***EVENT OVER***
WHY A PUBLIC PROCESSION?
The legalization of abortion represents a public affront to God, Who is both the Creator of human life and the rightful King of all nations. Such laws and judicial rulings which defy the divine law are public crimes, sins for which all members of society bear some degree of responsibility.
It is a real duty of the faithful to give public witness in opposition to the truly criminal institution of abortion – and to make public reparation to Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King, for these outrageous, publicly sanctioned murders.
What terrible punishments we could avert from our entire country if only Catholics were to respond to the crimes of our day with public prayers and penance! By the pastors of every parish in the country organizing Rosary processions, and by the bishops throughout our country announcing a day of public penance centered around a reparatory consecration of Canada to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to make some atonement for the outrage of this now publicly institutionalized crime!
In 1941, when World War II was already threatening to engulf the whole world, Our Lord Himself promised (through Sister Lucy, the Fatima visionary) to spare and preserve Portugal from the punishments that it too deserved, if the faithful would make public reparation (“by prayers and sacrifices, with public prayers said on the streets”) for the profane excesses of the Mardi Gras festivities.
God’s justice will not be mocked. Without such public efforts to make reparation for the public sins of our nation, we can all expect to suffer the terrible price that these sins will bring upon our country.
THE FATIMA CENTER’S STATUE – THE CANADIAN NATIONAL PILGRIM VIRGIN STATUE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Our apostolate statue, made of wood, was hand carved in Fatima, Portugal. It is one of approximately 25 statues blessed by Pope Paul VI on May 13, 1967 – the 50th anniversary of Our Lady’s first apparition at Fatima. The statue was designated by the Pope to be a traveling statue to make known the Message of Fatima. This particular statue was assigned to the country of Canada and is the statue that Father Gruner traveled with most often across Canada, the United States and other parts of the world. It is also seen on a great deal of literature produced by the head office of The National Pilgrim Virgin of Canada / The Fatima Center.
This statue is often referred to as a miraculous statue because she gives off different perfumes, her facial expressions change – and this is captured on film and can be seen by looking at various pieces of literature produced by Our Lady’s apostolate – some have seen tears, and other miracles have occurred because of the presence of this statue.
One example of Our Lady’s love and solicitude for those who honor Her sacred images occurred on one of Father Gruner’s visits to India, when thousands of people had gathered to follow our Pilgrim Virgin statue in procession. The region was then suffering a severe drought, and there was very little drinking and washing water available. Also because of the drought, the path used for the procession was terribly dry, and a great deal of dust was being stirred up by the steps of those in the procession. Out of reverence for Our Lady, some of the villagers began to go along ahead of the statue, pouring water (the little they had) on the path, to prevent the statue from being soiled by the blowing dust. Shortly after the procession, the months-long drought was broken by a tremendous downpour — just, however, in that village, whose people had been so generous toward Our Lady with the little water which they had!
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