Before and after World War Two, it turns out Germany was a hotbed of Marian apparitions. This nation that bred Protestantism (and its attempts at poisoning devotion to Mary, for one thing), later became a locus for global upset and the mayhem of Hitler.

Yet in that tumult nation were major alleged apparitions—not yet ruled upon by Rome; two were at Heroldsbach and Marienfried. These came after the fall of the Nazis (Marienfried in 1946,  Heroldsbach in 1949).

In 1937, like a bookend just before the war, began a largely unknown but technically Church-sanctioned series of apparitions in another German town called Heede.

This we are reminded of in the wake of recent Vatican approvals for devotions attached to apparitions of the Mother of God during the same time period.

Heede is near the Dutch border, just 150 miles from alleged apparitions during the 1940s in Amsterdam (apparitions that were rejected by the Vatican in its recent decisions). At Heede, appearances of Mary lasted until 1940 and included the drama of an arrest of four seers by the Gestapo and “hospitalization” for six weeks at a mental institute.

Those visionaries, aged eleven to fifteen, were in the local church on November 1 praying on All Souls Day when it happened. Their names: Margaret Gansferth, Grete Gansferth, Anna Schulte, and Susanna Bruns.

It was Grete who first saw the Virgin Mary when she and her sister Margaret took a break from prayer to wander into the church’s cemetery, three hundred yards away.

According to widespread accounts, Grete spotted a light between two trees that took the form of Mary and alerted Margaret, who told her she was “crazy.” The radiant figure, insisted Grete, was standing on a cloud about three feet above the ground in a resplendent white robe. Returning to church, the sisters finished a set of prayers but, in short order, revisited the cemetery with the two other girls.

All four then witnessed Mary coming from the light and holding the Infant Who had a golden globe with a Cross above it (similar to a statue that would be generated by the rejected Amsterdam appearances).

Due to the threat of arrest (the Gestapo put a stop to this “superstitious nonsense” and began prohibiting pilgrimages), only three days of the initial apparitions were recorded, but at least seven thousand people came to the site for those early appearances and it’s believed there were a hundred or more other apparitions, taking place in the seers’ homes and various places in and around the vicinity.

As at Medjugorje (and also Garabandal in Spain), the visionaries dropped to their knees in striking unison when Mary appeared, though they were not looking at or otherwise drawing cues from each other.

Grete received the stigmata. There were also many reported cures. On November 3, 1940, at 8:30 p.m., the apparitions of Mary came to an end after three years—at least in this particular series—but not before the Blessed Mother gave each child a secret, including one on October 19, 1940, that she designated for the Pope (Pius XII).

“Do not say anything more except to the Holy Pope of Rome!” Mary allegedly said.

(The message was then placed in a sealed envelope and transmitted through Bishop Hermann Wilhelm Berning to Pius XII.)

That bishop sent a positive report to Rome and expressed his position in a homily during 1942, saying, “From Heede came a rich blessing. I could see that Marian devotion dramatically increased… Sacramental life, in particular, has flourished dramatically in his parish.”

A priest assigned to review the situation declared the event supernatural, citing, in a diocesan bulletin, “undeniable proofs of the seriousness and authenticity of these manifestations.” Two churches in town were elevated as diocesan shrines (though technically, to this day, there is still no recognition by way of a formal bishop’s declaration).

Interesting it will be to see if the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, currently releasing rulings under new norms in a torrent, will place an official nihil obstat on the circumstance, as it has at Montichiari, Italy, for the Rosa Mystica apparitions (1940s) and likewise in Italy for supernatural manifestations known as “Our Lady of the Rock.”

At Heede the Virgin reportedly said, “The world is about to drink the dregs of Divine wrath” (to Grete during this, the onset of World War Two) and showed visions of future catastrophes. Our Lady appeared as the “Powerful Mediatrix of Grace” and “Queen of the Universe,” as well as “Queen of the Holy Souls (in Purgatory),” an interesting title for this appearance at a cemetery. (Experts are at times wary of phenomena reported at graves, where deceptions and spirits of the deceased–revenants–also have been known to manifest.) After the war—in 1949—it was claimed that Jesus appeared with a stern message, allegedly saying, “Humanity has not heard My Mother. The times are serious. The angels of justice are spread throughout the world. For those who do not have Grace it will be scary. What will happen will be terrible. Humanity is worse than before the Flood. The world lies in the obscure darkness. I want to save everyone. This generation deserves to be destroyed, but looking at the righteous, I’ll leave that My Mercy eventually triumphs.” (The full message, at least as presented by various websites, is below.)

Prayer to Our Lady of Heede

Dear Lady of Heede, Queen of the Poor Souls in Purgatory, hear thou our fervent pleas for the relief of those suffering souls. As thou art truly the loving Mother of Mercy, let the graces of thy Immaculate Heart pierce that dark prison of purification and fall as a refreshing dew upon those languishing there. And do thou, dearest Advocate, implore thy Divine Son to allow the infinite merits of His Precious Blood to penetrate the darkness as a ray of hope and light upon the Poor Souls, especially those enrolled in the Purgatorian League, and the souls of…(insert names), through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.+

Footnote: the alleged message from Jesus in 1949: “Men did not listen to My Most Holy Mother when she appeared to them at Fatima and admonished them to do penance. Now I, Myself, am coming at the last hour to warn and admonish mankind! The times are very serious! Men should at last do penance, turn away from their sins and pray, pray much in order that the wrath of God may be mitigated. Particularly the Holy Rosary should be prayed very often. The Rosary is very powerful with God. Worldly pleasures and amusements should be restricted.

“Men do not listen to My Voice. They harden their hearts. They resist My Grace. They do not wish to have anything to do with My Mercy, My Love, My Merits. Mankind is worse than before the deluge. Mankind is suffocating in sin. Hatred and greed rule their hearts. This is the work of the devil. They live in great darkness. Through the wounds that bled, Mercy will again gain victory over justice. My faithful souls should not be asleep now like the disciples on Mount Olivet. They should pray without ceasing and gain all they can for themselves and for others.+

[Footnote: There was an occasion when a school dance was being prepared for October 21, 1945, which apparently was going to exceed Catholic norms for decency. At the request of Our Lord, Greta sought to have the dance cancelled or at least modified so that it would not be a dangerous occasion of sin. Greta warned the parents as Our Lord declared: “If they proceed with that dance, all involved will have to answer to Me at their Judgement.” The dance was subsequently cancelled.]+

THE  LITANY OF LORETO (requested at Heede)   

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of Mercy,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother of Hope,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Saviour,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honour,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Solace of Migrants,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee,
O Lord God,
that we, your servants,
may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body;
and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin,
may be delivered from present sorrow,
and obtain eternal joy.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

[Footnote from a website created before he died by Blessed Carlo Acutis: