Our Lady of Warraq
In December 2009 many Coptic Christians said the Virgin Mary appeared above a church in Warraq, Giza. Others asked whether it was a flash of light.
Many people believe that a mass apparition of the Virgin Mary took place at the Coptic Orthodox church dedicated to Archangel Michael and the Virgin Mary, found in Warraq al-Hadar, Giza, Egypt. It is reported to have come in the early hours, from about one to four, on Friday 11 December 2009.
Word travelled fast. Crowds assembled each day outside the church, some hoping to witness a miracle and some simply watching for anything unusual. One report observes that stories of the Virgin Mary appearing surface from time to time, particularly among Copts. A news agency report said that every night as Christmas approached, thousands of Coptic Christians went to the Cairo suburb hoping to catch a vision that lifted the spirits of their marginalised community. The Los Angeles Times blog headed its item with a question: the Virgin Mary, or a mere odd flash? What people saw is the account of those who were there.
"Our Lady of Warraq is believed by many to be a mass apparition of the Virgin Mary that occurred at the Coptic Orthodox Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael church, in Warraq al-Hadar, Giza, Egypt, in the early hours (1:00 am – 4:00 am) of Friday 11 December 2009."
- Egypt: Is it the Virgin Mary or just a curious flash of light?, Los Angeles Times
- Crowds flock to Giza as news spreads of an apparition of the Virgin Mary, Al-Ahram Weekly
- Virgin Mary sighting a glimpse of hope for Egypt Christians, Agence France-Presse