Maria Esperanza and the Grace of Betania

Father Timothy E. Byerley 

MARIA ESPERANZA 

and the 

GRACE OF BETANIA 

God’s plan for healing the family and society in the third millennium 

Mary Mother Reconciler Foundation 

1

Nihil Obstat: 

Imprimatur: 

Jason T. Rocks, S.T.L. 

Censor Librorum 

+Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D. 

Bishop of Camden 

Camden, New Jersey, USA 

November 1, 2014 

Cover Design, Cover Art, Interior Design: Kyra Camero 

Cover photo: Aida Perez 

Photos: Betania Foundation Archives 

Published by: 

Printed by: 

Mary Mother Reconciler Foundation 

Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA 

George H. Buchanan Company 

Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA 

© 2014 Mary Mother Reconciler Foundation 

All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this book 

may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including 

photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without 

permission in writing from the author. 

ISBN: 978-0-9908907-0-6 

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014954359 

Inquiries should be addressed to: 

Betania II 

154 Summer Street 

Medway, MA 02053 

www.betania2.org 

Orderline: (508) 533-5377 

Printed in the United States of America 

First Edition: 2014 

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To Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini, 

Servant of God and spiritual mother of thousands 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... x 

FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................ x 

PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................... x 

AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ xx 

CHAPTER I: THE LIFE – PART I .......................................................................................... xx 

HOW DID SHE KNOW? ......................................................................................................... xx 

CHILDHOOD ........................................................................................................................... xx 

LIFE IN CARACAS ................................................................................................................. xx 

WORK, PRAYER, AND THE POOR ..................................................................................... xx 

MORE HEALTH STRUGGLES .............................................................................................. xx 

BURGEONING SPIRITUAL GIFTS ...................................................................................... xx 

VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT ........................................................................................... xx 

THE CONVENT ....................................................................................................................... xx 

OFF TO ROME ........................................................................................................................ xx 

A MAN WITH A SWORD ...................................................................................................... xx 

MARRIAGE? ........................................................................................................................... xx 

BACK TO CARACAS ............................................................................................................. xx 

ISRAEL: A PARADIGM OF OBEDIENCE ........................................................................... xx 

FIRST CHILD AND RELOCATIONS .................................................................................... xx 

MORE CHILDREN, MORE TRAVELS ................................................................................. xx 

DAILY LIFE IN CARACAS ................................................................................................... xx 

HOME IN ROME ..................................................................................................................... xx 

THE PURCHASE OF BETANIA ............................................................................................ xx 

FIRST APPARITION IN BETANIA ....................................................................................... xx 

A BISHOP UNDERSTANDS .................................................................................................. xx 

BETANIA BEGINS TO BLOSSOM ....................................................................................... xx 

A FOUNDATION IS FORMED .............................................................................................. xx 

THE BETANIA CHOIR IS ESTABLISHED .......................................................................... xx 

A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE .............................................................................................. xx 

CHAPTER II: THE LIFE – PART II ....................................................................................... xx 

THE VIRGIN APPEARS ......................................................................................................... xx 

THE CHURCH INVESTIGATES ............................................................................................ xx 

THE PHENOMENA ABOUND ............................................................................................ xxx 

THE CHURCH DECIDES ..................................................................................................... xxx 

THE FUTURE OF BETANIA ............................................................................................... xxx 

PROPHECIES AND PRODIGIES ......................................................................................... xxx 

BETANIA SPREADS NORTH .............................................................................................. xxx 

PRAY FOR PEACE ............................................................................................................... xxx 

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VENEZUELA AND BEYOND ............................................................................................. xxx 

MISSIONS ABROAD ............................................................................................................ xxx 

WITH UNWAVERING MISSIONARY ZEAL .................................................................... xxx 

MISSIONARY WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH .................................................................... xxx 

THE LATIN AMERICAN CIRCUIT .................................................................................... xxx 

AN OFFERING FOR THE POPE .......................................................................................... xxx 

A TYPICAL MISSION .......................................................................................................... xxx 

ANOTHER PROPHECY FULFILLED ................................................................................. xxx 

THE MISSIONS CONTINUE ................................................................................................ xxx 

THE SERVANT OF GOD AND THE PONTIFF .................................................................. xxx 

FORSEEING SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ................................................................................... xxx 

DECLINING HEALTH .......................................................................................................... xxx 

THE LAST MISSION ............................................................................................................ xxx 

THE FINAL PASSAGE ......................................................................................................... xxx 

THE BETANIA COMMUNITIES ......................................................................................... xxx 

PERSONALITY PROFILE .................................................................................................... xxx 

CHAPTER III: THE MYSTICAL GIFTS ............................................................................. xxx 

CATEGORIZING THE GIFTS .............................................................................................. xxx 

I. CHARISMS ......................................................................................................................... xxx 

A. Prophecy ........................................................................................................................ xxx 

B. The Gift of Healing ........................................................................................................ xxx 

C. Discernment of Spirits .................................................................................................... xxx 

D. The Gift of Tongues ....................................................................................................... xxx 

II. PSYCHOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA .............................................................................. xxx 

A. Levitation ....................................................................................................................... xxx 

B. Luminous Rays ............................................................................................................... xxx 

C. Fragrant Odors ............................................................................................................... xxx 

D. Stigmata ......................................................................................................................... xxx 

III. OTHER EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENA ................................................................ xxx 

A. Visions, Locutions, Revelations .................................................................................... xxx 

B. Reading of Hearts ........................................................................................................... xxx 

C. Hierognosis .................................................................................................................... xxx 

D. Prolonged Absence of Sleep .......................................................................................... xxx 

IV. RARE OR UNIQUE PARANORMAL MANIFESTATIONS ........................................ xxx 

A. Bilocation ....................................................................................................................... xxx 

B. Transverberation ............................................................................................................ xxx 

C. The Materialization of the Sacred Host ......................................................................... xxx 

D. The Materialization of Rose Petals and Roses ............................................................... xxx 

E. Deliverance Prayer ......................................................................................................... xxx 

F. Heavenly Intermediacy ................................................................................................... xxx 

MYSTIC FOR AN UNBELIEVING AGE ............................................................................ xxx 

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CHAPTER IV: THE CHARISM OF BETANIA ................................................................... xxx 

THE CONTEXT OF MARIA ESPERANZA‟S MISSION ................................................... xxx 

RECONCILIATION DEFINED ............................................................................................. xxx 

THE CHURCH AND THE WOMAN .................................................................................... xxx 

A PROVIDENTIAL ENTREATY ......................................................................................... xxx 

PRESENCE MORE THAN WORDS .................................................................................... xxx 

THE SPIRITUALITY OF BETANIA .................................................................................... xxx 

I. HOPE ................................................................................................................................... xxx 

II. JOY .................................................................................................................................... xxx 

III. HUMILITY ....................................................................................................................... xxx 

IV. BALANCE ....................................................................................................................... xxx 

V. FAMILY LIFE ................................................................................................................... xxx 

VI. EVANGELIZATION ....................................................................................................... xxx 

THE FOUR PILLARS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE .............................................................. xxx 

A CHARISM OF COMMUNION FOR OUR TIMES .......................................................... xxx 

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ xxx 

HOPE FOR HUMANITY ...................................................................................................... xxx 

A WORLD UNITED IN JESUS ............................................................................................ xxx 

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... xxx 

INDEX…………………………………………………………………………… .................... xxx 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…...…………………………………………………………… ....... 376 

6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

First, I would like to express my gratitude to Geo Bianchini, the husband of the 

Servant of God Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini, for providing me the opportunity 

to write this book about his wife. Geo was faithfully at his wife‟s side for over fortyseven 

years. Since her passing he has become the patriarch not only of his family, but 

also of all Maria Esperanza‟s spiritual sons and daughters around the world. His 

amazing memory for detail, especially dates, has been invaluable in the formation of 

this book. Above all, his personal encouragement and appreciation for this effort of 

mine have been a great blessing to me as I penned this text. May the Lord bless him 

with continued good health, with his warmth of spirit, and his wonderful sense of humor 

that win everyone‟s affection. 

Second, I must acknowledge his daughter, Maria Coromoto Bianchini Marrero. 

Coromoto is the chief archivist of the Betania Foundation. After graduating from the 

Catholic University of Andres Bello with a communications degree, she diligently set to 

work chronicling her mother‟s life as an eyewitness. She accumulated every detail and 

catalogued it with the assistance of her friend, Andrea (Piri) Ratmiroff Liscano. Among 

their herculean efforts is an essential chronology that formed the skeleton of this book. 

The archival work they have done (together with Estrella Benzecry, Carolina 

Fuenmayor, Eduardo and Ulmaris Behrens, Rosa Fajardo, Bella Hernandez, Dulce 

Yovera, Reconciliadora Bianchini, Veronica Leon, and others who contributed their 

grain of sand) is second to none, and provided a gold mine of historical facts with which 

I was able to work. 

I must also acknowledge the contributions of all the children of Maria Esperanza 

and Geo Bianchini. In addition to their prefaces, their personal recollections are cast 

throughout the book. 

Back home in New Jersey, I had another assistant named Jackie Badolato who 

logged countless hours in the word processing, revising, proofreading, and editing of 

draft after draft of the text. Her competence, intelligence, conscientiousness, and 

attention to detail complemented the professional manner and deep spirituality with 

which she undertook her task. There is no way to sufficiently describe her role in this 

final product. She also had help from her husband John. She even recruited her 

daughters Stephanie, Alyssa, and Rachel when fresh sets of eyes were needed to review 

the latest transcript. It was a family affair, and Maria Esperanza must be proud of them. 

The final review of the manuscript was done by my brother, Fr. Joseph Byerley, 

Fr. Augustus Puleo, Fr. Juan Carlos Silva, Fr. Peter Idler, Percy Cannon, Carlos 

Marrero and Hugo Liscano, Piri‟s husband. My brother rendered a penetrating review 

that embraced the literary, theological, historical, linguistic, cultural, and stylistic 

aspects of the book. His contribution was an integrated analysis that enhanced the final 

text greatly. Fr. Puleo made a painstaking review of the grammatical and translation 

features of the manuscript that rendered the final version much more readable. Fr. Idler 

7

and Fr. Silva were especially attentive to the theological dimensions of the text. Their 

insights were most helpful. Percy, Carlos, and Hugo reviewed the work and also made 

valuable recommendations. 

The excellent index was created by Pamela Tyrrell, and the book design and 

layout were beautifully rendered by Kyra Camero. 

Special thanks also go to Rose Patek for making this publication possible and to 

Deacon Joseph Izzo for his guidance in business matters. 

All of these indispensable contributions were motivated by a love for the Servant 

of God Maria Esperanza. 

8

FOREWORD 

Maria Esperanza and the Grace of Betania is a fascinating book that tells us in a direct 

and simple way about the life of someone who, with her husband Geo Bianchini, 

founded a movement to venerate the Virgin at a farm called Betania. It is located near 

Casimiro, Miranda State, Venezuela. This movement has become a mission in which 

retreats, conferences, and concerts, among other activities, are currently organized. 

Excited by the news the media was publishing about Betania, our parish of St. George, 

in Montalban, Caracas, started organizing pilgrimages there the first Thursday of each 

month, beginning in 1985. We celebrated Mass, spent the day in a circle of prayer, and 

in individual and communal encounters with Maria Esperanza. She welcomed everyone 

with an open heart and an angelic smile. She was a deeply Marian woman, a mother and 

wife, who invited every person to trust in the Virgin because she always leads us to her 

Son Jesus Christ, our Savior, who gives us inner peace and confidence in our daily 

work, prayer, and life. 

The Virgin appeared to a multitude of pilgrims in Betania on so many occasions. People 

were convinced that the Mother of God (the Theotokos) was always beside them. I 

remember in a special way that one day in April of 1988, hundreds saw the figure of the 

Virgin Mary as a radiant light, splendorous, beautiful, showing us the way to heaven. I 

can confirm that I witnessed that light which has illuminated my heart, and has given 

me the impression that the Virgin Mary dwelled in that place. Was this a gift that Jesus 

gave us to discover the countenance of the Virgin? 

Maria Esperanza continues to be an example of simplicity, holiness, and generosity who 

trusted in the Jesus of Mercy. She conceived in a particular way the idea that Our Lady 

was a point of reference for reconciliation among men. Father Timothy E. Byerley has 

highlighted the richness of the soul of Maria Esperanza. One may summarize it by 

saying it means: To love Jesus through Mary, and to work without discrimination so 

that men may unite in faith in one God, who is the God of love. 

I personally met people of different faiths, as well as others who were undergoing 

difficult circumstances, that left Betania renewed, trusting in our Savior. For many, the 

call to Betania can be the place of meeting God through the Virgin. 

Caracas, July 6, 2014 

Bishop Georges Kahhale 

Bishop Exarch of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church in Venezuela 

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PREFACE 

A preface is a brief composition that introduces a book or an essay. It is usually 

composed by a single author. We have departed from this customary practice in this 

work. This preface is actually a series of introductory remarks written by the husband, 

the son and the daughters of the Servant of God Maria Esperanza. It seemed fitting that 

each of her immediate family members should offer a personal comment for the 

publication of her first complete biography. The first of these introductory remarks was 

written by her husband. The others by her children, are arranged by age, beginning 

with the eldest. 

10

GEO BIANCHINI 

I have had the pleasant opportunity to attentively read the pages written by 

Father Timothy Byerley on the life and spiritual realities of my dear wife, Maria 

Esperanza, which were of great hope and comfort to me and so many others during the 

joyous forty-seven and a half years of our life together as husband and wife. 

I am the husband of Maria Esperanza and now, for eight years and four months, 

I am the widower of this unforgettable and wonderful woman. While reading these 

pages, so many memories, so many lived moments have returned to my mind! I truly 

have not forgotten the moments of deep spousal love and, above all, of spiritual unity 

with this special person that the Lord brought into my life. The result was that a great 

change took place in my life, and I continuously thank the Lord for this. 

I am grateful for Father Tim‟s perfect description of the various stages that 

occurred in the course of those years, of the many trips we made, of the relationships we 

had with the many people who received consolation from my wife and, most of all, the 

possibility of coming to know the true way of life. I witnessed all of this on many 

occasions. 

We lived so many important moments during these stages. The first was the 

birth of our seven children in eight years. Father Tim was able to recount well the many 

trials that were experienced during those early years, in which grace and divine love 

overcame everything. What a joy it was for us to see this large and beautiful family 

grow! 

Maria Esperanza always said that in time the Lord would give her a land of great 

spiritual importance, and this was verified and confirmed in 1974 with the purchase of 

Finca Betania. Then came the great event of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

there in 1976, and then in 1984, when the entire family along with Maria Esperanza was 

able to see her for three and a half hours. This gave us such an overwhelming feeling 

that we still experience it to this day. She is Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of All 

Peoples and Nations. Dear Mother, pray for us! 

Father Tim described the painful moments of Maria Esperanza‟s illness, and 

even when she offered her life for Pope John Paul II. I remember these last few days. 

We had great hope that she would recover. I still relive the great pain of those moments. 

Lord, forgive me, but what a treasure we had in our lives and whose true value we can 

only now understand! To mourn is spontaneous but necessary. It makes us understand 

and recognize the treasures of grace and love that Our Heavenly Father sends upon his 

children every day. 

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Father Tim also presented a complete description of the personality of Maria 

Esperanza: of her love for God and souls, of how she fostered a clear conscience in 

everyone who followed her, of her deep understanding of all classes of problems and 

sorrow that souls suffer, and of her willingness to help the needy in every way she 

could. Prayer was the foundation of her life and it was her means of resolving the many 

petitions of those who were eager for love and knowledge, both present and absent. 

The analysis contained in this book is complete, enabling one to reach the 

conclusion that Maria Esperanza was truly special, with gifts and qualities that inspire 

people to consider her to be a true evangelizer. She made known to the world the great 

love that the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title of Reconciler of All Peoples and 

Nations, offers everyone. 

Father Tim, I am impressed with the entire depiction you have made of the facts 

related to my dear wife. I am a faithful witness of them, since I was always by her side. 

I can verify that at all times she possessed all those gifts and qualities. For me and for 

my whole family, they are part of our sublime memory and great lessons for all. Thank 

you, Father Tim. May God bless you and always accompany you in your beautiful 

work! 

Geo Bianchini Giani 

12

MARIA INMACULADA BIANCHINI GENTILE 

With true affection and consideration, I would like to thank Father Timothy 

Byerley for having studied thoroughly, from the perspective of his own experience, 

the world of my mother, Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini. This work has 

brought to my memory moments of deep emotion by recalling her life full of faith, 

hope and charity. It is a dynamic and concise account of her life and apostolate. 

I have been positively impressed by how Father Byerley masterfully 

managed to capture and express so accurately the personality and mystical gifts of 

my mother Maria Esperanza, as well as the charism and mission of Betania. He also 

presents the definition and meaning of reconciliation in its various aspects, the 

spirituality of Betania and its features, its relationship with our mother Church, 

comments about the future of humanity, and Betania‟s contribution to achieve unity 

worldwide. 

I am sure that the content of this masterpiece is destined to fill us with hope 

that the reconciliation of the human family is possible, and with the example of 

human beings such as my mother, it will also impel us, even further, to lead a true 

Christian life, so we may become authentic witnesses of the Gospel. 

I hope this book may be “the column of light” that Christians need to help 

enable them to walk toward true love and happiness in Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and 

in his Blessed Mother Mary, who has come to us as Reconciler of All Peoples and 

Nations. 

Maria Inmaculada Bianchini Gentile 

13

MARIA ESPERANZA BIANCHINI FOLEY 

From the moment I picked up this book written by Father Timothy Byerley and 

started reading it, waves of memories, feelings, sensations, and even the fragrances of 

the places and times of our family history came to my mind. I began to imagine I was in 

the locations where we lived as a family, and as children of the wonderful parents, Geo 

and Maria Esperanza Bianchini. 

I also realized that the powerful loving presence of Our Divine Lord Jesus, Our 

Sweet Heavenly Mother Mary, and the saints were reflected in those moments with my 

mother. Thus I enjoyed Father Tim‟s narration recalling how our father, Geo, was 

confronted with Saint Frances Cabrini‟s revelations, and also the predictions that Saint 

John Bosco had given about the marriage of my parents many years before they had 

met, along with other memorable stories. 

Our dear mother showed qualities that in many ways are not common. She never 

made anyone feel unworthy, but rather she made them feel the desire of wanting to 

imitate her in working for the conquest of souls for God. As her children, we saw a 

devoted and loving mother, not only for us but for any person who was in need. This 

has been incredible for me. None of the mothers of my classmates behaved like my 

mom with her attention, dedication and above all her unconditional surrendering of 

herself to people other than their own family. 

I began to discover, as I got older, what drove her. It was her love and devotion 

to the Lord and the Virgin, which were reflected in her daily activities of praying the 

family rosary, attending Mass, receiving the Holy Eucharist, making a good confession 

every few days. She gave us advice whenever she could about the importance of not 

acting in ways that could offend Our Beloved Jesus, offering small good deeds (like 

little flowers) to Our Heavenly Mother Mary, and additionally, exhorting us to try to 

imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth with our fraternal unity. She did all this in the 

midst of multiple obligations, service, and advice to those souls who requested it. 

I relived all these memories with this true and wonderful account of the life of 

our mother, Maria Esperanza. Her work always left a deep impression. By further 

reading this biography I was able to grasp a formal, organized, systematic, and 

theological understanding of why our mother acted the way she did, which was so 

normal and ordinary for us. I have come to realize the magnitude and greatness of the 

holy will of God in sending souls that convert and influence others with his love. These 

souls can shake up the life of Christian families with heavenly teachings, in times when 

his divine words are needed to help us continue living properly, according to the 

teachings of our mother Church. 

I highly recommend reading this book also because it contains advice my mother 

gave, which is quoted verbatim, and that she practiced with her family, and encouraged 

others to do as well. This will bring you joy and conformity to the will of the Lord in 

14

order to be a better child of God. This work shows us that despite the challenging 

mission God asks us to accomplish there will always be a path to holiness. 

