Thanks, Bill. It isn't only Protestants who don't know quite what to make of Marian apparitions. This lifelong Catholic struggles with them too.

I think it needs to be said that all apparition stories aren't created equal. The legend of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for example, resonates mythically because it represents God's love for the poor and indigenous people of the Americas (and, incidentally, a certain chastisement for the powers-that-be, including the Catholic hierarchy of the time.) The Medjugorje incidents, on the other hand, seem a bit heavy-handed in their duration and their long-winded and politically-charged so-called "messages."

I consider myself something of a skeptic regarding such things, but I try not to let that skepticism slip into unkind judgment of those for whom they are important. But I do draw the line at the militancy of some apparition fans.

When it comes to religion, whatever leads one to a peaceful, just and harmonious life is okay by me.