News Archives

We have received a number of emails from readers commending our institute and its website, The Mary Page.  Thank you all for your encouragement and support.  The following is a typical example.

I will check out the books you recommended.  Thanks and kind regards.

Val

Updates

IMRI and the MSA were well represented at the twenty-third Mariological Marian Congress held in Rome September 4-9, 2012!  Sister Celia Chua [at right] was one of the Round Table participants on September 8.  She also presented "Responses to the emerging challenges of Multicuturality in Mariology, after Vatican II" in the English-speaking Asian section on September 6, while moderating on September 7.  Below is her summary of the meeting.

Mariology after Vatican II in the Twenty-Third International Pontifical Mariological Congress (PAMI) held at the Antonianum in Rome from September 4-10, 2012

Introduction

Post-conciliar Mariology has been seen as a new Pentecost in the Catholic Church. It has renewed the Church with some important Mariological documents, some significant insights and reflections on Mary, new bibliographies about Mary and research done in Marian studies centers such as the Marianum and IMRI.

Here is a short presentation on the evolution of Post Conciliar Mariology in three movements: Reception, Evaluation, and Perspectives.

Reception

1.1 The Magna Carta of Mariology: Lumen Gentuim, Chapter VIII, [On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Mystery of Christ and the Church].  Marian documents were also written by three Popes: Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI.

1.2 The period of renewal (1965-1985) Marialis Cultus, Pope Paul VI, 1974: This gave the criteria for a true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary which must consider the following aspects: Scriptural, Christocentric, Trinitarian, Anthropological, Liturgical, and Ecumenical.

1.3 The period of explosion of Mariology (1985-2012): This marked a turning point with changes of Marian perspectives found in:
- The Marian year and the Encyclical letter Redemptoris Mater (John Paul II, 1987);
- The Dictionary on Mary (1985); and
- The Marian Lexicon (1989), six volumes.

2. Changes in the methods of studying and doing Marian research:

2.1 The hermeneutic of faith as a method of interpreting the scriptures, for example by meditating on and contemplating the relationship of Mary and the Holy Spirit, the anthropology of Mary of Nazareth, her life with Jesus, her listening to and following Jesus, as His first disciple.

2.2 The liturgical celebrations which include the Marian calendar and the publication of Marian liturgical missals.

3. The Social aspect of Mary in our contemporary and social context.

3.1 The realities of the poor and oppressed and the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, such as Liberation theology in Latin America. Mary is associated with the poor and with the political and social problems of the world.

3.2 The life of women, such as: the women's emancipation and empowerment in theologies of women and other women's movements in different continents; the interpretation of Mary as a woman, a mother, a sister, and as a disciple of Jesus; the Magnificat hymn becoming the focus of studies and analysis in a theological and scriptural way; and more new interpretations of Apocalpse 12 with the woman, the child, and the dragon.

4. The traditional method in the Church of meditating on Mary in the Scriptures using Lectio Divina.  The memorial of her person by narration, story telling, the study of the relationship between Mary and Salvation History.  Mary is the Mother of the Church and Mother of humanity.

5. The recovery of Catholic Tradition in the ways of living out Christian spirituality

5.1 The aesthetic way: beauty and glory of Mary, the Splendor of God. (H. U. von Balthasar)

5.2 The way of faith: the faith of Mary in Redemptoris Mater, (Blessed John Paul II, 1987).  Mary's witness as a prayerful woman, who listens to the Word of God and acts upon it.

5.3 The way of holiness in truth and love: the mystical life of Mary in relation with God, Jesus and humanity.  In our contemporary world the meaning of communion and dialogue becomes a challenge to holiness [cf. Love in Truth / Caritas in Veritate by Benedict XVI].

Evaluation

1. There has been tension between Marian doctrine and Marian piety among devotees which had resulted in Marian minimalism.

2. There has also been confusion in understanding this and translating it into living out a Marian spirituality.  Some Marian devotees also tend to over-emphasize apparitions.

Perspectives

1. To have a better understanding of Mariology, using systematic and dogmatic theology and catechesis is important.  These have implicit and explicit influences in balancing reason and faith, and doctrine and faith.

2. To give more room to process transformation and faith education in a person.  This is not a 'quick fix,' but rather a discovery of who Mary is as a woman for all times.  A good educational tool is to rediscover the origin of the Church in its Marian traditions, and to recover Mary's place in the history of salvation, recognizing the abundant graces of God to Mary.

3. An interdisciplinary Mariology: To initiate inter-religious dialogue between non-Christians and Christians; concrete steps in ecumenism. [cf. Dombes group in France]  Mary is a woman who brings unity and promotes dialogue.

