Top 100 Marian Apparitions

The Marian apparitions of Our Lady of San Nicolás began in 1983 in the city of San Nicolás, Argentina, when an ordinary housewife and grandmother, Gladys Quiroga de Motta, began experiencing extraordinary spiritual phenomena. The events started simply, with rosaries glowing inexplicably in her home, but soon culminated in vivid visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dressed in a blue mantle and pink tunic while holding the infant Jesus, Mary presented herself as Our Lady of the Rosary. Over the course of seven years, from 1983 to 1990, Gladys received numerous visitations and interior locutions, faithfully recording the messages despite having no formal theological education.

During these encounters, the Virgin Mary imparted messages emphasizing the urgent need for prayer, repentance, and a return to God. She frequently urged the faithful to pray the Rosary daily, read the Holy Scriptures, and seek peace. A profound confirming sign of these visions occurred when Gladys, guided by the apparitions, discovered a forgotten, dust-covered statue in the bell tower of the local cathedral. The statue, which had been blessed by Pope Leo XIII decades earlier, perfectly matched the woman Gladys had been seeing. Additionally, Gladys reportedly experienced the stigmata—sharing in the physical sufferings of Christ—and numerous miraculous healings were reported by those who gathered to pray with her.

The events in San Nicolás have left an indelible mark on the faithful, culminating in official Church recognition. After years of careful medical and theological investigation, the local bishop formally approved the apparitions in 2016, declaring them to be of supernatural origin and worthy of belief. In accordance with Mary’s specific request during the visions, a massive church—the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás—was constructed. Today, it stands as a beacon of faith in Argentina, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually, especially on the September 25th anniversary, and serving as a lasting testament to the enduring message of spiritual renewal.