The Conyers Story

By Judith Child

Bear Witness ...

Full of despair, in February of 1987, Nancy Fowler had given up all hope. She could see nothing but suffering and darkness ahead of her. Then unexpectedly one day Jesus Christ, engulfed in supernatural light, stood before her.

"He looked just like Sr. Faustina's Divine Mercy image only without the rays," Nancy tells pilgrims who call on her. "The light was immense. It was so bright. He appeared at a time in my life when I really should have been seeing the devil. I had given up all hope and was in such despair over the suffering in my life. He did not speak but looked at me--His eyes were outstanding. They were dark and full of love, compassion, and forgiveness. My goodness, that apparition alone could have lasted me all my life."

For the next nine months Nancy did not see Him again. However, whenever she prayed, a light would illuminate the crucifix in her room. A voice would speak to her interiorly. She would hear the words clearly and was able to distinguish between male and female voices. During this time, Our Lord gave Nancy spiritual direction, teachings on the Universal Church, and messages about parish problems.

"I guess I was getting to know Him," she said. "I was also learning the basics of how to communicate with Him," says Nancy. "I got to know what causes Him pain. It was a very intimate time. One teaching that stands out clearly was on how 'Man has destroyed My feast days.' Up to that time I had always participated in Halloween just like every one else. Jesus told me, 'Do not rejoice in the powers of darkness, rejoice in the light of the Lord.' My, oh my!" Nancy exclaimed, "just think what we have done to Easter with the Easter Bunny!"

"Usually now, I hear a very clear, audible voice," Nancy says, "but between the first and second apparitions, I also began getting inner locutions, although I didn't know what they were at the time. It was very confusing."

Nancy's Mission

Then on November 30, 1987, an immense light settled over a crucifix and Jesus appeared there in the way that is now customary, smaller in size than the first time Nancy saw Him, but in 3-D and "I could see Him smiling broadly," Nancy says.

With the answer to her question, "What do You ask of me," she was given her mission:

"To bear witness that I am the Living Son of God."

Heaven had begun yet another attempt to call an erring world back to its creator.

His Love and Mercy

Since that second appearance, Jesus has appeared to Nancy showing His great love for her everyday except for an approximately three day period. His love for Nancy never wavers and He is constantly available, and always offering her His help and mercy. He has told her, "Well, Nancy, you cannot bear witness that I am the Living Son of God if you cannot see Me all the time."

The warmth and teachings that Jesus gives to her are very invigorating. He said His words are "Life" to the soul and you can feel this "Life" in His words and teachings. "The cross is life. I am life. I am love. I am light. Walk from the cross, then walk from Me. Then you walk into darkness. The cross is not darkness, the cross is light." He goes on, "Nancy, if the cross is love and life, shouldn't you want to embrace it? You are embracing Me. Is there not joy in embracing Me?"

His second appearance indicated the way He now appears to her on a daily basis. "He is in a glorified state. I can see His features, but everything is enveloped in light. It's as if there is light under the skin. I can see His eyes move, and sometimes His lips, as He speaks to me in a very clear, audible voice," Nancy says.

And Nancy's life, already changed forever by the first apparition, began yet another phase. From leading the life of an ordinary American suburban housewife with two children, Nancy was tossed into a life of supernatural dimensions.

Our Lord gave Nancy a prayer to say when she needs His help. He has promised to respond always, and she has had the ineffable grace of Jesus' help in many urgent personal situations. In giving Nancy the great grace of knowing the Living Son of God in such an intimate way, Jesus is using Nancy to show us all how much He loves each one of us. He told her, "You are my beloved daughter. Even though you are disobedient at times, even though you lack many virtues, through you I will show the world My love and mercy." And this statement applies to each person. He has made himself constantly available to Nancy, in little things and big, showing us how intimately He wants to share all our lives. We may forsake Him, but He never forsakes us. He is always available, if we call to Him.

On April 21, 1991, Jesus told Nancy, "I desire to teach through your weakness. To everyone in the world I say you are My mercy and I love you."

By appearing to her and talking to her like a father would talk to a daughter, she can bear witness that He is the Living Son of God. The teachings He has given her are tremendous. They parallel the Bible and expand on what is in the Bible with additional parables and explanation. He is constantly offering Nancy His love in an unconditional way. His love does not change with her actions, which may lack some virtue at times. She can see consequences of actions, but not a lack of love as a result of any action--good or not so good. He is always very patient and loving.

Through His relationship with Nancy, Jesus teaches us that the purpose of life is for each soul to grow in love with Him, through Him and in Him. Each soul is infinitely precious. He mourns and suffers as He sees His children fall away from Him. He offers every one of us His intimate love and assures us that He loves each one of us equally. He said He would walk to Calvary for each individual soul, if it were necessary.

Jesus said, "My children need to know when they call to Me, I help them. Not a single prayer do I miss. My children are confused because they think I don't hear them, I'm too far away or because I have not given them what they asked. How much more I give."

