Vassula in the US

04 March 1999 10:29

Vassula’s next trip is to Brazil later this month. Details are on the web site. Reports of Vassula’s trips to the US last October have already been posted to this list and are available on the web site. Here is another, briefer, write up of the first leg of this trip by Niels Christian Hvidt who accompanied Vassula.

Vassula in North America.

First part: The East Coast.

This trip to the East Coast of America was Vassulas first travel since 1996. It was well organized and held meetings of the most varying kinds. Niels Christian Hvidt, who has been pursuing his doctorate in theology in Rome since October 1997 accompanied Vassula on the first leg of the North American trip. Niels Christian, who has been studying the topic of Christian prophecy for five years and has written a thesis called ?Prophecy and Revelation,? introduced Vassula, placing her experience in the framework of Christian prophecy. Furthermore Robert Carroll of Trinitas, who did much of the video filming, and Patti Potoglou of the ?Vinyard? Prayer Bulletin were travelling companions.

Friday 23 October 1998

Vassula began the cycle of meetings in North America with a talk in the United Nations in New York. Invited by a group of spirituality within the UN, Vassula spoke about her experience and the messages of True Life in God and related them to the peace quest of the United Nations. One of the officials of a permanent UN observer mission followed up on the talk of Vassula by saying how grateful he was to God that Vassula could speak about the Lords desires for Peace in the world on the day before the celebration of the anniversary of the UN. On the day Vassula spoke, the representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli authorities signed the treaty for a new peace quest in the Holy Land.

Saturday 24 October 1998

The primary meeting in New took place on Long Island in the Best Western Hotel of Hempstead, N.Y. The ballroom, embellished by flowers and statues of Jesus and Mary, was filled with around 1200 people. Al Barbarino, a talented and spirit-filled New York religious singer was master of ceremonies and music director. After a rosary, which Vassula ended with one decade in Aramaic, Brian Barr of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church Wyandanch, N.Y., spoke strongly of taking the Christian faith seriously and not compromise on the true values of faith. After Niels Christian’s introduction and a few songs, Vassula spoke at length about the messages, referring both to the beginning for those that had never heard her talk before, as well as to the more advanced messages in order to nourish the spiritual hunger of those already well acquainted with the books of True Life in God. The primary themes were the Holy Spirit and unity of the Body of Christ.

After a long healing service that ended around 2:00 a.m, the faithful left the conference grateful for God’s presence. Some people, without having heard of the phenomenon of Jesus’ face appearing in the face of Vassula, saw her face change. One lady even saw tears of blood streaming from Vassula’s eyes. Two miraculous healings may have taken place at the meeting. These miracles will be studied for medical authentication. The first miracle happened to a young man with a crippled leg from muscles being severed in a fall. He came to the conference with a limp. Vassula prayed over him at the healing service. He went home without feeling anything special, other than being blessed by God. However, in the middle of the night, he woke up with a tremendous heat and strange sensation in the leg that was crippled. This feeling of heat and a particular pain continued for a long time. He went back to sleep, but when he woke up the following morning, he could walk freely on both legs without any limp.

Sunday 25 October 1998

Sunday night Vassula spoke in Chicago. We arrived on a beautiful autumn day. The meeting took place in the Oak Park/River Forest High School Auditorium. In spite of serious back-problmes Father Ed O’Connor of Notre Dame University had driven three hours from Indiana in order to speak to the faithful that attended the meeting. He related the experience of Vassula to New Testament Prophecy and proved that her experience is not unusual compared to the prophetic experiences in the early Christian Church. On the basis of his research on the 1995 CDF notification, made accessible to the public in his book Vassula and the CDF Father O’Connor explained the way faithful Catholics may rightfully interpret the 1995 notification, only as a mis-en-garde, not as a condemnation or a prohibition. Vassula is not being disobedient to her Church, as she in fact is on good terms with authorities of her own Orthodox Church. Furthermore Father O’Connor declared that the faithful attending Vassula’s meeting equally do not disobey the Church, but may do so with the full assurance of following the call of the Good Shepherd.

Monday 26 October 1998

After the meeting in Chicago the itinerary continued to Mineapolis, where Vassula spoke in the Hill-Murray School Auditorium. We stayed in a convent honouring Saint Gertrude of Helfta, who was the first mystic of the Church to receive revelations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, centuries before those of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque of France. Vassula spoke to an audience of around 200 people of whom many knew the messages already. This is why, after initial introductions to her experience and to the messages, she delved into the deeper and more advanced areas of the messages.

Wednesday 28 October 1998

Florida was warmer than Minneapolis. Vassula spoke in a fairly full hall at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Lakeland, Florida. The evening was introduced by a testimony of one of the sisters of the host, Fran Vander Poel, Maureen Bella, and later by the songs of a local choir. Vassula spoke at length on the Holy Spirit.

Friday 30 ? Saturday 31 October 1998

The preparations for the Annual Steel City Medjugorje Conference had not been easy this year. Five speakers had warned the organizer, Dr. Sam Wuslich that they would cancel, were Vassula to come. Dr. Wuslich, however, stuck with Vassula and as a result the entire conference changed. The five speakers were exchanged for people who had never before spoken at the Steel City Medjugorie Conference, amongst these Rev. Sverker Trônet from Stockholm, Sweden, who is one of the ecumenical leaders of the Church of Sweden. Reverend Trônet spoke about the Lutheran appreciation of the blessed Virgin Mary. He also emphasized of how relevant and important are the messages of True Life in God for the unity of Christ’s Church. He quoted extensively from the messages on the Lord’s desire for Christian unity and received a standing ovation.

Vassula spoke both Friday 30 October and Saturday 31 October, elaborating various themes. The fact that she could speak on two occasions, replacing one of the speakers who had withdrawn, permitted her to penetrate more profoundly into the many themes of True Life in God. The conference was professional with different musical groups, including a magnificent choir that sang from the Messiah of Händel, among other works.

Sunday 1 October 1998

London Ontario, Canada. The talk was held in the London Convention Centre. Bill Onstein had never arranged a meeting for Vassula before, but had experience from his year-long involvement with the Charismatic movement, with the aid of his collaborators he printed and distributed 5000 pamphlets about Vassula and the TLiG-messages. This bore fruit, for in spite of an official notice from the bishop around nine hundred people gathered in the Convention Centre. The presentation was highlighted by the music of lay-people from different nationalities, among these were many from India.