The 76th anniversary of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was celebrated in the annual pilgrimage in Rama on August 14 and 15, said Mary Kowalyshen, an event organizer.
The occasion was a special commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, and attracted an audience of over 1,000, said Kowalyshen.
The evening of August 14 included hymns of praise to Mary sung by the Yorkton Filipino choir as part of the Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A procession followed with the travelling International Pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima was sculpted in 1947 by José Thedim, according to information provided by organizers. The statue was based on the description of Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart, whose wish was that the pilgrim image should represent Our Lady’s position when she revealed herself as the Immaculate Heart to the three shepherd children at Fatima in 1917, of which Sister Lucia was one.
On May 13, 1917, three shepherd children named Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco saw a vision of the Blessed Mother, who was dressed in white and holding a rosary. These apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, lasted through October 1917 and brought messages of the need of prayer, repentance, and reparation for all, and for all to work for peace.
The apparitions were declared of “supernatural character” by the Catholic Church in 1930, and a shrine was erected near the original apparition site in Fatima.
The statue was blessed by the bishop of Fatima on Oct. 13, 1947, in the presence of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and was commissioned to serve as the Pilgrim Virgin who would carry the blessings of Fatima throughout the world.
It has traveled continuously around the world since 1947, visiting more than 100 countries, including Russia and China, and bringing a message of salvation and hope, said the information. Many copies of the statue have been made and blessed by the Fatima Bishop to extend and multiply the effort and bring graces to more places and more people, including Rama.
Carl Malburg, one of the custodians of the statue, spoke to those present about the significance of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
In 1917 the three young children, who didn’t even know how to read and write, were entrusted by God with this important message for the whole world, he said. It showed that Mother Mary didn’t want children to suffer.
This occurred in the middle of the First World War, further underlining the importance of the peace message. It’s importance for all adults everywhere to follow this message of prayer, repentance and reparation, and work for peace.
“As young children go to their mothers and are completely devoted to them, so we should be devoted to the message of the Mother Mary,” Malburg said.
The evening of August 14 in Rama included the unveiling and blessing of the life-sized bronze statues of St. John Paul II and St. Mother Teresa, to be permanently located in Rama.
The statues were made in Italy and donated by the Broda family, owners of Broda Construction, formerly of Kamsack but now based in Prince Albert. Gord Broda and his late father Casimir were partners in the construction business, and came to be partners in their efforts to support the Grotto at Rama.
The younger Broda said his father had been coming to Rama regularly since the 1950s, and felt a special connection to the Grotto.
By around 2010 Casimir noticed that some of the stone work and the statues were breaking down, and he and his family decided to show their support through doing upgrading work and adding new statues.
Gord said even though his father has passed on, the family finds it very meaningful to be able to continue his work in Rama, and continue the family’s support for the pro-life work of the church.
Present at the Rama Pilgrimage was a drop of blood from St. John Paul II, available for veneration, which means a show of great respect and reverence, by those in attendance.
Event organizers pointed out that the Virgin Mary, St. Mother Teresa and St. John Paul II were all known for their diligent pursuit of peace, which was the prime motivation in the creation of the Grotto all those years ago.
Polish-born Rev. Anthony Sylla was the guiding force in building the Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes as a place to pray for peace as the German armies began the invasion of Poland at the start of the Second World War, said the information provided.
In 1939, the main part of the grotto was completed. In 1940 the large front wall and the two side-wings in the form of a semi-circle were finished.
Msgr. J.A. Janssen, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese, blessed the Shrine on June 15, 1941. The first pilgrimage was made on August 14 and 15, 1941.
August 15 of this year’s event began with morning devotional prayers to Mary in Polish, followed by a Polish mass at the church. The Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite took place at the grotto.
The act of following the Stations of the Cross was followed by the anointing of the sick and aged.
After the final mass, including the Blessing for Plenary Indulgence and the blessing of religious articles, everyone was invited to stay for lunch and fellowship.
