Madrid welcomes Our Lady in the copy of the Częstochowa Icon

PRESS RELEASE

Gdańsk /Madrid February 8, 2013

Madrid welcomes Our Lady in the copy of the Częstochowa Icon

The International Committee of the Peregrination of the copy of the Częstochowa Icon “From Ocean to Ocean” across the world in defence of life informs that between the 7^th and 14^th of February Our Lady of Częstochowa is visiting  Madrid.

On Thursday, February 7, the Częstochowa Icon arrived at the school of St. Isidore – the patron saint of Madrid, at 8.00 PM. Bishop Cesar Augusto Franco Martinez celebrated the Holy Eucharist. On Friday the Icon will stop at the church of Our Lady of Angels, which is celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its consecration, and on Saturday at the church of St Martin of Tours and the chapel “Cachito del Cielo” (Little Bit of Heaven)

On Sunday morning, February 10, the Częstochowa Icon will participate in the Divine Lithurgy at the orthodox church of Our Lord`s Birth belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church. In the evening it will visit the convent of the Visitation Sisters. On Monday, February 11, it will go to the basilica of Our Lady of Antocha. On Tuesday it will receive a solemn welcome at the chapel of the Law Faculty of the University of Complutense.

In the evening of the 12^th of February at 7.00 PM the welcome ceremony and adoration of the Icon will take place at the Polish Mission in Madrid, at the church of St. Valentine and St. Casimir.

On Wednesday, February 13, the peregrination route will include the church of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, where adoration and meeting will be held for the youth and children from Madrid schools.

The visit in Madrid will finish on Wednesday, February 14, with the visit at the Home for Single Mothers “Mater Admirabilis” (Mother the Most Admirable), where pregnant women and mothers with small children will come to pray.

The Częstochowa Icon will finish the visit in Spain in Bajadoz, where She will be welcomed by the Fatima Movement delegation from Portugal and taken to Fatima on the 2^nd of March. Later Our Lady of Częstochowa will visit Portuguese cities. She is due to reach the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Nazare, where there is the oldest Portugese shrine of the Mother of God with a statue of the Nursing Madonna, brought from Nazareth itself in the 4^th century.

The main celebration finishing the first stage of the peregrination will be held in Fatima on the 7th of April 2013, on the Sunday of the Divine Mercy.

In the last few weeks the Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa has been travelling around Spain and has visited many famous shrines and cathedrals, eg. Our Lady on the Pillar in Saragossa or Caravaca de la Cruz, where the famous rilics of the Holy Cross are kept. On the 26^th of January She reached the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Cadiz, and on the 1^st of February she stood on the African continent for the first time in Ceuta.

The Spaniards greet Her very warmly everywhere. The celebrations are attended by many flag bearers feretories, representatives of local penance brotherhoods and crowds of faithful. In Quenca the local statue of the Virgin of Light, known as the Black Virgin, was carried out on a large platform to welcome the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. All people pray for the defence of life and family.

The Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa travelling “From Ocean to Ocean” across the world in defense of life has already covered over 40 thousand kilometers (In France only she has traveled 7 thousand km.). At present we estimate the number of people who have met Her on the route for 4 million. Around 300 thousand leaflets in 15 languages have been distributed so far. During the peregrination, which has been continuing for over a year now, The Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa has always been welcomed very warmly. The peregrination has been going according to plan and it has not stopped even for one day without a purpose. Everywhere it has been received with great devotion and with open hearts.

 More information at: www.fromoceantoocean.org