Heaven, Hell, And Justice

"I know Jesus in a personal way. He is very kind, compassionate, loving and patient, but I have been made aware of the Just Judge several times when I have been in the presence of God the Father." Nancy has found herself once or twice trembling in the mighty presence of the Father. "We do not understand the consequences of our actions," she says, "it comes back to what Our Loving Mother said in Her message in May, 1991 -- 'the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world do not mix.'"

Our Lord told Nancy that sins of the flesh and murder are the two most frequent causes for a soul going to Hell. He explained how people make a first conscious, wilful decision to commit one of these sins the first time and this decision will put a soul on the path to hell. After the initial decision, the next time, one rationalizes it and then finally the person does not recognize the act as sin. In line with the Gospel teachings each sin has a ripple effect. He has said that in the case of murder (which includes abortion) even those who join marches supporting abortion are deemed by God to have committed murder, if they are unrepentant.

Nancy has had two glimpses of Hell. "It was horrible, horrible. I was shown a dark, black, fiery hole, and saw terrible shadows that were half human, half animal coming out. I was not given any explanation, but I thought to myself, 'They are real and they are going all over the earth.'" When Nancy could not bear it anymore, she found herself back in her room.

Nancy says that her experiences of hell are enough to make one work, to do everything, and to speak the truth to help everyone escape this fate.

On the other hand, her visits to Heaven were such that she finds difficulty in describing what it was like. "It was so profound, so beautiful, so peaceful, that it is worth working all one's life to get there--nothing compares with it."

Her first experience of being in Heaven was in January 1988. "How I got there I do not know. I suddenly found myself in what looked like an immense room yet there was nothing confining. Angels were everywhere in white robes like Our Lord wears. I remember their wings, huge and majestic. I could see part of the golden arm of a chair, part of the back of a tall chair. It was the throne of God. There was no movement of air, all was peace and serenity and I never wanted to leave. Everywhere was light. I will never forget it."

Her second visit to Heaven occurred while she was praying in St. Patrick's Parish Church in Norcross, Georgia. There was no one in the church. "I was in front of the big crucifix. Suddenly light surrounded the altar and the back wall of the church vanished, leaving the cross suspended in air. You could probably have poked me with a needle and I wouldn't have responded or felt anything," she says. "The light got brighter and brighter and then all I could see was light everywhere. There were no audible words yet all my future life was revealed in an instant. I wanted to stay, but I was brought away from the light and I saw, peripherally, dark figures scurrying about, but they never approached the light. I don't know what they were, or where they went, I was so dazed. Afterwards, I remember wondering where they were! Later, in prayer,I was told afterwards that my soul had stood before God, the Father."

Nancy is not allowed to reveal what she learned at that time, but it is all in her journal awaiting Church investigation. There are other secrets of a global nature that she has been told, but they have been expunged from her memory until she needs to know them again. Others, that she remembers, must remain secret.

She has been told about what will happen in the United States, if we do not turn back to God. She says if we do not return to God, we will not recognize this nation, reminding us of the words of Our Loving Mother on 13 January, 1991, "I implore you with the most urgent plea turn back to God now for sorrow will reign in your land."

Jesus said, "Understand, little one, now that My people will see the Justice of God."

Our Loving Mother

During 1987, Nancy was also getting acquainted with angels and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Loving Mother.

"I heard Her voice first of all. It was an external voice, that of a gentle woman waking me from sleep to pray. Then I was pulled by an interior call to go to Medjugorje in October 1987."

By this time Nancy was having inner locutions. "Light would stream from the Tabernacle and I would hear a distinct voice. Then in December 1987, a Dove appeared over the Tabernacle," Nancy says, pin pointing the sequence of events. "But it wasn't until 1988 that I saw the Mother of God properly.

"To begin with," Nancy says, "while I was in the presence of Jesus, Our Loving Mother would appear in one dimension on the wall, life size, or in the air, usually in white resembling Our Lady of Fatima. Our Loving Mother appeared but remained silent while Her Son was appearing and speaking to me.

"Then one day I went to the chapel to pray. I opened the door and the scent of roses flooded over me. It was overwhelming. It was then that I saw the Mother of God, life size, in a full apparition, for the first time. She was so beautiful, so radiant."

The Mother of God then spoke to Nancy, telling her more about her calling.

In Conyers, Georgia, Jesus gives us His Mother again from the Cross. He has said, "...From this very cross I give the world My perfect love. I give the world, I give everyone in the world, My dear, Holy Mother. Please, if you accept My love, then how can you reject, ignore, not honor, not love My Mother. I come through My Mother and I want you, dear children, to come through My Mother on your journey back to me."

His Mother is very gentle, kind and loving. Her visits last sometimes for just a few minutes and, at other times, long enough to pray all fifteen decades of the Rosary with the prayer group. The messages are somewhat similar to Fatima and other apparitions--prayer, conversion, sacrifices, reparation--but She also speaks to us and Nancy as "Our Loving Mother" and comes with the infant Jesus in Her arms.

