Blogs
Mary in the News: June 13, 2018
By Michael Duricy
Read recent items about Mary in both Catholic and secular news. Also, see International Marian Research Institute news and updates.
Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute Features
Updates
- Marian Conference in San Angelo, Texas
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The activities took place from May 18-20, 2018. The speakers included: Dr. Gloria Dodd, Director of Academic Programs at the International Marian Research Institute (IMRI); Father Edward Looney, member of the Mariological Society of America (MSA); and Padre Stefano Cecchin, the president of the Pontificia Academia Mariana Internationalis [Pontifical Academy of Mary] (PAMI). During the conference, the Diocese of San Angelo was consecrated to Mary by Bishop Michael J. Sis on May 19, 2018 using a prayer of Pope Francis excerpted below:
- Blessed Virgin Mary, with renewed gratitude for your motherly presence we join in the voice of all generations that call you blessed.
- We celebrate in you the great works of God, who never tires of lowering Himself in mercy over humanity, affected by evil and wounded by sin to heal and to save it.
- We consecrate to your Immaculate Heart all the people, parishes, and ministries in the Dioceses of San Angelo. Protect us through your prayerful intercession.
- Accept with the benevolence of a Mother this act of entrustment that we make in faith today....
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Mary in Media: Books, Films, Music, etc.
Beatification of the Foundress of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, Mother Adele
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Adele de Batz de Trenquelleon, co-founder of the Marianists, was beatified on June 10, 2018, in a ceremony at her family home in Agen, France. The activities included a play about her life, Adèle, l'audace d'une missionnaire [Adele, the Boldness of a Missionary] on June 8 and 9. Another performance will be held at Saint Pierre de Montmartre parish on June 24. We plan to inform you if a recording of the play will be made available.
- Information in English about the beatification of Mother Adele
- Information in French about the beatification of Mother Adele
- Information in French about the play, Adele, the Boldness of a Missionary
- N.B. Worth seeing at Saint Pierre de Montemartre church is a statue of Our Lady of Beauty, Patroness of the World's Artists. The parish is located at the site of the oldest Marian sanctuary in Paris,
- Article in French by Dr. Nastia Korbon about Our Lady of Beauty
- French language website on Our Lady of Beauty
- Three-minute Music Video on Our Lady of Beauty at Saint Pierre de Montmartre parish
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From the Marian Treasure Chest
Brother John Samaha, S.M., sent us the text below with the following comments: "The article below about Archbishop Fulton Sheen was published in Missio Immaculatae International, September/October 2017, page 31."
Archbishop Sheen and the Hour of Power by Brother John Samaha, S.M.
Archbishop Fulton John Sheen (1895-1979), was proclaimed 'Venerable' by Pope Benedict XVI in the process for his canonization. Venerable Fulton Sheen's message for us is a call to a daily period of personal prayer. As a seminarian he decided that he would observe a daily holy hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and he was faithful to that pledge during his entire life.
While not all may be able to spend an hour of prayer each day before the Blessed Sacrament, each of us can definitely make the effort to spend a small period of time daily in conversation with God. The Church calls us to a daily period of prayer, because prayer is the faith prayed.
Archbishop Sheen had determined that his daily holy hour was essential to his life as a priest, and likened it to "an oxygen tank that revived the breath of the Holy Spirit."
Born and educated in the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, he was a high school student of the Marianists at Spalding Institute, Peoria, Illinois, and this author was fortunate to be taught by one of the Brothers who taught this candidate for sainthood. Venerable Fulton Sheen went on to study for the priesthood and earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Louvain in Belgium.
After a brief term as a parish priest, he became a noted professor of philosophy at The Catholic University of America for a quarter century. God blessed him with a special gift of preaching, a talent which he used most effectively to evangelize on radio's The Catholic Hour for twenty-five years and on television’s Life Is Worth Living for five seasons. Some credit him as the originator of television evangelism.
