An apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Africa? Or … something else?

July 6, 2011 by  
Filed under Patrick's Blog


Kindly watch this video all the way to the end. Something striking happened here, and I admit that (assuming the video isn’t a hoax, along the lines of the countless bogus UFO videos out there) whatever it is resembles in some ways the traditional Catholic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It appears to have been recorded with a smartphone. There is no descriptive information associated with the video except for that it is purported to have been taken in April of 2011 somewhere in “Africa.” Not much to go on.

Whoever posted this on Youtube asks whether it’s really Our Lady appearing or a technology-driven light show courtesy of “Project Bluebeam” — something that I’d never known anything about till I Googled it just now. It’s possible, too, if this isn’t a hoax, that a demonic spirit could be masquerading as the Blessed Virgin Mary (see Galatians 1:8).

The people in this video are obviously quite agitated by whatever it is they are seeing in the sky. Occasionally, their excitement spikes with startled cries and what sound to me like prayers being shouted. What do you think it is? Do any of you have any info on where and when this happened? This could very well be a hoax. Although it could be possibly an actual apparition recorded on a smart phone in a way similar to how images of the Miracle of the Sun during Our Lady’s apparition in Fatima, Portugal, in October, 1917, were photographed.

The last part of the video shows what appears to be a hologram a cross in the sky somewhere over Russia. Whatever is going on here, it’s remarkable.

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55 Responses to “An apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Africa? Or … something else?”
  1. jim dakis says:

    Interesting happened in Egypt as well are these the watchers? the great deceivers a device clearly seen on right a ufo? interesting footage great works of art same images what is going on ? a great truth or a great lie?

  2. William Feliciano says:

    I know that this is a dated thread, but I felt compelled to respond….one night my wife and i were trying to fall asleep on the couch after a long day. She put the TV on a channel that bores her – the SciFi channel (or something along those lines). A UFO show came on, showing video clips of UFO phenomenon. This quickly put her to sleep but not me. As tired as I was I remained awake, but drowsy. Then the program showed a video clip of this apparition over the Ivory Coast. They called it a UFO, but I immediately recognized it as the Virgin Mary. I screamed – “That’s not a UFO…it’s the Virgin Mary!!!” I tossed my wife’s legs off my lap and ran for the desk top computer. I googled “Virgin Mary apparition Ivory Coast”. Lo and behold, there it was…all the news articles and video. The screaming voices in the crowd that can be heard in the video told me that her sight must have been SO SO incredibly vivid and real… I would have yelled and cried at the top of my lungs too. The people of the Ivory Coast have been blessed..she chose to be there for them. What an honor for them. The blue light the month before was just God’s way of letting people know what was coming. It’s so incredible to watch that I watch it periodically, especially when my faith is suffering. I ask God to bless the person who recorded the video.

  3. Dennis A. Dispenza says:

    I’ve seen SIMULCRA images engraved in clouds several times in the past twenty years. One was a bald, O.T. bearded O.T. Prophet, a human face in a cloud, and a sheep Ram, very detailed, in a bank of clouds. These seem to have religious significance. I have also seen ghosts a few times; most have been female, and are very clear, some were solid bodies, others were blue-purple transparent, all were in 3D. I also have proof of reincarnation in vivid early lifetime dreams going back millennia. Psychical research is a real area of research. Read books of Mr. Nick Bunick, his books are interesting.

