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The statue of the Virgin of the Poor ----- a copy of the one found at
Banneux in Belgium, a gift to us ---- was blessed at Carbunari on October
26, 2006. It was brought there on October 15, the day when the Church
commemorates the Seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicea (787).
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This Council
re-instituted the cult of icons in the Eastern and the Western Church. It is
specified in the Council proceedings that sculpted statues as well as
painted icons are part of the patrimony of the Church.
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According to St. John Damascene, « by paintings and statues, produced by
artists’ hands, we place ourselves in the presence of those who are
represented, either Our Savior Jesus Christ, the angels, the Virgin Mary, or
other saints. » Therefore, this cult of images is a part of our spiritual
patrimony which is rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of
God. It helps us to safeguard in our memory invisible realities.
A statue
has all the more value when it is created according to the witness of those
who received a vision, as is the case for the statue of Banneux.
The gospel text for the Wedding Feast of Cana was read on this occasion.
The
Virgin said, « Do whatever he tells you. » It is the same invitation that
Mary addresses to us. Jesus invites us to love God and our neighbor. Saint
Augustine tells us to love and do what we will. If we truly love, there is
nothing we can do but to attach ourselves to God and do good for our
neighbor.
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This site of pilgrimage had as its origin the
Marian devotion of Fr. Mercks who, after the apparitions of the
Virgin at Banneux in 1933, thought of building a chapel dedicated to
the Virgin of the Poor. He spoke to authorities in the congregation
and the local church and then mobilised the help of local
Christians. The project began in the summer of 1937 and the chapel
was completed the following summer. |
On June 5, 1938 the chapel was
consecrated by Archbishop Alexandru Nicolescu in the presence of a large
crowd of faithful. The following year on June 5 the Assumptionists organized
the first pilgrimage. On August 15 they organized a second pilgrimage.
Eye-witnesses report the numbers were large. The Assumptionists continued
this pilgrimage tradition until 1948. During the Communist regime groups of
Christians came but only in private. An Orthodox priest, Fr. Benchea Ilarie,
who had been named pastor of the « Casa Domnului », took an interest in the
chapel and continued to care for the site; he had the interior and facade
painted. He organized an annual pilgrimage for Orthodox believers that took
place on September 8.
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On June 10, 1990, the Assumptionists, who had
returned to Blaj, renewed their ties with these pilgrimages. Twice a
year, once in May and once on August 15, hundreds of pilgrims arrive
from the entire Greek-Catholic Church to entrust themselves to the
Virgin of the Poor. |
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In
the last five years the site has seen other improvements such as a cottage
for the hermit, Jean-Baptiste Robin, and a house for pilgrims.
Ionel Antoci
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