4. Mary and multi-culturalism, the reality between dogma and culture in many non-Christian countries.  Mary is the 'Star of Evangelization' for the New Evangelization.

5. 'Social Mary' in the culture of life versus the culture of death: Promote more research in the study of ethics, bioethics, the active virtues (courage, capacity to act in love and contemplation) as practiced by Mary rather than passive ones (e.g. submissive obedience). How to answer questions on the end of life, life after death, sexual revolution, by considering the conception and virginity of Mary.

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Mary in Books, Films, and Music

New documentary on the reported apparitions of Mary as Our Lady of America

This documentary presents four leading authorities on the story of the apparitions of Our Lady of America in the 1950s to an American nun who was a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.  This compelling message is presented by four experts on this story: Kevin McCarthy; Albert Langencamp; Father Bernard Geiger, OFM Conv.; and Father Kevin Barrett.

Click here for more information, or to order this documentary from Ignatius Press on DVD or audio CD.

Suggested A/V material

Click here to visit the official website for the Marian shrine at Lourdes in France.  This site includes a video feed of live events at the shrine.  The French Bishops have been meeting at Lourdes from November 3-8, 2012 and the site also has information about this meeting online.  On a related note, Mgr. Nicolas Brouwet, the Bishop of Lourdes, spoke on KTO TV, a French-language Catholic website, about the Internet and the Church.  Click here to see the 3-minute video.

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Radio Maria from The Marian Library

Prayer of Blessed John Paul II for Radio Maria

Mary, guide us in our major decisions and give us strength in times of trial so that we may, with humble courage, follow the hidden ways of Heaven, keeping faith with God and mankind so that we can bring the joyful message of Christ, the Savior, to the hearts and minds of all.

Mary, guiding star of evangelization, be with us.  Be with Radio Maria as guide and be its protector.

Francesca Franchina, MS Ed., a long-time member of the Marianist Family, will be doing a series of Marian broadcasts through the local stations for Radio Maria WHJM (FM 88.7) in Anna, Ohio and WULM (AM 1600) in Springfield, Ohio.  Called "Francesca and Friends: Why Mary?," the program airs every Wednesday from 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST focusing on what is going on in the world about Mary, how to speak with others about Mary, and Mary in Scripture.  CALL IN TOLL-FREE.  PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM (during the live show) 1-866-333-6279.

On Wednesday, November 7, 2012, Francesca Franchina continues her talks with Father Tom Alkire, OC, from Los Angeles, CA, about the Blessed Mother as Queen of Angels, the mission of the Angels, Angels in Scripture (e.g. Revelation, Tobit), the Chastisement, Fatima's Third Secret, Our Lady of the Holy Eucharist and the Precious Blood and how she equips us with spiritual weapons, the Peace Plan from Heaven, and much more.  Learn how Mary protects us in battle and how we can help her fight her battle for The Triumph and assist her in the New Evangelization during the Year of Faith.  Father Tom Alkire, is a seasoned Carmelite priest affiliated with the Marian Movement of Priests, and the Association of the Precious Blood in Tallahassee, Florida.  He is Associate Pastor of St. Raphael's Parish in Los Angeles, and has been a Home Missionary in Northern and Southern California for many years.

Francesca and Friends with Francesca Franchina, National OSIA Trustee, is now being broadcast throughout the New York City metropolitan area at 11 pm on Friday nights on WSNR 620 AM, as well as on other local  Radio Maria USA frequencies,  and streaming on radiomaria.us.  This is the replay of the program originating on the preceding Wednesday at noon EST.  Give a listen every Friday at 11 PM; Mondays at 8:30 PM and LIVE on Wednesdays at noon EST.

The broadcast may also be heard on-line at radiomaria.us  The website also provides access to some previous broadcasts.  We'll keep you informed about future programs.  An encore of each show is broadcast Monday night from 8:30-9:30 pm EST one week after the original.

Francesca is no longer doing her Tuesday program, Through the Tummy to the Heart on Radio Maria, but all programs and recipes are still posted in the Archives on the Radio Maria website at radiomaria.us.  She will inaugurate commentary and blog on www.credoapostolate.us in the near future.

Living with Mary Today! Live: Thursdays and Fridays 2:30-3:00 PM EST: From the Pontifical International Marian Research Institute (IMRI) at the University of Dayton Marian Library, internationally-known Mariologists Fathers Bertrand Buby, François Rossier, Johann Roten, and Thomas Thompson of the Society of Mary (Marianists), and other IMRI faculty; Michael Duricy, Jean Frisk, and others will discuss Marian themes such as The Blessed Mother and Ecumenism; Mary and The Family; Mary and Suffering, Marian Teachings and Writings of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI; Mary and Scripture from the Founder of the Marianists, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade; Mary and Vatican II, Marian Apparitions, and others.  The Marian Library at the University of Dayton houses the largest collection of Marian books and artifacts in the world, and IMRI is one of the two sites of post-graduate studies in Mariology for the STL and STD.  Find out more by visiting marypage.org.  The University of Dayton; The Marian Library, and IMRI are collaborators with the International Satellite Radio Maria Network and Radio Maria Ohio.  Click here for the audio archive!