  4. Please brethren, let us be careful when we doubt the things of God. Apparitions still remain a mystery, still doubt not, only pray to God for the gift of discernment. Our Lady has been appearing to different people at different parts of the world, I witnessed her apparitions last two years and last year. At times, She comes to make Us Her children feel Her presence because Her presence gives joy and also strengthens the faith of believers. Her Love for mankind is unfathomable, and she is doing all she can to bring all mankind to Her son. Concerning people shouting during apparitions, it is normal for people to be overwhelmed with such visitation. Quietness exists only when it is a personal or private apparition. I urge Us brethren to always ask Her to forever lead Us, help Us not to doubt the truth. My little Cousin, 11years of age, said two weeks ago, that she saw Mama Maria who told her to tell the mother to buy Rosary for her and her siblings, that they should put it on always for protection( knowing that they are Anglicans). Even when the Mother who is a Pastor told me what the daughter told her, I tried to ask how the little girl knew she was Mary. But the Pastor told me that the daughter said she was dressed in white and blue and told her that she is the Blessed Virgin Mary, but she told me to help her get the Rosaries hence they are not Catholics. My brothers and sisters, God loves Us and want Us to acknowledge His love for Us…………………………

  5. morgan says:

    It doesn’t matter if this is real or not. If you are Of Faith, use the film clip as a tool to concentrate your devotions and your prayers to Our Lady. We have our Rosaries, and our Crucifixes that are also tools to focus the mind whilst at prayer and meditation or when just pondering. Use this the same way.

  6. erica says:

    What is the blue beam project?

  7. Ike Ifeadika says:

    May our Good LORD be praised forever. While thanking Our Blessed Mother Mary for her Motherly love for us. May God save all of us from the bondage of Satan’s manipulations; trying to shield us from God’s love. My dear brothers and Sisters, heaven is a million times more beautiful than Gold and Satan has vowed to make us not to see there. Lets increase our prayers and avoid sins. After reading this please pray 1-Our father, 1-Hail Mary and 1-Glory be to the Father…

  8. Jude Ezeobi Eme says:

    This is real, This is The blessed Virgin Mary, am blessed to visit this today 15/08/2013 the feast of ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY.

  9. Chioma says:

    It is true ma dear friends,my aunty experienced it herself and tell us the story.i beliv it and hope to witness it myself.

  10. monice says:

    Please, believe this apparition for it is real! I saw one myself back in Cameroon as a kid and i still remember that apparition like it were yesterday. That is our Lady of Grace, the mother of the second person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus the Christ! You must not be a Catholic Christian to believe for Heaven or Mother Mary is for real. I have dreams and visions of Jesus & Mother Mary till this day. The God of old is still the God of today and He can use anyone, anywhere and anytime to send His message across. Lets not be doubting Thomas’; even muslims, atheists are now experiencing phenomenoms like these. This is a lost generation & it’s not strange to see all these apparitions. The Virgin Mary will never take you away from Jesus her Son,for she was the first to gladly $ humbly accept God’s call without questioning. Give her that honour for without Mary, there will be no Christmas, no Easter. She is our Mother who loves us all.

  11. Steve D says:

    If a government was doing this, they would have made certain that a competent cameraman with first class equipment was at hand. These people aren’t ‘frenzied’ they are happy. Our Lady has a history of appearing in troubled places and the Ivory Coast is such a place. Deo Gratias.

  12. Beatriz Fernandez says:

    I am not convinced I think it is too much conmotion and our Lady would bring more peace than noice. Besides the image did not look too good to me.

  13. Angie says:

    If something is of God there will be no doubt to those who witness it. Seeing this second hand I would have to ask if there has been any conversions at this place. I would also like the add that the image looked “blocked styled” and computer generated. Seeing this on this type of medium I would vote that it is not our Holy Mother. I wish I could have witnessed it first hand. In addition if it were truly our Holy Mother I believe the people would have been respectful and quit …. falling to their knees (think about it if she appeared to you) …

  14. lisa says:

    I believe it could be real because I took a picture of something I could see in the sun in back of my own home and it was the outline of the blessed mother in the sun. We cannot put God in a box and say this could not happen unless…
    I believe it is real.

    God bless

  15. Lea S. says:

    Project Blue Beam is one of the silliest conspiracy theories I’ve ever heard of or imagined. Honestly, everyone, tell me you aren’t really creeped out by it!

    I’m thinking that this is most likely a hoax, mainly, because if it were found to be a real video wouldn’t it be taking our Catholic world by storm right now? Wouldn’t it be all over the news if a genuine apparition was actually caught on tape?

