Matous Lasuta, Turzovka, Czeckoslovakia, 1958
Status: Currently Being Investigated
Episcopal
Remarks: -
N/A
Corroboration by Other Seers: This
apparition was predicted to come about as “A Second Lourdes, of Slovakia” by
the visionary Theresa Neumann
Biographical Information: Matous Lasuta was born April 10, 1916. He lost his
mother when he was four years old . He became employed as a hand boy by a pious family. Next he enetered the
military service. After his service in the military, he was married. He and his
wife had four daughters, one of whom died. Matous became a woodcutter, however
he was promoted to forester in 1956. The “U Obrozku” (round mountain at the
apex of which was a shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help) was situated in his
forestry district. During his regular rounds through the forest he never forgot
to stop and pray at the shrine. He kept the little shrine adorned with flowers
in season. On June 1, 1958, the 100th
anniversary of the appairtions of Our Lady at Lourdes and on the Feast Day of
the Most Holy Trinity, Our Heavenly Mother first appeared to Matous at “U
Obrozku” This occurred at 9.00AM. Matous had never learned to pray the rosary,
however he was on his knees before the holy picture of Our Lady praying, when
he saw a flash of light and felt his head spinning, the trees dissapeared and
then he saw a beautiful rose garden. The rose garden was round and surrounded
by a little white fence, in the centre the roses were taller and from the
centre streamed a light brighter than the sun. In this light and floating on a
cloud about threee and a half meters above the ground was a beautiful lady,
youn, slim and of extraordinary height. Her expression was serious yet majestic
and She was smiling. A rosary hung from Her left arm. Her face was oval and
very white, Her eyes were azure blue and chestnut hair peeked out from behind
Her veil. She radiated grandeur and majesty. She was clad in a snow white dress
with a blue girdle and Her Hands were joined, just as Our Lady appeared at
Lourdes. She was about 17 or 18, of heavenly beauty and taller than any human
being. Matous immediately knew that She was the Blessed Virgin Mary. She
pointed Her right index finger to the ground. Matous looked and saw three
boards which had become detached from the white fence. He understood that he
was to fix Her garden fence so he picked up a little hammer and nails and
nailed the boards back on. She seemed pleased. Then Our Lady shook the
beautiful rosary beads She was holding while she looked at Matous. He was ashamed
and embarassed because he knew She was asking him to say the rosary, yet he did
not know how to pray the rosary, nor did he even own a rosary. Our Lady then
signaled Matous to look in the direction of the pine; he looked and saw a
tableaux showing the globe, then all the different countries on earth were
displayed. Different colours now appeared on the map, some green some yellow.
The water was blue. An inscription explained that the green spots indicate
countries where the population is good and the yellow spots denote countries
marked for destruction owing to the bad behaviour of the people. The high
country is more green and the flat land more yellow. Matous sees the yellow
invading and covering more countries while the green is retreating. The message
was that the world is getting worse and worse. Then an inscription emerged from
the words “Do penance” By and by the yellow colour had invaded all lands. Then
powerful explosions burst forth over the water and land. A dense rain of small
leaves fall to the earth, and upon reaching the ground, these turned into
flames. Soon all the touched soil is covered by fire. Matous sees this as a
punishment by God. From the indications on the map, Matous can make out which
countries will be destroyed and which ones will be protected under Mary’s
mantle. However the seer is not permitted to communicate these precisions to
any person except to the Holy Father in Rome. Then once more Matous sees the
word “Do penance.” It is made known to Matous that what he had seen, he is to
tell the world. Towards the end of this first apparition Our Lady pointed
across the trees. Looking in that direction Matous sees heaven descending to
earth, then the seer sees Our Saviour in Splendour with the cross beside Him.
