Our Lady of the Reconciliation traveled the streets of Philadelphia for the first time
Philadelphia, 12/12/14, (Sodalit News – US). The newly founded Sodalit community in Philadelphia organized a procession with the statue of Our Lady of Reconciliation. The route of the procession of the Virgin bore a message of reconciliation, inviting the faithful and citizens to go closer to Jesus through Holy Mary.
As part of the celebrations for the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the Sodalit Family, on Saturday December 7th, a procession with the image of Our Lady of Reconciliation was held in an atmosphere of prayer, music and deep devotion. Participants consisted mainly of parishioners St. Agatha and St. James Parish. This activity was initiated in the town a special devotion to Our Lady through the work of Fr. Carlos Keen, SCV, the new pastor of St. Agatha and St. James, who tells us more about the procession.
“I had the idea of making a procession because of my experience,” explains Fr. Carlos Keen. “I have spent the last 20 years in Peru where we have a special devotion to the Mother and participating in processions is very common.” For Fr. Keen this procession has also been an opportunity “to unite the different communities we have here. And not only the Catholic communities,” he explains, “but we want people of all religions to participate.”
Looking a little deeper into this event, one discovers that the procession brings a reconciliatory message. As the pastor describes, “one of the qualities of Holy Mary is found in the unity and reconciliation between people.” This Marian procession represents a “manifestation of love, reverence and recognition through an act of sacrifice. That is why one carries the Virgin, because he seeks something, because he is willing to sacrifice; and because this love and sacrifice make sense.”
A special detail about this procession was the gratitude of those that carried the Virgin. Fr. Keen noted that “if someone asks for the cure of a disease and is healed, then this person is grateful to the Mother, offering a small silver heart. And when our Lady is filled with small silver hearts, we know it will be time to make them into a bigger one,” said the pastor about future plans for the procession.
The Sodalit Family has recently become present in the city of Philadelphia, PA, in the United Sates, thanks to the presence of the new community of the Sodalitium of Christian Life in the city. This community has also been assigned to the care of the St. Agatha and St. James Parish commissioned by the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles J. Chaput.