    I do have to add a little to the discussion on whether a genuine apparition would be received by people with shouting and excitement or with reverent silence. Remember, everyone, not all cultures are as reserved as our own. Some do indeed show their joy with shouts of excitement.

  16. Mike G says:

    I don’t give it much credence. I think the BVM would be more obvious if she wanted to appear and send a message. There is an article about a possible Eucharistic miracle on http://www.catholicurrent.com/#/.

  17. Lam says:

    (To continue my previous message)

    You should note that statues of Our Lady of Lourdes all depict the Virgin with her hands joined by the palms. But after that statue in the Ivory Coast has moved, in the links I sent in my previous message, you will clearly see that her hands have changed positions and are now crossed on the Virgin’s chest. This is what the witnesses are all saying. I can’t translate the whole content of these videos (in French) as it would be too long, but this is the main point emphasised in them. So both of these miracles have happened in the Ivory Coast (the moving statue and the public apparition in the sun), within a one month interval, which makes me believe that it is not a hoax. The events also occured some time after former president and dictator Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested and Alassane Ouattara was put in power, backed by France.

  18. Lam says:

    It seems the apparition (in the Ivory Coast) was genuine. A month before, a statue of Our Lady or Lourdes in the Ivory Coast has manifested herself to a muslim girl by moving her hands. Now, the hands of the Virgin are permanently moved. The peole in the Ivory Coast see a connection between the moving statue and this apparition of the Virgin. Check these links out.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b7_CG_g4Vo&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03p0A7I9N4g&feature=related

  19. Elisa says:

    This is pretty cool! I tend to believe these things are real, esp. if it’s something like a Marian apparition. Who knows? I do know one thing: this whole world needs a LOT of prayer. I wouldn’t be surprised if there might be more apparitions, the way the world is going these days.

  20. Michael B. says:

    This & the alleged apparitions at Zeitoun look equally unworthy of credit. The “apparition” was so indistinct it could have been anything.

    As for the cross in the sky, this sort of thing is not unknown – but it would take a physicist or a meterologist to explain how these things happen; for they happen quite naturally, if not very often. St. Cyril of Jerusalem records a heavenly cross over Jerusalem in 350/1; they also appear in the Alps. Something to do with condensation, perhaps ?

    Illusions in the skies, are not exactly unknown either – and the video, in addition to being very indistinct, seemed to be pointed very close to the sun: which would hardly help clarity. Pareidolia, anyone ?

  21. Mark S. says:

    this cant be real…..true and real apparition of the Blessed Mother will transform people to be prayerful and ecstatic, tranquil and humble. It wasn’t evident to people present.

    For those involved….be transformed!

    • Leonard says:

      Incorrect Mark. If you remember, in Fatima many were afraid because they believed the sun would crash to the earth. Also read through scripture and whenever angels appear they state to ‘be not afraid’. Doesn’t seem like everyone who is present during heavenly apparitions are in meditative trances. I do believe that our Blessed Mother appears however I also know that the evil one is a fallen angel and an expert counterfeiter so we must always look to the Church for guidance in these matters.

  22. Tony in Central PA says:

    Things like this these days aren’t worth examining without a lot of solid eyewitness testimony to back them up. Its become too easy to produce a hoax.

  23. Bryant says:

    I was skeptical at first sight, and even more so now. I think both of these videos are faked somehow, and they’re really not that good. I agree with the observation that in the one purporting to the Our Blessed Mother, there was a very long period with no “supernatural” image. And when the image did appear, it looked like a photo of a statue or picture superimposed.

    And that Blue Beam stuff…scary indeed, if true.

  24. Philip says:

    I was postively intrigued in the begining but after much research, I project this will be found to be a hoax. For me, after spending time reading and watching various things online till I was blue, it is quite clear now –No more beam on my face.

