I first visited Conyers in 1992, hoping against hope that my
faith could be restored, and that I could rise out of the
depression that had followed me daily since my mother's death the
previous year. It was June 5th and there were just a few of us
standing before the cross on Holy Hill. A young man suddenly said
he smelled roses and asked me whether I was wearing perfume. I
answered that I had used just a little at 8:00 AM, but that it
was not a rose-type fragrance. Neither I nor anyone else smelled
the roses he referred to. Then he asked if we were aware the
birds were chirping loudly..."it happens when the Blessed
Mother is going to appear".
Skeptically, I thought that it
was natural for the birds to chirp excitedly. After all, we were
in the country. The young man added that he smelled cinnamon now,
as well. I recalled that I had smelled a strong odor of incense
when I approached the farmhouse earlier. Then the young man
pointed to the sky and said "Look at the cross in the
clouds. See, there's a little one and a big one". I couldn't
make out any crosses; but just then the sun went behind a large
bank of clouds. The rays shined up and sideways, but none
appeared to go downwards. In the center of the rays, on top of
the clouds, was an opening that looked like the top of a head.
The young man commented "Look, doesn't there seem to be
something in the middle of it? Just then, one single soft ray
shined down; and the sun re-appeared to the side of the
cloudbank. I guarded my eyes as I looked towards the sun - and
saw it appear to dance around in the sky. The young man called
out "See, it's dancing!". All I could manage to say is
"I see it!". Then, suddenly, the sun started to spin!
This action lasted for about half a minute, I think. I turned to
look at my husband. He was standing on a slight rise, about ten
feet away. He was bathed in bright light and a large gold mark
shone on his left thigh - just above where his leg had been
amputated. I looked at the rest of him, thinking my vision had
been affected by looking towards the sun, but his blue shirt was
still blue and his white slacks were still white. The only gold I
could see was the "splash" on his thigh. I turned
towards Nancy's house and saw a small boy standing in front of a
fence. He was all covered in gold. I turned to the shrine and the
Blessed Mother was covered in gold - it looked thick, and almost
molten. The stones around the perimeter of the shrine were gold,
as were the rosaries left by pilgrims. I looked at my own
clothes, and they were unchanged...but when I turned my hands
over, my palms were gold! I saw that the statue of the Blessed
Mother, the rosaries draped over her hands and the stones around
the shrine were all covered with what appeared to be molten gold.
A young girl standing near me stared at the statue of Mary and
said "Look at the Blessed Mother, she's all gold!"
Later, we said the rosary and went our different ways. The next
morning I asked my husband to share his impressions. He verified
that the young girl and I had indeed pointed to the same gold
places. He told me that I was crying during this whole
experience. I asked him why he had gone up the little hill when I
turned to see him after the sun spun and danced; and he said he
was standing right next to me the whole time...at arm's length.
When we visited the bookroom at the farmhouse I was wondering
what this all meant. What did God want me to do? Why did He give
me this blessing? As I was thinking this very thought, my husband
handed me the book that is given to each family that visits
Conyers. On the book's cover are the words "What do you ask
of me? To bear witness that I am the living son of God".
After this visit, I returned to the church, my depression over my
mother's death disappeared and my husband converted. Our lives
were changed completely, praise the Lord!
Judy Singer,
Lavallette, NJ