Our Lady of Soufanieh

June 1989, Paris.

Here is a broad outline of Myrna’s trip to the United States.

Remote Causes :

Tony Hanna, Lebanese singer, living in the U. -S. for the past 11 years, and privileged witness of Soufanieh (since the night of December 12, l982, where he saw the oil on the Miraculous Icon tumbling up, for over two hours) has spoken about the phenomenon to his friend Antoine Mansour, a well known surgeon, of Egyptian origin, living in L.A.

At the end of 1986, I arrive in Detroit, at Tony Hanna’s house, for an evening on Soufanieh. Doctor Mansour invites me to Los Angeles. I decline the offer and suggest to send him the file prepared by Father Joseph Malouli, assuring him that this will entice him to come to Damascus. Whereupon, I sent him the promised file.

Proximate causes

First visit of Dr. Mansour to Damascus (11-15 July 1986)

He came there with his wife Claire and his two daughters. He spent there three days, no more, out of which they were devoted to a very meticulous scientific inquiry. Also present was the French journalist Christians Ravaz, who arrived in Damascus the day before, for an investigation on Soufanieh. In the evening, after the baptism, the oil oozed from the Icon and filled the marble cupola – great emotion.

Next day, July 16^th, departure for Lebanon, to spend there one week of relaxation, as guests of Tony Hanna, in his village of Maad, North of Beirut. Myrna, Nicolas and Myriam were accompanying them. There, once more, the same phenomenon occurs, triggering an intense movement of prayer in the entire neighbourhood.

Back in Damascus, on the evening of August 2^nd, 1987, he confessed to me: " Father, I have become crazy: what you have seen, yourselves, in five years, I saw it myself in two weeks. " Next day, just before this departure for the U.S., he delivered to us a brief report on this experience.

On the fourth day, he prayed kneeling in front of the miraculous icon, wept at length and told his friend, the singer Tony Hanna: " From now on, in the U.S., it won’t be you anymore who will talk about Our Lady of Soufanieh, but I. " And yet during this first visit, he had not witnessed any extraordinary manifestation.

Second visit of Dr. Mansour to Damascus (15 July 1987 - 2 August 1987)

He came there with his family and Tony Hanna, for the baptism of Myriam, daughter of Nicolas and Myrna, and which took place on the evening of the 15^th of July.

On august 15^th, 1987, around 9: 30 in the morning: phone call from Los Angeles. Dr. Mansour and his wife informed us that oil had oozed from a reproduction of Our Lady of Soufanieh, after a prayer ceremony held with some friend on the eve of the feast of the Assumption.

A Belgian psychoanalyst named André Patsalides was visiting Soufanieh at that time, for the purpose of investigating the phenomenon.

Fifth anniversary of Soufanieh (26-27 November 1987)

On the 26th, in the evening, in the midst of prayers, Myrna fell into ecstasy. This was preceded and accompanied with an abundant oozing of oil from her face and hands, in the presence, among others, of father René Laurentin who had been especially invited for the occasion.

At the end of the exctasy, Myrna dictated the following message, which was immediately translated to father Laurentin :

"My daughter,

I am pleased that you have chosen Me, not only in words.

I want you to join My Heart to your gentle heart so that our hearts will unite. By doing so, you will save suffering souls.

Do not hate anyone, so that your heart not be blinded by your love of Me. Love everyone as you have loved Me, especially those who have hated you and have spoken evil of you, because in so doing you will obtain glory.

Continue in your life as wife, mother and sister.

Do not worry about the difficulties and the pains that will afflict you. I want you to be stronger than them -- because I am with you -- otherwise you will lose My heart.

Go and preach to the whole world

and tell them without fear to work for unity.

Man is not condemned for the fruit of his hands,

but for the fruit of his heart.

