November 11, in the Vatican in the presence of the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, Fr. Tomaz Mavrič, CM, the Visitor of the Province of Italy, Fr. Erminio Antonello, CM, and other representatives of the CM and the Daughters of Charity, the statue of the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was blessed by the Pope Francis. It will go on peregrination throughout Italy, to ask for her intercession to stop the pandemic of the coronavirus and also to increase our devotion and affection for the Virgin Mary on the occasion of the 190th anniversary of her apparition to St. Catherine Labouré in France.Today the world is deeply troubled. Poverty is rampant, further accentuated by the pandemic, and on 15 November we will experience the IV World Day of the Poor, with the theme “Lend your hand to the poor.” In the message for that day, Pope Francis writes: “This moment we are experiencing has called many certainties into crisis. We feel poorer and weaker because we have experienced the sense of limitation and the restriction of freedom. The loss of work, of our dearest affections, as well as the lack of the usual interpersonal relationships have suddenly opened up horizons that we never used to observe. Our spiritual and material riches were questioned and we found we were afraid. Closed up in the silence of our homes, we have rediscovered how important simplicity is and keeping our eyes fixed on the essential. We have developed the need for a new fraternity, capable of mutual aid and mutual esteem.”
The Vincentians, faithful to the Word of God and inspired by their centuries-old charism that calls them to serve God in the poor, with the initiative of the Pilgrim Mary, wish to remember that even today the Holy Virgin invites us to the foot of the altar.
In his message for the Missionary Vocation Festival, the superior general Father Mavrič recalls the phrase of St. Vincent on which the Congregation of the Mission recently reflected: “Our vocation is to go, not just to one parish, not just to one diocese, but all over the world,” (CCD: XII: 215) and he concludes: “I hope that these words of St Vincent will aid us to revitalize our fundamental vocation as missionaries and to do so in the perspective of our universality and internationality.”
The Virgin of the Miraculous Medal continues today, after 190 years, to watch over the whole of humanity and comes as a pilgrim to visit and meet the ecclesial communities scattered throughout Italy thus fulfilling the promise of love contained in her Message:
“I myself will be always with you… trust… don’t be discouraged.”
Mary will begin her pilgrimage on Tuesday 1 December and will last until 22 November 2021 with the following calendar:
1 December 2020 – 1 January 2021: Lazio, Marche, Umbria;
2 January – 3 February 2021: Campania;
4 February – 28 February 2021: Calabria;
1st March – 31st March 2021: Sicily;
1 April – 30 April 2021: Puglia, Basilicata and Abruzzo;
1st May – 31st May: Tuscany and Liguria;
1 – 30 June: Piedmont and Lombardy;
12 September – 13 October: Emilia Romagna and Triveneto;
19 October – 22 November: Sardinia.
For this missionary and Marian initiative, the coordination group of Vincentian Missionaries chaired by Father Valerio Di Trapani promotes the dissemination of evangelization material: a booklet on Saint Catherine Labouré (Vincentian Liturgical Center); a booklet on the Miraculous Medal (Vincentian Liturgical Center); novena to the Immaculate Virgin of the Miraculous Medal (Vincentian Liturgical Center); reception liturgy of the statue of the Madonna; presentation leaflet of the Vincentian Family in Italy; event banner; Miraculous Medal gadget.
The multiple branches of the Vincentian Family, the parishes and other ecclesial realities are invited to promote and carry out the Marian pilgrimage, lasting three days, attentive to the provisions to deal with the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19, which includes: the welcoming celebration of the statue of the Virgin; Eucharistic celebration; celebration of Mercy; Marian-Vincentian catechesis; meeting with children, young people and adults; vocational prayer; Marian cenacles in the homes of the poor and the sick (rest homes, reception centers); economic support initiatives for Vincentian missionary works.
