Our Lady’s appearances in the Greater Cincinnati area were marked by abnormal light phenomena and personal experiences reported by large numbers of attendees at events. For example, at the midnight hour during evening services ever since 1992, large groups of people have reported seeing flashing lights on surrounding buildings. Reports emphasize that the lights cannot be explained away as resulting from camera flashes or strobe lights, but rather as coming from some almost ethereal source.
Photos taken at the scene of these events often show phenomena which defy explanation. Some photos show an almost smoky cloud wending through the crowd. Others depict what would seem to be a kind of lightning, but again moving quickly through the assembly. In most cases, the people in attendance do not see these darting lights. They seem to appear only on photographic slides and prints.
During daylight, and sometimes during night-time events, large numbers of people have reported seeing circular rainbows around the sun or moon. While these rainbows can often be explained away as ice crystal light refraction in the atmosphere, such unique visual effects would only tend to be seen on extremely cold winter days, while those seen on anniversary days occur regularly during summer days and evenings.
A wide range of other phenomena has been reported during and surrounding Our Lady of Light celebrations. They include the turning of rosary chain links between beads, typically silver colored, to a rich golden color. Less widely observed conditions have shown golden colored chains turning silver and beads even changing shape or color.
Marian apparitions like those associated with Our Lady of Light are often accompanied by a strong, sweet flower aroma, commonly referred to as the “scent of roses.” Not everyone smells such an aroma, but those who do report that the sensation is unforgettable. Such experiences have been common at Our Lady of Light events.
Finally, Marian apparitions in recent memory (e.g., at Medjugorje) have often been accompanied by a phenomenon wherein the viewer sees what seems to be the sun spinning, and is often referred to “the Miracle of the Host.” The sun, even at high noon, is visible as a bright white circle in the sky, and viewers can look at the sun for many minutes without eye injury. Such a phenomenon has occurred often locally, with large groups of viewers gathered to see it together.
No photo will convince the skeptic about the legitimacy of a reported phenomenon. The conclusion will always be that the perceived “miracle” was simply a figment of the viewer’s imagination.