Father Juan Manuel Lopez, pastor of Church of the Assumption of Mary Parish in Tomales, guided a procession with a statue of St. Mary of the Assumption through the town on her feast day, Aug. 18. The rural Marin County church is home to about 150 parishioners, about 80 percent of them Spanish speakers. Many are immigrants who have reconnected with their cultural and religious roots through the parish
The parish, established in 1860, also provides space for catechesis and encounter between cultures. During Mass, Father Lopez preached on the four Marian dogmas of the church: Virginity, motherhood, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption, declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950.
Full story at Catholic San Francisco.
I know that people are aided in their faith by physical objects, but this is after all either a piece of plaster or at best a piece of marble. It i not God, should not be treated as a god, should not be used to distract from God. This is why Protestants are so confused by Catholicism.
Anonymous: “should not be treated as a god”
The Catholics above aren’t treating a statue of Mary as God, but as a means of honoring God. Mary is Our Lord’s Mother, so we honor Him by honoring her, and we honor her by venerating her holy image.
Anonymous– where have you been?? All. my life, I have looked forward to involvement with yearly festivities on the glorious Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother– including Novenas, Masses, big dinners — and big processions!! They also have big processions and festivities in other countries, such as Spain!! — go participate, and honor Our Blessed Mother!!
May God bless Fr. Lopez! Sounds like a wonderful parish.
who said the statue was a God. Given the photo and article, I don’t see that.
I’m sure there are many things about us that confuse protestants.
GOD bless them!