From Our Lord’s heart three arrows of light stream forth, the one in the middle
penetrates Patous and he falls to the ground. Matous feels that Mary was
telling Him “If you carry out My order, you will go there (heaven).” When the seer fully comes to himself the
Mother of God had dissapeared; but She had left the rosary on the grasss, which
She previously offered to him. Matous picked up the rosary and to his great
surprise was able to say the rosary, including all the mysteries. He
immediately said the five Glorious Mysteries, at which moment he heard the
bells from the church at Vipaka announce the Angelus at noon. He now realized
that the apparition had lasted three hours. Matous reviewed his life and
decided to humble himself and personally ask the forgiveness of all he had
hurt. That very day he visited the people to ask for forgiveness. This lasted
till midnight and the people he visited thought he was crazy. He did not want
anything on his heart before he received Jesus in the Eucharist. After this
first apparition Matous received six additional apparitions. In each of the
seven apparitions, Matous was given the message pictorially, and each time the
subject matter was different. On June 7, 1958 Matous received the second
apparition and was given the message of the horrible spectacle of the sins of
mankind. Then on June 27, 1958 he was made to see the punishment that will
strike the worldn if mankind does not return to God. During the apparition of July 1, 1958 Our Lady showed Matous how
the chastisement could be avoided or made lighter through prayer, the rosary
and penance. Prayer can hold off the justice of God but such prayer must come
first from the heart, not proceed only from the intellect. The features of the last three apparitions
remain Matous’ secret. These have not been revealed. For several weeks after
the apparitions Matous remained silent. He changed. He attended daily Mass.
However the happenings leaked out and Matous was urged to tell all to the
people. On Sunday September 8, 1958, Feast of the Nativity of Mary, he went for
the first time with a group of people to the place of the apparitions; to pray.
After they finished praying Matous told the people “In three days I will leave
you” In fact on the next Wednesday Matous was arrested and placed in jail. The
rosary which Matous received from Our Blessed Virgin, and which he had always
kept around his neck, dissapeared mysteriously at the moment he was
arrested. He was submitted to several
trials in court. The judge offered to release Matous and to promote him and
give him a raise in salary if he would only admit he fell asleep and had a
dream about Our Lady; but did not have an apparition. Matous asked the judge if
he could renounce his own mother. Of course when the judge said he could not,
Matous said neither could he renounce his own heavenly Mother. As a result of
this trial Matous was declared insane and confined to a mental institution.
When he was released after ten months he was discharged from his job and lost
all his rights. The Church was suppressed
in Czechoslovakia. The communist controlled government and Masonic influences
were reportedly doing all in their power to make the memory of Our Lady of
Turzovka “go away” The communists became more aggressive in their effrotts to
stop devotion to Our Lady and also to prevent people from going to the place of
the apparitions. The communist authorities had the pine tree cut down. They
prohibited vehicle traffic to the site of the apparitions, but neverthelesss
more and more people kept coming up the mountain to pray and show their
devotion to Our Lady of Turzovka. The pilgrims who had received physical and
spiritual health in their gratitude had erected little altars crosses and
statues on the mountainside. From the very wood of the pine tree which had been
cut down, the villagers made a cross which was erected on the exact spot where
the pine tree had stood. On 36 separate occasions since 1958 the communists
broke down the altars, the statues, crosses and candles that covered the
mountainside at the apparition site. Still people from all over kept coming to
Turzovka. One year after Matous was released from the mental institution, he
was rearrested and sentenced to three years in prison. After his release from
prison and during these more recent times, Matous is less bothered by the
government police although they still keep an eye on him. At one point during the apparitions Our Lady
indicated that a spring of healing water would come to flow in a place where no
spring existed. It is reported that for three consecutive nights a man by the
name of Jaroslav Zaalenka had a vision in which a lady told him that he must go
to the “U Obrozku” and dig there. On the third day he went there but did not
know exactly where to dig. He started to dig when the very lady of his vision,
now present on the mountain said to him “Do not dig here but over there where
you see those ferns” He went to that place and began to dig. Then the ferns
mysteriously vanished. When he looked around for the lady, she too had
vanished. From that moment a spring gushed there and exists today. Today there
are seven springs on the mountain. Through the use of this spring water many
physical and spiritual healings have been reported. For this reason this place
has become known as the “Lourdes of Slovakia.” In addition to the healings
other phenomena have been reported relating to the water. There have been
several instances where miraculous images are formed within the ice when the
water is frozen. Even more amazing when the ice thawed out and was refrozen
sometimes other miraculous images depicting entirely different scenes
appeared. Numerous signs and wonders
occurred not only at the site of the apparition but at other places. On such
occurrence happened when passengers boarding the bus at Cadec headed for
Turzovka included among there number a
bare footed woman with a rosary on her belt. The driver asked her destination
and she said “Turzovka”. He took a ticket from his book and gave it to her. She
said she had no money. A passenger
offered to pay her fare, but she declind because “He had three children at home
for whom he must care” So the driver offered to pay for her fare. Again she
declined tellhim that he was single and wanted to get married and that he would
have some very difficult times ahead. The passengers were amazed that she could
accurately relate such personal conditions. Thereupon all the passengers said
they would each pay a portion of her fare but they wanted her first to show her
identification. The lady replied that the driver had her ID in his pocket. The
driver reached into his pocket and to his surprise pulled out a picture of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. Thereupon the lady dissapeared. Everyone on the bus was
astonished. 1
References
1. Peter
Heintz A Guide to Apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin Mary (Gabriel Press,
Sacramento, California 1995) p. 243 -248
Our Lady, June 1, 1958 “Do penance! Do penance!” This message appeared in
the very first tableaux that was shown Matous during the first apparition. The inscription
showed these words, not just once but twice! “As for penance, it must consist
above all in abstaining from evil and doing good” Also Our Lady said that
penance is not only for sinners but for all. During his three hours of ecstasy
on this day Matous was cured of all his sickness including his chronic
bronchitis.
