All About Mary
Children and Apparitions
Q: Why does Mary seem to appear more often to children and adolescents than to adults?
A: The Marian apparitions having some degree of approval from the Catholic Church seemed to favor children and adolescents more than adults, especially those in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Adult visionaries have become more common with recent apparitions, most of which are still under study by the Church. In the case of authentic supernatural manifestations, the usual reason given involves the greater innocence and openness typical of young people. However, authentic apparitions always imply a free act of communication by God. Hence, we can only speculate on God's reasons.
All About Mary includes a variety of content, much of which reflects the expertise, interpretations and opinions of the individual authors and not necessarily of the Marian Library or the University of Dayton. Please share feedback or suggestions with marianlibrary@udayton.edu.