“The Immaculate Purity”, LITMANOVA, SLOVAKIA, 1990-1995
A woodcutter’s shack in the woods near the tiny hamlet of Litmanova, Slovakia has become a recognized shrine that is attracting pilgrims worldwide from five continents.
In July of 1990, two young girls, Ivetka Korcakova and Katka Ceselkova (both age 13) ventured out into the forest behind their homes in the mountainous hamlet of Litmanova. It was a beautiful summer Sunday afternoon as they explored deeper into the cool forest. After a while, they grew weary and decided to rest inside a nearby woodcutter’s shack.
As they began to play jacks, the wind suddenly howled and bombarded the shack, shaking it to its foundation. Frightened, the children fell to their knees and began to pray an “Our Father.” No sooner had they begun their prayer than a brilliant light filled the room. In the dazzling brightness, the two girls beheld the extraordinary figure of a beautiful woman – beautiful beyond their capacity to describe. Only Invetka could hear her speak even though Katka could also see her. They knew they were in the sacred presence of God as they beheld the presence of the Virgin Mary – surrounded by many brilliant angels. As the apparition and the brilliant light faded, the children became afraid. They ran back through the forest as fast as they could run. They were afraid to turn around and see if the Beautiful Lady was following them.
Although they could not explain their feelings, they had been transformed forever by this experience. They now saw the world in a whole new perspective – and decided not to share this with anyone. But their parents noticed the changes in their behavior and appearance. The girls were often seen sitting on the front steps of their small church (usually locked) with their hands folded in prayer and their eyes staring far into the distance. They were more withdrawn at home from friends and family – usually in quiet meditation.
Finally, Ivetka’s father urged her to share what had transformed her behavior and attitude. Upon learning of the visitation from the Beautiful Lady, he gathered his wife and the two girls and headed for the woodcutter’s shack on August 5, 1990. No sooner did they enter the door of the shack than a brilliant light sent the group to their knees. Immediately, both Ivetka and Katka saw the Beautiful Lady in the dazzling light. Ivetka heard the Virgin Mary speak,
“Dear children, I am the Immaculate Purity. God has sent me to your world, to your times with messages as never before in history. Please pray, children.”
The group prayed fervently, and she disappeared. Word spread quickly throughout the region, and soon many pilgrims were making the difficult journey up the steep mountain to the woodcutter’s shack. Until the 24th February, 1991, the Virgin Mary appeared to both girls for several times each month, especially on Sundays and feast-days. From the 3rd March 1991 she always appeared on Sunday after the First Friday in the month. Apparitions on the mountain were accompanied by thousands of pilgrims.
About one hundred meters from the shack, the Holy Virgin blessed a well and recommended for people to drink from this spring. According to testimonies of many witnesses and a local priest, Father Zavacky, many miracle healings apparently occurred. These cases are recorded and investigated by the bishop’s committee.
During the apparition, one priest took a camera with a flash, placed it in front of Ivetka`s eyes and pressed the trigger. Ivetka did not even blink and, after the apparition, she could not remember that such a thing had happened. After the apparition, both girls announced their experiences to members of the committee who compared their statements and then Ivetka announced the message to people.
Bishop Mons. Jan Hirka formed an eight member committee of priests (representatives of Roman-Catholic and Greek Catholic rite) and doctors. Its chairman is the vicar-general. Girls were checked by Dr. L. Kvasnicka, psychiatrist for children (member of the committee):
“According to the conclusion of my examination was that these girls – visionaries — are really mentally fit. During, approximately, an eight-minute long ecstasy, the pulse of one of them was about 130, and the pulse of the other one was 123. They were in a stage of tension, their hands were strongly close-knitted. I had tried to pull their fingers apart, but I could not do that. During the apparition their eyes were open. Usually, if you pinch someone, you can see on his face that it hurts. These girls, however, did not even wince.”
