On March 25, 1945, a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared to a woman named Ida Peerdeman in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. “Our Lady of All Nations” is a title used to describe this Marian apparition. Over the course of Ida’s life, Mary appeared to her fifty-six times. However, the visions did not end with Our Lady. After Mary stopped appearing to her on May 31, 1959, Peerdeman received what she called “Eucharistic Experiences” for twenty-six years, where she was given divine revelation most times during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. One hundred and fifty one Eucharistic apparitions were reported. All in all, two hundred and seven apparitions were experienced through Ida Peerdeman.

Ida Peerdeman

Ida Peerdeman was born on August 13, 1905 in the city of Alkamaar, in Holland. She was forty years old when the Marian apparitions began. She was an average woman, working in a perfume factory, the youngest of five siblings, and God was the center of her life. On the feast day of the Annunciation, her confessor, Father Frehe, was visiting the family. This was the first time Mary appeared to Ida. Ida recalled seeing a light from the corner of the room and from it came a woman who revealed herself as the Lady of All Nations. The woman instructed her to repeat everything she was told. Ida did so, and Father Frehe ordered her sister to write down every word. Thus was recorded the first apparition of Our Lady of All Nations. This all took place on March 25, 1945, when the Nazis still had occupation of Holland. Ida saw Our Lady as she was huddled by a stove with her sisters and priest chatting about the war and the possibilities of what may happen in the future. According to www.ourladyofallnations.org, Ida suffered attack both from the Church and from demons for believing in the apparition of Our Lady of All Nations until her death in 1996, at the age of ninety.

Prayer

This is the prayer given to Ida Peerdeman from the Lady: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now Your Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations, that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war. May the Lady of All Nations, who once was Mary, be our Advocate. Amen.”
The Lady very clearly stressed the importance of this prayer when she said, “This prayer is destined for all nations,” and, “Whoever and whatever you may be- say the prayer,” in various apparitions.

Position of the Church

On May 7, 1956, the Bishop of the Diocese of Haarlem, where the apparitions took place in the Netherlands, stated that the apparitions had no evidence of supernatural cause. Public veneration of the image and the writings was prohibited. In 1957, the Vatican affirmed this statement, and in 1972 the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith also confirmed the matter. The Sacred Congregation, as of 1974, urged everyone to discontinue veneration of the picture of Our Lady of All Nations, and asked that everyone honor the Most Holy Virgin, Queen of the Universe. However, after more investigation and consideration of the apparitions, on May 31, 1996, the bishops of the Diocese of Haarlem, Bishop Bomers and Bishop Punt, stated that there was nothing wrong with devotion to Mary as Our Lady of All Nations. Although the content of the messages is not necessary for everyone to believe, it is left up to the believer’s discretion whether they choose to accept the messages of Our Lady or not. There are four stages that lead to full Church approval of Apparitions or Private Revelation:
1. Thorough evaluation. The Bishop must state that there is nothing contrary to the faith resulting from the revelation at hand. It also must be supernaturally revealed, and worthy of veneration.
2. After being approved by the Bishop, the faithful may devote themselves to this revelation, and if it results in a deepening of faith, the next stage may begin.
3. The Pope must declare that he is in favor of the events taking place.
4. The celebration of the apparition is officially placed on the Church’s liturgical calendar.
The apparitions of Our Lady of All Nations passed stage one in May 2000. It is said that once the Final Marian Dogma of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate is approved by the Pope, the final stage of the apparitions of Our Lady of All Nations will be passed. On July 1, 1951, Msgr. Huibers, former Bishop of Haarlem, allowed private veneration of this apparition of Our Lady and the spread of her messages and writings. On May 31, 1996, public veneration was permitted by Msgrs. Bomers and Punt. On May 31, 2002, Msgr. Punt approved the apparitions by acknowledging their supernatural origin. In July 2005, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith requires that “who once was Mary” must be left out of the prayer given by Our Lady of All Nations. The proper ending to the prayer is now “May the Lady of All Nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our Advocate.” The apparition of Our Lady of All Nations has not yet passed all four stages of full Church approval, as the Pope has not given his consent and the apparition is not celebrated on the Church’s liturgical calendar, therefore it is not something that must be definitively held by believers: it is a personal decision. The Vatican has said on the topic that it is inappropriate to call Our Lady “who once was Mary”, hence the change in the prayer.