Father Gruner gave the keynote address at the All India Laity Congress Convention in November, 1991, in the presence of all the delegates and of the two Indian bishops who came to speak with him at the Convention. He spoke of the need to pray the Rosary for the Pope and the Bishops to do the Consecration of Russia as Our Lady commanded. This picture shows, at the far left Bishop Thomas Dabre; Bishop Ignatius D'Cunha (whose opening address is reported on this page); Father Gruner; Knight of St. Gregory -Mr. Andrades; and Mr. Gordon Sheeran president of the Congress.

Inauguration Speech for The XVIth Annual Convention of All India Laity Congress on November 8th, 1991.

       Peace, joy and happiness which Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God alone can give, be with you.

       Today is the day of joy. Day of Happiness. Day of rejoicing. I wish William Shakespeare would have been here today to say "If you have tears of joy, prepare to shed them now. Dearly beloved devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with pleasure I inaugurate this XVIth Annual Convention of All India Laity Congress.

       May I congratulate the President and all the office bearers of AILC, first of all for selecting this most fitting place for this convention, viz, Blessed Sacrament Ashram" as we address Our Lady, Our Heavenly Mother as Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of the most Holy Tabernacle, pray for us. She alone can most aptly say "This is My Body. This is My Blood."

       I love the Theme of this Convention, viz, Rosary Crusade For World Peace. We are privileged to have the miraculous Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Thank you dear Father Nicholas Gruner for all the trouble you took for us. May God grant your heart's desires.

Everywhere the Pilgrim Virgin went in India, they made beautiful floral arrangements for Her. Here, a young women at Avadi Parish Church, near Madras, venerates Our Lady's Sacred Image. Ten thousand, or so, other parishioners came too for the few hours She was there.

Peace, Peace, Peace, But There Is No Peace

       Every one cries for peace, peace, peace, but there is no peace. Why? Because man has drifted away from God. Many do not accept the Divinity of Christ. Jesus said "I and the Father are One. I came down to do His will. I tell you only what My Heavenly Father tells Me to tell you."

       Love God. Love your neighbor and your enemies. Forgive them. Love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. That means to give prime place in your life. Graft your heart on the Heart of Jesus Christ and allow both the hearts to beat simultaneously, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady has told us "Listen to Jesus. Do what He tells you". My dear friends, Jesus is God. If we listen to God and act accordingly, then we will have that peace.

       The famous poet Dante was in search of peace. After much struggle he came to the conclusion that real peace is buried in the Will of God. And the Will of God is nothing else but love of God and love of our neighbor.

       Our Lady of Fatima has told us to recite the Rosary daily, meditating on the Mysteries. It is the most powerful instrument She has placed in our hands.

The Rosary is the Bible in Miniature

       The Rosary is composed of the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. Right from the Annunciation till the Assumption of Our Lady we get the whole view of the Bible which is the living Word of God.

       When Our Lady said FIAT, let it be done according to Thy Will, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Word of God, descended into the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Her womb became the first Holy Tabernacle that ever existed in the world.

       This Son of God, Jesus, She gave to the world. And those who offer their hearts fully to Him, to them He gives His peace, lasting, unique peace which the world cannot give.

       My dearly Beloved, the Rosary is like a staircase that leads us to Heaven, as each time when we say a Hail Mary we are ascending to Heaven, step by step.

       The Rosary is like a sling which David used when he flung that stone through it on the forehead of Goliath, the giant, and killed him on the spot. This Rosary is placed in our hands by the Blessed Virgin Mary to counteract the attacks of the devil, who is very much alive and active in the world today and provokes sins of the flesh and the evil deeds of the world.

       The Rosary is like a garland. When we complete saying our Rosary daily we put around the neck of the Blessed Virgin Mary this garland which will remain fresh till Her Son, Jesus, calls us to see Him face to face.

       Our Lady of Fatima has told us to recite the Rosary daily. If we listen to Her Son and start seeing in all the people of this world His Face, as God has created us as per His image and Likeness, peace in all reality and totality will be ours. May Our Lady of Fatima love you, may God bless you and this XVIth annual Convention of All India Laity Congress.

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