On the occasion of their 38th anniversary, an overview of the Glorious and Immortal Apparitions of the Saint Virgin in Egypt that began in April 2, 1968, and lasted till September of the same year. An exceptional event in the human history that gathered millions of witnesses from all religions, nationalities and even among the famous political leaders, as the former Egyptian President, Nasser, who secretly came to witness the veracity of the holy phenomenon. These unique celestial Apparitions were, also, covered by the most credible and reputed international media and were transmitted all over the world to witness for the greatness and the magnificence of the miraculous appearances.
The Virgin of Olives
In her superb heavenly beauty and her divine gracious majesty, Virgin Mary appeared, one night of the year 1924, to a pious Egyptian wealthy man in his dream and asked him to build a church on her name in the peaceful neighborhood famous for its olive trees, whence its naming the Quarter of Olives, symbol of peace and prosperity. She chose, however, this place, since she is familiar with it. As once she came to it, when she was still living on Earth at the dawn of the first millennium, with her small and Holy Family, Jesus, Joseph and her maternal cousin, Salome. All four were, at the time, refugees seeking asylum away from the frightening threats and the mortal dangers they were targeted to in their country and among their people.
Though, this night, after long centuries and decades, the Saint Virgin came by the spirit as a crowned queen dictating her just laws and imposing her fair will for the good and the salvation of humanity. She found that the quarter, so dear to her and that occupies a special place in her heart, was severely lacking a worship space to obtain her favours and grace. She ordered, then, to build in it, without delay, a church worthy of her to bless and watch over the residents of the simple and pacific locality. To encourage the inhabitants of the area and assure them of her protection and her benediction, she also promised to appear in the future church, half a century after its construction, to transform the new holy building into a pilgrimage site having no similar.
Although the prosperous man died shortly after the vision, his son took over the project and marvellously realized the dream in the eastern suburb of the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The new church became a miniature reproduction of the shrine of Hagia Maria, first basilica of the Christian era that was built on the historical peninsula of Istanbul in the fourth century on the orders of the Roman Emperor Constantine after his conversion to Christianity.
Faithful to her promise, the Holy Virgin appeared, around the time she had determined, in the church erected on her name to which was added, for precision, the one of the neighborhood where it is situated to become The Church of the Virgin of Olives.
Surrounded by an aureole of nuanced bright lights, varying between the blue and the orange colors, Virgin Mary initiated, on April 2, 1968, an unprecedented series of her Apparitions that lasted until September of the same year. The extraordinary event attracted a huge crowd of all ages, religions and nationalities, and its echo strongly spread around the world through the various media and testimonies. Everyone wanted to attend one of these rare and precious communions between Heaven and Earth incarnated, this time, in the person of the Holy Virgin appearing in all the splendor of her luminous body and her heavenly sumptuous clothes, of blue and white colors, on the domes of the church of the Virgin of Olives. Bright doves, bigger than the earthly ones, were flying, at the same time, around the Saint Woman in a fairy scene, according to the descriptions of many eyewitnesses.
Alerted by the rapid and intensive spreading fabulous news, the former Egyptian President, Nasser, and his entourage secretly attended the Apparitions from the house of a rich and powerful fruit merchant strategically located in the neighborhood to properly view the phenomenal appearances to ascertain their credibility. Once sure of their veracity, the Egyptian Leader gave his orders to donate the huge public garage facing the church, where the massive crowds were assembled, to the Church of the Virgin of Olives where, years later, one of the world largest and prestigious cathedrals were raised proudly bearing the name of the Holy Virgin to glorify and immortalize the memory of her gorgeous Apparitions in the neighborhood that hosted her, during her earthly life, as a refugee before venerating her divine presence for the eternity.
(Dedicated to the Soul of My Very Dear Mother.)
Amal M. Ragheb
(Carmen Aprahamyan)
International Journalist and Writer
amragheb2@gmail.com
