Nation mourns the shepherd girl who 'saw Virgin Mary'

Nation mourns the shepherd girl who 'saw Virgin Mary'

Nation mourns the shepherd girl who 'saw Virgin Mary'

BARRY HATTON
IN LISBON

SISTER Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, the shepherd girl whose visions of the Virgin Mary transformed the small Portuguese town of Fatima into one of the pillars of the Catholic world, has died at the age of 97.

Lucia and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco said the Virgin Mary appeared to them on the 13th day of each month in 1917.

She was said by believers to be the main recipient of prophecies from the Virgin about key 20th century events.

The first part of the prophecies saw a vision of hell, the second is said to have predicted the outbreak of the Second World War.

The Vatican interpreted a third part of the visions as foretelling the attempt to kill the Pope and communism’s persecution of Christianity.

The Church kept the details secret for decades until they were revealed during the Pope’s visit to Fatima in 2000.

The first 'sighting' was in May, and the appearances took place for another five months, ending abruptly in October.

Shortly afterwards, Jacinta and Francisco died of respiratory diseases. But Lucia grew up to became a nun, and penned two memoirs while living in convents.

Born Lucia de Jesus, she changed her name twice after entering the convents but was popularly known as simply Sister Lucia.

The Pope has visited Fatima three times since becoming pontiff in 1978, spending a few minutes with Lucia during each trip to the site. He claimed the Virgin of Fatima saved his life after he was shot by a Turkish gunman in St Peter’s Square in 1981.

The attack, on 13 May, coincided with the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, and John Paul II credits the Virgin’s intercession for his survival.

In 2000, he visited Fatima to beatify Jacinta and Francisco.

The Portuguese government last night ordered flags lowered to half-mast and political parties called a postponement to election campaigning in the wake of the announcement of her death.

Lucia was placed in a coffin in the chapel of the convent near Fatima where she lived. Hundreds of people brought flowers and prayed quietly at the chapel.

In a letter expressing his condolences, Jorge Sampaio, the Portuguese president, said Sister Lucia "was a symbol and a point of reference for so many people in the whole world".

Serafim Ferreira e Silva, the Bishop of Fatima, held a special service for Lucia at the town’s shrine, which is visited each year by millions of people from around the world.

The funeral is to be held today at the cathedral in the nearby city of Coimbra.

Sister Lucia is to be buried afterwards in the graveyard of the Carmelite convent where she has lived since 1948.

Branca Paul, the doctor who was treating Sister Lucia, said she died of heart failure.

Coogee pilgrims lobby for beach chapel

There will be stupid Virgin chapels all over the world where lunatics have seen images in bricks, sand, asphalt ...

Coogee pilgrims lobby for beach chapel: "Coogee pilgrims lobby for beach chapel

Two years after the alleged Sydney beachside apparition of the Virgin Mary, pilgrims of the 'Coogee Madonna' are pushing for the building of a chapel.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Carmina Sarvino, of Bondi, has 'lobbied Randwick Council, bent the ear of the Premier, Bob Carr, and written to the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell', imploring them all to help build a chapel.

'This is holy land,' he claims.

The Herald says no fewer than three academic papers have delved into the Mary apparition at Coogee, first reported in January 2003 at Dolphins Reserve, at the northern end of Coogee Beach. At least two papers have found a link between the outpouring of grief over the Sari Club bombing in October 2002 and growing national insecurities but for those who venerate Mary it is purely a matter of faith.

Jenny Veselcic, from western Sydney, journeys two hours every Tuesday to the shrine, her original visit prompted by a vision in her bedroom.

'I promised God and Mother Mary I would follow her,' she says, clutching a well-thumbed prayer book containing holy pictures, and pressed rose petals from which she sees the faces of Mary, Jesus and the angels. She says she has seen a vision of a blue veiled Mary while praying at Coogee.

Dr Carole Cusack, senior lecturer in religious studies at the University of Sydney, said it was no coincidence the apparition grew in popularity as the world prepared for the Iraq war.

'Pilgrims to Coogee are joining in an age-old religious practice, older than Christianity, and it functions to alleviate stress experienced by the community.'"

Man Sells 'Jesus' Brick

Hey... it's just Another Brick in the Wall ....

local6.com - Print This Story - Man Sells 'Jesus' Brick: "Man Sells 'Jesus' Brick

A North Carolina man is selling a brick that appears to feature the face of Jesus, according to Local 6 News report.

Ditto Dalcher said he was sitting in his home and noticed the face above his fireplace.

'It was actually about two years ago, I'm just sitting in here and I saw it,' Dalcher said. 'Actually I use this room -- just saw it up there on the fireplace and it just sort of fooled me when I first saw it. It was pretty shocking.'

Dalcher noticed how much money people were making off of the Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich and Jesus in a skillet and decided to share what he found, according to the report.

The bids on eBay were at $500 early Monday.

The auction ends on Friday"

Costco.com

Costco.com: "The Lady of Guadalupe Casket"
Choosing a casket is a very personal and important decision. Families should choose a casket based on their own preferences and the personality of their loved one. We believe we offer a selection that will allow everyone to find something appropriate.



The Universal Casket Company has been serving the funeral industry for over 55 years. They manufacture according to premium standards and features that meet or exceed caskets typically sold in funeral homes. Universal Casket is devoted to quality assurance and complete satisfaction for your peace of mind.

*
Material: 18 gauge steel
*
Finish: Painted Neopolitan
*
Design: Square corner, gasketed casket
*
THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC OR OTHER EVIDENCE THAT ANY CASKET WITH A SEALING DEVICE WILL PRESERVE HUMAN REMAINS
*
Interior: Ice blue crepe
*
Embroidered Lady of Guadalupe head panel
*
Gold colored stationary handles with Lady of Guadalupe appliqués
*
Adjustable bed and mattress
*
Memorial and record tube
*
Interior width at body sides: 24"
*
Interior length at body sides: 79"
*
Exterior width of casket: 28"
*
Exterior length of casket: 84"
*
Exterior height of casket: 24"
*
Weight: 220 lbs.

