[This testimony appears on many sites about Medjugorje, including www.crownofstars.blogspot.com, in an article by Christine Watkins to be found at www.medjugorjemiracles.com and on www.medjugorje.ws. On this latter site, the testimony is by Christiane Claessens but it relates to Joelle Beuret-Devanthery. I have included a letter by Joelle herself. I have slightly edited this material, obviously translated into English from another language]:
On Saturday, 16 October 2010, 46 people, mostly from the parish of St Frances de Sales and St Terese, began their private pilgrimage to Medjugorje. It was our twentieth private pilgrimage, at the time when we remembered the twentieth anniversary of forming the prayer group of Mary, Queen of Peace. For our group, it was a wonderful opportunity to thank the Lord, since Mary took each one of us by our hand and guided us, despite all of the difficulties we had throughout these last twenty years. Indeed, Satan cannot stand the Virgin Mary and he therefore hates prayer groups She desires to be founded in every parish. Through God’s grace, we remained faithful and we used to gather every Monday for prayer, meditation of Christ’s life, all accompanied with the messages that Mary gave and continues to give in Medjugorje.
We spent two days in the bus praying and introducing ourselves to the events that have taken place in Medjugorje from 1981 to today. It was Sunday evening, around 8:00 pm when we arrived in Medjugorje. On Monday 18 October, even though it was raining, with great joy in our hearts, we climbed the slippery pathway that leads to Apparition Hill. We were all helping one another. Joelle, a completely blind 50-year-old woman was among the pilgrims, together with her daughter Vinciane, as well as their modest and cheerful friend Claudia, who followed Joelle everywhere with such love and gentleness. Joelle was so happy, she seemed as if she were floating over the rocky pathway. As she arrived at the site of the apparitions, right under the statue of Our Lady, she said a beautiful prayer full of love and trust to our heavenly Mother. The whole group stayed for around twenty minutes in silence on the hill and descended together so they would meet again in the church around 5:00 pm for the evening prayer programme. That is where Joelle felt something strange; she felt as if there was a hand choking her and it was exactly at the time she was receiving Holy Communion. She heard some criticising voice telling her: You wanted to have a child, you got your daughter. You asked for a job, you got one. It is enough now, are you finally going to shut up? When it is cold, you have a nice, warm apartment, when you are hungry, you always have something to eat, when it snows, you always have warm clothes. Are you finally going to stop now and forever? It is really enough! Joelle seemed to be very disturbed and she spoke to Fr. Fabian that same evening. He told her that it is only God in the host and He wants us only good, and that could not be coming from God. He told her to pray to God, to pray to Him that she is able to fulfil His will. That seemed to calm her down.
On the following day, 19 October, we decided to pray the Way of the Cross, all the way to the top of Cross Mountain. Elderly people and Joelle prayed the Way of the Cross with Fr. Olivier down in the valley, while the rest of the group in light rain, and on a steeper and more difficult pathway than the previous day, climbed their way to the top of the mountain. We stopped and prayed before every station, we prayed long and for all of our intentions. Luc suggested to us that we unite ourselves in the prayer with that smaller group of our pilgrims who could not come and climb with us. In a special way that we present this Way of the Cross for Joelle, to pray for special graces for her, why not even to pray for healing, for nothing is impossible to our God? It was a very intensive Way of the Cross; it was a profound prayer in which we meditated upon Christ’s suffering that He suffered for all our sins. Prayer lasted from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. Again, we all met in the church at 5:00 pm for evening prayer programme.
That is where the great miracle took place. At the moment when Joelle received the Holy Eucharist, she was able to see the priest with his white alb. She was surprised, she looked up and saw lamps, the high ceiling of the church, the stained glass windows… It was as if she were thrown out of her black covering. She was not feeling good at all, and she said to Claudia who stood next to her: “Please take me out of here. I am not feeling good.” As they walked out of the church, she said: “I can see the light!” They continued their way to the sacristy and Fr. Oliver was on his way out, asking them: “What are the two of you doing here?” Joelle replied, saying: “I can see!” He was deeply touched with what happened and suggested the two of them go back to the church; the third part of the Rosary was just finishing. As people were coming out of the church, we all surrounded Joelle. Our priest, a true, genuine shepherd, suggested to her to thank the Lord, so they went together towards the steps in front of the main altar; they knelt down and thanked God for that great gift He had just given to her. That gesture reminded us of the Gospel extract where Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to thank Him. Afterwards we went towards the statue of Our Lady so we would thank Her as well for Her intercession. At the end, we came back to our pension. A couple of women from Italy and some pilgrims from Plymouth told us they were behind Joelle as she was receiving Holy Communion and they could all strongly smell the scent of roses radiating from her. Joelle told us how that scent followed her for days and she can still smell it. Vinciane, who was at the Mass, came back to the pension in the meantime and did not know anything about the grace her mother had received. We also need to emphasise that Joelle had never seen her daughter, since she had been blind for the last 42 years.
