22 Marian Helper • Winter 2025-26 • Marian.org Next year is a big year for the United States: the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! As the celebrations begin in 2026 for “America 250,” we’re reminded of Our Lady’s special role in the founding of our country and her ongoing protection and intercession. “Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception” is patroness of the United States, and “Our Lady of Guadalupe” is patroness of all the Americas as well as the unborn. Let’s celebrate our country with Our Lady under two titles! Immaculate Conception It goes without saying that the Marian Fathers are deeply devoted to Our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception — and therefore so are all our Marian Helpers. In fact, when the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was founded by St. Stanislaus Papczyński in 1670, it was the first male religious order named for Our Lady under this title. This was two centuries before the dogma was declared by the Holy See. “I believe everything that the holy Roman Church believes,” wrote St. Stanislaus, “but first of all I profess that the Most Holy Mother of God, Mary, was spotless from original sin, from the moment of her conception.” Since the mid-19th century, the Blessed Mother has been the patroness of the United States. The first Catholic bishop in the United States, John Carroll, was devoted to Mary and placed the first 13 colonies (the Diocese of Baltimore) under her protection in 1792. As more dioceses were created, the American bishops desired a protectress for their new republic. In 1846, during the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, they unanimously adopted the Blessed Mother under her title of the Immaculate Conception to be their Patroness. By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle Celebrate America 250 with Mary!
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