Mass was celebrated on Monday, August 7, at 3:00 p.m., in the chapel of the Eastern Cemetery, to honor the memory of the messenger of the Virgin of Betania, the Servant of God Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini. Bishop Ovidio Perez Morales presided at the Eucharist, concelebrated by Bishop Georges Kahhale, Father Timothy Byerley, Father Jhonfer Camacho, Father Orlando Gonzalez, Father Alexander Hernandez and Father Angel Infante. During the petitions, Bishop Ovidio asked for peace in Venezuela: “May Our Lady Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations obtain from the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of the Father, reconciliation in our country.”
Likewise, the Vice-Postulator of the Cause of Beatification of the Servant of God Maria Esperanza, Father Timothy Byerley, during the homily mentioned that Venezuela is going through a moment of great trials and that the Servant of God Maria Esperanza left many prophecies related to the events that today are taking place in the country: “She said that Venezuela would go through these trails and that when they were overcome, a great grace of reconciliation would descend upon the country. She said that the same experience of civil strife would extend to the whole world and then, following the example of Venezuela, the world would be reconciled. This gives us much hope, friends, as we go through this great challenge, great hope that this will happen and will end in a great resurrection; the resurrection of divine love; divine love that heals mankind, that heals all wounds, fractures, hatred, violence and the lack of concern for our neighbor. Everything will be healed by divine love. That is why we can rejoice from this very moment.”
The masterful participation of the international Betania Choir during the Mass also deserves special mention. After the Eucharist, the rosary was prayed in front of the tomb of the honoree, Servant of God Maria Esperanza Bianchini.
