[See here] statue of Our Lady Lourdes started weeping
again on Sunday April 4, 2004. These images were taken over a period of 30 seconds.
One photo came out blue even though camera settings were not changed. The images
were taken in the presence of a Catholic priest.
January
15, 2004 - [See here] apparitions of Our Lady at
the Weeping Madonna shrine. Our Lady gives messages and a miraculous sign.
October 19, 2003 - [See here] Miraculous photo of
Our Lady that showed up in photo taken at the Weeping Madonna shrine.
More updates at bottom of page.
How
it all began. From Weeping
Madonna.org - Patty Powell (nee Smith) & her twin sister Eileen Giles
(nee Smith) went to Stella Maris College, Geraldton. Their Year 11 teacher was
Sr. Monica Maddox. Sr. Monica went to Thailand to help form the Presentation Sisters
of Thailand Order. As Patty and Eileen had kept in touch with her she contacted
them and asked them to help her with a Thai exchange programme. A Catholic school
called Daruna in Ratchaburi, Thailand sent children, teachers and minor seminarians
to Rockingham for their summer break starting March. Patty and Eileen found schools
and homes for them amongst family and friends.
On
the 1st August, 1994 Eileen, Patty and their husbands made a trip to Thailand
to visit the children from previous exchange programmes, who had become so close
to them. Patty, who already had a Sacred Heart statue asked a priest, Fr. Silvio,
who had been on an earlier exchange, where she could get a statue of Our Lady
of Lourdes, as this was the parish she came from. He told her to go to Bangkok
and to go to a St. Vincent de Paul Mission office that sold statues and religious
articles. She was attracted immediately to the face of this statue. The statue
had such a peaceful and serene face.
While
in Bangkok they visited another presentation nun Sr. Joan Evans (a West Australian
Presentation Nun) who worked in the slums of Bangkok. They all visited the Mercy
Centre where Sr. Joan showed them families who suffered from aids and how they
were brought into the centre to learn to care for their sick family members. Sr.
Joan took them to see the slum area where people had built shantys underneath
bridges down near the wharf area.
Eight
years went by and on March 19th, 2002 Patty came home from work and was sitting
out in the shrine area and looked over at Our Lady and saw two shiny streaks running
down her face. She thought that it looked like tears and got up to examine them
closer and found that indeed it was tears. She felt overcome and saddened that
Our Lady was crying and felt like it was her mother crying. She asked Our Lady
"what can I do to help you"? On waking the next morning and going out
to the shrine she noticed that the face was dry. About 10 days later on Good Friday
Our Lady again wept until Easter Monday. She then wept in June on the Feast of
Corpus Christi. Each time Patty informed the priests but didn't take the statue
to down to the church. Fr. Walsh at that stage was away and recuperating from
heart surgery. On August 14th, St. Maximillian Kolbe's feast day, on returning
from work at Kolbe College, she noticed, when she walked into her house, that
the rose perfume that accompanies Our Lady's tears, was very evident throughout
the house. Patty went immediately to the shrine area and saw that Our Lady was
again weeping. On reflection she felt that this wasn't just a private revelation
for herself but meant for the wider community.
Patty
took the statue down to Fr. Walsh and showed him. He examined the statue and then
told Patty that Our Lady should be displayed on a table next to the altar the
next day for the Feast of the Assumption. Father Walsh said the 9.30 am mass,
which is a school mass. The church was full and Fr. Walsh explained at the end
of mass the significance of having Our Lady's statue out on the table. He told
people that they could come and have a closer look. Our Lady stayed in the church
on the Thursday and Friday. Patty brought the statue down on the Saturday morning
but Fr. Walsh said to take it home. In the afternoon Patty came back down to fold
their Parish newsletter and walked with Fr. Walsh to the church. As they entered
through the door of the church the rose perfume was very evident in the church.
Fr. Walsh looked at Patty and said "can you smell that"? She said "yes".
He said "you had better bring her back tomorrow". She remained in the
Church every weekend until February, 17th, 2003.
The
Record (Catholic newspaper) contacted Fr. Walsh to say that they had heard about
the statue and would like to do a story on it. They came down and interviewed
Fr. Walsh & Patty and took pictures. They said they had to hold the story
until the Archbishop came to examine the statue. Archbishop Hickey was on retreat
at St. John of God's in Shoalwater Bay and on the Thursday made a visit to Patty's
house. He gave permission for the Record to go ahead with the story. The West
Australian newspaper has the Record delivered on a Friday and were straight on
the phone wanting to do a story as well. The Sunday Times and then Channel 9 and
7 phoned and requested interviews as well as BBC, radio stations etc. The story
hit the headlines in most countries of the world.
On
September 10th 2002, Channel 7 Today Tonight had the oil and the statue examined
at Murdoch and Curtin Universities. The findings were released on a programme
airing on 12th September, 2002. The scientists could not come up with any obvious
reason for the phenomena.
At
the end of November, the Archbishop announced that he was getting together a Commission
to exam the statue. The findings of this commission are available by clicking
on the icon on the front page as is Pattys statement of reply.
In
all the apparitions that have happened Our Ladys message has always been
the same. She is calling her children, back to a closer relationship with her
Son. Our Lady continues to weep to this day (3rd June, 2003). It is up to each
and every one of us to discern in our hearts as to why Our Blessed Mother weeps.
The
statue now is kept at Pattys home, which she has named The Holy Family
House of Prayer and is open to the public Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Friday from 9.30 10.30 am and 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm by appointment.
[See here]
Footprints left by Our Lady on December 11, 2003 at Weeping Madonna shrine, Australia.
[See
here] photo of Grotto where apparitions of Our Lady have been reported at
the Weeping Madonna shrine. [See
here] Miraculous photos taken the night Our Lady left sign at Rockingham shrine.
Visit the Weeping Madonna of Rockingham shrine
website