As much as I think I know about the teachings of the Catholic Church in regards to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the primary approved apparitions, there is still so much I don’t know and so many apparitions of the Blessed Mother I have never heard of before – today’s feast day in Austria is no different.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is truly our Mother and never leaves us for she seems to have appeared, and continues to appear, in nearly in every country across the globe. I realize that many of us know about Guadalupe, Fatima, Lourdes, Amsterdam, and La Salette, but how many of you are aware of Our Lady of Absam in Austria?

In 1797, a young 18-year-old female by the name of Rosina Buecher was sewing by her window. At the same time, our father was working in the salt mines. Out of nowhere, she felt a terrible feeling that something was wrong with her father, maybe he had an accident in the mines. As she stared out her window wondering about her father, she saw an image of a beautiful woman on the window. After calling her mother into her room, who also saw the image, they both believed that they were looking at the Blessed Virgin Mary. Not sure if they were correct or not, they called their neighbors and their parish priest to confirm their belief.

The parish priest had the windowpane removed so it could be scientifically tested. During the testing of the window, it came to be that when the window was submerged under water – the image would disappear, but when the window was a dried off, the image would then reappear. The scientists who examined the window were not able to conclude how the image was created on the glass.

Realizing that it was more than likely a miracle and not explainable through the scientific process, the priest returned the image to the Buecher family. As word spread, the miraculous image of what would become known as Our Lady of Absam grew in popularity and many people came to venerate the holy image.

The family decided to donate the image to the parish church so people could come and view it. Quickly word spread of Our Lady’s face on the pane glass window. Many people from all over Austria descended upon the small town six miles outside of Innsbruck, and just as quickly miraculous healings began.

Today the image can be seen in the parish of St. Michael the Archangel, which has been raised to a Minor Basilica. The holy image of Our of Absam is enshrined on a side altar. It measures 5”x7”.

The parents and grandparents of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI were married in Absam. According to Georg Ratzinger, the brother of Pope Benedict says in his book, My Brother the Pope, that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has a special devotion to Our Lady of Absam.

Our Lady of Absam…Pray for Us.

Source:

Guide, The Catholic Travel. “Innsbruck, Austria: Our Lady of Absam Shrine.”Our Lady of Absam Austria Miraculous Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2017.