Our Lady of the Miracle / Our Lady of Zion

Our Lady of the Miracle / Our Lady of Zion 

Marie Alphonse Ratisbonne, an anti-Catholic Jew, befriended a baron in Rome & began wearing the Miraculous Medal as a simple test . 

On Jan 20, 1842 while waiting for baron in the church Sant Andrea delle Fratte, Ratisbonne encountered a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

He converted to Catholicism, joined priesthood, & began a ministry for conversion of Jews.

Timeline

May 1, 1814	Marie Alphonse Ratisbonne is born at Strasburg France. He was son & heir of a wealthy, aristocratic family of Jewish bankers.
	When Alphonse Ratisbonne was still a child his older brother, Theodor, converted to Catholic faith & became a priest. The family reacted negatively & Alphonse resolved never to speak again with him, & developed a hatred of Catholic faith.
1842	At age 28, he becomes engaged to his own niece, Flore Ratisbonne, whom he plans to marry following August. He decides to tour Europe & the East, partly for his health & partly for pleasure as he'd planned to assume a partnership at his uncle's bank. Ratisbonne decided to go to Naples, to spend winter in Malta, to strengthen his delicate health.
Jan 5th, 1842	Due to a travel mistake, he ended up up taking wrong road & then booked his passage on steamer to Rome. He left Naples on 5th & arrived in Rome on 6th, feast of the Three Kings & began to tour city.
Jan 8, 1842	Ratisbonne encountered on street his old Preotestant classmate from Strasburg, Gustavo de Bussières. In process of rekindling their friendship, Alphonse meets Gustave's older brother, Baron Theodore de Bussières, a convert to Catholicism & a close friend of Alphonse's priest-brother. Alphonse feels instinctive abhorrence toward this zealous Catholic convert, but he knows baron is an expert on Constantinople, which Alphonse plans to visit, so he agrees to call upon him for travel advice. De Bussières saw it as his mission to convert to Catholicism any unbeliever who crossed his path. He & Ratisbonne became friends, but not without difficulty.
	The baron makes a proposition to Alphonse that he take a simple test: wear  Miraculous Medal & say every morning the Memorare, a prayer St. Bernard composed to Virgin Mary. So he consents, mocks the Faith, & quotes a line from The Tales of Hoffman: "If it does me no good, at least it will dome no harm." The baron's little daughter puts miraculous medal around Alphonse's neck.
	The Baron's relentless proselytism continues repelling him further from Catholic faith. He recruits members of Rome's tight-knit community of aristocratic French expatriates to pray for him. Notable among these friends is Count Laferronays, ex-diplomat, once a notorious roue' & now a devout, fervent Catholic. Moved by the baron's pleas, the Comte drops into a church & fervently prays "more than 20 Memorares" for conversion of "young Jew." That very same evening, Count suffers a fatal heart attack. After receiving his final Sacraments, he dies devoutly, surrounded by his loving family.
Jan 20, 1842	When Baron was arranging funeral of his friend Count Laferronays in basilica of St. Andrea delle Fratte in Rome he asked Ratisbonne to wait for him in church. When the Baron came back to church he found Ratisbonne on his knees in prayer. This sight moved him to tears. In Ratisbonne's own words: "I was scarcely in church when a total confusion came over me. When I looked up, it seemed to me that entire church had been swallowed up in shadow, except one chapel. It was as though all light was concentrated in that single place. I looked over towards this chapel whence so much light shone, & above the altar was a living figure, tall, majestic, beautiful & full of mercy. It was the most holy Virgin Mary, resembling her figure on Miraculous Medal. At this sight I fell on my knees right where I stood. Unable to look up because of blinding light, I fixed my glance on her hands, & in them I could read expression of mercy & pardon. In presence of Most Blessed Virgin, even though she didn't speak a word to me, I understood frightful situation I was in, my sins & beauty of Catholic Faith." The baron helps Ratisbonne outside & into his carriage. He takes him to Hotel Serny, where Alphonse is staying, & loosens his cravat so he can breathe. But Alphonse is still sobbing, clasping his Miraculous Medal, murmuring thanks to God. At last he turns to baron, embraces him says: "Take me to a confessor! When can I receive baptism, without which I can no longer live?" "What has happened?" exclaims baron. "What have you seen?" "That," says Alphonse, "I can reveal only on my knees & to a priest."
	The baron takes him to the Gesu, the Jesuit mother-church, to see Father Villefort. There, Alphonse tries to explain himself, but he is still sobbing so hard that he is unintelligible. At last he calms down, takes Miraculous Medal from his neck, holds it up, & cries: "I saw Her! I saw Her!" Alphonse Ratisbonne confessed &, for fear of ridicule, entered convent of Jesuits to make a retreat under guidance of Father Villefort.
Jan 31, 1842	He received from the hands of His Eminence Cardinal Patrizi, Vicar of His Holiness, baptism, confirmation & his first Holy Communion.
Feb 1842	The following month, Vatican holds a canonical process to investigate circumstances surrounding Alphonse's conversion. After lengthy investigation & many depositions, it concludes that his sudden conversion was entirely miraculous; an act of God wrought through powerful intercession of Virgin.
May 1842	Only a few months after apparition, a painting of Madonna ofMiracle was placed for veneration in exactly same spot & in same form as She appeared. The canvas was painted by artist Natale Carta, who according to tradition, followed directives of Ratisbonne himself.
June 3, 1842	In same year, after a formal inquiry about apparition of January 20, Vicar General of Pope Gregory XVI, Cardinal Patrizi, declared that it was a divine miracle operated through intercession of Blessed Virgin Mary, & permitted publication & spread of texts recording miracle.
1843	After his conversion he reconciled with his brother & assisted him in founding Sisterhood of Our Lady of Sion.
1847	He was ordained priest & entered the Society of Jesus.
1855	Wanting to devote himself entirely to conversion of Jews, he left society with consent of Pope Pius IX, transplanted Sisters of Sion to Jerusalem in 1855, & built for them in 1856 large Convent of Ecce Homo with a school & an orphanage for girls.
1860	He erected Convent of St. John on mountain at Ain Karim, together with a church & another orphanage for girls. Here Alphonse labored with a few companions (Pères de Sion) for conversion of Jews & Muslims until his death.
May 6, 1884	Death of Marie Alphonse Ratisbonne
Jan 17, 1892	Due to large number of miracles attributed to Mary in Shrine that Pope Leo XIII Alphonse Ratisbonne coronated venerated icon with a diadem.
April 25, 1942	Pope Pius XII elevated title of church to rank of a basilica.
March 12,1960	Pope John XXIII elevated basilica of Sant Andrea delle Fratte to title of a cardinal's church.
Feb 28, 1982	The visit of Pope John Paul II to basilica of Sant Andrea delle Fratte.

