The pope met briefly with an old woman who discovered a tiny figure of the Virgin Mary among a heap of trash in one of the typical Gers before entering the cathedral.
The cathedral honours that statue, which has been restored, as the “Heavenly Mother.”
Last year, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Cardinal Marengo dedicated Mongolia to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our “Heavenly Mother.”
The pope made reference to Mary’s presence throughout his presentation, stating that she is a “sure support” in their “journey as missionary disciples.”
The Virgin Mary “wanted to give a visible indication of her loving and caring presence by allowing a portrait of herself to be found in a garbage,” he stated, adding, “I was really thrilled to discover this.
This stunning statue of the Immaculate Mother suddenly surfaced in a trash-filled area.
She desired to be so close to us that she descended to the lowest levels of society, free from the stain of sin, so that the purity of the holy Mother of God might emerge from the filth of a garbage heap.
Christ’s witnesses
The current president of the Central Asian bishops’ conference, Spanish Bishop José Luis Mumbiela Sierra of the Diocese of the Holy Trinity in Almaty, Kazakhstan, welcomed Pope Francis to the cathedral.
Sister Salvia Mary Vandanakara, an Indian Missionary of Charity, also spoke about her 25 years of working with the “poorest of the poor” in Mongolia.
She mentioned the obstacles faced by the impoverished, such as a lack of access to clean water and finding adequate schooling for the kids.
Father Peter Sanjaajav thanked the Holy Father and reaffirmed his view of God’s accessibility to humanity.
In 2021, Sanjaajav—the second Mongolian native priest to be ordained—became a priest.
The cardinal sang along and mimicked some of the movements while a singing group performed a choreographed traditional song.
Rufina Chamingerel, a catechist, explained how she wasn’t raised a Catholic but came to know the Church as a student.
When she was 19, she spent the entire night telling her great grandfather the life of Jesus, from “birth to resurrection.”
I still don’t know how to translate the word community into our language, she admitted, to tell the truth.
She assured the pope that she is praying for him and asked that he receive all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, describing the numerous missionaries as “living catechetical books” and said that she wants him to have access to all of them.
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The pope made mention of the Church’s history in Mongolia throughout his encyclical, including both earlier eras and the three decades since missionaries first arrived following the fall of communism.
Dear missionaries, “taste and see” the gift you are and the beauty of devoting yourself completely to Christ who invited you to be his witnesses of love here in Mongolia, the pope urged them.
“May you always be close to the people, personally caring for them, learning their language, respecting and loving their culture, not allowing yourselves to be tempted by worldly forms of security, but remaining steadfast in the Gospel through exemplary moral and spiritual lives,” stated Pope Francis.
“Easiness and proximity! Never get tired of bringing Jesus the people you meet, the challenges you experience, and your worries.
Spend time in daily prayer so that you can draw comfort from the ‘God of all consolation’ and give those who are suffering hope.
This will help you to persevere in your volunteer activity.