French bishop says Marian shrines' staffers must be connected

Published: 2007-09-24

VILNIUS, Lithuania (CNS) -- The staffers of Marian shrines must be in constant contact with each other or they risk isolating themselves, said the founder of the European network of Marian shrines. Aside from their different histories, Marian shrines have much in common, said Bishop Jacques Perrier of Tarbes and Lourdes, France. Bishop Perrier, who in 2003 established a network of 20 Marian sanctuaries in 20 European countries, said, "People are increasingly traveling; therefore we wanted them to see that any of those 20 shrines belongs to a certain family." This in turn helps the sanctuaries to connect with the universal church, he said. Huge Marian congresses "do not bring desirable results, because people (involved with shrines) have no chance to really meet," he said. Maintaining a network enables shrine staffers "to get in touch and relate with each other," he said.

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