The Spiritual Life Commission invites all parishioners to total consecration to Jesus through Mary. For more information, please contact Tricia Vowels at 777-2089.
The devotion is based on on the teachings of Saint Louis de Montfort. Always a pious child and especially devoted to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, when the brilliant St. Louis de Montfort (A.D. 31 January 1673 - 28 April 1716) reached the age of 19, he gave away all he had and resolved to live on alms. He was ordained a priest in Paris, worked for some time as a hospital chaplain, but then came to devote his time to preaching -- a task he was extremely gifted at. He went on to found the Daughters of Wisdom -- an Order devoted to hospital work and educating poor girls -- and the Company of Mary (the Montfort Fathers), a missionary group of priests. It was his devotion to Mary, though, for which he is most remembered.
St. Louis de Montfort's method of devotion - involving 33 days of reading, reflection and prayer prior to a Marian feast day - is known as "Total Consecration," "True Devotion," or "Holy Slavery." This method is found at the link at left, which includes on-site links to all the necessary literature and prayers.
The dates to start a 33 day period of preparation in order to offer the prayer of consecration at a Marian feast day Mass are as follows:
Start of |
Marian Feast You've Chosen |
Feast / |
9 Jan |
Apparition of the Immaculate |
11 Feb |
20 Feb 1 |
The Annunciation2 |
25 Mar |
13 Jun |
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel |
16 Jul |
13 Jul |
The Assumption |
15 Aug |
6 Aug |
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
8 Sep |
13 Aug |
Our Lady of Sorrows |
15 Sep |
19 Oct |
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
21 Nov |
5 Nov |
Immaculate Conception |
8 Dec |
9 Nov |
Our Lady of Guadalupe |
12 Dec |
1 21 Feb when February has 29 days. The Feast of the Annunciation is the Feast that St. Louis de Montfort recommends most of all as it is this Feast that commemorates God Himself taking on flesh and, thereby, subjecting even Himself to trust in and dependency on Our Lady. 2
Learn more by clicking here.
Another online resource is found at http://totalconsecration.newevangelizers.com/.