Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine is Sri Lanka’s Only Shrine, where Blessed Virgin Mother Mary made Her appearance in person. Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, the Immaculate Conception, made Her appearance in person, for Twenty Three Times, in the Apparition Church of Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine. All these Apparitions took place before His Holiness The Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso. At these Apparitions, the Most Blessed Virgin Mother Mary delivered several messages to His Holiness The Apostle to reveal to the world.
Out of these Twenty Three Apparitions of Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apparition which took place for the 18th occasion, on 27th July 1977, was a significant one. It was an exceptional Apparition because on that day, the Most Blessed Mother made Her appearance in person before His Holiness The Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso, carrying Baby Jesus in Her left hand. A lovely Statue of Most Blessed Virgin Mary carrying Baby Jesus in Her left hand is established above the Main Altar of the Apparition Church of Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine to symbolize this exceptional Apparition. This Statue is the Main Statue of the Apparition Church. It is established above the Main Altar.
The 42nd Anniversary of this Most Blessed occasion fell on 27th July 2019. On that day, to commemorate this exceptional occasion, all arrangements were finalized as usual to conduct the Miraculous Prayer Recite at 5pm, in Holy Apostles Peter & Paul Garden at Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine.
At the commencement of the Miraculous Prayer Recite, devotees light Apparition Candles. But before they do so, it is a ritual to place these candles at the precise spot, where Most Blessed Virgin Mary made Her appearance in person. This ritual is performed before handing over these candles back to them. Shrine officials have to enter the Apparition Church for this purpose.
On Saturday 27th July 2019, at the precise moment, when the Shrine officials placed the candles handed over by devotees, at the foot of the Statue of Blessed Virgin Mother Mary carrying Baby Jesus, aroma of Jasmine began to emanate miraculously from the Statue of Blessed Mother carrying Baby Jesus. Subsequently, the entire Apparition Church and the Shrine Ground was totally filled with this miraculous fragrance.
A special order issued by His Holiness The Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso was read out at the end of the Miraculous Prayer Recite, when the letters with the single request of devotees placed in the Red Box, was offering to the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary. By that order devotees were informed that His Holiness The Apostle has given a special permission to the devotees to insert their request letters into the Red Box, inside the Apparition Church itself.
Devotees received this exceptional permission from His Holiness The Apostle on 27th July 2019, at the 42nd Anniversary of the Apparition of Blessed Virgin Mary together with Baby Jesus. On that day, devotees also received the opportunity to offer a single request to Blessed Mother under Her maternal love and to feel the aroma of Her love, the aroma of Jasmine, emanating from Her.
These images show the Statue of Blessed Virgin Mary carrying Baby Jesus, emanated aroma of Jasmine, on 27th July 2019, in the Apparition Church of Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine. Devotees, while feeling the Heavenly fragrance of Blessed Virgin Mary, offered their prayers to the Blessed Mother and inserted their single request into the Red Box, before it is offered to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary
