![]() ![]() ![]() The archdiocese has not changed its position on the desert gatherings.īitel said people who report apparitions are on the fringes of organized religion. Mahony of the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese disavowed the reported apparitions, saying followers were “in danger of being misled” and that the archdiocese found doctrinal, canonical and financial irregularities among organizers of the ceremonies in the desert. She does not belong to an established religious order. She can be friendly but doesn’t seem to posses the magnetic allure one might attribute to a telegenic preacher. Many dropped to their knees and turned to watch who fell to her knees and whispered words of smiles knowingly and often. “I believe there are people who can intercede for God or the Virgin Mary,” said Linda Mora, 60, of Montebello as she walked alongside will always be naysayers who don’t believe, she said, but “if it makes people happy, if people believe, then they should just leave us alone.”Īs walked down the road, followed by musicians, someone suddenly said, “She sees something.” The message rippled through the crowd. A man in a T-shirt reading “Our Lady of the Rock” told the crowd to save their petitions for “Mother for later. She stepped out of the van and the crowd ran to her: “My brother has cancer.” “My cousin is sick.” “Please, smiled but kept quiet. On this spring day, arrived in a white van, smiling and wearing a full-length white habit. returned to the site, and as word spread of her vision, bigger and bigger crowds joined her until the property owners complained, and the gathering soon moved to its current location. Her 3-year-old daughter, the youngest of six children, had leukemia, and the Virgin cured her, she said. In 1990, said, she had a vision of the Virgin Mary in Lopez Canyon near her home in Pacoima. Rarely is a lasting community forged, said Lisa Bitel, a professor of history and religion at USC who is co-writing a book on Our Lady of the Rock. Scholars who have studied the phenomenon see a pattern: Publicity draws the curious and faithful, but the excitement quickly fizzles. In rarer instances, people say Mary speaks to them. Her image has been perceived in windows, gold nuggets, pieces of chocolate and, perhaps most infamously, on tortillas. Reported sightings of the Virgin Mary are widespread. ![]() ![]() Each 13th they create a fleeting community of faith in the desert. Some are just curious, some seek miracles and some say they want to feel closer to God. Some visitors photograph the sun, saying they see Mary in the images. On the 13th of every month, they say, the Virgin Mary appears and speaks to a woman named Maria Paula Crowds have gathered here, about 10 miles north of California City, for nearly 20 years. Gaines and nearly 1,000 others assembled last month at a barren site known as Our Lady of the Rock. “I look forward to these days,” said Rosie Gaines, 77, a retired aircraft worker from Lancaster. A few women carried roses, tulips and calla lilies and set them lovingly on the ground near the altar. scores of people had already arrived, carrying bottles of water, ice chests and rosaries. CALIFORNIA CITY - Even as the early morning chill lingered in this spot of desolate desert most frequented by dune buggies and dirt bikes, the sunlight was fierce, highlighting every shadow and making even the faintest color bright.Ī string of worn flags around an altar housing a statue of the Virgin Mary stood out in the light and hinted at the festive gathering that would soon take shape.īy 7 a.m. ![]()
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