"I am your Mother."

We received the following screenshot from a dear priest friend, and we wanted to share our story of Our Lady of Lipa, from the Philippines.

Last year, when we were helping in the missions with Fr. Fernando Suarez, we were able to take a day's pilgrimage to the Carmelite monastery in Lipa, Batangas. There, in the vestibule we met a dear sister, who asked us to pray over her! Naturally, we asked her to pray for us. When we showed Fr. Fernando the picture, he said, "Oh! I know her." They were dear friends. She gave us a book, which we now have in the library in our Marian section.

When we went to the side chapel, where the image of Our Lady is, immediately we could sense the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We could feel Mother Mary's presence. The words over the statue from her message, "I AM YOUR MOTHER," touched us both deeply. We were brought into a holy silence in prayer.

Afterwards, we began calling on her intercession. Then, nearly one year later, we were on mission in Medjugorje- where, miraculously, above the bed in the room we were staying in at Mirjana's house was a picture of none other than Our Lady of Lipa. Since, it seems, she is little known outside the Philippines, this was quite a shock. But, we were not surprised, as it were...Our Lady is truly with us!

Last month, as we were going through our things in the library at Mary's Mission House, we came across a small image of Our Lady of Lipa- it seems that we had acquired it from one of Fr. Fernando's rosary bracelets.

During this time, we encourage you- keep close to Mother Mary. As she said in Lipa, she is our Mother who intercedes for us, the Church and the world.

Our Lady of Lipa and Fr. Fernando,

ora pro nobis.