By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy
Panaji, Aug 26, 2020: Life took an unexpected turn for Sister Priya Thekkemuriyil on March 13 when she was told that Mother Mary would visit her a month later.
The 46-year-old Maria Bambina nun and her companions spent the following month in intense prayer and penance.
“Waiting for our Blessed Mother we spent days in Eucharistic Adoration, praying Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, night Vigil and reading the Bible,” recalled Sister Priya who lives at Barkuhi town in Chindwara district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Sister Priya and her six sister companions serve a hospital managed by the Western Coal Mines at Barkuhi, staying at the quarters provided by the company.
On April 13, the nuns and their helpers were excited from the morning as they were informed that Mother Mary would visit them around 3 pm at the grotto attached to their convent.
“We waited anxiously praying before her grotto braving the April sun. When she came she spoke to each of us personally. She requested us to pray for priests, religious, all consecrated persons, souls in purgatory, for childless couples and for abolition of abortions,” Sister Priya narrated to Matters India over phone.
According to her, the apparition told a Hindu maid living with the nuns that “she is interceding for all people not only for Christians.” The maid later became a Catholic.
Sister Priya says the archbishop of Nagpur, their diocese, has asked her not to publicize anything about what has been happening in their convent in the past five months.
She recalls how it all began with her visit to a place of Marian apparition in Kasargod, the northernmost district of Kerala, during her annual home vacation in May 2019.
Since then, thousands of people have flocked to the house to pray and collect oil to apply on sick people. The Tellicherry archdiocese that covers the village appointed a committee to study the Balal phenomenon, but reserved the judgment after receiving the report. Balal is some 100 km north of Tellicherry, the archdiocesan headquarters.
Alphonsa, who was born a Hindu named Omana, and her three children had become Catholics in 2000. She is now healthy and guides people who visit her house on a slope of a hill.
The widow claims that an old woman had come to her house and rubbed some ointment on her. She felt cured and looked for the woman, but nobody else had seen her.
Sister Priya said Alphonsa gets stigmata on Tuesdays and Fridays. “She falls unconscious then,” she added.
On May 18, 2019, the feast of her congregation, she met the priest of her home parish who asked her about her congregation. Later he visited her home with a medal of Maria Bambina, surprising Sister Priya. He told her that the Blessed Mother had given the medals to six priests, including him, who saw her.
The priest also told her that Mother Mary would visit the place again. Sister Priya and her family members went to Balal, a three and half hour journey.
“That day I experienced only the perfume as Blessed Mother appeared, “Sr Priya recalled.
On the second visit she had a glimpse of the Blessed Mother who had a blue Rosary in her hand.
She carried oil from the Balal center when she came back to her convent. She applied the oil on two senior sisters who were advised to undergo surgery for their knee problem. “They got healed miraculously. Both were suffering for a long time. Some others who had allergy and other illness also experienced healing,” Sister Priya explained.
In September last year, she visited the Balal center with two sisters to pray. They too experienced cure. It was then that Alphonsa told Sister Priya that she would be brought back again in November. Sister Priya said she was not convinced as it was impossible to visit the place third time in the same year.
Meanwhile Sister Priya renovated her convent grotto at the request of the Blessed Mother through Alphonsa.
In November 2019, her provincial asked Sister Priya to accompany a sister to the Balal. Alphonsa then told her the message that Mother Mary asked her to take the nun as her sister who would become an instrument to bring many people to God.
“I did not understand the meaning of this message fully,” Sister Priya said.
On March 17, Alphonsa called her to say that “Mother Mary would visit her at Barkuhi.” And she came. “Not all of us saw her on the first day but experienced the perfume of her presence,” Sister Priya narrated.
Since then the Blessed Mother appears on the 13th of every month. “We are waiting for her visit in September,” she added.
The nun quoted the apparition saying to them that she would take care of their requests and pray as they do not have much time to pray.
“All six of us work in the hospital. On the day of her visit we are all present. Those on duty take leave. All of us pray at least five Rosaries each day,” she explained.
The nun said many of their parishioners have experienced healing. “We write the intentions in a book and keep at the grotto. Blessed Mother has told us to do. And when she comes she touches the book,” Sister Priya explained.