Message from Bishop of Jaffna In this year of the 2000 birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you are privileged to conduct once again the annual pilgrimage to our Lady of Banneux. I understand that it is being organized for the 15th time consecutively. While congratulating the Members of the organization for the Asian Pilgrims, I am offering prayers and well-wishers for the success of the Pilgrimage.Pilgrimage is a spiritual event and an act of devotion carried out in penitential spirit. It is always a sign and symbol of our yearning to journey within ourselves, to find the Absolute within ourselves. This should be our ultimate aim. It is my earnest wish that all those who make this Pilgrimage during this Millennium Year abundantly experience the saving grace of God mediated through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of Banneux.
Rt.Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam,
Bishop of Jaffna, Srilanka
"To organization for the Asian Pilgrims, I am offering prayers and well"
Rt.Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam,
Bishop of Jaffna, Srilanka
"To organization for the Asian Pilgrims, I am offering prayers and well"
Message from Cardinal Lourdusamy I am glad to know that the "organisation for the Asian Pilgrims Nederland " is organizing the 15th year of pilgrims to the shrine of Our lady of Banneux. It is a fitting tribute that a souvenir is brought out to make this event memorable. Pilgrimage is one the significant spiritual signs of the Great Jubilee 2000, to strengthen our Faith and renew our Life in Christ. Therefore it is apt and well timed to make this pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year. Though I could not personally participate in it. I send my warm greetings and special blessings to all of you. May mother Mary bless you abundantly and guide you all through your life.
Wishing you a fruitful pilgrimage.
D.Simon Card.
Lourdusamy
Via dei Corridori, Roma
Wishing you a fruitful pilgrimage.
D.Simon Card.
Lourdusamy
Via dei Corridori, Roma
Message from Cardinal Simonis To all the participants of the Asian Pilgrimage to The Jubilee year 2000 is a year of thanksginging to God for the great mystery of God's incarnation in the Person of Jesus Christ. Mary, the holy virgin, was chosen to become his mother. Her answer on the message of the angel Gabriel was an answer of faith and obedience. It would be a joy if you as pilgrims to Banneux. will try on the interecession of Mary for the intercessor for vocations to the priesthood, to the religious life and to the apostolate in the Church. I wish you a blessed pilgrimage.
Yours in Christ,
Adrianus Cardinal Simonis
Yours in Christ,
Adrianus Cardinal Simonis
Message from Fr.Henry Scholtens Once more it is a special feest: our annual pilgrimage to Banneux in Belgium. Mary awaits us there. The Mother of Jesus wants to be also our Mother. For us it now is the fifteenth time; now in the year of jubilee Many reasons to be happy for in honor of the Virgin of Virgins. Come all to her and she will show you that she is also our Mother. Join therefore this special pilgrimage. Then you can be sure that she is our intercessor with God. We may receive a plenary indulgence.
Our prayers, our best wishes and our noble feelings go along with you.
Our prayers, our best wishes and our noble feelings go along with you.
Message from Rector W. Geelen
On 10th anniversary of Asian Pilgrimage to Banneux
Dear Sri Lankan Pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady, the Virgin of the Poor in BANNIEUX
All of you and myself, we have at least something in common: English is not our mother tongue. So I necessarily write this words in a simple humble way.
I am very honored to share your joy and gratitude on this occasion of the 10th SRI LANKAN PILGRIMAGE to Banneux. In all those years I admired the care with which Mr. Francis A. X. Pathmarajah prepared and organized these pilgrimages, which grew in number of participants from year to year.
I must say, I can easily understand how those who "discovered..... this Shrine and the Message of Our Blessed Mother Mary like to come back
Banneux is a peaceful place, where one can really feel that Holy Mary is near to us. After all, the very Message of every apparition of the Holy Virgin on this earth certainly is: "I want to show you that I am with you, near to each one of you."
Since the Virgin of the Poor expressed clearly that she came here to "alleviate suffering" and that she destined the little spring "for the sick", all of us who have our burdens in life like to come to Our Heavenly Mother.
Let me stress two particular reasons for you to come to Banneux this year.
I could observe in these past years, that one word of the Message is being realized ever more. The Holy Virgin invited "all nations". We can see in Banneux that this comes true. By this your 10 th and very important pilgrimage you contribute in a concrete way to this image of our Shrine. The beautiful image of people from so many different origins, from all countries of our globe, joining in their faithful prayer to our Common Mother.
