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Christian testimony
Christian testimony
- Novo mesto - Šmihel parish
Consecration
in Novo mesto - Šmihel parish
in 1988
Pope
John Paul II anounced a holy
Marian year which lasted from
Pentecost 1987 to Assumption
1988. Parishes were recommended
to consecrate themselves to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In
Novo mesto - Šmihel parish this
was carried out at the conclusion
of the all-day adoration of
the Most Blessed Sacrament in
May 1988.
We
brought a statue of Our Lady
of Fatima for the occasion and
consecrated the whole parish
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Soon
surprising fruits of this consecration
were visible.
- The
number of Sunday church-goers
increased by a third (from
750 to 1000), the number
of communions by a sixth
(from 30.000 to 35.000).
- The
number of baptisms increased
by 40%, and the number of
funerals decreased.
- Before
the consecration, the ratio
between baptisms and funerals
was nearly 1:1, after the
consecration, however, nearly
2:1 for baptisms.
The
number of first-communicants
also increased by nearly 40%
(from 50 to 70). One year 11
unbaptized children started
to attend religious education
in parish so that they had to
be baptized immediately before
the First Communion. The number
of prayer group members also
increased. Cooperation of parishioners
in the parish at that time was
lively and spontaneous.
Adolf
Mežan, the then parish priest
Christian testimony
Christian testimony
- Stara
Loka parish
Consecration
in Stara Loka parish
We
prepared for the consecration
in the parish with the novena
in the booklet A
man can have no greater love.
We
got consecrated on the Sunday
after the feast of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus in 2001. The
ones that decided on the consecration
fetched the cards withe the
consecration prayer. At th beginning
of the rite, after a homily
I blessed the memorial pictures
and medals.
Afterwards
we said the prayer of consecration
standing. Everybody brought
his/her signed card to me. I
congratulated him/her, handed
him/her a miraculous medal and
put his/her card on the altar.
At that time 85 persons consecrated
themselves.
Christian testimony Christian testimony
Christian testimony
I
would like to mention I had
carried out a consecration already
in my previous
parish
Ljubljana - Moste.
There
we were preparing for the consecration
almost for a year 1999. There
were 220 individuals consecrated.
Some families even invited me
to their homes where after a
conversation and prayer we made
a consecration rite for families.
The faithful confirmed their
consecration with their sigantures
on the memorial picture.
I
carried out a consecration as
a parish priest in Stara Loka
parish in the year 2002, also
on the Sunday after the feast
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I
also wrote about consecration
of individuals and families
in the parish paper and invited
the faithful to get prepared
and consecrated.
Two
years ago we introduced a devotion
The Roses to the honour of Jesus'
Heart in the parish. I included
into the prayerful novena preparation
this year Roses, which especially
highlight the mercy of the Heart
of Jesus.
I
explained to the faithful: „As
the Holy Father in October 2000
together with the bishops from
all over the world commited
consecrated the world
to the Heart of Mary in front
of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima,
so we too want to commit and
consecrate our parish through
Mary's Heart to the Heart of
God.“
People
experienced the consecration
deeply. A lady told me the prayer
of consecration addressed her
so much they say a part of it
at their evening prayer. Soon
afterwards there was a retreat
for our parish council and they
also got consecrated to the
Hearts of Mary and Jesus.
- Among
visible fruits of the consecration
I can list regular adoration
of the Most Blessed Sacrament
on Thursdays that includes
the holy rosary, the word
of God, spoantaneous individual
praise, thanks and intercessions,
a litany, communal prayer
for everyday offering to
the Hearts of Jesus and
Mary and a Eucharistic blessing.
A
notable novelty is an initiative
of a young married couple for
adoration on first Fridays in
the month,
intended primarily for the young,
however, everybody is welcome.
The couple prepare the programme,
show it to me and we give it
the final form together.
- I
have found that the number
of communions has increeased
and I experience beautiful
reconciliation with God
by people who have distanced
themselves from God and
the Church after the war.
