GRUPO DA IMACULADA: Why this Marian monument?

VISIT BY GRUPO DA IMACULADA. Pedro and Leonor Sottomayor of Fatima, Portugal when they visited the Marian Consecration Grounds in Marikina Heights, Marikina City, Philippines last December 3, 2009. With Paul Edward P. Sison of Grupo Da Imaculada Pilipinas and children from the surrounding community.

In the Universal Message given in Fatima, Our Lady ask for penitence, prayer and conversion.

In order to make it easier to feel the peace and joy that follow from ascesis, Our Lady reveals an unfailing way, which is a part of the Message of Fatima.

THE DEVOTION TO HER IMMACULATE HEART

The Lemma for the action of this group of prayer is the Holy Writ and the Message of Fatima.  In order to make The Immaculate Heart of Mary known, loved and venerated by everybody, and to set the example of its action, the group spreads the Monuments from the north to the south of Portugal and also abroad.  These small Monuments have a simple architecture, as simple and humble as the House of the Holy Family in Nazareth.

Everybody can be near the image of Our Lady and pray to Her at any time of the day or night, because at night the Monument is illuminated.  And so Our Lady also hears and takes care of Her children at any time of the day or night.

The Monuments, that are also spread abroad, are made only to venerate Our Lady and beg her Help.  That's why their structure is so simple, to avoid any distractions.

The Rosary round the Monument protects it and calls the attention to the Rosary saying, which is so necessary and that Our Lady recommended in all Her Apparitions in Fatima.

In the places where there is the Monument it increased both people's devoutness and the attending to the First Five Saturdays devotion.

Many people began to say the Rosary prayer and to attend The Sacraments.

There are some places where people pray near the Monument twice a day and some others where people go on pilgrimage to the Monument of the 13th every month.

There have been several pilgrimages in Portugal and abroad to the places where there are Monuments.  Our Lady has already granted many Graces and conversions.

We want to make the Message of Fatima known everywhere and also help everybody live it better and better.

Pray from the Heart

MARIAN MONUMENT OF GRUPO DA IMACULADA at Sto. Nino de Molino Parish in Bacoor, Cavite.

Mula nang magmensahe ang Mahal na Ina nung kanyang kaarawan nung September 8, 2000 … ay marami na ang nagpatutuo tungkol sa mga answered prayers.

Ang sabi ng isang boses ng babae nuon pagkatapos magdasal ng Rosaryo ang mga His Watchful Servants sa Marian Monument sa Marikina Heights ay ... kung sino man ang may problema ay lumapit lamang sa kanya at mag-“pray from the heart” at siya na ang bahala na mag-intercede sa kanyang anak na si Hesus.

Labing tatlong taon na ngayon ang nakalipas.

Nasa Iloilo kami ni Henry Ocier ngayong Lunes para bisitahin ang isang monumento sa Jaro Cathedral. Diumano, 14 years na itong bakante at walang imahen ng Immaculate Heart of Mary na dapat ay manggagaling sa Fatima, Portugal.

Mabuti na lang at naireport ito sa Grupo Da Imaculada (GDI) Facebook Page ni Remon Ramos ng Iloilo. Kung hindi ay di namin malalaman na meron din palang Marian Monument dito.

Ang mga imahen na ito ay regalo ni Sister Lucia Dos Santos, isa sa visionaries ng Fatima, Portugal sa Pilipinas nung 1999.

Sampung imahen ang pinadala niya nuon at ito ay enthroned na sa mga monumento sa:

1. Binakayan, Cavite (Our Lady of Fatima); 
2. Bacoor, Cavite (Sto. Nino de Molino); 
3. Cabuyao, Laguna (Saint Polycarp Parish); 
4. Sauyo, Novaliches (The Other Father Parish); 
5. San Lorenzo, Guimaras (St. Joseph Parish); 
6. Jakosalem, Cebu (Sacred Heart); 
7. Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental (San Lorenzo Ruiz); 
8. Marikina Heights, Marikina (St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows); 
9. Binondo, Manila (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary); at 
10. Sagay, Camiguin (Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish).

May anim pa na sumunod at ito ay sa:

1. Sta. Rita, Pampanga (Virgen delos Remedios); 
2. Tamborong, Guimaras (St. John the Baptist); 
3. Tagaytay Highlands, Cavite (Ina ng Laging Saklolo);
4.  Odlot, Cebu (Our Lady of Remedios); 
5. Calbayog, Samar (Our Lady’s Nativity); at 
6. El Salvador, Misamis (Divine Mercy Shrine).

Kung meron palang taga Sta. Rita, Pampanga na may alam kung nasaan ang imahen ay ipaabot lamang sa amin sa 09176251963 para mabisita rin naming kasi wala ito nang puntahan ko sa Virgen delos Remedios.

Andito kami ngayon sa Jaro, Iloilo para magpaalam kay Archbishop Angel Lagdameo at para bumuo ng GDI Local Commission na mangangalaga ng monumento at magpapalaganap ng debosyon sa Immaculate Heart of Mary at sa Five First Saturdays.

Naiintindihan kita kapatid kung di ka pa naniniwala. Pero, kung wala ka na talagang matakbuhan sa iyong mga problema … subukan mo ang Ina ni Hesus at ating Mahal na Ina. Hinihintay ka niya ngayon.

Ang tanging hiling lang niya sa iyo, “Pray from the Heart.”

Nowhere else to turn to? No need to travel far for answered prayers

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY IMAGE. A gift from Sister Lucia of Fatima.

