Monday, May 26, 2014

Celebration for Feastday of Mary, Help of Christians

This year's feastday of Mary, Help of Christians was especially memorable for our family, for a few different reasons, first being that we were blessed and privileged to be able to make a special pilgrimage to the shrine of Mary, Help of Christians in Canungra; second, was because we were gifted to attend Holy Mass concelebrated by several priests, but most especially by Fr David Nugent, MSE (Missionaries of the Most Holy Eucharist), a very holy and well-known Eucharistic and Marian priest who travels around the world promoting and helping to initiate Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.  Noteworthy is that Fr David was largely instrumental in starting Perpetual Adoration in the Northside of Brisbane, specifically at the Nundah-Banyo Parish of Corpus Christi-Holy Trinity.  Also, because the children dressed up in white and blue (Mamma Mary's colours), they were very happy to have been asked by organizers of the event to join the Eucharistic Procession in honour of Our Lady under this particular title.  As if the day wasn't beautiful enough, we were also able to have a rare, albeit brief chat with Fr Columba Macbeth-Green (local Prior of the Paulist Monks of the Shrine) who was appointed recently by Pope Francis and soon to be installed as Bishop of  Wilcannia-Forbes, NSW.  He was so kind and obliging that he gave us a blessing, as well, and a very special one for our little Miracles! 

Thank you ever so much, Mamma Mary.  We started off dedicating this day to you, thinking we were giving YOU gifts.  Instead WE went home having received countless graces OURSELVES!!!

Maria, Auxilium Christianorum, ora pro nobis!!





Photo op with the beatiful statue of Mary, Help of Christians nearby
 
The boys were asked to carry the St Michael banner.  Webster found it rather uncanny.  He felt St Michael "chose" him for this task, whilst he also has chosen St Michael to be his Confirmation saint, the special event being a week after this one.

the girls with their baskets of rose petals to scatter along the path of our Eucharistic Lord


waiting patiently..

What a great blessing to be part of this Eucharistic Procession in honour of Mary, Help of Christians!






with soon-to-be-installed-Bishop Fr Columba