Magnificat: Mama Mary's Pilgrim Sites, collected and edited by Cecilia Brainard

My weekend read - Magnificat: Mama Mary's Pilgrim Sites, collected and edited by Cecilia Brainard (Anvil, 2012). 

Excerpt from Introduction:" In this anthology, the essays are not only about visits to Marian shrines but also about faith, and they compel us to examine our own beliefs. The visits are to places where Mary has appeared, and to churches that bear one of her many names, such as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Sorrow, and Church of the Assumption. Along with the head notes, they inform us on the origin of the site. We also get glimpses of history, for instances, the French Revolution and the Galleon Trade that plied Manila, Manila, and Spain in the seventeenth century..."

The preparation for a Marian exhibit curated by @mataji_sharma and hosted by Ang Panublion Museum of Roxas City (to be launched on Sept 8, Mama Mary's birthday) led me to read this book. It contains 25 stories told by different individuals from the Philippines and around the world whose lives were touched by their faith and devotion to the Virgin Mother. These stories are interesting first hand accounts, which, upon reading, in many ways or otherwise, may compel one to ponder upon his or her faith and take a deeper realization that faith does wonder and miracles take many forms. I feel the heartfelt narratives and the stories speak for what the writers deeply feels about how Mama Mary has touched their lives for the better.