Processions and rosaries strengthen Marian devotion of Sri Lanka’s Catholics
Kurunegala (AsiaNews) - Sri Lankan Catholics have a deep respect for the Marian devotion, especially in the two months - May and October - that the Church dedicates to Our Lady. In recent weeks, thousands of faithful took part in Eucharistic celebrations and prayer meetings, with the recitation of the Holy Rosary and adoration in different areas of the country. This year in particular, the most significant day was October 16 when a crowd of thousands of people gathered in Kurunegala for the recitation of a special "national Rosary" focused on "Jesus through Mary ." The event - organized by the Legion of Mary under the auspices of the local bishop, Msgr. Harold Anthony Perera - was attended by leaders of the Sri Lankan Catholic Church .
Many Catholics present at the day of Marian prayer wanted to share their devotion to Our Lady. A woman named Ramani Fernando, from the Diocese of Kandy in the Central Province , told AsiaNews that " praying like this, like one big family, is a great blessing for us." Her thoughts were echoed by a young girl, Yohani Peiris of the Diocese of Gall , in the Southern Province , who said that when she prays to the Virgin she feels "great relief and protection".
The day of prayer on 16 October
in Kurunegala began at 10 am at the College of St. Anne , in the presence of
thousands of faithful from all over the country, and ended with a solemn Mass
at the Maligapitiya esplanade. In
the course of the day prayers and songs were recited in three languages , in
the context of a solemn procession. Young,
elderly, sick, men, women and children marched along with bishops, priests,
nuns and religious.
The
Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith was also present, who prayed in
the Sinhala language, as well as the bishop of the Diocese of Batticaloa
Ponnaiah , who instead prayed in the Tamil language . In
his homily Cardinal Ranjith said that "we have a mother on earth and in
heaven a heavenly Mother who takes care of us." The
cardinal also spoke of the "suffering" of Jesus , who "did not
abandon us, who wanted to return to the Father", but "gave us the
affection and loving care of his mother." He
concluded by stressing that Catholics often rely on the loving care of Mary,
because we can be "sure and certain that she loves us ."
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