Beneath a chestnut tree in the quiet Spanish village of Chandavila, a 10-year-old girl described an encounter marked not by fear but by a mother’s tenderness. Beginning in May 1945, the apparitions of Our Lady of Sorrows to Marcelina Barroso Expósito and later Afra Brígido Blanco carried a gentle message for every suffering heart: pray, trust and do not be afraid.
According to the website of Divine Mysteries and Miracles , Marcelina first witnessed a sorrowful figure clothed in a black, star-covered mantle on May 27, 1945.
When she returned on June 4, 1945, Mary reportedly instructed her to crawl across sharp stones and thorns as nearly 1,000 people watched. She assured the child that no harm would come to her. According to the account, reeds and grass protected Marcelina’s knees, and witnesses found no injuries afterwards.
Marcelina also described being embraced and kissed on the forehead by the Blessed Mother. She recalled a vision of a beautiful church where Mary stood at the altar, and invited her to bless herself with holy water. Our Lady then requested the construction of a chapel at the location.
Seventeen-year-old Afra Brígido Blanco subsequently described seeing the same Marian figure and receiving a private revelation about future suffering. During these encounters, the Rosary was requested, and the call for a chapel was repeated. These experiences therefore directed the faithful toward prayer, sacrifice and confidence in the Blessed Mother’s care.
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández explained that the words “Do not be afraid” reflected Chandavila’s central message: trust in Our Lady’s loving presence. In the years that followed, both visionaries lived quietly in service, caring for the sick, the elderly, orphans and others in need.
In 2024, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith consented to a diocesan nihil obstat through a letter approved by Pope Francis. The decision did not formally declare the reported events supernatural. However, it recognised their positive spiritual fruits and allowed the shrine to continue welcoming pilgrims seeking peace, conversion and consolation.
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