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NUMBER 307 : December 2016 : FREE
Published Monthly
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
MEDJUGORJE CENTRE NORTH EAST
(Established since 1989)
www.medjugorjene.co.uk
OUR MINISTRY
To spread the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus,
given through the visionaries in Medjugorje.
PEACE CONVERSION
FAITH PRAYER FASTING
OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE
PRAY FOR US
1
MEDJUGORJE
AFTERNOON OF PRAYER
led by Fr. Martin Morris
2nd Sunday of the month
4pm – 6pm
12th February 2017
12th March 2017
At
St Teresa of the infant Child Jesus
Heaton Road
Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 5HN
Medjugorje Centre (North East)
ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER
Led by Fr. Martin Morris
Saturday 25th March 2017
Coffee from 9.45 am
Rosary, and Talk 10.30
Shared lunch,
Followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
and Holy Mass
ST. AIDAN Church
Benton, Coach Lane, NE12 8AD
ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO
MEDJUGORJE 2017
led by Fr. Martin Morris
Wed 7th - 14th June 2017
FULL
Flying from Newcastle
Half Board
Further Bookings may be arranged through
Aglow Travel Ltd
Ring Jonathan Baylis 02032 892627
Or email: [email protected]
2
OUR LADY’S MESSAGE—To the World
Given 25th December 2016 to Marija Pavlovic
ear children! “ With great joy, today I am
carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you
His peace. Open your hearts, little children, and be joyful
that you can receive it. Heaven is with you and is fighting
for peace in your hearts, in the families and in the world;
and you, little children, help with your prayers for it to be
so. I bless you with my Son Jesus and call you not to lose hope; and
for your gaze and heart to always be directed towards Heaven and
eternity. In this way, you will be open to God and to His plans. Thank
you for having responded to my call. ”
D
Fr. Martin Morris’s Reflection
Spiritual Director of Medjugorje Centre NE
Dear Brothers and Sisters of
Medjugorje North east and beyond,
we begin this New Year of 2017, with
Mary queen of Peace, who brings us
the Christ Child, the Prince of Peace.
Let us recall Mary's coming at
Fatima, one hundred years ago, when
Mary promised an "Era of Peace",
and let us remember Mirjana's words
at the Youth Festival in 2012, when
she told us that the Blessed Mother
had spoken to her about Fatima, and
that
Medjugorje
was
“the
continuation and fulfilment" of what
Our Lady had begun in 1917. Mirjana
added, "I can say that the Triumph of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary will
take place through the Shepherds."
Let us thank God for this anniversary,
and Mary's call to be open to the Lord
and his plans.
Mary is "Theotokos" The God
Bearer. She tells us, "With great Joy
today I am carrying my Son Jesus
to you, for him to give you Peace."
Mary is the cause of our Joy, for she
who is "Full of Grace" overflowingly
lovely, Paradise restored, brings us
our salvation. Mary's Joy becomes
our Joy, the Joy of the Children of
God. Let us ponder on this image of
Mary carrying to us little Jesus,
Prince of Peace. Gift of Gifts.
"Heaven is with you, and is fighting
for Peace in your hearts, in the
families, and in the world, and you
little children, help with your
Prayers."
Mary is reminding us here, that we
are in a Spiritual Battle, and that we
are not alone. "I Believe in the
Communion
of
Saints,
the
Resurrection of the dead, and the life
3
of the world to come" we profess in
the Creed. Mary tells us that Heaven
is on our side, "Fighting" -referring to
the intensity of intercession we have
from the Angels, Saints, Thrones and
Dominations. St. Teresa of Lisieux
said, "I will spend my eternity in
doing good on earth." and St. Padre
Pio said, "I will not rest in Heaven
until the last of my Spiritual Children
have been saved." all the heavenly
powers are coming to our aid with
Mary Queen of Peace, so that the
reign of God's kingdom might be in
every human heart-the reign of Peace.
"I bless you with my Son Jesus, and
call you not to lose hope." We are
used to hearing Mary tell us she
blesses us with her Son Jesus, and in
the past, has called us to carry this
blessing to others. The first blessing
that Mary gives us is her presence in
Medjugorje. Her Blessing flows from
her Son Jesus. Mary as Mother gave
birth to Jesus and his name is
Emmanuel-God with us. He came to
save us, and he is for us. He came to
show us the path of love, peace, light
and truth, and to remove us from
evil.
