An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association November 9 – Feast of the Mater Domini Icon (1060) The tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in the world inaugurated in the largest Muslim country on earth ​ "Gua Maria" or the "Cave of Mary," is a very important Marian shrine in Indonesia. On August 16, 2015 at Ambarawa, in the central region of the island of Java, the shrine celebrated its 61 years in a spectacular way. After a Mass concelebrated by 15 priests and seven bishops from the Archdiocese of Semarang, a gathering of 30,000 faithful awaited the blessing of a 137 ft statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue of Our Lady of the Assumption, the work of the famous trio of local religious sculptors, the Kuncoro brothers – Adi, Agung and Nugroho – is the tallest statue in the world. However, the most remarkable thing about it is that it was not built in a traditionally Catholic country but in a state that has the largest Islamic population in the world. Indonesia has a population of 250 million (more than Brazil which has 203 million), among which 87.2% are Muslim and 3% only are Catholic (nearly 7.5 million faithful). A few days before the inauguration, the Archdiocese of Semaranga organized a special meeting of the country’s various religious leaders at the shrine, an initiative supported by all the local political parties! Pilgrims flock there today by the thousands. fr.aleteia.org www.mariedenazareth.com Let’s pray together Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.