Friday, May 11, 2007

CANONIZATION OF FREI GALVAO AND MEETING WITH BISHOPS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2007 (VIS) - Today in Sao Paulo's "Campo de Marte" field at 9.30 a.m. (2.30 p.m. in Rome), the Pope will preside at Mass during which he will canonize Blessed Antonio de Santa Ana Galvao O.F.M., known as Frei Galvao, who will thus become the first native-born Brazilian saint.

  At 4 p.m. (9 p.m. in Rome), having bid farewell to his hosts at the monastery of Sao Bento, the Holy Father will meet and address Brazilian bishops in Sao Paulo's "da Se" cathedral.

  At 6 p.m. local time, the Holy Father is due to depart by helicopter from Campo de Marte airport and fly to Aparecida, site of Brazil's most famous shrine which each year welcomes around eight million faithful.

  The origins of the Aparecida shrine date back to the discovery of an image of the Virgin in the year 1717. Three fishermen, after various fruitless attempts at a catch, threw out their nets once more and drew up a small statue of Our Lady, dark in color and without a head. Casting their nets again, they discovered the head and, at the third attempt, drew in their nets full of fish. The three recognized in this event a sign of the divine protection of the Virgin. From that year on, veneration of Our Lady started to spread among the people who called her simply "Aparecida."

  Having landed at the shrine's heliport Benedict XVI will go to the "Bom Jesus" missionary seminary where he will dine and spend the night.
PV-BRAZIL/.../SAO PAULO:APARECIDA            VIS 20070511 (270)


No comments:

Post a Comment