Maria Esperanza Bianchini Foley 

15

MARIA GRACIA BIANCHINI GEBRAN 

Dear readers, I am the third child of Maria Esperanza Bianchini, and now I feel I 

am the smallest, after realizing that the intimate and particular story of our family will 

be made public. It is a beautiful and interesting story in which my mother was, is, and 

will always be the core of our lives (without neglecting the deserved place my dad has 

right next to her). Through the grace of God her life will be known as an exemplary 

Christian life. She led a simple life filled with love for her husband, children and 

grandchildren. She worshipped God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. She 

honored the Blessed Virgin, to whom she was linked in a special way. Her love firmly 

and tenderly encompassed the inheritance Our Lord Jesus Christ left the world and our 

Holy Mother Church, a love which is demonstrated and carried out towards our 

neighbor. My mom transmitted this divine and human love in many ways, always being 

an example of what she said and did. She struggled so that our family, with its strengths 

and weaknesses, would always be united. She showed us a cheerful, fresh way to 

improve ourselves every day, and with a spontaneous desire to share this love with 

those around us. 

The story of this shy and seemingly fragile woman begins in her youth, full of 

small details about the love of the flaming Hearts of Jesus and Mary whose sparks 

touched her heart so this fire could spread to other human beings. Then, moved by the 

grace of the Holy Spirit, she began the task of educating and forming needy souls at all 

levels of society. She always served quietly and with great joy because she saw the Lord 

in each soul. This work lasted a lifetime and bore wonderful fruit, an enormous gift for 

our Church, for our country, Venezuela, and for the whole world. She showed us how 

the presence of Mary as Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations was 

alive in a land called Betania at the northern central part of our country. 

I am truly grateful and touched, as is my family, for this extraordinary book that 

Father Timothy Byerley, Vice-Postulator of the Cause of Beatification and 

Canonization of my mom, Maria Esperanza, has written about a soul like hers. The 

quality and purity of the language used throughout the text allows all age groups to 

follow it easily. It is straightforward, entertaining, interesting, and yet profound. From 

the beginning the story grabs you. One does not want to stop reading. In fact, you want 

to read more and more. The accuracy of the facts transported me from my childhood to 

my adult life. They once again enabled me live a life that has been and continues to be 

an adventure hand in hand with God and the Blessed Virgin. It brought me so close to 

my mom in such a vivid way that it made tears spring forth. The concepts expressed by 

Father Tim, his interpretation of the facts and phenomena, and the extensive and 

complete bibliographic support make you feel proud of seeing the incredible and 

16

wonderful preparation our Catholic priests have, and especially the palpable presence of 

the Holy Spirit. 

Dear brothers and sisters, regardless of where you come from or how you came, 

as my mother used to say, here you have her just the way she was. I imagine her with 

open arms, a joyful and captivating smile; with her deep, bright, honest, and wise eyes. 

Through this fascinating reading you will come to know her and interact with her. You 

will see how you also will be struck by her warm, intense, simple, joyful, and 

spontaneous love. I am sure you will want to adopt her as a mom. Now she will be your 

“mamma,” as our family and her spiritual children affectionately call her. She is a caring 

mother who, in these times, leads us to Mary, as Reconciler of All Peoples, Our Lady of 

Betania. Through her we may meet Jesus our Master and our elder brother who fills us 

with “hope for a better tomorrow”, and “with the joy and excitement of our daily life”, 

as my mom used to say. I close with this beautiful thought my mom wrote with regard 

to the love of God, the unity of men, and our identification with our Heavenly Father: 

“The love of God is infinite, generous, tender, and merciful to all his creatures. There 

are no rich or poor, ugly or pretty, black or white for him. We all are his children, the 

children of his Heart.” 

Maria Gracia Bianchini Gebran 

17

GIOVANNI GIUSEPPE BIANCHINI MEDRANO 

Any man, or most of them, dreams at times of being perfect. This is why this 

book has been written. It is published to show the world that the Servant of God Maria 

Esperanza Medrano Bianchini, our mother, is a model of the life of Our Lord Jesus 

Christ, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of many saints and holy souls who guided her 

life. They instructed her during her childhood, as an adolescent, and as a wife and 

mother of a family; and also as a mother of many lost souls. These souls sought comfort 

and relief, and she accomplished the work of heaven acting as a divine instrument on 

their behalf. 

In this engaging work we can read many testimonies of healings, conversions, 

and miracles that have been compiled about our wonderful mother, Maria Esperanza. 

The accounts are full of light and wisdom, enabling everyone to know this woman who 

had the joy of seeing and sensing the presence of the Blessed Virgin since she was a 

child. She is the one who through divine inspiration found the blessed land called 

Betania, the place where Our Lady appeared as Mary, Reconciler of All Peoples and 

Nations, in order to show to humanity a sanctuary where only love will reign. 

The study conducted by Father Timothy Byerley has been a work guided by 

heaven to assist souls to further their spiritual growth, education, and development as 

they read these words. It is truly a spiritual treasure that will bring great rewards, not 

only to you, the reader, but to your neighbors, friends, and relatives. 

May the abundant blessings of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Reconciler of 

All Peoples and Nations, be shed upon Father Tim, and on all who read this 

masterpiece. 

Giovanni Giuseppe Bianchini Medrano 

18

MARIA COROMOTO BIANCHINI MARRERO 

To truly know someone it is important to know the details of their life, from 

birth to death, including the most relevant experiences and the fruits they bore. As the 

daughter of Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini, I begin with this thought because after 

carefully reading the pages of this biography, I marvel at seeing how Father Timothy 

Byerley masterfully unraveled the essence of the life of my mother. He has described 

with exquisite clarity her human and mystical personality, and the spirituality of 

Betania. 

Aware of the gravity of going to the facts and of avoiding exaggerations, Father 

Tim was able to reflect on all the aspects of the life of my mother. He shows how her 

human and mystical reality never conflicted. This is stated in his following words: “She 

reconciled the countless dichotomies and tensions that characterized her life in an 

exquisite harmony of human existence: the natural with the supernatural; global 

apostolate with intimate family life; poor health with boundless energy; cheerfulness 

with gravity.” 

Another aspect of great importance, which is reflected in this fabulous 

biographical work, is the accessible way in which Father Tim presents to the reader the 

mystical gifts of the Servant of God: her visions, revelations, gift of prophecy, stigmata, 

etc. He illustrates each case with specific examples. He also shows us, from the 

perspective of the Church, how these phenomena must be understood within the context 

of its rich mystical tradition. 

The clear definition of the ministry and spirituality of the Servant of God is 

another relevant contribution of this biography, which is visibly manifested in the 

charism of Betania. As Father Tim explained, “The Spirituality of Betania is a gift of 

grace given by the Lord to promote the reconciliation of the human family in Christ 

through the Heart of Mary. . . . This charism is distinguished by its emphasis on six 

Gospel values: hope, joy, humility, balance, family life, and evangelization.” 

After reading this book, I am sure it will help many to rediscover the value of 

family life and of our Catholic faith, and will awaken a sense of hope for a new world 

where reconciliation and peace will reign. The life of my mother is that of a lay woman, 

just like anyone of us, but with much love in her heart. By imitating her Mother, the 

Blessed Virgin, she said yes to everything God had in store for her. 

Maria Coromoto Bianchini Marrero 

19

MARIA AUXILIADORA BIANCHINI LEON 

This book is a beautiful and touching account of the life of my mother, the 

Servant of God Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini. It is a sympathetic, true, genuine, 

and moving attempt to help many people have an accurate idea of what her life and 

mission were about. It opens our eyes as to how the Lord becomes alive and present in 

the souls of those He chooses, and who give their absolute “fiat” to him in return. This 

work also reveals how these special souls let themselves be led by the Lord in a natural 

way, and how they allow him to weave their lives and carry out their work, moved by 

love, obedience, and extraordinary faith. 

This book is very well written because of its great spiritual depth that touches 

the interior fiber of the reader. It is impeccable in its chronological structure with a 

perspective that is profoundly in line with the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church. It 

is pedagogical, as it gives us examples of virtues, of how to reach them with the grace 

of the Lord, and of ways to solve many daily family life situations. The book is 

versatile, and at times it even takes the form of narrative prose like a novel. 

From the moment you start reading it, you will be captivated by the charismatic 

personality of Maria Esperanza because of her great love, simplicity, faith, joy and 

hope. These characteristics accompanied her throughout her life, and will be sweet 

inspiration for everyone. With each chapter you feel enchanted by every one of the 

ordinary or extraordinary experiences of the life of the Servant of God; where the 

natural and the supernatural, the human and the divine are blended together in a very 

simple and unaffected way. My mother led her life with a profoundly humble attitude. It 

seems as if coincidences (which they are not; they are the work of God) were the norm 

of her life, as she always let the hand of God plan her day. 

The book describes a deeply human, simple, courageous, faithful, obedient 

Servant of God. She was a person who was a true friend and confidant, who 

experienced great joy and satisfaction, and great struggles and grief. She was deeply in 

love with the Blessed Virgin Mary, her true Mother and refuge. Maria Esperanza lived 

to give glory to God through her family and the family of humanity. She fully assumed 

her vocation as a mother to every soul that the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ put 

in her path, as if they were her own. This is what her motherly heart felt it had to do. 

She lived in the constant presence of the Holy Trinity and of Mary, and was in 

communion with the saints, who were her best friends. This biography shows us a 

mother with a pure heart and intention who said „yes‟ to the Lord. She possessed a huge 

flame of love within her soul, and absolute trust in God. She was a window to heaven, 

and all of us who were touched by her light (presence) felt that we lived with Jesus and 

Mary here on Earth. 

My mother, the Servant of God Maria Esperanza, was a driving force in my life 

and in the lives of my family, and in our faith and love for God. So, I hope that this 

beautiful book of the life of this servant may be an inspiration that will fill you and 

20

ekindle the flame of the love of God in your heart, healing it. May it prompt you to 

make a definitive change in your life with a solid and strong commitment to service, and 

surrender to God and the Holy Church. 

Father Timothy Byerley, I congratulate you for your interest and for appreciating 

the great gift that God has given us in these times, the Servant of God Maria Esperanza. 

She continues to plead for the unity, healing, and reconstitution of families, which are 

the hope of mankind. I applaud you for gathering the information, for your ability to 

synthesize, and for your tenacity despite the language barrier. I admire your will power, 

your versatility and your commitment. I thank you for your huge effort throughout the 

process of the completion of this book. Most of all I am grateful for your friendship and 

kindness, your continuous work in the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the 

Servant of God Maria Esperanza, and your immense love for the Church. Thank you, 

one and a million times! May the Lord continue to bless your pastoral work, and may 

his Holy Mother lead you by the hand. 

Maria Auxiliadora Bianchini Leon 

21

MARIA DEL CARMEN BIANCHINI LEON 

This learned investigation presents the life of Maria Esperanza Medrano 

Bianchini, my most beloved mother, as a woman, wife, mother, and faithful loving 

Servant of God. She was a compelling example who will inspire the reader to discern 

the path that leads us to our Creator. 

The lines encompassed in this text show how God manifested himself through 

the person of this Servant of God to convey his love, compassion and mercy to all of his 

children. This is achieved through the detailed events of her life and work, including her 

spiritual fruits and exemplary conduct. 

This book is based on historical data and on experiences extracted from 

interviews, testimonies and accounts collected from relatives and close associates with 

regard to my mom‟s life. The information is plentiful, and reveals a compendium of a 

life devoted to God. My mother‟s life was a life lived in the midst of the chores of the 

world with the daily responsibilities of a mother with seven children. She always vested 

herself with the banner of righteousness and obedience to the inspirations of God while 

being the head of a Christian family, imitating Jesus, Mary, and Joseph of Nazareth. 

Filled with spiritual nuances amid the bustle of the world, her life is a true 

inspiration to influence the reader to develop and improve his path to God. There were 

so many souls who had the opportunity of sharing special moments with the Servant of 

God while she was with us. These were moments of profound spiritual encounter of the 

joy of living the love of God that flowed from her glance, her smile, and her words of 

consolation and encouragement, in order to help others face the hardships and adverse 

situations of life. Today these souls are living the fruits of the harvest planted by my 

mother‟s years of evangelization as a messenger of reconciliation. 

This beautiful book written by Father Timothy Byerley depicts the life of a 

human being chosen by God. It helps us to identify ourselves as individuals who are 

vulnerable to succumbing to sin. At the same time, we have the ability to improve the 

situation of the world around us by doing our best to contribute to a more just society, 

one full of love for our neighbor, based on spiritual values that help build a better world. 

Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini leaves us a legacy of love that, if explored and put 

into practice, builds up our Universal Church as a sign and instrument of intimate union 

with God and of the unity of mankind. 

Maria del Carmen Bianchini Leon 

22

AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION 

I first met the Servant of God Maria Esperanza, in New Jersey in 1994 through 

my dear friends Ron and Charlene Kyle, who were coordinating some of her missions to 

the United States at the time. Over the next decade, I would see her again, maybe once a 

year, in a private setting. I was busy with other apostolates at the time and little came of 

these encounters. I had no real contact with her family on these occasions. 

In mid-April 2004, the Kyles telephoned me and asked if I would come to 

Southern Ocean County Hospital in Manahawkin, New Jersey, to give Maria Esperanza 

the Sacrament of the Sick and celebrate Mass for her and some of her family in her 

room in the Intensive Care Unit. The request was urgent because she had suffered a 

breathing seizure at a house on nearby Long Beach Island that had almost taken her life. 

I did not even know she was in the United States, let alone in the final stages of 

Parkinson‟s disease. I drove up to the hospital, administered the sacraments, and offered 

my priestly services to her and her family. 

She had a partial recovery and returned to the home on Long Beach Island. Little 

by little her entire immediate family arrived in New Jersey to accompany her in the final 

leg of her life‟s journey. At the time, I was pastor of Saint John Vianney Church in 

Deptford, New Jersey. I began to drive up to Long Beach Island in the evenings, after 

my pastoral obligations, to celebrate Mass at the house for the Servant of God and her 

family, roughly around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. After Mass we would have a meal, pray, and 

socialize. Despite her condition, these were joyful and highly spiritual moments. I 

watched her touch many souls in those days, even as an invalid, including mine. 

At first I went once a week, then twice, then three times. By the end, I was at the 

house nearly every night. I shared the celebrant‟s chair with other priests who also came 

to support the family. I remember my motivation for these treks. I thought to myself, 

“This woman and this family have served the Church all their lives. The Church should 

now be there for them in their hour of need.” 

Providentially, I celebrated Mass on the night of August 6, 2004, the Feast of the 

Transfiguration. It was Maria Esperanza‟s last Mass. She died early in the morning of 

August 7. I returned the next day to celebrate Mass again, and the family concluded the 

service with a powerful rendition of Handel‟s Hallelujah Chorus with tears running 

down their faces. I was present to offer the prayers when her embalmed body was 

returned to the house. She was laid out there for another week and a half until the family 

could obtain the necessary documentation to transport her body to Caracas for burial. 

The evening Masses continued until her remains were transferred to Venezuela. 

I began to visit the Servant of God‟s family in Caracas regularly. Trips to the 

Betania Sanctuary and her grave were always part of these visits. I came to appreciate 

the people, the country, the culture and the religious faith of Venezuela, especially in 

Betania. When Maria Esperanza‟s beatification and canonization cause was opened in 

23

Metuchen, New Jersey, on January 31, 2010, it seemed fitting that I would assume the 

duties of Vice Postulator. With the permission of my Ordinary, then Bishop Joseph 

Galante of Camden, New Jersey, I officially began this work on January 13 of that year. 

One of the primary duties of a vice postulator is to promote the life and works of the 

Servant of God, hence, this book. 

There are certain preliminary remarks that should be made in introducing a book 

of this nature. First, it must be noted that the canonical investigation of the life and 

virtues of the Servant of God is in process. It will be some time before the Church issues 

a judgment on this cause. It is therefore important to state that in this book I am not 

attempting to anticipate a decision on the heroicity of Maria Esperanza‟s virtues, or the 

authenticity of her intercessory power. I submit completely to the Church in her ultimate 

determination on these matters. Rather, the purpose of this book is to make available in 

writing the oral tradition that has grown up around the person of Maria Esperanza as an 

encouragement to Christian living, and as an affirmation of the Gospel and the precepts 

of the Catholic Faith. This book does not claim that she is a saint. 

Second, because mystical gifts and revelations feature prominently in this 

biography, it is important to make some distinctions. We must distinguish between 

public and private revelation. Public revelation, that is, Sacred Scripture and Sacred 

Tradition, contain God‟s self-disclosure in Christ and his will for the salvation of 

mankind. Catholics must accept this public revelation with divine faith, which means 

with the same submission of mind and will that we render to God himself. This public 

revelation ended with the death of the last apostle, Saint John, and no addition, 

subtraction or change can be made to it. The Church alone is authorized to interpret, 

clarify, and explain divine revelation. 

On the other hand, there are private revelations, supernatural visions, words, or 

other communications given to certain individuals according to God‟s will. 

“Throughout the ages, there have been so-called „private‟ revelations, some of which 

have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to 

the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ‟s definitive 

Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the 

magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium [sense of the faithful] knows how to 

discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ 

or his saints to the Church.” 1 Although the Church has recognized some private 

revelations, they do not bind Catholics in conscience to believe in them on God‟s 

authority like public revelation. The assent given to private revelation is based either on 

the human evidence that supports it, or the ecclesial authority that approves it. 

Moreover, authentic private revelations have no significance apart from public 

revelation, to which they are connected as a branch is to the vine. 

67. 

1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997), no. 

24

In the case of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Betania, Venezuela, Bishop 

Pio Bello Ricardo, who possessed the ecclesial authority to pass judgment on them, 

declared them to be authentic, and of supernatural and divine origin. No judgment was 

made in regard to the revelations and mystical gifts that Maria Esperanza received. It is 

not likely that the Church will ever officially declare a judgment about this dimension of 

her life regardless of the outcome of her beatification cause. In time, the Church will 

make a determination on her virtues, and leave the questions of mysticism and 

revelations open. This has been the Church‟s past practice with the causes of saints who 

were mystics. At the same time, some of these mystics have been named Doctors of the 

Church like Saint Teresa of Avila, or their revelations have been incorporated into the 

life of the universal Church, like the Divine Mercy devotions of Saint Faustina 

Kowalska. These actions by the Church obviously imply the validity of their 

supernatural gifts. 

In Maria Esperanza‟s case, we must recognize that she was the central figure and 

protagonist of Betania. The ecclesial approval of Betania does not collaterally 

authenticate her mystical life, but it does lend credibility to her message. In this book 

we intend simply to present the facts as they exist without making any authoritative 

claims. If the stories, themes, and ideas proposed are not contrary to Catholic faith or 

morals, then they may benefit the faithful as an aid to growth in Christian faith and 

virtue. 

One valid critique of an editorial nature that can be made of this book is that it 

contains many quotations, some quite lengthy. Historians and biographers normally 

produce more homogeneous compositions, gentler to the reader‟s eye, and smoother in 

style. While this criticism is true, I made a decision to employ direct quotations freely. It 

seems to me that someone who picks up a book like this would much prefer to read the 

actual words of Maria Esperanza and those who personally saw and heard the events, 

rather than have them filtered through the perspective of the author. In this way, the 

reader can enjoy the primary sources rather than secondary paraphrased versions. 

Another advantage is that in reading Maria Esperanza‟s own words, one gets a real 

glimpse of her interior life. At times, the shutters of her soul open and one can directly 

apprehend the essence of her spirit through her words. I have tried to integrate these 

quotations into the text in such a way that they flow smoothly and do not create an 

excessive burden for the reader. I hope I have succeeded in this. 

My purpose here is to introduce people to the Servant of God in a fashion that is 

theologically and historically balanced and informative. My book is intended to be a 

seminal contribution, a first glance, as it were. I leave to more qualified authors the task 

of writing the classic and definitive types of works that will be needed in the future. 