My peace in your heart will be a blessing for you and for all those who have cooperated with you. "

That same evening, around 11 p.m., phone call from Los Angeles: doctor Mansour and his wife wanted to know whether any thing had happened: they asked for the message to be dictated to them. A few days later, doctor Mansour telephones to invite Myrna and Nicolas to Los Angeles.

They felt concerned by the announcing of Unity to the whole world…. They were assuming all expenses and costs. But they were submitting this invitation to the decision of Fathers Malouli and Zahlaoui.

However, Fathers Malouli and Zahlaoui, decided, in writing, to ware Myrna and Nicolas as well as Doctor Mansour and his wife, against all risk of financial, social exploitation or even from the media. They were outlining the paramount and unique importance of prayer.

This was done in writing, in the form of two letters: one was addressed to Myrna and Nicolas and was hand delivered to them on the day of their travel. The other one addressed to Doctor Mansour and his wife and was to be delivered to them personally by Myrna and Nicolas.

Myrna and Nicolas visit to the U.S.

Duration: it started on March 19^th 1988 and ended on September 6^th, 1988.

Opening of the phenomenon

Oil oozed from several reproductions of Our Lady of Soufanieh, in numerous houses, starting with the one of Dr. Mansour, on March 23^rd, during prayer. We hold several written testimonials on the subject, especially the ones of Mgr. Joseph Tawil, Greek-Catholic bishop for the United States, dated 5^th, of June 1988, of Mgr. John Chedid, Maronite bishop for the United States, dated 10^th of June 1989 and of Mgr. Peter Healy, pastor of the "Church of Good Shepherd" in Beverly Hills, California, dated 12^th of June 1989.

The oil oozed abundantly from Myrna’s hands, and sometimes it covered both her hands, either in churches or in homes. This used to happen especially during prayer and provoked it as well. There again, we hold numerous written testimonials, especially from priests belonging to different churches / father Paul Ramley, Greek-Orthodox, father Joseph Tarzi, Syrian Orthodox and father Charles Aboody, Greek-Catholic, all of them serving in Los Angeles.

However, TWO POINTS, regarding the oil, deserve to be made:

Oil oozed on reproductions of Our Lady of Soufanieh in two churches only: a Greek-Orthodox one (parish of father Paul Romley) and a Greek Catholic one (parish of father (Charles Aboody). As we know, Myrna is Greek Catholic and Nicolas is Greek-Orthodox.

On May 2^nd, 1988, during the visit made by His Excellency, Patriarch Maximos Hakim to Doctor Antoine Mansour, accompanied by Mgr Joseph Tawil and father Charles Aboody, oil oozed abundantly from the icon, which Mgr Tawil was holding in his hands as well as from the hands of Myrna. In this respect, we hold the written testimonials of Mgr Tawil, father Aboody and Dr. Mansour.

On the Evening of August 14^th, 1988, Myrna fell into ecstasy just after the Holy Communion which she received during the holy mass celebrated by two priests, one of whom was the Maronite priest Georges Khalli. The oil flooded her face and her hands throughout the ecstasy. When she came out of ecstasy, she dictated the following message:

"My children,

My peace I gave you, but what have you given Me?

You are My Church and your heart belongs to Me, unless this heart has a god other than Me. I told you: The Church is the kingdom of Heaven on earth. He who has divided it has sinned. And he who has rejoiced from its division has also sinned.

It is easier for Me (to accept) that an infidel believe in My name than that those who pretend to have faith and love swear by My name.

It is in God alone that you must place your pride.

Pray for the sinners who forgive in My name,

and for those who deny My Mother.

My children, I have given you all of My time,

give Me a part of your time. "

More than several hundred persons attended the mass and the ecstasy, a number of whom were doctors who examined and observed Myrna, as is the custom in Damascus. This mass was celebrated on the terrace of Dr. Mansour’s home.

3) Documents related to Myrna’s trip to the U.S.A.

Written documents

There are more than 35, duly written and signed by bishops and priests as well as by doctors or simple laity.

