Our Lady of Soufanieh

OUR LADY OF SOUFANIEH
SOURCE OF HOLY OIL
DAMASCUS, SYRIA

The messages confided to Myrna Nazzour, visionary and stigmatist, during the apparitions are completed by the messages of the ecstasies. The length of these various messages varies between one sentence and a paragraph. Among the messages during the ecstasies, one is missing. Indeed, emotionally shaken by the prayer of a Muslim woman, Myrna has not been able to remember the message relayed to her at this occasion. The messages are confided in literary or in dialectal Arabic. The vocabulary is very simple. The Holy Virgin Mary has confided to Myrna a secret that she is not to reveal until her death.
Often before delivering the message, Myrna would say for example:
"Christ has given me a message to which I have not understood anything."

Chronological summary of the messages given during ecstasies or apparitions:

Legend: A: apparition E: ecstasy S: stigmata JC: Jesus-Christ VM: Virgin Mary CE: Common Easter (amongst Catholics and Orthodox)

FIRST APPARITION
- Wednesday, December 15, 1982

Given Myrna's state of panic, the first message was given to her on the second apparition.

My Children,
Remember God, for God is with us. (2)
You know everything and yet you know nothing.
Your knowledge is incomplete.
But the day will come when you will know all things the way God knows Me.
Do good to those who do evil and do not treat anyone badly.
I have given you oil
Even more than you asked for.
I shall give you something more powerful than oil. (3)
Repent and have faith; remember me in your joy.
Announce my Son Emmanuel.
He who announces Him is saved, he who does not,
his faith is worthless.
Love one another.
I am not asking for money to give to churches
nor for money to distribute to the poor.
I am asking for love.
Those who give their money
to the poor and churches but have no love are nothing.
I shall visit homes more frequently
because those who go to church,
sometimes do not go there to pray. (4)
I am not asking you to build me a church, but a shrine. (5)
Give.
Do not turn away anyone who asks for help.

THIRD APPARITION
Saturday, January 8, 1983, 11:37 p.m. (6) The Virgin was crying.

She told Myrna: "It's all right."
Myrna was also crying as she shouted:
"The Virgin is crying!"
At last the Virgin withdrew,
But before disappearing,
She gently smiled.

FOURTH APPARITION
Monday, February 21, 1983, 9:30 p.m. (7)

My Children,
Let me say it between us: I have come back here.
Do not insult the haughty who are devoid of humility.
A humble person craves other people's observations to correct any shortcomings,
while the corrupt and haughty neglects, rebels and becomes hostile.
Forgiveness is the best thing.
He who pretends to be pure and loving before men is impure before God.
I would like to request something from you.
Engrave these words in your mind and keep repeating them always:
'God saves me, Jesus enlightens me.
The Holy Spirit is my life. I therefore fear nothing.'
Isn't it so, my son Joseph? (8)
Forbear and forgive.
Forbear much less than the Father has forborne.

My Children,
My mission has ended.
That night, the Angel told me:
'Blessed art thou among women.'
And I was only able to tell him that
'I am the servant of the Lord.'
I am happy. I do not deserve to say to you: 'Your sins are forgiven.'
But My God has said it: Establish a church.
I did not say: 'Build a church.'
You are to bring people together.
I tell you: 'Pray, pray, and pray again!'
How beautiful are My children when they kneel in supplication.
Do not be afraid for I am with you.
Do not be divided like the big ones are.
You will teach THE WORD of unity, love and faith to the generations.
Pray for the inhabitants of earth and heaven.

Do not be afraid!
All this is happening to glorify the Name of God.
Do not be afraid!
Through you I shall educate my generation.

Go down and tell them
you are my daughter before being theirs.
My heart has been consumed over my only Son.
It is not going to be consumed over all my children.

This is all I want.
I have not come to separate.
Your married life will remain as it is.
Would you like to come to me? Come!
Your willingness to do so is enough.

4. First Message from Our Lord Jesus Christ
Thursday, May 31, 1984 (Ascension Day)

My daughter,
I am the Beginning and the End.
I am the Truth, the Freedom and the Peace.
My Peace I give you.
Your peace should not depend
on what people say, be it good or bad.
Think little of yourself:
He who does not seek people's approval,
and does not fear their disapproval, enjoys true peace.
This is achieved through Me.
Live your life, contented and independent.
The hardships you have incurred for Me will not break you.
Rather, rejoice. I am able to reward you.
Your hardships will not be long, and your pains will not last.
Pray in adoration.
Eternal life is worth these sufferings.
Pray for God's will to be done in you, and say:
'Beloved Jesus,
Grant that I rest in You above all things,
above all creatures,
above all your angels,
above all praise,
above all rejoicing and exultation,
above all glory and honour,
above all heavenly hosts,
for You alone are the Most High,
You alone are Almighty and Good above all things.
May You come to me, relieve me, release my chains,
and grant me freedom,
because without You, my joy is not complete,
without You my table is empty.';
Only then will I come to say:
'Here I am, because you have invited Me.'

