Bishop Bradley consecrates Diocese to the protection of Mary

Bishop Bradley consecrates Diocese to the protection of Mary
By Victoria Cessna
December 10, 2018 (Kalamazoo, Mich.) Hundreds of people from across the Diocese of Kalamazoo came together on Saturday, December 8 ^th at St. Augustine Cathedral for a historic diocesan Mass.

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Paul J. Bradley consecrated the Diocese of Kalamazoo to the protection and intercession of Mary.

Bishop Bradley announced his intention to consecrate the Diocese to the protection and intercession of our Blessed Mother on October 18, 2018, through a letter to the Faithful. In this letter he detailed the important reasons for this intentional, prayer-filled initiative and invited the faithful to make an individual Act of Consecration through daily prayers and devotions.

He wrote,
“The Act of Consecration is simply an expression of trust in Mary’s intercession, and a conscious and purposeful recommitment to our Baptismal Promises. …By the Act of Consecration to Mary, we recommit ourselves to these promises and, at the same time, entrust the entire endeavor of our spiritual life to Our Lady, confident in her desire for our salvation and her intercession on our behalf. By means of this Act, accompanied by other acts of devotion, such as the Rosary and other prayers approved by the Church, our hearts are transformed more to be like Mary’s own heart, which always reached out to God in every sorrow and joy. The more we are one with God, and strengthened by the graces and protection of our Blessed Mother, the more we are prepared to live our lives of faith in this world, with courage, compassion, love and mercy. Thus, we are better prepared to be joyful witnesses of our faith, through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy that Jesus inspires us to practice each day: the evidence of our lived faith. By consecrating the Diocese, and inviting every parish, every family, and every member of the Faithful to do the same, we can deepen our special relationship with her and, through her intercession, with her Son, our Lord Jesus.”

During the historic Mass, Bishop Bradley affirmed the reasons for the necessity of our Blessed Mother’s protection and intercession citing the recent scandals besieging the Church leading some people to sadly turn away from our faith.

“What I believe we need to do is to do what we so naturally do in times of trouble: to turn to our Mother,” said Bishop Bradley during his homily.  “Today we turn to our Blessed Mother, to seek her protection, to ask for her intercession, and to know that she will stand with us and help us. That is the primary reason why on this great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, I take this occasion to consecrate our Diocese---our priests, deacons, and lay faithful---all our parishes and institutions----to the protection and intercession of our Blessed Mother, and to consecrate ourselves to follow her example of making every effort to live a sinless life.”

Continuing in his explanation, Bishop Bradley invited attendees to join our prayer intentions united with the model of Mary in answering God’s call in our life. Those ten prayer intentions include the following:
We pray:

1. to choose to live a virtuous life, and refuse to be mastered by sin.
2. to rid our culture obsessed with sexual promiscuity, the destructive impact of pornography, and the enslavement of other addictions of drugs, alcohol and other substances.
3. for an end to the culture of death through an end of legalized abortion, euthanasia, and the immoral use of medical technology to demean the dignity of human life, and to try to take the place of the One Who is the Source of all Life.
4. for the protection of Family life, and that the value of Sacramental Marriage can be defended.
5. for the grace to fight against complacency in our own lives: we pray for a renewal of faith in the hearts of all believers, we pray for a return to the practice of the faith of those who have fallen away or turned away from the Church, and we pray for a spirit of New Evangelization to take hold of all of us to spread the Good News of Jesus to the more than 50 percent of our neighbors who profess no religious affiliation at all.
6. for all survivors of childhood abuse of any sort, and in particular for those who have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of a priest or bishop; we pray for an end to all human trafficking, violence of any sort, and protection for those who are victims of such human indignities.
7. for those in our communities who are homeless, who are in great need of material and physical needs, and for a renewed spirit of generosity and responsibility that Mary shows us to help our sisters and brothers in need.
8. for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for holy marriages, and loving families; we pray for young people to make good and God-centered decisions as they chart the course for their career choices and life choices.
9. for civility and cooperation in our government and community leaders and for priority to be given to the common good, we pray for a greater respect for human life at all stages of the life spectrum.
10. that each of us will live our lives with prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, rooted in a life of Faith, Hope and Love---according to the model of our dear Blessed Mother.

The Faithful are encouraged to remember the prayer intentions in their daily devotions.
Additional resources including photos and the video of Bishop Bradley consecrating the Diocese during the Mass may be found at www.diokzoo.org/mary .