The appearance of Our Lady in Germany 1937-1940

1937

Heede-im-Emsland
(Germany)

Margaret Gansferth, Greta Gansferth,

Anna Schulte, Susanna Bruns

Approved for Faith

Expression in 1945

Our Lady of Heede, Queen of the Poor Souls in Purgatory

Summary
Mary appears to four children Margaret Gansferth, Greta
Gansferth, Anna Schulte, Susanna Bruns near their
homes, in a meadow, and at other places. She was
holding the Divine Child in her arms when she first
appeared. Mary appeared to the children an
undetermined number of times of which only three were
recorded. After the children were forbidden by the
Gestapo (and briefly arrested) to go to the place of the
original apparition, Mary appeared to them in secret.
Prayer, conversion, and the rosary were the primary
messages.

Timeline

Nov 1, 1937

When 4 girls Anna Schulte, Greta Gauseforth (11) (1926-1996)

and Maria Gauseforth (13) and Susanna Bruns (+1994) went to
church for All Saints Day suddenly perceive a hundred feet a
"floating light" to a meter from the ground, then see a "light
form" resembling a woman's silhouette. Frightened, they reentered the church.They reported that The Blessed Virgin had
appeared to them with the Divine child in her arms.
Another girl, Anna Schulte, surprised leave the church,
explored the place indicated by Margaret and Grete, and "go to
the Virgin and Child." The ceremony ends. Maria and Grete,
accompanied by Anna and Adele Bruns, fifteen years, and her
sister Susanne (died September 22, 1994), they decide to go
back to the cemetery.

It's there, between the two cypresses!, Margaret exclaims.

The apparition remained silent. All the girls saw the

Nov 2, 1937

The next day, at the same time, the "lady" appears without the
Baby Jesus, hands clasped in prayer. A murmur runs through
the village.

Nov 7, 1937

In the beginning of the events, most of the villagers had

refused to believe in the apparitions but were finally won over.
At about 6:30 pm, 4,000-5,000 people were surrounding the
seers. Several priests witnessed the apparition.

Margaret was alone at the apparition:

"I saw the Mother of God directly in front of me, two feet away
from me and asked her:
April 5, 1939

Mother, how would you want to be invoked?

As Queen and Queen of the Holy Souls.
With what prayer would you like to be honored?
In the litany of Laurentanas."

In May, the Virgin appeared 13 times, including twice in the

initial location, for a full day (6th and 12th). On May 12th, Grete
asked:

May 12, 1939

" We will have diseases?

Not yet.
We come here every day?
Yes."
Then, the number of occurrences decreased.

1939

At the outbreak of the second world war, the Gestapo put a

stop to this superstitious nonsense and began prohibiting

pilgrimages and placed the four girls in the lunatic asylum at
Gtingen hospital. After a few weeks the children were
released but forbidden to go near the place of The
Apparitions.
From there they went to their houses to prove that they were in
perfect health.
Thereafter the appearances were in different places, which
they marked with a sign on the stone. Later the four seers had
to join the German Army as nurses.

Spring 1939

Grete Ganseforth receives the sitgmata.

The children asked about what patients heal:

"Just come to heal those with the right intention."
October 19

She gave them a "secret" intended to Pope:

"Do not say anything more except to the Holy Pope of Rome!"
The message was placed in a sealed envelope that is
transmitted through Bishop Berning to Pius XII .

At 8:30 pm, the apparitions of Our Lady finally came to and end
after 3 years. She gave them a secret Give a "secret" to each
child and then added:
Nov 3, 1940
"Now, my dear girls, the bless me in this farewell.
Remain good and faithful God!
Pray often and willingly rosary [... ] I'm going to heaven."

July 23, 1942

Bishop Berning expressed his position during the homily

delivered in situ: "From Heede came a rich blessing. I could
see that Marian devotion dramatically increased [...] I checked

[...] that sacramental life, in particular, has flourished

dramatically in his parish. "

February 3, 1943

Bishop Berning sent a positive report to the Holy Office.

1945

New apparitions of Our Lord and the "angel of justice" began.

Jesus appeared to them and said, "Humanity has not heard My
Mother. The times are serious. The angels of justice are spread
throughout the world. For those who do not have grace will be
scary. What will happen will be terrible, how come we have
seen since the world began. The humanity is worse than before
the flood. The world lies in the obscure darkness. I want to
save everyone. This generation deserves to be destroyed, but
looking at the right, I'll leave that my mercy eventually
triumphs."

August 22, 1977

The new church "Mary Queen of the Universe" is consecrated.

Sept 22, 1994

Death of Susanne Bruns.

January 27, 1996

Death of Grete Ganseforth.

2000

Bishop Joseph Franz-Hermann Bode, diocesan bishop, raised

the two churches in Heedeto the category of diocesan shrines.

Description of the Virgin

The Blessed Virgin appeared to children with the Divine Child in her arms.

Approval
The bishop of Osnabrck at the time the apparitions commenced, appointed a new
parish priest who declared in a diocesan bulletin the supernatural character of the
events of Heede that there are "undeniable proofs of the seriousness and authenticity
of these manifestations."
Prayer to Our Lady of Heede
Dear Lady of Heede, Queen of the Poor Souls in Purgatory, hear thou our fervent
pleas for the relief of those suffering souls. As thou art truly the loving Mother of
Mercy, let the graces of thy Immaculate Heart pierce that dark prison of
purification and fall as a refreshing dew upon those languishing there. And do
thou, dearest Advocate, implore thy Divine Son to allow the infinite merits of His
Precious Blood to penetrate the darkness as a ray of hope and light upon the
Poor Souls, especially those enrolled in the Purgatorian League, and the souls
of...(insert names), through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Books and Videos
Blackbourn, David. Marpingen: Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Nineteenth-Century
Germany Knopf (September 6, 1994)
Birch, Desmond A. Trial Tribulation and Triumph: Before, During and After Antichrist.
(Queenship Publishing. 1996)
Shrine

Memorial of the
"Queen of the Poor
Souls"
The shrine burnt
down in in the night
of March 14th,1999
and was rebuilt
again in the same
year.
Catholic parish
Heede

Kirchstr. 7 26892
Heede / Ems
Phone 04963/554
Fax 04963/990578
www.sankt-peterheede.de

Links
The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio