Tens of thousands of pilgrims travel to Mary, Queen of Fatima shrine in Baromari
The annual event brought together Catholics from all over the country who joined in the procession, Masses, Eucharistic adoration, and the Way of the Cross. A solemn Mass celebrated by the vicar of Dhaka concluded the gathering. Through their devotion to Mary, the faithful ask for support in tackling life’s hardships, from illness to unemployment.
Sherpur (AsiaNews) – Tens of thousands of Catholics, at least 30,000 according to some estimates, took part last Friday in the annual pilgrimage to the shrine dedicated to Mary, Queen of Fatima, in Baromari, a parish in the Diocese of Mymensingh, Sherpur district, northern Bangladesh.
The faithful gathered a day earlier to participate in the Eucharistic adoration, the Way of the Cross, and the rosary recited during a candlelit procession on the hills surrounding the Marian site.
The event, which ended with a solemn Mass celebrated by Fr Gabriel Corraya, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, drew pilgrims from across the country who came to pay homage to Our Lady and ask for her help and protection.
The Marian shrine was built in 1997 in response to John Paul II's call for “pilgrimages of faith” ahead of the 2000 Jubilee. It is located near St Leo’s Church in Baromari, which dates back to 1942. The Diocese of Mymensingh has about 85,000 members divided among 18 parishes.
“I have come here to express my gratitude to Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, because one of my manot (prayer) was fulfilled,” said Lina Sangma, a tribal Garo from Bhatikeshore, a parish in Mymensingh.
Regular medicines did not cure her health problem, but praying worked a miracle, she told AsiaNews.
Sumita Mree, from Noulakiri parish, too “regularly recites the rosary in the family" and, for this reason, has received "many blessings from Mary and Jesus,” who “protected us" from Covid and Dengue and "today we are here to thank them and pay homage to God" as well as praying "for our children".
Khakon Cruze, from Dhaka, lost his job during the pandemic and has faced hardship ever since. Hence, “I am here,” he said, “to ask for the grace of a job".
These stories are but a few examples why thousands of pilgrims have come to the shrine to pray. For the vicar general of Dhaka, the spirit of the initiative and the desire to bear witness to Christ are what counts.
“The teachings of Jesus and Mary, Queen of Fatima are the same. They are a call to prayer and sacrifice, so that we can lead a holy life,” said Fr Gabriel Corraya, who urged the faithful to pray the rosary.
For his part, Fr Torun Bonowary, parish priest in Baromari, urges the faithful to also pray for peace in the country and for a harmonious coexistence among believers of all religions.
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