The vision of Our Lady of La Salette occurred to two children, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, while they were tending cattle at La Salette-Fallavaux, France, in 1846. They saw a bright light, then a lady with her head in her hands. When she stood up, the children saw that she had been crying. She told them not to be afraid, that "She had come here to tell them great news". She spoke to the children in their local dialect about the importance of being reconciled to God, repsecting the Sabbath, and praying the Rosary. She encouraged them to tell everyone to do penance for their sins and pray regularly, then entrusted each child with a secret. When she was through speaking, the lady rose into the air and vanished. The children siffered greatly from teasing and persecution and were accused of lying when they told their story, but they never deviated from it. After intense scrutiny, the local bishop recognized the apparition at La Salette as the Virgin Mary.
Antique medals showing Our Lady of La Salette still can be found today, mainly in France. They typically show a woman with a tiara-type headdress. She has her head in her hands and may be showing speaking to two young children, or sometimes rising in the air as the children look on.
Antique medals showing Our Lady of La Salette still can be found today, mainly in France. They typically show a woman with a tiara-type headdress. She has her head in her hands and may be showing speaking to two young children, or sometimes rising in the air as the children look on.