The Blessed Mother gave Ivetka a message for the world on the first Sunday of every month. The beautiful Immaculate Purity medal has been struck at the request of Mary. It is especially helpful for those who knowingly or unknowingly need divine protection in the area of purity. A man in London wore this medal for several hours and was healed from suffering, mental issues, and pain that he had endured all of his life. Now he experiences freedom from those burdens and his first true joy.
On the 25th of November, 1990, a ceremony of consecration for the newly built cross took place. During the consecration, after the prayer of the rosary, all present saw on the sun a peculiar supernatural phenomenon which reminded them of the sun miracle from Fatima. The sun, which was possible to look at without hurting one’s eyes, was rotating, emitting concentrated circles in various colors of the rainbow, and it was getting black and light again. The sun was “shivering,” pulsing, and changing its position. A ring of small “satellite” suns was created around the main sun. These phenomena were observed by 2000 to 3000 people, including the mayor Vislocky and the local priest, (today`s vicar-general) Jan Zavacky. The phenomena were recorded also by cameras. They occurred again in this place even later on.
Elena Subjak, department of the spiritual life for Slovak Television stated:
“Apart from others it is interesting that when the rightness of Litmanova`s apparitions is discussed, the peculiar phenomena of the sun were never mentioned. It happened twice and this phenomenon was observed by thousands of people. I was given descriptions by several people independently, among whom was the mayor, local priest, and children.” (Slovak diary, 14th November 1991)
On the 1st of October, 1990, Ivetka asked the Holy Lady if she would heal one of her small friends from the village. The Virgin Mary told her:
“Each disease is a consequence of some sin. Her parents cared more for material matters and from many viewpoints did not behave like Christians. Recovery of that child can be managed only by means of fervent prayers.”
On the 2nd of October, 1990, the Virgin Mary requested that people from all over Slovakia should come to pray the holy rosary. The girls were again afraid to go alone home through the woods because it was already late. They repeated the prayer to Our Lady:”Mary, our Mother, hide us underneath your mantle.” Mary actually spread her mantle and accompanied the group.
On the 4th of November 1990 Mary said to the girls to look into the faces of surrounding people and then showed them, visually, how She views them. When the visionaries looked around, they could see dirty faces which contrasted with the one which dazzled with purity, which belonged to the Virgin Mary.
On the 11th of November, 1990, the Virgin Mary said following message to Ivetka:
“I cannot look at the sins of Slovakia. My children have too much of everything, and that is why they do not respect my Son and Myself. My Son will let a disaster come down on Slovakia, but if the people will start fervently praying, the disaster will be postponed.”
On the 2nd of December, 1990, Our Lady said:
“To get healed from the physical and mental disease it is necessary to pray daily the whole rosary (15 tenths), to fast on Wednesday and Friday and to drink water from the spring of the Mountain.” (She added that not all ill will be recovered.)
On the 30th of December, 1990, Our Lady said:
“Manage the lockets to be made with my name, which I have told you, on the one side of the locket, but only in capital letters. Under the name should be my pure dazzling Heart and the white lily – sign of my purity. On the other side should be my picture with my Son in my arms. Lockets should be worn by people who feel the respect to Me and to my Son. One who will wear this locket, respect my purity and worship Me under the name, Immaculate Purity, will always get my help if he will ask for it.”
On the 20th of January, 1991, the Virgin Mary said:
“Catastrophe from the Persian Gulf is not the will of God because the World is under the control of the Devil for several years so far. If you, my children, will expect the disaster to happen, it will come. But if you will resist, decide and totally let yourself to be in God`s hands, and if you will pray: “Let God`s will happen!” – you will avoid catastrophe, because I will come at the right time. I am your beloved mother and I advise my dear children in this time to have blessed items with you because the Devil will not have such power over you.”
On the 3rd of February, 1991:
“I will be always with you, but My presence will be felt only by those whose prayers come from a pure heart and are sincere.”
On the 17th of February, 1991:
“I have to cry over you because you wander in sin.”
On the 24th of February, 1991:
“Prayer is a big weapon by means anything can be reached — if it, however, comes from a pure and sincere heart. Some people see God to be a judge. It is not like that because he is good and merciful Father of the Heaven and Earth.”
