Thursday 17 April 2008

Our Lady Around the World: Part 2

6. Colombia - Our Lady of Chiquinquira

This picture of Our Lady with St. Andrew and St. Anthony of Padua was painted nearly 500 years ago. It was kept in a chapel with a leaky roof, where the picture got damaged so badly that the figures couldn't be seen any more. The painting was taken down and left in a room in the town of Chiquinquira. After eight years a woman called Maria found the painting, got it out again, and turned the room into a little chapel for it. Overnight the painting was miraculously mended. and the colours shone brightly once more. The people of Colombia call Our Lady of Chiquinquira 'La Chinita'.

Our Lady of Chiquinquira, pray for us!


7. Costa Rica - Our Lady of the Angels

Look at the picture and see if you can find the tiny dark statue of Our Lady of the Angels in the middle. It is only three inches high so you will have to look carefully. A poor woman called Juanita found this little statue in the woods and took it home with her. The statue disappeared and was found back in the same place. This happened again ... and again ... and again. Six times in all the statue vanished and went back to where it came from. In the end a shrine was built where the image of Our Lady of the Angels was found. When people visit the shrine they touch the stone on which the statue was found. So many people have visited that the stone is getting worn away.

Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us!


8. Dominican Republic - Our Lady of Altagracia

Five hundred years ago, two brothers travelled across the sea from Spain to the island of Santo Domingo. They took with them this painting of Our Lady. Today it is kept in a frame made of gold and precious stones. In 1979 it was crowned with a gold and silver tiara by Pope John Paul II.

Our Lady of Altagracia, pray for us!


9. Egypt - Our Lady of Zeitoun

In April 1968 two men in the town of Zeitoun, in Egypt, saw a lady in white floating on the roof of the Church. A crowd gathered and many people saw the lady, who seemed to glow with a white light. They realised that it must be Mary. She appeared many times over the next year. Thousands of people saw her, and were even able to take photographs like this one.

Our Lady of Zeitoun, pray for us!


[Note: Several internet sources mention that the apparitions at Zeitun were officially recognised by both the Coptic Church and the local Catholic patriarch. One said that they were also recognised by Pope Paul VI, but I have not been able to find confirmation of this. All Catholic sites I found referred to the apparitions as genuine.]

10. England - Our Lady of Walsingham

Nearly 1000 years ago an English noblewoman, Lady Richeldis, saw a vision of Our Lady. In the vision she told Richeldis to build a copy of the Holy Family's house at Nazareth on her land at Walsingham in England. Richeldis did as she was asked. Many pilgrims visited Walsingham, to see the house and a famous statue of Our Lady. Five hundred years later the king of England said that nobody was to make pilgrimages any more. He pulled down the shrine and destroyed the statue. But he couldn't keep the pilgrims away for ever. In time a new statue was made and given a home in a tiny, old chapel that had been used as a barn, and the Holy House was rebuilt. Our Lady had come back to Walsingham.

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us!

4 comments:

Shari said...

This is a wonderful idea! And not just for pre-schoolers, we will be traveling around the world with Our Lady this May too. Thank you for all your hard work!

Paper Dali said...

Have I gone off yet about how wonderful I find all this?????AWESOME! I'm sharing this with all my girlfriends here in the States. : )

Frabjous Days said...

Fab. I used the Walsingham section today with the children, and have also linked to this on my blog.

Stephen Arabadjis said...

To whom it may concern,
My name is Fr. Stephen Arabadjis.  I am a member of the Society of St. Pius X.  But I am in my 7th year of Sabbatical.Therefore I was hoping your group could do a 54 day rosary novena for my intentions.  But any prayers and sacrifices would be greatly appreciated.  I know Our Lady will reward you generously for this.
In Our Lady,
Fr. Arabadjis
P.S. Thanking you in advance, since I don't always get all my communications.