Weepingñ Women

A STUDYGUIDE by katy marriner

www.metromagazine.com.au

www.theeducationshop.com.au Weepingñ Women

This study guide to accompany divine intervention, which exceeds Weeping Women, a documentary the laws of nature. Religious by CM Film Productions, has been are regarded as divine written for secondary students. messages from God to his It provides information and followers. Despite the hundreds of suggestions for learning activities in of Mary that appear to be Religion and English. weeping, the has declared very few to be miracles. Weeping Women was written by The devoted are not deterred Sarah Rossetti with additional by the findings of scientists, the narration written by Barrie Pattison reservations of the Catholic and Bridget Curran, and produced Church and the disdain of sceptics. and directed by Carmelo Musca. Fervent believers flock to places ‘Madonna statues have been known to where miracles have allegedly weep all around the world. Their tears do occurred. For the pilgrims, the message is that God is able to not discriminate, falling as often in busy directly intervene in this world. cities as sparsely populated villages such as Weeping Women documents the , Herzegovina (once known as perspectives of spiritual guardians, clerics, believers, scientists and Yugoslavia) and Civitavecchia, just north of sceptics, compelling us to move Rome. Madonnas have wept from America beyond curiosity and doubt to consider why people need to to the United Kingdom and from Asia to believe in religious phenomena. .’ (Narrator of Weeping Women) Using Weeping Women in Introduction the classroom Weeping Women examines the Teachers may select from the phenomena of crying statues of the following activities to support Blessed Virgin Mary. In Syracuse in students’ viewing and close analysis 1953, a plaster plaque of Mary shed of Weeping Women: human tears. Apparitions of Mary Mary have transformed the small town Devotion to Mary is an integral part of Medjugorje into a Mecca of of the Catholic Church. Many of her religious devotion. A tiny of keenest followers are members of the Mary in Civitavecchia, near Rome, , the largest apostolic wept tears of blood in 1995. The group of lay people in the world. Their Weeping Madonna of Rockingham most popular prayer is the . cried her first oily tears in 2002. – Narrator A is defined as an … We look at where the Mother of extraordinary event caused by

SCREEN EDUCATION 2 God has appeared in the earth over the past hundred years and she goes to the impoverished, she goes to the shepherd children, she goes to those who are open, those who are willing to listen and learn. – Father Baczynski Weepingñ Women Mary is a feminine figure who is ‘God allows specific supernatural considered close to God. She is • Our Lady of Tears looks with phenomena to draw people to that regarded as both protector and motherly goodness on the sorrow authentic original one message.’ – intercessor. Her image is used in of the world! Dry the tears of the Father Baczynski the most popular Catholic . suffering, of the forgotten, of the Devotion to Mary can be explained desperate and of the victims of ‘It’s hard enough, you know, in by Mary’s humanity and her status every violence. Make everyone weep today’s society to believe in God as Mother of God (Jesus). tears of repentance and of new life, let alone to believe in a statue that which will open their hearts to the weeps.’ – Lorenzo Martinez • Working in a small group, use the generating gift of God’s love. Make ‘Logic states that a statue can’t gospels of the New Testament them weep tears of joy for having cry but when you see it happening to research Mary’s story. Use seen the profound tenderness of before your eyes how can you not PowerPoint to present your your heart. – Prayer composed by believe?’ – Patty Powell findings to the class. John Paul II to the • What moments in Weeping weeping Madonna of Syracuse ‘An experience of a non- Women reveal the fervent What does the prayer tell experience. Now this is something worship of Mary? us about Mary’s place in the which is very paradoxical. What Catholic Church and the lives do you mean by an experience of • ‘Here the Madonna manifested of all those who believe in her a non-experience, how can you herself through tears. It’s a simple presence in our world? understand that?’ language but a universal language, – Dr Glen Morrisson a language that manages to touch • Find out more about: 1) The the hearts of everyone.’ Hail Mary 2) The 3) The ‘We’re used to the miraculous – Monsignor Legion of Mary. being a factor in life. So I believe in Michele Giansiracusa. Faith miracles.’ – Archbishop Hickey Why does Mary cry? ‘The real miracle, in effect the Consider the following quotes: true wonders, are not these extraordinary occurrences …The great wonder is love.’ – Father D’Ercole ‘One indication of the authenticity of a miracle lies in its ability to bring people back to God through reconciliation or confession.’ – Narrator ‘We come here out of faith, not curiosity. We truly come here for faith, to pray. We come here every year.’ – Italian woman at Civitavecchia

SCREEN EDUCATION 3 ‘Here is a place of grace. As Pope Paul VI said, are the clinics of the soul.’ – Father Don Ellio

• Use the above statements to initiate a discussion of why people believe in the religious Weepingñ Women occurrences described in Weeping Women.

