Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Jesus to whom Mariampur- (City of Mary) Senior Secondary School owes its very existence, name and growth is our holy-Patroness. Like every good mother is at the heart of the family, Mary is at the heart of the Mariampur-Family. From its very inception in 1957 Mary has been the Source of our inspiration, the Model of our aspirations, the Tower of our strength, the Guiding Star of our progressive-journey and our sure Protection against all evil and dangers.

The life-size statue of Mary our gracious Mother, clad in white and blue, enfolding us-her children in her praying hands, standing in a beautiful lotus at the very entrance of the newly constructed imposing School-Hall, throbs with life, radiates light, spreads peace and emanates maternal love to all. Mother Mary’s statue installed in the convent-chapel too is being venerated with love and faith by our students, staff and visitors who throng to her holy feet with child-like truest. Numerous are the favours they receive from their dear Mother. No one who recourse to Mary goes away without receiving her maternal help, solace and peace.

Holy Virgin Mary cannot be confined within the boundaries of Christianity alone. She is the Mother of the whole human family as Jesus Christ her Son belongs to the whole world as its Saviour. Devotion to the Divine Mother is not unfamiliar to the adherents of different religions in India. Shakti-the Feminine-Principle of God has been worshipped in India from time immemorial.

Christians however, do not worship Mary as she is neither a Goddess nor a deity for them. Knowing well that God alone is worthy of our worship, we only venerate Mary as she is the most Holy Virgin Mother of God (Jesus- God-Incarnate). We seek her help as she is the dispenser of all graces to humanity. We love her as she is our Co-redemptrix and was given to us as our own Mother by Jesus as His last gift from the Cross.

The Holy Bible mentions Mary’s name 34 times and pays her highest compliments as a person of faith and submission; hence worthy of emulation.

Acknowledging the universal motherhood of Mary, the Church-Document had this to place on records: “May Mary intercede before God until all the people of the human family, whether they are honoured with the name of Christians or whether they still do not know their Saviour, are happily gathered together in peace and harmony into the one people of God, for the glory of the most Holy and undivided Trinity” (Vat II. LG.69).

Mary who “treasured” all these things (words of God’s messengers) and “Pondered them” in her heart (Lk 2:19) is the model par excellence of the contemplative dimension of Indian Spirituality. The Holy Bible presents Mary as the wise and valiant woman of few words. Her obedience to God’s holy Will and service to the needy was borne out of her contemplative prayer. Mary is the Seat of Wisdom who teaches us ‘the humility of the wise and the wisdom of the humble’.

Mary, the simple teenager of Nazareth stands as the glory of the girl-child of every age. She courageously said ‘Yes’ to cooperate with God in His saving plan for the erred humanity (Lk 1:35), preserved her ‘Sin-less-ness’ (Immaculate conception), nurtured her ‘grace-fullness’ in the face of all odds and sorrows until she ‘Stood’ beneath the Cross of her dying Son Jesus- the Saviour of the world.

Mary the Bearer of Life who accepted Life (Jesus) that was formed in her womb by the power of God’s own Spirit, nurtured it and defended it till the end, stands as the Patroness of the Unborn. Mother Mary is a sure protection to every life intends to be snuffed out of the womb, harassed and discriminated in society. Under her maternal mantle every girl child in Mariampur has a safe haven. Since the fallen human nature is the same everywhere and every age and the forces of evil always threaten the good, Mary our Mother’s help, guide and protection will never be irrelevant.

Mary was born in Nazareth (Hebrew-Nazar meaning Flower) as the result of twenty years of constant prayer of a holy couple named Joachim and Anna. She was born fifteen years, three months and seventeen days before the birth of Christ. The Aramaic name ‘Mariam’ has its English rendering as ‘Mary’ meaning ‘The Star of the Sea’. Yes Mary is surely the Guiding Star for every seafarer – we who toss upon the stormy sea of this world.

Predestined from all eternity by God to become the Mother of Jesus- the Saviour-God in human form, Mary was conceived and born Immaculate ( with out the stain of original sin of Adam and Eve which every human being shares). She grew up in spotless purity, deep humility, prayer and practice of every virtue. When God’s own fullness of time had come, God approached the dazzling ‘grace-fullness’ of Mary through an Angel seeking her consent to be born of her as the Saviour of the world. Although Mary as a virgin expressed her puzzle in conceiving a child without any contact of a man, when the angel explained to her that the Holy Spirit of God will overshadow her impregnating her with God’s own Word Incarnate whom she should call Jesus-the Saviour, Mary bowed and said, “YES”. At that very moment she conceived Jesus. The ‘Yes’ of Mary to become the Mother of the Saviour of the world was also her ‘Yes’ to become the Mother of the world, to be the Co-redemptrix of the world and a never failing ‘Helper’, ‘Intercessor’ and the ‘Dispenser of God’s Graces’ to her sinful children here on earth who call on her help.

As God did not allow the Immaculate Mother of God to undergo decay, at the end of her earthly life Mary was taken up into Heaven, body and soul on the wings of the angel-choir and was crowned as the Queen of heaven and earth. Christians call it the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and celebrate it on 15th August –the Day of India’s Independence. Thus for Indian Christians the mid-August brings a double celebration of freedom: the political freedom of their Motherland and the freedom of their Mother from her earthly sojourn.

Although assumed into heaven Mary our Mother has not left us in this vale of tears. She still lives with us, helping us in our spiritual and material needs. Mother Mary has appeared in various places like Fatima, Lourdes and Mexico to mention a few to her simple devotees providing them healing and peace, asking them to pray for the world, to do penance in reparation for the mounting evil around us and lead a holy life worthy of heaven. Most places of our holy Mother’s apparitions have grown into famous Marian Shrines and Pilgrimage- Centers across the world.

Let the light of Mariampur- Mary’s own City shine on everyone who passes through its glorious portals. And may every Mariampurian radiate peace and goodness, love and compassion towards all and uphold justice and truth in her personal life, in her family, in her work-place and in our dear country as a whole.

As the Angel Gabriel thus salutes our Mother, ‘ Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb Jesus’; let us pray, “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Birth and reason for Greatness of Mary. (God is Love. He is Eternal Bliss. In His benevolent love He brought the whole Creation into existence to give a share in His Eternal Bliss. He created human being in His own Image and likeness (the divine spark within). God gave man ‘freedom’–His most precious gift. Unfortunately mankind misused its freedom and alienated itself from God, losing the original state of Grace. However a loving God did not abandoned man in his misery of sin. He devised a saving scheme for the fallen humankind. In the beginning He led His people through Signs and Wonders of his mysterious Presence, through His prophets and messengers in a time and place-context. Later He Spoke His decisive Word in Jesus and decided to be born as a Human Child in view of which He predestined Mary to be born without the stain of Original Sin ).