Mary: The Enigma of the Virgin Mary

By Dr. Diana Prince

Diana Prince has a Masters Degree in English and a Masters Degree in Philosophy from California State University at San Diego. She completed a doctorate in Psychology at United States International University.
Other books by Dr. Prince include The Magdalene, The Search for King Solomons Mines and View from the Ark. She has written several poetry books. The most recent include The Bees in Winter, Fire and Stone, and Turning Points.
Dr. Prince taught in the English Department at San Diego State University, and in the English and Philosophy Departments at National University.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504928205

Dr. Diana Prince

Dr. Diana Prince has a Master’s Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from California State University at San Diego. She has a PhD in Psychology from United States International University.

Book preview

This book is dedicated to

the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Mary

The Enigma of the Virgin Mary

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© 2015 Dr. Diana Prince. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/22/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2821-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2819-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2820-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912743

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock or Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock and © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Contents

Chapter One Who is She?

Chapter Two The Apparition Phenomenon — Conspiracy, Fake or Miracle?

Chapter Three Fatima

Chapter Four Lourdes

Chapter Five Medjugorje

Chapter Six Guadalupe

Chapter Seven Zeitoun

Chapter Eight Lubbock, Texas

Chapter Nine The Rosary

Chapter Ten The Miraculous Medal

Chapter Eleven The Unexplained

Chapter Twelve Conclusion

List of Illustrations

Statue of Mary, St. Mere Eglise, Normandy, France, Photographer: Joel Sartore/National Geographic/Getty Images           Cover

The Immaculate Conception, by Bartolom Esteban Murillo, 17th Cent., Museo del Prado; Madrid, Spain Photographer: Peter Willi, Superstock.

House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus/Author Photo

L’Innocence, Painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau Courtesy of Awesome Art

Vladimirsky Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia Photographer: Ken Scicluna/AWL Images

Three Magi, Chiesa Nuova, Church/Rome, Italy. Credit: Thinkstock

The three visionaries of Fatima, Photo taken May 9, 1917 Credit: Gamma-Keystone/France

Madonna and Child with Young Saint John, by Antonio Allegri, aka Correggio, circa 1518. Credit: DEA/ De Agostini Picture Library

Apparition Grotto at Lourdes, France Credit: Godong/ Universal Images Group

The Incorrupt Body of Saint Bernadette, Convent of St. Gildard at Nevers, France, Photographer: Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP

Rest in Egypt, from the Triptych of Consolation by Michele Cavaro (1517-1584), Credit: DEA/A. De Gregorio

Visionaries Vicka and Ivan visit with Medjugorje Pilgrims/Author Photo

Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico DEA/G. Dagli Orti, De Agostini Picture Library Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Luc Olivier Merson, 1879 Courtesy of Art Renewal Center

Madonna of the Book by Alessandro di Mariano dei Filipepi, Aka Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) in Museo Poldi Pezzoli at Milan, Italy. Credit: Leemage/Universal Images Group

17,000 gather at Lubbock, Texas for Miracle in 1989, Author Photo

Impression of the Spinning Sun could be seen for over two hours, Author Photos

The Rosary, (Photo) Credit: Stockbyte

Statue of Virgin Mary and Jesus at Our Lady of Bai Dau Shrine, at Nui Lon (Big Mountain), Vung Tau, Vietnam Photographer: Sheldon Levis/ Photolibrary

Statue of Our Lady, Help of Christians, Photographer: Clee Villasor/E+

Photo A/The Statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje Author Photo

Photo B/The Statue of Our Lady of Tihaljina Author Photo

Photo C/The Grotto at Lourdes Author Photo

The Immaculate Conception by Francisco de Zurbaran, 1598-1664 Credit: Superstock

KJV

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Why I Wrote This Book

I wrote this book because of something that occurred in my own family story regarding the Virgin Mary.

During World War II, my father, a Canadian citizen living in Connecticut was drafted into the U. S. Army. He later transferred into the Royal Canadian Air Force. My mother who came from a rural area in New Brunswick enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, something quite daring for a woman at that time. They both ended up stationed at Mont Jolie, Quebec. My father recalled years later that while at Mass one Sunday, he saw my mother sitting a few seats ahead of him. Although he did not speak to her that day, he said years later, "I made up my mind to meet the girl with the beautiful hair."

They did meet, and fell in love. They were engaged when the news came that he was going to be leaving for overseas. My mother later told me how very depressed she was when he left. A few days later she received a letter from a priest who said, "I met with Norbert a few days before he left for overseas. He was in good spirits, and we prayed together. I told him that I commend him to the care and protection of the Blessed Virgin." My mother recalled years later how much comfort she felt from that letter.

My father was assigned to a ground crew at an airfield in Bornemouth, England. When he arrived, he was placed with hundreds of other Canadian soldiers at the Metropole Hotel in Bournemouth, which was a temporary stay before they were assigned to their duty spots or deployed elsewhere.

Within a few days after he left the Metropole Hotel, a surprise German bombing occurred on May 23, 1943. It was Bornemouth’s bloodiest air raid of WWII, with almost 200 deaths and thousands injured. Over 3000 buildings were damaged. The Metropole Hotel was the main target because it was known as the central processing point for thousands of Canadian airmen.

I did not hear the story until many years later, and I did believe that my father had indeed been protected by Mary from that disaster. Years later, when my mother died at the age of 80 in 2003, I found the letter that the priest had sent her years ago among the special things she had saved. On the fragile paper, you could still read the priest’s faded message that she had kept for over sixty years. This is only one family’s story.

This book will examine the unique and profound role that Mary has played in over 2,000 years of Christianity.

Dr. Diana Prince

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Chapter One

Who is She?

In Christian theology,