5. Message from the Holy Virgin Mary
Friday, September 7, 1984 (10)

Live your life,
but don't let your life prevent you from continuing to pray.

My Children, Come together.
My heart is wounded.
Do not allow my heart to be broken because of your divisions.
My daughter,
I shall give you a reward for your hardships. (11)

The Church is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
He who divided it has sinned; and he who rejoices at its division also commits a sin.
I am happy. Do not be afraid! I am with you.
Through you I shall educate my generation.

My feast is to see all of you gathered together.
Your prayer is my feast.
Your faith is my feast.
The union of your hearts is my feast.

I am the Creator.
I created Her, so that she could create Me.
Rejoice at heaven'€™s joy, because the Daughter of the Father,
the Mother of God and the Spouse of the Spirit is born.
Exult at the earth's jubilation, because your salvation has been achieved.

10. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
Tuesday, November 26, 1985 (eve of the 3rd anniversary of the Phenomenon)

Christ: My daughter,
Do you wish to be crucified or glorified? (12)
Myrna: Glorified. (13)
Christ smiles and says:
Do you prefer to be glorified by the creatures?
Or the Creator?
Myrna: By the Creator.
Christ: This is realized through crucifixion.
Because each time you look at the creatures,
the eyes of the Creator move away from you.
My daughter, I want you to fervently apply yourself to prayer and to humble yourself.
He who humbles himself,
God grants him more fortitude and higher honors.
I was crucified out of love for all of you; I want you to take up your cross
and carry it for my sake,
willingly, with love and patience,
and wait for My coming.
He who participates in My suffering,
I shall make him to participate in My glory.
There is no salvation for the soul except through the Cross.
Do not be afraid, My daughter,
I shall give you enough from My wounds
to redeem the debts of the sinners.
This is the source that quenches the thirst of every soul.
If My absence is too long, and the light vanishes away from you,
do not be afraid.
This will be for My glorification.
Go to the world where vice has spread, and rest in God's peace.

11. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Wednesday, November 26, 1986 (Eve of 4th anniversary of the Phenomenon)

My daughter,
How beautiful is this place!
I shall build My Kingdom and My peace on it.
I give my Heart to all of you,
so you may gain your hearts in return.
Your sins are forgiven, because you look at Me.
He who looks at Me, I shall draw My image in him.
Woe to him, who represents My image,
but has sold off My blood.
Pray for the sinners.
For each word of prayer,
I shall spill a drop of My blood on a sinner.
My daughter,
let not earthly matters trouble you,
because through My wounds you will gain eternity.
I want to renew My Passion,
and I want you to accomplish your mission,
For you will not be able to enter heaven
unless you have accomplished your mission on earth.
Go in peace!
Tell my children to come to Me at any time,
not only when I renew My Mother's feast, (14)
because I am with them all the time.

12. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
Saturday, April 18, 1987 (Great and Holy Saturday)

I have given all of you a sign to glorify Me.
Stay your course and I will be with you, otherwise...

14. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Wednesday, July 22, 1987 (Maad, Lebanon)

Do not be afraid, My daughter.
Through you I shall educate My generation.
Pray, pray, and pray again!
And when you pray say:
"Father, Through the merits of the wounds of Your beloved Son, save us!"

My daughter,
She is My Mother from whom I was born.
He who honors Her, honors Me. He who denies Her, denies Me.
And he who asks Her for something obtains it because She is My Mother.

Mary, (15)
Aren't you the quiet girl whom I have chosen,
your heart full of love and compassion?
I have noticed that you cannot endure anything for Me.
I shall give you a chance to make a choice.
Be certain that if you lose Me,
you will lose the prayers of all those around you,
And know that there is no escape
from taking up the cross.