The facts are described in all objectivity, without prejudging the least the position of the Church.

Apart from the facts, one must bring to attention two points in general:

. The dynamics of prayer triggered by all these phenomenon’s in a great number of people, especially the direct witnesses.

. The impression of peace, innocence and humbleness left by Myrna to all present.

- From those various testimonials, which we all keep in Damascus, I shall only signal the last three ones that have been given to me lately in Los Angeles: the ones of Mgr. John Chedid, dated June 10, 1989, Mgr. Peter Healy, dated 12^th of June 1989, and gynaecologist Doctor Georges Iskandar, dated the 13^th of June 1989. One will find photocopies of the above testimonials appended to this little memo. These testimonials are, of course, written in English.

Filmed documents

There are numerous videocassettes, which have recorded Myrna’s many visits to churches, along with the oozing of oil and the prayer ceremonies, which have accompanied them. Many are the persons who have such videos but Dr. Antoine Mansour owns most of them.

Many photos have been taken. I have included some of them with this memo, for your perusal.

4) Personal letters from Myrna, addressed to the priests in Damascus.

There are not many letters but they form a very simple relation (link), written by Myrna herself, in Arabic, with many grammatical mistakes. Father Malouli has translated all of them into French and has classified them under code ‘CORMIN’, which means "Correspondence from Myrna": l, 2, 3, and 4…. Father Laurentin has a copy of same.

These letters are addressed either individually to Fathers Malouli, Zahlaoui or Fadel or collectively to the three together.

These letters are never dated but they report nearly to the day what Myrna has experienced in the midst of those people and churches in Los Angeles.

5) Return of Myrna to Damascus

Myrna came back to Damascus on the evening of September 6^th, 1988.

On the evening of September 7^th, the eve of the Feast of Nativity of the Virgin Mary, in the midst of a common prayer, she fell into ecstasy. When she came out of it, she relayed to us the following message:

" My daughter,

I told you to overcome all your difficulties and know that you have endured only a few. Tell My children that it is from them that I demand unity, and I do not want it from those who act as if they were working for unity.

Go and preach.

And wherever you go, I am with you. "

That night around 11.p.m., Doctor Mansour telephones from Los Angeles, to follow the news. We announce to him the ecstasy of Myrna and at his request, we relay to him the message.

4- Conclusion

Paradoxically, I draw my conclusion of Myrna’s trip to Los Angeles, from the impressions of my recent travel to the United States, between 28 of May and 18^th of June 1989.

l) Even where Myrna has not travelled, people are waiting for her: in New Jersey, New York, Detroit, Sacramento, Berkeley, San Francisco and especially Los Angeles and Glendora. People are waiting for her and are inviting her…Some laity have even taken it upon them to print the image of Our Lady of Soufanieh at their own expense and to distribute it freely. Others would like to make extra copies of the Soufanieh videocassettes that have reached them from Damascus and distribute them free of charge. One of those benefactors has begged me to send him a good copy of a videocassette, promising to make one hundred copies at his own expense and distribute them gratuitously.

I myself have spent most of my time in Los Angeles meeting with religious personalities who have known Myrna, also with simple laity and several doctors. They were unanimous in acknowledging not only the oil phenomenon but also and especially the deep impression of humbleness, simplicity and innocence left by Myrna.

Many homes have acknowledged having been totally transformed since Myrna’s visit.

A committee, known as Our Lady of Soufanieh, has been formed. Its task will be to study the various possibilities of living the message of Soufanieh in the United States.

Father Elias Zahlaoui,

Paris, 23 June 1989

P.S. I have left out an important item:

Upon my visit on June 7, 1989, to the Psycho-analyst Doctor André Patsalides, in Berkeley, near San Francisco, he told me having presented the case of Myrna, during an International Congress held in Santa Rosa, California, between 9 and 14 October 1988. His conference lasted 45 minutes basing him mostly on videocassettes. I include to this memo three photocopied pages on this conference.