With Sin, came the curse, with Jesus
and Mary comes the Blessing. From
the Hebrew, the word, "Blessing" also
means gift, grace and peace. In Latin,
this word also has the significance of
saying something good about
someone else, or to do good towards
others. Whoever blesses gives
something and they become a new
person for someone else. It is a new
relationship. When God Blesses us,
then we know he loves us, and that he
is with us.
When Mary brings us God's Blessing
with the Christ Child then we are
reminded that we have the gift of a
new relationship restored that was
lost in Paradise by way of sin. we are
no longer under the curse, but under
the Blessing.
Dear Friends in Christ, in this New
Year, a time of Grace, let us all
become conscious in a deep way, that
we are Blessed by Heaven, and that
we must carry that Blessing from
little Jesus and his Mother to others.
Peace is the first fruit of this
Christmas Blessing that we need for
all time, so let us open our hearts to
the blessing of his outstretched arms
so that all distress leaves us and the
Peace of Heaven comes upon us.
A Happy and Blessed New Year to
you all.
Fr. Martin
Pray, fast and confess regularly. If
receiving my Son in the Eucharist is
the centre of your life, then do not be
afraid, you can do everything.
June 2, 2012
THE ‘FIVE STONES’ OF
MEDJUGORJE
1. PRAYER,
2. FASTING (Wednesday & Friday)
3. HOLY SCRIPTURE. (daily reading)
4. CONFESSION, monthly at least.
5. EUCHARIST, Frequent celebration
4
December 25, 2016, Our Lady’s Annual Message to Jakov
At the last daily apparition to Jakov Colo on September 12th,
1998, Our Lady told him that henceforth he would have one
apparition a year, every December 25th, on Christmas Day. This
is also how it was this year. The apparition began at 2:20 pm and
lasted 10 minutes. Afterwards Jakov transmitted this message:
"Dear children! Today, on this day of grace, in a special way, I
am calling you to pray for peace. Children, I came here as the
Queen of Peace and how many times have I called you to pray for peace. But,
children, your hearts are restless. Sin is preventing you from opening yourselves
completely to grace and peace which God desires to give you. To live peace, my
children, is to first have peace in your hearts and to be surrendered completely
to God and to His will. Do not seek peace and joy in the things of this world,
because this is all passing. Long for true mercy and peace which come only
from God; and only in this way will your hearts be filled with true joy; and only
in this way will you be able to become witnesses of peace in this peaceless
world. I am your mother and intercede before my Son for each of you. Thank
you for having responded to my call."
Our Lady’s message to Mirjana
2nd December 2016
“Dear children!
My Motherly heart is crying as I am
looking at what my children are doing. Sins are multiplying,
the purity of soul is all the less important; my Son is being
forgotten - honoured all the less; and my children are being
persecuted. That is why, you my children, apostles of my love,
with soul and heart invoke the name of my Son. He will have
the words of light for you.
He manifests Himself to you, He breaks the bread with you
and gives you the words of love so that you may transform
them into merciful acts and, thus, be witnesses of truth. That is
why, my children, do not be afraid. Permit my Son to be in you.
He will make use of you to care for the wounded and to convert lost souls.
Therefore, my children, return to the prayer of the Rosary. Pray it with feelings
of goodness, sacrifice and mercy. Pray, not only with words, but with merciful
acts. Pray with love for all people.
My Son, by His sacrifice, exalted love. Therefore, live with Him so that you
may have strength and hope; that you may have the love which is life and which
leads to eternal life. Through God's love, I am also with you, and will lead you
with Motherly love. Thank you.”
Mirjana said that Our Lady was very sad.
5
REPORT FROM SISTER EMMANUEL
of The Community of The Beatitudes
www.childrenofmedjugorje.com
December 12, 2016
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dear Children of Medjugorje, Praised
be Jesus and Mary!
1. On December 2nd Mirjana
received her monthly apparition at the
Blue Cross in the presence of a
smaller crowd. After the apparition,
she delivered Our Lady's message
( see page 4 )
2. Are we going to let Our Lady
cry much longer?
