Statue of Our Lady withstands landslides
Countless reports of natural or man-made disasters, including floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, fires, illnesses, attacks and wars, have alarmed the world in recent times. In this climate of distress, the gentle and protective presence of the Virgin Mary in her various invocations, has become more notable. Like a ray of hope, there are a growing number of instances in which statues of Mary remain intact in scenes of destruction.
One such episode occurred in February after heavy rains devastated the city of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, causing floods and landslides that left more than 200 people dead. During the tragedy, the population found spiritual encouragement in the presence of a small shrine of Our Lady of Graces that remained intact in one of the neighbourhoods most heavily hit by the storm. The statue has been there since 1973 and residents believe that her presence averted a far worse disaster.
Consecration of Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
In a statement released on February 24, the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ukraine, in response to the country’s current situation, urged the clergy to pray the Act of Consecration of Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary after every Holy Mass.
In the document, the Ukrainian Bishops stress that this time of trial should be an opportunity for reconciliation with God, and they encourage the faithful to seek the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist more conscientiously, as well as to pray the Rosary together, pleading for divine protection.
Discalced Carmelites decide to remain in Ukraine
The Discalced Carmelite nuns of the cities of Kiev and Kharkiv have embraced an admirable decision while war rages in Ukrainian territory. The General Curia of the Order announced through social media that the sisters would remain in their monasteries, and asked for prayers for them and for the Ukrainian people.
The nuns arrived in Ukraine the 1990s to help through their prayer and presence in rebuilding Ukrainian society after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Frankfurt celebrates the feast of Charlemagne
On January 29, the traditional Karlsamt, a pontifical office in honour of Charlemagne, was celebrated at St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral in Frankfurt, once the site of coronation for German emperors. The ceremony takes place every year on the last Saturday of January, commemorating the anniversary of the monarch’s death.
The office consists of the Sequentia Sancti Karoli, a Latin hymn dedicated to the Emperor, and the chant of Lauds regiæ, an IX century composition with supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ for the Church, the Pope, the Bishop, the German people and their rulers, followed by a solemn Mass. A foreign Bishop or Cardinal is usually invited to preside over the celebration. This year, Archbishop Zbigņev Stankevičs, prelate of Riga in Latvia officiated.
Since 1176, Charlemagne has, with the permission of the Holy See, been venerated as Blessed in some cities in Germany, including Aachen and Osnabrück.
Isabel the Catholic Moves Closer to Beatification
The cause for beatification of Isabel the Catholic, Queen of Castile and a great promoter of the evangelization of the Americas, is underway for several decades now, having begun in 1958 in the Diocese of Valladolid, Spain, where the monarch died. Since then, over twenty volumes have been gathered with historical documentation and accounts of favours obtained through her intercession. In a recent declaration, Fr. José Luis Rubio Willen, responsible for the process, stated that her elevation to the honour of the altars may be near.
Fr. Willen’s announcement came after the recognition by the Holy See of the first miracle attributed to the queen. It involved the healing of a priest who was hospitalized and in coma, due to advanced pancreatic cancer. His family visited the tomb of the Catholic Kings in Granada, asking God for healing through Isabel, and the priest immediately recovered.
The Isabel the Catholic Commission, which is promoting the cause for beatification, continues to collect reports of graces obtained, such as the case of a young man from Rome who required surgery for lung cancer. His operation was cancelled due to a cure attributed to the queen’s intervention.
The Church gains another Doctor: St. Irenaeus of Lyon
The apostle of the Celts and Germanics, and outstanding defender of Catholic doctrine, St. Irenaeus of Lyon, has received the title of Doctor of the Church, with the signed decree of January 21, conferring on him the title Doctor Unitatis.
Doctor of the Church is a title officially granted by the Catholic Church to certain Saints, recognizing them as eminent teachers of the Faith for the faithful of all times.
Originally from Asia Minor and a disciple of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, St. Irenaeus was Bishop of Lyon, France. In his writings, he clearly set forth the true doctrine and defended it against heretical attacks, especially those coming from Gnosticism, which threatened the Church in the second century. He died a martyr on June 28, 202, during the persecution of Emperor Severus.
Twenty-three priests ordained in Seoul
On 28 January, the Archdiocese of Seoul ordained twenty-three new priests, three of whom belong to the International Catholic Missionary Society of Seoul, an entity committed to sending missionaries to Latin America. Metropolitan Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-Taick OCD who presided at the celebration emphasized that this is a sure sign that the Church in Korea has become a “Church of giving,” ready to assume a mission beyond its borders. The country thus progressed from evangelized to evangelizer.
South Korea is one of the Asian nations in which the Catholic Church has experienced greatest growth in this century, with an almost 50 per cent increase in the number of Catholics in the last twenty years, mainly due to adult conversions. Today the country has 5.6 million Catholics, representing 11 per cent of the population, a figure that in 1950 was only 1 per cent. This reality is reflected in the flourishing local clergy, most of whom are young, in contrast with the vocations crisis in the West.
Aparecida welcomes the pilgrimage of the Rosary for Men
Approximately twenty-five thousand pilgrims participated in the 14th National Pilgrimage of the Rosary for Men to the Shrine of Aparecida, held from February 18-20. Most Rev. Gil Antônio Moreira, Archbishop of Juiz de Fora and the liaison from the CNBB for the movement, presided the opening Mass.
The central theme of the gathering was Walking with Mary, to live and grow in community, and its motto, In the Mother’s House we renew our missionary commitment. For Glayson Lozer, an organizer of the event, praying under the mantle of Our Lady of Aparecida, so emblematic of faith in Brazil, leads men to better exercise their roles in the family and in society.
