Our Lady of Laus - Apparitions

Apparitions

Benoite was born in September 1647 into extreme poverty in the village of St Etienne. Her father died when she was only seven. By the time Benoite was twelve she took employment tending sheep

In May 1664, the seventeen-year-old Benoite saw an apparition of St. Maurice, a 3rd-century martyr who was greatly honored at Laus. This was near a nearby chapel, then in ruins, dedicated to St. Maurice. He warned her that if she remained in that area, the local guards would take her flock if they found it there. St. Maurice told the shepherdess to go to the Valley of Kilns, above Saint-Étienne, where she would see the Mother of God.

On May 16th Benoite took her sheep to the Valley of Kilns. She came to a grotto, when Mary, holding the child Jesus in her arms, appeared to her. For a period of about 4 months, the Lady came back every day, and Benoite heard her speak. Others could not hear what Mary said. On August 29th, the Lady told Benoite that her name is Mary.

The Lady instructed Benoite to go to Laus from her own village nearby and to look for Her there “where you will smell a very nice perfume. She made her way to Laus and found an old Chapel dedicated to Notre Dame de Bon Rencontre (Our Lady of the Happy Encounter) and while the smell of the beautiful perfume was there, the Chapel was in a bad condition “It is my desire that a new chapel be built here in honour of my beloved Son. It will become a place of conversion for numerous sinners and I shall appear here very often” said the beautiful Lady.

She told Benedicta that the oil from the sanctuary lamp would work miracles with the infirm if they received the anointing with faith in her intercession.