From those early days, one terrifying incident stands out. The Mother of God warned Nancy that Satan would attack her. Our Loving Mother reassured her and told Nancy she was not to worry because She and Her Son would protect her.

"Several weeks later," Nancy recalls, "I was driving along the road at about 50 miles an hour when I felt the chain of my Miraculous Medal being pulled more and more tightly about my throat. I could see the Medal rising higher and higher up my neck. I froze with cold and chills."

Since then, Nancy has been given the very great grace of being safe from all physical attacks of the devil. "He is not permitted to attack me like that again. I see him, but that is all--although I'd rather not see him, he is so horrible. The Mother of God has told me it is a very great grace to see Satan because I will be more aware of temptations and their origin, including his deceptions."

Our Lord has warned Nancy: "Whenever your peace is disturbed, be on guard."

Although she sees Satan, she still has difficulty recognizing what he is doing. "Once, when I was perturbed and disheartened because people did not believe me and were not coming to visit with Our Lord and Our Loving Mother, I was told by Our Mother, 'You see Satan but you fail to recognize when He attacks.' We all need to learn to recognize his attacks," Nancy advised.

Nancy has been the recipient of numerous visits from Satan. She has seen him as a serpent coiled round the top of a crucifix. She has seen him disguised as the Blessed Mother. He has appeared as a beautiful angel in white light, or as a handsome man. She has even seen him as a ten foot tall man with a club in his hand, filled with hatred towards her or as a hairy gorilla. He has also interfered with locutions, disguising his voice as that of Our Lord or Our Loving Mother.

"He always goes in the Name of Jesus."

Nancy is under obedience to Jesus and Our Loving Mother to test all messages and appearances because Jesus has told her that "My elect children all over the world are being deceived." One test is to throw Holy Water on the image. Another is for Jesus to identify Himself by saying, "I am Jesus. I bow down to God. To Him alone I give the glory and honor."

Very often Our Loving Mother will identify Herself before She begins speaking to help Nancy test the authenticity of the vision. "I am the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God and Your Loving Mother. I bow down to God the Father. I adore, I worship, I love Him with my whole heart, mind and soul and all my strength. Jesus is the Son of God and I serve Him." Once when asked to test the message by saying, "The Blessed Virgin is greater than Satan," Our Loving Mother corrected the statement by saying, "By the grace of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary is greater than Satan."

Once when the devil was trying to interfere, he refused the test, saying, "I bow down to no one," and left with a stern look on his face.

The Blessed Virgin Mary's visitations are becoming more and more frequent. Very often they will be heralded by a bird singing outside. A light appears first, then Our Lady arrives in a burst of light holding the Baby. Our Loving Mother usually appears near a statue of Herself. The statue itself is lost in Her living presence, as if the statue is blended into Her. Smaller than life size, She appears about three feet tall. She is living, with real skin, and real tears. "I can see her expression change," Nancy says.

The statue stands on the top of three shelves in Nancy's living room where the apparitions usually take place. These shelves were built after the Mother of God appeared to Nancy and told her to take all the stereo equipment out of the room. She also told her to build shelves and that Her Son would give her the instructions.

"I had a vision of three triangular shelves," Nancy said. "On both sides of the top shelf was a small shelf. I saw the statue on the top shelf, and on the side shelves, I saw the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart. The other shelves were empty."

When the shelves were being built, Nancy's friends had constructed it so that the dimensions for the middle shelf were off a quarter inch from those Jesus had given them. They were going to leave it but then decided that they had better do exactly as Jesus had told them.

The next day, a close friend of Nancy's arrived at the prayer meeting, unexpectedly bringing a picture of the Divine Mercy for Nancy. "If we had not done exactly what Jesus asked, the picture would not have fitted in the space!"

Nancy and Jesus have discussed the shelves. He has shown Nancy how their triangular shape represents the Blessed Trinity and how they also form the shape of a cross with the two smaller shelves forming the crossbar.

It is here, from the cross of shelves, that Our Loving Mother gives Nancy Her love and Motherly help. The messages vary from little suggestions to make someone present more comfortable to ones of global significance.

Mostly when She appears to Nancy, She is holding the Baby Jesus. Her clothes are not always the same and are in a variety of colors. However, when She appears in the sky, She is tall, like a building and is usually dressed in white. More often, She appears as Our Lady of Fatima. She wears a white dress with something shining on the border of her veil like gold or silver. She does not initially appear with a crown, but most often, the crown appears later. Once She appeared in what seemed to be Her working clothes with Her veil tied back, "but I have never seen Her with Her head uncovered and She never has anything on Her feet." On November 13, 1990, She appeared dressed in black. "I find it difficult to tell the color of her clothes because She is engulfed in such dazzling light," Nancy said. She asked the Holy Mother what she should say when people ask what color She is wearing. Our Loving Mother responded, "My colors are important only if I wear a dark, mournful color. Then it is important."