• What does Weeping Women tell us about the personal and profound nature of such experiences for those who believe?

• View the interviews with the Irish pilgrims at Medjugorje. What do their accounts reveal about the dimensions of their faith? • They let themselves be encountered by the love of God in their lives. It’s a place where they can open up a time and space for this overwhelming love and this overwhelming grace, this sense of this unremarkable residence, hoping that the statue was a fraud. While glory in their lives which can give to experience their own miracle and the oil was found to be a mixture them a sense of meaning. witness the Madonna’s tears for of two oils, its origin could not be – Glen Morrison themselves. – Narrator determined to be either human or divine. Archbishop Hickey, the Is this an acceptable explanation On March 19, 2002, Patty Powell Archbishop of Perth, announced for why people believe? Draw on came home from work and noticed that the strict criteria the Church moments of Weeping Women to that her statue of Mary was requires for a miracle was not met. endorse your opinion. Is belief in weeping oily tears. Believing that such phenomena more a matter the weeping Madonna was not a While the actual cause of the tears of an open heart than an open private but was meant remains a mystery, Patty does mind? for the wider community, Patty not need a scientific explanation. • Does this phenomena prove the took the statue to her parish priest Patty believes that the weeping often-repeated statement that Father Walsh, who accepted Patty’s is a sign for people to return to God works in mysterious ways? weeping Madonna as genuine. God. Her faith allows her to accept Catholic without question that something • ‘Weeping Women offers a glimpse Church in Rockingham was soon remarkable is occurring. into a world of faith, hope and overwhelmed by the inquisitive and miracles.’ Discuss. The statue is still drawing a the devoted. Thousands of local, constant stream of visitors The Weeping Madonna interstate and international visitors to Patty’s home. The devoted of Rockingham came to view the statue. Reports pray to the Weeping Madonna of miracles soon followed. In the seaside suburb of Rockingham, of Rockingham and view the in an ordinary suburban street, a West A thorough scientific investigation other phenomena that have Australian Madonna is said to be of the statue proved inconclusive. followed. Patty, who sees herself weeping. Thousands of Mary devotees, The internal space of the statue as a guardian of a miracle, offers the curious and the suffering from was searched and x-rays revealed spiritual guidance and care to all all around the world are coming to there was no evidence to prove who visit the backyard at

SCREEN EDUCATION 4 the Holy Family House of Prayer. Her life has been transformed by the experience. ‘I believe that it’s a miracle.’ – Patty The first four or five months when ñ I was associated with it when I was Weeping Women going to the church, when the statue tremendous displays of curiosity, and those who claim healings and was in the Rockingham Catholic devotion and hope? Is it possible conversions are simply pointing to the Church, I saw a lot of good fruit, I saw for a cheap fibreglass statue to power of prayer not necessarily to the a lot of them coming to confession. A become divine? fact that the statue is weeping. – lot of people being open to God, a lot So first of all you predispose yourself Archbishop Hickey of people returning to prayer. So the emotionally, you want to believe it ‘It does make a big difference fruits certainly then were very, very right, and then secondly the motivation to the people who discover good. – Father Baczynski is that if you believe it then miracles these things. They suddenly find • Use these comments to initiate are possible. And that opens up I think themselves in the limelight and a discussion of the Weeping a huge vista of possibilities for the that’s a good feeling for anybody.’ Madonna of Rockingham and human individual.’ – Bob Tonkinson – Brian Balen the way the phenomenon has I hope the people would understand • Consider the views of shaped people’s faith. Why that their great devotion to Mary, their Archbishop Hickey, the scientist does the Weeping Madonna love for her, their belief in the power and the sceptic. Do their claims of Rockingham generate such of prayer is still exactly the same influence your opinion of Patty Powell and the Weeping Madonna of Rockingham?

