THOUSANDS / CBCP NEWS
[PHOTO -
Marian devotees pray at the foot of the Marian statue]
MANILA, FEBRUARY 18, 2012 (CATHOLIC NEWS ONLINE) LARGE numbers of
pilgrims are flocking to a Marian shrine in southern Vietnam which has become
renowned as another Lourdes where prayer can achieve physical and spiritual
healing.
"Around 100,000 pilgrims have visited the shrine over the past three weeks,"
said Fr. Dominic Nguyen Van Hoang, rector of the Marian Shrine of Ta Pao Mount
in Binh Thuan province's Tanh Linh district.
Father Hoang said Tuesday even followers of other faiths have come to pray in
front of the big white Marian statue, which stands on a hillside overlooking the
sea.
Many of them who have been cured of serious diseases or ailments, return to
the Church or convert to Catholicism, he added.
"In the past people came to the shrine out of curiosity, superstition or
hoping to see an apparition of Mary, but now they come because of their belief
in Mother Mary," he said.
Pictures from the pastoral visit to Vietnam Last
updated on February 15, 2012.
[PHOTO - Archbishop Dan, Fr. Thomas Nguyen, Fr. Joseph Duong Nguyen and
Msgr. Ken Miller]
Here are some comments to accompany pictures sent by from Archbishop Daniel
Bohan who is currently on a pastoral visit to Vietnam.
Some Vietnamese fishing boats on the coast that Fr. Thomas says were just
like the one he and 40 other people were crowded into on their escape. Another
man, now a priest in our Diocese, F.r Peter Nguyen, lost his wife and two of his
small children when their boat overturned as they fled the country.
Our trip to the beach today was to a place that is a real resort area on the
coast north of Saigon. However in the early 80's, following the end of the war,
there were no resort hotels there only empty coast and small fishing towns.
Many Vietnamese fled the country in small fishing boats. Over a
million people left the coast of Vietnam this way. One half of them perished,
and the remainder reached refugee camps in Malasia and Thailand. Fr. Thomas
Nguyen who is travelling with me was one of the latter. This is a picture of him
on those fateful shores in better times now.
But before that, this picture is of the Diocesan Marian Shrine in that place
with Pastor, Fr. Joseph Duong Nguyen who has been treating us with the most
generous of hospitality this past week. It is very beautiful and typical of the
Vietnamese ardour regarding their faith. There were several hundred people
there, many like this family group in the picture quietly praying the
rosary.
Vietnamese fishing boats
CBCP NEWS
Bishop slams detention of farmer protesters
Published Date: February 16, 2012
PHOTO - Police arrest protesting farmers in front of Malacanang
Palace (photo: Task Force Mapalad)
A CATHOLIC bishop Wednesday denounced the detention of 30 farmers who staged
a rally in front of Malacanang Palace, demanding immediate land distribution.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the farmers went to Malacanang
on Tuesday to present their just demands to President Benigno Aquino III but
were detained for alleged violation of an existing city ordinance.
The arrested were part of a group of 200 farmers from Negros Occidental,
Agusan del Sur, Davao, Bukidnon and Batangas encamped in front of the Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) since last week asking for the swift implementation of
the agrarian reform program.
"Fighting corruption is good but forgetting other issues such as poverty
alleviation is bad leadership," Pabillo said.
Pabillo who also heads the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice
and Peace of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said the Church
supports the farmers in their fight to obtain the land that is rightfully
theirs.
"Do not waste too much time and money in impeaching one man when a lot of
your people are experiencing hunger, poverty and hopelessness," Pabillo told
Aquino.
Report from CBCPNews
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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