The Appearance of Our Lady of La Salette ( Child-friendly)
Each year we celebrate our Feast Day on 19th September. Below is a child-friendly version of the Appearance of Our Lady of La Salette.
Once long ago, there was a small village in France called La Salette.
Two young children called Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud lived there. They were looking after the cows for their parents and had wandered into the hills to look for them. As they walked on the hills they saw a bright light appear and went to see what it was. They found a beautiful women sat on a rock crying and praying. She had simple clothes on and a shining crown on her head. It was clear that she was someone special. On her neck was a cross with a hammer and pincers.
“Why are you crying beautiful lady?” the children asked her.
The lady looked at them and said “ The people of La Salette have become wicked and sinful. They swear, treat each other badly, and do not go to Church on Sundays. They have forgotten how God and my Son, Jesus want them to live. It makes me sad and that is why I am crying.” She then told the children that they must go back and tell the villagers to pray and change their ways. They must live kind and prayerful lives, as God wanted them to. She told them that they would be her messengers.
The children agreed that they would go back to the village and tell the people. Then the beautiful lady rose into the air and was surrounded by a bright light and vanished. The children were shocked and hurried back to the village to tell the adults what had happened. The adults realised that it was Jesus’ mother Mary and named her the Lady of La Salette. From that day on the people of the village tried to live good lives, pray and worship God. The amazing story spread all over France and to other countries. People came from all around to visit La Salette and pray.
Our school is named La Salette after this amazing appearance by Our lady of La Salette. Our school symbol is the cross, with the hammer and pincers, that she wore around her neck. It reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus and how the nails were hammered into his hands and feet and then removed using pincers. Whenever we think of how to live our lives, we think of Our Lady of La Salette.