Fr. Olivier, full of joy, ran back to the pension and invited all the people to come down to the lobby because he wanted to share the good news with them. When Joelle came in, all of the pilgrims were already gathered. Joelle saw her daughter and told her: “You washed your hair?” Vinciane, not noticing anything different, just said, “I did.” She asked “Why is it that we all had to come down here?” Joelle said, “Can’t you see any change in me?” Vinciane looked again, and said, “No.” “Look better,” her mum told her and Vinciane shouted with joy, “You can see!”
It was really a breathtaking moment. They ran to one another and remained in each other’s arms for about five minutes. Vinciane told us afterwards that she constantly prayed that her mother would receive her sight back and she even said to Mary that she was not planning to leave until her mother was able to see again.
What a wonderful faith. Mary hears weeps and cries of Her children. The whole group was so happy and praised the Lord and His Mother with their prayer and song. Although it was already around 10:00 pm we all went towards the blue cross, together with Joelle, to the place where Our Lady appears regularly to Ivan and Mirjana.
I cannot hide the profound joy we all feel; joy for having received such a precious sign that Mary gave to us for the twentieth anniversary of our prayer group. That is indeed a sign that She, Our Mother, gives to us, a sign that helps us to persevere in the future.
Mary is leading us; She is strengthening us, holding us by our hands. She loves us and She wants her messages to be spread through the prayer groups that we are to form. Whenever we go on pilgrimage to Medjugorje we are going to Mary’s school and through that school She is going to lead us to Her Son, Jesus.
With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26).
Christine Claessens
[The following is a transcript of Joelle’s letter to her friends]:
Dear Friends
I would like to share with you what happened after my healing on 19 October 2010 in Medjugorje. When I walked out of the church in Medjugorje on that first evening, I was able to see the light, faces of the people; I could see how their lips and eyes were moving. As days passed by, my sight was improving gradually. Today, I only thank my Lord for not having healed me at once, suddenly; I wouldn’t be able to take that. On the way back to Switzerland, as we drove in the bus I was able to see some kind of “messy trees.” My friend Claudia told me to tell her if I happened to see something like that again. A few minutes passed by, the bus continued its drive and finally I was able to see “messy trees” again. It turned out those were palm trees, Claudia told me. Imagine how you would feel if you woke up after 42 years. Nothing is as it was before. My friends from the prayer group are wonderful to me. They are giving me strength for this new awakening, for looking into the Light.
When I returned to Switzerland, I got to know anew my two brothers, my sister, and my parents. When it gets dark, that becomes resting time for me. Life starts to look as it was before. I do not stop with my prayers to Jesus and Mary. It was my parents through whom I started loving Jesus and Mary and I passed the same love towards my daughter Vinciane, who was in Medjugorje with me.
In those first days, as I looked at high buildings in Lausanne, buildings with more than ten floors, I would be sick all the time. I was sweating and felt like vomiting. I didn’t feel like going out at all because I would have to look at those high buildings. The same was with the people; every encounter was making me nervous and uncomfortable. Whatever happens, I am not losing my faith for if Jesus through Mary gave me back my sight, I am positive He will give me strength to bear difficulties that are accompanying my healing.
Faith, patience, courage and trust are those kind signs and I am holding onto in my life. I am sure that Jesus always completes His work, He who does it all in kindness and in a discrete way.
Today I am able to differentiate the colours. I can see huge objects like houses, trees, green gardens, cars; I can see our car, stairs, the sun and people. I came back to work and I am able to do all house work much more easily. Vinciane rejoices at this change that happened to her mother and says we have God’s peace in our home. I remain with you in prayer.
Joelle Beuret-Devanthery
Lausanne, November 19, 2010
P.S. Something that will help you understand what I am going through:
People always told me that I was lucky because I could not see this ugly and grey world. They told me that people are miserable. I imagined that the earth was grey, that people are like some grey sticks, that the sun is shining through thick layer of fog, that even the water we drink is grey and blurry.
Imagine how I was surprised when I discovered our beautiful and colourful nature, smiling people, the beautiful sun on the blue sky, all full of order and kindness. Praised be Thee, my God.
I would imagine that people are crushed like fish in a can while they stand on the station platform and that used to wear me down completely. Today, I can save fifteen minutes every day because I can find my way through the people much faster and I am able to get everywhere faster. Thank you, Mary.
Those unfaithful Thomases from my surroundings were saying how something like this is not possible. Few days later they called me and told me how they can recognise God’s work in this miracle.
And I could tell you many other things, but it would all be too long.
They performed some minor tests already. I can see the light with my left eye, with my right even better. On 08 December 2010 I am to have another test in Basel with a professor of ophthalmology. I will write to you again. Let us remain united in prayer, thanking Mary, Queen of Peace and Her Son Jesus who said: you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven unless you become like the children. This healing gave me the soul of a child, the look of a child who went from the night into the Light. Lord, everything is form You. Everything is for our happiness and everything comes back to You.
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