• Read Archbishop Hickey’s official statement about the Weeping Madonna of Rockingham and Patty’s reply at http://www. weepingmadonna.org. Share your opinion of the statements with others in the class. A Story of Faith A 23-year-old woman was seriously ill. Her mother prayed for healing through the intercession of the Weeping Madonna in Rockingham. After two weeks in intensive care, the woman was no longer responding. Her mother touched the head and hands of her daughter with the rose scented oil tears of the statue. Within fifteen minutes, the woman opened her eyes. From that moment on her recovery was rapid. Every time her mother visited her, she used the oil. The woman returned home and is almost well. The experience has

SCREEN EDUCATION 5 deepened her mother’s faith. She has taken the first steps to becoming a Catholic. Mother and daughter now wear lockets that contain a piece of cotton that has absorbed the oil from the Weeping Madonna of Rockingham. Weepingñ Women • The scientific investigation appear in a periodical written by Is such an account proof enough • The response of the Catholic and for those who regard such that the Weeping Madonna of Church events from a sceptical perspective. Rockingham is a miracle? • The community’s interest in the When you have made your Write a feature article about the statue decision, think about your likely Weeping Madonna of Rockingham. • The views of sceptics audience and the format of your Refer to: Before you begin writing, decide article. Use vocabulary and adopt a • The story of Patty Powell’s on the publication that will feature tone that best suits the publication discovery your article. Are you writing for a that you have chosen. Download • Patty’s faith and role as caretaker tabloid newspaper or magazine? appropriate images from the of the shrine Will your article appear in a Internet to include in your article. • Patty’s decision to allow the journal devoted to religious issues? Ask your teacher to act as your public to view the statue You could write for a broadsheet editor and don’t forget to devise an • The evidence of other newspaper like The Australian that attention-demanding headline. phenomena such as the footsteps tackles news in a serious and of the Blessed Virgin Mary and intelligent way or for Rockingham’s • The Weeping Madonna of the markings on the crucifix local newspaper. It could even Rockingham is a statue of Our

SCREEN EDUCATION 6 Lady Of Lourdes. Find out more about the story of Bernadette Soubirous, to whom Our Lady appeared at Lourdes in France. Civitavecchia ñ In Civitavecchia, , in the little Weeping Women village of Pantano stands a small statue of Mary. It was purchased by the local priest on his pilgrimage to Medjugorje for the garden grotto of the local parishioners, the Gregori family. The Madonna was found to be crying tears of blood. Fabio Gregori doubted the possibility but the tears continued. The blood, which the statue wept, was subjected to DNA testing and was determined to be of male human origin. The phenomenon was not declared a miracle.

• Find out more about the Little Madonna of Tears at http://www. livingmiracles.net

• When asked to comment about witnessed apparitions of the Virgin – Narrator Mary. The Catholic Church has the phenomenon in 1995, the ‘The last buses arrive before dawn not sanctioned the apparitions then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and the last leave after midnight. as miraculous. Yet a quarter of a gave this response: Mass is said at regular intervals in decade later, Medjugorje continues Our faith is not founded on many different languages.’ to attract devoted pilgrims and miracles and signs, although they – Narrator can be an aid to faith … We must curious tourists. Today, Our Lady • Use these statements and the be very prudent … We should appears to the Visionary most footage of Medjugorje to discuss not overestimate this sort of mornings at nine o’clock. Her its spiritual significance. phenomenon. message implores the faithful and Is it right for the Catholic those who have turned away from • ‘… traffic jams, neon lights, Church to be so reserved in its God to attend confession. suddenly shepherds become judgement of Civitavecchia and • Mejugorje is called the confession entrepreneurs as pizzerias, hotels, other places where unexplained box of the world. How do the fast food outlets and souvenir religious phenomena have filmmakers portray this view of shops spring up to accommodate occurred? Medjugorje? the demands of tourists.’ – Narrator Medjugorje I come here for that bit of peace ‘This is not what Medjugorje is because if I didn’t have that I wouldn’t ‘… Hundreds of tourist buses, about. Turn to the church there be able to get through the rest of the even chartered planes from Ireland, … that’s what it’s about. It’s not year at home, in the reality of life … carry pilgrims from every country about the shopping.’ – Pilgrim – Pilgrim and walk of life on their spiritual Is it right to profit from the journey to Medjugorje.’ – Narrator ‘The desperately ill, people of all divine? faiths or no faith at all. Priests and Twenty-five years ago six children • ‘Whatever happened here, it’s nuns still visit and even live here at Medjugorje in Herzegovina hard to articulate it but it saved continuing to minister to others.’