Among the forty or more books he authored, one of the most popular is The World's First Love, which extols the Blessed Virgin Mary.
An avowed devotee of Mary since youth, he exhibited an avid interest in the connections between Our Lady of Fatima and Islam, and was a vigorous foe of communism More than thirty times Mary is mentioned in the Qur'an. Muslims believe in Mary's Immaculate Conception and the Virgin Birth of Christ. He boldly proclaimed , "I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as Our Lady of Fatima as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Muslim people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her divine Son, too. Mary is the portal for Muslims to accept Christ."
After becoming head of the Propagation of the Faith he was made a bishop and served with distinction in raising the consciousness of American Catholics regarding the material and spiritual needs of the Church's missions. Over the years he authored a number of popular books, and directed countless retreats, especially for priests. His reputation for leading converts, many of whom were prominent citizens, into the Church was exceptional. Following death he was buried in the crypt of New York City's St. Patrick Cathedral, where he had frequently preached.
How was Archbishop Sheen able to succeed in his pastoral ministry? He attributed his achievements to the power of prayer, to "the hour that makes my day." In his autobiography he explains that "We become like that which we gaze upon. Looking into a sunset the face takes on a golden glow. Looking at the Eucharistic Lord … transforms the heart in a mysterious way."
Venerable Fulton John Sheen encouraged the practice of a daily period of prayer--before the Blessed Sacrament when possible. That heritage endures today in the lives of many and in parishes that have introduced adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Holy Spirit, the teacher of prayer, is clearly present in the prayer life of the Church. Prayer is the faith prayed.
N.B. There is recent news in the Catholic Telegraph about the burial site of Bishop Sheen's remains which was mentioned above: "The Diocese of Peoria has reacted with great joy to a New York court ruling in favor of Joan Sheen's petition to have the remains of her Uncle, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, moved from New York to Peoria."
Marian Events
Event: Totus Tuus
Theme: Summer Program for Youth
Location: Holy Angels Catholic Parish, 1322 Brown St., Dayton, OH 45409
Date: July 15-20, 2018
Totus Tuus is a week-long summer youth program that combines Catholic religious instruction and having fun. A team of college-age students and seminarians will come to Holy Angels the week of July 15-20.
For children going into grades one through six, the program will be held Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Each day will include presentations on the Creed and Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, songs and skits which teach the faith, encounters with the sacraments, especially Confession and Eucharist, and times for games and recess.
For teens, those entering grades seven through twelve, the program will be held from Sunday to Thursday at 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. with more in-depth discussions.
Cost per child is only $20 with a $50 maximum per family. Registration forms are available on the parish website. Contact Sharon Christy with questions by email at schristy@stanthony.org. These programs are also being held around the Cincinnati Archdiocese and throughout the United States and Canada.
Mary in the Catholic Press
Enthronement of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Vatican Gardens (Zenit) May 31, 2018
A mosaic representing Our Lady of the Rosary of Guatemala, the country's Patron Saint, was enthroned in the Vatican Gardens on May 29, 2018, reported Vatican News in Italian.
The unveiling ceremony took place in the presence of Guatemalan diplomats and Vatican Authorities, among them the President of the Governorate of the small State, Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, who blessed the image of the Virgin....
Mary in the Secular Press
The director and editors of All About Mary under the auspices of the International Marian Research Institute do not necessarily endorse or agree with the events and ideas expressed in this feature. Our sole purpose is to report on items about Mary gleaned from a myriad of papers representing the secular press.
Free Catholic Home Study (Press Release) May 4, 2018
Catholic Home Study and the Missouri Knights of Columbus (Religious Information Bureau) would like to help you find Christ in yourself and others.
Take part in a free study from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace. Nine lively, engaging books explain basic Catholic teaching and beliefs: the Mass; prayer; Mary, the Mother of Jesus; the Bible; and much more. The completion of each book will give you a better understanding and appreciation of the Catholic faith. The program is offered without obligation and is completely free! If you have questions, call 573-547-4084.