Statue of Virgin Mary from Fatima

Statue of Virgin Mary from Fatima

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Over 10,000 Roman Catholic
adherents from across the diocese flocked to El Tari Airport on
Tuesday evening to welcome a statue of the Virgin Mary from
Fatima, Portugal.

The statue, which has been taken to over 20 countries, will be
moved from church to church on Flores island for a week, starting
from Labuanbajo in the west to Larantuka in the east.

The statue was welcomed by Kupang Archbishop Mgr. Gregorius
Monteiro SVD and governor Herman Musakabe, who sprinkled flowers
on the statue, Antara reported.

Monteiro blessed the statue before it was taken to Santo
Yoseph Naikoten Church, about 12 kilometers west of El Tari
airport.

The statue of the Virgin Mary is being taken around the world
because of an agreement reached in a 1942 international congress
of Roman Catholic youth.

The Fatima statue commemorates the Virgin Mary who is believed
to have appeared before three children in 1917 in Fatima,
Portugal. (pan)