The best evangelizer is Mary, our Blessed Mother, who loves us so much that from time to time she comes to guide us back to the right path and teaches us to lead others to our loving God. Wherever she appears, a strong community is formed. Through Marian shrines, millions of people come to know about the Gospel and God’s gift of salvation.

On October 27, we of the St. Ignatius community showed our devotion and gratitude to our Blessed Mother for the Marian shrines in the world by praying the Holy Rosary together. Instead of using the traditional mysteries, the apparitions of Mary were used to reflect on the love of the Lord as proclaimed by Mary, the best evangelizer, the Star of Evangelization.

Our Lady of Fatima (representing the Europe). In 1917, Mary appeared to three children— Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—asking them to pray the Holy Rosary for peace in the world, conversion of sinners, and the holy souls in Purgatory. The children prayed the Holy Rosary many times daily and offered sacrifices for these intentions as instructed. Fatima is a huge Marian shrine in Portugal visited by millions of people heeding the call to pray the Holy Rosary for the whole world. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, we prayed for the re-evangelization of the European continent, for Christians to return to their Christian roots and have God at the center of their lives.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (representing the Americas). Mary was declared Patroness of the Americas in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. She appeared to Juan Diego on December 9, 1531, telling him to ask the bishop to build a Marian shrine. The Bishop, who initially did not believe him, asked our Lady for signs. Thought it was winter, Mary told Juan Diego to gather roses from the apparition site and bring them to the Bishop, who immediately believed when he saw our Lady's image imprinted on Juan Diego's cloak. This image became famous worldwide. The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico is visited by millions every year, including native Mexicans who were converted to Christianity. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we prayed for peace and justice to reign not only in the Americas but throughout the world, most especially in places of violence and war.

Our Lady of Africa (representing Africa). The title "Our Lady of Africa, Mother of All Graces" includes a wish, a commitment to evangelization and a form of consecration of the entire African continent. Mary represents the physical traits of every people. Thus she is represented as an African woman, the loving Mother, who is everywhere near her sons and daughters. She continues to give us her Son because she does not keep for herself any of the gifts she received from God. She gives all that she has with incomparable motherly love. The Marian shrine is located at Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Africa, we prayed for all of Africa, that Continent of Hope, to be ever more open to the light and love of the Savior of mankind.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help (representing Asia). The centuries-old miraculous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is not meant to show a beautiful person but a beautiful spiritual message—the perpetual help and love of God through the intercession of our Blessed Mother. When Asian Catholics go out of their own country and face many difficulties as migrants, they and their families back home show strong devotion and faith in her powerful intercession. One big shrine of our Mother of Perpetual Help is in the Philippines. Over 100,000 devotees visit the place every Wednesday and 80,000 every Sunday. Through the intercession of Our Mother of Perpetual Help we pray that we too may allow our Lord to use us as his instruments to share his love and gift of salvation in our adopted lands.

Our Lady of Tsuwano (Japan). The story of our Lady of Tsuwano, Otome Toge, or the Virgin Pass, is not well-known but strongly shows the motherly love and care of our Blessed Mother for her suffering children. After the discovery of hidden Christians who had preserved their faith faithfully for 250 years, a new wave of persecution took place under the Meiji government. Some were exiled to Tsuwano, where 37 were martyred. One of them, John Baptist Yasutaro, was put in a small cage and left outside naked in the snowy Otome Toge. Worried about him, some elderly leaders managed to break through their prison to sneak out into the hills to see him. They heard from him the wondrous story of a beautiful lady appearing to him around midnight, speaking to him about God and heaven, leaving him warm, happy, and peaceful. “She looks like the statue of the Blessed Mother in our Church in Nagasaki,” he said. The leaders were deeply touched, went back to their prison, and shared the story with others. Mary sustained them in their faith until they all got the crown of martyrdom. Years later, the Jesuit priest Father Nebel, Pastor of Tsuwano Church, started the Otome Toge festival which is celebrated every year on May 3rd with a procession, Holy Rosary, and Mass at the site. The beatification process of the 37 martyrs was begun a few years ago. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Tsuwano, we prayed for the warmth of Mary's maternal love to reach all the places and corners of Japan, as well as the hearts of the Japanese people. May our Blessed Mother guide and help the Japanese Church in her work of evangelization. To Jesus through Mary!

By the October Living Rosary Team