In September 1990, the Blessed Mother appeared and gave a brief message for the United States. She said She would begin regular messages for the United States on the 13th of each month.

In October 1990, She said, "I am the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. I am pleased that my children have come on my anniversary of Fatima. This time in history is not unlike the time I appeared in Fatima..." She is urging all men throughout the world to echo the Angel's Prayer given at Fatima. She is also urging us to reread Her requests at Fatima and put the requests into practice. She has said Her requests at Fatima have not been done.

The Blessed Mother said that She will continue to appear on the 13th of each month with a message for the United States. The 13th is a significant day for the Blessed Mother. Her visits in Conyers to give a message to the United States began on Saturday, October 13, 1990. The visits in the field at Fatima ended on Saturday, October 13, 1917. The Blessed Mother says, "I am only a messenger from Heaven sent to echo His words to you."

She is begging us to come back to her Son. She has asked us to "pray, pray, pray" and to read the Gospels, the Words of Her Son. She says we cannot know Her Son without prayer. She is calling us to conversion.

She has asked that a prayer group be formed. It meets every Sunday at 3:00 PM in Conyers, Georgia on the little hill where She sometimes appears in the sky praying with the group.

The Holy Hill

Nancy and her family have not found life easier since becoming so intimately bound up with Heaven. In fact, the family income declined rapidly and they lost everything.

"I have been taught detachment," Nancy twinkles out of lively blue eyes. Her eyes reflect the Irish in her Irish/Syrian background and belie the difficulties involved for her family, as they have not been the recipients of the same graces Nancy has received. "But we have never gone without food on the table. We may have little money in our bank account, but Jesus has provided."

And He has provided wonderfully!

He has steered them, through a series of visions, to a house in the country. Once Nancy had been shown a vision of an altar on the hill, she then had to find the site. She and a friend spent days touring the outskirts of Atlanta to find the place. The house with its large yard is not too far from the frenetic, garish city lights and sounds of Atlanta, but far enough away for one to see expanses of sky, clouds, and tiny wild flowers in fields.

Now situated in Conyers, Nancy lives with her family, close to the Holy Spirit Monastery where her confessor and spiritual adviser, Fr. Joachim, is a priest-monk in the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance.

The Visitation Monastery is also nearby. There, Nancy has received many teachings while praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

During the search for the house, Nancy had the freedom to choose another, but she kept true to His Will and decided on the little house with the large yard that Jesus had shown her in the vision. The backyard with its slight incline up to a grove of trees is not spectacular. In fact, many people would find it insignificant, yet Jesus calls the little hill in Nancy's back yard the "Holy Hill." He says people who come there to Him will receive many graces. He is inviting everyone to come there and show their faith in Him. "I am Jesus, Son of the Living God. I said Living, Alive, and I am present here! Come and find Me. It is you, dear children, who need Me. I welcome you with open arms. My Mother will bring many children here to Me."

Also, Jesus has blessed the water in a well near the house and calls His children to use it for healing and preparation of hearts. He also asked to have a priest bless the well. Jesus has promised He will heal those who "come in faith."

People who visit the "Holy Hill" have only to listen to Nancy talk of Jesus and His great love and kindness and compassion towards her in spite of her weaknesses, to know that He will be loving, kind, compassionate and forgiving to them also. In this way, Our Loving Mother's statement to Nancy, You are My Son's mercy," makes sense.

If the Son of God had not appeared to me when He did, I would have been in Hell by now," Nancy recalls. "In this way I am His mercy."

Jesus has requested a cross be constructed of stones on the Holy Hill. It is not an erect cross, but an altar in the shape of a cross. "Build the altar in the shape of a cross. Do not be concerned what others will say. Oh, how I desire the world to be in light. I solemnly tell you, who comes to the altar with faith, I will pour forth My graces. Oh, what gifts they will walk away with. Woe be to him who tries to destroy this cross for I will rise up and they will be crushed to the ground. They are everyone who refuses to believe and accept My cross."

Our Loving Mother has also said, "Give them (Miraculous Medals) from the altar, from the site in the yard. You have heard correctly. More graces go with the medals."

St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal that The Blessed Mother asked her to have struck are very connected with the graces that Jesus is distributing through His Mother on the Holy Hill. Our Loving Mother has asked people to touch their Miraculous Medals to the altar. During the course of one week Nancy had a series of silent apparitions and visions of St. Catherine Laboure and also a vision of Miraculous Medals raining down from Heaven onto the ground of the Holy Hill. "I had never seen so many medals before," Nancy commented later. "A person, who was praying with us on the Holy Hill when I had the vision but did not know about the vision, turned to me and said, 'You'll be giving out thousands and thousands of miraculous medals from this site.'"

Now, a container filled with Miraculous Medals, blessed by a priest, stands at the foot of the altar and people who do not have medals are invited to take one and touch it to the stone altar.

