Those who specialize in Marian studies call the years between 1830 and 1954 an "Age of Mary." During those 125 years Our Lady appeared in Paris, La Salette, Lourdes, Pontmain, Knock, Fatima, Beauraing, and Banneux. Two Marian dogmas were also declared.

Both the apparitions of Beauraing and Banneux took place in 1930s Belgium, with the appearances of Our Lady at Banneux to Mariette Beco resembling the apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes.

Mariette Beco was born in Banneux on March 25, 1921, the eldest of a family of seven children. Her family was not devout. Mariette didn't do well at catechism class and had stopped attending classes for first Communion.

On Sunday, January 15, 1933, Mariette, 11, was sitting at the kitchen window looking out onto the small garden. It was 7 pm and Mariette was waiting for her brother to come home. Suddenly she saw a young woman dressed in white with a bright blue sash. 

One of the woman's feet could be seen, barefoot, with a gold rose between her toes.

Mariette told her mother about the vision and insisted she come over to the window to see for herself. Her mother could see a white shape but couldn't make out any figures and thought it might be a witch.

Mariette said, "She is beautiful, Mama. She is smiling at me."

Mariette noticed the lady had a rosary, while her cross was the same color of gold as the rose between her toes.

Immediately Mariette went to a drawer, took out a rosary, and started to pray. The lady moved her lips, but Mariette couldn't hear what she said.

After a few decades, the Lady raised her hand and motioned with her finger for Mariette to come outside. The girl asked permission to leave the house but her mother would not let her go. When Mariette returned to the window, the lady had disappeared.

The next day, Mariette told a friend what she saw. The friend encouraged Mariette to tell the priest. They walked to the priest's office, but Mariette backed out at the last minute and ran off. Her friend told the priest, who thought Mariette was influenced by the recent reported apparitions in Beauraing, Belgium.

The apparition caused Mariette to return to catechism class, where she knew her lesson well. This amazed the priest, because Mariette had been the worst student.

After class, the priest asked Mariette why she had run away from his office without telling him what she had seen. With the priest's encouragement, Mariette was not afraid anymore and told him what she saw. 

The priest suggested she had seen a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, but Mariette insisted that the lady she had seen was inclined forward and much more beautiful. The priest told Mariette to pray to Our Lady for guidance.

That evening at 7 pm, Mariette left the house for the yard, as if compelled by some inner force. She fell to her knees and prayed. Mariette's father, Julien, was a fallen-away Catholic and followed his daughter to see what happened.

Our Lady appeared in the distance above the woods. For about 20 minutes, Mariette prayed with her before Our Lady motioned her to follow her. Mariette knelt down three times on the road, prayed, and then arrived at a small stream. Our Lady said, "Put your hands in the water! This fountain is reserved for me. Goodnight. Good bye."

Around 10 p.m., the priest came to the Beco's house. Mariette's father, Julien, told the priest what happened and decided to return to the practise of the faith. He made a general confession and started attending Mass.

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聖母使父女皈依    

專門研究聖母學的人,稱1830年至1954年為「瑪利亞年代」。那125年內,聖母分別在巴黎、拉沙里第、露德、蓬特曼、諾、花地瑪、博蘭、和巴訥顯現;有關聖母的兩個奧蹟也被教宗定為當信道理。其中位於比利時的博蘭和巴訥,聖母在三十年代顯現過。聖母在巴訥給瑪利特.貝可的顯現,類似在靈德給伯爾納德.蘇比魯顯現。

瑪利特.貝可是一個擁有七個孩子家庭的長女,1921年3月25日在比利時的巴訥出生。他們並非是熱心敬主的家庭,瑪利特甚至沒有完成初領聖體的課程。

1933年1月15日、星期日黃昏約七時,當時十一歲的瑪利特,坐在家中廚房窗前,望著外面的小花園,等待弟弟回來;突然,她看見欄柵外的大路上,有一位身穿白衣,腰束藍帶的婦人,在行走。她馬上告知母親,也要母親到窗前看,但母親只看到一片白光,卻沒人像,懷疑是巫婆。瑪利特堅稱看到的婦人「十分美麗」,且「對著我微笑」。她同時注意到那美麗婦人提著一串玫瑰唸珠,配著一個金色的十字架,腳趾間有一朵金色的玫瑰花。瑪利特立刻從抽屜取出玫瑰唸珠,開始誦唸玫瑰經。只見那婦人咀唇微動,但不知道她說什麼。幾端玫瑰經後,婦人示意瑪利特到屋外,但不獲母親准許。再回到窗前,婦人已隱沒了。

翌日,瑪利特向朋友細說異象,朋友鼓勵她告知神父;他們步行到神父的辦公處,可是瑪利特最後還是改變主意跑掉了。不過,朋友把事情轉告神父,神父認為瑪利特是受博蘭聖母顯現的消息影響。

聖母的顯現促使瑪利特重返星期三的要理課程,而且一洗過往頹態,積極專心,令神父咤異。課後,神父鼓勵瑪利特說出異象真相,她再不對神父驚恐,如實憶述。神父表示她可能只是見到一尊露德聖母像,但瑪利特堅稱她看到的聖母,比露德聖母像還要美麗,而體態是向前傾。神父建議她向聖母祈禱,尋求指引。

是日黃昏七時,瑪利特好像被內在的力量催使,走到屋外的園子,跪在地上祈禱。父親儒利亞原是冷淡教友,跟隨著女兒看個究竟。

聖母在有距離的一些樹木頂上給瑪利特顯現,瑪利特和聖母祈禱了約二十分鐘,聖母示意跟她走。一路上,瑪利特跪下了三次祈禱;最後,她們來到一條小溪,聖母吩咐瑪利特說:「把手放入水裡,這水泉是為我保留的。晚安。再見!」。

晚上約十時,神父來到貝可家,父親儒利亞把看到女兒的作為,盡告神父,並表示從此要做個盡忠職守的教友。他辦了總告解,開始重新參與彌撒。