News Item: : Please Pray - Fr. Adolfo Enriquez Murdered at La Virgen del Cristal Shrine in Spain
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Monday 16 March 2015 - 16:15:13

Please pray: Fr. Adolfo Enriquez (77) has been found murdered at the Shrine of the Virgen del Cristal near Vilanova dos Infantes in Spain. The miniature image of Our Lady, which has been venerated in the area since around 1630 A.D., appears to have been stolen in the attack.

Fr. Enriquez has served the shrine and local parish for 45 years. His bishop and local people have described him as a well-liked pastor whose door was always open to those who needed help. He was found murdered in a haystack behind his house, where he went each evening to feed the cats. He had suffered a fatal blow to the head.

Residents have drawn attention to the great devotion Fr. Enriquez had to the holy image and to local people. Intellectuals living nearby, have drawn attention to the fact that the holy image and the priest were important symbols, which expressed the heart and life of the local community and culture. Many local homes and businesses have been draped in black crepe as a traditional sign of mourning and loss.  

Msgr. Leornado Lemos Montanet, Bishop of Orense, conducted the funeral for Fr. Enriquez today. Over 100 priests and 500 lay people were in attendance. Noting how good a pastor Fr. Enriquez had been, the Bishop expressed his sorrow and asked his people to pray for the conversion of whoever had murdered Fr. Enriquez, and stolen the long-venerated image of Our Lady.

This sacrilegious murder and theft is another sign of our times - Please pray. Holy Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Amen.

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.902 )