Nearly fifty years after Fatima’s miracle of the sun, Our Lady appeared to another crowd of believers and nonbelievers in Zeitoun Egypt. On April 2nd 1968, a Muslim mechanic noticed a woman on the roof of the nearby St. Mary’s Coptic Church. The man alerted others and police were dispatched to the scene. A few minutes later, the woman vanished. The woman, Our Lady, reappeared a week later and continued to appear regularly until 1971. Over three years, millions witnessed Our Lady at St. Mary’s Church, including Egypt’s president and the press corps. During her appearances, Our Lady remained silent but occasionally bowed to the church dome’s cross, held an olive branch, or blessed the people below. What do we make of this series of apparitions?
Al Adra —“The Virgin” in Arabic—is a title used by both Arabic speaking Muslims and Christians to describe Mary. Mary, the only woman named in the Qur’an, is reverenced by Muslims. Through her silent witness and gestures of prayer at Zeitoun, Mary worked on the hearts of the suffering Egyptian people to console them and commend them to prayer and deeper relationship with God. Like the Father, who called his Son out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15), the Virgin Mary calls all of her children unto herself. May we who seek refuge in Christ turn to Mary who guides us along the way of peace to her Son.
Our Lady of Zeitoun, Pray for Us!