Friday, April 15, 2011

Nun cured by Pope John Paul II to speak at beatification vigil

The nun cured through the intercession of Pope John Paul II will be among the speakers at the vigil on the night before his beatification.   

This week the Vatican announced details of the beatification ceremony, which takes place in Rome at the end of this month.  

More than two million pilgrims are expected to be present with many thousands arriving from Poland, and hundreds from Ireland.

Sr Marie Simon Pierre (pictured) who was miraculously healed through the intercession of the much-loved pope will be among the speakers at a vigil on Saturday  April 30, at 10:00pm.  

Other speakers will be Joaquin Navarro-Valls, his former press secretary, and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz. 

The second part of the vigil will centre on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary that John Paul introduced during his pontificate, with live link-ups to Marian shrines around the globe.

Each of the five Mysteries of the Rosary will be linked to a prayer intention of importance to John Paul II.  

In the Sanctuary of Lagniewniki, Krakow, the prayer intention will be for youth; in the Sanctuary of Kawekamo, Bugando, Tanzania, the family; in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon, Harissa, evangelisation; in the Basilica of Sancta Maria de Guadalupe, Mexico City, hope and peace among peoples; and in the Sanctuary of Fatima, the Church.  During the night, nine churches in Rome will remain open for prayer.

On Sunday May 1, feast of Divine Mercy, the faithful is invited to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at St Peter’s from 8:00am to 9:00am.  

The Mass of Beatification will follow, with Pope Benedict celebrating.  

The ceremony will be shown live on RTÉ 1 television, and broadcast on RTÉ Radio One.  

At the end of the rite of beatification, a tapestry of the newly Blessed John Paul II, will be unveiled.

Afterwards the Pope and concelebrating cardinals will go to the Altar of Confession where they will venerate the coffin containing the remains of the late pope. 

The coffin will not be open. 

From that evening, those who wish to do so may venerate the remains of John Paul II.

Joe Walshe Tours is bringing around 250 pilgrims to Rome from Dublin, Cork and Belfast for the ceremony.  

Anne Marie Healy told ciNews that there are still a small number of places available flying out of Dublin and Cork.  

The Belfast flight is fully booked.  

The company is offering a four-night stay in Rome for €674, including full board, accommodation in a four-star hotel, flights, transfers, tours and a tour guide.  

The Irish trip will include Mass with Cardinal Brady at the Irish College.

In the run up to the beatification, RTÉ will show a film entitled A Saint in the Making about Pope John Paul II featuring well-known Irish personalities such as Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Sr Margaret McCurtin, Fr Dermod McCarthy and Gina Menzies.

Meanwhile in an interview with Zenit, Slawomir Oder, the postulator of John Paul II’s cause, said the pope was, “a man who lived in the presence of God, who let himself be guided by the Holy Spirit, who was in constant dialogue with the Lord, and who built his whole life around the question [asked to Peter]: 'Do you love me?'"

Mgr Oder said there were many graces and alleged miracles through the intercession of Pope John Paul II.  The miracles occurred in France, the US, Germany and Italy.

Asked about what made him suffer most, Mgr Oder recalled the Pope’s “heart-breaking appeal for peace” on the eve of the Gulf conflict when he said, "I belong to the generation that knows war.”  

He also had great concern for the “silent genocide that goes on with abortion.  

The question about the richness of human life from conception was certainly a constant cross and a suffering in his life.”