Vision,
June 1, 1958: Matous saw
pictorially the increasing invasion of the nations by evil. He also saw a
glimpse of heaven towards the end of the apparition and a vision of Jesus on the
cross.
Our
Lady, June 7, 1958: The
Tableaux showed the horrible spectacle of the sins of man. These sins surely
are repulsive to God.
Our
Lady, June 27, 1958: Matous
was made to see the great punishment to befall the world if mankind does not
return to God. The description of the chastizement was made known to the seer;
yet Our Lady also said that prayer can hold off the justice of God. Matous
describes it thus: (i) The sun will cease to warm, there will be cold summers
with poor harvests (ii) there will be terrible floods and other misfortunes
through the elements (iii) there will be earthquakes and mountains will move
(iv) Churches will collapse, houses will move and be carried away by the floods
(v) the non believers will blaspheme in their despair (vi) The air will be
filled with demon-like forms which are the incorporations of sin and vice.
These phantoms will terrify humanity Our Lady also said “These days will start
with rolling thunder and trembling of the earth. Then close well your habitation,
pray, cross yourselves with the sign of the cross, repent of your sins, call
upon the Mother of God for help, and She will take you under Her protection”
Our
Lady, July 1, 1958: Our
Lady showed Matous how the Chastizement could be avoided or lessened through
prayer, the praying of the rosary and penance. Our Lady also said “The angels
who are entrusted with the work of destruction are ready but the wrath of God
can be stayed by praying the rosary , by penance and sincere repentance” Our
Lady told Matous that after the Great punishment then nature will calm down and
a bright light will appear; but the world will not be recognizable. Everything
will be destroyed. It will be difficult to find life and living beings. God
will punish the wicked and those who will have blasphemed Him. What will happen
to the good? Our Lady said: "All my children will receive and carry the
sign of the cross on their foreheads.
This sign only my chosen ones will see. These chosen ones will be
instructed by my angels how to conduct themselves. My faithful will be without
any kind of fear during the most difficult hours. They will be protected by the
good spirits and will be fed by Heaven from where they will receive further
instructions. They will fall into a deathlike sleep, but they will be protected
by angels. When they awake they will be like those newly born. Their bodies
will be beautiful and their souls will be steeped in God. The earth will be
beautiful and my chosen ones will se how God takes care of them.”
Miraculous
images, September 8, 1963:
Some people went to Tuzovka and brought water to keep in case of sickness. The
water was placed in two bottles. On
January 24, 1964 a woman was in pain so they fetched the bottles and found the
water was frozen. In the first bottle they saqw the heights of Turzovka and
above it a Chalice with a silver cross in the centre. In the second bottle was
also shown the heights of Turzovka and above it a clock which showed the time
as five minutes before 12 O’Clock. On February 7, 1964 the ice now contained
the images of two Chalices with a silver disk inside. Then on February 15, 1964
the Easter Lamb appeared in the ice. On March 5, 1964 the Easter Lamb appeared
in the ice. On March 5, 1964 yet other images appeared in the frozen bottles of
water. The first was the Immaculate Conception showing Our Lady with Her hands
folded and a crown on Her head. The second showed Our Lady with a radiating
heart standing on a pedestal.
