Marian Helper Winter 2015-2016

H e came. He loved. He conquered hearts. In his historic apostolic journey to the United States in September, Pope Francis encountered crowds that ran into the hundreds of thousands. He addressed the world’s most wealthy and powerful as well as the home- less, schoolchildren, prisoners, disabled, victims of sexual abuse, and families of 9/11 victims. And through it all, people came to know that he, and the One he serves, loves them. The ‘people’s Pope’ Repeatedly, people spoke of him as the “people’s Pope,” a man who brings hope, a man who loves the least among us. The media gave him wall-to-wall cov- erage, and the crowds gave him a barricade-to-barri- cade audience. The Secret Service gave him the largest security operation in U.S. history, larger than any ever accorded to the President of the United States. Congress received him in a historic Joint Meeting of both Houses, marking the first time a pope had ever addressed such a gathering, with an audience that included members of the Supreme Court, the President’s Cabinet, and various other dignitaries. The U.N. w elcomed him to address their General Assembly — again, the first time a pope had ever done so. But he didn’t just come to speak to the secular world; he came for the Church , canonizing St. Junipero Serra, an historic, first-time canonization Mass on U.S. soil, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the grounds of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He addressed the U.S. bishops, thank- ing them for the immense contribu- tions made by the Catholic Church in America to the Church around the world. He came to pray with the faithful, especially consecrated religious in the ongoing Year of Consecrated Life, passing through crowds of seminarians and novices (including Marians in formation). He prayed with the priests and religious of the Archdiocese of New York in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He celebrated Mass with representatives of the laity, clergy, and religious of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. And really, all that just scratches the surface. His mark upon history For a long time to come, the Church in America will be taking direction from Pope Francis’ words and exam- ‘G od B less A merica !’ POPE FRANCIS ELECTRIFIES THE NATION By Chris Sparks M arians R eflect : T he P apal V isit Brother Timothy, MIC seminarian My hope is that, as a result of this papal visit, the Catholic Church in the U.S. will be em- boldened to truly live out the Catholic faith in all aspects and that those who have fallen away from the faith may accept the grace to come back to the Sacraments and once again walk the path to holiness. Father Robert Vennetti, MIC It’s a gift for the Church in the U.S. that he does this [visits Catholic University of America inWashington, D.C., and can- onizes St. Junipero Serra here] a couple months before the JubileeYear of Mercy starts. Our Marian motto is pro Christo et ecclesia — for Christ and the Church. Hav- ing the Vicar of Christ come to us — literally, since our men in formation live on campus —helps give them this more universal outlook. M arian H elper • W inter 2015-16 •  marian.org 19