40,000 pilgrims flock to Our Lady of Lourdes shrine
This feast has been held each year since 1902 in Nyaunglebin, in the heart of the country. Participants included pilgrims of different faiths.
Nyaunglebin (AsiaNews/UCAN) More than 40,000 people coming from 13 dioceses in Myanmar gathered in Nyaunglebin, 145 km north of Yangon, to mark the 104th anniversary of a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Present for the three-day celebrations, from 17 to 19 February, were the Archbishops Charles Bo of Yangon and Paul Grawng of Mandalay, Bishop Raymond Saw Po Ray of Mawlamyine and retired Bishop Joseph Mahn Eri of Pathein. They were joined by more than 50 priests and members of religious orders.
The programme of celebrations included daily Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, meditation and hymns to the Blessed Mother. This feast was marked for the first time here in Nyaunglebin, Bago division, in 1902.
During Mass on the evening of 18 February, Archbishop Bo told the congregation that all religions teach compassion, forgiveness and peace, and not one promotes revenge or violence. "The Buddhist concept of love has the capacity to extend not only from humans to animals but also to all of nature, which is known as 'metta.'" He cited Hindu and Islamic teachings about love, compassion and peace, mentioning Krishna and the Prophet Mohammed.
Archbishop Bo then turned to Catholic Church teaching, quoting the following passage from Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical: "Love towards God and Man is one and the same. Our love needs to be practical here and now."
Fr Albert Myo Lwin, parish priest of Nyaunglebin, asked pilgrims to write to him about blessings they received after praying to the Blessed Mother at the pilgrimage site.
Some pilgrims shared their experiences. Catherine Tint, 19 years, from Kengtung diocese in the east of the country, said many young people came to meet up with friends. Together, they prayed for their health, jobs and education.
Than Sein, 58, a member of St Anne Mothers' Association of St Michael Church in Mandalay, central Myanmar, said she had been coming here for the last 30 years to pray for her and her family members' health, and she intended to keep doing so until she died. If one is in good health, one can do everything including earning money, so she has never prayed for money and other materials things.
Mathew, 20 years, a youth from Lashio, a northeastern diocese, talked about his experience as a volunteer serving the pilgrims. The volunteers look after the sick and help them in all their needs. Mathew said one pressing problem was theft. Each year, pilgrims' belongings are stolen from the tents, and the volunteers try to stop the thefts. He added that volunteers also look after pilgrims who fall ill.
An English teacher from Yangon archdiocese said he has been making this pilgrimage since 1992 to pray for the intentions of his pupils, relatives and friends. He also said he organizes pilgrimages to Nyaunglebin in his spare time.
According to information from Annuario Pontificio, the Vatican yearbook, Catholics in Myanmar number about 610,000. The country's population is estimated at 50 million, with Buddhists accounting for 90%.
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