Almost 20 years ago, someone brought a picture of a weeping statue of the Blessed Mother of Naju to our diocese of Myitkyina, Kachin State, Burma.  I saw it for the first time and was very impressed.

I was told about the Naju miracles by some people in Singapore in the year 2000 when I went there for a retreat.  Since then I have been eager to visit Naju but somehow I never had a chance to do that.

In February 2007, a group of pilgrims from San Francisco, California, USA invited me to go to Naju during the Holy Week.

The following are some of the incredible things I witnessed together with many other pilgrims.

• On Good Friday, April 6, 2007, at 3:00 p.m., as we (all the pilgrims) were getting ready for the Way of the Cross, Julia Kim began to receive the crown of thorns on her head.  We saw the blood streaming down from her head.
   
• Fr. Herman Ando from Indonesia and I accompanied Julia along the Way of the Cross.  Julia fell down three times.
   
• After the 15^th Station, we continued to pray in front of the Crucifix and at a certain point Julia wiped the feet of Jesus on the Crucifix and her palm became wet with fragrant oil.  She also asked us (Fr. Herman and myself) to do the same.  We followed her direction and found our palms were wet with the same fragrant oil.
   
• After the Way of the Cross and the rosary, we began to see the blood flowing down again from Julia’s forehead.
   
• On Holy Saturday evening I was asked by some of the elders to welcome the miraculous statue of the Blessed Mother Mary brought by Julia.  As soon as the car door was opened all of us could smell a very strong fragrance or roses.  All the pilgrims that were there witnessed the fragrant oil oozing out from the statue of the Blessed Mother.
   
• After our evening rosary that was before the vigil Mass, some of us: Fr. Herman, myself, some photographers and some of the elders were gathered in a room behind the vinyl chapel, chatting with Julia when all of a sudden we found some marks of blood on our stoles.  On the right side of my white stole we saw a thick drop of fresh blood and then found another mark of blood on my stole and also two marks of blood appeared on the stole of Fr. Herman.

During my stay in Naju I observed Julia carefully.  I noticed great humility, deep prayer life, a lot of fasting by her and her great love for everyone there.  I also observed her complete surrender to the will of God.

I am very much convinced that the Holy Spirit is speaking to the world through her.  The Holy Spirit gives her the necessary graces to endure her various kinds of sufferings.

I also witnessed the inner transformation in the lives of so many people who were there.  Many pilgrims shared with me how they used to live their lives and now they say that their lives are on the right path again thanks to the Naju messages and signs.

I myself feel very much remorse for my many failures especially in my prayer life ─ for not doing what I should have and I could have.

Holy Week in Naju was a grace-filled experience for all of us.

After returning home one of my sisters kept asking me.  “What happened to you?  You are different than before.”

Yes, I am changed.  I feel that I am being renewed.

Thanks be to God and Mother Mary of Naju.

Fr. Donald Lasap Khawng Lum
430 N 21st Street
Camp Hill, PA  17011
U. S. A.