Before Vatican Council 11, with rare exception, devotion to Mary was largely observed by Catholic and Orthodox Christians. One of the fruits of the Reformation was to alienate many Christians from this devotion. However, since Vatican 11, many have noticed an apparent shift in Catholic and Protestant interest in the place of Marian devotion in Christian practice. All the Christian churches are turning to a reading of the Scriptures and finding it impossible to deny the place of Mary within the belief and practice of the early Christian church.
Point 1: Developing Appreciation of Mary.
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical - Marialis Cultus (Marian Devotion), encouraged Catholics to an increased use of the Bible; and Pope John Paul 11 in his letter "Mater Redemptoris (Mother of the Redeemer) has drawn attention to "the special presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and His church."
From the Scriptures it is possible to trace a developing appreciation of Mary as mother and woman. But a purely biblical study only reveals a limited picture; it cannot tell the whole story, for the New Testament only concerns itself with the early beginnings of christian reflection on the person of Mary. In the documents of the New Testament we have only the written record of faith and practice of the early Church. There was much more going on that did not get written, but which was passed on by word of mouth in those critical formative years. Eventually, these oral traditions were recorded by the early Greek, Syrian and Latin Fathers of the church. And it is here that we find the second great foundation stone of christian teaching and practice - Tradition. Tradition is so imnportant to the development of any culture - as the Fiddler in "Fiddler on the Roof" proclaimed "Tradition! Where would we be without our traditions"?
Point 2: Development of Shrines and Holy Places.
As early as the 2nd century, Christians venerated Mary as the Mother of God. In both the Eastern and Western Churches, feast days in honour of Mary's life came into existence between the 4th and 7th centuries - e.g. her Birthday (8th Sept); the Annunciation(25th march); Purification (2nd Feb); her death (Dormition) and her Assumption proclaimed as a dogma of the church in 1950 by Pope Pius X11.
During the late Middle Ages, devotion to Mary grew vigorously with the introduction of the Rosary, the Angelus and the Litanies extolling Mary's virtues by using such biblical titles as Mystical Rose, Tower of David and Refuge of Sinners.
Another development in Marian devotion came in the form of shrines. Holy places have always been associated with religious expression - Jerusalem, Rome, Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe in Mexico and Knock in Ireland. Many of these places of pilgrimage commemorate reported apparitions of the Lord or of Our Lady.
Our small shrine here at Bullsbrook derives from such a reported apparition that occurred in Rome at Tre Fontane in 1947. On a calm spring afternoon, Bruno Cornacchiola, a Roman tram-driver, had retired, with his three children, to a quiet eucalyptus grove on the outskirts of Rome. He was preparing a speech that he was to give to a public meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to attack the Church and its teachings, and Bruno's special target was an attack on Mary's place in Christian devotion. Bruno's background was not overly impressive - a lapsed Catholic who had embraced Protestantism in a fundamentalist sect, and a committed communist! However, whilst the children played, he continued his preparation. When the children lost the ball, he interrupted his preparation to help them find it. It was then that he found his son, Gianfranco on his knees repeating "Beautiful Lady". The vision was also seen by the other two children, Isola and Carlo, and finally by Bruno. The experience lasted one hour and twenty minutes in which time, the "Lady" announced that "I am She who is in the Trinity ... I am the Virgin of the Revelation.... You have persecuted me... It is enough! Return to the Holy Fold, the Heavenly court on earth...." Other visions followed.
Fifty years later, the fruits of that conversion are to be found throughout the world. The Sacri organisation, established to carry out catechetical work, is operating in many countries; also shrines have been established. All of this has been achieved with approval of the Church. This local shrine has resulted from the devotion of several Perth families who have given generously of their time and money to bring it to this point of development. A month ago, the outdoor shrine was officially dedicated by Archbishop Hickey in the presence of some 1500 people. All of this to enable people to give fuller expression to their desire to further their devotion to Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Revelation. There is still more to be done and with God's help and your continued support it will be done.
God Bless You; and the Virgin Mary protect you.