In my opinion, those who are seeking a revitalization of their spiritual life, the 

healing of their family, or a reason to hope for the future of a reconciled humanity will 

find the story of Maria Esperanza and the mystery of Betania edifying and encouraging. 

25

It is in this spirit that I present to you this work. As you turn these pages, may the Lord 

and his Holy Mother bless you abundantly in this spiritual adventure. 

On another editorial point, I have taken care to relate the details as accurately as 

possible. I have not exaggerated any accounts that may strike the reader as sensational. 

In fact, I would have preferred to omit some of them out of a sense of discretion, but 

then this would be another form of editorial duplicity. Selective omissions of any sort 

distort a true reporting of events. 

Also, the reader will note that certain themes appear frequently throughout the 

text. After a while, they may appear to be redundant. These reiterations have a 

pedagogical quality intended to ensure that the main points of the book are fully 

apprehended and internalized. We know from experience that new concepts are not 

always appreciated at the first or second encounter. 

The book itself is comprised of five chapters of varying length. The first two 

chapters present the life of the Servant of God. Chapter One covers the period from her 

birth up to the eve of the March 25, 1984, with the apparitions of Our Lady in Betania. 

The second chapter begins with these apparitions and concludes with Maria Esperanza‟s 

death. The third chapter lays out a systematic overview of her mystical gifts. In Chapter 

Four, I attempt to offer a concise description of the spirituality of Betania. Chapter Five 

concludes with comments about hope for a world united. The material in this book by 

no means exhausts the topic of Maria Esperanza or Betania, but I believe it contains the 

essentials. 

The Servant of God has touched many souls and has thousands of devotees 

around the world. Providentially, she died in New Jersey, USA, and her beatification 

cause was opened there. She is a gift to the entire Church, but above all she is a gift to 

Venezuela. In that country she was born and raised. There she learned her faith and 

developed her relationship with the Lord. There she initiated her mission and there she 

was called by the Blessed Virgin to be her emissary in Betania. From Venezuela she 

launched her apostolic visits. Maria Esperanza loved Venezuela and always rejoiced to 

return to her home after her many missionary journeys. The Church of Venezuela 

produced this religious prodigy and is blessed to claim her as one of its most 

distinguished daughters. Venezuela was chosen to be the recipient of this remarkable 

Christian, and also to present this gift to the Church universal. 2 In the coming century, 

Venezuela will be celebrated for giving the world a prophet with the key to healing the 

nuclear family and thus promoting the unity of the human family. 

2 In Maria Esperanza‟s words, “Venezuela has been chosen for one of the highest missions: the 

reconciliation of peoples and nations. You will remember this, there will be no other word but reconciliation, 

reconciliation. Remember this.” (Maria Esperanza Bianchini, 2009, Spiritual Maxims of Maria Esperanza 

Bianchini, House Manuscripts, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, no. 364 [Unpublished].) 

26

CHAPTER I: THE LIFE – PART I 

HOW DID SHE KNOW? 

Even to this day, it remains a mystery why Venerable Pope Pius XII granted 

Maria Esperanza Medrano and Geo Bianchini the privilege of celebrating their wedding 

in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Saint Peter‟s Basilica. This kind of 

concession was as rare as an invitation to the reclusive Pius XII‟s dinner table. The date 

of the wedding, December 8, 1956, was the 102nd anniversary of the proclamation of 

the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which was declared in the very same 

basilica. His Holiness even sent a congratulatory telegram to Geo and Maria Esperanza, 

which was read by the presiding priest after the ceremony to those gathered for the 

wedding. 

Geo and Maria Esperanza‟s wedding was preceded by a capricious courtship. 

Geo did not know his new bride very well, but he believed he was destined to be with 

her. After their honeymoon in Ostia, the newlyweds made a little pilgrimage of 

thanksgiving to Turin in honor of their special patron, Saint John Bosco, who was their 

heavenly match-maker. On the night of January 2, 1957, three weeks after they had 

wed, the couple was about to depart from Turin for Rome. All of the post-wedding 

travels were now over, and the newlyweds were going to take up permanent residence 

in the Eternal City. 

Geo was in the salon pacing back and forth waiting for his new bride while she 

was in the bedroom packing for the trip. In those days he was not known for his 

patience. Suddenly, Maria Esperanza called for her husband. Geo was irritated as he 

entered the bedroom. Fully dressed for departure, she took her husband by surprise as 

she swooned and fell back upon the bed. Geo complained to her that this was a most 

inopportune moment to take a nap. Lying on the bed Maria opened her mouth and began 

to speak as if in a trance-like state. The tenor of her voice changed and she methodically 

revealed to Geo all of the significant events of his entire life from early childhood to the 

present, filled with all of the sentiments connected with them. 3 

In perfect Italian, a language that Maria Esperanza had not yet learned, she 

spoke to Geo with understanding and compassion. Geo recalls this night with vivid 

clarity: 

Over the course of forty-five minutes, my wife described in detail the 

most dramatic moments of my life. She spoke about the death of my 

brother when he was only 8 years old. He was my only sibling, who died 

of an illness in three days. She told me of my father‟s death in 1938. She 

3 When Maria Esperanza had one of these kinds of mystical experiences, she did not fall into a 

“trance” as it is commonly understood. It was rather a gentle and spontaneous overflow of her interior life 

into the external forum, as it were. She was aware of what was occurring, but she did not interfere with 

the movement of the Holy Spirit. She simply yielded to the inspiration of the moment. 

27

understood the hardships we endured during World War II when the 

Germans invaded our village. I was only a child then. She recalled how 

my mother, my elderly grandparents and I were afraid and alone in those 

days without food, water, electricity, or anyone to protect us. 

She explained to me that I was now standing before something 

incomprehensible [meaning her mission] and that my marriage was 

something very important in the eyes of God. She announced that my life 

would not be the same as my friends‟ lives, but it would be a fascinating 

life because I would be working for God. At the time, I could not 

comprehend all of this. I wondered how my life would be different. 4 

Geo had never revealed these personal secrets of his life to Maria Esperanza 

prior to this moment of revelation in Turin. He was overcome by this heart-rending 

recollection and his tears fell uncontrollably. He was also stunned by the fact that she 

could know these secrets that he had buried deep within his heart. Moreover, she related 

these details with all of the emotional content attached to them. This was Geo‟s first true 

realization that the woman he married was uniquely gifted, and that his future would not 

unfold according to the typical pattern of matrimonial life in Italy, or anywhere else for 

that matter. 

Those who knew Geo‟s young bride well, were aware that she was endowed 

with exceptional spiritual aptitude and mystical abilities. Let us now turn to the origins 

of this remarkable Venezuelan woman. 

CHILDHOOD 

The Servant of God entered the world on November 22, 1928, 5 the feast day of 

Saint Cecilia, virgin, martyr, and patroness of musicians. She was the fourth of five 

children born to Maria Filomena Parra Sifontes Medrano and Aniceto Medrano. They 

were from the small rural village of Barrancas in Monagas State, Venezuela, 

approximately 250 miles southeast of Caracas. When her mother was pregnant with 

Maria Esperanza, she had prayed often for her unborn baby in front of the images of 

Our Lady, and of Jesus of Good Hope, to whom she offered her child. 

In a twist of divine irony, the Servant of God was born in a small vessel on the 

Orinoco and Caroni Rivers. The untimely birth occurred while her mother Maria 

Filomena and relatives were attempting to cross these rivers from their village to the 

4 Geo Bianchini, interview by author, March 24, 2011, transcript, Archives of the Betania 

Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 

5 According to the documentation of the Venezuelan National Registry Office, Maria Esperanza 

was born in 1926, but she always said that she was born in 1928. The confusion may exist because she 

registered with the Office for the first time in 1947, seventeen years after the presumed date of her birth. 

Apparently, two years were added to her birth certificate at that time in order to make her legally eligible 

to work. 

28

larger city of Ciudad Bolivar in search of better medical facilities. Baby Maria 

Esperanza was delivered just before arriving at the dock. She was baptized in the 

Church of Saint Raphael in Barrancas on October 26, 1929. 6 

Maria Esperanza lived her first years in her hometown of Barrancas on the banks 

of the Orinoco River with her parents and four siblings: Julio Alberto, Aquiles, Porfirio, 

and Karina. Her father Aniceto was a merchant and landowner. He died shortly after the 

birth of Karina, when Maria Esperanza was two years old. 

The Servant of God‟s spiritual aptitude manifested itself very early in her life. 

She experienced her first mystical encounter at the age of five. She recalled 

accompanying her mother to the dock by the Orinoco River as she prepared to board a 

ship for a journey. As she was saying goodbye to her mother, she saw the figure of Saint 

Therese of Lisieux emerge from the Orinoco River. Saint Therese threw her a rose, 

which she caught in her hand. The rose was a deep red color and felt like velvet. Maria 

Esperanza handed it to her mother who was perplexed by this gift from her little girl 

since there were no flowers in that particular location. 

As incredible as this incident appears to be, such events are not unprecedented in 

sacred history among special souls when they were children. Saint Hildegard (1098- 

1179) had her first mystical experience when only three years old. Throughout her 

childhood and adolescence, Hildegard received constant visions and portents of future 

events. Saint Catherine of Siena (1447-1510) was also introduced by divine predilection 

to the mystical life during her childhood. 

As a pre-adolescent, Maria Esperanza demonstrated great sensitivity to spiritual 

realities, especially the Communion of Saints. Her neighborhood playmates often heard 

her invoke the Venezuelan Venerable, Jose Gregorio Hernandez. 7 She also called upon 

the Sacred Heart, Saint Catherine Laboure, and Saint Anthony Claret. In her room she 

set up a small altar with images of Our Lord, Our Lady and various saints. A prie-dieu 

was placed in front of it. This relationship with the saints would mature during her adult 

life. 

On July 16, 1935, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Servant of God 

received her First Holy Communion at Saint Raphael Church in Barrancas at the age of 

seven. Later, in a private journal, which she entitled her Intimate Diary with Jesus, she 

recalled this occasion: It was “a very beautiful day for me and for my soul, it was as if 

the Lord gave me the best gift he could give me . . . to receive him in my heart”. 8 Her 

6 This date comes from the official record of the local parish church where Maria Esperanza was 

baptized. It is unlikely that the Medranos waited a year to have their daughter baptized, highlighting the 

uncertainty of her date of birth as recorded at the National Registry Office. Nevertheless, these are the 

only records that exist. Thus the discrepancy remains unresolved. 

7 Venerable Jose Gregorio Hernandez (1864-1919) was a Venezuelan medical doctor and 

scientist who is considered by many Latin Americans to be a saint. His beatification cause is also 

underway. 

8 Betania Foundation, 2009, Chronology of Mrs. Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini, House 

Manuscripts, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 2 [Unpublished]. 

29

communion with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament would reach great heights in her 

later years. 

At the end of 1935, the now-widowed Maria Filomena moved her family to 

Ciudad Bolivar, the capital of Bolivar State, approximately ninety miles southwest of 

Barrancas. Here Maria Esperanza attended Sucre School. She was confirmed by Bishop 

Antonio Mejia of the Diocese of Ciudad Bolivar on December 24, 1935. 9 Her mother 

and her grandmother gave her religious instruction that was basic and practical in 

nature. The Medranos were simple people from the countryside with deep religious 

convictions, which were transmitted to their children. Their fourth child, Maria 

Esperanza, embraced this formation with total confidence and simplicity. 

In 1938, when she was ten years old, Maria Esperanza, with her mother and 

siblings, moved north from Ciudad Bolivar to Valencia, the capital of the State of 

Carabobo. The family made this move because the oldest son, Julio Alberto, had 

received a good job there as a telegrapher. Shortly after moving to Valencia, Julio 

Alberto married. Out of respect for her son and his new wife, Maria Filomena thought it 

best to give them space for their own family. As a consequence, she decided to move 

with her other children to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. She considered that 

perhaps this large city would offer the most possibilities for employment. Eventually, 

Maria Filomena found work there as a seamstress in order to sustain her family. 

LIFE IN CARACAS 

Each of these successive moves – from Barrancas to Ciudad Bolivar, to 

Valencia, and finally to Caracas – introduced Maria Esperanza to bigger cities with ever 

greater populations and ever higher levels of commerce, culture, sophistication, and 

worldliness. Caracas is the capital of Venezuela and the largest city in the country with 

a current population of five million people. It is a sprawling Latin American capital 

close to the Caribbean Sea surrounded by steep, tree-covered mountains. Today, as then, 

Caracas is a modern metropolis with government buildings, skyscrapers, banks, malls, 

service companies, and many universities. It is accented with beautiful public squares, 

colonial districts, and middle and upper-class residential areas. At the same time it is 

encircled with clusters of impoverished barrios that cling to the sides of the surrounding 

mountains. Except for two extended periods in Rome, the Servant of God would call 

Caracas home for the remainder of her life. 

As a young girl living in the Venezuelan capital, Maria Esperanza attended 

school with other children her age. Although little is known about her educational 

history, she was a child endowed with natural intelligence. Given her virtue and 

9 This Confirmation date is uncertain. The historical data in the archives is conflictual. The 

author has ascertained that this is the most probable date in view of the historical information that is 

available at this moment. 

30

inclination to be faithful to her duties, it is likely that she did well in school and 

impressed her teachers. 

However, she was always a sickly child, and in 1940, when she was twelve 

years old, she was stricken with severe bronchopneumonia. At the time, she was living 

in the residential suburb of Pasaje Esmeralda, within the parish boundaries of Saint 

Joseph‟s Church in Caracas. This particular illness also proved to be a moment of 

immense grace. While prostrate in bed under the ravages of severe respiratory distress, 

bordering on complete failure, she had a vision of the Virgin of the Valley, the 

Patroness of Margarita Island. 10 

When the Virgin came to Maria Esperanza, she was at death‟s doorstep. Our 

Lady said to the child that she was her heavenly Mother and that she came to soothe and 

comfort her in the throes of her disease. Then Mary spoke to the girl about her life‟s 

mission. She said to the child, “Help me save this world that is getting lost.” 11 The 

thought of such a daunting commission being offered to a bedridden invalid of twelve 

defies comprehension, and yet this was the message. In time, the authenticity of this 

invitation would be verified. 

Perhaps more remarkable than the supernatural communication itself is the 

response of the child. Even at this tender age, we get a glimpse of her faith and her 

generosity of heart. She accepted the Virgin‟s invitation, entrusted herself to the Heart 

of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and offered to serve her fellow man in any manner Our 

Lady desired. Maria Esperanza rapidly and inexplicably regained her health. 

Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin made subsequent visits to the young girl and 

confided to her that one day she would obtain a piece of property where the Virgin 

herself would appear, and that this place would become the center of a great mission. 

Our Lady also indicated that a blue butterfly would represent her presence there. These 

predictions were, in fact, a reference to the Sanctuary of Betania that the Bianchinis 

would find thirty-four years later. “I knew about this since I was young, because he 

spoke to me about Betania when I was a child. . . . I dreamed of this land, and all I could 

say was, „Mother, I want to serve Jesus,‟” 12 she later commented. 

Despite these graces, two years later Maria Esperanza was beset with new trials. 

She suffered all her life with heart arrhythmia. The doctors eventually discovered that 

she was afflicted with a syndrome called High Cervical Aortic Arch. As a consequence 

of this syndrome she developed a heart condition when she was fourteen that 

endangered her life. Again she abandoned herself to God and astonished her doctors 

with a speedy and full recovery. After this second brush with death and an apparently 

miraculous recuperation, she conceived a desire to become a nun, but this aspiration 

would have to wait until she reached the proper age for entrance into a convent. In the 

10 Margarita Island is part of Venezuelan territory. 

11 Betania Foundation, Chronology, 2. 

12 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, interview by Drew Mariani, August, 1989 and March, 1992, 

transcript, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 28 [Unpublished]. 

31

meantime, she became a Third Order Franciscan because of her attraction to Saint 

Francis of Assisi. 

WORK, PRAYER, AND THE POOR 

The awareness of her lofty calling and burgeoning mystical life did not divert 

Maria Esperanza from practical responsibilities. In order to acquire work and assist her 

mother with the family expenses, she left school when she reached her middle teens and 

studied typing and shorthand. At sixteen she began to work as a secretary at an 

attorney‟s office in Caracas owned by the lawyers Pablo Garcia Perez, Lara Pena and 

Castillo Lara. No matter how exalted a person‟s spirituality may be, it is always tied to 

the faithful fulfillment of the duties of the individual‟s state in life and so it was for her, 

too. 

The young working-girl traveled by public transportation to downtown Caracas 

each day to the lawyer‟s office for work. As was her custom, she handed her entire 

salary over to her mother. She was allotted a medio ($ 0.05) to pay for the round-trip 

bus fare. When she arrived downtown for work each morning, she was in the habit of 

visiting a church called Santa Capilla for Mass and prayer. There was a beggar who 

often sat by the entrance of this church. Maria Esperanza always treated him with 

kindness. 

One morning she was especially moved with compassion for this man and 

reached for the medio in her pocket with the intention of giving it to him. She hesitated, 

recalling that it was her bus fare, and she would have to walk the great distance to her 

home in San Jose at the end of the workday. After a brief moment of doubt she extended 

the coin to the poor man. As she did so, the beggar looked up to her and replied that her 

compassionate countenance and sweet smile were alms enough for him. She insisted, 

pressing the coin into his hand, all of the money she had that day. Then, she entered the 

church for Mass as she always did. 

As she exited the church after Mass to hustle off to the lawyers‟ office, she 

glanced down at her feet and saw a fuerte ($1.25) at the entrance of the church. She 

looked around and saw no one in the vicinity. She picked up the coin with an awareness 

that this gift was the work of the Lord. Two important Christian truths were driven into 

her heart by this experience: the mandate to be generous to those in need, and God‟s 

unfailing providential care for those who trust in him completely. 

At this stage of her life, she initiated a new apostolate for the poor in her spare 

time. As a Third Order Franciscan, she desired to solidify her identity with the 

“Poverello” of Assisi. Now she began to imitate him in a direct manner by serving “the 

poorest, those who lived under the bridges, those who didn‟t have anything to eat”. 13 

13 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, May 31, interview by Rochelle Gibler, transcript, Collection of 

Manuscripts: 1997 Apostolic Missions Abroad of Maria Esperanza Bianchini, Archives of the Betania 

Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 6:167 [Unpublished]. 

32

In Venezuela, the homeless often seek shelter from the elements under bridges. 

These are the unfortunates that Maria Esperanza chose to serve with her own hands. She 

begged for food, medicine, blankets and other necessities and then, with one or two 

companions, ventured to these forsaken hideouts with her consignment for the day and 

ministered to society‟s most forgotten. These visits also addressed the spiritual needs of 

the poor. The young lady used her spiritual gifts to comfort and console the “bridge 

people” as she distributed holy cards, medals, and rosaries to them for the edification of 

their souls. Her apostolic heart desired to nourish both body and soul. The devout girl 

with the tender-hearted smile was a blessed sight to these penniless but noble citizens of 

Caracas. This is how the beautiful young secretary spent her free time. 

In combination with this active apostolate, Maria Esperanza attended to her own 

interior life with great intensity. She described her daily regime during these years: “I 

remember I would get up at 4:00 in the morning, every day to pray until 5 o‟clock. Later 

I would get dressed and leave for the city at 6:00 a.m. to go to Holy Mass. I spent so 

many years of my youth like this. Thus, little by little my love for my Mother [Mary] 

and Jesus grew. I offered him my life. I wanted to be a nun.” 14 

It was during these years that her gift of counsel began to manifest itself in 

tireless service to others. Her ability to assist people with divinely-inspired guidance 

spread by word of mouth. Despite her young age, many came to her seeking counsel 

and guidance on the most serious matters of their lives. She never declined to receive 

them and serve them. For her, any gifts she received from God were to be used in the 

service of others. “That is the touch the Lord has given me – to be able to feel the pain 

of my brothers and sisters and go in search of them, and to help them so that they will 

feel more serene, more calm, more gentle.” 15 Of course, everything she did to assist 

others was done gratis. 