Miraculous
images, undated, 1963: A glass of water belonging to Mrs Agnes
Koneana was frozen and an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was exquisitely
shown in the ice. This was shown to some officials who just shook their heads.
The iced water was allowed to thaw and was refrozen. This time an image of a
Chalice with a Host suspended above it appeared in the ice.
Our Lady, undated, June 1964: There is a beatutiful story reported concerning an
exquisitely carved statue of Our Lady of Turzovka which is destined to be set
in a prominent place in the new Basilica which is to be built on the mountain
of the apparitions. Alois Lasak a retired coal miner who lived in Hlucin some
distance from Turzovka felt drawn to Turzovka and would take the bus and visit
the shrine at least once a month commencing in 1960. On one such visit in June
1964 Aloid saw blood flow from the Crucified Christ on the cross which had been
erected on the spot where the apparitions had occurred. Alois also saw Christ
on the cross throw His head back and open His eyes, then bend His head forward
and close His eyes again. This happened three times during this vision. The next day Alois had another vision inside
his own house. Our Lady appeared to him and commissioned him to carve a statue
of Our Lady of Turzovka. She told Alois “What you see is to be done by you.
This work, once finished, you will deliver it to the believers. You must not
fear, I shall help you. Even the face I shall supply” During this vision Alois
was also shown the passion of Christ. The vision lasted four hours and left
Alois weak and trembling. He had no experience in carving or sculpting and he
was afraid. After talking to his wife he decided to visit the shrine again.
When Alois arrived at “U Obrozku” and aged man remarked “Among you is a man who
will carve a statue of Our Lady of Turzovka” This man then lead Alois to the
cross (the very first cross where Alois had the vision). Incidentally in 1958
Our Lady had directed Matous to make a cross from the downed pine tree and
erect it on the spot where She had appeared. This was done but the communists
burned the cross. The pilgrims erected a new cross and placed the partially
burned original cross on the new cross. The new cross was burned and again
replaced always preserving the partially burned cross. This happened three
separate times. It was to this third new cross that the aged man led Alois.
Here the aged man insisted that Alois remove the partially burned cross and
carve a small cross and a heart from it, and that these two objects should be
placed inside the statue to be carved by Alois. It was done. Someone obtained
the wood for the statue, the cross and heart were placed in a cavity dug out
inside the wood. After the wood was halved the two halves were glued together
and Alois proceeded to carve the statue –a feat which he completed in two
months!
Our Lady and Our Lord, May 1, 1965: A great sign occurred in Turzovka, witnessed by some
1200 pilgrims and vacationers. On two opposite sides of the sky there appeared
huge brilliant shrines. These twp shrines then came together in the middle of
the sky to form in brilliance a huge heart. On one side of the heart appeared
the Immaculate Conception, while Our Saviour appeared on the other side. In
front of Our Saviour was a big red cross. This lasted for ten minutes. People
fell to their knees and prayed with great fervour.
Our
Lady, undated: Our Lady
told Matous that prayer can hold off the justice of God but such prayer must
come from the heart, not proceed only from the intellect and it must not be
said absentmindedly. And to the prayer must be added good works. These good
works must not consist in a bare distribution of food, clothing or money, but
the gifts must be accompanied by encouraging words, a smile and friendly
glance.
Our
Lady, undated: Our Lady
told Matous that mankind must come back to God and pray for the conversion
because the numerous sins of the world are urgently calling from the justice of
God
Miracles,
undated: The water taken
home from the Springs displayed miraculous images after the water had been
frozen. Several instances are reported where sacred images appeared in the ice.
Then when the ice was metled and refrozen other and different images appeared.
Our
Lady undated: There is an
instance where Matous was detained by the police who attempted to take his
photograph (mug shot). Eac time they took the picture of Matous, yet each time
upon developing it, they found an Image of Our Lady of Fatima and none of
Matous
References
1. Messages taken
from Peter Heintz A Guide to
Apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin Mary (Gabriel Press, Sacramento,
California 1995) p. 248 –254)