Feast of Our Lady of Good Voyage Commemorates Miracle at Sea

Feast of Our Lady of Good Voyage

Feast of Our Lady of Good Voyage commemorates miracle at sea | SouthCoastToday.com

The photograph and following story is from SouthCoastToday.com:

By LINDA ANDRADE RODRIGUES

NEW BEDFORD — A time of pilgrimage, prayer, remembrance and thanksgiving, the Feast of Our Lady of Good Voyage honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of those who make their living at sea.

The feast commemorates the apparition of the Virgin Mary to three fishermen off the coast of Cuba in 1600. In danger of shipwreck during a sudden, violent storm, they called upon Mary, the mother of Jesus, to save them. Suddenly, the storm died down, the sun began to shine and the sea became perfectly tranquil.

"Our Lady calmed the waters around (the fishermen) and got them back safely to shore," said Father Raphael Maria of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate of Our Lady's Chapel.

Likewise, the friars instruct Catholics to turn to God and Mary for refuge in times of tribulation.

While rowing to shore, the fishermen spied a luminous object following them, and upon rowing towards it, they discovered a small image of the Virgin Mary.

This image is now venerated in Cuba as the Virgin of Charity of Cobre and is the patroness of the country. A replica of the image is venerated at Our Lady's Chapel and is the focal point of our city's observance.

The two-day feast will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, with a candlelight procession and veneration of the statue of Our Lady of Good Voyage, starting at Our Lady's Chapel, 600 Pleasant St. and passing through downtown in a circuitous route.

The solemn procession will step off from the chapel at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, as fishermen and friars carry statues, and worshippers sing hymns and say prayers in English and Portuguese.

Upon arrival at the waterfront, special prayers will be said for all fishermen and for those lost at sea.

"Then we will process back to the chapel, and there will be a reception in John Scotus Hall," said Father Raphael. "One and all are invited to come."

The friars request that everyone bring a potluck dish to share.

For more information, contact the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate at (508) 996-8274.

EWTN: Our Lady of Fatima - Fr. Andrew Apostoli with Michael La Corte

YouTube - Sunday Night Live - Our Lady of Fatima - Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR with Michael La Corte - 08-22-2010

The following information is from the World Apostolate Fatima:

For those faithful followers, that cannot get EWTN, or who missed the Special on Fatima with Reverend Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R. and Michael La Corte, Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima; it is now available for viewing on YouTube.

1.) Why is Fatima Important Today?

2.) An update on the Russian Prophecy

3.) Does Our Church Believe Russia was Consecrated? What are the Facts?

4.) Details about the Miracle of the Sun...And much much more!

For more information about Our Lady of Fatima and her message, view the video or visit the following link: World Apostolate of Fatima, USA

Church seeks recognition for Virgin Mary vision

Church seeks recognition for Virgin Mary vision
Tradition holds she appeared in Brown County in 1859

The following video and story appeared on Fox11online:

Reporter: Kristin Crowley

ROBINSONVILLE - Wisconsin could find itself in a unique part of history because of a reported holy sighting.

Hope and faith have drawn tens of thousands of people a shrine in Brown County throughout the past 150 years. People who say it's a holy experience.

“It's a good feeling, I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it's just a good feeling,” said Val Dubois of Brown County.

In October 1859, Sister Adele Brise claimed the Virgin Mary spoke to her and told her to teach God's word to children. The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help was built on the site, and has kept a steady following of people like Hal and Val Dubois.

“It's been there since I was a kid. When I was five or six years old, I remember going there,” said Hal Dubois.

Shrine volunteer Karen Tipps says visitors find spirituality at the site. Now church officials are investigating the apparent visions.

“It became a great devotional spot over the years,” said Tipps.

“Bishop (David) Ricken initiated the investigation in January of 2009. So he appointed some scholars in the theology of the blessed Virgin Mary to look into the documentation of the history of the shrine and the apparition and to make some recommendations reports to him,” said Rev. John Doerfler.