On the 7th of July, 1991:
“If you are tempted, realize that I am always with you and then pray: Immaculate Purity, help me to keep the purity of my heart!”
More than 100,000 pilgrims gathered on the mountain Zvir on the 4th of August 1991.
On the 5th of July, 1992:
“Whoever thinks he possesses the gold on this earth, has nothing.”
On the 8th of November, 1992:
“Pray, please…You have no idea how this can help you. You have so little time!”
On the 4th of April, 1993:
“I beg you again, change your life, sacrifice it completely to God, because that is the only way your life can become eternal. Oh, children, learn to say the following: Let Your holy will be everywhere and in everything, because you are holding eternal Peace.”
On the 9th of May, 1993:
“You have no idea how much sacrifice is needed for this world. Please, make sacrifices for others with love.”
On the 6th of June, 1993:
“Try more to speak to Father like with the Father and your words will be holy, your words will make miracles. Jesus wants to make miracles through you. He loves you and waits.”
On the 6th of February, 1994:
“Please, let Jesus calm you down. You are filled with noise and unease of this world and you forget, at the same time, to be quiet and humble in front of God. That is why you do not feel what Jesus, hidden in the Holy Communion, wants to do within you. And what the prayer wants to do inside of you.”
On the 3rd of July, 1994:
“Change your life! Listen to the voice of your Mother… Do not live as if you would not pay attention to the immense love which is given to each one of you. Do not live like those who can see, but who are still blind, like those who can hear, but who are still deaf.”
On the 7th of August, 1994:
“I love you as you are. Each of my sons and daughters should tell me, “Mother, now I want to change my life. I want to meet my Father and I trust you completely that you will help me in that.” This world will never make you happy.”
On the 8th of January, 1995:
“Please, give me all of your problems and troubles because God is the only one who can save you from them. Pray this prayer: ”Oh God, I give you my entire past and I give you my whole future. I thank you for today you have given me. And I thank you because You are with me and I can be happy because I know You will never abandon me.” Please, ask God to give you the compassion to understand this prayer. Thus, each day your heart will be filled with a simple child-like joy.”
On the 5th of March, 1995:
“I ask only one thing of God. That is to leave His peace inside of you. This time is a thief of the peace. Please, say to God: I love — and that is why I regret. I love — and that is why I forgive. I love — and that is my peace.”
On the 7th of May, 1995:
“Please, please, please, think over my words. Change your life and do it because of the love. Change people around you, but do it with love.”
Ivetka Korcakova conveyed the last message of Virgin Mary:
“Glory to Jesus Christ! Our Lady said today: My dear children! This apparition is the last one. I love you. And I thank everybody for what you have done for me here. My beloved children! I wanted this to happen to wake you up from the dream of emptiness. For you to understand that you need to convert. For this period of time you need the converting! Please, please! I will remain on this mountain. Start to think over my messages! For this period of time, please, remain in my heart. You need to be more modest and cautious. Period that comes is already here. Remain then like children. Totally free for God. Please, think over my words! I love you and I wait for you in heaven…”
Ivetka made later several more comments to the messages:
“Something will come that was never experienced by the world before and that will never happen again because we need purification. The Virgin Mary comes and visualizes herself to us and gives you the messages, but you are not interested. Then she comes and cries. She cries blood, but you are not touched by that. What else do you think could wake you up? Everything that will come will be coming from God`s love as you are not able to convert when God asks you to do so…! And purification means that there will be no more indifferent people. I am either for God or against Him. There is nothing in between. Either – or. That is the purification. In this period a lot of bad and good people will die. And I do not say that to frighten you! But for you to keep the peace when the time comes. And she says that only because she can see what is coming. I know that falsehood will come and will be so big that it will shake the strongest ones. Strongest ones! It will be the fraud that had never been experienced by this world so far. Because the Church needs purification. Do you understand? But if you stay with your Mother the falsehood cannot reach you. There will be many of those who will follow this falsehood.” (Ivetka announcing to pilgrims, Litmanova, 4th November 1995).
