A series of apparitions by the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, has been approved by a bishop in Argentina as worthy of belief, owing to its "supernational origin," the Catholic News Agency (CNA) reports.

Bishop Hector Cardelli of San Nicolas in Argentina's Buenos Aires province made the announcement on May 22 during a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas.

Cardelli said after investigating the Marian apparitions for years, he has come to the conclusion that "Jesus through His Most Holy Mother, the Holy Spirit through his beloved spouse, has desired to lovingly manifest Himself in our diocese."

Michael O'Neil, a miracle researcher and author who runs the website MiracleHunter.com, said the bishop's approval is significant since this means that the messages from the apparitions are not only approved for the faithful to read but also that the events that transpired were in indeed actual miraculous apparitions.

"That puts it on par with Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe," O'Neil said.

The apparitions began after some rosaries owned by residents in San Nicolas de los Arroyos in Buenos Aires began to glow inexplicably in 1983.

A wife and mother named Gladys Quiroga de Motta saw these glowing rosaries and began to pray to the Virgin Mary. She said the Virgin Mary appeared to her on Sept. 25 that year, carrying the infant Jesus and wearing a blue gown and veil. She said her figure glowed with light.

Gladys said one month after she saw the Marian apparition, the Virgin Mary again appeared before her and gave her a white rosary, saying, "Receive this Rosary from my hands and keep it forever and ever. You are obedient; I am happy because of it. Rejoice, for God is with you."

The Virgin Mary then asked Gladys to look for a statue that had been blessed by a Pope and was forgotten away in a church. Gladys found the statue on Nov. 27, 1983 in the belfry of the diocesan cathedral.

The statue was that of the Mother of God holding the Child Jesus. It had been brought from Rome after it was blessed by Pope Leo XIII.

Gladys said the statue resembled the Marian apparition she saw.

She said the Virgin Mary visited her 68 times, each time bearing messages from Jesus.

Gladys has shared about 1,800 messages from the Virgin Mary, O'Neil said. Many dwell on peace, repentance, returning to the sacraments, and drawing people closer to Christ. But there are also apocalyptic messages, predicting great turmoil for humanity ahead, O'Neil said.

As further proof of the Marian apparitions' authenticity, Gladys reportedly received the stigmata on her wrists, feet, side and shoulder.

There were also documented miraculous healings related to the apparitions, including the healing of a boy with a brain tumour, according to CNA.

Father René Laurentin, an expert on Marian apparitions, noted the apparitions' messages in his book, "An Appeal from Mary in Argentina."

In one of the messages, the Virgin Mary warned that mankind is "in the process of falling into a progressive self-destruction," saying, "It is up to you to set your eyes and your heart on God," Laurentin said.