67 EUCHARIST Pontifical Basilica of St. Mary Major Pauline Chapel February 7, 2023 Introduction to the Mass As Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, I greet and salute all the concelebrants – participants in the General Chapter of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, led by Father General Andrzej Pakuła, MIC. Many thanks to Father General for the invitation to preside at this Eucharist, which in some respect opens your Chapter. This is a special Chapter, as it takes place during the celebration of the 350th Anniversary of the Congregation. You want in this Eucharist to entrust to Christ, through the Immaculata, the deliberations that are beginning and the decisions you will make, the entire Congregation and its faithful service to the mission of the Church, and all the fruits of the Jubilee celebrations. You have chosen the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major as the place to celebrate this Eucharist. This is a very meaningful choice: for it is the oldest Marian shrine of the Latin Church – the mother of all Marian shrines scattered around the world, with 16 centuries of history. And you have chosen this Pauline Chapel, where Mary, Salus Populi Romani, has been venerated for centuries. It could be said that as Marians, you are in this Basilica and in this chapel “at home,” that is, in the home of Mary Immaculate, in the Basilica where, as the Holy Father John Paul II used to say, “the Marian heart of the Church has been beating for centuries...” So let us prepare to meet the Lord in this Eucharist through an act of sorrow and repentance for all our sins and infidelities.... Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko The Grace of Jubilee... 1. This Eucharist, which we are celebrating in the Chapel of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani, in some respect opens the next General Chapter of your congregation. General Chapters play a very important role in the life of religious congregations, for they are a kind of milestone in their
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