"I, Jesus, am calling all My children here. It is natural My Mother would appear here to bring My children to Me. My Mother never, My Mother never brings children to herself, unto herself, apart from Me." He has also said, "You want to delay My punishment to this country. Come in numbers and show Me your faith. Let Me hear your voices from your hearts."

"When the father comes with gifts for his family," Our Loving Mother teaches us, "everyone is happy and anxious to open the presents and they open the gifts and they see that they are all very fine gifts but then they leave the gifts behind and walk away from the father. My dear children, the gifts from the Father are fine and priceless here in Conyers. It is up to you to receive them or to not come." (She is crying.)

The Conyers Experience

Nancy's apparitions differ from those in many other places such as Medjugorje and Kibeho but are more like those of San Nicolas, Argentina.

When asked to described how she feels interiorly during an apparition of the Blessed Mother, Nancy says, "During an appearance of Our Loving Mother, I feel such peace and joy. There is a sense of holiness in Her presence and such love, that all my problems take on a different perspective. They are still there but I can approach them in peace. Without even seeing Her, I would know that it is Our Loving Mother because of Her love. Her presence does not exclude other things, but She has the greater part of my attention. It is like having two conversations going on at once. One claims your full attention and the other recedes into the background."

Being present at an apparition in Conyers is an awesome, supernatural experience of conversion for many people as they feel the majestic power of Our Lady's presence. As Nancy describes what she is seeing and repeats Our Loving Mother's words as they are being spoken, pilgrims become even more intimately caught up in the experience.

"It is difficult," Nancy continues, "to get everything the Mother of God says written down on paper. Now, with George Collins acting as a secretary and able to write down what I am repeating and seeing during the apparitions, it is much easier for me."

George Collins is the first among the many people who are involved with Our Lord and Our Loving Mother in Conyers. He is an engineer who came back to the sacraments during a visit to Medjugorje. Now his whole life has become one of service to Heaven. His name appears in many messages from Jesus, usually giving him some task to do. He does not see any of the signs that abound in Conyers, but has been given special gifts of the Holy Spirit to help her in the mission the Lord has given her.

Rev. Jose Alfonso Salazar M.Ss.A., a close friend of Conyers, explains, "George helps to put the requests she receives from Heaven into the practical realm."

Fr. Joachim says, "George's support and help in so many ways has always been a comfort for me personally as it has been an invaluable source of comfort and support for Nancy in the many difficult situations she has happened to be in. A number of times I have expressed to George himself how immensely I have appreciated all he has done for Nancy in the difficult mission that has been given to her from Heaven."

Then there is Mary Burke, a grandmother, who has been given a specific task by Our Lord. Mary is often a witness to the signs, especially the lights that appear around the statue of Our Loving Mother. She also receives inner locutions that often confirm messages Our Lord has given Nancy. He has asked Mary to explain to pilgrims about the Holy Hill.

"Mary, My chosen one, this message is for My people. Tell them that the hill in Nancy's backyard is holy ground. To come and walk upon this holy ground. It is holy because I say it is holy. Come to My altar to pray and receive many, many graces. My Mother and I await them. Tell them to invite their families, neighbors, relatives, all to come. Come on pilgrimage to meditate and to pray for our world. Pray for the lost souls, those with lukewarm hearts, that they will find an infilling of the Holy Spirit and know that this hill has been chosen by God the Father. It is He who has chosen this humble hill to touch them, to heal them, to call them to conversion, to call them back to Him. Tell them to give Me the desires of their hearts, their many needs, that only I can give to them. Each heart is seeking Me, but they search in all the wrong places. Come children, I am waiting for you. My Mother is here waiting to bring you to Me. Please do not refuse her help. I have sent My Mother here to the United States, to bring you to Me. Listen My little ones to these words. I send them to you to again invite you to come. Draw the holy water from the well to bless your families and homes. Do so daily and ask the Archangel Michael to protect you, St. Joseph, My foster father, to pray for you. Call upon My Holy Mother, all the angels and saints, to assist you. Do not stay away because of the elements of the weather. Come and trust Me, your Lord and Savior.

"Read this message to all who come. Thank you for writing My words."

As with other apparitions, there are many signs and wonders. In addition to Nancy, many people have seen the light around the cross. Many have smelled roses when the Blessed Mother appears and experienced other signs such as the color of Rosary chains or crosses changing from silver to gold.

Light is an important feature of the mystical experiences at Conyers. Jesus has said, "I am your light, and I will show you the way. You will never need to be afraid of the darkness. I will never abandon you, and My love is endless."

Edwin Paniagua is a young man from Atlanta who will soon be entering the religious life. More and more, he is experiencing the scent of roses when Nancy has an apparition, even if he is at his home miles from Conyers. He is at Nancy's very often assisting pilgrims. He is a valuable witness to the scent of roses and the light that appears around Our Loving Mother during an apparition. Many times, Edwin calls Nancy from his home 30 miles away to report the scent of roses only to find out that she has been having a apparition. More and more, Edwin and other members of his family are smelling the scent of roses while, unknown to them, Our Loving Mother is visiting Conyers.

