14 MOMENTOUS EVENTS; POPE SEPARATELY BLESSED ICON

Article 7

This vitally important Icon was blessed in Rome by Curia Cardinal Stickler, the librarian and archivist of the entire Catholic Church, in a High Mass, concelebrated with 2 Cardinals, 14 Archbishops, 42 Bishops, and 22 Priests - 80 on that altar from 40 Countries.

In May 1997, The Miraculous Icon® of Child Jesus and Mary went “Mysteriously” missing for 3 days in Rome on a pilgrimage to a religious conference. [In the Bible, Child Jesus went mysteriously missing for 3 days on a pilgrimage and religious conference.] The Icon was found 3 days later with help from the International President of Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici Dr. Mark Miravalle, members of the International Catholic movement “Voice of the People for Mary Mediatrix”, and the Italian Government Minister of Art.

On the Icon’s first visit to Rome, May 31,1997 on “The Feast of The Visitation”, and also “The Original Feast Day of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces”, the large, original, Mary Mediatrix Icon was specially placed against the front of the Altar Table, and blessed by the Pope’s Curia Cardinal Stickler, the Librarian and Archivist of the entire Roman Catholic Church, with Cardinal Martinez, from Puerto Rico, in a Solemn High Mass concelebrated by 2 Cardinals, 14 Archbishops, 42 Bishops, and 22 Priests (80 on that Altar) from 40 different Countries. (See streaming Video clips and Photos of that Mass in the photo gallery. See Dr. Miravalle’s letter to the Italian government about our missing Icon.)

On the Feast Day of “The Visitation”, in 1998, the Pope’s Curia Cardinal James Stafford blessed the original Icon in Saint Peter’s Basilica, next to Michelangelo’s Pietà, after his personal appeal to Saint Peter’s Basilica door gate-keeper for entrance to Michelangelo’s Pietà.

On “The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Birthday” in 1999, Cardinal John O’ Connor, head of the New York Archdiocese, blessed and signed the back of the original icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® and offered his Imprimatur for our two Mary Mediatrix Prayers on our Prayer Cards for worldwide distribution. Cardinal O’Connor was given a very large gift Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® for his New York Archdiocesan office.

Later, at the request of the Cardinal’s staff, the Original Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® stayed overnight in Cardinal O’Connor’s bedroom where “Our Lady Mediatrix” gave consolation to him, in his final stage of brain cancer. The Funeral Mass for Cardinal O’Connor in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was very tellingly, on “The Feast Day of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces”. Also, the two Prayers to Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces that Cardinal O’Connor approved on the Mediatrix Prayer Cards end with “Pray for me each day, Dearest Mother. And hold me close in your most loving arms, at the hour of my death, Amen.” – which we are sure, Our Lady Mediatrix did for Cardinal O’Connor, and will do for everyone who prays to her.

On the Feast of “The Presentation of Mary” in 1999, Cardinal James Hickey, head of the Washington D.C. Archdiocese, blessed and signed the back of the Original Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® at “The Shrine of the Sacred Heart” in Washington D.C., and gave a large Mediatrix Icon to “The Shrine Church”.

On the Feast of “The Annunciation”, 2001, the Original Mediatrix Icon, our four original, Marian Dogma Icons, and our original Saint Michael - the Archangel Icon (for our 4-ways, Mediatrix/St. Michael Icons Brown Scapular) were all blessed in Washington, D.C. in “the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception” at the altar, at Holy Mass, for Cardinal McCarrick by his Monsignor secretary, in the morning. That night, during the Divine Liturgy, all 6 Original Icons were blessed in Pennsylvania, by Monsignor Puhak in the Byzantine rite in the oldest Byzantine Catholic Church in America. In late September 2001, the Original Icon was blessed at the altars at Holy Mass in the National Basilica of Saint Ann by the rector with 1000 people in attendance, and in Sacred Heart Basilica with 700 people in attendance.

Church Patrons gave large framed Icons of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® to these four Basilicas, to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Institute, and to over 100 churches and chapels in the United States! In 2003, again on “The Annunciation”, The Original Miraculous Icon® was blessed at the altar, at Holy Mass, in The Orthodox Catholic Rite – with another all-healing and all-evil dispelling Icon Blessing. (See Photo Gallery)

His Eminence Cardinal Stickler invited three of us to his private residence in Vatican City where he signed the back of the Original Icon and posed for pictures alongside The Original Miraculous Icon® with the Icon’s caretaker. He then spoke to us for one full hour about Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces®, and showed us where he put his large gift Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix in his office. Cardinal Aponte Martinez brought his large Mary Mediatrix Icon to his office in Puerto Rico.