  25. Michael says:

    I just entered a long post but didn’t capture it on my copy and paste before entering the “Captcha code” and apparenetly entered the wrong code was told to hit the back button which deleted what I wrote – stinks – must be the blue beam project getting me lol – ahh – blue BEAM GOT ME!!!

  26. Mary says:

    Read somewhere recently that there will be many hoaxes and false prophets leading up to the second coming of Christ, even read something about false appearances. Will have to see if I can remember where I read all that.

  27. Adelia Hitt says:

    If it were not a hoax, I wonder what Our Lady would be saying to us. The message of Fatima was powerful. In these uncertain times one can only wonder what lies ahead. Hoax or not it is a good thing to say the rosary daily waiting in joyful expectation and with our ears open.

    • Joe says:

      The sum total of Our Lady’s approved messages to us is not much more than “Do what he tells you” (John 2:5).

  28. Fr. JP says:

    My two cents:

    Just because people are shouting and being agitated doesn’t mean it’s not the BVM. First of all, in the vast majority of apparitions only a select few actually saw our Mother. The only known apparition on a large scale was Fatima’s sun experience and Zeitoun. True as it is that when Holy Mary appears she usually brings a message, we don’t know at this point if a message is coming or not in this latest apparent apparition. The Blessed Virgin may have a message for the people. I say wait and see. But let’s put it this way: if the Blessed Virgin were to appear out of nowhere over say Manhattan or even small town don’t you think people might get a little excited? I know I would. (Out comes the rosary from my pocket and on my lips comes the prayers.) In ALL THINGS supernatural it is the Church’s authority and the Church’s alone to declare the validity of such events. For example, currently Medjugorje is being investigated. If it is declared a non-apparition by the Church (which it already has by the local bishop) then that’s the end of it regardless of whether people had conversions or good experiences visiting that place. Holy Mother Church is the final voice in all things spiritual and moral. And She is infallible. As St. Augustine decaled against the Donatists, “Rome has spoken the case is closed.” But if you really want to be “creeped-out”, research Project Blue Beam. I now have the willies crawling over my skin.

  29. Br. Tom Forde OFMCap says:

    Knock (ireland) – apparition no messages; Zeitoun (Egypt) apparition (over quite a period of time and to Christians and Muslims) – no messages; The apparition itself can be the message. Only legitimate Church authorities can discern the truth in these matters.

  30. Jim says:

    This appears to be the TV station/news agency that has what looks like a non-digitally enhanced version of the video:
    http://www.afrika-united.org/etrange/manifestation-etrange-du-soleil-a-yopougon-avec-apparition-de-la-vierge-marie-au-centre-video_384d46866.html
    They report it as being above the Ivory Coast.

  31. Jim says:

    I’ve got to go with Mary’s comment above. When our Blessed Mother appears, it’s to deliver a message to someone, not to whip a crowd into a frenzy, not knowing what they saw or what it meant. What would be the purpose of something like this? …unless it’s a hoax.

  32. Denise-au says:

    My instincts tell me it’s a hoax. The screaming and shouting don’t fit with any previous Marian apparitions. When Our Lady does come, she comes in peace, with humility and a message or a request from God. We know that it’s our Mother appearing because we recognise her in her presence, in the way she interacts with us, and in the words she reveals to us. This video shows nothing more than a visual display. While the one in Zeitoun had no message, it also has not been verified as authentic, but even that seemed more genuine than this video. I’d need a lot more evidence before I’d be swayed, and it’s better to err on the side of caution than be sucked into something fake.

  33. Joe says:

    The fact the camera was already pointing in that direction for that long implies the person who made the video knew what he was doing. Hoax.

    • Mary says:

      I side with you there. If it were as Fatima where she appeared on the 13Th of each month from May to October, then someone could have been ready with a camera.

  34. Anil Wang says:

    I don’t know what it is, as there are many possibilities, but I know that it is not a Marian apparition for the simple reason that it is frivolous. God does not send people from the beyond or create miracles to put on a show for no reason at all. There is always a message associated with it that is consistent with revelation. This has been the way God worked throughout the Old Testament and New, and all previous approved Marian apparitions have born this out. And when people expected Jesus or Moses or any of the other prophets to “put on a show”, the response was always the same…silence.

