Sprouts of faith in Mongolia under the loving and protective mantle of Mary (II)

Over time, the Cardinal grew in his conviction that the discovery of the statue of Mary in the garbage symbolizes the Virgin’s attitude, “always ready to meet us even in places of desperation, rejection, pain, abandonment”. He revealed that he spoke about the statue “with the Holy Father, when some months ago, I visited him with a small delegation of Buddhist monks from Mongolia. I showed him a picture and he was very happy”.

The epilogue of the story unfolded on 8 December 2022, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, when Cardinal Marengo decided to consecrate all of Mongolia to Mary. The event took place in the Cathedral of Ulaanbaatar, in front of the statue from the landfill, which for the occasion had been enthroned in the cathedral and covered with a special mantle made of “many small pieces of fabric sent from the Apostolic Prefecture from the majority of Mongolian faithful and the missionaries”, the Cardinal explained. “Each small piece of fabric represents a key moment in their life”.

The Virgin now watches over a boundless nation where there are only 1,400 Catholics (all gathered in the apostolic prefecture of Ulaanbaatar) and where the Church recently celebrated 30 years.

“We must thank God”, concluded Cardinal Marengo, “that in only 30 years the Church has managed to establish itself and take root here, after a long period of communism. I like to recall an image Pope Francis used to describe these small ecclesial communities, speaking, some time ago, to the bishops of central Asia: they are, he said, sprouts in the steppe”. Sprouts under the loving and protective mantle of Mary.

Source: L’Osservatore Romano, 20 January 2023