Pope John Paul II's Recent Words on Mary

• On June 29, 1999, Pope John Paul II released a letter addressed: To all who are preparing to celebrate in faith the Great Jubilee. In the letter the Holy Father speaks about the holy places or sacred spaces where our redemption began. He states, "At first sight, it may seem puzzling to speak of precise "space" in connection with God." Then he asks, "No less than time, is not space completely subject to God's control? Everything has come from his hands and there is no place where God cannot be found. ... God is equally present in every corner of the earth, so that the whole world may be considered the "temple" of his presence."

  The letter then goes on to explain that this does not diminish the fact that "by special moments of grace, space too may be analogy bear the stamp of particular saving actions of God." The Holy Father concludes this thought by adding, it "is an intuition present in all religions, which not only have sacred times but also sacred spaces, where the encounter with the divine may be experienced more intensely than it would normally be in the vastness of the cosmos."

  It is in this light that the Holy Father speaks of the sacred spaces in the context of the history of salvation. He gives examples of the Old Testament attachment to sacred space and moves from there into the time of the Incarnation, the whole reason for the Year 2000. The following is an extract of the message which appeared in the July 7, 1999 issue of L'Osservatore Romano:

  The mystery of the Incarnation therefore reshapes the universal experience of "sacred space" ... The very "taking of flesh" by the Word (Jn 1:14) is in fact a reference to space. In Jesus of Nazareth, God has assumed the features typical of human nature, including a person's belonging to a particular people and a particular land. "Hic de Virgine Maria Iesus Christus natus est" – These words take on a peculiar eloquence in Bethlehem, inscribed over the place where, according to tradition, Jesus was born: "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." The physical particularity of the land and its geographical determination are inseparable from the truth of the human flesh assumed by the Word.

  ...These places [of the Incarnation] are ... indelibly etched in my memory, from the time when in 1965 I had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. ... Today I still gladly go back to what I wrote then, pages full of emotion.

  "I come across these places which you have filled with yourself once and for all. ... O place ... You were transformed so many times before you, His place, became mine. When for the first time He filled you, you were not yet an outer place; you were but His Mother's womb. How I long to know that the stones I am treading in Nazareth are the same which her feet touched when she was Your only place on earth. Meeting You through the stone touched by the feet of Your Mother. O, corner of the earth, place in the holy land – what kind of place are you in me? My steps cannot tread on you; I must kneel. Thus I confirm today you were indeed a place of meeting. Kneeling down I imprint a seal on you. You will remain here with my seal – you will remain – and I will take you and transform you within me into the place of new testimony. I will walk away as a witness who testifies across the millennia" [Karol Wojtyla, Poezje. Poems, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 1998, p. 168]

• The June 30, 1999, issue of L'Osservatore Romano reported on an unusual religious programme at St. Peter's Square. The article stated, "Vivid depictions of various "Mysteries" of the faith were portrayed in picturesque tableaux with live performers, who were carried on elaborate structures by groups of men. The pilgrims came from the Molise region of south- central Italy and were greeted by the Holy Father before the recitation of the Angelus." Below are excerpts from Pope John Paul's sermon during this unusual religious programme:

  "Since the Middle Ages it has been a widespread practice in various European countries to organize processions of tableaux, called "Mysteries," for certain important liturgical feasts. In Campobasso this practice underwent considerable development in the 1700s in connection with the feast of Corpus Christi. There are 13 live groups, ingeniously assembled on wrought-iron structures and depicting, in order, St Michael the Archangel, the Immaculate Conception, Abraham, the Holy Family, St Mary Magdalene, St Crispin, St Januarius, St Anthony the Abbot, St Nicholas of Bari, St Leonard of Noblat, St Isidore, St Roch and the Assumption.

  The "Mysteries" have not only a folkloric character but above all a religious value. In fact, by their very sequential order, they invite us to meditate on the history of salvation.

  As we prepare for the Angelus Prayer, I would like to mention how in this sacred performance Mary enjoys the unique importance that is her due. The "Mystery" of the Immaculate Conception, which follows immediately after the allusive portrayal of the faithful angels' primordial victory over the ones who rebelled (cf. Rv 12:7), recalls that God's grace was present at the beginning of human history. His providential plan of salvation defeats the power of the Evil One. The last "Mystery" depicts Holy Mary's Assumption body and soul into heaven: it presents the glory into which the Blessed Virgin has already entered and to which all who accept Christ's Redemption are called. Other "Mysteries" depict saints who are particularly dear to popular devotion and highlight the marvels that God's merciful love has accomplished in human beings down the centuries. ...