The closing of the Holy Door of the
Jubilee year of Mercy made a twinge
in our hearts, as if suddenly God was
going to close the gates of his
wonderful merciful heart and be less
generous in distributing his gifts. Of
course not! God never goes back, he
is the one who always gives more! If
the Holy Door was closed in our
cathedrals and churches, it is because
it is now open in our hearts, yes, in
our hearts of flesh, like a new
opening to the coming of God. It is a
door that we carry in ourselves
everyday. "Allow my Son to be in
you", Mary tells us, and the Son, He
is the Door that opens the Kingdom!
Before Christmas we can also adore
Jesus hidden in Mary, as we imagine
Him in the miracle of Guadalupe, the
only image given from Heaven (along
with the shroud of Turin) which
pictures Our Lady pregnant. Why not
create your own prayer with your
own heart, asking "Jesus hidden in
Mary" to protect His little brothers
and sisters also hidden in the womb
of their mothers and dramatically
threatened to not see the light of day.
As we approach Christmas, if we
listen to Our Lady's heartbeat, we can
feel her great desire that Jesus be
born in us. We also understand how
much she suffers to see that He is
considered as nobody, is rejected, is
forgotten. The big shopping malls are
overflowing with new products for
"The Holidays". Whose Holidays?
Where is Jesus? Where is His
Birthday mentioned? Where is the
Birthday present for The One who is
The Father's present for us?
In contrast with this emptyness it will
be easy to console the heart of Our
Lady who is hurting for her Son in
this Advent 2016. May our hearts
become the little crib in the manger
where she will be able to deposit the
fragile and divine body of her Child.
Here is her dream: To find in us a
warm welcome for her Son! Be able
to count on us to warm Him up with
our love and let him have the first
place in our lives. She has explained
everything during 35 years of
apparitions and messages. Today it is
up to us to dry her tears!
3. Malaysia is waking up!
In November, I went to Malaysia for
a wonderful mission in the Kota
Kinabalu region. In the town of
Ranau, there is a parish, and its priest,
6
Father Nick, is crazy about baby
Jesus. As I told you last year, this
sparked a movement among the
families who wanted to receive the
statue of the baby Jesus for 24 hours
and honor him. As a result of the
many miracles and conversions
happening in people's homes, Father
Nick had to reduce the amount of
time each family could keep the
statue to one hour, so as to satisfy all
the requests. It was so successful!!
And because the requests kept
flowing in, he decided to build a little
Sanctuary to shelter Baby Jesus. That
way, everyone could come and
worship the Baby. Because he knew
about our connection with the Child
Jesus and the presence in our garden
of a life-size manger, Father Nick
waited for my coming for him to
consecrate this Sanctuary.
And that's not all. A week before the
closing of the Holy Door in his
church, a woman arrived in a
wheelchair to pass through the Door
and obtain the grace of the Jubilee.
For a long time, she was paralyzed,
hemiplegic, not to mention all the
other illnesses that caused her much
suffering. As she left the church
through this blessed Door, she began
to walk! She still does! The news of
the miracle spread like wildfire. The
very next day, thousands of pilgrims
showed up to pass through the Holy
Door. Providence permitted me to
arrive at that precise moment! When I
addressed this crowd to share the
messages of Mary, there were about
20,000 people from all over the
country.
After I spoke, they bombarded me
with questions about the messages, so
we spent several hours together.
Interestingly about 80% of these
people were young. I told them that in
Europe, such a meeting such would
probably consist of 80% of elderly
people. They laughed, but it's not
funny! At Easter, Father Nick
baptized 234 adults, and that is not
counting the children. In Europe, we
might have as many as 3 or 4... Lord,
have mercy!
As if that's not enough.... Father Nick,
anxious to give his flock a good
Catholic formation, decided to have
them
renew
their
Baptismal
promises. He knew that, for these
simple people, it was important to
have a hands-on experience more
than words; so he built a one-foot
deep pool, with 3 steps down; he
filled it with water and made them
walk across it while repeating their
Baptismal Promises.
The Lord
confirmed that the idea came from
Him, because miracles occurred
immediately. One man had a hand
that was completely paralyzed, but as
he stepped out of the water, he was
waving his hand around with
amazement. "He has healed me!" he
cried. Another was almost completely
blind. As he was coming out of the
water, he started shouting: "I can see
clearly, I can see!" I willingly went to
renew my own promises, knowing
that, according to exorcists like Don
7
Amorth, this prayer is an excellent
way of casting out demons. And we
have too many of those in our
world! May this idea be looked at!
I thank each of you for your support
through prayer, worship, fasting and
sacrifices offered for these missions.