  35. Jeff says:

    I googled Africa United TV and could only find Africa Unite TV

  36. Nick says:

    It’s most likely a hoax. One doesn’t even have to know how hoaxes can be done through digital effects (editing, camera shake, photoshop, etc.), but only has to know the Church’s theology of revelation.

    Apparitions cannot be photographed (and that includes digital recording) because they don’t belong to the natural order (i.e., everything visible, including what is microscopic) but belong to the supernatural order (i.e., everything invisible: God, angels, souls, etc.).

    Apparitions are not material but spiritual, they are not physical, tangible creatures but are spiritual appearances similar to visions. This even includes apparitions of Jesus and Mary, because they do not come down to Earth, from Heaven, in their glorious bodies.

    There are only two (or three) exceptions to this rule: 1) Saint Paul saw Jesus is His glorious Body, 2) Jesus will return in His glorious Body to judge mankind, and – though it’s debated – 3) Saint John saw Jesus in His glorious Body under the appearance of symbols.

    These exceptions are unique, similar to how Mary’s Immaculate Conception is unique. So if a visionary tells you, “I touched Mary’s body!” beware: He or she is confused about the theology of revelation.

    Something else to consider is that Saint Raphael was able to make it appear as if he were a human being and, later, as if he were eating. Given this, angels can make illusions that seem more real than they really are. Even Satan can appear as a holy angel or saint.

    Last but not least, one shouldn’t present alleged apparitions in this public manner for the faithful to discuss about but ought to be presented to Mother Church for her discernment and judgment. That is the prudent thing to do, and prudence is one of the cardinal virtues.

  37. Brad says:

    Regina caeli, laetare. O Immaculate Conception, we love you. If we could bound upward into the sky to be nearer to you, we would.

  38. Elodie Hogan says:

    Probably a hoax.

    But, Project Bluebeam seems like something for conspiracy theory nutters, too. People should stop giving federal agencies so much credit!

  39. kathy says:

    My guess is it’s fake. God knows what our technology’s like now, if He wanted an apparation known, He would make it impossible to forge.

    I could have done without reading about Project Bluebeam. Very creepy stuff.

  40. Mary says:

    While there are pictures of the miricle of the sun at Fatima there were no pictures of Our Lady. She didn’t even show herself to the crowds.

    Doesn’t she usually communicate with someone when she appears?

    • raymond king says:

      This thing is like the time of the tranfiguration where the question is raised: who do man the son of god is? But who do you say I am? the various answewrs in the replys remindes me of that scripture. Who do
      you say She Is? This is a time of deciding. Who do you say SHE IS?

  41. Philip says:

    Patrick et al,

    This video is one that was purportedly captured during the months that followed the upheaval in Ivory Coast of Africa.

    Philip

  42. Daniel says:

    Not too sure, but have you seen the videos of the supposed apparitions of Mary in Egypt? Very astounding!

    • Mary says:

      Where are the videos of Egypt? It would not surprise me if Our Blessed Mother were to appear in some of these war torn places. Not sure about the photographing.

  43. Mark G. says:

    My guess is hoax – If you Google – Africa Mary April 20, you don’t get any News stories related to the incident, but the video is all over the conspiracy websites.

  44. David says:

    The Virgin Mary one looks like a hoax to me. It looks like the image of the Virgin Mary is being digitally inserted into the video. I’m not sure about the Crucified Christ one.

  45. Tim says:

    Apparent hoax:

  46. Brendan Duffy says:

    Not sure of this but keep us all informed. Brendan, England.

  47. Brendan Duffy says:

    Not sure of this but keep us all intouch with any more info.

  48. lane says:

    wow, to be honest i can’t even tell. Imagine if it was real though..
    thanks for posting!!

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