Prayer to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer of the Day - Catholic Online

On August 15 the Catholic church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, we believe in your triumphant assumption into heaven where the angels and saints acclaim you as Queen. We join them in praising you and bless the Lord who raised you above all creatures. With them we offer you our devotion and love. We are confident that you watch over our daily efforts and needs, and we take comfort from the faith in the coming resurrection. We look to you, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. After this earthly life, show us Jesus, the blest fruit of your womb, O kind, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

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The miniature stained glass window of the Assumption of Mary can be seen inside Saint Jude's Catholic Church, 40 Maxim Drive, Hopatcong, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright Loci B. Lenar

Fatima statue headed to Rome, as Pope plans to consecrate the world to Our Lady

News story from RomeReports.com

The statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima will travel all the way from Portugal to the Vatican, where Pope Francis is planning on consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The 'Marian Day' ceremony, which is scheduled to take place at the Vatican on Sunday, October 13th, will be attended by hundreds of religious movements and institutions that have a special Marian devotion. This Mass is one of the last main events scheduled for the 'Year of Faith.'

Even before that Mass, things will be busy at the Vatican. On Saturday October 12th, different prayer events are scheduled along with a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter. Then on the 13th, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square before thousands of faithful. 

The Statue of Our Lady will make its way to Rome, at the request of Pope Francis, who has shown a great devotion to Mary, since the very first day of his pontificate. 

The Statue will depart from the Shrine of Fatima on the morning of October 12th. It will make its way back in the afternoon of October 13th. 

Mystery priest at Missouri crash scene steps forward

News excerpt from wbir.com

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KSDK) - The mystery priest who appeared at an accident scene in eastern Missouri last week came forward in the comments section of a story about the incident in the National Catholic Register Friday.

The Diocese of Jefferson City has confirmed his identity as Rev. Patrick Dowling, a priest of the Jefferson City Diocese. He was traveling on Highway 19 between Mass assignments on Aug. 4 in northern and central Missouri.

"I had Mass in Ewing, Mo as the regular priest was sick," Dowling wrote. "As I was returning, I arrived at the scene. The authorities were redirecting traffic. I waited till it was possible to drive up closer.

"...I absolved and anointed Katie and, at her request, prayed that her leg would not be hurt. Then I stepped aside to where some rescue personnel and the pilot were waiting, and prayed the rosary silently. I left when the helicopter was about to take off, and before I got to my car it was on its way to Quincy."

On Aug. 4, Katie Lentz, a student at Tulane University, was driving from her parents' home in Quincy, Ill. to Jefferson City, Mo., when her car collided with another vehicle. Lentz had life-threatening injuries, and was trapped in the vehicle.

She asked someone to pray with her, and says a voice said "I will." She claimed that a silver-haired priest came forward to pray with her, and stayed until Lentz was airlifted away from the scene. Rescue workers and Lentz never learned the priest's identity.

Read More: Rev. Patrick Dowling

'Angel' priest visits Missouri accident scene

News excerpt from USA.com

A mystery priest who suddenly appeared at a Mo. accident scene is being called an angel.

Emergency workers and community members in eastern Missouri are not sure what to make of a mystery priest who showed up at a critical accident scene Sunday morning and whose prayer seemed to change life-threatening events for the positive.

Even odder, the black-garbed priest does not appear in any of the nearly 70 photos of the scene of the accident in which a 19-year-old girl almost died. No one knows the priest and he vanished without a word, said Raymond Reed, fire chief of New London, Mo.

"I think it's a miracle," Reed said. "I would say whether it was an angel that was sent to us in the form of a priest or a priest that became our angel, I don't know. Either way, I'm good with it."

Carla Churchill Lentz, mother of the teen (Katie Lentz) who was critically injured, said emergency workers have told her there is no way her daughter should have lived inside such a mangled car. Of the priest, she said, "I do believe he certainly could have been an angel dressed in priest's attire because the Bible tells us there are angels among us."

Read More: Angel Priest

A Tribute to Pope Francis

Pope Francis by Stephen B. Whatley

A Christian Tribute by International artist Stephen B Whatley | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

A new tribute to the humility of His Holiness Pope Francis, painted in prayer by expressionist artist Stephen B Whatley.

The portrait tribute will be on public display in the artist's exhibition of 25 Catholic tribute paintings 'Paintings From Prayer' which will be uniquely on show in the Chapels of St. Andrew and St. Patrick, within Westminster Cathedral, Victoria Street, London SW1, from August 8 to August 22, 2013.

Pope Francis - 2013
Oil on canvas,
27.5 x 19.5in/70 x 50cm
www.stephenbwhatley.com

Moving Song played during World Youth Day Eucharistic Adoration

News from RomeReports.com

Musically speaking, one of the most moving moments of World Youth Day was marked by a Vigil in Rio's Copacabana beach. Grammy-nominated singer Matt Maher, sang on his knees during a Eucharistic Adoration ceremony, as millions of youths and the Pope prayed before the Blessed Sacrament.