Discovery of the Virgin Mary's house in Ephesus

Synthèse :

The first discovery was made by Father Gouyet on 18 October 1881. Ten years later, a second investigation took place.

Religious were sceptical about a mystical revelation

The discovery of Meryemana is linked to an episode in convent life. Sister Marie de Mandat Grancey, superior of the Daughters of Charity in charge of the French hospital in Izmir, was listening one day to the reading at table of this passage from Anne-Catherine Emmerich's Life of the Virgin, and heard a description of the details relating to the "house of Ephesus". She asked Father Jung and Father Poulin, two Lazarists who taught at the Collège du Sacré-Cœur in Izmir and who came to celebrate Mass at the hospital, to verify the veracity of these "revelations". Father Poulin recounts what happened, in a detached and rather captivating way:

"Around mid-November 1890, Anne Catherine Emmerich's Life of the Virgin fell into the hands of a few priests living in Izmir. These priests, it must be confessed, were in no way well disposed towards her alleged revelations. Nevertheless, they read her book. They were astonished to find, instead of the reveries they had expected, only simplicity, candour, uprightness and common sense. They shared their reading and their impressions with those around them. Long and interesting discussions ensued: some, the majority, criticised it with verve and humour; the others - those who had read - replied with indefatigable patience that, without settling the fundamental question, there were at least three merits that could not be denied to Anne Catherine Emmerich's visions: that of good faith, that of piety, and finally that of not putting forward anything that could not fit perfectly with the data of the Gospel...

In the last two chapters, the visionary tells us that the Virgin stayed in Ephesus, or rather in the vicinity of Ephesus, in a house built for her by Saint John. And then she goes into the most minute and precise detail, not only about the house itself, but about the surrounding country, the site, the orientation, the distances, etc.

At this reading, there was nothing but a shout from both camps: we must go and see! And it was decided that they would go and have a look. Indeed, neither side could have wished for a better opportunity to catch the visionary in the act of falsehood, or to see for themselves that she was perfectly truthful.

The most sceptical of the opponents - not the least competent in the matter - was put in charge of the expedition (Father Jung). He took with him another priest, a former soldier from 1870 like himself and almost as unbelieving, a servant for the luggage, a man from the railway, and set off, firmly resolved to search the whole mountain to establish that there was nothing there, and to put an end once and for all, as he put it, to these girls' daydreams! However, just the opposite happened.

An astonishing expedition

On 29 July 1891, a Wednesday, a day dedicated to Saint Joseph and St Martha's feast day, they set off resolutely into the mountains, compass in hand, heading straight ahead in the direction indicated by Anne Catherine Emmerich.

Finally, at around eleven o'clock, they reached a plateau covered with a tobacco field where a few women were working. At any other time, the sight of these women and this cultivated field would have caught their attention. But in their overwhelmed state, exhausted, thirsty and hot, they all had just one thought and one cry: "Néro! Néro!" ("Water! Water!"). We've run out of water," said the good women, "but over there, at the Monastri, there's a spring," and they pointed to a clump of trees ten minutes away. They ran to it. As they approached the fountain, they discovered, a few steps away, hidden under the tall trees, the ruins of an old house or chapel!

Suddenly a thought sprang to mind. That field they had just crossed... that ancient ruin... that name given to it, Panaya-Kapulu, "Gate of the Virgin"... those sheer rocks... that mountain behind... that sea in front! Had they unknowingly stumbled upon the house they were looking for? Emotions were running high. They had to be sure. Anne Catherine Emmerich said that, from the top of the mountain that shelters the house, you could see Ephesus on one side and the sea on the other, closer than it is to Ephesus.

The expedition party forgot fatigue, heat and thirst. They climbed, ran, and reached the top of the mountain. They had no more doubts: on the right is Aya Solouk, the Prion and the plain of Ephesus that surrounds it like a horseshoe; and on the left, the sea close by, with Samos in sight!

Second and third expeditions

It would be difficult to express the amazement and joy of our explorers. However, they must not be fooled by appearances. They had to be sure before making any judgements, and especially before speaking. The next two days were spent studying the house, the terrain, the orientation, the surrounding area, etc. After these two days of examination and study, they were convinced. The men then returned to Izmir to tell friends and critics alike about their astonishing discovery.

A fortnight later, on 13 August, a second expedition went to the site to check the report of the first. It confirmed the validity of everything the authors of the first expedition had said, and even noted some new, favourable details that had been overlooked on the first occasion.

From 19 to 25 August, the third expedition took place, made up of the leader of the first expedition and four or five educated lay people. This third expedition spent a whole week in the field, measuring, drawing, photographing and recording every important point as accurately as possible. After six days of this work, they returned to Izmir with plans, maps, measurements, drawings, photographs and, above all, the fullest assurance that Mary's house had been found and that there was no need to look elsewhere.

Official report

Finally, let us say that the diocesan authority itself issued an official statement, consecrating in a way by its own testimony all the previous testimonies, and giving them by the official character of its word, the last seal of veracity and authenticity.

On Thursday 1 December 1892, Archbishop Timoni of Izmir, to whom Ephesus belongs, wishing to see for himself the accuracy of the reports made to him from various quarters, travelled to Panaya-Kapulu, accompanied by a dozen important ecclesiastical and lay people.

After carefully observing everything with his own eyes, Archbishop Timoni agreed with everyone else that there was an undeniable resemblance between the house at Panaya-Kapulu and the one described by Anne Catherine Emmerich, and he did not hesitate to record the fact in a public and official report. The time has come to say to the Christian world: "See if what has been found is not the house that the Virgin lived in during her stay in Ephesus."

Au-delà des raisons d'y croire :

Anne-Catherine Emmerich was beatified on account of her heroic virtues, not for the mystical gifts she received (visions, stigmata, recognition of relics, etc.).

Aller plus loin :

The complete visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich online

En savoir plus :

• Official website of the House of the Virgin