My daughter,
I appreciate that you have chosen Me,
but this should not be in words alone.
I want you to join My heart to your gentle heart
so that our hearts will unite.
By doing so, you will save suffering souls.
Do not hate anyone,
otherwise your heart would become blind to My love.
Love everyone as you loved Me,
especially those who have hated you and who have spoken evil of you,
because in so doing you will obtain glory.
Continue your life as a wife, a mother and a sister.
Do not worry about the difficulties
and the pains that will afflict you.
I want you to overcome these obstacles because
I am with you; otherwise, you will lose My Heart.
Go and preach to the whole world!
Tell them without fear to work for unity.
One is not blamed for the fruit of his hands,but for the fruit of his heart.
My peace in your heart will be a blessing for you and
for all those who have labored with you.

18. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Sunday, August 14, 1988 (Los Angeles, USA)

My Children,
My peace I gave you,
But what have you given Me in return?
You are My Church and your hearts belong to Me,
unless these hearts have possessed another god.
As I have told you:
The Church is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
He who divided it commited a sin;
and he who rejoices at its division also commits a sin.
An infidel who believes in My Name is preferable
to those who pretend to have faith and love and swear by My Name.
It is in God alone that you must place your pride.
Pray for the sinners, who forgive in My Name, and who deny My Mother.
My children, I have given you all My time,
give Me a part of yours.

My daughter,
I told you to overcome all your difficulties and to know that you have endured only a few.
Tell My children it is from them that I demand unity;
I do not want it from those who make believe that they work for unity.
Go and preach.
Wherever you go, I am with you.

20. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Monday, October 10, 1988 (Maad, Lebanon)

My daughter Mary,
Why are you afraid even though I am with you?
You must speak loudly,
proclaiming the word of truth about the One who created you,
so that My power may be manifested in you.
I will give you enough from My wounds
to forget the hardships that people inflict upon you.
Do not choose your way,
I have already laid it out for you.

21. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Saturday, November 26, 1988 (Eve of the 6th anniversary of the Phenomenon)

My Children,
Is everything you do, done out of love for Me?
Do not say: 'What shall I do,'
because this is My work.
You have to fast and pray,
because it is through prayer that you encounter My truth and overcome ordeals.
Pray for those who have forgotten the promise they made to Me, for they say:
'Why, Lord, did I not feel your presence although You were with me?'
All I want is for all of you to gather in Me as I am in each of you.
As for you, My daughter, I will now leave you.
Do not be afraid if you do not hear My voice for a long time.
Instead, be strong and let your tongue be a sword speaking in My Name.
Be assured that I am with you;
I am with all of you.

22. Message from the Holy Virgin Mary,
Friday, August 18, 1989 (Los Angeles, USA)

Do not be afraid, my daughter.
All this is happening for the glory of God's Name.
Rejoice, for God has allowed you to come to Me
so that I can tell you not to worry over what people say about you.
Remain always in peace,
because creatures look at Me through you.
Tell everyone to pray more because they need prayer to please the Father.
May the blessing of God be upon you and upon all those who have labored with you
out of love for Him.

My children,
Jesus told Peter: 'You are the rock and upon it, I shall build my church.'
As for me, I tell you now:
'You are the hearts in which Jesus will build his unicity'.
I want you to devote your prayers to peace,
from now until the commemoration of the Resurrection Feast.

24. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Saturday, April 14, 1990 (Great and Holy Saturday)

My Children, you will teach THE WORD of unity, love and faith to the generations.
I am with you.
But you,
My daughter,
will not hear My voice again until the Feast (of Easter) has been unified.

25. Message from the Holy Virgin Mary
Wednesday, August 15, 1990 (Brasschaat, Belgium)

My Children, pray for peace,
most especially in the East,
because you are all brothers in Christ.

26. Message from the Holy Virgin Mary
Monday, November 26, 1990 (Eve of the 8th anniversary of the Phenomenon)

Don't be afraid, my daughter, if I tell you that this will be the last vision until
the Feast (of Easter) has been unified.
Therefore, ask my children:
'Do they or do they not want to see and remember the wounds of My Son in you?'
If it does not pain them to see you suffer twice, I am a mother myself,
and it pains me to see My Son suffer time after time.
Remain in peace, My daughter.
Come, so that He may give you peace,
so you may in turn spread My peace among men.
As for the oil,
It will continue to appear on your hands
For the glory of my Son Jesus,
Whenever He wishes and wherever you go.
We are with you and with everyone who wishes the Feast (of Easter) to be unified.

