On Thursday, April 19, it will be 28 years since the Foundation Betania was founded. In previous publications we have made reference to this Civil Foundation to which we are honored to belong to.

The Civil Association Betania Foundation is a social, apolitical, and non-profit institution. It was founded by Mrs. Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini on April 19, 1979 in Caracas, Venezuela. It has the purpose of conceiving and carrying out activities that bear spiritual, moral, educational and intellectual development, with no discrimination whatsoever; looking to draw men closer together, and draw men closer to God, prime basis for true universal brotherhood.

Mrs. Maria Esperanza said that the work of the foundation should be made in an impersonal way, looking for true human solidarity and putting into effect the objectives in order to practice the divine command: "Love one another, as I have loved you!"

The name Betania comes from a farm with the same name that is located in Valles del Tuy, on the highway from Cua to San Casimiro that was acquired by the Bianchini family in 1974. Our Lady, under the title of Mary Reconciler of all People and Nations, has appeared there several times, the first of which was on March in 1976. The 31º anniversary was celebrated recently. The word Betania also reminds us of the village near the mount of olive trees in Jerusalem where the friends of Jesus lived: Lazarus, Martha and Mary, where Christ did the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus.

The apparitions of the Virgin in Finca Betania were approved by the Catholic Church by means of a Pastoral Letter issued by the Bishop of the Diocese of Los Teques, His Excellency Monsignor Pio Bello Ricardo (RIP). It was the fourth apparition in the world approved by the Church during the twentieth century.

After the apparitions, the Bianchini family donated part of the property to the Church, which includes the grotto and cascade where the Virgin appears, as well as the area required for the construction of a chapel and its possible amplification, the parish house, a terrace to receive big concentrations of people, areas for the pilgrims for sanitary services, for resting, for picnics and of access to the main highway.

At the same time, Mrs. Maria Esperanza also founded on April 19, but in 1981, the Betania Choir formed by her children, grandchildren and members of the foundation that nowadays make a group of more than 60 people, conducted by Prof. Maria Auxiliadora Bianchini de Leon, one of the daughters of Mrs. Maria Esperanza. They have taken their songs to Temples and institutions of Venezuela, South America, North America, Europe and Israel.

During their 28 years of work, the Foundation Betania has participated in numerous events of religious character in support to Our Holy Mother Church. The most recent of which took place last year in July in Valencia, Spain, during the V World Meeting of the Family. This event gathered thousands of participants from throughout the world, culminating with Holy Mass celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. In that opportunity, the Foundation prepared a stand with religious articles and information concerning the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother in Finca Betania, spreading the message of the Virgin and encouraging all the participants of the event with the Choir.

We close these brief comments with the following words of its founder: "Brothers, it is never too late to commence the sowing of the good seed. If because of carelessness, negligence or ignorance this has not been done, the time to rectify is now. We must try and put ourselves to work. Now you have an opportunity, the Betania Foundation has the need for good men and women who will plant the seeds! Think about this and contact us.”

This means that the Foundation Betania is an institution open to all those who want to participate in this community-enterprise, fighting for a world of coexistence among men, under the motto of: "Shielded in faith to work for a better tomorrow.”

The Betania Foundation