Collecting the 34 known and accredited apparitions of the Virgin Mary, this study applies an intellectual clarity, precise scholarship, and overall rigor so often absent from Marian studies. Offering detailed evidence, supported by thorough theological and scientific investigation--including the circumstances of each apparition and their legacy--this entertaining and provocative resource gives validation to each event, while connecting their significance to civilizations past, present, and future. Marveling at each phenomenon deemed most holy--often calling on to humanity to pray, do penance, or predicting cataclysmic events--mainstream Catholics and seasoned Theologians alike will find reassurance and guidance in each account of real life miracles. Also included are a chronology of the officially sanctioned apparitions and the exact text of the words spoken by the Virgin to the mystic or seer who bore witness.