Digital Marian Helper Magazine Spring 2021

N otes from R ome By Fr. Joe Roesch, MIC This year, because of COVID-19, we only had one guest, Cardinal João Bráz de Aviz, the prefect of the Congrega- tion for Institutes of Consecrated Life. He presided at our formal evening prayer on Dec. 9, and then he joined us for a socially distanced dinner. He had to leave early to get back to the Vatican since there is a 10 p.m. curfew in Rome due to the pandemic. We were grateful for his presence since we are celebrating our 350 th Jubilee of the founding of the Marian Congregation. The Cardinal is the representative of the Holy Father to the religious congregations. Our Founder, St. Stanislaus Papczynski ( 1631-1701), had worked diligently to receive papal approval of our Congregation before his death. After having finally received the long-sought papal approval, two Marian confreres returned from Rome to Poland in March of 1701. Our Marian Founder made his solemn vows that June, and he died in September. The Cardinal Prefect was very warm and gracious that evening, reflecting with us on our difficult history, on the challenges faced this year because of the pandemic, on our Jubilee, and on the place of Mary in our lives. Our celebrations extended through the whole week. On Monday evening, Dec. 7, we made a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel, and we reflected on the Circular Letter that our Superior General had written to the worldwide Marian Community on the Solemnity and the meaning of the Jubilee that we are celebrating. On Tuesday, the solemnity, we celebrated Mass as a community in our chapel at noon. During the Mass that day, we would normally have renewed our profession of vows. However, this year, in remembrance of the Jubilee, all of the Marians around the world repeated the Oblatio — or self-offering — that our Founder had made of himself to the Lord in 1670. The beginning of our Congregation is traced to that moment. The words he used that day remind us of the sacrifice on the altar during Holy Mass, and they were his profes- sion of religious vows. All of us who had already professed our perpetual vows in the Congregation then received a beautiful Profession Cross. This same cross will be given to all of the Marians around the world in the future as they profess their final vows. There is a crucifix on the front, and on the back, there are symbols of God’s Providence, of the Holy Spirit, and of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Finally, on Friday, Dec. 11, we had a festive lunch to commemorate the Jubilee. Back in 1670, St. Stanislaus had wanted a large celebration with many of the faithful present in the Cathedral in Krakow, Poland, to mark the moment when he would make his Oblatio and put on the white habit. However, he wasn’t permitted to do so since he had to get permission to change the habit. Therefore, his Oblatio took place a few days later in a private chapel with only a few witnesses. God has allowed the Congregation to remain for 350 years since that moment. May we remain faithful to our vows, our offering of ourselves to the Lord! A JUBILEE IN A TIME OF COVID Father Joe Roesch, MIC, is the vicar general of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. He lives in Rome. T ypically, each year, the Marian Fathers i n the Roman House celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in a very formal way. A bishop presides at Evening Prayer and offers us some reflections. We invite around 30 of our friends and collaborators from the Vatican and the diplomatic and academic communities in Rome to a formal dinner. M arian H elper • S pring 2021 • marian . org 9 Fr. Joe talks about the Jubilee Cross