The Catholic Defender: Wigratzbad, Germany (1919, 1938), Our Beloved Lady of Victory
- Mar 28
- 1 min read
Our Beloved Lady of Victory chapel in Wigratzbad, Germany, was built and consecrated following a series of reported Marian apparitions to Antonie Rädler (starting in 1919) and Cecilia Geyer (in 1938).
While the local bishop, Archbishop Josef Stimpfle , never issued a formal decree of canonical approval, he frequently affirmed the site's authenticity and presided over Rädler's funeral in 1991.
1919: Antonie Rädler reportedly experienced her first apparition of the Virgin Mary, who healed her of Spanish Influenza.
1936: Rädler's family built a Lourdes Grotto in their garden. In December, Rädler reported hearing angelic choirs sing the title: "O Mary Immaculate, conceived without sin, beloved Lady of Victory, pray for us".
1938: February 22: Cecilia Geyer reported an apparition requesting the construction of a chapel.
June 17: The government authorized the construction of the chapel.
November 21: Antonie Rädler was arrested by the Gestapo after refusing to replace a picture of the Virgin Mary with one of Adolf Hitler.
December 7–8: While in jail, Rädler reported another apparition of Mary promising her release.
December 18: Rädler was freed from prison on the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin.
1940: The chapel was officially consecrated on March 25 with the permission of the local bishop.
The shrine now attracts approximately 500,000 pilgrims annually.
Since 1988, Wigratzbad has served as the headquarters and international seminary for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), where the traditional Latin Mass is celebrated by special papal permission.
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