SCREEN EDUCATION 7 my life.’ – Irish pilgrim View the story of the Irish pilgrim and former heroin addict. Does it matter if the apparitions are genuine or not, if this is the power of Medjugorje? Weepingñ Women • ‘Visiting Medjugorje changes people’s lives. It seems that here Syracuse about the lasting impact and almost anything is possible.’ ongoing devotion associated with … There’s no real value to it but the – Narrator Our Lady of Tears? Do you agree? greatest value I think, here people feel a real closeness to Our Lady, she • Find out more about Our shares in their suffering and they’re Lady of Tears at http://www. able to find themselves again I think livingmiracles.net here. – Sister Hannah Tre Fontane One of the most famous Bruno Cornacchiola, a Communist occurrences of Mary weeping critic of the Catholic Church happened in , Syracuse. In saw an apparition of Mary in Tre August 1953, a young married Fontane, Rome. Since the late couple noticed that the plaque 1940s, tens of thousands of people of Mary that hung over their have visited Our Lady of Revelation matrimonial bed was dripping Grotto in Tre Fontane to ask for liquid. The wife examined the nothing less than a miracle to plaque and found that Mary was resolve their desperate situations. crying. The neighbours were told People who come to the grotto and miracles were proclaimed. to pray leave photographs of their The Bishop was alerted and a loved ones, all asking for a miracle. scientific board was commissioned Other mementoes show the many to ascertain the authenticity of miracles that people believe were the phenomenon. The tears were granted. Use the Internet to find confirmed to be human. Pope out more about the apparition Pious the XII verified that there of Mary at Tre Fontane and the was no natural explanation for ‘miracles’ that have followed. the phenomenon. A sanctuary was constructed as a perpetual The Visionary reminder. The sanctuary was Eileen Giles is an alleged visionary. consecrated by Pope John She receives a daily message Paul II in 1994. from Mary at 8pm every night. In Weeping Women, she shares her A museum at Syracuse displays message with the Wollongong artificial limbs and other Pilgrims. mementoes as proof of the healing power of Mary. Brides have left • Watch the interviews with the their wedding dresses believing women who place their faith that Mary has helped them find in Eileen. How are the women the right partner. Silver plaques are comforted by Eileen’s spiritual embossed with body parts which guidance? How is their faith pilgrims believe Mary has healed. sustained by Mary’s intervention in their lives? • What do the images of the sanctuary at Syracuse reveal

SCREEN EDUCATION 8 An age of scepticism At the request of Church authorities the Weeping Madonna of Rockingham was subjected to rigorous testing. X-rays checked for structural defects or tampering. Weepingñ Women A spectrometer examined the • Do you approach the stories Things will be revealed. composition of the fluid. A powerful of the weeping Madonnas and – Brian Balen microscope was used to search for visitations from a position of False prophets and false minute holes, which could release scepticism? phenomenon are everywhere, the statue’s oily tears. Independent unfortunately, and it’s always • Logic states that statues don’t scientific tests investigated all of difficult to decide, distinguish, where cry. Use the following statements the possible natural explanations is the truth, when it is a genuine to discuss the scepticism that including the possibility of trickery. phenomenon and when it is not a surrounds religious phenomena. Around the world weeping statues, genuine phenomenon. Whose side are you on? bleeding crucifixes and other – Father D’Ercole religious phenomena are subjected Miraculous events have long been • Father Mathias from the San to similar investigations. If there an accepted part of the Catholic Gabriel Parish in the is no conclusive finding it is up to faith, yet supernatural phenomena claims, ‘I myself look at it as a representative of the Catholic have always been treated with something we should not easily Church to make a statement. caution within the church. No Bishop wants the embarrassment fall for or believe …’, judging a of supporting a and even belief in the ‘miracles’ described the greatest faith can be tested by in Weeping Women to be a sign deceit.’ – Narrator of immature faith. Is this a rather ‘But a miracle “success story” harsh perspective? can be a great boon for a local • Do we really need proof to church.’ – Narrator believe? It is not all that difficult I don’t believe in miracles or to fake a weeping statue. Astonish extraordinary phenomena. your friends with your very own Everything can be explained, if it’s Weeping Madonna. looked at hard enough and closely enough there will be an explanation. • Visit http://www.turoks.net and If we can’t explain it today, we will http://skepdic.com/miracles.html be able to explain it in two hundred and http://www.skeptics.com.au years or three hundred years’ time. Are sites such as these needlessly cynical?

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SCREEN EDUCATION 9