A small, but devout crowd gathered at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on Sechelt Indian Band lands, Sunday, May 1, to join in a traditional ceremony that formerly was a yearly event for many of the Sechelt Nation.
Father David Farfan, pastor in residence at Our Lady of Lourdes, blessed the crown and statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. Elders led the faithful in the praying of the Hail Mary in the Sechelt language, and then the litter carrying Our Lady's statue was carried around the neighbourhood, along the waterfront and back to the grotto. The Rosary was prayed during the procession and many familiar hymns in honour of Mary were sung.
During the final blessing, Father David reminded us that this special way of asking Our Lady to pray for us was a tradition given to us by the Elders of the Sechelt Nation whose faithfulness and devotion to Our Lady gave us the beautiful grotto which stands here today.
This was a particularly special event as it was also held on the day of the beatification of Pope John Paul II, who had a special love and respect for the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.
-Submitted