  May the Virgin Mary, who accompanies the Christian people on their way, help us to express in our daily lives the "Mystery" of Redemption, preparing in this way to celebrate the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

• The July 4th Angelus took place during the dedication of a new shrine, the Shrine of Divine Love, located on the outskirts of Rome. The beautiful Angelus greeting below followed the liturgy of dedication. Here are the Holy Father's words from the July 7, 1999, edition of L'Osservatore Romano:

  At the end of this celebration our hearts are filled with gratitude to God. In his Providence he has supported our human efforts, so that we now have, at the edge of Rome and on the eve of the Great Jubilee, a new Marian shrine built in a place very dear to the inhabitants of Rome and Lazio.

  I am deeply moved in recalling my first visit as Bishop of Rome to the Shrine of Divine Love in 1979, 20 years ago. On that occasion I was given a gold olive branch to take to Our Lady of Czestochowa, at whose feet I paused in prayer only a few days ago at the end of my visit to Poland. That gold olive branch seems to suggest a spiritual bond between this Shrine of Divine Love, closely connected with Rome, and that of Jasna Gora, symbol of my earthly homeland.

  Today, I would like to turn my thoughts to the many Marian places where I have gone as a pilgrim during the 21 years of my Pontificate. What a joy it will be for me, if next year I can go to Nazareth where "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14).

  The 20th International Mariological-Marian Congress will take place at this Shrine of Divine Love from 15 to 24 September 2000 on the theme: "The Mystery of the Trinity and Mary." I am delighted that reflection on Mary's unique role in the mystery of Christ and the Church is being constantly developed in the light of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. This deepened understanding has it roots in popular devotion to Mary and, at the same time, helps to nourish, elevate and purify it.

  I hope that veneration of the Mother of God will help every believer to understand the real meaning of the Jubilee now close at hand and to be inwardly open to God's mercy.

  O Mary, beloved Bride of Divine Love
  always bless this place
  and the pilgrims who come here
  with your motherly presence.
  Obtain for the city of Rome, for Italy and for the world
  the gift of peace which your Son, Jesus,
  left as an inheritance to all who believe in him.
  O Mother, may no one ever leave this shrine
  without receiving in his heart
  the comforting certainty of Divine Love. Amen.

Fatima Children and Juan Diego

On June 30, 1999, the ZENIT news service reported that the postulator of Juan Diego's cause for canonization, Jesuit Paulo Molinari, has suggested that the Indian visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe could be canonized in the year 2000. He also revealed that the miracle attributed to Juan Diego, the cure of a youth who attempted suicide by jumping from a high place, was certified by the medical commission. The youth's cure was total, not only of the mortal wounds, but also of his drug addiction.

ZENIT also reported:

Fatima Children to be Beatified Along with Mexican Martyrs
The proclamation of the most eagerly anticipated beatification – that of Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the little shepherds of Fatima, who with Sr. Lucia – who still lives in a Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, Portugal, and has passed her 90th birthday – were witnesses of the apparitions that took place from May 13 to October 13, 1917, on the 13th of each month.

According to the three shepherds, Our Lady appeared as the Virgin of the Rosary and, as a great gift, made them understand the importance of prayer, conversion and penance. Today there is a Basilica in the place of the apparitions; it is one of the principal pilgrimage centers of the world.

In a message to the Portuguese in 1942, Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. John Paul II feels very close to Fatima, as he is convinced that it was the Virgin who saved his life in the attempt of May 13, 1981. (Includes excerpts from ZENIT, June 28)

St. Mary Major to Open Holy Door

The jubilee news service of the National Council of Catholic Bishops published the following information on the indulgences of the Jubilee Year:

Doorways are points of entrance, a place where we begin. The Holy Door, is a special entrance for the faithful to enter the four major Basilicas or holy places during the Jubilee: St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St Mary Major and St. Paul's Outside the Walls, All four Basilicas have multiple doors in their porches, but the Holy Door at each Basilica, is kept closed and sealed. Only during the Jubilee Year can pilgrims walk through these doors. Pope John Paul II explains the importance of the Holy Doors when he wrote in his Bull for the Great Jubilee 2000, "It (the door) evokes a passage from sin to grace which every Christian is called to accomplish. Jesus said, 'I am the door,'(Jn 10:7) in order to make it clear that no one can come to the Father, except through him."