The first time Edwin visited Conyers, he was brought by two priests. Then he kept returning, answering an internal call to visit the Holy Hill. During an apparition, Nancy received a special message for Edwin. Our Loving Mother said, "I bless you, I will help you. I am very pleased you returned to the Hill. For it was not the Hill you returned to but for My Son and Me. Thank you for responding to My Son's call." Nancy was surprised that he saw the light during the apparition. Blessed Mother said, "When my children are open, they receive much."

Since that time Edwin has been open to the events that have been taking place here. Now he too is receiving limited locutions from both Our Lord and Our Loving Mother.

Willie Kooymans, another grandmother who has lived in the Atlanta area for many years since coming to the United States from Holland, is a staunch believer and friend. She was asked particularly by Our Lord one Sunday to bear witness to a miracle in the sky. "I saw an opening in the sky. Then, in the opening, I saw a round almost circle and it was the colors of the rainbow. Then I saw a white cross bigger than the circle over the top of the circle and in the circle's center. After a while the clouds covered the circle."

Then there is Barbara Newberry who is often a witness to the light that engulfs statues and religious pictures.

Willie, Barbara and Nancy's son, John who was ten at the time, all saw Our Lady kneeling in the sky.

Another person many pilgrims meet is Fr. Joachim Tierney O.C.S.O. He has been Nancy's confessor and spiritual advisor since 1989. Fr. Joachim has been a priest for 51 years and has studied the Mystery of the Second Coming for much of that time. He is wholly convinced that what is occurring at Conyers is of God... "I'm grateful to God that He has brought me into Nancy's life and I have never had the slightest doubt about her and that what is happening to her is of Heaven. I know that it is the Blessed Mother who is at work in Conyers."

Testimonies

Fr. Salazar, who has become closely associated with the mystical events of Conyers giving theological advice when asked, said, "I heard of Nancy Fowler and Mary Burke from an old friend of mine, Rev. Jose A. Calvay O.F.M. He is a wise and experienced priest with a special gift for spiritual discernment. When Fr. Calvay told me these two women were true mystics and holy persons, I listened to him. I had no reservations or hesitations about what was happening in Conyers but I could still only go on hearsay. I watched and listened over a period of several months. I couldn't find any contradictions in what they were saying. Everything was consistent."

He was also impressed with the ruthless honesty Nancy, George Collins and Mary Burke displayed in everything they did. "They did not compromise over one word," Fr. Salazar continued. "They never changed anything, not one word, even though it might be controversial. Despite this I still had not made a personal commitment.

"Then on May 13, 1991 everything changed. I arrived late on the day of the apparition. A few other people were also late and we went to the apparition room to pray. The bird chirped and Nancy told us Our Loving Mother was appearing again. We all knelt and Nancy began telling us what She was saying.

"I thought I would pray for some of my own intentions while Our Blessed Mother was with us. Nancy suddenly interrupted her regular message to say, 'Our Loving Mother has a special message for Fr. Salazar'. I was so surprised but I didn't relate it in anyway to my prayer. Afterwards, I took Nancy aside and asked her what the Blessed Mother had said."

The message for him was a direct answer to his prayer.

"I felt just like Nathaniel when the Lord told him He had seen him under the fig tree! There was no way Nancy could have known what I was praying about. There was no way the devil could have known as he cannot read thoughts."

Now Fr. Salazar has no hesitation in saying that he believes what is happening in Conyers is genuine but will humbly submit his judgment to that of the local Ordinary.

What is most striking to someone coming into the midst of this small group of people in Conyers for the first time is the love that motivates them. Jesus is truly the "Head" of this little community. It is the wishes and desires of Jesus and His Mother that are foremost in the minds of these people. It is an example of the loving Christian community that St. Paul describes in his letter to the Corinthians.

Many pilgrims coming to Conyers see the light round the statue of Our Loving Mother. "This is a sign from God of a supernatural presence," says Fr. Salazar. Many pilgrims are overwhelmed by the scent of roses, even when there are no cut flowers or rose bushes in the house or garden. This is commonly thought of worldwide as a sign of the Blessed Mother's presence.

One group from Florida left behind many testimonies from people who saw bright light. Juanita Cheek of Winter Park, Florida writes: "We were standing in a circle holding hands and we looked between two trees and at the top was the face of Jesus and there was a bright light surrounding Him. We were at Nancy Fowler's house."

Mercianne T. Santos of Ocala Florida testifies: "The Blessed Mother was wearing a plain white veil. Her face was very beautiful and she looked very serene. I also heard a bird chirping. It was a very moving experience. There was also a very bright light around the statue." Lina T. Boerstler also of Ocala, Florida says, "As we knelt with Nancy, I saw a bright light just above and around the head and shoulders of the statue of Our Lady and the Child Jesus. As Nancy prayed and spoke with Her, the light would get brighter and then fade."

