In the Belgian town of Beauraing, Mary appears 33 times to five children. These apparitions take place between 29 November 1932 and 3 January 1933.
On 21 December 1932, the apparition made itself known. She says to the children, “I am the Immaculate Virgin.” During the apparition on 29 December 1932, she shows for the first time on her chest, between her open arms, a golden heart. This pure heart is the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady of Beauraing. This gives rise to the name “Our Lady of the Golden Heart.”.
The Golden Heart of Mary is a sign that She has a pure heart that is immaculate and it also means that this heart gives her unbounded trust.
On 22 August 1946, the statue of Our Lady with the Golden Heart is placed by the hawthorn bush. This is the place where Our Lady appeared several times. This statue stands close to the railway bridge, where Mary was also seen.
Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (1876-1958), who was Pope from 1939 to 1958, established the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 22 August 1942. From that day, 22 August has been celebrated annually in the Catholic Church as the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
