Catholics Novena As Lourdes Closes For First Time In History

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes has closed for the first time in over a century following new restrictions in France to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“For the first time in its history, the sanctuary will close its doors for a while. Pray with us the novena to the Immaculate,” Mgr. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, rector of the Lourdes sanctuary announced .
No public Masses will be offered in the sanctuary due to national measures announced by French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron on that evening.
France is the third European country to enact a mandatory national quarantine in response to the growing number of cases of COVID-19. Italy and Spain have both imposed nationwide lockdowns, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have also announced bans on all religious services in their countries.
The French government restrictions include limiting citizens’ movement outside of their homes for the next 15 days to grocery shopping and essential movement, as well as the closure of all schools, restaurants, cafes, and most businesses.
Following the closure of Lourdes, French Auxiliary Bishop Antoine Hérouard of Lille called on Catholics to participate in a novena to Our Lady of Lourdes  to pray for the sick who have been infected with the coronavirus.
“The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a privileged place of prayer for and with the sick,” Bishop Hérouard said in his introduction to the novena .
The French bishop is asking everyone to commit to praying the rosary for nine consecutive days, the feast of the Annunciation.
The anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s 16th apparition at Lourdes in which Our Lady declared to St. Bernadette Soubirous “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is built upon the site where the young Bernadette Soubirous witnessed Marian apparitions, beginning on Feb. 11, 1858. The shrine also holds a spring of water which is said to have miraculous healing properties.
While there have been more than 7,000 miraculous recoveries attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes at the French shrine, only 70 cases have been officially recognized by the Catholic Church. A miraculous recovery must generally be a complete, spontaneous, and immediate healing from a documented medical condition.
“In these troubled times, where many … because of the coronavirus, look to the future with concern, let us ask the Lord through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, to renew us in confidence, hope and peace of heart,” states the opening prayer of the Lourdes coronavirus novena.
“Mary, because you are the smile of God, the reflection of the light of Christ, the abode of the Holy Spirit, because you chose Bernadette in her poverty, you are the morning star, the gate to heaven and the first resurrected creature, we pray to you and entrust our l
ives to you at a time when so many men and of women fear for their health. Assist the sick and caregivers, welcome those who are dead, and be comfort for families,” the prayer concludes.
#tstevefisheries.blogspot.com,#Education, #Accident, #Crime, #Catholics

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ghanaian Breasts Goddess, Pamela Odame Celebrates Her Birthday (Photos)

Image
Ghanaian Celebrity Pamela Odame Watara is an actress,model,video vixen and a social media sensation born by a Ganaian mother to a Kenyan father on the 5th of June 1996 in Kenya. As an actress, Pamela made her debut in 2019 in a Ghallywood movie titled "Rockstar Hospital" a film directed by Kingsley Dwomoh Crespo. She has ever since contributed alot in the uplifting of the Ghanaian entertainment industry, and in Africa at large. She has been blessed by God, because God has given her a body that is being desired by many. As she is still in the euphoria of her birthday celebration, we wish her all the best, wishing her long life and prosperity, more wins in her future endeavors. May God also bless her with good health and sound mind to continue to contribute her own quota in the entertainment industry both in Ghana, Africa and the world over. She has tried alot by holding herself, despite all the pressure to derail her, she has always stood her ground not to go negative. That is...
Read more

Npower Beneficiaries To Receive April Stipend From Monday 18th

Image
Most npower beneficiaries have not received their April stipend and most of them have been worried about it. The minister in charge has given her words that beneficiaries will begin to get alert in the various bank accounts from the early part of this week. She made her position known as the the requirements prior to payment have been put in place and at its final stage.
Read more

Npower:Mr Afolabi, An Npower Cluster Head Loses Mother

Image
Afolabi is the cluster head at Npower Nigeria, he was an SA to the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Npower is a programme initiated by the President Mohamadu Buhari and his vice Osibanjo's administration, where they have been paying Nigerian youths enrolled into the program the sum of N30,000 monthly. The beneficiaries were selected purely on merit. You need not know anyone in government to be a beneficiary on like what is generally obtainable in Nigeria before this time. Where you must know a senator or a house of representatives member before you can get any federal government job. Here all you need to do is to apply like others, then write the exam if you are successful, the national orientation agency will do physical verification on you, to ascertain if your claims where true. If you pass that stage succefully, you are then posted to either school, hospital or ministry of agriculture in your state of residence.
Read more