Meetings with Mary

Is this the Age of Mary? While the apparitions of Mary, Mother of Jesus, being reported from around the globe, are not unique to the 20th century, they are increasing in number, according to Connell. ``People of all faiths, all religions and nations,'' she writes, ``are hearing and seeing the Mother of God as never before in recorded history.'' She chronicles many of these encounters, beginning with an early Christian tradition about the Prophet Elijah, continuing with well-known stories like Lourdes and Guadalupe, then concentrating on a host of 20th-century visions. People who have experienced the apparitions seem to have received messages ecumenical and apocalyptic in tone. Most of the stories recounted here include both the text of Mary's message and a devotional interpretation as well. Though a rich source of Mary lore, the book will probably find its audience largely among those already comfortable with Roman Catholicism (Nov.)