They are building a statue of Mother Mary taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is the talk of the town, especially to the Catholics. It is being built as a sanctuary to the faithfuls seeking remedy for their ailments and answers to their prayers. It will be the home of Father Fernando Suarez, the now famous Filipino-Canadian healing priest.
Father Suarez hails from Taal, Batangas. He is 41 years old. He is the one supervising the Montemaria Shrine, a project of the Mary Mother of the Poor Foundation (MMPF), a group that aims to “seek holiness in evangelizing and working with the poor through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
Father Suarez said in his dreams, a plan came into life – an image of the majestic statue of Virgin Mary looking over the horizon, a guide for travelers and a proclamation of love and faith.
During his healing Masses in the Philippines, thousands of faithfuls line up to hear Father Suarez’s prayers. He is considered as a gift from God by many. Some believe that he was chosen to heal their wounds, both physically and emotionally. Whether or not his gift is true, still Father Suarez was very charismatic and credible enough to put up a huge infrastructure project such as the Montemaria Shrine. It is a multi-million project -- all funds from private individuals and followers, none from the government.
Father Suarez is quite a phenomenon in the Catholic circle. His kinds are rare. Some are real and some are fallacy. His works reflect the a culture of men who believe in miracles and extraordinary works of faith.
