Mary of the Water : Preface

Since HILLE KOK was touched by GOD, on the 19th of April 1985, in Lourdes, in a very special way, during the praying of the road to Calvary, a lot has happened in her life and in the life of Volendam. GOD has kindled a fire of love in the heart of HILLE and He has gifted her since then with innumerable Heavenly experiences: visions of JESUS, MARY and many SAINTS, Heavenly scents, dictations in the form of poems and Heavenly Messages, meant for everyone. Like every grace also the experiences of HILLE went coupled-with a sharing of the cross of JESUS : lack of understanding, disbelief, and opposition of the fellow men and also an inner mystical suffering became her part. But this suffering did not extinguish her “enthousiasm” to make herself available as an instrument of GOD. With the help of GOD’S providence the poems were bundled and published. At the moment 5 poem books have already been published.

Also HILLE dedicated herself to realise a request of MARY: in the Boelens Parc a big statue of MARY would have to be placed.

In a miraculous way HILLE got the cooperation of the board of the commune of Volendam and also there came people who placed themselves financially surety for this project. On the 10th of March 1988 a Statue from Niepokalanów in Poland, from the convent where in the past Father Maximilian Kolbe had lived, was being placed in the parc of Volendam. The Statue however, stood somewhat bare there and Heaven requested to build around it a chapel. Also this chapel came and was consecrated on the 15th of december 1993 by priest Hoogervorst. Many people, especially from Volendam and surroundings came to pray at the statue. MARY had dictated a prayer Herself, that had to be prayed especially close to “MARY OF THE WATER”, like She calls Herself in Volendam. This prayer was printed on a prayer picture card with an image of “MARY OF THE WATER”, like this was shown to HILLE. Because of the spreading of the prayer picture cards and the poem books, “MARY OF THE WATER” got more fame in the Netherlands and outside. Pilgrims began to come out of the whole of the Netherlands and Belgium. This gained momentum when with Pentecost in 1997, suddenly on the MARY Statue, tears of blood were put in appearance. These tears of blood had appeared in the night of the 1st on the 2nd day of Pentecost.

Priest Berkhout of Volendam was very quickly on the spot and took some blood along for investigation in the laboratory. It appeared to be human blood. The media threw themselves on this sensational event: radio- and television crews from the Netherlands and from abroad, up unto Japan, broadcasted images of “MARY OF THE WATER” with the tears of blood on Her face. These were hectic days for HILLE, who was approached by all of the media to tell the story of “MARY OF THE WATER” Also I, myself have had to comment on the events, in front of the different media, in those days. After about a week someone, for who all of the attention maybe had become too much, wiped the tears off the Statue, after which the attention of the media stopped. Afterwards attempts were still undertaken to explain this event by saying that it had all been the work of naughty boys. Personally I am however convinced that this is practically impossible. The quantity of blood, the way on which this blood was on the face of MARY, the circumstances (heavy weather) in the night, which were not particularly inviting for youngsters, the absence of any damage of the many flowers and plants which stood around the Statue and especially also the absence of knowledge with the youngsters concerning, this phenomenon of -tears of blood-, make it for me practically excluded that here it would be about deceit. But, anyway, “MARY OF THE WATER” had become known – all over the world and the believers kept on coming. There are also testimonies of people who have received healing in a special way after praying close to MARY in the parc. In short, everything indicates that here, in Volendam, it is about a true intervention of Heaven. Again there came a request from Heaven: besides the Chapel with the Statue of MARY would have to be placed a Glorious cross, known from the messages, from the French place of Dozulé. The Cross would have to be lit at night, as a sign that could be seen by many. In many places in the world this cross of Dozulé is already placed. And also like this it happened in the parc of Volendam. On the 2nd of March 2002 the cross was consecrated by priest Berkhout, in the presence of seven other priests from the Netherlands and Belgium and of many believers. Except the Statue and the cross in the parc, the poems and messages that HILLE received are of importance. The poems are, as mentioned, published in book-form, whilst the messages are always published in the local newspaper, the Nivo.

These messages are of great current importance. They show the Heart of GOD, Who is worried about His creatures who forget Him. They are messages, like JESUS and MARY have given aswell, the past decade everywhere in the world. They are appeals to the people to return to GOD, to give the prayer again an important place in life, to receive the Sacraments of the Confession and the Eucharist, to live up to GOD’S commandments. Some messages are explicitly directed to priests with an appeal to believe again in the miracle of the Eucharist and to stay united with the pope. Many messages appeal to trust in GOD as our Father and in MARY as our Mother. The messages warn also for the dramatic consequences of sin and the disbelief. Consequences that we can see daily in our world : disasters, wars and moral degeneration. The messages have an apocalyptic character in which the battle between GOD and the Evil one becomes visible and in which man is being summoned to chose for GOD and like this find salvation. Like with all of the events around “MARY OF THE WATER” in Volendam, I am convinced that these messages are inspired by GOD. JESUS and MARY do their utmost best to bring the people to the faith everywhere in the world. The times are very serious and the messages are meant as a warning, a hand that GOD extends, out of love for His creatures. That is why I am pleased for the initiative to bundle in this book and to continue spreading -the messages- that HILLE has received the past years.

I express the hope that many take these Heavenly messages to heart and want to entrust their life to JESUS and MARY, Who lead us on the way to our HEAVENLY FATHER. May GOD Bless HILLE and protect her in her mission and may He touch the hearts of everyone, (who read these messages), with the fire of His love.

A Priest