Cardinal Jaime Sin, head of the Archdiocese in Manila, Philippines, was given a very special, surprise gift on his 50th Anniversary, by a Philippino Family, of our 51 inch by 63 inch museum quality, canvas, giclée, lifelike Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces. This exquisite, very large Icon was sent in our replica Italian Renaissance gold leaf frame, and was given to him during his 50th Anniversary Solemn High Mass during the Presentation of the Gifts at the Offertory in The National Cathedral in Manila. This most exquisite Icon and frame was also a very wonderful surprise to all 2,000 invited guests as it was slowly carried down the long central aisle of The National Cathedral in front of all 225 Philippine Bishops, the President of the Philippines, all of the Philippine Members of Congress, Senate, Legislative and Judicial Branches. The magnificent gift of the Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® was shown on national television throughout the Philippines. The President of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo, and all 225 Bishops were also given smaller Icons of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces. (See photos of the very large gift Icon given to the Cardinal at that Mass.)

Sixteen Bishops in the United States have large Icons of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces®. The President of the United States George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were given Icons and Prayer Cards of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces®. President Bush gratefully acknowledged the gifts in his personal letter from The White House.

The Superior General of The Religious Teachers Filippini purchased twelve large framed Icons for their twelve Mother House Headquarters in 12 Countries. The Superior General of Saint Francis de Sales Religious Order blessed and signed the back of The Original Icon, and has an Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces®.

The Postulator General of the Discalced Carmelite Order in Rome blessed, signed, and has an Icon of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces®.

Article 8

The sacred, Mary Mediatrix Icon was placed in Saint Peter’s Basilica next to the world’s greatest sculpture: Michelangelo’s magnificent Pietà. There, it was then very specially singularly blessed by Pope John Paul II before the Papal Holy Mass on Pentecost Sunday.

On May 31, 1998, on the converged three Feast Days of “Pentecost Sunday” – the Birthday of the Catholic Church, “The Visitation”, and the Feast Day of “Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces”, the Sacred, Original Icon of “Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces®” was reverently carried by 8 Vatican security officers and 3 Honor Guards who processed up the center aisle and entire length of Saint Peter’s Square in front of the Basilica.

Through Divine Providence, Mary’s Exquisite, Breathtakingly Beautiful Icon was unexpectedly chosen and very greatly honored to be solely and reverently carried through the middle of the 500,000 representatives of all the World’s Ecclesial Movements and Catholic Organizations. This historic gathering of all of the World’s Catholic Organizations was initiated by Pope John Paul II for their “First World Congress”. Through Divine Providence, Mary’s Magnificent Icon was a vital part of it.

The 8 Vatican security officers and 3 honor guards then carried the sacred, Mary Mediatrix of All Graces® Icon up the many stairs leading to the main entrance of Saint Peter’s Basilica. They reverently placed the large Original Icon, with its glittering 24 karat gold leaf, on a high easel, along side of The Pope’s temporary Altar at the top of Saint Peter’s Square so all 500,000 Representatives of The World’s Ecclesial Movements and Catholic Organizations from all over the world could see it. “The 500,000 who jammed into Saint Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets was one of the largest groups of people ever assembled in Rome!” – the Vatican’s official newspaper reported in its June 3rd, 1998 front page, lead story.

Then, at the request of The Papal Master of Ceremonies Archbishop Piero Marini, two of The Pope’s “Knights of Malta” and two of the Pope’s “Swiss Guards” and an Honor Guard very reverently carried Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces® Original Icon into Saint Peter’s Basilica through the Basilica’s exquisite, massive center doors. Twenty minutes later, Pope John Paul II singularly blessed the Original Icon inside Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Original Mary Mediatrix of All Graces Icon was then placed next to Michelangelo’s Greatest Masterpiece “The Pietà”: “The World’s Greatest Sculpture.” (The Pietà is the lifelike, life-size marble statue of Mary holding her crucified Son just taken down from the cross.)

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