Miracle of the Sun Witnessed at Knock Shrine in Ireland

Thousands wait for Knock apparition - The Irish Times - Mon, Oct 12, 2009

The following excerpt is from an article published on IrishTimes.com:

THOUSANDS GATHERED at Knock Shrine, County Mayo, yesterday hoping to see an apparition of Our Lady.

There were ripples of applause from a crowd estimated at more than 5,000 as some people believed they could see the sun shimmering, changing colour and dancing in the sky.

John Tunney, from Islandeady, Castlebar, said: “I’m 53 years old and I never seen the sun go like that before. I witnessed the sun go all different colours, yellow, red and green. Then it completely darkened and began shimmering. Sometimes the sun emitted a clean, bright light, then it would darken again.”

Mr Tunney’s wife, Nina, said: “The sun was spinning in the sky. I experienced a feeling of total happiness. It is a feeling I would love to experience again. It was amazing. I felt marvellous.”

Yvonne Rabbitte, from Dunmore, Co Galway, showed other pilgrims a photograph she had taken on her digital camera which showed vivid rays radiating downwards from the sun at the time the image was taken.

Maggie Ahern, from Castlebar, had no doubt that the happenings in Knock were due to “heavenly intervention”.

Earlier in the week Dublin-based clairvoyant Joe Coleman predicted Our Lady would appear at the old parish church – scene of the 1879 apparition – at 3pm. Quite a number of those present were members of the Travelling community.

The crowds waited in the open air despite an invitation on loudspeaker at about 2.30pm from Knock parish priest Msgr Joseph Quinn that those in the grounds enter the adjacent Basilica to participate in ceremonies to mark the annual Dominican pilgrimage.

Msgr Quinn was not available for comment last night.

(For additional information, read Joe Coleman's Profile.

(For additional information about the story, please visit Spirit Daily.com)

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit (Poetry)

Photographed inside St. Mary's Church, Denville, NJ

The Holy Spirit

Wings of loving freedom—

soaring peacefully into harmony with hymns of faith

encircling earth in search of virtuous souls

encountering scores of compassionate hearts
in tunes of praise and glory—

the gospel music of salvation.

Our Heavenly Father

aggrieved by turbulent winds

and clouds of fury

that displace innocent lives,

humanity is gifted with prayer to mitigate ominous storms,

protecting God’s children from misfortune.

The outpouring of divine love

thawing humanity’s chilled heart,

shadowed in moments of indifference,

blessed and thoughtfully forgiven by grace.

Photographed inside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Boonton, NJ

In unified prayer of mercy,

Jesus pardons our sins,

wipes away tears—

prepares our soul to embrace the Holy Spirit.

Behold the Light of Resurrection—

the Choir of Heaven in symphony with the Book of Life

recording all who believe in God’s providence!

By Loci B. Lenar

Photographs © 2009 Loci B. Lenar 

Poem © 2005 Loci B. Lenar

Registration Number TXU1-286-432

Christian-Miracles.com

Pope Benedict XVI Canonizes Saint Damien

Photo REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Pope canonizes leper saint Damien, hailed by Obama - U.S. - Reuters

Reuters reported that Pope Benedict canonized Saint Damien and four others on Sunday. The following story is by Stephen Brown:

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict created five saints on Sunday including Belgian priest Damien who worked and died among Hawaiian lepers, earning the admiration of President Barack Obama who sent a message hailing Damien's canonization.

The U.S. president was born in Hawaii, where Damien worked in the leper colony of Molokai, caught leprosy and died in 1889. Obama said in a statement that Damien had "a special place in the hearts of Hawaiians."

"I recall many stories from my youth about his tireless work there to care for those suffering from leprosy who had been cast out," Obama said, adding that the priest had "challenged the stigmatizing effects" of the disfiguring disease.

"In our own time as millions around the world suffer from disease, especially the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, we should draw on the example of Fr. Damien's resolve in answering the urgent call to heal and care for the sick," the president said.

Born Jozef De Veuster, Damien went to Hawaii when he was 23 and 10 years later began work among the lepers, "not without fear and repugnance" at first, the pope said. He got ill and was "a leper among the lepers" for the last four years of his life.

The life of "Damien of Molokai" is well known to young U.S. Catholics but his appeal stretches to members of the broader Christian community such as Obama, who was baptized as an adult in the Trinity United Church of Christ. There is even a statue of Damien in the U.S. Congress.

Belgium's King Albert and Queen Paola attended the ceremony in St. Peter's, as did Polish President Lech Kaczynski, French premier Francois Fillon and Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos to celebrate new saints from their countries.