The second reason for your coming this year may be the theme our Bishop invites us to considering this 750th anniversary of the FEAST OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT, that started in our Diocese of LIEGE, Belgium, in 1246.
The little spring to which Our Lady was leading little Mariette (11) four times back in 1933 was soon considered even by the bishop of that time as a symbol for JESUS.
Has, not HE brought the Love of God into mankind? Is not the Love of God flowing through the wounded Heart of Jesus like an Spring of God's merciful Love? Does not his Love flow into our own life each time we receive Holy Communion when participating in the Eucharist? So we really can discover in Our pilgrimage to the Shrine how Holy Mary, by leading us to the Spring, le-ads us to Jesus Himself and invites us to open our hearts to the divine Love HE gives us continuously, like a Spring that never ceases to flow.
Let us remember in this sense the words Our Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman near the quell of Jacob: "The water that I shall give shall be in him like a spring of water flowing into life everlasting" (John 4,14).
I wish that every pilgrim may experience on his stay near the Virgin of the Poor how much Mary wants to lead us to Jesus. HE is the Source of Gods Life. His Love enables us the share the very Life of God, enables us to show his love everyday of meeting one another. Exactly this is what Jesus meant when he said: ..............This (life bringing) water flows on into life everlasting............
Dear Sri Lankan Pilgrims, I welcome every one and all of you to a beautiful and abundantly blessed 10th pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Poor in BANNEUX.
United to you in prayer.
Rector W.Geelen
Liege, 2 May 1996
On 10th anniversary of Asian Pilgrimage to Banneux
Dear Sri Lankan Pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady, the Virgin of the Poor in BANNIEUX
All of you and myself, we have at least something in common: English is not our mother tongue. So I necessarily write this words in a simple humble way.
I am very honored to share your joy and gratitude on this occasion of the 10th SRI LANKAN PILGRIMAGE to Banneux. In all those years I admired the care with which Mr. Francis A. X. Pathmarajah prepared and organized these pilgrimages, which grew in number of participants from year to year.
I must say, I can easily understand how those who "discovered..... this Shrine and the Message of Our Blessed Mother Mary like to come back
Banneux is a peaceful place, where one can really feel that Holy Mary is near to us. After all, the very Message of every apparition of the Holy Virgin on this earth certainly is: "I want to show you that I am with you, near to each one of you."
Since the Virgin of the Poor expressed clearly that she came here to "alleviate suffering" and that she destined the little spring "for the sick", all of us who have our burdens in life like to come to Our Heavenly Mother.
Let me stress two particular reasons for you to come to Banneux this year.
I could observe in these past years, that one word of the Message is being realized ever more. The Holy Virgin invited "all nations". We can see in Banneux that this comes true. By this your 10 th and very important pilgrimage you contribute in a concrete way to this image of our Shrine. The beautiful image of people from so many different origins, from all countries of our globe, joining in their faithful prayer to our Common Mother.
The second reason for your coming this year may be the theme our Bishop invites us to considering this 750th anniversary of the FEAST OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT, that started in our Diocese of LIEGE, Belgium, in 1246.
The little spring to which Our Lady was leading little Mariette (11) four times back in 1933 was soon considered even by the bishop of that time as a symbol for JESUS.
Has, not HE brought the Love of God into mankind? Is not the Love of God flowing through the wounded Heart of Jesus like an Spring of God's merciful Love? Does not his Love flow into our own life each time we receive Holy Communion when participating in the Eucharist? So we really can discover in Our pilgrimage to the Shrine how Holy Mary, by leading us to the Spring, le-ads us to Jesus Himself and invites us to open our hearts to the divine Love HE gives us continuously, like a Spring that never ceases to flow.
Let us remember in this sense the words Our Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman near the quell of Jacob: "The water that I shall give shall be in him like a spring of water flowing into life everlasting" (John 4,14).
I wish that every pilgrim may experience on his stay near the Virgin of the Poor how much Mary wants to lead us to Jesus. HE is the Source of Gods Life. His Love enables us the share the very Life of God, enables us to show his love everyday of meeting one another. Exactly this is what Jesus meant when he said: ..............This (life bringing) water flows on into life everlasting............
Dear Sri Lankan Pilgrims, I welcome every one and all of you to a beautiful and abundantly blessed 10th pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Poor in BANNEUX.
United to you in prayer.
Rector W.Geelen
Liege, 2 May 1996
