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The Venerable Image of the Blessed Virgin of San Luca Returns to its Sanctuary Prayer of Greeting 20 May 2007 Holy Mother of God, The need which we feel most strongly in our heart in this moment is of thanking you. Thanks be to you for the visit which you have made to our city. A visit which you faithfully make to your children for more than fifty years; a visit from its beloved, desired guest of honor, even if this year is being disturbed by rash deeds, of which thing the thinking Bolognese people know well. Holy Mother of God, At the moment in which you stand to return to your sanctuary, commander and honor of our city, we desire once again to entrust to your intercession our most inward desires. Call to your divine Son, that you not leave our community without pastors. Inspire in many youths the passion for His Kingdom; make them to feel an overwhelming fascination for totally giving themselves to Him for the eternal good of man. Obtain for us that our seminary may flourish again. We entrust to you our families, each and every one. You obtained from your Son the first miracle, because you had watched after the joy of the spouses of Cana. Give the necessary strength to all spouses who desire to live their conjugal love in justice, truth and beauty. To how many secret dangers and attacks is exposed this invention of the wisdom of the Creator, matrimony and the family! Do not allow that the value of conjugal love be extinguished in the hearts of our youth! We entrust our youth to you. They are the most precious patrimony of our city and our Church. How many of them are kneeling before your image this day! But how many are squandering the treasure of their youth! Now we pray to you for each and for all, and we entrust them all to you. Protect them, defend them, bring them to your divine Son. Now return to your sanctuary, keep watch over our city. Protect it always from every danger. La traduzione, non rivista dal Card. Caffarra, è di Ryan Hilderbrand.