‘A special day of grace’
CHARLOTTE — Delicate flowers clutched in their hands and bundled up against the cold, students of St. Ann School joyfully honored Mary, Mother of God with a procession and prayer service Jan. 31.
The custom statue of Mary, Mother of God visited St. Ann Parish and Holy Trinity Middle School during Catholic Schools Week as part of a year-long Marian image pilgrimage to mark the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Charlotte.
Over the course of this year, the statue of Mary will travel throughout the diocese to parishes, missions, schools and other locations of importance to Catholics so people may venerate Mary as our patroness and pray for special graces for the Church in western North Carolina.
As the students filed into the church Jan. 31, they placed their flowers into vases at the foot of the sanctuary steps near the pilgrim image.
Fifth-grader Summer Clayton added her flower to the bouquet. When asked what she loved about the Blessed Mother, she told the Catholic News Herald, “I love that she gave birth to Jesus.”
Once everyone was settled in their pews, Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church and vicar of education for the diocese’s 19 Catholic schools, explained to them the importance of the day’s events.
“Today is a special day of grace for our school and for our parish as we have this statue,” he said. “We are blessed we get several days with Our Lady. My hope is that over course of these next couple of days, you and your classmates will be able to come here and spend some time.”
Principal Michelle Kuhn says that she feels blessed that St. Ann School “was able to participate, not only in the procession, but in gathering together as a school community to pray the rosary.”
The following morning, Feb. 1, the pilgrim image was transferred to the Holy Trinity Middle School gymnasium for veneration.
Principal Kevin Parks live-streamed the all-school Mass, celebrated by Father Reid, from the school’s chapel. Due to pandemic restrictions, only students from The Little Flowers of St. Therese and the Knights of St. Joseph group attended the Mass in person to represent the entire school community.
One of the Little Flowers of St. Therese, Alice Palomino, remarked, “We were all in the Presence of the Lord united as one, and it was beautiful.”
“Holy Trinity’s community was excited to be one of the first school stops for the pilgrimage statue on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord,” Parks said.
Holy Trinity’s chaplain, Father Joseph Matlak, took time throughout the day to pray with students before the pilgrim image and explain the significance of the statue’s visit during the 50th anniversary year, which is themed “Faith More Precious Than Gold.”
“When you were baptized, you were given the gift of faith,” Father Matlak said. “But at the end of the day, it will be up to you what you do with the gift that you have, the gift that has been given to you.”
Father Reid shared with both school communities that the Marian pilgrimage “is a good chance for us to get to know Our Lady, to know more about her and also to ask for her intercession in our lives.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Did you know?
The Marian Pilgrimage is one of the signature events of the diocese’s 50th anniversary activities.
The statue will travel to more than 100 locations across the diocese during the year – visiting churches, schools, events and sites of significance to Catholics in western North Carolina.
The pilgrim statue of Mary, Mother of God was blessed by Bishop Jugis Jan. 12, just before the start of Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral to open the anniversary year.
Made of linden wood, it was hand carved in Germany about 20 years ago. It stands 52 inches tall and weighs approximately 41 pounds.
For more information about the Marian Pilgrimage, and to see when it will visit your parish or school, look for updates at www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.