The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has approved of and encourages the devotion to Our Lady of Mercy at the Marian shrine of Pellevoisin. It was there, in 1876, that a poor young woman named Estelle Faguette reported a series of visions of the Blessed Mother, which led to her becoming healed of tuberculosis.
Born September 12, 1843, to an impoverished family, Estelle spent much of her young life working as a laundress and then as a maid to help support her family. By her 30s, after years of work, her health deteriorated due to tuberculosis, but rather than lament her illness, she gathered her childlike faith and wrote a letter to the Blessed Mother asking for healing.
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, explained to Vatican News that the letter narrated the suffering caused by her illness, but rather than conveying the “Christian spirit of resignation” to her impending death, instead she expressed her “inner resistance” to the illness, as it “disrupted her life plan.” He said that she always surrendered to God’s will, but she begged for the strength to continue helping her parents.
“This generous dedication to others, this life that is used to take care of others,” the cardinal commended, “is what touched the Mother's heart the most: ‘The Mother knows how to recognize all the good that is hidden behind our words.’”
The Vatican note on these apparitions is the latest from the dicastery since the new norms for investigating supernatural phenomena came into force in May.
What beauty and sweetness!
According to Estelle, she was 32 when the apparitions began and by the fifth apparition, she was healed of tuberculosis. In his message, Cardinal Fernández clarifies that “everything is attributed to Christ. Even Estelle's healing is not directly attributed to Mary, but to Christ who heard his Mother's intercession.”
In Estelle’s records, the Blessed Mother communicated to her with words of encouragement such as "Do not be afraid, you are my daughter"; "If you want to serve me, be simple."
Still, Estelle was even more struck by the “silent presence” of the apparition. In her writings, in French, she recalled how moved she was by these moments:
"My God, how beautiful she was! She remained still for a long time without saying anything [...] After this silence, she looked at me; I don't know what I felt; how happy I was!"..."She didn't say anything. Then she looked at me with a very kind look and left,"..."She was still looking at me smiling,"..."What beauty and sweetness!"..."What kindness in her gaze and what mercy!"
Cardinal Fernández went on to discuss the “Christological” nature of the apparitions, noting that the Blessed Mother requested that Estelle spread the use of a scapular bearing the image of the Sacred Heart of Christ, along with “the invitation to turn to that loving Heart of the Lord.”
“Showing Estelle the scapular of the Sacred Heart of Christ,” Cardinal Fernández explained, “Mary says: ‘For a long time, the treasures of my Son have been open [...] I love this devotion.’"
Estelle continued to live a life of service and humility after her miraculous healing. In 1925, she entered the Dominican Third Order and lived the religious life until her death at almost 86 years old.
While the devotion to the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Mercy have only just been officially approved, several popes have recognized its importance to the faithful. In 1892, Pope Leo XIII granted indulgences to pilgrims who visited Pellevoisin and later, in 1900, he recognized the scapular of the Sacred Heart.
In 1915, Pope Benedict XV was presented a scapular and stated that "Pellevoisin was chosen by the Holy Virgin as a special place to spread her graces."
