What she looks like: on the recognition and iconization of the virgin mary at apparition sites in the twentieth century

ABSTRACT

Knowledge about Mary's appearance, which shapes apparition experiences, is transmitted primarily via well-known images, which themselves are increasingly representations of visions. Though there has been increased homogenization of images of Mary in the twentieth century resulting from template distribution and the way the psychology of recognition works, Mary is still consistently made specific to a place, to carry uniquely identifiable features which may also articulate local political and theological stances. As long as the apparitions are still taking place, these features may be in flux; the process by which they jell is termed “iconization,” the social process of agreeing on one image as the recognizable face of Mary at a certain apparition site. Medjugorje, the most important active Marian apparition site since the late twentieth century, is unique in that several images compete there for iconic status. Though power structures play an important role in determining which images become icons, this essay emphasizes the balancing act between universal and particular traits which constrains the options of the key players producing the images.