After the turmoil began in the Ivory Coast earlier this month, I started another icon of the Black Madonna, similar to the piece I painted for Haiti. I didn't paint during Holy Week however, so I need to resume the work soon. The Blessed Virgin is our help and model in the darkness, and so I was especially consoled to come across the story of a solar phenomenon which excited residents in Abidjan, Ivory Coast last Wednesday. An image of the Blessed Virgin appeared in the sky:
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A bizarre day time phenomena in the sky event occurred in Africa’s Ivory Coast in Abidjan on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. The event witnessed by ‘thousands’ of hysterical residents, the cell phone video footage aired by Afrika-United TV. [...] at approximately ’1:30 in the video you can begin to see something similar to a woman dressed in white with a blue blanket, floating near the trees.’ - Story
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Imagine worrying about whose feet were going to get washed on Holy Thursday.
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If you weren't paying attention, you may not have noticed that an unspeakable mass slaughter of innocent men, women, and children took place in that part of the world.
News elsewhere...
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More than 500 Nigerians were killed this week in post-election violence. Most of the violence occurred in the Muslim north when it emerged that Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian – had defeated a Muslim candidate. Story here.
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Blood and water flowing forth from the side of Christ, I trust in you.
