CARACAS.- In the heart of Venezuelabetween the towns of Ca and San Casimiro in the state of Miranda, is the Sanctuary of Betania, a place sacred and full of history where the presence of the Virgin Mary has left an indelible mark, since her first appearance on March 25, 1976. The servant of God María Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini was chosen to witness these divine encounters.
The Virgin Mary initially manifested herself in a private appearance before the servant of God Mary Hope and in 1984 she was publicly shown to approximately 150 people, confirming the authenticity of the apparitions.
1987 declaration
The local bishop, Monsignor Po Bello Ricardo, after a rigorous investigation, declared in 1987 that the apparitions were authentic, divine and supernatural in nature, thus promoting worship in the place.
Numerous miraculous healings have occurred in Bethany, a living testimony of the presence and healing power of the Virgin Mary.
Faced with these events, the servant of God María Esperanza dedicated her life to the promotion of faith and reconciliation in a sociopolitical context marked by polarization and the deterioration of relationships. She is like that in 1979 she created the Betania Foundation, converted into the Public Association of Faithful Betania Spirituality Movement in 2022, by decree of the most eminent Cardinal Baltazar Porras Cardozo.
This lay movement has dedicated itself to evangelization, spiritual and family formation, as well as various works of human promotion.
4. Mass in the sanctuary with the Emmo. Card Baltazar Porras-cortesa.jpg
Courtesy/Carolina Fuenmayor
Two years later, in 1981, the servant of God María Esperanza founded the Betania Choir with the objective of evangelizing through song, carrying her message of hope and reconciliation through more than 2,300 performances, both in Venezuela and abroad.
The message of the Virgin Mary in Bethany is clear: reconciliation. In a world marked by divisions, the Bethany Shrine encourages us to seek unity and peace.
6. Chapel Sanctuary of Betania-cortesa.jpg
Courtesy/Carolina Fuenmayor
“We invite everyone to visit this sacred place, raise a prayer for the reconciliation of humanity; find comfort and encouragement in the loving presence of the Virgin reconciler of all peoples, virgin of Bethany, especially in times of adversity; and under the guide of the virgin, commemorate the great mystery, heart of the church, the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in this Holy Week,” the congregation urged in a statement.