To learn more about the Jubilee Indulgence, please see the following sites:

The Indulgence is a part of the Jubilee Year theme of Reconciliation. The website gives information on: What Is an Indulgence, the History and Spirituality of Indulgences, Requirements Necessary to Receive the Jubilee Indulgence, and finally Questions about the Jubilee Indulgence. [Note please: You may have to copy out the addresses and place them manually into your Internet address location: http://www.santasusanna.org/html/Jubilee_Events/The_Holy_Doors/the_holy_doors.html
http://www.santasusanna.org/html/Jubilee_Events/The_Jubilee_Indulgence/the_jubilee_ind ulgence.html]

Marian Clipart

Are you looking for free Marian clipart? You could utilize the liturgical drawings of Hermanoleon clipart (and other free liturgical clipart) at http://cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon for their web site. Liturgical free Clip-art to web pages and photocopy, renovated every week according to the Catholic liturgy. The site originates in Spain.

Youth 2000

The ZENIT news service published the entire document:

The following excerpt refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Incarnation of the Word and the Redemption of mankind are closely linked with the Annunciation when God revealed to Mary his plan and found in her, a young person like yourselves, a heart totally open to the action of his love. For centuries Christian devotion has recalled every day, with the recitation of the Angelus Domini, God's entrance into the history of man. May this prayer become your daily meditated prayer.

Mary is the dawn which precedes the rising of the Sun of justice, Christ our Redeemer. With her "yes" at the Annunciation, as she opened herself completely to Father's plan, she welcomed and made possible the incarnation of the Son. The first disciple, with her discreet presence she accompanied Jesus all the way to Calvary and sustained the hope of the Apostles as they waited for the Resurrection and Pentecost. In the life of the Church she continues to be mystically the one who precedes the Lord's coming. To Mary, who fulfills without interruption her ministry as Mother of the Church and of each Christian, I entrust with confidence the preparation of the15th World Youth Day. May Most Holy Mary teach you, dear young people, how to discern the will of the heavenly Father in your life.

May she obtain for you the strength and the wisdom to speak to God and to speak about God. Through her example may she encourage you to be in the new millennium announcers of hope, love and peace.

Looking forward to meeting many of you in Rome next year, "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified" (Acts 20:32), while, gladly and with great affection, I bless all of you, with your families and your loved ones.

From the Vatican, June 29th 1999, solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Ioannes Paulus P.P. II

You can find the entire document at: http://www.zenit.org/english/archive/documents/young2000.html
Use Ctrl + F to find the section on Mary.

Ann and Joachim

The July 26 liturgy traditionally celebrates the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the grandparents of Jesus Christ. Mary Page discusses the parents of Mary in the following articles:

Mary Page FAQ #13: Who are Mary's parents? The story of Mary's birth and details about her aging parents, Joachim and Anne, come from apocryphal writings known as the Protevangelium of James the Lesser that was written by an unknown author. More at: http://www.udayton.edu/mary/questions/faq/faq13.html Mary Page FAQ #5: The Names of Mary's Parents. The Transitus Mariae (5th century, Ethiopian) legends recount the end of Mary's life on earth. More at: http://www.udayton.edu/mary/questions/faq/faq05.html Mary Page FAQ #3 See: http://www.udayton.edu/mary/questions/faq/faq03.html The image to the right: The Girlhood of Mary Virgin, 1849 Dante Gabriel Rossetti Tate Gallery, London

The Mary Anne Foundation – Children Learn to Promote Peace

Did you know that there is a foundation named for the Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, and for her Mother, Anne? Yes, The Mary Anne Foundation is named after the mother and the grandmother of the Prince of Peace, and is an international charitable organization dedicated to the belief that the search for peace is first and foremost a spiritual guest.

According to the pamphlet describing The Mary Anne Foundation, "The Foundation is designed to spread the message of Peace through love as taught by Jesus Christ and personified by his mother Mary, his most perfect disciple." The document goes on the state, "The Foundation believes the most effective purveyors of this message are children. To this end, the Foundation enlists children in its efforts to: integrate prayer, stimulate and motivate others to strive for peace through prayer, assist victims of war, particularly orphans, eliminate violence.