MORE HEALTH STRUGGLES 

Ever on a quest to know the Lord and his Church more profoundly, she visited 

the Benedictine Priory of San Jose in Caracas on November 6, 1947. There she met 

Father Emerano Fahrnholz, a Benedictine priest who became her first spiritual director. 

When Father Emerano encountered Maria Esperanza that day, she was accompanied by 

her friend Esther Maldonado who suffered from thyroid problems. Father Emerano told 

Esther, “Your problems are nothing compared to the illness that Maria Esperanza is 

going to have.” 16 Then He told the Servant of God, “Daughter, you will have to suffer 


15 Maria E. Bianchini, interview by Mariani, 29. 

16 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, interview by Jose L. Tarre Murzi, 1984, transcript, Archives of 

the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 2 [Unpublished]. 

33

so much. You will find yourself at the brink of death, but you will overcome this in 

order to serve as a mother for the many who need you. You must prepare yourself.” 17 

Father Emerano‟s prophecy was correct. Shortly after this encounter with this 

holy Benedictine, her chronic heart condition flared up again and she became critical. 

She later revealed to her loved ones some of the sufferings she endured in this period of 

her life: “I was really bad on November 11, 1947. I wasn‟t able to get up for three 

months. The doctors didn‟t know what to do. Some said it was one thing and others said 

it was something else. They didn‟t know what to do; they really didn‟t know what I had. 

It was my heart. First, it seemed that it would get better, but then it got worse again. It 

was a battle. I suffered so much and I was losing weight. My mother suffered so much, 

all my family thought I was going to die, they all suffered!” 18 

The illness lasted for approximately six months, from November 1947 to May 

1948. The first three months were particularly grave. Maria Esperanza drew strength 

from the Eucharist and resigned herself to God‟s will. Father Jose Orozco, a local priest, 

brought her Holy Communion at home during this time. She stopped eating solid food. 

She only ingested fluids and Holy Communion. 

By the beginning of 1948, her health was precarious. In January, the left side of 

her body was paralyzed. Twenty-two medical professionals examined her and met to 

discuss her case. They identified her symptoms and rendered an uncertain diagnosis. 

They could not specify the illness but defined it as deadly, characterized by different 

phases and intense pains throughout her body. 

On the 14th of January, Father Emerano visited her at 7:00 a.m. and prayed to 

the Lord for her healing. At 10:00 a.m. the Servant of God requested the Sacred Heart 

of Jesus to heal her or let her go to eternity. She heard a voice say, “Take Kolastier” 19 (a 

natural energy drink). At that instant she was compelled to sit up and record the first 

message from heaven that she ever put into writing. She understood Jesus to say to her, 

“Maria Esperanza, my Mother and I shall heal you. Do not despair; you will find peace 

and relief from your illness. . . . You were born in the world and in that world you shall 

live, my daughter. . . . You shall help me save many if you continue faithful and 

strong.” 20 Years later, meditating about this experience, she commented: “It truly 

touched my heart; it was beautiful, incredible. I was so young. At that time it was 

impossible for me to understand it, but it was beautiful; it was something so precious, 

something so spontaneous.” 21 

Still suffering from partial paralysis, she received a second message from Jesus 

on January 21, 1948. He instructed her to visit Dr. Hernandez Rodriguez, a medical 

17 Maria E. Bianchini, interview by Tarre Murzi, 1984. 

18 Ibid. 

19 Maria E. Bianchini, April 26, Speech, Collection of Manuscripts: 1993 Apostolic Missions 

Abroad, 2:45. 


21 Ibid. 

34

doctor and psychologist who lived in San Agustin del Norte, in Caracas, so he could 

study her condition. In the message Our Lord told her: “My daughter, little by little you 

will improve. Only patience and prayer are needed. . . . Your life must be one of prayer, 

meditation, sacrifice and penance. Here on this bed you are saving souls . . . converting 

sinners, and [fostering] vocations.” 22 The Lord said that if she did as she was instructed 

and had faith she would be healed. In the message, Jesus and Mary prescribed for her a 

treatment that turned out to be identical to what the doctor administered to her. It was a 

therapeutic cocktail of three different medicines. 

Dr. Rodriguez was impressed by the gifts he saw in the young woman. He 

advised her to reside for a while in a place with a climate more conducive to her 

recovery. In treating her, he came to know of her virtues and gifts and appreciate her 

very much. He affectionately called her, “Our Maria Esperanza.” When she made 

significant progress, she went to the neighborhood of El Silencio, in Caracas where she 

stayed in the house of a family friend for a while. There her health continued to 

improve. 

Following her doctor‟s advice, the Servant of God also spent time in San Juan de 

los Morros, Guarico State to enjoy the fresh air and the thermal waters found there. 

Every day she went to Mass early in the morning at the Church of St. John the Baptist. 

Also in this town she would pray before the sixty-five foot monument of Saint John the 

Baptist, called “Sanjuanote” (Big Saint John). 

While in San Juan de los Morros she met a well-known physician and research 

specialist, Dr. Jose Francisco Torrealba, who discovered the cure for Chagas Disease. 

The doctor admired her intuitive abilities and spiritual gifts and asked her to accompany 

him during his appointments in order to help him diagnose and prescribe remedies for 

his patients. Many cures took place as Maria Esperanza began to manifest healing and 

prophetic gifts. It must be taken into account that she had no medical training 

whatsoever. 

BURGEONING SPIRITUAL GIFTS 

At this juncture in her life, an awakening was occurring within her. She 

discovered she had an enhanced ability to read the hearts of others. She could also sense 

when guests were arriving unannounced. She knew if friends were sick or if something 

had happened to them. She told a person who had been diagnosed with cancer that it 

was actually only a vesicular problem and that he had to undergo surgery immediately. 

He underwent the operation and was cured. She prayed for a boy with typhoid fever and 

he began to recover. She advised a lady with leprosy to take certain pills and she also 

was healed. She always used to say, “When the spiritual and the scientific fields unite, 

there will no longer be illness in the world.” 23 Here we begin to see the full-flowering of 

22 Maria E. Bianchini, interview by Tarre Murzi, 3, 4. 

23 Maria E. Bianchini, Spiritual Maxims, no. 331. 

35

the mystical gifts God granted her for her mission. On February 14, 1948, she began to 

write her Intimate Diary with Jesus, a collection of entries that describe her personal 

relationship with the Lord. The Servant of God also liked to sing. She had a beautiful 

voice and knew how to carry a tune. She often sang to God in praise. 

After these intervals of recuperation had restored her full strength, she went 

home to Caracas and returned to work, but this time as a secretary in the Bank Agricola 

y Pecuario under the direction of Dr. Emilio Condeyan, and then at the Department of 

Communications with Secretary Oscar Mazzei. Later, she worked in the Cathedral of 

Caracas transcribing documents, something she enjoyed very much because she was 

laboring for the Church. 

From 1949 to 1951, she continued her routine as a laywoman. She was 

employed, contributed to the family life at home, and resumed her service to the bridge 

people. But the new enhancement of her spiritual gifts broadened her apostolate as 

people became aware of them and sought her counsel and prayers. This heightened 

spiritual development impacted her spiritual life, too. She received a steady stream of 

heavenly communications instructing her on how she should lead her life. In particular, 

the Italian-American nun and missionary, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) 

often counseled her and inspired her to extend her apostolic work. 

Consequently, every Friday she visited the Hospital for Children, Vargas 

Hospital, or Jose Gregorio Hernandez Hospital in Caracas. She also continued to help 

the poor sheltered under the bridges at Dolores, Guanabano, and Anauco. She was 

inspired to dress in black garments and a veil like a nun in order to carry out these 

visitations. During these apostolic missions she was accompanied by Noris and 

Elizabeth Behrens (natural sisters), Maria Antonieta Morillo, her own sister Karina 

Medrano, and others. In addition to meeting their physical needs, she also catechized the 

poor and prepared couples to establish true Christian homes. Most of all she 

encouraged, consoled, and directed the anxious and suffering with her advice and 

compassion. During these years, her desire to become a nun returned with more 

intensity. 

Maria Esperanza‟s local notoriety attracted the attention of Bishop Juan Jose 

Bernal (1907-1980), who had just been named Bishop of Ciudad Bolivar. Soon he 

became her spiritual director and co-worker. When accompanying Bishop Bernal in his 

pastoral visits, she would not only speak about Jesus and Mary, but she also prayed over 

the sick and many were healed. For this reason many people from the country would 

come by horse or in old trucks to meet her, calling her “the enlightened little girl”. This 

notoriety made her feel very embarrassed. 

Bishop Bernal acknowledged the manifold gifts of his young spiritual daughter. 

In expressing his assessment, he said of her: “A soul has come into the world possessing 

an immense outpouring of supernatural gifts. . . . As a genius in music, in painting, in 

poetry appears from time to time, likewise God, from time to time, sends souls with the 

mission of a prophet. In only eight days this young lady has accomplished the work of 

36

winning souls in my Diocese of Ciudad Bolivar that I had not achieved in all my years 

of [dedication to the] apostolate.” 24 Bishop Bernal himself is noted for his sanctity, even 

to this day. 

As her mission flourished, Maria Esperanza suffered other experiences of 

personal devastation. On September 7, 1950, her brother, Julio Alberto Medrano, was 

buried in Caracas. He died of pneumonia at the age of thirty-five. Her sensitive nature 

caused her brother‟s death to leave a deep wound in her soul. 

Meanwhile, she considered her growing apostolate and spiritual life merely as a 

prelude to religious life. Waiting for the right moment to pursue her dream of becoming 

a nun, she patiently continued working as a secretary. 

VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT 

In 1951, the Servant of God still nurtured a desire for the religious life. She 

longed to give herself completely in spousal love to Jesus. But was this aspiration God‟s 

will or her will? This same year, Saint John Bosco (1815-1888) indicated a different 

direction for her. She had a unique spiritual relationship with this Italian priest and 

patron of youth. He was one of her heavenly guides. Don Bosco communicated to her 

that on November 1 (the Feast of All Saints), of some year in the future that he did not 

specify, she would meet the man that God had chosen to be her husband. According to 

Don Bosco‟s prophecy, she would recognize him because at the appointed time he 

would be wearing a sword at his side. 

Maria Esperanza worked at her job for the next three years and also devoted 

herself to her apostolic work, which eventually became her primary concern. At a 

certain point she decided to leave her professional employment and expend all of her 

time and energy assisting the poor and pursuing her spiritual life. 

This life of penance, fasting, self-denial, and service adversely affected her 

health. Dr. Torrealba told her: “You are not sick. You are suffering discomfort and you 

are weak because you do not eat, but at the same time you are fed spiritually. Faith 

sustains you. And do you know why? Because you have become a doctor of souls. As 

soon as possible, you must begin to eat and to drink tonic. I know that your heart is very 

weak. You need to rest and to eat well.” 25 

Meanwhile, a group of approximately thirty of the Servant of God‟s neighbors 

and friends, attracted by her spirituality and abundance of graces, formed a prayer group 

around her. They met in her house every Friday evening. A constant stream of outsiders 

continued to visit her also, seeking advice and prayers. Many simply wanted to be near 

this loving and gifted soul. 

24 Carlos Castro, 1985, Unpublished book: Maria Esperanza, misionera, esposa y madre, House 

Manuscripts, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 30. 


37

The motivation for these gatherings was explained in a message given to her by 

Saint John Bosco in the early 1950‟s: “My daughter, Maria Esperanza, you must keep in 

mind that now more than ever you must reinforce your prayer, sacrifices, meditation, 

and complete surrender to the mission that has been granted to you through the grace of 

the Holy Spirit. It is necessary to save many souls, to prepare their hearts, and for this it 

is urgent for you to choose one day of the week, Friday, to gather together [with others] 

and offer the holy rosary, so these pleas of love may have repercussions in the hearts of 

those who are truly in need.” 26 

At one of these prayer meetings, something unexplainable occurred. On August 

22, 1954, (then the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary), 27 while 

praying the rosary with her mother and some friends at her house in San Jose, Maria 

Esperanza had an extraordinary experience before the eyes of all those present. It was 

apparently something similar to the transverberation of Saint Teresa of Avila. That is to 

say, she experienced a mystical penetration of her heart by divine grace that was 

spiritually transformative. She described the incident in the following words: 

“Something like a star fell from the ceiling entering my chest; it was like a dagger that 

pierced my heart, and I fell unconscious on the floor, as if I had died. I was in ecstasy at 

that moment and I didn‟t have any idea of what was happening.” 28 This mystical 

experience symbolized the union of the Virgin‟s Heart with hers, giving her a heart like 

Our Lady‟s with an unquenchable love for all souls, imbuing it with great missionary 

zeal for the entire family of mankind. 29 

THE CONVENT 

Over the next couple of years Maria Esperanza was still suffering unrest 

regarding her life‟s calling. She prayed with fervor begging the Lord to enlighten her. In 

spite of the prophecy of Saint John Bosco about a future husband, the desire of 

becoming a nun persisted in her soul. She was filled with love for God and desired to 

give herself exclusively to him in the consecrated life. In search of a definitive answer 

to her vocational dilemma, she decided to separate herself from the world and live 

among a group of religious sisters. 

26 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, September 4, 1953, Message from John Bosco, House 

Manuscripts, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 2 [Unpublished]. 

27 In 1954 (The Marian Year declared by Pope Pius XII), the Pre-Vatican II Liturgical Calendar 

was in use. In this calendar, August 22 was the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin 

Mary. In today‟s Liturgical Calendar, August 22 is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. 


29 Throughout this text there are words like brothers, men, mankind, etc., that are meant to 

include both genders. The publishers considered the repetition of phrases like brothers and sisters, men 

and women, etc., to be awkward and cumbersome for the average reader. An editorial decision was made 

to omit such expressions. This is not intended to be an ideological statement. The publishers hope the 

reader will understand and presume their goodwill in this matter. 

38

In keeping with her devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi, she chose an order under 

his patronage. In the summer of 1954, she entered Casa de Misericordia, a convent of 

the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, in the city of Merida, near the western border 

of Venezuela, on the opposite side of the country. The Mother Superior of the 

community was Mother Saint Gabriel. Maria Esperanza‟s confessor was Bishop 

Humberto Quintero, who was later to become the first Cardinal of Venezuela. 

Remembering that period of her life, she reflected: 

I am a poor woman, a little girl who since the age of five came to 

love and feel Jesus and his Mother in her heart. Dedicated to the 

Sacramental Species [Christ‟s Eucharistic Presence]. . . . I wanted to be a 

nun, so I went to the Franciscan Convent. I felt great sorrow for my 

mommy because I didn‟t want to leave her behind, but Jesus‟ love was 

stronger and more vital. It was so inflamed that I desired to offer myself 

to him, a victim for priests, a victim for religious, a victim for all 

mankind so everyone would convert. It was something that I felt in my 

soul. 30 

Her desire to live the consecrated life was an expression of her deepest religious 

sentiments, which flowed from a heart shaped by many encounters with Jesus and 

Mary. At the convent in Merida, she totally immersed herself in the life of the 

Franciscan community. Immediately upon entering, she began praying a novena to the 

Little Flower (Saint Therese of Lisieux) in hopes of solidifying her vocation as a nun. 

Then, on October 3, 1954, 31 only a few weeks after she had begun her novitiate, 

the Lord abruptly withdrew her from this blessed life of prayer and penance. She 

remembered this unexpected disruption of her happy existence at the convent. When 

Mass ended, she experienced something incredible. From behind the altar, Saint Therese 

appeared, and approached her offering her a red rose. The Servant of God stretched out 

her hand to receive it, and she felt a thorn pierce her palm. She looked at her hand and 

instead of a rose or a thorn she only saw a thin stream of blood. All the sisters who were 

there praying in the chapel were also able to see this phenomenon of blood. At the same 

moment she heard the voice of Jesus say to her, “You have come to prepare yourself 

among these nuns, but you must leave for Rome and receive the Holy Father‟s 

benediction [Pope Pius XII at the time]. Therefore, you must return to Caracas today 

and arrange your departure. My daughter, you have to leave; we will provide the 

means.” 32 The next day, October 4, in obedience to this inspiration, she returned to 

Caracas to prepare for a journey to Rome. 


31 Under the old Roman Liturgical Calendar in use at this time, October 3 was actually the Feast 

of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the day on which a novena in her honor concluded. 


39

Back in Caracas the communications from heaven continued to clarify her future 

vocation. On October 7, the Feast of Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, the 

Immaculate Heart of Mary appeared to her and said: “Besides daily Communion, 

fasting, prayer, and penance, you must withdraw into your inner-self because I will 

return on the 12th to prepare your heart to be a spiritual mother of souls; it will be 

sealed as such forever. In addition, you will be the mother of seven children: six roses 

and a bud.” 33 Apparently, Our Lady was outlining in broad strokes the apostolic and 

vocational nature of her future. Things would develop according to God‟s plan, but not 

without resistance, confusion, hardship, and deeper conversion. 

Saint John Bosco further enumerated the purpose of this pilgrimage to Rome. 

She was to reside with some religious sisters and “touch the Rock of Peter,” said Don 

Bosco, because, 

Rome awaits you. There are so many things that you will have to 

see and live in direct contact with the Church. Your life must be 

developed normally in the eyes of human beings, but you know that your 

inner life, the one that you truly live . . . must be hidden from the eyes of 

the world, that is to say, the first-fruits and the secrets the love of Jesus 

has pointed out to you to win many hearts. 

My daughter, what will happen to you and what will be 

developed in you will be contradictory and incomprehensible for the 

world that surrounds you. This is why persecution and uneasiness will 

take place in your soul. You will need great will power and strength to 

counteract the enemy. Therefore, get used to being strong and 

courageous. . . . Learn a great lesson, and constantly turn your heart into 

a humble heart, aware of what sorrow and daily reparation to the Sacred 

Heart of Jesus mean. 

Now, forge ahead and obey faithfully. Do not worry because 

everything will happen according to the holy will of God. Remember that 

divine providence does not abandon the little children who trust in its 

merciful kindness. 34 

OFF TO ROME 

Obedient to the indications she had received, the Servant of God left for her first 

trip to Rome on October 28, 1954. This put Maria Esperanza in the Holy City for the 

culmination of the first Marian Year in Church history, which Pope Pius XII had 

33 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, October 7, 1954, Message from the Virgin Mary, House 

Manuscripts, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 

34 Maria E. Bianchini, September 4, 1953, Message from John Bosco. 

40

inaugurated to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of 

the Immaculate Conception. 

At this time, international travel was not as common or easy as it is today. It was 

a daring voyage for a delicate Venezuelan girl one month shy of her twenty-sixth 

birthday. But providence provided both the means and safe traveling companions. She 

was invited to Rome by a couple of friends from Caracas who were closely associated 

with her apostolate. In the “City of the Popes,” they lodged at the Hotel Massimo Da 

Zelio, in Via Cavour. 

As foretold at the convent back in Merida, Maria Esperanza was granted an 

audience with the Holy Father. Through the influence of a Salesian priest 35 whom she 

met in Saint Peter‟s Square, a private audience was arranged for her with Pope Pius XII 

in his study at the Vatican. Nothing more is known about this meeting with the Holy 

Father, but we do know that later he personally granted permission to use the Chapel of 

the Immaculate Conception for her wedding in 1956, something unheard-of at the time. 

In January 1955, she returned to Caracas. After a few weeks at home she was 

called before a group of priests from Italy, Spain, and Venezuela and subjected to a 

rigorous interrogation. Word of her exceptional spiritual gifts had reached the hierarchy 

of Venezuela, and the ecclesial authorities wanted to assess the authenticity of her 

character, her mystical graces, and her apostolate. After these scrutinies, she was 

permitted to continue with her service to souls. 