- I
ascribe these graces especially
to prayers before the Most
Blessed Sacrament as we
always remember He came
for the sick and not for
the healthy, and we pray
especially for the ones
that have distanced themselves
from the parish.
- A
good number of couples have
also settled their marriages.
A responsibility is felt
among the parishioners to
transfer faith to new generations,
for new evangelization in
all possible forms, starting
with the youngest (a Catholic
kindergarten, school).
Lojze
Snoj, parish priest
Christian testimony Christian testimony
Christian testimony
Christian testimony -
Škocjan and Turjak parishes
Consecration
in Škocjan and Turjak parishes
Consecration
of individuals and families
was carried out in both parishes
at the conclusion of the mission
during Lent 2001. For some time
I had spoken about the consecration
with help of the booklet A man
can have no greater love published
by the Committee for Consecration
to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The
immediate preparation was led
by two missionaries.
Individuals
and families that had decided
on consecration recited the
prayer of consecration at the
end of the mission. As a memory
and a sign that the consecration
united them deeper with God's
love they received a miraculous
medal and took pictures of the
Sacred Hearts to their homes.
Then
I decided on the next step and
started a preparation for the
consecration of Turjak
parish.
I recited the prayer for individual
consecration together with the
faithful present. It was in
autumn of 2001.
I
performed the
consecration of Škocjan parish
at the conclusion of the repetition
of the mission in 2002. In both
parishes all present confirmed
consecration also with theirr
signatures on a special list
we keep in special wooden hearts
in both parishes.
Deeper
connection with the Hearts of
Jesus and Mary has laready brought
first visible fruits:
- graceful
preparation of some people
for death after a yearlong
distance from the Church
and Sacraments;
- reconciliation
in some families;
- more
interest for vocations among
the young;
- a
greater need for prayer
and gathering of several
generations in a prayer
group consisting of the
consecrated;
- and
a greater readiness to help
the needy.
Jože
Razinger,
the then parish priest
Christian
testimony
Christian testimony
- Ruše parish
Consecration
in Ruše parish
After
discussing the initiative of
consecrating the parish at the
Committee for Consecration to
the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
I resolved to perform the solemnity
of consecration at the conclusion
of the repetition of the mission
in Lent 2002.
A
missionary ardently invited
parishioners to answer the love
of the lady of Ruše with a consecration
to Her Heart and the Heart of
Jesus.
He
reminded them of the consecration
of individuals and families
carried out by some already
at the conclusion of the jubilee
year 2000, and encouraged them
to be light and leaven
of the entire parish.
This
consecration includes all inhabitants
of the parish God has entrusted
to the pastoral care of teh
parish priest, and the entire
parish community works with
him.
The
already consecrated are especially
called to testify they belong
to the Haearts of Jesus and
Mary by leading an exemplary
Christian life.
After
the consecration of the
parish we started regular
adoration of the Most Blessed
Sacrament on Thursdays.
We
established a family of
St Francis that meets in
the parish every first Saturday
in the month.
Parishioners
also gave an initiative
to revive a Christian funeral
rite being secularized after
WW II. The deceased is brought
to the church again where
a mass is celebrated for
him/her. The initiative
was also accepeted by the
funeral undertaking.
We
have introduced a beautiful
Advent devotion of „carrying
Mary“ recently. It brings
families and neighbours
closer together in common
prayer. Mary is accompanied
by the parish priest as
well.
At
such an occasion one lady
encountered recitation of
the rosary for the first
time. Mary, however, makes
her way in very special
situations ...
With
the consecrated we made a pilgrimage
to 1st all-Slovene pilgrimage
of worshippers of the Hearts
of Jesus and Mary to Stična
and participated in rich spiritual
gifts.
Srečko
Fras,
the then parish priest
Send testimonies:
The
Committee
for
Consecration
to the
Hearts
of Jesus
and
Mary
Cistercijanska
opatija
Stična
SI-1295
Ivančna
Gorica,
Slovenija,
EU
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