At the time of the apparition, Pontmain, France was a small village, inhabited by simple and hardworking country folk who were guided by their parish priest, Abbé Michel Guérin. Among them was the Barbadette family: father César, his wife, Victoire, with their two sons Joseph and Eùgene, aged ten and twelve. An older son was also away in the army. On the evening of 17 January 1871, the two boys were helping their father in the barn when the middle son, Eùgene, walked over towards the door to look out.

His father, brother, and a neighbour came out to look, and Joseph immediately said he too could see the apparition, although the adults saw nothing. The mother, Victoire, came out, but she too could see nothing. She was puzzled, because her boys were usually very truthful. She suggested that it might be the Blessed Virgin, and that they should all say five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys in her honor.

As it was now about a quarter past six, and time for supper, the boys were ordered inside, but soon after allowed to go outside again. The Lady was still there and so the local schoolteacher, Sister Vitaline, was sent for. She couldn’t see the Lady, and so she went to fetch three young children from the school to see their reactions.

The moment they arrived, the two older children, girls aged nine and eleven, expressed their delight at the apparition, describing it as the boys had done, although the youngest child saw nothing.

The adults in the crowd, which had now grown to about sixty people, including the priest, could still see nothing and began to say the rosary, as the children exclaimed that something new was happening. A blue oval frame with four candles, two at the level of the shoulders and two at the knees, was being formed around the Lady, and a short red cross had appeared over her heart.

As the rosary progressed the figure and its frame grew larger, until it was twice life size; the stars around the Lady began to multiply and attach themselves to her dress until it was covered with them.

As the Magnificat was being said, the four children cried out, “Something else is happening.” A broad streamer on which letters were appearing unrolled beneath the feet of the Lady, so that eventually the phrase, “But pray, my children,” could be read.