By the middle of October of 1955, Maria Esperanza was again in Rome. She 

was attempting to respond to the prophecy of Don Bosco she had received four years 

earlier. She was preparing herself for November 1, the date the saint indicated she 

would meet her future husband. There was an air of uncertainty about the exact timing 

of this prediction because Don Bosco announced the month and the day, but he never 

specified the year, leaving it open for speculation. She remained in Rome until the 

middle of November, lodging in Vescovio Square at the apartment of a friend named 

Gigliola. 36 

35 The Salesian Order of Priests was founded by Saint John Bosco in 1859. 

36 After an exhaustive search in the Betania Foundation Archives we could not discover the last 

name of Gigliola. 

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71

CHAPTER II: THE LIFE – PART II 

THE VIRGIN APPEARS 

The single most significant turning point in the life of Maria Esperanza occurred 

on March 25, 1984. It happened on that small tropical farm two hours south of Caracas 

called Finca Betania. As far back as 1940, Our Lady had told Maria Esperanza that she 

would one day discover a property that would play an important role in God‟s 

providential plan for the human race. As previously mentioned, Geo and his wife 

purchased Finca Betania on June 28, 1974, with two business partners. The Servant of 

God, in the company of eighty of her spiritual followers, saw Our Lady in Betania for 

the first time on March 25, 1976. She was the only person to see the Virgin that day 

although others had witnessed many solar and luminous phenomena during her 

apparition. In a later reflection, the visionary of Betania inquired, “Well, my Blessed 

Mother, when are you going to come for the rest of your children? And so she came to 

me and she said, „I will come for all my children. Some will see me, others will feel me, 

feel my presence. But they will really feel that their lives are improving and changing. I 

will make myself visible to everyone on March 25, 1984.‟” 37 

To summarize the developments in Betania, we saw that after the Bianchinis 

returned permanently from Rome in 1977, they and their spiritual companions began to 

visit the farm on the weekends. Later this same year, Bishop Bernal authorized liturgical 

devotions there. The next year, on November 27, 1978, Maria Esperanza received a 

heavenly communication informing her that on March 25, 1984, everyone present in 

Betania that day would have the privilege of seeing the Virgin Mary. At the end of 

1980, the Servant of God foresaw thousands of pilgrims making their way to Betania. 

At this point in time, people were already visiting the site as a religious shrine. Finca 

Betania was slowly gaining momentum in its work for God, but the decisive moment 

had not yet arrived. 

In keeping with their custom, about 150 people, including Maria Esperanza‟s 

entire family and many members of the Betania Foundation, joined her in Betania on 

Sunday, March 25, 1984. The group participated in Holy Mass celebrated by Father 

Juan Augusto Laborem. Then everyone settled down for a relaxing afternoon repast. 

Only a couple of people knew the prophecy that the Servant of God had received about 

this day. Because the Betania Foundation was composed of many families, there were a 

number of children among the group. The youngsters were playing on level ground near 

the hillside of rich tropical foliage, which had a small waterfall running through it. His 

Excellency, Monsignor Pio Bello Ricardo, Bishop of Los Teques, the diocese within 

which Betania is located, described what happened next in his Pastoral Letter: 

On Sunday, March 25, 1984 a group of approximately 150 people 

met in Finca Betania who were invited there for the celebration of a 


72

Mass at noon. After this liturgical act took place in the old sugar mill, 

those present dispersed throughout the property to take some 

refreshments and to rest. 

Meanwhile some children were playing near the cascade. 

Suddenly, they saw the Blessed Virgin appearing over and behind it. It 

was a very brief apparition and afterward they ran to relay the news to 

the others who were about one hundred and fifty meters away. 

They all hastened to the site of the apparition. They were 

commenting on what had happened when the Virgin appeared again and 

all the people who were present were able to see her. During that same 

afternoon she appeared seven times, each time from five to ten minutes, 

except the last at dusk, when she appeared for approximately half an 

hour. 38 

Our Lady identified herself as Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of All 

Peoples and Nations. This flash of divine intervention transformed the sugarcane farm 

into an international focal point of reconciliation and Marian spirituality, almost 

overnight. 

For Maria Esperanza‟s daughter, Maria Gracia, the apparition of March 25, 

1984, is indelibly etched upon her memory: 

Our Lady appeared to all of those who were there. She made 

herself visible to everyone. The color of her dress was white. It was the 

color of a white marble statue, but the color had a light that came from 

within her. The fabric of her dress moved with the breeze we were 

feeling. 

A light came forth from her right hand that was outstretched as 

well as her left hand; she looked like the Miraculous Medal. 

The truth is that there is no joy whatsoever that can be compared 

to the joy and satisfaction you feel when you see the Mother of God. 39 

Maria del Carmen, another daughter, also recounted to Bishop Pio Bello the 

experience she had that day. She, too, was inundated with spiritual happiness upon 

seeing the Mother of God with her own eyes: 

I felt great joy for her manifestation to all those who were 

present, and for being able to see her. I also felt grief for doubting such a 

38 Diocese of Los Teques, Venezuela, Pastoral Letter, Pastoral Instruction on the Apparitions of 

the Blessed Virgin in Finca Betania, Pio Bello Ricardo, November 21, 1987, 2. 

39 Maria Gracia Bianchini, March 26, 1984, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, 

Collection of Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 2, 3 [Unpublished]. 

73

wonderful vision, so I knelt crying for forgiveness. Soon she appeared 

again and I felt infinite happiness for the opportunity of seeing her again, 

although then it would have been enough just seeing her once. It was 

unforgettable. It was enough proof that she exists and is among us. I have 

always believed without seeing her. I have felt her presence beside my 

mom through the scent of roses and other flowers, through a soft breeze 

and colors in the sky, and finally, in certain details in life in which she 

manifests her goodness and her love for us. . . . 

When we were heading back home to Caracas, I could do nothing 

but think about the Blessed Virgin. It seemed like a dream, but it was a 

lived reality. I never thought that I would ever see her, but I always 

longed for this with all my might from the bottom of my heart. I truly 

thanked God for giving this gift of love to all of us who were there 

because this has filled my life with more faith and strength to continue 

on the right and true path of Our Lord. I also thank God for giving me 

the mother I have, since she is the one who has taught us the divine 

teachings according to the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman 

Church. 40 

This simultaneous apparition to such a large number of people over such a 

lengthy period of time constitutes an outstanding moment in the history of the Church. 

The effect of this experience caused an immediate infusion of love and unity to course 

through the heart of each privileged soul that day and produced a spiritual 

transformation in each one. Another of Maria Esperanza‟s daughters, Esperancita, 

recalls, “I realized in that moment that a person could give his life for love of God and 

Our Lady. I realized the true sense of how the spiritual life applied to our daily life.” 41 

Word spread quickly among the relatives and friends of those who saw the 

Virgin. News circulated to Caracas, and then across Venezuela and beyond. People 

began flocking to the tropical farm: the curious, the devout, the sick, and the needy. 

Regular appearances of Our Lady and other solar phenomena were alleged by visitors of 

Betania over the next several years as the volume of pilgrims swelled. As Bishop Pio 

Bello asserted, “The apparitions continued taking place with noticeable chronology, 

although generally on Saturdays, Sundays, and on days of Marian celebrations. They 

were especially frequent during the years 1984 and 1985, and more spread out during 

1986 and 1987.” 42 Visitors from other nations began to arrive, especially from the 

Americas. 

40 Maria del Carmen Bianchini, April, 1984, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, 

Collection of Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 

41 Maria Esperanza Bianchini Jn., April 11, 1984, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, 

Collection of Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 3 [Unpublished]. 

42 Bello, Pastoral Instruction, 2. 

74

Bishop Pio Bello calculated that between one thousand and two thousand people 

have seen Our Lady in Betania. The bishop also described the concomitant phenomena 

that pilgrims saw: “Along the course of the apparitions, phenomena that were present 

during the first three years of the apparitions were: the mist which seems to come out 

from the trees on the hill; intense luminosity that brightens the hill; profusion of flowers 

that cover it, especially roses; singing of an invisible choir; the perfume scents coming 

from the water of the cascade; the play of lights, and movements of the sun, etc.” 43 

These occurrences have taken place before and after the apparitions, and sometimes 

without them. A great number of witnesses have seen and heard these wonders without 

seeing the apparition itself. 

On the Feast of the Annunciation in 1984, the day before the first public 

apparition of Our Lady in Betania, another dramatic event had unfolded in Rome. 44 On 

this day, Saint John Paul II led all the Pastors of the Church in a collegial consecration 

of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He did this kneeling before the statue of 

Our Lady of Fatima in Saint Peter‟s Square during the Jubilee Year of the Redemption. 

Among the words he used in his consecration prayer that day, some of them 

resonate providentially with the themes of Betania. For example, addressing Our Lady, 

he prayed, “In a special way we entrust and consecrate to you those individuals and 

nations which particularly need to be thus entrusted and consecrated. . . . The power of 

this consecration lasts for all time and embraces all individuals, peoples and nations . . . 

In entrusting to you, O Mother, the world, all individuals and peoples, we also entrust to 

you this very consecration of the world, placing it in your motherly Heart. . . . Let there 

be revealed, once more in the history of the world, the infinite saving power of the 

Redemption: the power of merciful love! May it put a stop to evil! May it transform 

consciences! May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of Hope!” 45 On the day 

following the Holy Father‟s urgent plea in Rome, Our Lady, Reconciler of All Peoples 

and Nations, appeared in Betania. 

Was this apparition in Betania a confirmation of his prayer? We can only 

surmise, but in any case, John Paul II watched the events unfolding in Betania closely. 

Eight months later, on December 2, 1984, in connection with an international synod of 

Bishops in Rome, he promulgated his Apostolic Exhortation, Reconciliation and 

43 Ibid., 5. 

44 The Feast of the Annunciation is March 25, but in 1984 this feast was transferred to March 24 

to accommodate the Lenten calendar that year. “On March 24, 1984, the Feast of the Annunciation 

(celebrated on that day in that year because March 25 was a Sunday in Lent)”, John Paul II consecrated 

the world to Mary. (Rene Laurentin, The Meaning of Consecration Today (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 

1992), 83.) Nevertheless, this first public apparition of the Virgin Mary will always be associated with the 

Feast of the Annunciation because March 25 is the standard date of the Feast of the Annunciation. 

45 John Paul II, “Act of Entrustment to the Immaculate Heart, March 25, 1984” in The Last 

Secret of Fatima: My Conversations with Sister Lucia, Tarcisio Bertone (New York: Doubleday, 2008), 

(153-6; emphasis added to highlight the key words of correspondence.) 

75

Penance. In this exhortation, the pontiff presented a theological reflection on the theme 

of reconciliation, which dovetails profoundly with the message of Betania. 

In addition, Benedict XVI, before ascending to the papacy, wrote a theological 

meditation in which he emphasized the universal significance of March 25. He affirmed 

that this date appears to encapsulate the most pivotal points in salvation history. Basing 

his concept on early ecclesiastical authors, he wrote that, 

Jewish tradition gave the date of March 25 to Abraham‟s sacrifice 

[of a ram in place of his son, Isaac on Mount Moriah, which was a 

prefiguration of Golgotha]. Now, as we shall see presently, this day was 

also regarded as the day of creation, the day when God‟s Word decreed: 

“Let there be light.” It was also considered, very early on, as the day of 

Christ‟s death and eventually as the day of his conception [the 

Annunciation]. . . . These cosmic images enabled Christians to see, in an 

unprecedented way, the world-embracing meaning of Christ and so to 

understand the grandeur of the hope inscribed in Christian faith. This is 

most illuminating. It seems clear to me that we have to recapture this 

cosmic vision if we want once again to understand and live Christianity 

in its full breadth. 46 

Pope Benedict‟s reflections bring to the foreground the connection between creation, the 

Abrahamic covenant, Jesus‟ conception in the womb of Mary, and his crucifixion with 

the date of March 25, the day of Our Lady‟s decisive visit to Betania. This temporal 

convergence of the capital events in salvation history shroud the day of the Virgin‟s 

appearance in Betania with a kind of cosmic portent. 

THE CHURCH INVESTIGATES 

The reports from Betania created a sensation in Caracas and throughout 

Venezuela. As the bishop with jurisdiction over Betania, Pio Bello Ricardo was 

compelled to investigate the claimed appearances of the Virgin Mary and bring order to 

the tumult caused by these claims. He approached the incident with incisive theological 

methodology, steely skepticism, and a curt manner. 

In the meantime, Maria Esperanza and the members of the Betania Foundation 

maintained a docile attitude toward the Church during the investigations, as was their 

custom. Controversy notwithstanding, they continued to visit Betania on the weekends 

and special feast days. The Servant of God greeted the many pilgrims who came to 

Betania on those days, especially the sick and distressed. 

46 Benedict XVI (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), The Spirit of the Liturgy (San Francisco: Ignatius 

Press, 2000) 100/1. 

76

The Bianchinis tried to maintain their family life in the face of the new demands 

that Providence had placed upon their shoulders. The family was growing. On 

November 1, 1984, the first of twenty Bianchini grandchildren was born. The Servant of 

God planned and celebrated a grand fiesta for this occasion, even as her apostolate 

became more demanding. 

In 1985, Geo, his son Giovanni and another partner established a new company 

to serve the oil industry, called Mantenimientos Penalbi, which flourished until 2002. 

This enterprise maintained gas pipes for the Venezuelan National Oil Company, 

PDVSA. In this way, the Bianchinis were able to pay for college tuitions, wed their 

children, welcome their grandchildren, and make themselves available to souls in need. 

On June 18, 1985, the Bianchini family relocated to Finca Vista Linda in Alto Hatillo in 

Caracas so as to accommodate their expanding family and to obtain greater meeting 

space for the growing Betania Foundation. 47 

After the apparitions of the Virgin in Betania, the pilgrims who began to arrive 

at this new sanctuary in Latin America expected to encounter the principle visionary of 

Betania when they came there. Driven by a sense of duty before God, Maria Esperanza 

tried not to disappoint them. She spent as much time as possible in Betania. 

THE PHENOMENA ABOUND 

In the two years immediately following the March 25, 1984, apparitions, the 

supernatural drama seemed only to escalate. An example of this occurred on January 18, 

1986. A rose spontaneously materialized from the center of Maria Esperanza‟s chest. 

The incident began with intense pains in her breast area, close to her heart. She had 

difficulty breathing. A red spot appeared above and a little to the left between her two 

breasts. Suddenly, a fresh bud with small drops of dew began to sprout from her chest. 

In the course of ten to fifteen minutes, an entire fully-blossomed rose emerged. Bella 

Hernandez personally witnessed this phenomena and reported that, 

A number of the most trusted people were in Betania praying the 

rosary. She [Maria Esperanza] began to express some thoughts that she 

was receiving in an inspiration, when she felt pain in her chest. Then she 

went to the grotto and knelt down showing great discomfort. She was in 

great pain. Then, as she moved toward us, we realized she was crying, 

and with her hand on her chest she was saying: „I am scared.‟ When she 

removed her hand a fresh rose that opened completely sprang from her 

chest. It was deep red and its thickness seemed like velvet. She picked 

the rose petals and suddenly began to distribute one to each of us. Later 

on, she showed the women who were present that on the left side of her 

47 It should be noted that several of their adult children, with their own spouses and children, 

lived in this home with Geo and Maria Esperanza. 

77

chest, close to the heart, there was a small wound, a little hole with 

blood. She told us that she felt as if something had pierced her. 48 

During the materialization of this mystical rose, the Servant of God said she 

experienced something similar to childbirth. This extraordinary phenomenon occurred 

sixteen times in her life. This topic is treated more fully in the next chapter. 

Throughout 1986, Maria Esperanza made many trips to the Diocese of Los 

Teques to meet with Monsignor Pio Bello Ricardo who at the time was studying the 

events that had occurred in Betania. These interrogation sessions were demeaning for 

her because Bishop Pio Bello was quite harsh in his cross-examinations. He was 

initially ill-disposed toward them. The Servant of God conducted herself with humility 

and respect. Over time, the Bishop became convinced of her authenticity, and she 

developed great admiration for him also. Ultimately he became her confidant and 

spiritual director. 

The Church of Los Teques may have been investigating Marian apparitions of 

global importance, but family life continued to move forward. In 1986, three of the 

Bianchini children and three other young couples from the Betania Foundation were 

married. Maria Esperanza organized every detail of these celebrations. She was a 

prototypical wife, mother, grandmother and godmother. 

The way that the natural and supernatural were suffused in her life leaves the 

ordinary observer in a state of wonder, but this was daily life for the Bianchinis and 

those associated with them. Thus, we see on Good Friday, April 17, 1987, the Servant 

of God uttering a surprising announcement: Jesus would make himself present in 

Betania. She said she knew the date but she could not reveal it, and on the afternoon of 

June 21, 1987, the prophecy came true. The Lord Jesus himself appeared in Betania. 

Maria Auxiliadora described this extraordinary event in her testimony to Bishop Pio 

Bello: 

After eating, Andrea Liscano (Piri) invited me to go to the grotto 

to pray for a while and to see what the people were doing there. Once 

there, we looked toward the area [of the waterfall] where the Virgin had 

appeared, but we saw nothing unusual. We asked ourselves how would 

the Lord manifest himself, and if we would see or feel him. We kept 

quiet, each one with her own thoughts, and suddenly I said out loud: 

Where, where are You, Lord? And simultaneously, as if our sight was 

“driven,” Piri and I turned [our heads] in the same direction, to the left of 

the grotto on the hillside. 

There I saw a luminous [countenance] looking at us. Astonished I 

cried without saying anything, and then I turned to Piri who was looking 

48 Bella Hernandez, August 20, 2006, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, Collection 

of Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 8 [Unpublished]. 

78

at me and asked me if I was seeing what she had just seen. I answered 

affirmatively. We looked toward the hill and I immediately saw white 

fog that turned into a broad-shouldered, tall, masculine, very virile figure 

with a brilliant white mantle. I could distinguish his extended arms at 

each side of his body. I could see the figure down to the knees because 

[below that] I lost the image. 

I felt very moved and I understood that it was the presence of 

Our Lord. At that moment I was filled with the love of God, realizing 

how infinitely small I was, and how fragile our flesh and even our 

feelings were. I understood that we are strong and truly human only in 

him and in his love. Excited and tearful we called to Delia Betancourt 

and Erika [Guevara] Rodriguez and they also saw what we pointed out to 

them. 

We went down to tell everyone else and when we came back, 

looking toward the place of the vision again, I only saw a very delicate 

white fog that my husband, Jesus Raul, also saw, when I pointed it out to 

him. My mom, on the other hand, clearly saw the Lord and the Blessed 

Mother embracing. This was seen by others too. 49 

Jesus made himself visible on two other occasions in Finca Betania. 

In September, Maria Esperanza made another pilgrimage to Italy with two of her 

daughters and their husbands, visiting Sardinia, Florence, Venice, and Rome. 

THE CHURCH DECIDES 

November of 1987 was a defining moment for Betania. Since March 25, 1984, 

Bishop Pio Bello had been rigorously studying and persistently praying about the events 

in Betania. On November 21, 1987, the Feast of the Presentation of Mary, he issued his 

decision about Betania in the form of a Pastoral Letter. He declared that the apparitions 

of the Blessed Mother in Finca Betania were authentic, of supernatural character, and of 

divine origin. He wrote: 

IN CONSEQUENCE, AFTER STUDYING WITH 

DETERMINATION THE APPARITIONS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN 

MARY IN FINCA BETANIA AND AFTER ASSIDUOUSLY ASKING 

OUR LORD FOR SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT: I DECLARE THAT 

IN MY JUDGMENT THESE APPARITIONS ARE AUTHENTIC AND 

OF SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER. 