Description of the Virgin

In Ratisbonne's own words: "I was scarcely in church when a total confusion came over me.
When I looked up, it seemed to me that entire church had been swallowed up in shadow, except one chapel.
It was as though all light was concentrated in that single place.

I looked over towards this chapel whence so much light shone, & above the altar was a living figure, tall, majestic, beautiful & full of mercy.

It was the most holy Virgin Mary, resembling her figure on Miraculous Medal.
At this sight I fell on my knees right where I stood.

Unable to look up because of blinding light, I fixed my glance on her hands, & in them I could read expression of mercy & pardon.
In presence of Most Blessed Virgin, even though she didn't speak a word to me, I understood frightful situation I was in, my sins & beauty of Catholic Faith."


Messages

There were no messages given to Marie Alphonse Ratisbonne.

Approval

In Feb 1842 Vatican held a canonical investigation of circumstances surrounding Alphonse's conversion. After lengthy inquiry & many depositions, it concludes that his sudden conversion was entirely miraculous; an act of God wrought through powerful intercession of Virgin.
In May 1842, only a few months after apparition, a painting of Madonna of Miracle was placed for veneration in exactly same spot & in same form as She appeared.

The canvas was painted by artist Natale Carta, who according to tradition, followed the directives of Ratisbonne himself.
In same year, after a formal inquest about apparition of January 20, Vicar General of Pope Gregory XVI, Cardinal Patrizi, declared on June 3, 1842, that it was a divine miracle operated through intercession of Blessed Virgin Mary, & permitted publication & spread of texts recording the miracle.