When you get to heaven, you'll see
what you have obtained and you will
not be disappointed!
4. Prayer to the newborn Child
Jesus
Have you prepared your crib for Baby
Jesus? If not, then do it without
delay!
Our Lady asks for this
because in this way we may deepen
our expectation of the child God
prepare ourselves to celebrate His
birthday. When I was in Malaysia Fr
Nick asked me to write a prayer to
Baby Jesus. Let me give it to you
"With Mary, Joseph, and the
shepherds of Bethlehem, I also come
to adore you. Make of my heart your
little manger, come live in me!
Little Jesus, Herod wanted to kill you
while you were coming to save
us. Keep me from every sin and
everything that may sadden you in my
life. Fill my soul with love and the
divine peace I am so longing for.
"Oh, how I wish to take you in my
arms like Mary your Mother and
cover you with tender kisses! You
were feeling so cold in Bethlehem at
winter, I want to warm you with the
songs of my soul. May each one of my
secret acts of love be to you like a
wisp of straw and warmth.
"Save us from Satan, do not let him
sow hatred and division in our
families. Please, recreate love among
us. May evil crush against your
innocence! I beg you, Baby Jesus,
bind the wounds of my heart, and
heal my illnesses.
here so that you may read it in your
families during the 9 days after
Christmas and allow Baby Jesus to be
born in your heart and to dwell there
with joy. He will inspire you with
works of mercy to realize through
Him! Isn't it a good way to console
the Heart of His mother?
"O Child Jesus, how I love you! As I
look at you, I see you so small, so
innocent, so vulnerable... Yet you are
my Lord and my God!
"Divine little Shepherd, may your
blessing always be upon us! Lead us
all on the way to salvation!"
8
Dearest Gospa, with you we are all
joyfully anticipating the birth of your
Son Jesus. Please give us the burning
desire of His coming, that same
desire that you joyfully bear in your
motherly Heart! Please, help us be
inventive in love to dry away your
tears!
Celebration of New Year's Eve
in prayer AND music in
Medjugorje
date: 01.01.2017.
Sister Emmanuel +
Consecration to Mary
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
overflowing with goodness,
show us Your love for us.
May the flame of Your heart,
O Mary, descend upon all mankind.
We love You so.
Impress true love in our hearts
that we may have a continuous
desire for You.
O Mary, meek and humble of heart,
remember us when we are in sin.
You know that all men sin.
Grant to us by means of
Your Immaculate Heart, to be
healed from every spiritual illness.
In doing so, we then will be able
to gaze upon the goodness
of Your Maternal Heart,
and thus be converted through
the flame of Your Heart. Amen
Celebration of the Feast of Mother of
God and New Year's Eve in
Medjugorje gathered many pilgrims
and parishioners to come here.
Groups arrived from Italy, Hungary,
Korea, Spain, Slovakia, the United
States, Czech Republic, China,
Lebanon, France, Poland, Austria and
Germany. Many youth from Croatia
and Bosnia and Herzegovina were
here too. Fr. Marinko Sakota, the
parish
priest,
celebrated
a
Thanksgiving Holy Mass for the
previous year at 6 pm, along with 45
priests
concelebrating.
The
celebration was more beautiful thanks
to the singing of the parish choir of
the Queen of Peace, conducted by Sr.
Irena Azinovic.
Members of Cenacolo community
gave their third live performance of
the Nativity scene after Holy Mass,
while prayer The Vigil began at 10
pm with the Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament led by Fr. Perica Ostojic.
Midnight Holy Mass was celebrated
by Fr. Vjekoslav Milićević. Fr,
Marinko Sakota congratulated New
Year to all present at the end of
Midnight
Mass.
The
whole
programme was broadcasted live by
radio Mir Medjugorje.
9
The Little Medjugorje Pilgrim:
By Emily Aldridge
A story of one Little Pilgrim setting out on a long journey home to
discover the joy to love and to be loved.
In the Autumn of 2015 we published
Emily
Aldridge’s
(aged
23)
story ‘Medjugorje made my blue eyes
finally shine’
In August 2016 - We went on to
publish Emily’s personal testimony
‘Confessions of a Medjugorje
Pilgrim’
As a Pilgrim who had walked and
served in the gaze of Our Lady of
Medjugorje, Emily found herself
serving with Mother Teresa’s Sister
of Charity in the Streets of Calcutta.