49 Maria Auxiliadora Bianchini, June 29, 1987, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, 

Collection of Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 

79

THEREFORE, I APPROVE OFFICIALLY THAT THE PLACE 

WHERE THE APPARITIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE SHOULD BE 

CONSIDERED AS SACRED, AND THAT IT BE KEPT AS A SITE 

FOR PILGRIMAGES, AS A PLACE FOR PRAYER, REFLECTION 

AND WORSHIP; WHERE ALL LITURGICAL ACTS CAN BE 

CELEBRATED ESPECIALLY THE CELEBRATION OF THE MASS 

AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS OF 

RECONCILIATION AND THE EUCHARIST, ALWAYS IN 

ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE CHURCH AND THE 

NORMS OF THE DIOCESE. 50 

Through Bishop Bello‟s voice, the Church officially declared that the Blessed 

Virgin Mary truly visited Betania. His decision also designated Betania as a sacred 

place and a site for pilgrimage, prayer, worship, and the celebration of Holy Mass and 

Confession. This proclamation fell in the middle of the Marian Year of 1987-1988 

inaugurated by Saint John Paul II. 

The verbiage of the Pastoral Letter is rare in the history of Marian apparitions. 

Usually such approbations declare that the content of the message does not violate 

Catholic teaching, or that devotions to Our Lady under a particular title are permissible. 

Also the ecclesiastical authorities might allow liturgical celebrations to be conducted at 

the location in question, or pilgrimages by the faithful to the sanctuary. Bishop Bello 

proclaimed that “these apparitions are authentic and of supernatural character,” and as 

such, he surpassed the thresholds of approbation most Diocesan Bishops do not broach. 

Not since the Belgian apparitions in Beauraing (1932-1933) and Banneux (1933), which 

were approved respectively on July 2, 1949, and August 29, 1949, had a Bishop made 

such a declaration. 

Actually, as Providence would have it, Monsignor Pio Bello was the ideal 

Bishop to investigate an ecclesial event like Betania. He was a Jesuit scholar and former 

president of the Catholic University of Andres Bello in Caracas. He was well-trained in 

theology, psychology, parapsychology, and Church history, having attained his 

Doctorate in Philosophy with a concentration in experimental psychology. He was a 

highly disciplined man of great personal strength and integrity. Above all, he did not 

imprudently accept that the apparitions were of God without exacting, systematic 

analysis. 

At the outset of his canonical examination he consulted then Cardinal Joseph 

Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, who was the Prefect of the Congregation for the 

Doctrine of the Faith at the time. Ratzinger gave Bello clear guidelines and a printed 

manual from the Congregation for conducting the canonical process. The Bishop 

followed them to the letter, and regularly communicated with Rome to inform Cardinal 

50 Bello, Pastoral Instruction, (6; Bishop Pio Bello‟s upper-case emphasis). 

80

Ratzinger of his progress and seek his advice. Pope John Paul II was kept abreast of the 

developments in Betania as well. 

For his study of the apparitions in Betania, Bishop Bello personally 

interviewed and compiled 550 written testimonies. Over one thousand people signed 

these affidavits. As the local bishop, he had complete canonical jurisdiction and full 

authority to discern the authenticity of such claims in his diocese. In these matters, 

Rome does not intervene unless it disagrees with a bishop‟s determination or sees flaws 

in his method of investigation. 

At the end of three years and eight months, Monsignor Bello‟s ruling on 

Betania was the result of a thorough, calm, prudent, and prayerful period of study and 

discernment. One of the factors that led Bishop Bello to his conclusion was the quality 

and reliability of the witnesses. These included an army general, lawyers, doctors, 

psychologists, engineers, businessmen, college students, and many other cultured, welleducated 

Venezuelans. At the same time, there were poor and unschooled witnesses too. 

Even an atheist testified in favor of the events in Betania. “Despite some divergent 

opinions within the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Pio Bello pointed out 

on different occasions that the essential judgment of the Episcopal Conference was 

inclined to favor his conclusion.” 51 

The Bishop explained that the Virgin Mary presented herself in Betania as 

“Reconciler of All Peoples,” announcing a call to conversion and deepening of faith. 

Most important was the call to solidarity, that is to say, “a call to charity especially with 

those most in need, the poor, the abandoned, the sick; insisting on brotherly tolerance 

and the sense of each one sharing what they have with the rest.” 52 Pio Bello observed 

that in Betania, “the effects have been good and some excellent. Those who assist 

receive a strong injection of faith and spirituality. People who never prayed are praying 

the rosary. People who did not go to Church now do so regularly; go to Confession and 

receive Communion. There have been remarkable conversions.” 53 

This is not to say that every assertion of supernatural phenomena in Betania 

has been authentic. The Bishop observed that with respect to the apparitions that 

occurred after March 25, 1984, there were certainly instances of hallucination, 

emotionalism, and psychological imbalance among some of the claimants. Of course, 

these were exceptions and did not negate the overwhelming evidence in favor of 

apparitions. As Bishop Bello pointed out, there were fifty false visionaries who claimed 

to have seen the Virgin in Lourdes in 1858, when Our Lady appeared to Saint 

Bernadette Soubirous. False visionaries do not invalidate authentic apparitions, rather 

they seem to accompany them. 

51 Timothy E. Byerley, ed., The New Civilization of Love: A Guide for the Betania Communities 

(Cherry Hill, New Jersey: Mary Mother Reconciler Foundation, forthcoming), 4. 

52 Bello, Pastoral Instruction, 4. 

53 Ibid., 5. 

81

The fruits of Betania are incontestable. Harvard trained Venezuelan medical 

doctor Vinicio Arrieta believed that over one thousand physical cures have occurred in 

Betania. Today large crowds gather at the shrine on the great feast days of the Church to 

pray, receive the Sacraments and request favors from the Madonna. The presence of 

Our Lady, Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations has been a source of solace and 

healing for thousands of people, especially the campesinos who live in the neighboring 

fields and villages. 54 

In 1988, the first two books on the events in Finca Betania and Maria 

Esperanza were published. They were written by eminent priests: Multiplication des 

apparitions de la Vierge aujourd’jul (Multiplication of the Apparitions in These Times), 

by the acclaimed French Mariologist, Father Rene Laurentin; and Finca Betania, 

Venezuela. Ultimas apariciones de la Virgen aprobadas por la autoridad eclesiastica, 

ademas de Fatima (The Last Apparitions of the Virgin Approved by Ecclesiastical 

Authorities, Besides Fatima), by Father Jose Luis de Urrutia, of Spain. Others have 

followed. 

The healings that many sick people have received in Betania were an 

especially convincing sign of Our Lady‟s presence there. For example on July 10, 1988, 

Mrs. Rohode was cured in Betania. Andrea Liscano saw the miraculous recovery. 

Below she described what happened: 

My husband, Hugo Rolando Liscano, my son and I, with Maria 

Auxiliadora Bianchini Leon and Jesus Leon arrived at 12:00 p.m. We 

drove over to Betania. Geo and his wife were already there. At 12:30 

p.m., as every Saturday and Sunday, Holy Mass began, officiated by 

Father Otty, the rector of the shrine. 

When Mass was going to begin, a lady by the last name of 

Rohode who was paralyzed, blind, and in a wheelchair and who didn‟t 

measure her volume when speaking, spoke out loudly to the person who 

was pushing her wheelchair: “I want to be near Maria Esperanza.” Since 

I was relatively close I gave her my place and moved to the back of the 

chapel. I also was with my two-month-old boy and he was restless. . . . 

When Mass ended, the people surrounded Maria Esperanza to 

hear her words of guidance and comfort. The lady in the wheelchair also 

got close to her and asked for help. Maria Esperanza then approached 

her, lifted her glasses up to her forehead and looked [her] straight in the 

eye. Unexpectedly the lady began to scream: “I see. I see. I see. You are 

dressed in white with a salmon-colored blouse and a straw hat.” The 

surprised friends and relatives who were accompanying her, cried 

54 Bishop Freddy Jesus Fuenmayor Suarez, the current Bishop of Los Teques, gave the Betania 

Sanctuary elevated ecclesiastical status on May 26, 2009, declaring it a Diocesan Sanctuary under the 

patronage of Mary, Reconciler of all Peoples. 

82

thanking God for the miracle. Then the lady got up, fell on her knees, 

and thanked Maria Esperanza, who told her during their conversation: 

“Daughter, the Lord is found in the small details of life. It has not been 

me, but Our Lady who has done the miracle.” The woman and those of 

us who witnessed the miracle could not stop crying, especially those who 

accompanied her because, as they informed us, she had lost her sight 

three years earlier. 55 

55 Andrea Liscano, 1988, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, Collection of 

Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 

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CHAPTER III: THE MYSTICAL GIFTS 

CATEGORIZING THE GIFTS 

Through the ages, God has raised up Christians who have been blessed with 

authentic mystical gifts such as visions, revelations, healing, prophecy, levitation, 

stigmata, and bilocation. These extraordinary manifestations of grace are granted by 

God for two main purposes: for the spiritual, moral and physical well-being of others; 

and to build up and edify the Church. They can also witness to the sanctity of the person 

who possesses them. 56 Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Catherine of 

Siena, and Saint Pio of Pietrelcina are examples of believers who were endowed with 

such supernatural gifts. 

As we saw in the previous chapters, Maria Esperanza also possessed an 

extensive range of these gifts. Her close associates, as well as those who encountered 

her on just a single occasion, attest to the manifestation of these phenomena in her life. 

Some of these special gifts were evident in her youth and they expanded and multiplied 

as she grew in age and in Christian maturity. 

In order to present her mystical gifts to the reader in a comprehensible way, they 

are divided into four categories: (I) charisms; (II) psychophysical phenomena; (III) 

other extraordinary phenomena; and, (IV) rare or unique paranormal manifestations. 57 

The first category, the charisms, refers to the gifts listed by Saint Paul in his first letter 

to the Corinthians. They are gratuitous spiritual endowments of an extraordinary nature 

conferred upon certain people for the benefit of the Christian community, such as 

healing, prophecy, and tongues. 58 The second, known as psychophysical phenomena, 

are mystical wonders that affect the body and the soul of the mystic simultaneously, 

such as levitation and the stigmata. The third, other extraordinary phenomena, is the 

category used to delineate exceptional communications like visions and locutions. 

Finally, there were rare or unique paranormal manifestations in the life of Maria 

Esperanza like bilocation, and the materialization of objects such as rose petals and 

Hosts. With her mystical gifts arranged according to this four-fold method of 

categorization, the reader can grasp the extraordinary spiritual life of the Servant of 

God. 

56 Cf. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life, trans. Timothea Doyle 

(Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1989) 2:575-6. 

57 This is only one way of classifying mystical gifts. Other methods of cataloguing these graces 

can be found among respected authors. 

58 Cf. 1 Cor 12:7-11. (The precise biblical passage is: To each is given the manifestation of the 

Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another 

the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to 

another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between 

spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are 

inspired by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as he wills.) 

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I. CHARISMS 

As noted above, the charisms are the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned by Saint 

Paul in First Corinthians. When authentic, they come from the Holy Spirit and bring 

great blessings to the People of God. They were plentiful in Maria Esperanza‟s life. 

A. Prophecy 

Maria Esperanza had the ability to predict future outcomes that she could not 

have known by natural means. She also had prophetic dreams foretelling events that, in 

fact, came to pass as she had described. These prophecies, whether in the conscious or 

dream state, accurately predicted events relating to people‟s personal lives, to 

communities, to nations, to the Church, and to the world. The source of this 

transcendent knowledge appeared to be infused directly into her mind from above 

because there was no other way that she could have known these events. 

One example of this gift is how the Servant of God foretold the presidential 

election of Venezuela in 1977. Estrella Benzecry recalls this story well because she was 

an eyewitness. She was seventeen years old at the time. She went with her mother and 

some friends to visit the Bianchini home in March, 1977. Estrella‟s mother knew that 

many people sought the Servant of God‟s counsel to solve their problems and requested 

her prayers. This was the reason for the visit. When the group arrived, they were 

escorted to the living room. A short while later Maria Esperanza entered. Young 

Estrella recalled that the Servant of God turned to her and gave her a warm smile. 

Estrella felt great power in her glance that penetrated her entire being, causing her to 

cry. Maria Esperanza said to Estrella‟s mother, “Let her cry, for she is being healed. 

Everything will come to pass, little by little. From today forward, my daughter 

[Estrella], you will not be alone. Now you have another mother [Maria Esperanza spoke 

of herself], and you also have your mother in heaven. You can count on my prayers 

from now on.” 59 

Later, as the ladies were conversing, the topic of Venezuelan politics arose. 

Maria Esperanza announced in a very matter-of-fact way that “Luis Herrera Campins, 

the candidate of the COPEI party, would win the election and become President of the 

Republic”. 60 She also said that Estrella‟s father, Dr. Alfonso Benzecry Benmergui, was 

going to be appointed Secretary of Social Health. Later, Estrella and Venezuelan history 

confirmed that everything occurred just as Maria Esperanza foresaw it. 61 

The Servant of God uttered prophecies like this throughout her adult life. 62 

59 Estrella Benzecry, January 27, 2006, Non-canonical Testimony, Collection of Testimonies, 

Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 

60 Benzecry, January 27, 2006, Non-canonical Testimony. 

61 Cf. Ibid. 

62 It is important to note that while Maria Esperanza‟s prophecies sometimes impinged upon 

political realities, she had no interest or involvement in political affairs. Her only concern was the welfare 

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of souls and the well-being of the human family. She always kept herself aloof from partisan politics and 

welcomed every person unconditionally as a child of God to be loved and served for his own sake. 

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CHAPTER IV: THE CHARISM OF BETANIA 

THE CONTEXT OF MARIA ESPERANZA’S MISSION 

Why was Maria Esperanza granted so many supernatural endowments? The 

answer to this question resides in the mind of God, but we do know that her prodigies 

communicated the love of God to thousands of individuals. Lives were changed forever 

through an encounter with her. Fundamentally, her gifts were oriented toward the 

salvation and sanctification of souls. They were instruments of conversion and 

redemption with eternal ramifications. They were works abounding with evangelical 

fruitfulness. Yet this account of her apostolic endeavors does not exhaust the full 

meaning and purpose of her unique vocation. 

Maria Esperanza‟s labor on behalf of souls was not based solely in her own 

personal spiritual gifts. Even though she possessed the plenitude of the mystical life, her 

apostolic work can only be understood against the larger backdrop of her vocation as 

Our Lady‟s emissary. Her true mission must be comprehended within the overarching 

context of Betania. In other words, the mission of Maria Esperanza and the mission of 

Betania are coterminous. 

In hindsight, one can see that the Lord invested the Servant of God with 

extraordinary spiritual gifts in order to equip her for her mission in Betania and to draw 

attention to this sanctuary, a grace intended for the entire world. To use an analogy, just 

as the miracles of Christ “compelled people to fix their eyes on the spell-binding 

recovery of the sick, the liberation of the possessed, the feeding of the hungry, then 

upward to the God who lay behind these manifestations of divine goodness,” 63 so the 

mystical gifts of Maria Esperanza pointed to one primary apostolic theme: the message 

of Our Lady in Betania. The Servant of God was called and prepared by Our Lord and 

the Virgin Mary to be the great missionary of Betania. Every aspect of her life 

converges upon this vocation. 

What is the missionary objective of Betania to which she is inseparably fused? 

Simply said, it is to achieve the unity of the human family in Christ through the 

intercession of the Virgin Mary, Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations. There is no 

denying that this is an exalted aspiration, but it is nevertheless the goal of Betania. As 

Maria Esperanza declared, “This is the mission: the reconciliation of all peoples and 

nations. It is hard; I know it is tough, very difficult, but the Lord knows what he is doing 

and why he is doing this. And if he has allowed Our Lady to come – and she has – it is 

because it is the time of the awakening of the consciences of all men on earth.” 64 

63 Timothy E. Byerley, The Great Commission (Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2007), 106. 


166

The apostolic goal of Betania is grandiose, yet it is also prophetic and absolutely 

imperative. Why? Because the family of man is in a serious state of brokenness and 

disarray. As Pope John Paul II noted in his 1984 Apostolic Exhortation titled, 

Reconciliation and Penance, the human race is painfully divided, and suffering terribly 

because of these ruptures. He pointed out the primary sources of these wounds: the 

stomping upon basic human rights, the first of which is the right to life and to a decent 

quality of life; the lack of freedom in certain societies, especially religious freedom; 

various forms of racial, religious, political and cultural discrimination; violence, war 

and terrorism; torture and unjust repression; the expansive stockpiling of weapons in the 

face of poverty and social misery; and an unjust distribution of the world‟s resources. 65 

He mentioned other distressing divisions like the discord within the Church 

herself caused by doctrinal and pastoral quarrels. We could add the fractures in the 

Christian world in general, that is, the innumerable assortment of Churches and ecclesial 

communities all claiming fidelity to Christ yet at odds with one another. All things 

considered, perhaps the greatest plague in today‟s litany of human division is the 

disintegration of the family. 

RECONCILIATION DEFINED 

Because the theme of reconciliation is so central to Betania and to this book, it is 

important to take some time to define what it is. Essentially, reconciliation is the action 

or process of healing and restoring relationships that have been damaged or torn 

asunder. In our case, we are referring to the reconciliation of the human family, at odds 

with itself and its Creator. 

Let us permit Pope John Paul II to walk us through a theological explanation of 

the dynamics of reconciliation in the following paragraphs. He begins by identifying the 

root cause of all divisions: “the wound in man‟s inmost self.” 66 Here the Pope is 

referring to original sin, the fundamental condition of separation from God that leads to 

every expression of personal and social estrangement. In other words, the moral 

brokenness of the human person within himself is the origin of all conflict between God 

and man, and also among men. Sin is the source of all division and it rends on two 

levels: it causes a separation from the Creator (vertical estrangement on the divine 

plane), and it creates alienation between brothers (horizontal estrangement on the 

human plane). 

65 Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, (Boston: St. Paul 

Editions, 1984), no. 2. 

66 John Paul II, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, no. 2. 

167

Consequently, the resolution to this two-fold estrangement also has two 

dimensions or movements: one vertical and the other horizontal. The vertical movement 

pertains to the restoration of man‟s relationship with God. The horizontal movement is 

concerned with the healing of wounds between individuals, communities and nations. 

This is the goal: to heal and restore these fundamental relationships; this is 

reconciliation. 

The two movements of reconciliation elucidated above work in tandem with one 

another, but, as John Paul argues, the vertical dimension (the divine plane) has primacy 

over the horizontal dimension (human plane). 67 The vertical direction of reconciliation 

is front-ranking because the fundamental purpose of human existence is to live a life of 

unity with God through divine grace so as to enjoy eternity with him in the next life. 

Also, the vertical dimension is supreme because God Himself is the source of all 

reconciliation, which he accomplishes through his Son. As Pope Benedict XVI asserted, 

this is the purpose of the Incarnation, the mission of Jesus Christ: “unification, 

reconciliation”. 68 The very reason the Savior became incarnate was to reconcile us to 

the Father and to one another. He came to redeem us from sin, the source of every 

division. The history of salvation portrayed in the Bible is nothing less than the account 

of divine grace restoring the original unity of the human family with God and with itself 

that was ruptured by sin. 

Sacred Scripture declares that in Christ, the fullness of God was pleased to 

dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, 

making peace by the blood of his cross. 69 Our merciful Jesus healed the wound between 

God and men: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of 

his Son; so we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now 

have received our reconciliation. 70 In the same way, the Savior paved the way for 

fraternal unity as well: But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been 

brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, 

and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, that he might create in himself one 

new man in place of two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one 

body through the cross, thereby bring the hostility to an end. 71 

67 Cf. Ibid., no. 7. 

68 Benedict XVI (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), Many Religions – One Covenant, trans. Graham 

Harrison (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998), 27. 

