Our Lady Visits Park Ridge, New Jersey

Marianne O’Toole, Guardian of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and her two youngest children, Nolan 11 and Ellie 3, welcomed the Image to her home on October 24.
 
They prayed their family Rosary that evening with the Image, and the children slept at Our Lady’s feet! Ellie had a hard time pronouncing “Guadalupe” and called Our Lady “Dubalupe.” She cried each time her mothers, (Marianne and Our Lady of Guadalupe in her Image) left Ellie’s home to go out and journey on area visitations for the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

 
Here is how Marianne described her journeys:
 
We traveled the next day to my sister’s house in Oakland, New Jersey. She had been injured in an elevator accident this past July. She was suffering from a great deal of nerve pain and awaiting major surgery to correct the damage. Our Lady brought great comfort and consolation to my sister. She has since had the surgery which, in an answer to our prayers, was successful and without any complications. We are praying for her speedy and complete recovery.

The next day, Saturday October 26th, we traveled to an abortion clinic in Montclair, New Jersey. I have had Our Lady at this clinic twice in the past. At the conclusion of the 40 Days for Life campaign they had calculated that at least 491 abortions had occurred in the forty days and there were 14 saves.
 
Our Lady was to be at the 40 Days for Life campaign closing Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Montclair, New Jersey and also lead the procession to the abortion clinic. After Mass we processed from the church to the abortion clinic, Pilgrim Medical Center, with a police escort. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal carried Our Lady as we prayed the Joyful Mysteries walking down Bloomfield Avenue. As we stood across the street from the abortion clinic we prayed the Sorrowful mysteries. We processed back praying the Glorious mysteries.

We gathered afterwards for fellowship and Our Lady joined us for that too. Many prayed and venerated Our Lady and brought their petitions to her. That evening we visited with my husband’s brother, his wife, his son Matty and his mother-in-law. Our nephew, Matty, had recently undergone reconstructive surgery to correct a deformity in his chest that he had been born with. With the exception of some minor problems with the healing of the grafting, all went well for Matty. He is the young man to the far left of the picture below. He said that he felt an incredible sense of protection and peacefulness in Our Lady’s presence.

On Monday, October 28th, we brought Our Lady to a family member who is battling lung cancer. Marie is being treated with chemotherapy and radiation for a tumor in her left lung. Her journey has been a difficult one as she has been hospitalized for pneumonia and shingles since the treatments began. The shingles have been particularly painful as it was located in her left eye. She welcomed a visit from Our Lady. I was very thankful to have been able to bring Our Lady to Marie.
 
On Tuesday, October 29th, we visited with a homeschooling family whose father has lost his job. They are a beautiful, devout, Catholic family with six children, two of whom are in college. He has been without a job for several months now. We prayed with the family that Our Lady may intercede on our behalf for the many problems our world is faced with today but also that Our Lady may help to procure a job for Willie.

On Wednesday, October 30th, my dear friend Mary Ann hosted an evening with Our Lady of Guadalupe. Many were invited to her home to venerate the Image, even throughout the night. A priest friend of theirs, Fr. Carlos Viego, gave a talk and spoke of the apparitions and of Our Lady’s maternal affection for all her children. All those present were thankful for Our Lady’s presence and venerated her Image and brought forth many petitions to Our Lady to bring to Our Dear Lord. Pictured below are two of Mary Ann’s sons with Our Lady.

On Thursday, October 31st, our homeschooling community hosted an All Saints Day party. Our Lady was a special guest at the party. Unfortunately, I let the night slip away without getting a picture of Our Lady WITH the children. However, in the photo below are the children that were present that evening. The children dressed as a saint of their choice.

One Dad dressed as St. Juan Diego and the winner of the pumpkin carving contest featured a carving of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We prayed the Rosary that evening and we had hoped to process Our Lady to the church with us for the Litany of the Saints and Benediction but the inclement weather did not permit our procession.

On November 1st, All Saints Day, Our Lady spent the day at Assumption Church in Emerson, New Jersey. She was present and available at all the Masses for personal prayer and veneration. The pastor Fr. Paul, and associate priest Fr. Eugene, introduced Our Lady at each Mass and spoke of her in their homilies that day. After the 7pm Mass that evening there was a presentation given about the apparitions and the symbolism in the Image. Many venerated Our Lady and were most appreciative of her presence.

