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In the News: August 11, 2015

By Michael Duricy



ML/IMRI Features

Marian Events

Mary in the Catholic Press

Mary in the Secular Press

Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute Features

Updates
Dear Members of the Mariological Society of America,

The Mariological Society of America is pleased to announce its Annual Meeting of 2016 which will take place May 17–20, 2016 at the Franciscan Retreat Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado (see franciscanretreatcenter.org).
The theme of the 2016 meeting will be Devotion to the Heart of Mary: Theological Foundations, which was chosen in light of the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima.

Please click here to find the Call for Papers for this conference. We would be grateful if you would inform students and scholars who might have a particular interest in submitting a proposal. We would also be grateful if you could print and display the Call for Papers at your respective college, university, seminary, parish, residence, or pastoral center.
For more information about the Mariological Society of America, please visit the website at www.mariologicalsociety.com.
Thank you so much. May God bless you for your assistance. We hope to see you in Colorado next May!
Sincerely in Christ,
Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D.
President of the Mariological Society of America
Professor of Systematic Theology
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Mary in Books, Films, and Music

Oremus Communications is currently hosting a daily series of live streaming recitations of the Holy Rosary, praying especially to promote the culture of life. Live broadcasts start at 12:15 pm Monday through Saturday and at 2 pm on Sunday. Click here for information about the Oremus Communications Family Rosary Program. Petitions and intentions may be sent by email to oremuscomms@gmail.com. Interesting special guests are often featured so please tune in regularly.

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From the Marian Treasure Chest

Brother John M. Samaha, S.M., sent us the short article below which he wrote.

The Assumption of Mary

The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary is a feast that traces its origin to the earliest ages of the Church. Tied to this feast are themes of Mary as Mother of the Church and model for the Church. In her, the Church witnesses the fullness of the effects of the saving death and resurrection of Christ for humanity. 

The Preface of the Mass attests to this.

                   Today the Virgin Mother of God

                   was taken up into heaven                                                                                                             

                   to be the beginning and the pattern of the Church

                   in its perfection,

                   and a sign of hope and comfort for your people

                   on their pilgrim way.

The themes of the Mass prayers and readings, and those of the Liturgy of the Hours, reflect the basis of the Church's teaching about Mary and the many titles accorded her in popular Christian devotion.

In 1789, the first diocese was established in the United States of America. Baltimore was chosen as the seat, and John Carroll the first bishop. At that time, the Diocese of Baltimore included the whole country. The cathedral for the new diocese was named for the Assumption of Mary, and is today a basilica and historic monument. At the first National Synod of 1791 Bishop John Carroll and his clergy placed our new nation under the patronage of Mary with the title of the Assumption. The observance of the feast was transferred to the Sunday following August 15 so that American Catholics, a small minority, could more easily gather to celebrate the patronal feast. While not a holyday of obligation at the country's birth, the Assumption was designated such in the nineteenth century for all of the USA. This was confirmed by the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884.

The 1791 Synod directed that holydays, like Sundays, were to be observed by attendance at Mass, catechetical instructions for adults and children, Vespers (Evening Prayer), and Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. Also recommended were a sermon, singing the Litany of Loreto, singing hymns in English at Vespers and Benediction, and the recitation of the Prayer for the President and All Civil Authorities composed by Bishop Carroll.

The rich ethnic diversity of the United States is reflected in some of the customs and popular devotions surrounding the Assumption. One such custom is the blessing of the fishing fleets and the local bodies of water observed in some coastal areas. This practice has its origins in the Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and is still observed in some ports along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts.

Although many of these practices have declined, they are an indication of the great Marian heritage of our country and the special regard we hold for the Mother of the Lord.

Marian Events

The parish bulletin for Our Lady of Grace parish (formerly called Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Mercy) in Dayton listed the following:

"Jesus through Mary: A Fatima Parish Mission will be held the evenings of August 13-15, 2015 at the Church of the Transfiguration, 972 S. Miami St. (St. Rt.48) in West Milton, Ohio 45383 (Phone: 937-698-4520). This multiple-night event will consist of the Mass at 7:00 p.m. followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and a procession to an outdoor altar. Golf cart rides will be provided for those who need assistance. At the altar, the Rosary and the Consecration to the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary will be prayed. Each evening will conclude with Benediction."

Other Fatima-related events will be held in the Dayton area this weekend, on August 14, 2015 at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein (2365 St. John's Rd., Maria Stein, Ohio 45860). Click into event information and see "Fatima USA" and "After Fatima Girls' Retreat."

"The Most Reverend Joseph Binzer, bishop in the diocese of Cincinnati, will be celebrating the Holy Mass beginning at 7:30 p.m. After dark, a candle light Rosary will take form on the grounds as each prayer is recited. The program will conclude with a candle light procession around the grounds. Candles and holders will be available. All priests are invited to concelebrate the Mass."

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Mary in the Catholic Press

Days of Prayer, Fasting Being Organized in Response to Planned Parenthood "Horrific Actions" from Zenit (USA) July 31, 2015

... Colorado's Catholic bishops are encouraging the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese of Denver, the Diocese of Pueblo and the Diocese of Colorado Springs to observe Friday, August 28, 2015, as a day of prayer and penance in response to Planned Parenthood's horrific actions and all those involved in the procurement and use of aborted baby organs. 

Some examples of prayer and penance are:
*Attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion
*Meditating on the Word of God
*Spending time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
*Praying the Holy Rosary
*Reciting the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
*Making the Way of the Cross
*Fasting and abstaining from eating meat.

Click here to see the complete article from Zenit.

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Mary in the Secular Press

The director and editors of The Mary Page 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.

Vatican's accord or not, Bosnian town believes in its "miracle" (Yahoo News) June 5, 2015

For believers, the Bosnian town of Medjugorje is as sacred as Lourdes or Fatima, a place where the Virgin Mary appeared to children that decades on has become a huge pilgrimage site.

And ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the capital, Sarajevo, on Saturday, the Catholics who flock to this small town hope the Vatican may finally recognize its controversial shrine, as it does the "official" ones in France and Portugal.

Pilgrims, praying aloud, climb the steep rocky hill in Bosnia's south where the Madonna is said to have "appeared" to six adolescents in 1981--and continues to "appear" to one of them daily....

Click here to read the complete article.

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