69 Col 1:19-20 

70 Rom 5:10-11 

71 Eph 2:13-16 

168

Reconciliation is a gift of God and, in the final analysis, it takes place in 

people‟s minds and hearts as they receive the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This upward 

movement of the soul towards God is the true font of grace that heals and reestablishes 

every relationship. “It is the effective principle of all true reconciliation,” 72 asserts John 

Paul II. As man is redeemed by Christ and restored to a filial relationship with the 

Father, he is consequently moved to embrace his brother, to mend human divisions, to 

heal the wounds of social conflict, and to reconstitute essential unity at every level of 

his personal and communal existence. In other words, reconciliation is the product of 

interior conversion to God, and the concrete fruit of this conversion is love of 

neighbor. 73 The two movements of reconciliation constitute one river of divine unity, 

expressed succinctly in Christ‟s eternal mandate: You shall love the Lord your God with 

all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your 

mind; and your neighbor as yourself. 74 

In short, reconciliation is the restoration of our wounded relationships, first with 

God, and then with our brothers. It is accomplished by means of the gift of grace 

received through Jesus Christ. Reconciliation “is the „nucleus of Jesus‟ mission, in 

which his person and message are indivisible. . . . One understands nothing about him if 

one does not enter with him into the dynamic of reconciliation,” affirmed Pope Benedict 

XVI. 75 This dynamic is the interpretive key of salvation history in which God‟s action 

redeems all division caused by sin. 

THE CHURCH AND THE WOMAN 

Reconciliation is also the mission of the Church. As the Mystical Body of 

Christ, she has been established by her founder to realize his mission on earth. In 

intimate linkage with Jesus, “one can therefore sum up the Church‟s mission, rich and 

complex as it is, as being her central task of reconciling people: with God, with 

themselves, with neighbor, with the whole of creation”. 76 The reconciling grace of God 

“is made concrete and manifest in the redemptive act of Christ, which radiates through 

the world by means of the ministry of the Church”. 77 It radiates through her preaching, 

through her sacraments, especially Penance and the Eucharist, through her spiritual and 

corporal works of mercy, through her prayers and sacrifices, and through her presence 

in society. Saint John Paul II eloquently expounds upon the essence of the Church‟s 

mission in terms of reconciliation: 

72 John Paul II, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, no. 4 

73 As Maria Esperanza observed, “Without conversion, there can be no reconciliation.” (Maria E. 

Bianchini, Spiritual Maxims, no. 1315.) 

74 Lk 10:27 

75 Ratzinger, Many Religions – One Covenant, 28. 


77 Ibid., no. 10. 

169

When the Church proclaims the good news of reconciliation or 

proposes achieving it through the sacraments, she is exercising a truly 

prophetic role, condemning the evils of man in their infected source, 

showing the root of divisions and bringing hope in the possibility of 

overcoming tensions and conflict and reaching brotherhood, concord and 

peace at all levels and in all sections of human society. She is changing 

an historical condition of hatred and violence into a civilization of love. 

She is offering to everyone the evangelical and sacramental principle of 

that reconciliation at the source, from which comes every other gesture 

or act of reconciliation, also at the social level. 78 

The Church is able to accomplish this divine task because Christ himself acts in and 

through her. 

In God‟s divine plan, the Woman who appeared in Betania is also intimately 

connected to the mission of her Son and of his Church. As Mother of Christ and as 

Mother of the Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary is permanently present in the entire 

reality of Jesus‟ saving mystery. 79 She “is present in the Church‟s mission, present in 

the Church‟s work of introducing into the world the Kingdom of her Son”. 80 Since she is 

the Mother of the Redeemer, her motherhood persists in the life of the Church as a 

powerful source of assistance, which intercedes for all her children. This maternal 

mediation will last without interruption until the end of time. 81 As a creature, her role is 

subordinate to and flows from Christ. Yet after her assumption into heaven “she did not 

lay aside this saving role, but by her manifold acts of intercession continues to win for 

us gifts of eternal salvation”. 82 In this way, her “mediation continues in the history of 

the Church and the world.” 83 This truth was displayed for all the world to see in Our 

Lady‟s visit to Betania. 

78 Ibid,, no. 4. 

79 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 1987), no. 31. 

80 John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, no. 28. 

81 Cf. Ibid., no. 40. 

82 Ibid. 

83 Ibid. 

170

Saint John Paul II affirms Mary‟s participation in her Son‟s mission of 

reconciliation. He explains that she leads us to the unity willed by God and desired by 

those who listen to him attentively: 84 “Even though we are still experiencing the painful 

effects of separation . . . we can say that in the presence of the Mother of Christ we feel 

that we are true brothers and sisters . . . called to be the one family of God on earth.” 85 

Thus, as she has done before in Church history, “the Mother of Christ presents herself 

as the spokeswoman of her Son‟s will, pointing out the things that must be done so that 

the salvific power of the Messiah may be manifest”. 86 

To summarize the main points of this survey on reconciliation, we have 

observed that humanity is broken and in desperate need of unity. In his goodness and 

mercy, God wishes to restore the original unity that existed prior to the fall of our first 

parents. The mission of God is reconciliation and he accomplishes this through his Son. 

Christ, in turn, established the Church as a continuum of his mission in time and space. 

In union with Jesus and the Church, the Virgin Mary has a subordinate yet 

indispensable role to play in this mission. In Betania Christ commissioned his Mother to 

take up her role in a new and striking way as a prophet of reconciliation. In the face of 

this truth, we can ask ourselves the same question the Polish Pope asks, “Should we not 

all together look to her as our common Mother, who prays for the unity of God‟s 

family?” 87 

A PROVIDENTIAL ENTREATY 

At this moment, as humanity faces a spectacle of unprecedented global division, 

the mystery of reconciliation is precisely what divine providence has called us to 

remember. The merciful Jesus has reached down to us from heaven in the person of his 

own Mother in Betania, Venezuela. On March 25, 1984, she appeared to 150 people, 

and in subsequent months appeared to somewhere between one thousand and two 

thousand pilgrims. In 1987, the local Bishop, Pio Bello Ricardo, declared these 

apparitions to be authentic, of supernatural character, and of divine origin. There, she 

identified herself as Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations. 

As the protagonist and principal figure of the supernatural events of Betania, 

Maria Esperanza was the one most able to comprehend the meaning of Mary‟s visit to 

Betania and explain it to the world. The Blessed Virgin enabled her to understand that 

she had come from heaven with a most urgent appeal: “My message is one of faith, 

hope and love, and above all, it brings reconciliation among peoples and nations 

because it is the only thing that can save this century of mercilessness, war, and eternal 

84 Cf. Ibid., no. 30. 

85 Ibid., no. 50. 

86 Ibid., no. 21. 

87 Ibid., no. 30. 

171

death.” 88 The decisive factor in Betania is the intervention of the Mother of God herself 

because reconciliation “is above all a merciful gift of God to humanity” 89 that we cannot 

obtain without his assistance. 

Four months after the apparition of March 25, 1984, Maria Esperanza wrote a 

letter of testimony to Bishop Pio Bello summarizing the meaning of Our Lady‟s 

presence in Betania. Below is a lengthy excerpt containing the essence of her testimony: 

I bear witness to something special, a Mother, Mary, Virgin and 

Mother of the Church who appeared in these times as: Mary, Reconciler 

of All Peoples; a title which leads us to reflection and to elevate our 

spirits! Before her presence, graces are received, and the moral essence 

held in the Commandments of her Son Jesus Christ is understood; that 

the principles of love, the way of truth and life, are the only route to 

God! 

Mary, Virgin and Mother appeared in order to call us, so we will 

make amends and discover perfection in Jesus. Forgiving, blessing and 

glorifying, he continues to give the Fire of his Love to his people through 

his teachings. It is a continuous song of peace, of forgiveness and of 

mercy, redeeming many souls. 

Now then, Our Lady appeared in all her splendor, grace and 

spiritual depth on the top of a small, green (the color of hope), hill, in the 

midst of rocks, resembling a grotto. Water from the streams sprouted 

forth and fell over it. . . . She appeared as Our Lady and we saw her there 

all embellished in white; splendorous, caressing, all light, all love, all 

extraordinary beauty of magnificent splendidness filled with Divine 

Perfection! 

Behold a wonderful sight, never seen before. Her garment was 

white and pure like thick bundles of cotton with her hands over her chest. 

She had a blue sash around her waist and a rosary on her right arm 

inviting us to prayer. She extended her arms and hands filled with light, 

an insinuation to shelter us in her Heart, to sweetly embrace us as she 

embraces her small child, the Heavenly Cherubim, Jesus in us and we in 

him! 

This Mother through her presence offers us so much safety! She 

provides us with much joy! What kindness! 

This is the truth that a group of souls have lived since March 25, 

1984, whom united, have shared the good ways of the sincere. In Betania 

of the Holy Waters, that Mother, all kindness and tenderness, gives 

88 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, January 14, 1984, Message from the Virgin Mary, House 

Manuscripts, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela [Unpublished]. 


172

herself fully to us to meet us and to reconcile us with our brothers; to 

appreciate each one‟s virtues in order to embrace one another, covered 

with the protective power of trust, rectitude and human wisdom. 

It was therefore, the admirable teaching of a day of light which 

filled our hearts with extraordinary experiences, endowing us with 

harmony and inner peace, that is to say, the holy privilege of announcing 

to the world this Good News for the future; the Divine Kingdom of the 

Spirit among the children of a people calling for justice, where justice 

will triumph, where love will flourish in the hearts, serving and keeping 

the Beatitudes. 90 

Acknowledging that reconciliation is a gratuitous grace given by God, Maria 

Esperanza explained that the Virgin of Betania is calling men and women to exercise 

the power of their free will to beg for this grace, receive it in their hearts, and cooperate 

with its inspirations. Thus, in Betania, we see Our Lady appealing for the first 

movement of reconciliation: the vertical assent to God, the restoration of friendship and 

unity with him. As in other apparitions, the Holy Mother requested conversion, 

deepening of faith, prayer, and penance. She highlighted Eucharistic adoration, the 

rosary, and participation in the sacraments as a means of attaining the gift of 

reconciliation. 

The heavenly Virgin also made a direct plea for the horizontal dimension of 

reconciliation in Betania as well. She requested prayer to heal humanity‟s scourge of 

division. She announced the importance of healing divisions on the human level. 

According to the Servant of God, Our Lady of Betania tells us we can do this by 

extending “a hand to one another . . . brothers and sisters, with a word, with a smile, 

with a handshake; to give of ourselves the best we can. All of the good that we have 

comes from the Lord, and all the bad, the negative, comes from another source. God 

gives us the best, and we have to reaffirm our faith, especially through the apostolate of 

prayer, evangelization, and by bearing his message and the message of our Mother, the 

Reconciler, the Mother of Reconciliation and Peace”. 91 

The Virgin of Betania‟s emphasis on love of neighbor is clear. Referring to the 

outpouring of love that the pilgrims show her when they visit Betania, Our Lady said 

she wants this love to be directed to our neighbors as well: 

I desire that everyone who hears me at this moment may receive 

the grace of the Holy Spirit, and make each other happy so that in this 

way, the face of the earth will be renewed. With the love that Jesus gives 

you, you can affirm that his words will never pass away: „I leave you a 

90 Maria Esperanza Bianchini, July 13, 1984, Testimony given to the Bishop of Los Teques, 

Collection of Testimonies, Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela. 


173

new commandment: love one another.‟ Here, for all humanity, is a brief 

summary of all the messages, which I have given you, my daughter – 

that everyone love each other. This is the synthesis of all the messages. 92 

The Holy Mother asserts that the horizontal and the vertical dimensions of 

reconciliation necessarily flow from the same source: God, who is love. She insists that 

the two dimensions of reconciliation are but a single fountain of grace, a synthesis of the 

two great commandments of her Son: love of God and love of neighbor. This unity of 

divine and human love is evidenced in every aspect of Betania. 

PRESENCE MORE THAN WORDS 

Although Maria Esperanza received messages from heaven throughout most of 

her life, the essence of Our Lady‟s visit to Betania does not reside so much in verbal 

communications. In fact, few messages were announced by the Virgin in Betania. This 

differs from other apparitions where the messages are the central feature, like Fatima, 

Portugal and Kibeho, Rwanda. Bishop Pio Bello makes this point clear when he says 

that the “message” of Betania is the presence of the Virgin Mary herself, the fact that 

she appeared in this tropical farm in Venezuela under the title, Reconciler of All 

Peoples and Nations. “The manifestation [appearance of the Virgin],” said the Servant 

of God, “[occurred] so that all of her children might become aware that she exists, and 

that she continues to exist, and she will continue to exist throughout all generations. 

Unto eternity she will always be.” 93 

Betania, the actual land of the apparitions, is sanctified by Our Lady‟s presence. 

It is a land of grace where hope is growing, where pilgrims‟ lives are changed, where 

the sick are healed, and where families are reunited. There the faithful celebrate the 

sacraments with great fervor and people encounter divine graces of an extraordinary 

nature. Betania is not merely a sanctuary where a message of reconciliation has been 

announced, but it is above all a place where the Holy Spirit is pouring out gifts of love, 

conversion, and healing, all of which are oriented to uniting the family of mankind. 

On the one hand Betania calls people to reconciliation with God and man. On 

the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, Betania is a focal point of God‟s lifechanging 

graces that assists people to achieve this reconciliation. Our Lord did merely 

send his Mother to issue a command to reconcile, but to intercede supernaturally to 

enable men and women to realize this objective in the most important relationships of 

their daily lives. In this sense, Betania, by the action of God‟s grace, accomplishes what 

it proclaims. This supernatural assistance is suggestive of Saint Paul‟s assertion to the 

Thessalonians, for our gospel came to you not only in word, but in power and in the 

Holy Spirit (1 Th 1:5). 

92 Ibid., 5. 

93 Ibid., 27. 

174

Betania, then, is a catalyst to awaken peoples and nations to the gift and the 

urgency of reconciliation. Although the Virgin Mary has appeared at different times and 

places in the world, in Betania she announced a prophetic appeal for fraternal unity built 

upon divine love. She has based her appeal upon a new impulse of hope that she offers 

at the Venezuelan sanctuary. Her invitation to embrace the message and enjoy the 

spiritual riches of Betania is universal: 

My Jesus gave his life for all as the Savior of the world, the 

Redeemer of the world. Save yourselves, all of you. All of you have to 

save yourselves. Take refuge in my motherly Heart. Come here! I invite 

you here, my little ones. All of you . . . It doesn‟t matter where you are 

from; everyone can come to me. All of you are my children. I love all of 

you. I come to search for you; the poor, the crippled. I come to bring 

bread to you, to bring fruit, the harvest to you; to work for you, for this 

area – because all of you need to work and to grow in hope, to grow 

spiritually. Mothers, young people, everyone, old people, people whose 

bodies are curved with age – all of you, I come to call you so that you 

may know that this Mother will accompany you until you achieve your 

greatest desire in this earthly existence. And now, all of you who are 

feeling me in your hearts – come here, my children, to my motherly lap, 

take refuge in my heart. My heart I gave to you; my heart I give to you, 

and my heart I will continue to give to you always because I am your 

Mother. I am the Mother of Reconciliation; I am the Reconciler of 

Nations, reconciliation among men. 94 

Many have found the invitation of the Virgin in Betania to be irresistible. 

Touched by the mystery of the place, they have discovered a new divine potency in their 

lives and have been moved to embrace the mandate of reconciliation. In virtue of their 

interior renewal, they too have become missionaries of reconciliation. They want to say 

with Saint Paul, We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We 

beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 95 

In this sense, we can say that Betania provides a powerful new impulse of grace 

to the Church, as it “carries on the proclamation of reconciliation which Christ caused to 

echo through the villages of Galilee and all Palestine . . . invit[ing] all humanity to be 

converted and to believe the Good News”. 96 The Virgin‟s visit to Betania has clarified, 

deepened, and urgently stressed this innermost core of the Gospel for our times. In the 

process of announcing the theme of reconciliation, Our Lady, Reconciler of All Peoples 

and Nations, has also engendered a particular charism or school of spirituality, a 

94 Ibid., 6. 

95 2 Cor 5:20 


175

concrete way of living this universal mandate. This charism was expressed most fully in 

the life and virtues of Maria Esperanza. We propose to describe now what may be 

called, the “Spirituality of Betania”. 

THE SPIRITUALITY OF BETANIA 

First, it would be helpful to define the word spirituality. Spirituality in the 

Christian context can be defined as the practical means or method of attaining unity 

with God by fulfilling the two great commandments of love of God and love of 

neighbor. It involves the response of the individual to the grace of the Holy Spirit and 

an organic process of development in which the person is gradually configured to 

Christ. It is experienced on a personal and communal level, and presumes obedience to 

Catholic faith and morals, and adherence to the Church. Christian spirituality is usually 

identified by certain kinds of religious observances, such as sacramental participation, 

prayers, devotions, exercises, ascetical practices, precepts, counsels, and human actions 

ordained to a supernatural end with a view to Christian perfection. 

Different schools of spirituality exist in the Church. A school of spirituality is a 

particular style, model, or approach to living the Christian life. “Individual personalities, 

national temperaments, and the needs or charisms of a given age are dominant factors in 

the variety of religious experiences and the classification of schools of spirituality.” 97 

They can also reflect certain cultures, specific needs, or periods in the Church‟s life, or 

particular emphases in doctrine. 98 These various schools represent one or other aspects 

of the mystery of Christ, for no one spirituality can exhaust him who is infinite. For 

example, the Franciscan school represents the poverty of Christ, the Salesian spirituality 

typifies the gentleness of Christ, the Carmelite spirit expresses the contemplative 

dimension of Christ, and the Dominican school depicts Christ the preacher. These 

schools of spirituality have their origin in the unique charism, or special gift of the Holy 

Spirit, bestowed by God upon their founders. Groups of disciples who are attracted to a 

person or his method of attaining maturity in Christ gather around these founders. In 

this way schools or families of spirituality develop in the Church. 

With this background, let us return now to the unique charism 99 that vivifies the 

spirituality of Betania. Generally speaking, we can say that Betania reflects Christ the 

Reconciler. It proposes a fresh approach to the spiritual life at the heart of which is the 

fundamental Christian mystery of reconciliation. While its goal is to achieve the unity of 

97 Aumann, Spiritual Theology, 31. 

98 Cf. Ibid., 32-34. 

99 The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a charism in this way: “Whether extraordinary 

or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the 

Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world. . . . 

They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of 

Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with 

authentic promptings of this same Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 799-800). 

176

the human family in Christ through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Reconciler of 

All Peoples and Nations, there are certain features that infuse it with an original 

inspiration. 

The essential features that define the unique gift of Betania can be designated as 

six-fold. They are: hope, joy, humility, balance, family life, and evangelization. These 

features delineate the particular spirit in which the charism of reconciliation is lived and 

expressed. In the context of these six Gospel values, the disciples of Betania, in 

cooperation with divine grace, pursue their unity with Christ and work for the unity of 

mankind. Maria Esperanza was the founder, teacher, and preeminent model of this 

school of spirituality. Each of these six distinguishing features will now be described. 

I. HOPE 

The first is hope. Hope, in the Christian sense, is first of all the confident 

expectation of receiving eternal life in God and acquiring the means of attaining it. This 

hope is steadfast and unwavering because it is founded on the power and mercy of God, 

himself. Pope Benedict XVI explained that eternal life, the object of our hope, is not, 

an unending succession of days in the calendar, but something more like 

the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and 

we embrace totality. It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite 

love, a moment in which time – the before and after – no longer exists. . . 

. Such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the 

vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy. This is 

how Jesus expresses it in Saint John‟s Gospel: “I will see you again and 

your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” We 

must think along these lines if we want to understand the object of 

Christian hope, to understand what it is that our faith, our being with 

Christ, leads us to expect. 100 

At the same time the gift of eternal happiness is not a solitary experience. The 

joy of heaven presupposes the escape from the prison of our individual ego by passage 

into the fellowship of all the blessed in heaven because only in openness to the other 

“does our gaze open out to the source of joy, to love itself – to God”. 101 This means that 

the saved are not only immersed in communion with God, but they also enjoy endless 

beatitude with all their loved ones in the glory of heaven. This is the essence of 

100 Benedict XVI, “Encyclical Letter: In Hope We Are Saved”, no. 12, The Holy See, 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spesalvi_en.html 

(accessed April 20, 2012). 