Read on as Emily takes us into the
Streets of Calcutta..
I have just returned to my little
hometown in Wales after serving
with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of
Charity in Calcutta and I can now say
with a heart full of gratitude that I
have gained an experience that I
forever will be unable to forget.
Each day, I walked through the hot,
dirty and smelly streets of Calcutta,
dodging relentless traffic and
stepping over piles of rubbish,
scurrying rats and bodies lying
sleepily all over the ground. I would
smile to myself at the sweet sound of
the sisters singing at Mass and at the
gentle rattling of Rosary beads in the
hands of these blue and white angels
who hold so tightly onto the Hands of
Our Lady as they prayed each night
in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Everything there was so external, be
it the cacophony of noise from the
manic honking of horns and the
random shouts seemingly about
nothing important that came from
each and every corner of this bustling
and utterly chaotic city or the smell
of some truly pungent stenches that I
would rather never remember. But
quite remarkably, in this beautiful but
undeniably crazy ‘City of Joy’, I
could not have felt more perfectly at
home.
I never thought that I’d leave
everything I knew back home to fly
out alone to Calcutta.
I never thought that I’d share a room
with people from all over the world
that I’d never met before and that I’d
develop some of the greatest
friendships I have ever made, or that
I’d dress in a dodgy bandana and
funky, baggy and honestly totally
ridiculous clothing, that I’d have
perpetually dirty black feet, that I’d
shamefully smell of absolutely
everything imaginable at the end of
each day and that I’d wash both
myself and my clothes in a bucket of
cold
water
each
night.
I certainly never thought that I would
walk the same streets that Saint
Teresa of Calcutta herself walked and
that I would so profoundly and
beautifully meet Jesus Christ Himself
hidden behind the most distressing
disguise of the raw and broken bodies
of the poorest of the poor.
I never thought I would have such a
real experience of Jesus hidden
behind the stale stench of bad breath,
diarrhoea, urine, sweat and thick dirt,
behind wounded limbs and rotting
flesh that were crawling with
hundreds of maggots and covered in
flies, beneath the shrill and violent
10
screams and aggressive lashings out
and unforgettably wild eyes of those
absolutely crippled with mental
illness, in the undeniably beautiful
smiles and truly pretty faces of
homeless women wearing now-dirty
saris and with hair crawling with lice,
within the empty and vacant stares of
those who have simply lost all hope
and within the unresponsive faces of
abandoned and orphaned children
who don’t, won’t and cannot even
smile.
I never thought that in my walk with
the Lord, I would be physically
attacked, followed, screamed at and
groped, that I’d be so haunted by the
site of suffering and sin that I would
have nightmares, that I would feel
sick to my stomach with fear and that
I would cry as if I was unable to stop
because my heart simply ached for
our beautiful poor people.
I never thought that as a violent
patient stretched out her hands to beat
me that I would gently take hold of
her hands and silently pray to Our
Lady, asking Her to give me a piece
of Her Immaculate Heart to really
love this patient with and to take all
fear from me, before instantly
watching this patient calm down and
smile at me.
I never thought that I’d physically
hold someone with poor balance in
my arms enabling them to go to the
toilet outside on the ground, I never
thought that I’d find and cover up a
dead body in the street,
I never thought I’d take a homeless
man for a haircut on the side of the
road.
I never thought that I’d stand in front
of a dead body in the home for the
dying so that another patient wouldn’t
feel afraid.
I never thought that as I showered a
lady who had previously been abused
that I would hear her ask me ‘Are you
going to beat me?’
I never thought that as I passed some
bread to a homeless man who was
completely intoxicated, sitting in his
own excrement amidst piles of
rubbish that I would see him
immediately break the bread in half
and give some to his friend in the
same condition next to him before he
even thought to take anything for
himself.
I never thought that I would be
offered a packet of chocolate biscuits
from a homeless man unsure of when
he would be able to next eat and that
he would simply burst out laughing at
my embarrassingly bad attempt to tell
him in broken Bengali to keep the
biscuits and share them with his
friend who was sitting next to him.
I never thought that I would find a
lady completely naked in the middle
of the street staring at nothing and
that when I approached her she would
cry and cry as if it was the first and
last time that she would ever be able
to cry.
I never thought that I would push
patients in a wheelchair through the
hectic streets of India and that I
would pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
at the bedside of a dying woman.
