Peter
Novecosky, OSB
The other shrine
Pope Benedict XVI has completed
a four-day trip to Portugal which, according to media reports, exceeded
church expectations. The PM is pleased to carry a story and some photos
of his visit in this week’s issue.
The shrine of Fatima is located in Portugal and it was here that the
Blessed Virgin appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. Pope Benedict
celebrated mass for half a million people at the shrine on May 13, the
anniversary of the first apparition.
Pope John Paul II credited
Mary with saving his life when he was shot on this date in 1981 in St.
Peter’s Square. Fatima is also the cause célèbre
for what a Vatican official called “diehard Fatimists,”
a small but vocal band of critics and skeptics who believe the message
of the third secret of Fatima has been skewed by Vatican officials.
They believe the third secret was not revealed by several popes because
it was too apocalyptic and traumatic. According to them, the secret
was about the liturgical and ecumenical changes of the Second Vatican
Council, which they label the “great apostasy.”
Another famous European Marian shrine is located at Lourdes in southwestern France. It was here that Mary appeared 18 times in 1858 to a 14-year-old shepherd girl, Bernadette Soubirous. The grotto with its water has become famed for cures and miraculous healings. The small city of 15,000 is home to 270 hotels, the second largest number of hotels per square kilometre in France, after Paris.
Each year, the little-known Order of Malta brings a large number of
hospital pilgrims to Lourdes. This year, 35 members of the Canadian
Association of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John
of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta (the Order of Malta) joined more than
6,000 Order members, sick pilgrims and volunteers from some 35 countries
at Lourdes April 30 - May 4. The Order of Malta pilgrimage is the largest
international pilgrimage that comes to Lourdes each year and is considered
one of the order’s greatest works. Caring for the sick has been
the core value of the order since its beginning nine centuries ago.
The order arranges an extensive program of spiritual activities and
visits to the holy sites, while providing continuous care for the sick
and respite for their caregivers.
Many are provided accommodations in a hospital ward setting; others
stay in hotel rooms. The sick receive the amount of care that each requires
based on their illness. Care includes assistance in getting up, showering,
shaving, dressing, or feeding, as well as cleaning in the ward and dining
room, and preparations for bed.
“The week is one that reinforces faith, hope, spirituality and
humility. It was truly a humbling experience,” said Peter Quail,
president of the Canadian Association. “It was heartwarming to
be with people from all walks of life, CEOs, entrepreneurs, professionals,
non-members, all wearing the same uniform and sharing the same purpose
and duty of care. Our Lady’s message is alive and thriving, and
the experience not only makes a lasting memory but also makes an indelible
impression in the heart.”
Saskatchewan members of the Order have included Dr. J. Francis Leddy
and Justice Emmett Hall. Saskatoon lawyer Henry Kloppenburg is the only
current member from Saskatchewan.
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