The pope also canonized Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski, archbishop of Warsaw when Poland rebelled against annexation by imperial Russia in 1863. Exiled to Siberia for 20 years by the czar, he was "a shining example for all the church," the pope said.

Dominican friar Francisco Coll Guitart, one of two Spaniards created a saint, preached in Catalonia in the 19th century and "reached the hearts of others because he transmitted what he himself lived with passion, which burned in his heart," said the pontiff.

The other is Brother Rafael Arnaiz Baron who became a Trappist monk and died at the age of 27 in 1938. He "did not know how to pray" when he began monastic life but became an example "especially for young persons who are not easily satisfied," the pope said.

France's new saint is Jeanne Jugan, venerated as Marie de la Croix. She worked with the poor and elderly, shedding all her own material possessions to become "a poor person among the poor" until her death in 1879.

(Writing by Stephen Brown; editing by David Stamp)

© Thomson Reuters 2009

1 Million Children Pray Rosary for Peace - Catholic Online

The following article and photo appeared on Catholic Online from the Zenith News Agency:

CARACAS, Venezuela (Zenit.org) - Venezuela's National Council of the Laity is encouraging children throughout the world to pray for peace and unity.

The plea is part of the annual campaign "One Million Children Praying the Rosary," which is set to take place this year Oct. 18.

The council explains on its Web site that the reason for the project is "because the world urgently needs peace and unity. Because God wants us to pray. Because prayer leads to faith, faith leads to love, love leads to service and service leads to peace."

This year, the organizers are asking children to pray three times: once on Oct. 16 in their schools, the second time on Oct. 17 in their parishes, and the third time on Oct. 18 with their families and friends.

The campaign recalls St. Pio of Pietrelcina's words: "And to think that if one million children prayed the Rosary. How many graces would be shed over the world!"

Those participating in the campaign are encouraged to send photos and testimonies of their local events.

Prayer to Our Lady of Surprises

Miracle at Cana

Intercessory Prayer to Our Lady of Surprises

O, Mary my mother and Our Lady of surprises,

what a happy joy you caused the wedding guests,

when you asked your Divine Son

to work the miracle of water into Wine.

What a happy surprise for them,

since they thought the wine had run dry,

I too Mary, love surprises, and as your child,

may I ask you to favour me with one today.

I ask this only because you are

my ever caring Mother.

 Amen.

The above prayer is published on Spirit Daily in the following article: When Things Don't Go Well, Try Letting Go - And Invoking Our Lady of Surprises

In the gospels, we read about Jesus transforming drinking water in wine; one of his first miracles, resulting from a request made by our Blessed Mother.

With those words in mind, John 2:1-11 says, On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The stained glass window detail was photographed inside Our Lady of the Lake Church. The Catholic church is located in Sparta, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

New movie about Our Lady of Fatima to be screened in major U.S. cities

New movie about Our Lady of Fatima to be screened in major U.S. cities

The following article appeared on the Catholic News Agency (CNA) regarding a new movie about Our Lady of Fatima.

San Francisco, Calif., Oct 1, 2009 / (CNA) - A new film about the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, based on the memoirs of visionary Sister Lucia and the accounts of thousands of eyewitnesses, will be holding pre-release screenings in at least seven major U.S. cities.

“The 13th Day” is the first major motion picture by directors Ian and Dominic Higgins. According to the film’s U.S. distributor Ignatius Press, their film tells the story of the Virgin Mary’s appearances to Lucia Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

Over a six month period in 1917, the Virgin Mary gave prophecies and warnings to children that included a harrowing vision of hell, the spread of communism and the attempted assassination of a Pope.

The film was shot on location in Portugal and in the United Kingdom. It has a cast of hundreds and three young Portuguese actors will play the roles of the young visionaries.

Anthony Ryan, Director of Marketing for Ignatius Press, described the film as an “antidote” for our times.

“It is a reminder that a thin veil exists between our world and the next. The Message of Fatima is a relevant wake-up call to a culture torn apart by abortion, war, and injustice. Every Catholic, perhaps every person, should see this film,” he said.

Screenings of “The 13th Day” are scheduled for October 13, the anniversary of the final apparition. They will be held in Atlanta, New York City, Denver, Chicago and Oakland. Other cities with screenings include Orlando, Florida and Austin and Fort Worth, Texas.

Interested Catholic leaders can sign up for a screening in their area at the site http://www.maximusmg.com/catholicscreenings/index.html

The movies website is at  http://www.ignatius.com/the-13th-day/

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