More than 300,000 pilgrims attend Virgin Mary Worship Shrine
Pastor Dale Morgan
3 September, 2006
SRI LANKA
*More than 300,000 pilgrims attend Virgin Mary Worship Shrine*
Unable to go to Madhu shrine, the Mary worshipers turned to Tewatte.
Many Muslims and Hindus were also present.
Tewatte (AsiaNewsWires) – In a country torn by a conflict that has
dragged on for decades, more than 300,000 superstitious people
participated in a pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary shrine of Our Lady of
Lanka for worship and to pray. The shrine, just north of the capital
Colombo, is also visited by Muslims and Buddhists.
Usually the annual Virgin Mary pilgrimage, which takes place on the last
Sunday of August, is held at the Madhu shrine. But this year, due to
renewed violence between the army and Tamil Tigers, the fundamental
theme was a plea to Mary.
Fr Merl Shanthi Perera, the basilica administrator, said many religious
devotees of other faiths attended the feast. “This year we saw many
Muslim devotees at this feast. All people want to worship and adore the
Virgin Mary."
Archbishop Oswald Gomis of Colombo and two other bishops participated in
the Virgin Mary worship service, together with around 300 priests and
religious clergy. Before the Eucharistic adoration, all the faithful
recited a prayers to the Virgin Mary.
The most famous Marian shrine is that of Madhu, northern Sri Lanka (in
territory currently held by the Tamil Tigers). This year, because of the
conflict, pilgrims could not go.
The basilica in Tewatte is also a national Virgin Mary shrine. It was
built in 1946.