The Foundation has created an effective tool for helping children to understand the need to prayer for peace and take action for peace. The package, called the Peacemaker's Packet, develops a program entitled, Kids for Peace Pilgrimage Week. The Kids for Peace Pilgrimage Week, 1999 is the first week in December, running from November 29 through December 3. You can obtain more information about the Peacemaker's Packet, Peace through Love, Let the Children Lead the Way on The Mary Anne Foundation Internet web site at

A National Rosary Crusade

A new movement called the National Rosary Crusade to End Abortion and Restore the Family led by Attorney Stasia Vogel, forms large public gatherings to pray the rosary together with the intention to halt abortion. The first rally was held in Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York on April 25, 1999. Buffalo was chosen because New York was the first state in the nation to give legal protection to perform abortions. The final Rosary Crusade is planned to be held in Washington, D.C. at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on October 7, 2000, the feast of the Most Holy Rosary.

The late Cardinal Mindszenty said in the last sermon before his arrest and imprisonment by the Communists in Hungary, "Give me a million families with Rosaries in their hands, uplifted to Mary. They will be a military power, not against other people, but for all humankind...for their welfare, their healing...

Are You Interested in a Madonna Tapestry?

The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have recreated several images of Our Lady as large tapestries. Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Sistine Madonna. To obtain a brochure call or write:

Saint Benedict Center
The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
PO Box 1000
282 Still River Road
Still River, MA 01467
978-456-8296
Fax: 978-456-9052

Knights of Columbus: Rosary Tape Give-Away

An article by J. Gary Kuntz in the Spring 1999 issue of Medjugorje Magazine, tells Mr. Kuntz's story of his experiences at Medjugorje which resulted in his authorship of meditations on the rosary. Mr. Kuntz writes:

At a Denver Center for Peace Day of Prayer, after leading the rosary, at least 12 people asked, "Do you have an audio cassette of that?" We accepted it as a sign to make the audio tape.

The council approved $3,000, a large amount for a small council, to make the tape. We recorded all 15 decades along with songs and meditations and although it was scary, gave them away, accepting only what people wanted to donate. After three years, we have distributed over 15,000 rosary tapes into 50 states and Canadian provinces. This has happened largely because we inivte other K. of C. councils to join us in our work.

To order a free tape and booklet, write: K. of C. Council #8909 Rosary Tapes, St. Francis of Assisi Church, 2746 Hwy 86, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. A donation will allow the Knights to continue their work.

Use Lexis-Nexis to Find Info on Mary

Academic Universe is a website that lets you search for magazine articles about Mary. Sometimes the strangest things converge, as frequent users of Internet search engines know. Mary Page editors searched for "Virgin Mary" and came up with 442 articles. Perhaps 20% of them really dealt with Mary. The advantage is: The entire article is there.

It is true that not a great number of genuine Catholic or Christian resources are documented as of yet. Nevertheless, the search pays off.

Try it at: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/

Brief Marian Bibliography

Have need of a brief, but rich bibliography on the Mother of Jesus? Mary Page has one at:

Marian Bibliography in Brief

You will find references on the Bible, systematics, reference, spirituality, ecumenism, cultural, feminism, apparitions, and doctrine.

Images of Mary – Contemporary Variations in Washington, DC

The traveling exhibit of the Mariological Society of America is currently on exhibit at the The exhibit began its tour at the International Schoenstatt Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin; moved from there to The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio; and in June 1999, was on display in Washington in the Memorial Hall of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. From there the exhibit will move to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Snows at Belleville, Illinois, July 28 - September 1, 1999.

You can view the exhibit at Images of Mary: Contemporary Variations.

Through the kindness of Sister Ann Marie Harrison, I.H.M., you can also view the layout of the Washington exhibit at Images of Mary: Contemporary Variations – Exhibition at Memorial Hall, Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Marian Studies – The Virgin Mary In Art

Now available! Marian Studies Volume XLIX (1998) The Virgin Mary In Art Annual Publication of The Mariological Society of America. Payment in U.S. currency – Prepayment requested. To order: Send check ($15.00) to: Marian Studies c/o MSA Secreariat The Marian Library University of Dayton Dayton, Ohio 45469-1390

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Mary Page, maintained by The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio 45469-1390, was modified by M. J. Frisk, July 3, 2000. Please send any comments to Johann.Roten@udayton.edu.

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