The Provincial and Custodial Assistants for the Militia of the Immaculata (MI) in the English-speaking Conventual Franciscan Federation convened at our Provincial House, in Ellicott City, MD, on October 15, 2016 with Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv, who is the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF) Liaison to the MI.
Pictured with the reliquary containing 1st Class Relics of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv. that toured Our Lady of the Angels Province Ministries, in 2016, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of his Martyrdom: Friar Tom Czech, OFM Conv. (St. Joseph Cupertino Province), Friar Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province), Friar Waclaw Sokolowski, OFM Conv. (Provincial Custody of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, of the Province of Gdansk, Poland), Friar John Grigus, (St. Bonaventure Province), and Friar James. The Our Lady of Consolation Province Assistant for the MI, Friar John-Raphael Hadnagy, OFM Conv., was unable to attend because of weekend parish duties. Various strategic initiatives were shared and plans made for further promotion and collaboration.
Founded on October 16, 1917, at the International College of the Conventual Franciscans in Rome (known then as the “St Bonaventure” Pontifical Theological Faculty), St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., the Militia of the Immaculata (MI) is a worldwide evangelization movement encouraging total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a means of spiritual renewal. The charter drafted by St. Maximilian, and six like-minded young friars, established one of the most influential Marian apostolates ever and a blueprint of spiritual progress for MI members still used 100 years later. Employing prayer as the main weapon in the spiritual battle with evil, members of the Militia Immaculata also immerse themselves in apostolic initiatives throughout society, either individually or in groups, to deepen the knowledge of the Gospel and our Catholic Faith in them and in others. Read More Here
To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the MI, Our Lady of the Angels Province friars, Fr. Donald Grzymski, OFM Conv. (Definitor and President of Archbishop Curley High School), Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (MI Assistant for our Province) and Fr. Richard-Jacob Forcier, OFM Conv. (Definitor, Province Secretary, Spiritual Guardian of the Companions of St. Anthony and Media Coordinator for the Province) began the year-long celebration with their personal reflections on what it means to them to be Concentrated to Mary.
As our Minister Provincial explains:
“Consecration to Mary” has a rich tradition in our Franciscan Order and in the Church. When our Seraphic Father Francis approached the moment of his so-called “perfect conversion” – at the Portiuncula on the Feast of St. Matthias in 1208, he consecrated his vocation to Our Lady as he entered the small stone chapel for Mass. St. Bonaventure records the scene: “In the church of the Virgin Mother of God, her servant Francis lingered and, with continuing cries, insistently begged her who had conceived and brought to birth the Word full of grace and truth, to become his advocate. Through the merits of the Mother of Mercy, he conceived and brought to birth the spirit of the Gospel truth.” (LM 3:1)
Before departing this mortal coil, St. Francis entrusted the whole Order to the perpetual advocacy of the Blessed Mother. Celano writes of this consecration: “He embraced the Mother of Jesus with inexpressible love, since she made the Lord of Majesty a brother to us. He honored her with his own Praises, poured out prayers to her, and offered her his love in a way that no human tongue can express. But what gives us greatest joy is that he appointed her the Advocate of the Order, and placed under her wings the sons he left behind, that she might protect and cherish them to the end. Oh Advocate of the Poor! Fulfill towards us your duty as protectress until the time set by the Father! (2 Celano 198)
Three Our Lady of the Angels Province Frairs who are de familia to Mother Cabrini Friary (Shamokin, PA) but living at their individual ministires, Fr. John Voytek, OFM Conv. (pastor of All Saints Church, Boswell, PA), Fr. Anthony Francis Spilka, OFM Conv. (pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Johnstown, PA) and Fr. Karl Kolodziejski, OFM Conv. (pastor of Holy Family Parish, Hooversville, PA) began their observance of the MI Centenary Year by gathering as a fraternity to make a common Franciscan “Consecration to Mary.”
Please join our friars in this year-long celebration ending on October 17, 2017,
marking 100 years of the prayerful devotional work of the Militia of the Immaculata.
OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS PROVINCE
CONSECRATORY PRAYER
Centenary of the Militia of the Immaculate
2016- October 16 -2017
O Immaculate Virgin, Mary Our Mother,
we consecrate ourselves and our community to You today
so that You may make use of us especially for the spiritual
good of our brothers and sisters.
(As we celebrate the centenary of the MI), we ask you
O Queen of the Franciscan Order and Mother of the Church
to cooperate fully in your mission for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in the world.
We off you, O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
our prayers, actions and sacrifices of this day
so that we know to give witness to the joy and hope of the
Risen Lord
in our daily gift of self to our brothers and those we serve.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you
and for those who do not have recourse to you
especially for the enemies of the Church
and for those who are recommended to you.
Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Assistant General of the Order (responsible for the well-being of friars in the English-speaking world) worked as the translator for the National President of the Militia of the Immaculata in the US, John Galten, at the Fatima: International Congress of the MI.
