Fratello meeting for the World Day of the Poor in Banneux

About 200 pilgrims, including about thirty members of the Luxembourg delegation of Caritas Luxembourg, went from November 13 to 14 to the Shrine of the Virgin of the Poor in Banneux (Belgium) for a strong time of prayer for and with people in a precarious or marginal situation.

This year, due to the pandemic, the gathering was decentralized: delegations from all nations gathered during these two days of sharing in different places of prayer around the world.

The Luxembourg delegation was organized by Caritas Luxembourg following an invitation from their Belgian counterparts. For Caritas Luxembourg, the participation in the Fratello gathering is part of the conviction that it is important to give the people it accompanies the possibility to live their spirituality. The success of the pilgrimages organized so far (Rome in

The Luxembourg participants of the Fratello gathering had the opportunity to discover the sanctuary of Banneux and to familiarize themselves with the history of this site dedicated to the Virgin of the Poor.         

The pilgrims also wanted to pay tribute to George Nixon, who died the same day as the pilgrimage to Lourdes two years earlier, by having a local artist make a santon in his likeness. George had participated in the World Day of the Poor in Rome and had obtained an audience with the Pope. His friends wanted him to participate in the Christmas crib of the poor in the Vatican among santons from all the countries participating in the Fratello Movement.  

L’un des temps forts de cette cinquième journée mondiale des pauvres a été le message vidéo du Pape François à l’attention de tous les participants. Le Pape avait rencontré quelques jours avant, à Assise, les représentants de chaque lieu de prière. L’autre temps fort a été la connexion en temps réel entre les différents sites de prière du monde entier, entres autres, Liban, Chili ou Centrafrique, afin de chanter à l’unisson et de partager des témoignages pleins d’espérance.

One of the highlights of this fifth World Day of the Poor was the video message of Pope Francis to all participants. The Pope had met a few days before, in Assisi, with the representatives of each place of prayer. Another highlight was the real-time connection between the different prayer sites from all over the world, including Lebanon, Chile and the Central African Republic, in order to sing in unison and share testimonies full of hope.     

Each participant also received the medal of Our Lady of Banneux as a souvenir of this pilgrimage.