[FILE: False Fatima Apparitions] and [FILE: Lamentabili sane exitu – St. Pius X and the Holy Office – 1907] provide the doctrinal foundation for evaluating the claims in this article. The article presents a personal narrative of a pilgrimage through Europe, focusing on Marian apparitions and the perceived intercession of saints during various trials. It concludes that these events demonstrate divine providence and the reality of the communion of saints, rejecting the notion that they are mere coincidences.
The author, Maryella Hierholzer, describes a journey centered on “Marian apparitions at Fatima, Lourdes, and in Paris, where she revealed the Miraculous Medal to St. Catherine Labouré.” She recounts several personal adversities—credit card fraud, a family medical emergency, property damage, and a fall—and interprets her perseverance through them, aided by the perceived intercession of saints like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Maximilian Kolbe, as evidence of God’s providence and the communion of saints. She contrasts her minor sufferings with those of her father on D-Day and the poverty of St. Bernadette’s family, framing the entire experience as a lesson in sacrificial love and spiritual growth.
The Theological Vacuity of Personal Anecdote and Emotionalism
The article is a classic example of the modernist substitution of subjective religious experience for objective theological truth. The author’s entire thesis rests on the interpretation of personal, mundane events—credit card fraud, a fallen tree, a relative’s surgery—as spiritually significant encounters with divine providence and the intercession of saints. This approach is fundamentally naturalistic, reducing the supernatural order to a series of emotionally comforting coincidences designed for personal edification. As St. Pius X warned in Lamentabili sane exitu (1907), condemned proposition 20 states: “Revelation was merely man’s self-awareness of his relationship to God.” The author’s narrative is precisely this: a self-awareness project where God and the saints exist primarily to facilitate her personal “spiritual transformation” and help her “love others more unselfishly.” This is the “cult of man” condemned by Pius XI, where the supernatural is subordinated to human emotional needs.
The Fatima Deception and the Diversion from True Reparation
The article’s explicit focus on “Marian apparitions at Fatima” is a grave concern. As detailed in the file [FILE: False Fatima Apparitions], the Fatima message is theologically contradictory, a tool to divert attention from modernism, and a potential Masonic “psychological operation” against the Church. The message’s demand for the “consecration of Russia” without specifying Catholicism opens the way to religious relativism and ecumenism, directly contradicting the teaching of Pius XI in Quas Primas that Christ’s reign extends to all and that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The author’s devotion to this false apparition places her squarely within the ecumenical project that seeks to legitimize dialogue with schismatic Orthodoxy. Furthermore, the “miracle of the sun” is explained as a natural phenomenon and mass hysteria, not a supernatural sign. By focusing on Fatima, the author ignores the true dangers of modernist apostasy within the Church, which St. Pius X identified as the “enemies within.” The article’s silence on the state of the post-conciliar Church, the invalidity of the Novus Ordo Missae, and the manifest heresies of the Vatican II usurpers is deafening. This omission is not accidental; it is a direct consequence of the Fatima narrative’s function as a diversion.
The Canonization Scandal and the Veneration of False Saints
The article expresses gratitude for the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe, stating, “the Franciscan encouragement from above was intensified by a talk from our group leader on the spirituality of the friar St. Maximilian Kolbe.” This is a profound theological error. As established in the “Facts and Myths” section, Maximilian Kolbe died, but not for the faith. He died in place of a fellow prisoner, an act of charity, but not martyrdom, which requires death suffered due to persecution for the faith. Therefore, he could not be a martyr. Furthermore, he was “canonized” by an antipope, John Paul II, a manifest heretic and apostate whose acts are null and void. To venerate Kolbe as a saint is to participate in the conciliar sect’s systematic destruction of the true cult of the saints and its replacement with a humanist pantheon of “good people” who exemplify modernist values like self-sacrifice for social justice, rather than heroic virtue and defense of the faith. This is a direct attack on the integrity of the Church’s liturgical and doctrinal life.