I never thought that I’d laugh to the
point of almost falling over at things
that honestly weren’t even that funny,
that in my pure exasperation,
exhaustion and frustration at the
sufferings of others I would shout and
kick out at my bed and use bad
language, that I would bite my lip at
Mass and Adoration to stop myself
crying in front of everyone because I
knew that if I started to cry I would
11
have difficulty in stopping.
I never thought that I would look into
so many eyes and see Jesus and say
both silently in my heart and out loud
‘I love you and I rejoice in the Lord
that you exist.’
I never thought that I would feel so
overjoyed, so overwhelmed, so loved
and so in love, but so hurt, so
rejected, so embarrassed, so angry,
confused, helpless and frightened, so
excited, so fulfilled and just so
incredibly grateful all at the same
time.
I never thought that I would pray on
my knees on a cold marbled floor for
hours and hours in the same Chapel
that Mother Teresa herself prayed in
so faithfully every single day and that
I would fall even more completely
and madly in love with the One who
is Love. I never thought that I’d share
even in the tiniest of ways in the
simple, beautiful and completely selfgiving life of these incredible
missionary sisters and that I would
grow so much in my friendship with,
and my love and my admiration for
them.
I never thought that I’d eat a
concoction of chicken’s head,
kidneys, liver and intestines and still
live to tell the tale, I never thought
that I’d kill a giant spider with my
bare hands, and that I’d both vomit
and undress in the middle of an
Indian street first thing in the morning
after discovering that I had put my Tshirt on back-to-front. I never thought
that I’d be the first one to say ‘Good
Morning’ to those waking up on the
street, that I’d get head-lice and make
friends
through
sharing
liceprevention products and that I’d drink
copious sugary cups of tea in a small
cup made out of clay that I would
then smash on the ground when I was
finished with it.
I never thought that I’d experience so
profoundly the incredible Mercy,
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Power,
Forgiveness, Presence, Guidance,
Goodness, Strength, Promise of
Salvation and Pure Grace of God in
Calcutta and that I would be able to
discover everywhere else the same
incredible beauty that I found here
because as our dearest Mother Saint
Teresa says, ‘Don’t search for Jesus
in far lands – He is not there. He is
close to you; He is in you. Just keep
the lamp burning and you will always
see Him. Keep on filling the lamp
with all these little drops of love, and
you will see how sweet is the Lord
you love.’
Thank you Jesus.
Emily
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
was asked
‘ Mother Do you Believe in
Medjugorje?? ’
On August 14, 1993, I had the
unmerited privilege of going down and
spending a couple of days with Mother
Teresa. We and sat outside her office in
Calcutta, and above her desk area was a
picture, a calendar of Our Lady of
Medjugorje. And I said to her, point
blank, ‘Mother, do you believe in
Medjugorje?’ and she gestured to me as
follows, putting her finger over her lips
as if to be discrete. But she said to me,
and I quote: ‘I asked Our Lady of
Medjugorje to come to the first home
for the dying in Calcutta and She did.’
(Dr. Mark Miravalle Notre Dame
Medjugorje Conference May 2008)
12
8th December 2016
The Enthronement of Our Lady of
Walsingham in Westminster
Cathedral
On the Feast of The Immaculate
Conception, in a wonderful service, the
statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was
solemnly enthroned in Westminster
Cathedral within the Chapel of St
George and the English Martyrs. The
Chapel now contains a new Shrine of
Our Lady of Walsingham in London.
This beautiful Chapel is on the left-hand
side of the Cathedral and well worth a
visit.
In the Marian Year 1954, His Eminence
Cardinal Bernard Griffin commissioned
the Cathedral Statue of Our Lady of
Walsingham. It was then placed in the
Crypt Chapel. That statue was brought
up to the main altar for this event, then
carried in procession to be enthroned in
St George’s Chapel becoming part of
London’s new Shrine of Our Lady of
Walsingham. Isn’t that great?
HOLY GROUND
The pedestal for the statue is a gift made
in Poland especially for Our Lady. It
was specially commissioned and
contains soil from three Marian Shrines,
including soil from the Shrine of Our
Lady of Czestochowa in Poland and
from Martyrs Field in Walsingham.
There is soil in the pedestal from a 3rd
site, but unfortunately, I did not hear
exactly where that was!
