Marian Year in Syracuse, Sicily
by Unknown
Free eBook:
|
| Free eBook: Essays in Apologetics, Vol. I |
From August 29 to September 1, 1953, a plaster plaque of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, placed over the headboard of a young couple in Syracuse, Italy, shed human tears. The phenomenon occurred at more or less long intervals inside and outside the home and was witnessed by many persons.
The Bishops of Sicily, on December 12, 1953, declared this "Lachrymation of Mary" to be authentic.
On the occasion of the dedication of the Our Lady of Tears Shrine on 6 November 1994, Pope John Paul II stated: "They are tears of sorrow for all those who refuse to love God.... They are tears of prayer: the Mother's prayer that gives strength to every other prayer.... They are tears of hope which melt the hardness of hearts".
To prepare for the 50th anniversary of this extraordinary event, a Marian Year began on 29 August 2002, and it will conclude on 1 September 2003.
On 29 August 2002, Archbishop Giuseppe Costanzo of Syracuse inaugurated this Marian year "to reintroduce devotion to Mary and to deepen the sense of this weeping". Its goal, according to the Archbishop, is "to give new impulse to pastoral work, so that the faithful in the parishes and the pilgrims that come to the Shrine, reached by love and moved by the tears of the Mother, may live an adult Christian faith and practice an illuminating and mature Marian devotion".
To fulfil this objective, in addition to the spiritual services the Shrine already offers, Bible studies are being held every other week throughout this Marian year. By listening to and meditating on passages from the Old and New Testaments. it is hoped that Mary's role in the economy of salvation may be better understood.
To give more responsibility to the local Church, custodian of the message of our Heavenly Mother, the Reliquary that contains the tears of Mary is being taken to many parishes throughout the area, thus providing an illuminating and mature Marian devotion. Priests and lay volunteers of the Shrine accompany the Reliquary and moderate meetings with the young people of the parishes. They promote teaching encounters for families and children, and also visit the sick and their families.
During this Marian year, the Reliquary has also been transported to all cathedrals of Sicily.
The Holy Father, at the request of Archbishop Costanzo, has granted a plenary indulgence to all the faithful who come as pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady of Tears in this Marian
For further information:
Our Lady of Tears Shrine
Via del Santuario, n. 33
96100 Siracusa, Italy
Tel.: 0931 - 21446
Fax: 0931 - 22027e-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.madonnadellelacrime.it
This item 4723 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
