 19, 1851 (the fifth anniversary of the apparition), Bishop de Bruillard declared the apparition authentic.
o He authorized the cult of Our Lady of La Salette.
o In 1879, Pope Leo XIII granted a canonical coronation to the image within the Basilica of Our Lady of La Salette.
5. Legacy and Devotion:
o Since then, devotion to Our Lady of La Salette has grown worldwide.
o Pilgrims visit the sanctuary, seeking solace, healing, and spiritual renewal.
o The great news of reconciliation continues to be made known everywhere.
In summary, Our Lady’s appearance at La Salette remains a powerful call to conversion and a testament to God’s mercy. The Church’s endorsement affirms its authenticity, and the shrine stands as a beacon of hope for all who seek reconciliation and grace
After the apparition of Our Lady of La Salette in 1846, the lives of Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud were irrevocably changed. Their vision sparked significant interest and controversy, and their subsequent lives were marked by the weight of the experience.
Mélanie Calvat
• Mélanie became a religious figure and spent much of her life as a nun. She faced various challenges within the Church due to her outspoken nature and the nature of the secrets she claimed to have received from the Virgin Mary.
• She lived in different convents and also traveled abroad, including a period in Italy. Throughout her life, Mélanie remained dedicated to spreading the message of La Salette.
• Later in life, she released what she claimed to be the full text of the secret given to her by the Virgin Mary, which contained apocalyptic predictions and criticisms of the Church. This led to further controversy, and the authenticity of this secret was questioned by some within the Church.
• Mélanie passed away in 1904 in Altamura, Italy, where she had been living in a convent.
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Maximin Giraud
• Maximin's life after the apparition took a more secular route. He attempted various trades, including that of a sacristan, a guide at the sanctuary of La Salette, and even as an administrator of a construction company.
• His life was not as directly tied to the Church as Mélanie's, and he faced skepticism and ridicule due to the apparition. He did not always live a life that reflected the call to repentance that the Lady of La Salette had made.
• Maximin struggled with consistency in his endeavors and faced financial difficulties. Despite these challenges, he did not retract his testimony about the apparition.
• Maximin died in 1875 at the relatively young age of 39.
Both Mélanie and Maximin faced scrutiny, and their lives after the apparition were marked by a mix of faith and hardship. The Catholic Church eventually approved the apparition as worthy of belief, but the lives of these two children suggest that having such a profound spiritual experience at a young age can lead to a complex destiny.
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