The Order of Service said that:“His
Holiness Pope Francis has imparted his
Apostolic Blessing on our installation
and enthronement of Our Lady of
Walsingham in the Chapel of Saint
George and the English Martyrs.
9th
November 2016”.
The service began at 4pm with the
Rosary and hymns; then the poem
‘Walsingham Way’ was read out,
followed by the Litany to Our Lady.
Vespers, or Evening Prayers, were sung
in Latin by the Cathedral choir,
followed by Solemn Holy Mass.
Bishop John Sherrington, Auxiliary
Bishop of Westminster was the
Principal Celebrant and Msgr. John
Armitage, Rector of Our Lady’s Shrine
at Walsingham Concelebrated. The
Bishop gave a wonderful homily and
reminded us that: “When England goes
back to Walsingham, Our Lady will
come back to England”. At the end of
Mass, we remained standing – several
thousands attended – for the beautiful
procession with the statue to St
George’s Chapel and special prayers.
Msgr. Armitage then led us all in the
Act of Consecration of England and
Wales to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, prayed by Cardinal Griffin in
Walsingham on July 16th 1948.
At 7pm The Prayer for England and the
Alma Redemptoris Mater concluded
this unique and holy occasion. Hearts
of many nationalities were consoled
that evening!
The London statue is similar to that of
the Slipper Chapel in Walsingham with
a few subtle differences. In the 1954
statue commissioned by Cardinal
Griffin for the Cathedral, Our Lady’s
crown is less ornate I would say. Next
time you are in London, even just
passing through, do call in to
Westminster Cathedral to see what you
think!
May Our Lady of
Walsingham pray for us!
(The nearest tube station for
Westminster Cathedral is Victoria).
Sent in from a member of the Tyneside
Walsingham Association.
Web-site:
https://www.sites.google.com/
site/tynesidewalsingham/
13
Medjugorje Centre North East
ARE YOU AGED 18—30 ??
50,000 youth from across the world attend the youth festival
Medjugorje 28th Youth Festival 2017
Wed 31st July – 7th August 2017
- flying from Gatwick
Jonathan Baylis Aglow Pilgrimage, is organizing a small group (10 to 15
people) to join The Youth Festival.
After a generous response from Readers we are now able to offer 2 free places.
We are looking to offer 2 young people aged 18 – 30 from the North East of
England places to join in the celebrations.
The Youth Festival is a vision of Fr. Slavko which has gradually developed
and now more than 50,000 youth and 400 Priests from across the world gather
together.
Fr Martin Morris North East shares in this vision to give youth in our region an
opportunity to experience a renewal of faith in the beautiful country of Bosnia
Herzegovinia and to meet young people from across the world in a vibrant
atmosphere of Love and Hope for future generations, in the presence of Our
Lady Queen of Peace.
Fr. Martin Morris plans to accompany the group (to be confirmed)
If you are aged 18 -30 have never been to Medjugorje and would like to be
considered please email Medjugorje North East:
[email protected]
****************
Sponsorship is still open if you want to help sponsor a
young person to experience
The Medjugorje Youth Festival
All contributions gratefully accepted.
Please make cheques payable to: ‘Medjugorje Centre North East’
And write on the back of the cheque ‘Sponsor Youth ‘
send to :- The Treasurer, Miss Fiona Johnston, address back page.
14
Medjugorje Centre North East
www.medjugorjene.co.uk
MIDDLESBROUGH CENTRE
FOR PEACE
MIDDLESBROUGH CENTRE
FOR PEACE
MEDJUGORJE EVENING
MEDJUGORJE PILGRIMAGES
2017
21st May— 28th May
10th Sept—17th Sept
Friday 13th January 2017
Friday 10th February 2017
7.30pm to 9.30pm
Rosary : Holy Mass : Talk : Witness
FLYING from NEWCASTLE
For further details please contact:
JOHN PAUL CENTRE
55 GRANGE ROAD,
MIDDLESBROUGH, TS1 5AU
For further details please contact:
Mrs Marie Bedingfield
Tel: 01642 530739
Mrs Marie Bedingfield
Tel: 01642 530739
Blessings For The New Year
Medjugorje Centre N.E
Like the Magi, let us set out, clothe ourselves in the
light following the star of Jesus,
and love the Lord with all our might.
(Pope Francis)
The Centre recognizes and accepts that the final authority regarding the apparitions
at Medjugorje rests with the Holy See of Rome. We willingly submit to that judgement.