What are special visions or appearances of Jesus or Mary or the saints called?

Answer 1

They are called apparitions. This is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say:


Catechism of the Catholic Church:
66 "The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive Covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ." Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.
67 Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such "revelations."

Such visions or apparitions are thoroughly investigated by the Church before they are approved for 'public consumption' and the vast majority are not. Even if they are approved they do not become articles of faith. In other words a person is free to accept or reject them.

Answer 2

Special visions or appearances of Jesus, Mary, or the saints are often called apparitions. These are believed by some to be supernatural occurrences where a divine being is perceived or experienced in a tangible way. Apparitions are often linked to religious events or sites where believers seek guidance or spiritual connection.

Answer 3

It depends on whom you ask. To a true Catholic they are miracles. To many others, they are delusions or Church Propaganda.