Is it possible that a simple prayer could stop wars? Here is the answer we received in the village of Pontmain, in western France, in 1871.

War in France

On that day, January 17, 1871, it was very cold, and snow had covered everything with a thick white blanket. Two brothers, Eugène Barbedette, who was 13, and Joseph, who was 11, were helping their father work in the barn. It was evening; night had already fallen. As they worked, the boys thought of their oldest brother Auguste, who had been called up to go to war and from whom they had received no news…

For, unfortunately, war is raging in France. The Prussians (old name for German people) have invaded a large part of our country and are now only 50 km from Pontmain. All the villagers are very worried, and, encouraged by the parish priest, they pray a lot. Eugène and Joseph are altar boys, and every morning at 7 a.m., they serve Mass and say their rosary for their older brother.

Tonight, as they work in the barn by candlelight, their hearts are heavy with sadness because of the war. But then a neighbor comes to bring them good news about the soldiers. Ah, what a relief! Eugène, feeling comforted, goes outside to admire the snow and the star-filled sky.

A Beautiful Lady in the Starry Sky

But above the neighbors’ house, right across from him, he spots three large stars arranged in a triangle—stars that had never been there before… and in the middle of the three stars, a very beautiful lady appears, smiling at him, Eugene. She is wearing a long dark blue dress studded with golden stars, and on her head a black veil topped with a crown. She is so pure and beautiful! Eugene is completely overwhelmed…

When the neighbor comes out of the barn, he asks her:

– “Do you see anything up there in the sky?”
– “No, I don’t see anything”, says the neighbor.
The father, intrigued by his son’s question, goes outside and looks up at the sky, but he doesn’t see anything either. Joseph, the youngest, on the other hand, arrives and exclaims: “Oh, how beautiful!”

Their father is surprised. He asks his sons to go back into the barn to finish their work. He knows his boys well; he knows they are not lying. When the mother arrives in turn, she doesn’t see anything either, so she goes to fetch Sister Vitaline, the schoolteacher.

Only Children Can See

Sister Vitaline can’t see anything, but she has an idea. She says, “The children can see, but the grown-ups cannot. Wait, I’ll be right back.” And she goes to fetch two little girls who board at the school. When Françoise and Jeanne-Marie arrive in front of the house, they exclaim: “Oh, what a beautiful lady! She has a blue dress full of stars and a golden crown! You can see them, Sister, those three stars… the lady is right in the middle!”

The villagers are surprised by all the commotion outside. They then come out of their homes to see what’s going on. A grandmother arrives with her grandson: he can see the Lady but she cannot. A mother joins them with her baby in her arms, and immediately the baby waves his little hands, smiles, and opens his wide, amazed eyes, saying: “The Jee-sus! The Jee-sus!”

Soon, all the residents of Pontmain are there. Father Guérin, who loves the Blessed Virgin so much, has of course come too. He can’t see anything, but he says, “Come, let us pray the rosary.” And everyone kneels down in the snow. As the prayer goes on, the lady grows and grows, still smiling. Her dress is constantly filling with new stars and becomes almost entirely golden. She is becoming more and more beautiful. And a small red Cross appears over her heart.

A Message in Golden Letters

At the end of the Rosary, everyone sings the Magnificat, and immediately the children exclaim in unison, “Something’s happening! ” Indeed, a long white banner unfurls at the lady’s feet. And, to everyone’s surprise, golden letters appear one by one: first a B, then U, T. The word BUT shines in the sky, then other words appear. And here is the phrase the children can read:

“But pray, my children.”

Upon hearing this, the parish priest immediately says: “We must sing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin!” Everyone sings, and more letters appear one by one. At the end of the hymn to Mary, the children can read:

“God will answer your prayers in a short time.”

Do you remember why all the people of Pontmain had been praying lately, gathered in the church around the parish priest? They were praying for the war to end! So, as you can imagine, when the children read the phrase “God will answer your prayers soon,” everyone felt immense joy, because that meant the war was going to end! The villagers weep with joy and embrace one another. Oh, how good God is to answer their faithful prayer!
They begin a new song with fervor. And new golden letters appear in the sky! M, Y, my, and the children read the following:
My Son… Ah, so it is indeed the Virgin Mary who is there, speaking of her Son Jesus! Then the children read the entire sentence:

“My Son allows Himself to be touched”

These words are underlined with a golden line…

A Fervent Prayer

Filled with joy, the villagers break into another hymn to Mary:

“Mother of Hope, pray, pray for us.” And seeing them all—young and old—singing with love, the Blessed Virgin, in the starry sky, smiles at them, and even laughs. The children, seeing her so happy, are beaming. Then the words disappear, as if erased by the night.

The parish priest now invites them to pray for forgiveness from Jesus. And soon the children cry out: “Here is something else appearing!” In the Lady’s hands, they see a large red Cross appear, bearing the crucified Jesus, with the inscription: Jesus Christ. Oh, how sad the Blessed Virgin is now! She looks only at the Cross, and her sorrow seems immense. She prays with them, asking forgiveness for the poor sinners.

Now, the parish priest leads them in singing the beautiful hymn “Hail, Star of the Sea, Holy Mother of God.” Then, the red Crucifix disappears and Mary’s face lights up again. She looks at her children with infinite tenderness, and her smile fills them with joy deep in their hearts.

Then, gently, a white veil appears at her feet and rises slowly, gradually hiding her from their view. Her robe vanishes into the night; only her face remains, then only her crown, and then nothing at all. The parish priest asks, “Do you still see anything?” And all together, the children reply, “No, everything has disappeared; that’s all.”

It is 9:00 p.m.; the Blessed Virgin remained for nearly three hours in Pontmain, hovering above a house, on that snowy night of January 17, 1871. Everyone returns home, deeply moved and filled with hope thanks to the wonderful message brought by the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope.

Heaven’s Impressive Response

The next day, an incredible surprise: word came that the general of the Prussian army, who was about to invade the region, had received orders to turn back! Yes, he received this order precisely during the night when the children were praying with the Blessed Virgin! So, the army halted its attack and retreated, and ten days later, the war, which had lasted for six months, came to an end. All the young soldiers from Pontmain returned safe and sound; Eugène and Joseph were so happy to be reunited with their oldest brother!

A magnificent church was built in the village, attracting crowds of pilgrims. Countless miracles, healings, and conversions have taken place here…

People come to pray to Mary, the Mother of Hope! She who can obtain from her Son the end of the war! Especially when it is children who are praying!

“The prayer of children, of little ones: a bulwark you set against the adversary, where the enemy is shattered in his rebellion.”
(Psalm 8)

Thank you for working toward world peace by encouraging children to pray!