“Inside peace… What steals our peace – is always sin… that we allowed love to be hurt… nothing on this earth is worth of taking your inside peace away from you… first fruit of the true prayer is always the peace… Each act of our humility God awards with His peace. As for me, after each time I would had fallen or after something that had happened and I did not want that to happen, each time I had looked at God and I had to stand up again and walk. Then I could feel a very deep peace… Peace is too valuable a thing for connecting it with something outside. Peace does not depend on anything. It concerns my deepest desire… as far as I have the desire for God… God will then lead my outside steps. It is an intimacy between me and Him.
We can see a lot of evil in the world. We can feel, however, that something should come. Time will come when everyone has to decide either to go with God, or against Him… And this point should be reached by all mankind. If something like that happens, it will be because people will have to decide. But it will be only from pure mercy. At that time, everything that we may hide now will burst out then. I do not want to say it will be worse. I cannot imagine that. It will not be easy, but everyone who will pray, who will start now, who will like a child, hide in Mary, that one will survive. Those who will be close to Mary will be just purified again. More and more. That is why this time will bring more saints than were ever before.” (Ivetka, Litmanova on the 6th December 1997)
Father Augustin Stohl:
“I strongly and unwaveringly believe in the apparitions of Our Lady on the mountain Zvir. I had personally attested to everything in this place myself, as I know very well what has to be certified. Those apparitions are very strong and true.”
On the 3rd of December 1995, Mons. Jan Hirka, residential bishop of the Greek Catholic Church in Presov, ascended the mountain in Litmanova in the snow, accompanied by his vicar and secretary. Here he concelebrated the holy liturgy in Slovak language and he celebrated in an ancient Slovak language. He said to pilgrims:
“Brothers and sisters! I came here on the mountain in Litmanova to greet you as a local ordinary – bishop and to announce: “What happened here was nothing noxious against the faith, nor against the moral. Church should be, however, careful and that is the reason why it does not approve, nor rejects what is happening here. Our commission will continue to work on the Litmanova matter according to regulations of sacred Congregation for dogmatic matters, and we will inform the Holy See about the results.”
Provincial of the monastic order of St. Basil the Great, Father Marian Potas, in 1991, became a member of the investigative commission:
“Our bishop commission also registers miraculous recoveries and records everything. We have the case of a lady who was disabled for 14 years, body half-paralyzed, and she could not walk. Women brought her onto the mountain once. She drank from the stream, prayed, and was able to walk back down on her own feet. She started back to work immediately.
One boy had leukemia; today he is a soldier. From the army doctor he was given the assessment that he is completely healthy now.
Viktoria Folvarcik, Nova Lubovna:
“From 1981 I had a big pain in my back, joints, knees and I had permanent problems with the pressure. I was in six hospital stays in different places of our former republic. As I got older the pain intensified. No one doctor would give me the hope of being healed.
On the 25th March 1992 I woke up at 3:00 after midnight when I heard the voice: “Today, you should go to Litmanova!” Before half past five I heard the voice again: “My child, today you should go to Litmanova!” I jumped out of the bed and realized that the Virgin Mary had talked to me… Mr. Rusnak from Litmanova opened a room for us where Our Lady used to appear. We prayed… From that day forward I have had no problems with my health.”
Maria Majzel, Salt: “In 1968 I had a brain stroke which caused me many problems. When I came here for the first time I touched the bench where Mary had sat. I could see a big relief. And when I ran down the mountain, I heard the voice which said to me to prove to the public that I am cured, that I was recovered.”
Polish priests offered to the investigative commission documents – including medical records about the mysterious recovery of Stanislava Faron, a pilgrim from Stary Sacz. Stanislava suffered breast cancer. She brought herself water from the mountain Zvir in which she would take baths, and she prayed to the Immaculate Purity. After three months her doctor stated that she had a total recovery.