101 Benedict XVI, “In Hope We Are Saved”, no. 14. 

177

Christian hope. It is not based on natural optimism but on supernatural expectation in 

God. 

Maria Esperanza‟s thoughts on this matter converge with those of the Holy 

Father. This is especially true when she refers to the souls of deceased mothers who 

have persevered in faith: “What a joy to think that the Lord is welcoming them into his 

eternal heaven and they are fully enjoying his heavenly graces due to the life they led as 

honest and worthy women, serving their children for the love of God; serving God . . . 

serving their brothers, serving constantly. How beautiful it is to die in the arms of the 

Lord.” 102 But Christian hope is not limited to the next life only. The assurance of eternal 

life also penetrates and enlightens our natural life with hope. Because we possess the 

promise of eternal paradise, we can face our human predicaments with trust and peace 

even if they are very challenging. They can be embraced in God because they lead us to 

our ultimate goal. 103 Thus, the Christian does not live merely for the future, but 

experiences real hope in the hardships of this life, too. As Benedict XVI says, “The fact 

that the future exists changes the present; the present is touched by the future reality, 

and thus the things of the future spill over into those of the present and those of the 

present into those of the future.” 104 The hope of heaven, flowing from a serious 

relationship with the Prince of Heaven, overflows into our earthly existence, filling it 

with supernatural confidence and optimism. 

In this way, the Christian virtue of hope infuses us with courage and the 

assurance of victory even in the temporalities of human existence. The certainty of 

Christ‟s divine assistance is the source of our fortitude. As French theologian, Father 

Adolphe Tanquerey writes: 

Now, if God is for us, who is against us? If Jesus, Who overcame 

the world and Satan, lives within us and communicates to us His Divine 

energy, are we not sure of triumphing with Him? If the Immaculate 

Virgin, who crushed the head of the serpent, sustains us by her powerful 

intercession, shall we lack the needed help? If God‟s friends, the Saints, 

pray in our behalf, will not these many supplications give us absolute 

security? And being assured of victory, are we to shrink from the few 

efforts required for gaining eternal possession of God? 105 

The Christian has hope because he believes in the power of prayer; he has 

confidence that God hears those who cry out to him in their need; he knows that, 


103 Cf. Benedict XVI, “In Hope We Are Saved”, no. 1. 

104 Ibid., no. 7. 

105 Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, 563. 

178

Our Lord works His wonders in behalf of those who trust in Him. 

We have but to recall His attitude towards the centurion; towards the 

paralytic who, unable to come near the Master, has himself let down 

through the roof; towards the blind men of Jericho; towards the 

Chanannean woman who, thrice rebuked, reiterates her request; towards 

the sinful woman; towards the leper who comes to thank Him. Besides, 

how can we lack confidence when Christ Himself authoritatively asserts 

that all that we shall ask the Father in His name will be granted to us; 

“Amen, amen, I say to you: if you ask thy Father anything in my name, he 

will give it you.” Here lies the secret of our strength. When we pray in 

the Name of Jesus, that is to say when we trust in His merits and 

satisfactions, His Blood pleads more eloquently for us than do our own 

poor prayers. 106 

This trust in divine providence was constantly espoused by Maria Esperanza. To 

cite just one example, we offer this exhortation she gave to her spiritual followers: “Let 

us have hope in our life, in our projects, in the things we must do, simply and firmly 

convinced if God is with us, if my Mother [Mary] is with us, what do we lack? We lack 

nothing. They will put everything in order, so we may work enthusiastically and with 

the desire of giving glory to God.” 107 

In the end, it is the encounter with God, the experience of his redemptive love 

that brings with it the gift of hope. “To come to know God – the true God – means to 

receive hope.” 108 This is precisely the fruit of Betania. The sanctuary itself fosters the 

encounter with Christ Jesus through his Holy Mother. The shrine is imbued with the 

grace of God. There are many testimonies of healings that have occurred there. The 

number of conversions inspired by Betania are countless, especially among young 

people. The deepening of faith and devotion to prayer are ever-present qualities of 

Betania. Bishop Pio Bello remarked that to hear confessions in Betania is to know with 

certainty that the Lord is acting powerfully upon the souls of those who come to the 

sanctuary. Many pilgrims have been touched by the mystical phenomena that often are 

manifested there. Families and marriages have been reconciled in Betania. 

Every pilgrim is touched by Our Lady in Betania, but above all, the 

downtrodden, the brokenhearted, the depressed, those who have traveled this life‟s 

sojourn in a “valley of tears.” These are the ones who seem to receive a special injection 

of supernatural grace. All of these realities announce that God exists, that he is a loving 

and merciful God who redeems and heals his people, and that he desires all men to reign 

with him in heaven forever. The Sanctuary of Betania is a place of encounter with Jesus 

through the Heart of his Mother that produces a transformation of hope. 

106 Ibid., 562. 

107 Maria E. Bianchini, Spiritual Maxims, no.1591. 

108 Benedict XVI, “In Hope We Are Saved”, no. 3. 

179

Betania not only offers hope for reconciliation with God, but it also proclaims 

hope for reconciliation among men. As Our Lady communicated to Maria Esperanza, 

“that land will be a sign, a point of unity for humanity, a point of reconciliation and 

peace with much love – the great truth awaited by all generations”. 109 The visionary of 

Betania says that “My heart has been touched by these messages, especially when I see 

her [Mary] desire that the world convert, we could say, and that it grows into an ideal of 

future hopes so that all can really live in harmony, full of the Spirit of God.” 110 

An infusion of hope is one of the first experiences a person has in connection 

with Betania. It is a hope that is not only encountered but perdures in the soul after the 

Betania experience is over. Hope is also the quality that flourishes among those who 

have embraced the spirit of Betania. They possess and project this virtue. They believe 

in a new day of love and unity that, by the grace of God, awaits mankind. The Virgin 

Mary is the cause of their joy. 

This hope that emanates from Betania is contagious. As Maria Esperanza 

prophesied, “The Holy Spirit will work in such a way that all of us will be converted 

into fire, into living flame, so that this world grows, and hearts continue to be purified, 

and that solidarity among men occurs so that all of us can really live as the Lord asks 

us.” 111 109 Maria E. Bianchini, interview by Mariani, 25. 

110 Ibid., 8. 

111 Ibid., 29. 

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CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 

HOPE FOR HUMANITY 

The story of Betania and the life of the Servant of God Maria Esperanza 

constitute a remarkable chapter of present-day Church history. The whole profit of this 

spiritual watershed has yet to be realized. As these events become better known, more 

people will benefit from this divine impulse toward unity and family reconciliation. 

Maria Esperanza will be perceived as a teacher and example of motherhood that will 

enhance the domestic church in a day when the family is passing through a serious trial. 

People will look to her as a patron and intercessor, especially for the family. She will 

also be considered a model of virtue in the lay state, and a concrete expression of other 

ideals advanced by the Second Vatican Council like evangelization in the modern 

world, the lay apostolate, conscience and the dignity of the human person, dialogue and 

engagement with those of differing values and beliefs, social justice, universal 

brotherhood, and global peace. All of this is a grace for the entire Church. 

There is another dimension of her charism that has received much attention: 

revelations about the future of the world. I would like to conclude this book with a 

clarification of this topic. 

It is widely known that Maria Esperanza predicted future outcomes, some of 

which were negative. For example, she foretold natural disasters, geo-political events, 

and other calamities that, in fact, came true. So when she uttered predictions about 

world events of a serious nature, many became alarmed. For example, she said the 

following: 

 

 

 

Difficult moments are near. This sore humanity is destroying itself, 

and it is necessary to put an end to this spiritual deterioration once 

and for all. And how, you may ask? By changing one‟s attitude in life 

with humility, with fervent generosity to our brother because we 

must recall the commandment of loving one another. 112 (04/19/1994) 

There will be more martyrs because in all periods, from time to time, 

faith in man‟s heart has to be rectified to rekindle Jesus‟ flame, his 

fire. 113 (05/05/1995) 

The earth will shake; we will suffer, but we will recover. These are 

small blows of the Lord‟s love to call his children. Small blows that 

hurt us, but at the same time, we recover when we see that it is a 

lesson of love to make us understand that perhaps we are not 

completely well. 114 (04/25/1993) 


113 Ibid., no. 350. 

114 Ibid., no. 333. 

223

We are at the end of times. We are reaching a difficult moment 

because man is getting ready for war. Ambitions are many, but the 

Lord is so intelligent, so soft, so tender, and so merciful that he is 

preparing his army, the Christian army, the Catholic army, the army 

of the children of God that will rise in unison to spread the Word of 

the Lord everywhere in the world. 115 (10/20/1999) 

Nations will try to rise, but we cannot follow those evil footsteps, 

steps of rebellion – we cannot. We must hold fast to peace, to 

serenity, to the joy of our daily life, to family unity, to be in unity 

with our family. Our family must be sacred, fulfilling the rules of our 

Mother the Church with that infinite and generous doctrine that God 

has given us. 116 (10/20/1999) 

In these difficult times, in these tremendous times that are coming . . . 

we must stop war by all means. Otherwise tremendous disintegration 

in the world shall come. But let us be calm, children. We must pray. 

We must pray very much so the evil intentions of the nations that 

urge their people to wage war with others may be stopped. 117 

(04/18/1999) 

Some commentators have emphasized these and similar statements by Maria 

Esperanza so that she is sometimes portrayed as a prophet of doom or a visionary 

preoccupied with apocalyptic punishment and catastrophe. This approach misrepresents 

her and the essence of her message. She clearly acknowledged the risks that humanity 

faces if it continues to rebel against God. She did connect human suffering with human 

sin. She did say that the causes of war were abortion, 118 sins of the flesh, the ruination of 

the family, infidelity to God, hatred, selfishness, and unforgiveness. War is the result of 

man‟s rebellion against the Creator and his commandments, and the denial of the human 

conscience. However, the Servant of God‟s overarching message was one of hope and 

redemption. She said that any purification humanity may suffer will yield a better 

world. She reminded us that God is in control, and that despite appearances, these are 

glorious times. Everything is designed to bring about the reign of God‟s Kingdom on 

earth. In the face of every tribulation, Maria Esperanza told people to resist fear and 

trust in God. 

115 Ibid., no. 356. 

116 Ibid., no. 357. 

117 Maria E. Bianchini, April 18, Words, Collection of Manuscripts: 1999 Apostolic Missions 

Abroad, 8:18. 

118 On this controversial issue, the Servant of God made this comment: “I ask myself how is this 

possible. No, no, this cannot be. It is a small creature that you carry in your womb. Society, the world . . . 

your society is that human being, that creature you bear in your womb. Perhaps it was conceived through 

pleasure, but that creature must come into the world.” (Maria E. Bianchini, Spiritual Maxims, no. 1475.) 

224

To those who claim that the world is about to end, she said, “The world will go 

on – many investigations, much wisdom on behalf of men, great inventions, great 

things, great cures; in short, something very beautiful. But the biggest and most 

exceptional thing of all is the healing of a Mother [Mary] who with her presence in each 

family will cure her children, soothe their worries and grant them peace, family 

peace.” 119 

To the people who believe that war is inevitable, Maria Esperanza responded, 

“All psychological wars, nuclear wars, any kind of war, can be stopped with prayer, 

with our good deeds, offering our life to the Lord for his glory and for the well-being of 

mankind, for the well-being and salvation of all humanity.” 120 She exhorted, “Let us not 

think about war, no, not at all. Let us think about the beautiful things that the Lord 

offers us. Let us think about people: women, families, brothers. Let us think about our 

priests who are giving of themselves every day. Let us think about a Pope in Rome who 

has come to save us with his motivation, appeals and presence.” 121 

She pointed to Our Lord as the healing remedy for these global dangers: “This is 

the reason for war; this is the reason for family disintegration; this is the reason why 

those who are faithless and lack a basis fall into persecution: it is because they truly 

have not sought Jesus.” 122 

The Servant of God reminded us that despair and hopelessness are among the 

favorite tools of the prince of darkness to discourage and create fear among the People 

of God. Maria Esperanza was a messenger of hope who refused to embrace a dark view 

of the future. Although she said that the situation of the world is grave, she believed that 

the prayers and virtues of the faithful can alter the course of history. 

This idea that prayer and good works can change the direction of history is 

precisely what Pope Benedict XVI argued in relation to Fatima. He said that “the future 

is not in fact unchangeably set” because “the whole point of [a] vision is to bring 

freedom onto the scene and to steer freedom in a positive direction”. 123 The purpose of a 

true revelation is not to portray an image of an irrevocably determined future, but 

exactly the opposite, “It is meant to mobilize the forces of change in the right 

direction”. 124 So the “threatening” prophecies of Maria Esperanza can be understood to 

be inspired warnings to help man avoid the devastating consequences of sin. 

To those who suffer from preoccupations about divine chastisements, the 

Servant of God responds: 


120 Ibid., no. 1722. 

121 Ibid., no. 1720. 

122 Ibid., no. 1728. 

123 Benedict XVI, “Theological Commentary”, 149. 

124 Ibid. 

225

Well, I am going to tell you something. People talk of 

punishments. They talk about the Lord, his Mother. . . . They are mercy. 

They are kindness, love, forgiveness. . . . It‟s not going to be like some 

big punishment because this moment, right now, man is punishing 

himself through his egoism, through his lack of charity, through his lack 

of conscientiousness – he‟s suffering because he is not conscious of his 

actions, and it‟s exactly because love is not present. . . . If love enters, we 

will really return to being like children who love – who love their parents 

and their brothers and sisters, who love the little trees, nature – they run, 

they play, they sing, they‟re happy, they shout, they let themselves go. 

And these children, when they go to sleep at night, rest gently in the arms 

of Mary and they deliver themselves over to her arms. 125 

Similarly, to those who are forecasting the end of the world, Maria Esperanza 

has disappointing news for them too: 

I‟m not going to tell you that we are going to kill each other, that 

the world is going to end, that we are going to destroy each other – no, 

no, no. They say that at the end of this century everything‟s going to end. 

That‟s impossible. I don‟t believe it. I believe in the heavens and earth, in 

the waters, the stars, this moon, the sun – the world! We are bones, flesh 

and bones. It‟s not possible that the world will end. 

It will continue through the generations, and this world will 

continue progressing and becoming conscious and perfecting itself in 

order to live a life which is truly happy, because people will have found 

themselves because they feel their God, and know and learn how to 

respect him and to love him, and to love their brothers and sisters. And 

so we will arrive at the plenitude, at the fullness of a life, which is 

dignified. They will live a life which is worthy in the eyes of God, a life 

which is dignified and refined and perfected with good upbringing, good 

teaching. 126 

The Servant of God agreed with Benedict XVI that “prayer is more powerful than 

bullets and faith more powerful than armies”. 127 

The point here is that the heart of Maria Esperanza‟s message is one of hope, of 

trust, of fraternal unity. Like John Paul II, she announced that a new springtime of love 

is about to emerge in human history. She predicted that the center of this new 


126 Ibid. 

127 Benedict XVI, “Theological Commentary”, 151. 

226

civilization would be Jesus Christ, and that Our Lady would lead mankind to this 

destiny. 

227

228

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Manuscripts. Archives of the Betania Foundation. Caracas, Venezuela. 

. October 7, 1954. Message from the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. Archives 


. March 25, 1976. Message from the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. Archives 


. March 6, 1978. Message from the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. Archives 


. November 27, 1978. Message from the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. 


. September 18, 1981. Message from Jesus. House Manuscripts. Archives of the 


. January 14, 1984. Message from the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. 


. September 2, 1990. Message of the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. Archives 


. May 19, 1991. Message from the Virgin Mary. House Manuscripts. Archives 


235

MISCELLANEOUS 

Ascanio C., Raul A. Funeral Mass for Maria Esperanza Bianchini. August 19, 2004. 

Video. Archives of the Betania Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela. 

Bello Ricardo, Pio. Diocese of Los Teques. Venezuela. Pastoral Letter. Pastoral 

Instruction on the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in Finca Betania, 1987. 

Betania Foundation. 2009. Chronology of Mrs. Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini. 

House Manuscripts. Archives of the Betania Foundation. Caracas, Venezuela. 

Bianchini, Geo. Description of the History of Finca Betania. Collection of Manuscripts. 


Bianchini, Maria Coromoto. Notebook. Archives of the Betania Foundation. Caracas, 

Venezuela. 

Bianchini, Maria Esperanza. 2009. Spiritual Maxims of Maria Esperanza Bianchini. 

House Manuscripts. Archives of the Betania Foundation. Caracas, Venezuela. 

Bianchini, Maria Esperanza. Diario intimo con Jesus. Collection of Diaries of Maria 

Esperanza Bianchini. Archives of the Betania Foundation. Caracas, Venezuela. 

Castro, Carlos. 1985. Maria Esperanza, misionera, esposa y madre. House Manuscripts. 


Duque, Jean. August 22, 2004, Homily. Collection of Manuscripts, Archives of the 


Kahhale, Georges. August 22, 2004. Homily. Collection of Manuscripts. Archives of 


New Constitution of the Betania Foundation. 2006. Caracas, Venezuela. 

Padilla, Henry. August 22, 2004. Homily. Collection of Manuscripts. Archives of the 


TESTIMONIES 

Aguirre, Luisa. January 7, 1987. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


236

Alzuarge, Tibisay. 2008. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Benzecry, Estrella. January 27, 2006. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


Bianchini, Anabella. August 23, 2008. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


Bianchini, Geo. March 25, 2008. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


. March 28, 2012. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Bianchini, Giovanni. December 2, 2012. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


Bianchini, Maria Auxiliadora. 1987. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


. June 29, 1987. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania Foundation. 


Bianchini, Maria Coromoto. 1995. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


. April 14, 2008. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania Foundation. 


Bianchini, Maria del Carmen. April, 1984. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


Bianchini, Maria Esperanza de. July 13, 1984. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of 


Bianchini, Maria Esperanza Jn. April 11, 1984. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of 


237

Bianchini, Maria Gracia. March 26, 1984. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


. January 12, 2010. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Bianchini, Maria Inmaculada. December 5, 2012. Collection of Testimonies. Archives 


Carias, Jose M. March 19, 2006. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Fuenmayor, Carolina. July 15, 2007. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Hernandez, Alfredo. January 7, 1987. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


Hernandez, Bella. August 20, 2006. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Leon, Nidia. August 24, 1984. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


. January 27, 1987. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Liscano, Andrea. 1988. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania Foundation. 


Liscano, Hugo. 1991. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania Foundation. 


Marrero, Carlos. 2006. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania Foundation. 


Martin, Maria T. February 19, 2006. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Mazzarella, Cadmus. August 1, 2008. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the 


238

Succar, Juan. May 20, 1991. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


Welsch, Scott. March 7, 2008. Collection of Testimonies. Archives of the Betania 


239

INDEX 

240

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Fr. Timothy E. Byerley, Ph.D., is the Vice Postulator for the Beatification and 

Canonization Cause of Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini. He is pastor of Mary, 

Queen of All Saints Church in Pennsauken, New Jersey, USA. He is also a spiritual 

director for the Betania Foundation, headquartered in Venezuela, and supports other 

Betania Communities around the world. 

After pursuing a career in engineering, Fr. Byerley answered God‟s call to the 

priesthood and was ordained on May 25, 1985 for the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey. 

He completed his studies for the priesthood at Mount Saint Mary‟s Seminary in 

Emmitsburg, Maryland, USA, with a Master of Divinity. Later he attained a Master of 

Arts in Christian Spirituality at Saint Charles Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 

USA; a Master of Theology in Ecumenism at Princeton Theological Seminary in 

Princeton, New Jersey; and a Doctorate in Religious Education at Fordham University 

in New York, New York, USA. He also earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction from 

De Sales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. 

Fr. Byerley has initiated programs for youth and young adults, and organized 

lecture series, pilgrimages, special liturgies, concerts and retreats. He has been a 

spiritual director of seminarians and of various lay apostolates, and authored two other 

books. 

241

Maria Esperanza and the Grace of Betania

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