- In a significant step towards making
an official proclamation on the mysterious apparition at a Catholic church
in Rawatawatta, the Archbishop of Colombo yesterday visited the church
to see the vision and join hundreds of devotees in prayer.
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- Fr. Revel, Parish Priest of the Queen
of Angels church in the suburb of Moratuwa, said the Archbishop Rt. Rev.
Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando would make an official statement soon regarding
the apparition on the wall behind the altar of the church.
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- The heavenly drama began two weeks ago
when the church was celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood
of Christ). It was also the day after the Feast of the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin. Fr. Revel was depositing the blessed sacrament in the monstrance
on the altar for exposition soon after holy mass, when many devotees saw
a flash of light from the Blessed sacrament along with what appeared to
be a cloud. Eyewitness Kithsiri de Silva said entire families- fathers,
mothers and Children had seen the miraculous flash of light.
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- The flash left a six- foot imprint on
the wall behind and tens of thousands of people who have flocked to the
church since then say the apparition is that of the blessed Virgin Mary
holding a cross.
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- The Queen of Angel's church is keeping
its doors open till ten every night to accommodate the growing number of
pilgrims and Three Holy masses are celebrated everyday at 6.00 a.m., noon
and 6.00 p.m
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- Fr. Revel told the "Sunday Times
" it is now clear that the vision is not of human origin. Theologians
are studying it while devotees who visit the church are being requested
to pray for God to reveal what he wants to show or say through the vision.
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- Generally, as in the hallowed shrines
such as Lourdes or Fatima the church watches for sometime and if the vision
continues then an official study is conducted by Theologians and experts
before a proclamation is made.
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- Whatever the outcome of the official
study residents of Rawatawatta say a little known church has come alive
as a Holy place and the centre of a divine revelation linked to the situation
in the country and the role of the Blessed Mother.
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- They said the positive developments so
far were also significant. People who seldom or never prayed were praying
devoutly now; those who seldom gathered for common prayer and service at
the church were doing so now.
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- Full Description Of The Apparition
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- As the Galle Road gets closer to its
ultimate destination - past the ratrace areas of Kollupitiya, Bambalapitiya
and Wellawatte, it takes a long and gentle stretch just as it reaches the
suburb of Rawathawatte. It is here, just past the Tyronne Fernando Stadium
that even motorists begin to stretch their limbs in relief.
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- But a greater peace has descended on
this already serene neighbourhood. The skies seem bluer and the sun rays
seem to gild the enter neighbourhood. It is classified as `divine' by the
tens, hundreds; and now thousands who are beginning to flock here since
Sunday last. The church of Ave Maria goes almost unnoticed, if one does
not actually look for it. It is not a church of grandeur. It is the simplest
place of worship that one can see in these modern times. Set further away
from the road itself, the land area of the church gives one time to ponder
over the very visit to the church.
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- The Ave Maria church can often be mistaken
for a humble abode. And certainly God does dwell in those places that are
humble; be it heart or home. The first seats that meet the eye are ironically,
the last. They are benches, not seats. No backrests , no lacquer, no varnish,
just clear cut, yet rough, benches. Then one passes the comparatively better
seats - better in that they have backrests. The church walls do not glisten
with new coats of paint. The roof does not show heights of panelling and
marble and painted glass. Everything about this church is so `ordinary.
` Yet the extra-ordinary can happen in the most ordinary places. And it
did.
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- It was Sunday August 16, Rev. Father
Edward Revel had observed holy hours. He was at adoration from 8.30 in
the morning and it went on till 4. p.m "As soon as I exposed the blessed
sacrament, there was a light and then there was a figure on the wall,"
disclosed Father Revel. It was first seen by a woman
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- Ever since this Sunday, there is an appearance.
Some say it is an unknown apparition, others say it is a light from the
divine being. Still others say it appears to be the figure of Lord Jesus
Christ and a few say it is an appearance of His mother, Virgin Mary. There
are a variety of descriptions.
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- In these modern times man seems king.
There are few or no thing for which man has no explanation. Computers,
space travel, science, technology power and position in general have all
made man think that he is far superior. This is because divine appearances
or interventions do not happen. They are neither the exception nor the
rule. At most times God does not seem to respond to mans' actions at all.
