R.H. RUGGLES, Visions of Mary and Jesus: A Pilgrimage to the sacred sites of 14 famous apparitions. Popular Pilgrimage Publications, 2021. Pp. 247. $8.49 pb. ISBN 978-1-989903-65-0. Reviewed by Walter N. SISTO, D'Youville, Buffalo, NY 14201.

R.H. Ruggles's well-written e-book provides an accessible and interesting overview of 14 famous apparition sites.

R examines a variety of apparitions chronologically, from the famous apparitions of Mary at Lourdes (1858) to the apparition of Mary at Betania, Venezuela (1976-1984). R's choices for apparitions are interesting.  He ignored the largest, active Marian pilgrimage site today, Medjugorje, and focuses on multiple lesser-known visions such as the miraculous appearances of Mary at Beauraing, Belgium (1931-1933) and Zeitoun, Egypt (1968). Each chapter provides a short historical overview of the apparition, miraculous healings, church approval process, and cultural attractions. The result is a solid introduction to the apparitions, especially for potential pilgrims. The last section of each chapter provides a valuable companion for planning a pilgrimage, as R provides insight on important Catholic landmarks near the apparition site. 

R's book successfully provides a "photo pilgrimage" of the shrines that reiterate the theme of "conversion, to turn away from sin, and to be reconciled with God and others." (8-9) Unfortunately, the low-resolution and at times blurry images from Wikimedia detract from the author's purpose and the beauty of these sites. Moreover, although R provides a succinct and accurate overview of each vision and visionary, there are a few minor errors. For instance, Fatima was the daughter of Muhammad not Muhammad's sister as the author claims, (Cf. 133) and R uses terminology for persons with disabilities that is no longer appropriate (e.g., invalids).

Despite these minor shortcomings, this text provides a low-cost, concise overview of fourteen important visions of Mary and Jesus. It is well-suited for a parish setting or readers interested or planning to make a pilgrimage to these religious sites. Moreover, R's bibliography provides a great resource for readers interested in academic and more robust accounts of the apparitions and the visionary messages.