On Friday evening, November 8th, Our Lady was present at Immaculate Conception church in Norwood, New Jersey. This is a prayer group that meets 3 times a month on Friday nights and is open to all members of the parish. Our Lady was a special guest this evening. We prayed the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary and read from scripture. We venerated and prayed before Our Lady. We spoke of the symbolism in the Image and the many miracles wrought by Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Another woman, Lori, had what we called a “Glory moment” that evening. Lori had come before Our Lady a week earlier, November 1st All Saints Day, at the 7pm Mass at Assumption church in Emerson, New Jersey. Unfortunately Lori could not stay after Mass to listen to the talk and venerate Our Lady. As Lori left the church that evening she was saddened, but she prayed that she might come before the Image again. When Lori arrived at the prayer group meeting that evening, there before her was Our Lady! Tears came to her eyes as she recalled her prayer the Friday night before that she might see Our Lady again and have the opportunity to pray before her and venerate her. There are no coincidences in life. Our Lady was there for Lori.

On the morning of Saturday, November 9th, Our Lady was present in our home. Our Lady was to have a special gift for me that morning. As I was tending to Our Lady in the family room and making sure she was situated properly the front door opened and in walked my older daughter Maureen. She had come home for the weekend to surprise me for my birthday. Again, there are NO coincidences in life! Such a gift for me that Maureen was able to come before Our Lady!! Our Lady was there for Maureen. We have such a loving Mother!!!

On the evening of November 10th, our last evening with Our Lady, a dear friend joined us for dinner. Steve is a fallen away Catholic. He is single, lives on his own and sadly has been away from the faith for many, many years. It was clearly not a coincidence that he came before the Image that evening. He spent about 3 hours in Our Lady’s presence. It gave me great comfort and solace that Our Lady was there for Steve, unbeknownst to him, melting his heart!
 
The following day, November 11th, sadly Our Lady was to depart from our home and travel on to Pennsylvania. It was an amazing two weeks with Our Lady!

 
Every day, filled with numerous graces and blessings!! It was such a gift to have been a Guardian of the Image, to have had Our Lady at our home, to have had our children sleep at her feet, to have escorted her to where she is so desperately needed to be seen and her presence felt!!! We are so fortunate to have such a loving and caring, heavenly Mother!!!!
 
I am also most appreciative of, and eternally grateful, for Dan Lynch Apostolates, without whom none of this would have been possible! Words cannot adequately express my gratitude!!

May God bless you all abundantly for the work that you do. It is with great enthusiasm and excitement that I look forward to working with you again as a Guardian of the Image!!!
 
Yours in Christ,
Maryanne O’Toole

St. John Paul II asked Our Lady of Guadalupe “to ‘visit’ as a ‘pilgrim of faith’ each and every diocese, parish and family in America.” In response to this, the Missionary Images have journeyed on Visitations throughout the world and to each state of the United States to over 1000 parishes. They have received the veneration of hundreds of thousands.
 
The images visit churches and wherever else Our Lady’s motherly love is needed. The images bring works of mercy to convents, prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, schools and abortion centers. Because of the presence of the image, many abortions have been prevented and over twenty abortion centers have closed through Our Lady’s intercession.
 
Our apostolate coordinates Visitations of the images and trains Guardian Teams to prepare and for the Visitations in cooperation with their local pastors. The Team plans and implements the Visitation. The Guardian Team is formed by the Guardian of the image who chooses the Guardians of liturgies, publicity, finances and merchandise. It takes about 3 to 4 months for a Team to plan a Visitation.
 
The Mission is supported by donations, free-will offerings and sales of religious goods. Free resources from the Visitation area are used as much as possible for publicity such as parish bulletin ads, reproductions of flyers and mailings and newspaper religion columns.
 
The Visitations include Holy Hours of Prayer for Life, Peace and Protection from a booklet with the recitation of the Rosary and veneration of the Image. There is a talk explaining the Image and the messages of Our Lady. Religious goods are available for sale to promote the devotion.
 

You may also call our Center at 802 524-5350.
 

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