On September 19th 1846, the Virgin Mary appeared to two children, Maximin and Melanie at La Salette in the French Alps. She was sitting on stones with her beautiful face in her hands, crying. She wore a shining white dress with golden apron and a gold, radiant crucifix with a hammer to the left and pincers to the right.

The Virgin Mary told the children not to be afraid, that she brought good news. She asked for people to follow her Son and to keep Sunday Holy. She asked for people not to use her Son’s name in vain. She reminded the children to say their prayers each morning and night, ‘At least an Our Father and a Hail Mary. And when you can do better, more’ and she asked for this to be made known to all her people.

A secret was also confided to each of the children, though neither could hear what the other was told. In time, the children each sent their secret to Pope Pius IX.

You can find out much more about Our Lady of La Salette through the prayer book 

‘Encountering Mary at La Salette’ by Fr Slawomir Jedrych MS (our old priest Fr Slawek). 

Copies of the book are available through the church repository.

Words from Pope John Paul II on Our Lady of La Salette:

“The message of La Salette was given to two young shepherds in a period of great suffering. People were scourged by famine, subjected to many injustices. Indifference or hostility toward the Gospel message worsened. As she appeared, bearing upon her breast the likeness of her crucified Son, Our Lady showed herself to be associated to the work of salvation, experiencing compassion for her children…

La Salette is a message of hope – a hope sustained by the intercession of her who is the Mother of all peoples… The arm of Mary’s Son will not weigh upon, will not condemn, the people who walk humbly in the pathway of the Lord. Christ will take the outstretched hand into his own and lead to new life the sinner reconciled by the grace of the Cross…

At La Salette, Mary clearly spoke of the constancy of her prayer for the world: she will never abandon the people created in the image and likeness of God, those to whom it has been given to become children of God. May she lead to her Son all the nations of the earth”.

Pope John Paul II

May 6, 1996

Click on the link below to find out more:

https://www.lasalette.org/