The Illusion of the “Communion of Saints” in the Absence of the True Church
The article’s central theme is the “communion of saints,” but it presents a distorted, sentimental version of this doctrine. The true communion of saints is the union of all the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven, bound together in the true Church of Christ, the Catholic Church. It is not a vague feeling of being “followed around” by favorite saints who provide emotional support during travel mishaps. The author’s Secular Franciscan status and her participation in pilgrimages to sites controlled by the conciar sect mean that her prayers, even if directed to true saints, are offered within a framework of apostasy. The “Mass” she celebrated in Lisbon was almost certainly the Novus Ordo, a ritual that, according to the principles outlined in the file [FILE: Defense of Sedevacantism], is invalid and does not constitute the true propitiatory sacrifice. One cannot claim the benefits of the communion of saints while being a member of a false church that has severed itself from the true Vine. As St. Robert Bellarmine taught, a manifest heretic ceases to be a member of the Church and cannot be its head. The post-conciliar structure is a manifestly heretical sect; therefore, its members are not part of the true communion of saints.
The Omission of the Supernatural Order and the State of Grace
The most damning aspect of the article is its complete silence on the supernatural order as understood by the pre-conciliar Church. There is no mention of the state of grace, the necessity of confession, the reality of mortal sin, the final judgment, or the eternal consequences of apostasy. The author’s sufferings—credit card fraud, a fall in the shower—are trivial compared to the loss of souls in the post-conciliar abomination. Her “offering up” of suffering is meaningless if she is not in the state of grace, which is impossible to achieve within the conciliar sect due to its invalid sacraments and heretical teachings. The article’s focus on “spiritual transformation” and becoming “more like your Son” is a Pelagian fantasy if it is not grounded in the sacramental life of the true Church. As Pius IX declared in the Syllabus of Errors (1864), condemned proposition 15 states: “Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true.” The author’s pilgrimage is an exercise in this condemned indifferentism, treating various Catholic sites as spiritual tourist attractions rather than places of true worship under the authority of the legitimate Magisterium.
Conclusion: A Pilgrimage Through the Wasteland of Modernism
Maryella Hierholzer’s account is not a testament to divine providence but a symptom of the profound spiritual blindness induced by the conciliar revolution. Her journey through the sites of false apparitions and her veneration of false saints, all while ignoring the apostasy that has consumed the visible Church, is a pilgrimage through a wasteland. The true communion of saints is not found in emotional comfort during travel mishaps but in the unchanging faith of the Catholic Church, the true sacraments, and the authority of the legitimate papacy. Until the author and those like her recognize the abomination of desolation that has taken over the Vatican and return to the integral Catholic faith, their pilgrimages will remain exercises in self-deception, and their “coincidences” will be nothing more than the natural consequences of living in a fallen world, devoid of the true light of Christ’s kingdom.
No Coincidences: Saints Beside Us on Pilgrimage
What began as a Marian pilgrimage through Europe became a lesson in Providence and the hidden encouragement of the saints.
Maryella Hierholzer
Commentaries
May 25, 2026
Are there times when the saints in heaven unexpectedly follow us around? Do we notice their presence in finding their relics in unforeseen circumstances? Is it not surprising, then, when we experience the strength of their prayers during an adversity that same day?
I have such fond memories of listening to the late Father Benedict Groeschel speaking to us on the Sunday Night Live series from about 20 years ago on EWTN. “There are no coincidences,” was one of his favorite lines as he spoke about living as true Catholics. I really believe he was right as I recall the events of a recent pilgrimage I made to several holy sites in Europe, where I believe several of my favorite saints followed me around.
The focus of the pilgrimage was a study of the Blessed Mother, particularly her apparitions at Fatima, Lourdes, and in Paris, where she revealed the Miraculous Medal to St. Catherine Labouré. In between these Marian sites, we explored the lives of primarily Carmelite saints. Nevertheless, my devotion to St. Francis of Assisi and his followers surfaced unexpectedly and prominently in the encouragement they gave me as I completed what became a wonderfully insightful but unexpectedly arduous two-week journey.
Our pilgrimage began in Lisbon before we departed for Fatima. After an incredible tour of the beautiful city, we celebrated Mass at the church where St. Anthony of Padua was born. As a Secular Franciscan, I was overjoyed to find there not only first-class relics of St. Anthony, but also those of St. Francis, his contemporary St. Dominic, and the first Franciscan martyrs. While feeling so blessed to be among these holy men at the same time the tomb of St. Francis had been opened in Assisi, I had no idea how God was using these beloved saints as a cheering squad for me before returning to the hotel.