27. Message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Great and Holy Saturday, April 14, 2001, 2:50 p.m.

My Children,
I have given you a sign for my glorification.
Stay the course, and I am with you;
otherwise, I will shut the doors of heaven at your face.
But here is My Mother suffering, praying and saying to Me:
'Lord, You are Love in its fullness!'
And I say to her:
'Do not despair, Gate of Heaven, because I love them
and I want them to reciprocate My love by giving generously."
My Children,
Strive to see yourselves as you truly are
and to see the extent of your faithfulness
in achieving the unity of hearts among yourselves.
Adorn yourselves with patience and wisdom.
Do not be afraid if you fail.
Stay firm in hope.
Trust Me.
I will not abandon those who do My will.
As for you, My daughter, be careful.
Arm yourself with My grace.
Be patient, be wise, and be humble.
Offer Me your pains joyfully.
As I have already told you: "Your pains will not last long."
Direct your sight to Me
and you will find peace and repose.
It is I who strengthen you,
I who throw you into the fray,
and I who rescue you and lead you to the joy of heaven.
Persevere in prayer;
let your fasting be accompanied by meditation and solitude,
and you will hear My voice in your heart.
Trust Me.
I will not abandon you, nor your family,
nor anyone who cooperated with you in My honor and for My sake.

How beautiful is the family whose motto is Unity, Love and Faith!
Its way is My way and My Mother is its refuge.
My Children,
I am giving myself to you.
The acts of adoration, meditation, thanksgiving
and spiritual guidance rejoice Me.
These, however, can only be perfected when you are united at the Altar.
I am giving you My Body and My Blood
as a token of My faithfulness and My love.
Accept from Me this sacrament with trust and faith,
for it will comfort you,
grant you strength and wisdom
and promote the growth of grace in you.
Difficult days are coming, turmoil within the Church.
He who does not enjoy true peace will be exposed to danger
because of dissension.
Do not surrender to failure,
do not worry about the judgment of others on you,
do not defend yourselves,
but ask only for what I have prepared for you.
I am the One who takes care of you
because you are the work of My hands.
Prove your love to Me,
because through love I walk at your side
and through the sacraments I unite Myself to you.
And do not forget that I am the reason of your existence on earth
and I am the reason of your happiness in Heaven.

This is the Source from which every soul may quench.
The Wound of My Heart is the Source of Love.
As for the Wounds, they are due to a crime I did not commit.

This is my last commandment to you:
Each one of you, return back home,
however, hold the East in your hearts.
From here a light emerged anew.
You are its radiance in a world seduced by materialism,
sensuality and fame, so much as to have almost lost its values.
As for you, hold on to your Eastern identity.
Do not allow your will,
your freedom and your faith in this Orient to be taken away from you.

The wounds that bled on this earth are the very ones that are in My Body,
because the cause and the author are the same.
But take courage, their fate is similar to that of Judas.

Adorn with patience.
Stay firm in hope,
And let your hope be in Me,
For I am your help,
And without Me, life will be hard upon you.
Do not be troubled,
Nor anxious about what tomorrow may bring.
Rid yourselves of he who leads you into sin.
Struggle and break free from your weakness in the face of temptation,
For the enemy surrounds you on all sides,
And the more difficult is to be enemies of your own souls.
Do not let Satan influence your faith, your freedom, and your will,
Lest he gain authority over you.
Do not deceive yourselves.
Beware of your own selves.
Resist the evil within you.
I have promised you, and I am faithful to My promises,
But are you faithful to the trust I have given you?
Are you the ray of light amid the darkness of this life,
and for souls who wanted to mend their lives,
to draw closer to Me?
My children, trust in Me,
For I want only what I see as best for you.

(1) The first message was given at the second appearance. In fact, during the first apparition, Myrna is so distraught that she fled towards her sister-in-law Helen, woke her up while screaming and pointing to the terrace: ' Helen, the Blessed Virgin Mary!'. Helen saw nothing. Awad, the husband of Helen, and Myrna's brother-in-law, had to carry her in his arms and take her down to the lounge. Fathers George Abu Zakhem, Greek (Antiochian) Orthodox and Myrna's parents are contacted in order to join Myrna and the Nazzour family for prayer. Father Elias Zahlaoui was also contacted near the end of the prayers, at 11:45 p.m. He is informed about what had happened. He tells Myrna: 'Probably the Virgin Mary wanted to give you a message, but seeing you so upset, she did not say anything. Prepare yourself at welcoming Her with this prayer, 'O Virgin Mary, help me to receive you and to be receptive to your message'. Myrna asks: 'Is that all?'

(2) In Arabic the verb (remember) applied to God means to praise God and to glorify Him.

