USA Reconsecrating to Mary

By Chris Sparks

The United States of America will be reconsecrated to Mary, Mother of the Church, by the U.S. bishops on May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the start of the month of Mary, in a brief liturgy at the Hour of Great Mercy, 3 p.m. (EDT).

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), announced the initiative in a letter sent to his brother bishops. The USCCB joins the initiative of the Canadian bishops, who will be reconsecrating Canada to Our Lady on the same day.

liturgy guide will be available to assist the faithful who may join in by tuning into the USCCB’s social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Our Lady, under her title of the Immaculate Conception, has been patroness of the United States since the bishops of the U.S. voted in favor of such a dedication on May 13, 1846, a decision ratified by Blessed Pope Pius IX in February, 1847.

 “Every year, the Church seeks the special intercession of the Mother of God during the month of May. This year, we seek the assistance of Our Lady all the more earnestly as we face together the effects of the global pandemic,” Archbishop Gomez explained.

“This will give the Church the occasion to pray for Our Lady’s continued protection of the vulnerable, healing of the unwell, and wisdom for those who work to cure this terrible virus,” Gomez said. “In this Easter season we continue to journey with our Risen Lord that among the graces of this time may be healing and strength, especially for all who are burdened by the many effects of the COVID pandemic.”

Closer to the start of the outbreak of the pandemic, Archbishop Gomez had also released a prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe (declared by St. John Paul II the patroness of the Americas), asking the help of Our Lady in the face of the present pandemic:

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas,

We fly to you today as your beloved children.

We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.

 

Pray for us, loving Mother,

and gain for our nation and world,

and for all our families and loved ones,

the protection of your holy angels,

that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,

we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.

Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,

wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

 

In this time of trial and testing,

teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.

Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

 

We come to you with confidence,

knowing that you truly are our compassionate Mother,

health of the sick and cause of our joy.

 

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,

keep us in the embrace of your arms,

help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

 

Chris Sparks serves as senior book editor for the Marian Fathers. He is the author of the Marian Press book How Can You Still Be Catholic? 50 Answers to a Good Question.

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