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May 30, 2017My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
On June 3, 2017, the day before the Solemnity of Pentecost, I shall consecrate the Diocese of Worcester to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Ordination Liturgy to be held at the Cathedral of Saint Paul at 10:00 a.m.
At the very moment of his conception in the virginal womb of Mary, Jesus entrusted his whole being to her. Similarly, by this Act of Consecration, we will confide the Diocese and all of its good works to Our Lady in order to fulfill more readily the will of her Divine Son for his Church.
This year, 2017, marks the 100 th anniversary of the apparitions of Mary to the three shepherd children at Fatima in Portugal. The Catholic Church has confirmed that these supernatural events are worthy of acceptance by the faithful. The secrets that Mary revealed to the children at Fatima served to be prophetic for the twentieth century. Mary’s plea was for humanity to turn back to God with faith and repentance, and to pray fervently, especially the Holy Rosary, for mercy and peace. Mary also predicted the Second World War and the rise of atheistic Communism and the errors it would spread throughout the world, including the persecution of the Church and an assault on the dignity of the human person.
As the Father entrusted his Son to the Virgin Mary through this Act of Consecration, we will entrust ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In doing so, we will ask Mary to help us to remain united to the Sacred Heart of her Son, and that our lives, like hers, will always be aligned with God’s holy will.
Therefore, I cordially invite our diocesan family, priests, deacons and members of the lay faithful, to take part in this solemn Act of Consecration on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Paul.
With every prayerful best wish, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D.
Bishop of Worcester