"This is Holy Ground," Anne Matteoda of Boynton Beach, Florida, said without hesitation on June 13, 1991. "I was praying at the foot of the altar and the rocks were hot. A white light appeared above the trees, and a light came around the cross. Then I saw a cloudy pink cross in the sky. I also saw a white light about one inch wide around the statue during both the apparitions I was at. I also smelled roses."

Phil Coghlan of Silver Springs, Maryland, says that just after he arrived at Conyers on June 12, 1991, he was called in from the Holy Hill for an apparition. "And I saw a faint light around the statue. During the apparition I smelled roses and saw the light round the statue of the Madonna and Child, only the second time it was much stronger. I could certainly feel the presence of Christ at Conyers."

"I first experienced unconditional love when I came to Conyers," Carol Bradford of Atlanta, Georgia, explains with tears in her eyes. "I came with my husband's ex-wife who is Catholic. I am a Lutheran and I didn't know the Blessed Mother at all nor did I know that God is living. Also, I knew nothing about the Rosary. While I was kneeling on the Hill and everyone was praying, love, unconditional love that I had never known before, just washed right over me. I went again with my husband's ex-wife. We got to know each other at Conyers and to love each other in the love of Christ."

Carol was given a Rosary which turned gold on the Holy Hill. She learned to pray the Rosary. "Then Nancy showed us Jesus in the clouds. He was huge, and He was looking down at us, and I could see His eyes moving. I knew then that God was very much alive. I was so humbled by His great Mercy and being able to learn about Our Loving Mother."

The next day, Carol was shown all her sins. "The pain in my heart was so great. I died to my old self. I could not function. All I could do was cry and beg for forgiveness. Now I am healed. Now I am a new person in Christ and I can love the Lord unconditionally."

Kevin Boyar of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, went to Conyers not knowing what to expect. "Everyone was talking about the scent of roses but all I could smell was mud. It was wintertime and there were certainly no roses about. Then I got a spectacular waft of them. They were wonderful! I knew then that God was living and what was going on at Conyers was real.

"Now the roses will very often come on a puff of wind which lifts my hair off my head. I have also learned about the devil since going to Conyers," Kevin continues. "When I left Conyers, I was attacked by him several times. But, before and after the attacks, I would smell roses. Our Loving Mother was giving me strength and consolation to continue in my new found faith. I also learned that the devil can imitate the scent of roses. Once I was elated to smell them only to have them turn into the stench of the devil. Now I test them every time in the Name of Jesus.

"My experiences at Conyers have strengthened my Faith," Kevin reflects. "I believed in God but now I know that I have an intimate relationship with Him, that He cares for me personally. The signs and wonders confirmed that Jesus is here, is alive, and is my Savior. I am closer to my family, although I loved them before, I love them more. I also have a greater desire to pray. Personal self-evaluation is now part of my life and each day I look at where I messed up and see where I could have done better."

He now understands and values the Sacrament of Penance much more than before. "I do not view it as a difficult sacrament. I know that I am talking to Jesus in the person of the priest and I come out feeling the Glory of God."

The scent of roses on the streets of New Orleans last December captivated Anne and Pat Buttaccio of Mobile, Alabama and led them to believe in the events at Conyers.

"We met Nancy at the Medjugorje conference in New Orleans in December 1990. We were staying at the same home and were up late one night listening to Nancy telling us about her mystical experiences. The next morning we were too late for Mass at the convention center so we all went to a nearby church. On the way there, walking down the street, Nancy had an apparition. We smelled the roses even before Nancy asked if we could."

George Collins and Nancy asked them if they would put something in their newsletter about the ending of the War in the Gulf.

"We prayed for discernment and asked for the scent of roses as a sign. We smelled them but I forgot what sign I had asked for," Anne said. "So I prayed again, asking for the scent of roses and the response was immediate."

Now Pat and Anne are believers in the Heavenly events and regularly run updates on the Conyers messages in their Medjugorje Peace letter.

One young boy from Sandford, Florida who was given a surprising gift was Jonathan Dennis. He went with his family to Conyers for the June 13, 1991, apparition. He writes, "We just got through praying the Rosary and we went down to the well and were on our way back to the hill and my Rosary turned gold. Then I noticed something (glittering) on my hand. We went to the hill and I showed everybody and then we found that it spelled a word DEI and we found out that it meant 'God' and it had an arrow under it so we figured that it meant to follow God."

Bruce Gordon Stearns of Irvine, California wrote his account of an apparition that took place just after 11:00 p.m. on June 13, 1991 with eight people present who all witnessed similar phenomena to those he describes below.

"After we completed the Stations of the Cross, Valentina Barker and Scott Barker went over to the statue of Our Lady and were looking closely at the statue. They both exclaimed almost simultaneously that the eyes and eyelids were moving and that she blinked! We all started to gather around and watched the phenomenon. The eyelids were moving. The eyes opened and closed. Some of the others said that the eyes were moving from side-to-side over the group.