So man continues to be vile; enjoying and believing that he is all supreme.
And strangely, the divine being lets man have his way.
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- Sometimes man is reminded gently, through
religion, about what for and how he ought to live. Yet human beings are
so easily impressed, so easily led astray and so easily choose to forget.
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- Is that why some divine intervention
has been deemed necessary? So that man can rethink, reassess and turn the
spotlight into himself?.
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- This is the only explanation that one
can find to the strange happening at the Ave Maria Church.
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- The gate of the church has a humble welcome
sign - no neon sign but that made of a few portions of a coconut palm.
Men, women and children seem to be gradually making their way into the
churchyard. Most of them look as if they had nothing better to do, some
seem to walk in with a sceptical smile and almost all of them look very
curious. Then they all walk towards the building that houses the church
- as they reach this point they get franctically curious. Eyes begin to
eagerly explore all the church walls looking for the `apparition.'
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- As photographer Gamini Wickremasinghe
and I walked in, I was a little curious and very sceptical. At first sight
all I saw was a huge cross in which the Lord Jesus Christ stood crucified.
As the crowd flocked curiously near this cross, I began to look for the
so-called `extraordinary appearance.' I followed the earnest eyes of those
who stared towards the cross.
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- But I did not see anything. I looked
at the left side of the cross, the right side, on top and down below, but
I did not see anything.
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- If there was something, then I was determined
to find out. Then, I began to look at the blank space to the left of the
huge cross - suddenly my eye caught a light- a gently shimmering light
- it looked as if it were almost shaded to the wall. It was clearly a shape
of the mother of Jesus Christ, the virgin Mary which we see outside most
churches and in pictures at various places. The garb and form seemed unmistakable.
I found myself gaping at the form as it gently floated down lengthwise
and then resumed its original shape. This was unbelievable. I began to
look for a projector - a light that brought out this form from some hidden
place, but there was none. I moved forward and began to look closely to
ascertain whether I was seeing things. I looked to my right for a projector
and looked to my left for something that would give me the right explanation
to this 'appearance.' I decided to stay on and find out what brought about
this appearance. Maybe there ought to be some explanation. Surely, an appearance
from a divine being up above seemed just not enough. Nothing convinces
me. Thus I am always on the lookout for an explanation, for a `catch.'
I decided to talk to Father Edward Revel and find out how this happened
and why.
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- The dingy office in which Father Revel
sat was set in anything but luxury. People, mostly women and children stood
waiting for him. He was at blessings, but was kind enough to give me some
of his time. However, sadly, he had no other explanation about the appearance
other than to tell me that this is an appearance from up above. "There
have been earlier appearances too at various places and they have been
similar to the statues,"" he explained gently. He seemed so calm
and matter-of-fact about what hundreds stood looking at, mesmerised. Perhaps
father Revel showed me that when there is belief, one does not look for
explanations.
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- Today, August 18, the appearance appeared
to get clearer, a few say they even saw a colour on the garb - the colour
pink But there is something stranger about this appearance. While most
people wind their way to the church to see the `apparition,' some do not
see anything at all. There is something more too - the apparition changes
from person to person; some see it as a huge cross, others see it as the
Lord Jesus Christ himself and a few see it as the Holy Virgin Mary. There
are many who say they saw nothing at all - like photographer Gamini Wickremasinghe,
who despite staring at the said area for well over fifteen minutes, vows
that he saw nothing, neither did Nandamithra, the man who drove us to the
place.
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- Seeing is believing and some see it better
than others. Some see and believe, others see it and don't know how on
earth can God send such a profound message and why.
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- There is a certain school of thought
that associates the appearance of the Virgin Mary with warning. They say
that the mother of Christ appears to warn of disaster. We hear of crying
statues and apparitions even on window panes. But these are to me, only
hearsay. In Bayside, Flushing, New York too, there has been an appearance
of the Virgin Mary which has turned the area to a pilgrim place, studding
it with crosses and churches.
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- But closer home in this in this outskirt
of Colombo, I got a first hand experience of an 'apparition' and while
I continue my search for an explanation. I know that its existence cannot
be denied - not as long as it gently shimmers there for the whole world
to see.
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- -- 30 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - Gerry Lovell / Far Shores |http://www.farshore.force9.co.uk
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