(3) This sentence answers the supplication of Myrna's father folded in half to the ground, saying aloud: 'Virgin Mary, I beg you, do not deprive us of your oil.'

(4) The sentence of the Virgin Mary, 'I will visit homes more often' remained incomprehensible. But that phrase has taken all its meaning from October 1983, when oil began to ooze from hundreds of images of the icon of Soufanieh, both in Damascus and elsewhere and when people began to pray before the images that had given this sign.

(5) The Virgin Mary said in another circumstance that this place of pilgrimage, therefore of prayer, we would have to remove a stone from the arch of the outer door of the house, and place in it an icon of the Virgin Mary, with a word of gratitude and thanks to Her Son Jesus. This has been done in early May 1983.

(6) This took place before the transfer of the holy icon to the Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross, according to the desire of the Orthodox patriarchal authority, as advised by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, Myrna and Nicolas, at the interview that he granted them the morning of December 30, 1983, and as was explained in the official statement of the Patriarchate, the very next day about the 'Phenomenon'.

(7) On the afternoon of that day, around five o'clock, two Orthodox priests - Archimandrites Elias Kfoury and Dimitri Hosni brought back the holy iconâ as it was described in the official Patriarchal announcement - in a black nylon bag, without giving any explanation for this, hence the irritation of the families towards the two priests.

(8) When Father Malouli arrived and learned about what had happened, he asked Myrna to pray privately with her. They recited a decade of the rosary, and they prayed in their hearts. Father Malouli recited: 'O Virgin Mary, enlighten us, lest we commit a gaffe detrimental to your program.' At the end of the apparition, people wondered who this 'Joseph' was. It was then that Father Malouli showed them his identity card and told them what had happened. Before the 'Soufanieh Phenomenon' nobody in the house knew him. Moreover, very few people in Damascus knew his first name. He served as a priest in Damascus since 1940 till his death in 2000 without interruption.

(9) Towards the end of the apparition, Myrna said: 'Father Almighty ..' while everyone else continued to recite the Creed. At the end of the Creed, Myrna continued: 'Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth to men of good will.'. After the apparition, Myrna was asked to explain her behavior. She replied: 'The Blessed Virgin Mary began reciting the Creed, and I continued after Her.'

(10) The Blessed Virgin Mary confided a secret to Myrna: 'This is between you and me until your death.' Myrna remembers only these words from the message.

(12) 'For a creature, can there be a greater joy than to know that God, the Creator has made Himself a creature?' -Blessed Pope John Paul II, L'Osservatore Romano, 7/1/1986. Page 2.

(13) When Father Malouli asked Myrna the meaning of the word 'glorified', she replied: 'That is to say Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.'

The 'Nihil Obstat' was granted to Fr. Naoum Attallah, Superior of the Lazarists in Damascus, in 1987 for the Messages covering the period of 1982 till 1987.

The translation and the revisions of the English version of the Messages were done courtesy Father Alam Alam, Melkite Catholic priest in Michigan, USA (2025).

	Date	VM/JC	E/A	CE/Stigmata
1	1982/12/15	VM	A
2	1982/12/18	VM	A
3	1983/01/08	VM	A
4	1983/02/21	VM	A
5	1983/03/24	VM	A
6	1983/10/28	VM	E
7	1983/11/04	VM	E
8	1983/11/25	VM	E
8A	1984/04/19	JC	E	YES
9	1984/05/31	JC	E
10	1984/09/07	VM	E
11	1985/05/01	VM	E
12	1985/08/04	VM	E
13	1985/08/14	VM	E
14	1985/09/07	JC	E
15	1985/11/26	JC	E
16	1986/11/26	JC	E
17	1987/04/18	JC	E/	YES
18	1987/05/28	JC	E
19	1987/07/22	JC	E
20	1987/08/14	JC	E
21	1987/09/07	JC	E
22	1987/11/26	JC	E
23	1988/08/14	JC	E
24	1988/09/07	JC	E
25	1988/10/10	JC	E
26	1988/11/26	JC	E
27	1989/08/18	VM	E
28	1989/11/26	VM	E
29	1990/04/14	JC	E	YES
30	1990/08/15	VM	E
31	1990/11/26	VM	E
32	2001/04/14	JC	E	YES
33	2001/11/26	JC	E
34	2004/04/08	JC	E	YES
35	2004/04/10	JC	E	YES
36	2014/04/17	JC	E	YES
37	2025/04/19	JC	E	YES