"Edwin stated from behind us that the light around the statue was strong and that he noticed the eyes moving also. I started to see the eye movement along with winking/blinking and was amazed! This all lasted approximately seven minutes when Edwin stated that we should console her. None of us really knew how to do that! We were praising Mary and trying to think of a good prayer when Nancy came in and said she had been called by Our Lady to the apparition room. She said that Our Lady had something to tell us, and she was called to be present.

"We all knelt down and Our Lady continued to look around the room. When Nancy said that the statue of Our Lady was alive, I began to notice an indistinct but persistent glow around the statue. The upper body of the statue seemed to disappear or be covered by another figure. I concentrated on the upper half of the body so I do not know if the whole statue disappeared or not. The figure I saw was dressed differently and looked different from the statue. Also, the face became less then more clear. I have corrected vision and adjusted my glasses to make the image as clear as possible. The face began showing expression and appeared animate!

"At one point, Nancy stated that we were receiving graces. I felt warm and loved although I do not comprehend why (yet). I praised Mary and felt so unworthy of graces, yet eager and at the same time scared of what responsibilities might come with receiving graces.

"At about the middle of the apparition, Nancy stated that a crown appeared on (or over) Our Lady's head. Once I got a strong and clear vision of a glow rising above her head, and the aura of light around the entire statue got stronger. The maximum width of the glow was approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches, and it seemed to vary most of (the) time by becoming stronger on one side or the other. The maximum glow above the head reached maybe 3-3 1/2 inches above the top of her head.

"Toward the latter half of the apparition, I began to notice the mouth distinctly moving and forming words. I am not a great lip reader, but sometimes the words that appeared to be clear matched nearly word-for-word what Nancy reported was told to her by Our Lady. As this continued to occur over several minutes and on into the closing portion of the apparition, I became even more convinced that what Nancy reported was almost exactly what Our Lady said. My remaining kernel of skepticism died during these closing moments and I watched and listened to Nancy's reports of what she saw and heard.

"Nancy said that she saw several manifestation which I did not personally see. She said that twice a tear of light fell down her cheek and that Our Lady turned old momentarily. I did not observe the tear of light. I noticed that the appearance changed but basically became indistinct to me when Nancy reported that Our Lady appeared old.

"I felt a little disappointed at times when Nancy reported that she saw the tears and the crown, and I did not observe it although someone else from the group said that they saw the manifestations. I was, however, completely in awe that I observed what I did observe. I saw the statue of Our Lady become animate, express feeling of happiness and sadness and felt Her touch my soul with graces. The power of the Holy Spirit was there and was obvious in the excited faces and voices once the apparition was completed."

Since returning home, Bruce claims he has experienced a conversion in his life. "I pray now rather than talking at God and I miss the Rosary if I cannot say it that day. Also I have been to confession after a long, long time."

Maria Camejo of Miami, Florida is in awe at the many signs and wonders she saw in Conyers both at the Holy Hill and during Mass at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, but, she writes, "I have been converted and my life has changed not because of Nancy, not because of these many gifts for they have only hugged me as a mother or father hugs his child, but my conversion came through reading the messages. I have returned to Church and confessed my sins for the first time in eight years."

Jesus says, in calling people to His Holy Hill, "I am the One Who heals." Nancy has been told by people she has been given this gift. Many claim physical healing at Conyers, although none have been medically documented as yet but Nancy always reminds people that the greatest healings are spiritual.

Pauline Pitcher from Virginia told of an inner healing she received while at Conyers. "I was transfixed by the crucifix in the Apparition Room. There was a pink glow round it. I couldn't drag my attention from it. The power, energy, life, however you want to describe it, that came from the crucifix was compelling. Only Jesus could have that effect on one. I knew something was happening to me, but I did not know what. When I returned home, a priest friend of ours came round for dinner. As he left, he gave us all his priestly blessing. The next day during Mass, after Holy Communion, I suddenly realized I was looking with love at people who usually made me stiffen with dislike. Jesus had changed my heart. But it is interesting that it happened in three phases. The need for that priestly blessing shows us how Jesus views His priests. The fact that the final phase happened during Mass draws us to His Healing Presence in the Eucharist."

Nancy says of healing: "We get so hooked on having Nancy Fowler pray for us, or this priest or that, that we forget the Great Healer, Jesus. We need to pay more attention to the Eucharistic Jesus, and go to the Mass. Both Our Lord and the Blessed Mother have said that there is no place where more graces are given than at Mass. The greatest place for healing is the Mass. Jesus is there, waiting for us to love Him, adore Him and thank Him. Once when I was praying from the heart for a person to be healed," Nancy said, "I prayed, 'Divine, Eucharistic Jesus, please heal -----.' The Host then burst into light, and grew in size with the light."

Our Loving Mother has said, "You must continually feed your soul with the Life of My Son. The Life of My Son is His Body, His Blood, the Mass, the sacraments, and My Son's words."


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