To end the pandemic, Pope Francis wanted the month of May, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to be dedicated to a “marathon” of prayer as described in the Bible as “The Church was fervently praying to God” (Acts 12. The Prayer Marathon requested by Pope Francis was also held in the House of Virgin Mary on Mount Bülbül, Selçuk, İzmir.
The House of Virgin Mary on Mount Selçuk Bülbül in İzmir was chosen for the prayer on May 19, among the 30 temples dedicated to the Virgin Mary, located all over the world from South Korea to Japan, from Poland to Australia.
While the prayer was led by the Archbishop of Izmir, Monsignor Martin Kmetec, the priests of most churches of Izmir, the priest of the church in Antalya, the priests and nuns of the House of Virgin Mary accompanied the prayer. Due to the late hour and health conditions, very few people were able to attend the prayer in the courtyard of the House of Virgin Mary. Inside the house, the prayers and the choir gathered around the Archbishop.
During the introductory hymn, Nicholas the deacon lit the Easter candle and 3 other candles in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary.
Monsignor Martin, in the introduction to prayer in Turkish, Italian and English, said for the prayer intention of the marathon day, “We want to raise our prayers from this land of Turkey, which is the cradle of many cultures and a bridge between continents, for peoples at war and world peace.”
Accompanied by the new Deputy General of the Church of Izmir, Father Felianus, rector of St. John Cathedral, Father Ugo, a member of the Selçuk community, sister Enza from the House of Virgin Mary, and most recently a young person from the Izmir community, prayers called “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Hail Mary” were said together with the participants.
At the beginning of each prayer, the deacon recited each of the five glorious mysteries of the rosary, and each mystery invited the congregation to pray for the peace of a different continent in the world.
At the end of the rosary, everyone sang the hymn Salve Regina (Thanks Queen) in Latin. Then Father Igor, the high priest of the Alsancak Rosario Church, exchanged the Invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with those who prayed.
After this litany (invocation) was over, Monsignor Martin prayed for Pope Francis’ intentions. The ceremony was ended with the prayer to beg for the help of the Virgin Mary, which started like: “We take refuge in your protection, Holy Mother of God. In these difficult days, when the whole world is the victim of pain and anxiety, we take refuge in You, Mother of God and Our Mother, we want to take shelter under your protection.”
Father Ugo, sister Caterina of the House of Virgin Mary, Mr. Serkan who plays the organ, and Mr. Mesut, the attendant of the Cathedral, added color to this special event by singing the hymns very nicely.
The prayer in the House of Virgin Mary was broadcast live on Vatican’s official media channels at 18:00 Rome time, on many channels of the world and on the YouTube account of the Archdiocese of Izmir. (Nathalie Ritzmann, SAT-7 TURK/İzmir)