Doerfler says if Ricken declares there's enough moral grounds to claim the apparition really did happen, this site will make national history.

“If it were approved, this would be the only approved apparition site of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States,” said Doerfler.

Doefler says there could be a variety of outcomes from the investigation. The information could support the sightings happened, didn't happen or the results could be inconclusive. But some say whatever the ruling, it doesn't matter.

“It doesn't affect what people have felt here for the last 150 years. It's not going to affect what people feel here for the next 150 years,” said Tipps.

Vines on Power Pole form into Image of Jesus

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msnbc video: Believers see Jesus on power pole

Archbishop claims to have been healed by Virgin Mary

Our Lady of Penafrancia

Bicol’s ailing archbishop claims to have been healed by Virgin Mary - INQUIRER.net - Philippine News for Filipinos

The following excerpt appeared on Inquirer.net

By Shiena Barrameda
Inquirer Southern Luzon

NAGA CITY, Philippines -- Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi has claimed that he has been healed of his tumors by the Lady of Peñafrancia, an image of the Virgin Mary long venerated by many Filipino Catholics for miracles.

Legaspi made the declaration on Monday during a press conference organized by the Archdiocese of Caceres at the Archbishop’s Palace here in the city.

He said he had been suffering from the tumors in his lungs but last Saturday, his physician was astounded to find no more traces of the nodes or tumors.

He said the tumors were first spotted by his doctors in January 2009.

The tumors had caused him to undergo two sessions of chemotherapy and had kept him in turmoil until he almost lost all hope of getting well again.

Legaspi said he was initially found to be afflicted with stage three lung cancer and was advised to undergo surgery in Manila in 2009. However, the doctors found him unfit for the operation, putting him under chemotherapy instead.

“We were not prepared for the good news. I was even shocked when he said it,” Fr. Wilmer Tria said in a phone interview.

Tria, one of the heads of the Madrigal Foundation, was also present during the press conference.

“At first, we were just discussing the role of the media to avoid unnecessary publicity, which we got last year after a priest was punched during a procession. Then, he (Legaspi) suddenly said that he is healed now. He’s no longer sick of lung cancer,” Tria said.

According to Tria, the Archbishop admitted that he never asked for the miracle himself. Instead, Legaspi was thought to have given up on his medication and had altogether stopped taking his pills and capsules required for his chemotherapy.

“He dropped the medicines a month after starting them because he seemed to find it harder to live with them. He even got out of his liquid chemo last February due to discomforts. He literally left all chances of medical healing and prayed to live long enough to see the tercentenary celebrations, nothing more,” Tria added.

Fr. Andrew Recepcion, executive secretary for the central committee of the tercentenary celebrations, and also among those who heard the happy announcement, confirmed that the archbishop did not ask to be healed and attributed this miracle to the collective prayers of all the people who surrounded him.

“He believed that it was a gift from “Ina" (the name given by Bicolanos to the Lady of Penafrancia). Something that he never expected to happen,” says Recepcion.

Read More: Inquirer.net

Praying the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Church of Saint Ann, Hoboken, New Jersey
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

How to Pray the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Franciscan Focus

The chaplet and following instructions can be found on the website of the Franciscan Focus



Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Photo copyright Lisa, sfo of FranciscanFocus.com


The chaplet is composed of 39 beads (or knots, in this case) -- 6 of which are large, and 33 small -- a centerpiece, crucifix, and a Sacred Heart medal. The small beads represent the 33 years of the mortal life of our Lord. The first 30 call to mind the years of his private life and are divided into 5 groups of 6. The 3 near the crucifix recall his public life.

To Start: On the crucifix, pray the Anima Christi:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Separated from Thee let me never be.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
And close to Thee bid me.
That with Thy saints I may be
Praising Thee, forever and ever.
Amen.

On the small beads say:
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.

On the large beads say:
O Sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore
that I may ever love thee more and more.

After each grouping, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

To End, Finish on the centerpiece and pray:
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament
be praised and adored and loved with grateful affection,
at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world,
even to the end of time.
Amen.