The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyeung (南陽聖母聖地/남양성모성지), also called "Rosary Hill" is in Korea. It is 43km south to Seoul in Hwaseong (華城/화성) of Namyangdong (南陽洞/남양). It is in the area of Suwon (水原/수원시)in Gyeonggi-do (京畿道/경기도).
At its official website, there are details in Korean and English to highlight the significance of this site as a pilgrimage stop. Below I attempt to summarize some of them:
(a) Dedicated to
Mary: It is the first site in Korea especially dedicated to the Holy Mother and was designated as a Holy Site on 7 October, the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Rosary, in 1991.
(b) A
Shrine: Historically, it is an execution site of Korean
Martyrs during the 1866 Byeongin-nyeon Persecution (丙寅年迫害).
(c) Its geographical design, from an aerial view, is like that of an icon of Holy Mother, the
Our Lady of Vladimir. The icon has been agreed as a high quality artistic piece surviving from the period of Byzantine. As there was no master plan in the initial design of this site, this resemblance is considered a miracle contributed to special meaning to this site.
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The aerial view of the site on the left and the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir on the right (http://www.namyangmaria.org/en/images/contentimg5.jpg) |
(d)
Rosary Path: The concept was based on the dynamics of the "4-Hour Rosary Prayer Movement" devoted to peace. A half-a-mile 20-Decade Rosary Road is built with giant rosary beads by the road side for praying rosary.
(e)
Statue of Holy Mother: Is is a highlight on the Rosary Road.
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Statue of Mary
(http://www.namyangmaria.org/en/images/contentimg6.jpg) |
(f)
Way of the Cross: Apart from the Rosary, one other prayer activities here is to walk the Way of Cross with Mary, to experience the pain and suffering of Jesus and that of the Holy Mother at each station. The path is paved with pebbles for barefoot walkers and each station is also equipped for easy kneeling in prayer.
(g)
Garden of Merciful Jesus: At the end of the Way of the Cross, there locates the Garden of Merciful Jesus inspired by Pope John Paul II as in his speech during his canonisation of Sister Faustina, the faithful disciple of merciful God, "The message of mercy is not new, but in an era of violence and war Sister Maria Faustina is a gift of God for our age." There stands the statue of Divine Mercy (described by Sister Faustina as "the vessel that draws the water of grace from the well"), as well as the crown of thorns, the nail and hammer, the hands and feet nailed to the cross, the spear-pierced heart of Suffering Jesus, and sculpture of the Holy Mother's "Pieta" and the busts of Saint Faustina and of Pope John Paul II.
(h) Pray for Life Protection: There is a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe beside the
Tomb of Aborted Children for a "continuous prayer movement to the atonement for an prevention of sinful abortions." It was also explained that "Guadalupe means 'to smite the serpent's head'" with the serpent referred as abortion.
The address of the site is 112 sanctuaries in Hwaseong Namyang Suwon (contact:
031-356-5880). Please see below for the website. There are also videos in various languages posted.
Reference (and photos)
:
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyeung (남양성모성지)
http://www.namyangmaria.org/index_en.htm
Theotokos Vladimir (Our Lady of Vladimir)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theotokos_of_Vladimir