Sick people welcome Marian groups’ visits during ‘rosary month’

Sick people that Marian groups in Karachi archdiocese visit during the month of the rosary in October say they welcome such efforts.

Pakistani women pray before a Marian statue during a service organized by the Legion of Mary

Razia Ashraf, who has been suffering from a skin disease for the past 18 months, says she is grateful for visits by the Legion of Mary group.

She said she had felt uncomfortable about the way people stared at her spotted skin, but “the weekly visits made me realize the love of God.”

“I have faith that their prayers can heal me,” she added.

Nazeeran Yousaf, 62, from St. Jude’s Parish, claims she was able to start walking after three visits from the group. “I could not walk for six months because of arthritis,” she said. However, the group’s prayers and her recitation of the rosary helped “cure” her, she said.

Every October, members of various Marian groups, such as the Legion of Mary, conduct special prayer programs, door-to-door evangelization, and visit the needy, old and infirm.

According to Church sources, the Marian groups comprise more than 1,000 members in the archdiocese.

However, performing such an outreach is not without its challenges. Many of the people they try and serve “pose questions regarding praying the rosary, some dislike home visits while others ask complicated question regarding praying to Mary,” said Farhat Salamat, a Legion of Mary leader.

Vicar General Father Arthur Charles said the Marian groups have been performing “an extraordinary service for many years.” He said that groups like the Legion of Mary “serve as an extension of the hearts and hands of priests.”