Glancing briefly at my phone before supper, I saw multiple notifications from my credit union showing that my credit card was being used fraudulently at least seven times within two minutes. Instead of spending the evening contemplating the history of the Franciscans, I was thrust into making what amounted to two hours’ worth of telephone calls back to the United States to resolve the situation. While naturally shocked, I was given the grace to deal patiently with everything involved. Thank you especially to St. Francis, and many thanks to all the other Franciscans in the Church Triumphant for their prayers at that time, although I remain grateful for the human support of my traveling companions.
And there was a special feeling of warmth from Mary our Mother the following evening as our group took part in the procession of the Marian statue at Fatima. As a mother, Mary was there for all of us, as my friend and traveling companion learned after the procession that her brother had suffered cardiac arrest following complications from surgery. We are grateful for the strength of Fatima, which sustained us at that time.
Other issues also arose, requiring both my friend and me to respond to messages from the United States: very high winds in Indiana knocked down a tree at my home, which thankfully didn’t hit anything, but it had to be removed immediately from the neighbor’s yard. And yet, I believe God was stretching us further to grow in our trust and love for him.
During our last day at Lourdes, we visited a monastery of the Poor Clare nuns there. It was a special moment for me to grow closer in silent prayer at the chapel there with my spiritual father and mother, Francis and Clare. Shortly afterward, there was a third financial dilemma requiring another call to my credit union back in the States. But the Franciscan encouragement from above was intensified by a talk from our group leader on the spirituality of the friar St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I offered up my suffering to the Blessed Mother for whoever needed it the most. Wasn’t I supposed to come to Lourdes to be healed of some problem? Or had I come with a slight entitlement mentality? Yes, it really was greater to give than to receive. As I walked through the one-room house of St. Bernadette’s family, I realized that my temporary lack of access to money was nothing compared to what her family offered to God. And did I really need to know who benefited from my offerings and prayers, even intensified by a fall in the shower that evening brought on by fatigue? Badly bruised but thankfully with nothing broken, I continued on with our group as my traveling companion tried to stay informed about her brother’s health through messages with her family.
In Paris that next day, we were overjoyed at seeing the wide arms of Jesus stretched out to us from atop Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Although I had visited the basilica before, I had never noticed the two statues at the entrance depicting two Secular Franciscans on horseback: St. Louis IX and my confirmation saint, St. Joan of Arc. They became my next cheering squad. I was going to make it through this pilgrimage and through whatever else life might throw at me. I had to ask myself: Was my pain really as great as what my father had experienced on D-Day in 1944 at our next stop on the beaches of Normandy? Why should I not also be tested, as he and so many other very young men were made to do years ago? I was even more deeply touched by their sacrifice for freedom.
Our last day of travel was in Paris, when my traveling companion’s brother died while we were in Notre Dame Cathedral. Mary had her arms around my dear friend as she was asked to give up another sibling in less than a year. That afternoon, when we completed our pilgrimage at the site of the Miraculous Medal, my friend was also surrounded by the love of some of her favorite saints, including the incorrupt body of St. Vincent de Paul, the final stop of our pilgrimage.
Cynics will call all of these occurrences mere coincidences. But I know from their healing effects that we were helped, through the power of God, to love others more unselfishly. The times we are living in are troublesome, but they are also an opportunity to grow closer to Christ by imitating his sacrificial love. Thank you, Blessed Mother, for leading the way in our spiritual transformation so that we may become even more like your Son!
Keywords: communion of saints, divine providence, pilgrimage, blessed virgin mary, Maryella Hierholzer
Maryella Hierholzer is a Secular Franciscan and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and did graduate work at Georgetown University. After concluding a career in the Washington area, she is now retired in Indiana where she is a teacher of adult and youth faith formation at her parish. She is also a volunteer at Catholic Charities in Fort Wayne.
Source:
No Coincidences: Saints Beside Us on Pilgrimage (ncregister.com)
Date: 25.05.2026