Blogs
Mary in the News: Sept. 5, 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
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2019 Annual Conference of the ESBVM-USA: Call for Papers
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The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, USA (ESBVM-USA) was formed by Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Orthodox, and Presbyterian Scholars and is open to all Christians. The Society exists to advance the study of Mary, the Mother of Christ. Our immediate goal is inter-ecclesial scholarship that focuses on Mary in light of Christian theological, biblical and spiritual principles. Furthermore, by means of shared study and prayer, we provide an opportunity for Christians of various denominational backgrounds to explore how Marian studies might contribute to the search for unity.
PROPOSAL DUE DATE: January 15, 2019
Conference Theme: Mary, Disciple of the Lord--Motherhood
Conference Dates: July 25-27, 2019
Conference Location: Misericordia University in Dallas, PA (just outside Wilkes-Barre)
Submission Guidelines and Requirements: The paper proposal should be in DOC or DOCX and must include:
- Presentation title; your name, professional affiliation (e.g., university or church name), and status (undergrad, grad. student, Ph.D. candidate, faculty, pastor, etc.); contact information (e-mail address and daytime telephone); abstract (350-500 words); and equipment needs.
The general theme for the 2019 ESBVM-USA Conference is: Mary, Disciple of the Lord: Motherhood. This theme may be pondered using a variety of methods appropriate to your field of study, personal interests, and particular Christian tradition. The following are some suggested topics to use for inspiration:
* Explorations of Mary’s motherhood as gleaned from particular Scripture passages (Old Testament typologies and prophecies as well as New Testament texts);
* A study of Mary’s motherhood as explored in the work of particular theologians and churchmen including the Early Church Fathers, Medieval Scholars, Protestant Reformers, and contemporary theologians;
* Mary’s motherhood as it relates to and illuminates cultural and social justice issues; anthropological issues; sacramental theology; Christian anthropology; and/or soteriology;
* Conclusions drawn from or about ecumenical dialogues on the subject of Mary’s motherhood;
* Historical, systematic, scriptural, or ecumenical explorations of Mary’s motherhood as revealed by Marian titles such as Theotókos, Maria Lactans, or Mother of the Church and/or aspects of Mary’s motherhood enshrined in Marian dogmas;
* Eastern and/or Western artistic depictions of Mary as mother of Christ, Christians, or the Church in the visual, literary and performing arts;
* Liturgical texts, prayers and feast days in honor of Mary’s motherhood;
* The role that Mary’s motherhood has played in Marian apparitions;
Please address your proposal for committee review to: Christopher M. Carr, Ph.D., ESBVM-USA, President at: ccarr@misericordia.edu.
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Mary in Media: Books, Films, Music, etc.
Marian Bible Study
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Catholics know that our devotion to Jesus through the Blessed Mother is a vital aspect of our faith, but often don't know the 'why' behind that devotion. With The Bible and the Virgin Mary five-DVD Bible study, you'll understand devotion to the Blessed Mother like never before!
Learn why so many people have benefited from this Bible study! You can purchase this Bible study today from Saint Joseph Communications for only $99.95.
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From the Marian Treasure Chest
Brother John Samaha, S.M., sent us the text below with the following comments: "September 12 is the feast of the Holy Name of Mary."
The Holy Name of Mary by Brother John Samaha, S.M.
What's in a name?
Mary was a common name among the Hebrews because it recalled the memory of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. For this reason, some scholars think this name is related to an old Egyptian word meaning beloved. This understanding certainly fits Mary of Nazareth. She was so beloved by God that she was always in the right relationship with Him. Out of love, God chose her to be the mother of Jesus. Love is about the whole person, the entirety of her being, one whose very name is beautiful.
Every September 12 we honor the Holy Name of Mary in our liturgical calendar. St. Bonaventure prayed, "Your name, Mary, cannot be spoken devoutly without bringing with it some grace." We honor Mary's name because it is a sacrament of the person. To know Mary's name is to know her. To speak her name with reverence is to be familiar with her who was most familiar with God. In some Asian countries she is known by names that mean "one who hears our cries."
May we always honor the name of Jesus' mother and our spiritual mother. When in need, call on Mary.
Marian Events
Event: Marian Forum [Session 7]
Theme: Have We Lost Mary, Mother of the Church?
Location: University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, Ohio 45469 [or online]
Date: Friday, October 12, 2018
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
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Dear Colleagues, and friends of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
We are preparing to host the seventh session of our continuing series of online Marian Forums. Please join us on October 12, 2018, when our theme will be: Have We Lost Mary, Mother of the Church? At this session, we will discuss how to rekindle Marian devotion in an increasingly motherless culture.
We invite everyone interested in this event to register online by September 28.
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As in the past, our intention is to help you to prepare for the forum by sending you in advance the two papers that will be presented live. Questions and comments from the online and in-person audience will drive a discussion that will commence once the speakers finish presenting their papers. Sometime after the forum, the papers will be published.
It is our hope to bring you our continuing Marian Forums on a frequent basis in order to promote fresh, new research and to stimulate creativity in furthering the study and teaching of Mariology. Consequently, we hope that you will continue to work with us in this endeavor.
Please help us to make the upcoming session a success both by registering for it now and by inviting others to join us. Looking forward to having you in the audience.
Sincerely,
Father Johann G. Roten, S.M., Director of Research, Art, and Special Programs
Mary in the Catholic Press
Pope in Knock: I Am Happy to Be in Mary's Home (Zenit) August 26, 2018
"I'm happy to be here with you. I am happy to be with you in Mary's home."
On the second day of his August 25-26, 2018, visit to Ireland for the occasion of the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis stressed this during his Angelus address which he gave in the northwestern town of Knock. Knock is a beloved pilgrimage site for the Irish.
In 1979, Pope St John Paul II visited the site, located in the Irish County of Mayo, for the centenary of the Marian and Eucharistic apparition that took place there. The apparition was witnessed by fifteen people independently and verified by the Church.
This morning, the Pope passed through the people gathered, and joyful despite the rain, in his popemobile [something that Pope John Paul II couldn’t do when he visited]. Father Richard Gibbons, the shrine's rector, told ZENIT when they visited Knock that people were really disappointed because he ran out of time, since he was delayed traveling back from Galway and had to return to Dublin.
Then, Francis went to Chapel of the Apparitions, where he was welcomed by the Rector of the Sanctuary, Father Richard Gibbons.; and where some two-hundred faithful were gathered. After silently praying before the Madonna in the chapel, the Pope left a golden rosary for 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.
Moral Courage Project (Flyer News) June 5, 2018
Our Lady of Guadalupe hangs in portraits over the cities of El Paso and Juarez, and her gaze rests on the Mexican and on the American without discrimination. From her post in their churches, businesses, street murals, thrift shops, and homes, Our Lady of Guadalupe serves as the shared mother of El Paso and Juarez whose closeness has earned them the nickname the Sister Cities. Mary belongs to both cities as both cities belong to each other. Notions of border and nation try to separate them, but the cities cling to each other as people move between them. Like the river that forms much of the U.S. and Mexican border, their boundary is one of fluidity and movement. Pigeons fly from one side to another while desert sand blows between the posts of the border wall....