On the evening of Saturday, August 17, 2024, a miraculous event occurred at Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine, Sri Lanka, inside the apparition Church, the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus began emanating a jasmine fragrance. Approximately 15 minutes after this phenomenon began, His Holiness The Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso addressed the faithful gathered at the foot of the Virgin Mary’s statue, delivering a homily as the miraculous event continued to unfold in the apparition Church
“The best evidence that the Mother Mary’s loving gaze has been directed towards the Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine for fifty years is the frequent and continuous emission of jasmine fragrance from Her statue. This Shrine is the only place in the world where this miracle occurs regularly and frequently. At this moment, for the sixth time, this great miracle is taking place in the apparition Church of the Shrine. I am speaking to you now from very close to the statue of the Blessed Mother, which is miraculously emitting the jasmine fragrance. The intensity of the spreading jasmine fragrance is so overwhelming that it’s difficult to even remain in this location. In a short while, all of you will have the opportunity to come near the statue of the Blessed Mother in the apparition Church, where the jasmine fragrance is spreading, and witness this great miracle.”
This statement was made by His Holiness Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso, who has had the unique privilege of seeing the Blessed Virgin Mary twenty-three times.
His Holiness The Apostle was compelled to make such a statement to the faithful because, for the sixth time, a miraculous jasmine fragrance began emanating from the statue of the Blessed Mother. This statue, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus on Her left side, is installed in the apparition Church of Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine, Sri Lanka, where the Blessed Virgin Mary has appeared twenty-three times.
Devotees from various regions packed the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Garden at the Shrine, reciting the customary Miraculous Prayer. Addressing the gathering, His Holiness The Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso stood at the base of a unique statue – the only one in the world known to emit a jasmine fragrance. This statue, depicting the Blessed Mother with the Infant Jesus, is prominently displayed above the main altar in the apparition Church. During His address, the Apostle also reminded the gathering of the historical background of this miraculous jasmine fragrance phenomenon.
“The Blessed Virgin Mary, along with the Infant Jesus, appeared before Me in person on July 27, 1977. I still vividly remember that moment. It was Her eighteenth apparition. I opened the new apparition Church where these apparitions took place on August 11, 2018. For installation above the main altar of the new apparition Church, I preferred to use the statue representing the eighteenth apparition, which depicts Her appearance with the Infant Jesus.”
His Holiness the Apostle, addressing the faithful from within the apparition Church, also made the following statement.
“With the opening of the apparition Church on August 11, 2018, the statue of the Blessed Mother with the Infant Jesus began to receive constant veneration from the faithful. After that date, July 27, 2019, marked the first time the apparition Church witnessed the 42nd anniversary of the Blessed Mother appearance with the Infant Jesus. On this day, which was the 42nd anniversary of the 18th apparition, the statue of the Blessed Mother began emitting a jasmine fragrance for the first time. It was a Saturday. Many devotees had gathered at the Shrine for the Miraculous Prayer. The jasmine fragrance emanating from the statue of the Blessed Mother spread not only within the apparition Church but throughout the Shrine grounds. All the gathered faithful had the opportunity to approach the statue. Every devotee had the chance to experience the jasmine fragrance.”
His Holiness The Apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso, continuing to address the faithful from the foot of the statue of the Blessed Mother and Infant Jesus, amidst the jasmine fragrance, further stated:
“Since the first occurrence of the jasmine fragrance emanating from this statue of the Blessed Mother on July 27, 2019, this miracle has been performed by the Blessed Mother before us every year up to today, August 17, 2024. The miracle occurred for the second time on October 3, 2020, for the third time on October 9, 2021, for the fourth time on August 20, 2022, and for the fifth time it began on the evening of October 20, 2023, and continued for two days until the evening of October 21. Now, this great miracle is taking place for the sixth time today, August 17, 2024.”
As His Holiness The Apostle provided an opportunity for all the faithful gathered to experience this supreme miracle of the jasmine fragrance emanating from the statue of the Blessed Mother in the apparition Church, He further stated:
“Now, all of you will have the opportunity to approach the statue of our beloved Blessed Mother with the Infant Jesus in the apparition Church, where the jasmine fragrance is spreading, to witness this great wonder and experience the emanating jasmine fragrance. You can take as much time as you need inside the apparition Church. Although there are countless churches and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Mother around the world, and even throughout Sri Lanka, with numerous statues of the Blessed Mother along roadsides, the only place where you can find statue of the Blessed Mother emitting a jasmine fragrance is at Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine in Sri Lanka. This is the only Marian Shrine in Sri Lanka where the Blessed Virgin Mary has appeared 23 times.”
On the evening of Saturday, August 17, 2024, worshippers witnessed a remarkable event for the sixth time, the statue commemorating the 18th apparition, which depicts the Blessed Mother holding the Infant Jesus, began emitting a jasmine fragrance. The photos here capture both the miraculous statue and the scene inside the apparition Church, where devotees gathered as the phenomenon unfolded