WIStv.com Columbia, SC: Giant corn flake sells for $156 on eBay

Coming soon ... Virgin Mary in Cheerios ...

WIStv.com Columbia, SC: Giant corn flake sells for $156 on eBay

"(National-NBC) Feb. 1, 2005 - It didn't fetch as much as the 'Virgin Mary grilled cheese' or a supposedly-haunted walking cane, but, the 'giant corn flake' has finally sold on eBay.

The two-by-three-inch piece of cereal brought in $156 on the auction web site Sunday.

Online gambling site GoldenPalace.com made the big purchase, a steal compared to its last two purchases.

The casino spent $28,000 for the cheese sandwich and $65,000 for the cane.

Corn flake owner John White says he'll give half of the $156 to a tsunami relief charity."

Ananova - Jesus found in frying pan

From the frying pan ... to the cross ?!

Ananova - Jesus found in frying pan

Jesus found in frying pan

A Texan family say they have found the image of Jesus in their frying pan.

Juan Pastrano, wife Mary-Lou and son Juan Jnr made the discovery when they went to wash up after a fry-up at their home in Prairie Lea.

Now they are keeping the pan in a sealed plastic bag while they decided what to do with it.

Two months ago a woman who discovered an image of the Virgin Mary in her toasted cheese sandwich sold it for £14,000 to casino company GoldenPalace.com. .

Jewellery maker Diana Duyser, 52, was shocked when the bidding went through the roof after she offered it for sale on eBay.

Now Mrs Duyser has suggested the Texas family follow her example and offer it for sale on eBay.

"I think they will be amazed how much it could sell for," she said.

tampabays10.com - Tampa Bay's 10 News - WTSP

Spending good money on fictional images ...

tampabays10.com - Tampa Bay's 10 News - WTSP: "Bullet proof glass installed to protect image of Virgin Mary"

Clearwater - Bullet-proof glass has been installed to protect a Clearwater building which many believe contains the image of the Virgin Mary. Shepherds of Christ Ministries spent $55,000 to have the protective glass installed this weekend.

Last year, a teen destroyed part of the image when he shot out 3 of the building's window panes. The group hopes this move will prevent any future vandalism.

JOHN WEICKERT/SHEPHERDS OF CHRIST:
"There's a lot of people in the world and everyone has a free will and people can choose to do things that are wrong."

Since the Virgin Mary image was damaged, Shepherds of Christ says the number of visitors to the site has dropped by almost 50%. The group says donations are also down.

The teen convicted of damaging the image was sentenced last year to 10 days in jail.

J.Lo. asks God to make her a mother!

J.Lo. asks God to make her a mother!

J.Lo. asks God to make her a mother!:

[Hollywood News]: New York, Jan 29 : Pop diva Jennifer Lopez is asking God for help to fulfil her dream of having a baby.

The 'Maid in Manhattan' has created a shrine at her Long Island home featuring a 17-inch Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Mexican rendering of the Virgin Mary.

Lopez religiously lights a candle and prays to the statue almost every day, asking to be blessed with pregnancy.

"Praying to the saint was her mom's idea. A year ago, Jen would have said, 'No way.' She's desperate and is praying for a miracle," The New York Post quoted a source close to Lopez's family as saying. (ANI)

"Jesus oyster" turns up in Switzerland

The flood gates have opened ...

"Jesus oyster" turns up in Switzerland

A café manager in western Switzerland says he is planning to advertise an oyster shell bearing the image of Christ for sale on the internet.

Matteo Brandi opened up about his “Jesus oyster” after reports that an American woman had sold a piece of toasted cheese bearing the likeness of the Virgin Mary for $28,000 (SFr33,000).

Brandi, a 38-year-old Italian, told swissinfo he’d kept his special find secret for two years out of fear of making himself a laughing stock.

The devout Catholic was enjoying a dish of oysters with friends on Christmas Eve 2002 when one of the mollusc shells became stuck to his hand.

The "Virgin Mary" toasted sandwich was sold for $28,000 (AFP)

Shell-shocked

“When I turned it over I saw the image of Christ,” Brandi recalled. “I was in shock. I showed it to my friend and he also saw [the face] straight away.”

“It was stuck to my hand. It was as if he [Jesus] was calling me, in the sense that I had to discover this face.”

He explains that he didn’t tell the Vatican about his find as he thought even the Church was likely to disbelieve him.

Brandi placed the shell on top of the stereo in his café where it remained for almost two years. Until the sale in November last year of the “Virgin Mary” toast, closely followed by the auction of a “Jesus fish finger”.

“When I read the article about the toast and the fish finger, I thought why not tell the world about my discovery?”

Waiting for offers

Although he hopes someone will shell out for his oyster, the bar manager denies that by offering it for sale on the internet he is just trying to cash in on the trend.

“It’s not about money at all. I’m doing this so that people hear the story,” he explained. He added that he was interested in hearing from the Vatican or museums that might want the rarity for their collections before seeking a buyer.

“I’ll wait for a few days… and then if I haven’t heard from the Vatican, I’ll make the first move,” he told swissinfo.

Brandi says the discovery has not changed him, although his faith has perhaps grown a little as a result. But since the shell has been in his possession he has experienced the greatest happiness of his life.

“I had some difficult years… things were quite tough, but five months ago I had the greatest joy of my life when my girlfriend gave birth to our child,” he said.

swissinfo - Printversion