# Seeing Mary: Belief, Politics, and Practice at Marian Apparition Sites

What happens in a community after a Catholic claims to see and hear Mary, the Blessed Mother? Always a challenging situation, the claims are contested while individuals try to discern the credibility of the visionary and the apparition. Those who choose to believe develop devotional practices to honor Mary at the site made sacred through her visit. These devotions are both ancient and emergent, drawing on Catholic traditions while incorporating new technologies and contexts. This talk focuses on the politics and practice of apparitions in communities in the United States, ranging from the 1950s events in Necedah, Wisc., to the current ongoing apparition in Emmitsburg, Md. Looking at these examples provides insights into the beliefs that structure contemporary Marian devotion.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2008
- By: American Folklife Center
- Genres: Religion
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021688166/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/2021688166?play=1)