Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Beauraing

Between 29 November 1932 and 3 January 1933, the Virgin Mary appeared more than thirty times to Fernande (aged 15), Gilberte (aged 13) and Albert (aged 11) from the Voisin family, and to Andrée (aged 14) and Gilberte (aged 9) from the Degeimbre family. On December 29, 1932, the Virgin Mary revealed to children her illuminated heart, like a heart of gold surrounded by great rays. This vision came to characterize Mary as Our Lady of the Heart of Gold, Our Lady of the Heart of Gold or Our Lady of Beauraing. During her appearances, Mary spoke to children. She presented herself as the Immaculate Virgin, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven. She delivered her message, calling for a chapel, for people to pray a lot and to come on pilgrimage. She also promised to convert sinners.

Even before the Church authorities (Monseigneur Charue, 1943) authorized worship and the official recognition of the supernatural nature of the apparitions (1949), large crowds of pilgrims responded to the Virgin Mary's call and went to the site to pray. The Notre-Dame de Beauraing shrine, built on the site of the Marian apparitions, began with the construction of the votive chapel (consecration of the chapel in 1954) and the fitting out of nearby buildings to welcome and accommodate pilgrims. Over time, the site developed with the construction of other places of worship, such as the Rosary Crypt and the Upper Church. Pope John Paul II visited Beauraing in 1985. He stopped off at the apparition garden to pray, met the visionaries and celebrated mass in the open air. The sanctuary church was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by the Vatican in 2013.