The devotees of Our Lady understandably are drawn to any important Marian apparition and here we refer to events unfolding in Nigeria under the title Mediatrix of All Graces. Father John Beirne, CSSp who is the spiritual director of the visionary had recorded all the events and published a book based on this apparition.
The locality of the apparitions is Aokpe, in what has been called the Middle Belt of Nigeria. The visionary, Christiana Inehu Agbo was born on 29th March, 1980, and baptized a few days later by Fr Patrick Gaffney, CSSp, from Hamilton in Scotland. Her mother, Regina, had been for a long time the President of the Catholic Women’s Society and was involved in all the activities of the Church in Aokpe.
The visionary first saw a very beautiful woman. She learned the identity of this very beautiful woman when she was only twelve years of age. She relates:
I was in my room praying when suddenly Our Lady appeared to me. When she appeared to me she said: “I come from Heaven. I am the Refuge of Sinners. I come from Heaven to win souls for Christ and to hide my children in my Immaculate Heart. What I want you to do is pray for the souls in Purgatory, to pray for the world and to pray to console Jesus. Will you accept?” And I answered her, “Yes.”
We may listen to further words from Christiana:
In the same month I was in my room and suddenly I saw two Angels singing. I do not know what they were singing. I became afraid and ran out. My brother went and called my mother who said that she could not see anything. The two Angels remained for some minutes, then one of them said, “I am the Angel of Peace.” Then they disappeared.
The 1st of December, 1992, I went to the Church to pray. After saying prayers and the Rosary with the people, I left the Church and Our Lady suddenly appeared to me and said: “After saying the Rosary sit down and meditate for some time.” She then disappeared.
On the 1st of October, 1993, Christiana saw a round object like a ball on the floor with flowers around it. Our Lady came and stood on it. Prompted by her mother, she was going to ask Our Lady’s name. Our Lady cut in quickly and said, “Behold, I am a Holy Mother and I will introduce myself another time.”
When Christiana stated, “I do not know your name,” Our Lady replied: “The time of giving my name has not yet come. The name I will bring will be a powerful one. I will do many things in St. Patrick’s Church”
The title which Our Lady eventually gave Christiana is one which evokes much doctrinal and devotional history: Mediatrix of All Graces.
Cardinal Mercier’s initiative to obtain a Mass and Office for this title; the decision of Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary and St. Maximilian Kolbe, founder of the Militia Immaculatae, each with world-wide membership, to include the title in their prescribed prayers; the movement launched by Dr. Mark Miravalle to obtain the Fifth Marian Dogma—in honor of Mary Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate.
He has millions of the faithful supporting him and hundreds of bishops and cardinals—all show the great importance of this title for our time. Is it not interesting that this title coming out of Africa is also one of the titles that so many of the faithful desire to see included in a dogmatic proclamation?
Several Nigerian bishops have visited the reported apparition site and have all come back favorably disposed to its supernatural character.
Follow