“Just pray from the heart.” 

This was the message, believed to be from the Blessed Virgin Mary, as spoken by a woman named Melanie during Mama Mary’s birthday last September 8, 1999.

The lady said, “If you have any problems, come to me … and, just pray from the heart. I will be the one to intercede for you with my Son.”

Our Rosary Cenacle group composed of four couples together with residents of Park 14 in Marikina Heights had just finished praying the Rosary and were preparing for a simple agape when I noticed Melanie in tears and distressed about what to do.

ANNUAL PROCESSION. The image is brought out only once a year during the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

“I am hearing a woman’s voice and she has a message she wants conveyed to the group,” she stuttered. (Later, she explained that this was the first time she experienced that so she did not know what to do because she was afraid that people might think she was crazy.)

Convinced that she was not faking this, I called the attention of the group who immediately faced her as words continuously flowed from her supposedly from the Blessed Mother who thanked everyone gathered, especially the lady volunteers who clean the Marian Monument and its surroundings everyday.

That was twelve years ago. Today, we hear of many testimonials about how prayers were answered after praying from the heart here at the Marian Consecration Grounds located at Park 15 (Hardin ng Bayan) in Marikina Heights.

MARIAN CONSECRATION GROUNDS, Hardin ng Bayan, Park 15, Marikina Heights

Answered prayers

One particular story stands out. My first cousin, Bong Buendia, was diagnosed with cancer by the country’s top oncologist in St. Luke’s Hospital on a Wednesday more than 6 years ago. We accompanied him and his entire family to the “shrine” on Saturday. We prayed the rosary around noon. He prayed from the heart as instructed. Two days after on a Monday, doctors could not believe that there was no trace of cancer. The best oncologist could not have committed a mistake, they thought. Thinking the second test was a fluke, it had to take three more tests before they finally acknowledged on the fifth time that the cancer was totally gone. That was a Saturday – a First Saturday!

Another testimonial comes from my dad, Teodoro. You know how lawyers are when it comes to religion. So, it was unusual coming from him. Especially, since he led a hedonistic lifestyle during his heyday. It was the first anniversary of the “shrine” then (June 2000) and he was pushing the cart where the image was during the procession. Suddenly, he experienced a pain so intense – because of his gout – that he thought of not continuing with the procession and to walk back instead where the Mass was going to be held. However, he was inspired to say internally, “Mama Mary, I will continue with the procession and offer the pain. But please, touch my life.” It was only three weeks after when he realized that he could make do without the maintenance medicines he took for gout and hypertension. My dad’s conversion happened at the age of 69. He is now 80. He has been praying the rosary 4 times a day and attending daily Mass ever since.

Word of mouth

DEVOTEES PRAYING FOR INTERCESSION

There are times we chance upon strangers praying before the 3-foot image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Many of them learned about the “shrine” from others whose prayers were answered after visiting the Marian Consecration Grounds.

One lady in particular said she came all the way from Mindoro. I asked her how she came to know about the “shrine” … a sick relative told them back home about how he was healed after visiting this place in Marikina.

It truly warms the heart to see people from all walks of life walking towards the image and expressing their devotion in many different ways. There is a sampaguita vendor who offers a few strands of what she sells and leaves it at the Marian Monument very early in the morning before she starts her daily routine.

AMIDST THE TREES. Just like in Fatima, Portugal where the 1917 apparitions occurred.

There is a couple who bring their own cleaning apparatus all the way from Bgy. Parang, about 2 kilometers away, to wash and wipe the monument, clean the glass, and spruce up the landscaping. We got to know the man who was an ex-convict. You could see that what he was doing came from the heart and that he did it out of love. He passed away two years ago.

All these devotees … through word of mouth alone.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. The Knights of Columbus, officers of the Phil. National Police, and the Bureau of Fire Protection join residents and devotees during the annual procession.

A gift from Fatima, Portugal

MOTHER AND SON. Fr. Tony, Parish priest of St. Gabriel during regular First Saturday Mass.

The image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was a gift of Sister Lucia of Fatima, Portugal – the only living visionary of the 1917 apparitions and the miracle of the sun, at that time (June 1999). She sent ten images for installation in the Philippines through Grupo Da Imaculada which was based in Fatima. We were able to have one installed here in Marikina thru the kindness of Monsignor Josefino Ramirez, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Manila.

Grupo Da Imaculada is assisted by His Watchful Servants Foundation, Marian Foundation, and St. Joseph Apostolate Center in this particular shrine.

One of our spiritual directors, Fr. Lester Louis Niez of Alagad ni Maria, advised us to document all testimonials of answered prayers and miracles so it can eventually be submitted to the Bishop of Antipolo and to the Vatican.

It is so easy to get to this Marian sanctuary. It is just right across the C&B Circle Mall and diagonal to the St. Scholastica’s Academy campus in Marikina Heights.

You don’t have to go all the way to Piat, Cagayan or to the Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine in Pangasinan to pray for healing or any other petition. We have a place just right here in Metro Manila where prayers are easily answered … if one prays from the heart.

So why don’t you drop by one of these days?

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN ANNUAL CONSECRATION OF MARIKINA. (L-R) Bgy. Captain Edwin Adigue, CHief of Police Col. Gabriel Lopez, Vice Mayor Fabian Cadiz, ex-Kap. Raul Taytayan, Mayor Del de Guzman during the Mass consecrating the city to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

[Click on LOCATION for map.]

(Email: paulsison@ideasman.ph)