A priest in Nigeria claims that the Virgin Mary recently appeared at his church and over 100 parishioners were on hand to witness the miraculous event. The peculiar incident reportedly occurred at the St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church in the city of Calabar last month and was revealed to the world shorty thereafter by Fr. Evaristus Bassey, who heads the parish, on his Twitter account. In detailing the wondrous event, he asserted that more than 100 people witnessed the visitation, including “a Protestant pastor who came to visit his cousin, the assistant priest.” After first appearing at the church, Bassey recalled, “she moved up to the Shrine dedicated to her and then was taken up. It was amazing.”

Along with his recounting of the visitation, the priest also including several photos (which can be seen in the video above) of what he contends to be the Virgin Mary, though conceded that “the rays around her were too bright for a clear picture.” According to Bassey, there was no message imparted during the visit, which led him to theorize that “she came to assure” the congregation “of God’s presence with us.” A few days after sharing the amazing account, the priest provided an update to the story by way of insights from interviews that he conducted with some of the witnesses to the event, including the first individual who allegedly saw the Virgin Mary appear in the sky that day.

Saviour Asuquo told Bassey that his attention was initially drawn to a rainbow on the horizon that was so vivid that it “made him wonder what was up.” Before he had much time to ponder that question, he noticed “a beam of light that came from the sky” and fell onto a spot in the church parking lot. When Asuquo looked back at where the rainbow had been, he saw “the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary emerging” from that area and coming closer towards him. According to Bassey, “he saw very clearly a woman wearing a blinking crown and a rosary with lights blinking as well, and that all around her was light.”

Looking over at a statue of the Virgin Mary, Asuquo marveled that “it did not in any way match the beauty of the woman,” who proceeded to smile at him. The apparition then merged with the beam of light on the ground and illuminated the entire area, which led to the entire congregation coming out of the church to see what had caused the curious event. Another witness that Bassey spoke to was a young woman who insisted that “I saw the apparition very clearly” and, despite being doubted by her friends and family, was adamant that “I know what I saw.” This was echoed by yet another observer, who told the priest “this wasn’t a matter of seeing only the brightness of the sun, I saw her very clearly with my own eyes.”

Alas, despite there being so many witnesses to the event, the handful of pictures from the visitation only show a glowing anomaly in the sky that seems to be in the shape of a figure. Responding to those who wondered why there were no videos from the incident, Bassey amusingly argued that “maybe they think it is like the visit of a celebrity, where you have time to take all the selfies you want.” On the contrary, he said, “a supernatural event such as this fills you with a certain awe that you don’t even think about reaching to your phone.” He concluded the account by noting that some parishioners hope that the Virgin Mary will return with a message, but the priest mused that he is content with “the fact that she came with a smile,” which he believes “is a positive indication.”

A first century dwelling in Nazareth. It is quite likely Jesus lived in a abode such as this.

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963) is an American pastor, televangelist and author based in Houston, Texas. Known for his weekly televised services and several best-selling books, Osteen is one of the more prominent figures associated with prosperity theology.

The current mansion of Osteen and his previous residence below.

Osteen lives with his family in a 17,000 square-foot mansion in River Oaks, with an estimated value of $10.5 million. Osteen says that as senior pastor, he draws no salary from the church, which has an annual budget of $70 million, and that he instead relies on income from book sales.

Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, or seed faith) is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth. Material and especially financial success is seen as a sign of divine favor.

Prosperity theology has been criticized by leaders from various Christian denominations, including within some Pentecostal and charismatic movements, who maintain that it is irresponsible, promotes idolatry, and is contrary to the Bible. Secular as well as some Christian observers have also criticized prosperity theology as exploitative of the poor. The practices of some preachers have attracted scandal and some have been charged with financial fraud.

Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity. The doctrine emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God’s will for his people to be blessed. The atonement (reconciliation with God) is interpreted to include the alleviation of sickness and poverty, which are viewed as curses to be broken by faith. This is believed to be achieved through donations of money, visualization, and positive confession.

It was during the Healing Revivals of the 1950s that prosperity theology first came to prominence in the United States, although commentators have linked the origins of its theology to the New Thought movement which began in the 19th century. The prosperity teaching later figured prominently in the Word of Faith movement and 1980s televangelism. In the 1990s and 2000s, it was adopted by influential leaders in the Pentecostal movement and charismatic movement in the United States and has spread throughout the world. Prominent leaders in the development of prosperity theology include E. W. Kenyon, Oral Roberts, A. A. Allen, Robert Tilton, T. L. Osborn, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Reverend Ike, and Kenneth Hagin.

The New Testament quotes Jesus as saying that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.