Pakistan: Christians, Muslims and Hindu pilgrims in Mariamabad, the village of Mary
Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - For the approximately 2 million Catholics of Pakistan these are days of celebration. Many of them, in recent days, have taken to the road on a journey to Mariamabad, the village of Mary, in the district of Shekhupura.
For 60 years now, September 4 marks the beginning of the traditional pilgrimage to the Grotto of Our Lady, Daman E Mariam, located in one of the oldest Christian places of Pakistan, about 115 km from Lahore.
The faithful from around the country are travelling on country roads on foot or by bicycle. Some groups are moving by train, those who have them, by car. All embellish their means of transport with streamers or banners to signal that they are travelling to the village of Mary. Catholics are moving along with Christians of other confessions, but also Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs. Our Lady of Marialabad has many devotees and over the years has called to her a growing number of pilgrims.
The construction of the grotto dates back to 1927, built by a missionary, Fr Ostar. Years later, in 1949, Fr. Emmanuel Asi promoted the first pilgrimage over three days, starting then as now on September 4th, the faithful throughout the country make their journey to pay homage to the Virgin and ask for her intercession.
The pilgrims are welcomed into so-called The Land of Mary, Medan E Mariam, where prayer vigils, Masses, Eucharistic adoration are held, but also films with religious content are shown. The celebration that inaugurates the three-day festival starts at the Grotto: the statue of the Virgin is carried in procession through the streets of the area touching the neighbouring villages before returning to the starting point where it is crowned.
Leading the procession this year Mgr. Lawrence Saldanha, Bishop of Lahore, reminded the faithful of the words of Fr Asi, the promoter of the pilgrimage: "Our Lady asks us to repent and be converted as in the message of Lourdes. She was born immaculate and this is an invitation to us to be pure: our love for others must be without malice and jealousy".
For Christians of Mariamabad the feast is a challenging period laden with work. They host the who have no money pilgrims in their homes, seek donations of rice and food in neighbouring villages to offer it to their brethren who come from all over the country. The festival has become an event for the entire population of the area and many, even non-Christians, offer food for guests.
Interviewed by AsiaNews, Mgr. Saldanha says that "after the incidents in Gojra [August 1 when 8 Christians were burned alive by a mob of 3 thousand Muslims, ed] many people are scared, but participation of devotees in the pilgrimage is still very strong. From all over Pakistan they come to visit 'Mother Mary' and the atmosphere of recollection is stronger than in past years”.
Among the pilgrims there are also followers of other religions. For Muslims, the Grotto of Mariamabad has a special meaning because it relates the story of a miracle that saw as the protagonist a young woman of Islam.
Sardar John, a 73-year-old catechist from Faisalabad, tells the story: "A Muslim girl used to go to the Nuns of the village to ask for medicine. She was deeply distressed because she could not bear children. One day the nuns told us that 'we should do our best' to help. We did not know what they meant. When we went with the woman to the grotto it became clear what they had in mind: the 'our best' was to ask Our Lady’s intercession. The woman came with us and asked herself, weeping and begging Mary according to her own tradition. After nine months the woman bore a child. Her family of tribal Muslims came to the cave with a cow with a pendant of gold around its neck as their offering in thanksgiving to Our Lady for her intercession".
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08/04/2021 14:37