This week's programs:

Father Javier Alson, S.M.C., Thursday, November 8, 2:30 PM on Mary and the New Evangelization

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From the Marian Treasure Chest

Catechesis by Rosary by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

Brother John sent us the following article about handing on the faith by the rosary appeared in Catholic San Francisco on October 12, 2012.

At Fatima, as at Lourdes before, Our Lady prayed the rosary with the seers and taught them how to do so devoutly.

Consider the rosary as a catechetical tool.  This thought arises from many bishops and lay catechists and all the religious and lay educator groups in between.

Religious educators and parents often comment that many today--youth and adults--are lacking in Christian formation.  A certain religious illiteracy has infiltrated the family, school, and society in general.  Children especially lack a strong basic understanding of fundamentals of our faith and of how to pray.  The challenge is clear for catechists at all age levels.  In addition, we must remember that faith and virtue are caught more than taught.  We must model what we teach.  We must echo Christ, resound faith, hope, and charity, by walking the talk.

Catechists and parents often seek new methods, programs, and books of religious instruction, and we are at a loss for knowing any.  But one sure-fired and time-tested method is centuries old, tried and true, and easy to handle--the rosary.

If youngsters and adults learn the rosary, they are learning the basics of the Christian faith as well as learning how to pray.  They would know from memory the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be--the latter three lifted literally from the Gospel.  By praying the rosary they would be reviewing the fundamental truths handed on by Jesus and practicing the art of praying.  By teaching the rosary we help others to learn that prayer is simple, Biblical, done in union with our Mother Mary, and leads us to become absorbed in the mysteries of the life of Christ and of salvation history.

To know how to pray the twenty mysteries of the rosary means that we know the basics about the life of Jesus and his teachings--His life, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension; the meaning of Jesus' Incarnation and Redemption.  This challenges us to ponder what these mysteries mean for us today.  In reality the rosary is a compendium of the Gospel.  It is the Gospel strung on beads.

The rosary is not a panacea.  It does not solve all the challenges of catechesis and faith formation.  But it is one effective catechetical tool for teaching and praying.  In the past, noted saints and teachers have utilized it successfully.  It worked for St. Dominic and his companions in combating the Albigensian heresy in his day.

Let's try again.

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Upcoming Exhibit

At the Manger 2012

Click here for advanced notice, about the exhibit of nativity scenes to held in the Roesch Library Gallery, which opens with a Grand Open House on Saturday, November 24.  Click here for more details.

We have a permanent crèche exhibit and a dedicated online giving page specifically for those who wish to support The Marian Library crèche collections.  There is also a general page to give to all areas of ML/IMRI and Roesch Library.

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Web Collaborators

Two important Catholic websites have added The Mary Page to their list of Media Partners.  CatholicWeb.com highlights items from The Mary Page in their section on Catholic News.  Catholic.net includes a Mariology section on their navbar with articles from The Mary Page.  Please visit these sites in return.  We expect continued collaboration with them in the future.

Radio Maria originated east of Milan, Italy in 1983, and is now heard in fifty-four countries.  The main USA station is in Alexandria, Louisiana with affiliate stations across the USA [including FM 88.7, WHJM,  in Anna, Ohio (north of Dayton) and AM 1600, WULM, in Springfield/Dayton, Ohio.  All USA Radio Maria stations regularly air live Marian talks from UD's Marian Library every Wednesday from 12:00-1:00 pm EST and on Thursday and Friday from 2:30-3:00 pm EST, as well as local programming originating from many other affiliated Radio Maria stations in the USA.

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International Marian Research Institute Course Schedule

IMRI courses for the Fall 2012 semester will conclude on November 9, 2012.

The Pontifical Academic Program leading to STL and STD in theology with a specialization in Marian Studies offers courses in three year-round sessions.  See our course offerings for Fall 2012.

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In keeping with the season, we suggest The Year of Faith with Mary.

Material on international stamps with images of Mary exists on The Mary Page (also available in French). The latest updates were Seychelles, St. Helena, Swaziland, Senegal, and Uganda.

We have revised and expanded our material in Chinese.  This is a work in progress, so expect more content soon.  Feel free to let us know what you think of this section.

We have updated Marian Thoughts of Benedict XVI, through October 31, 2012 and also posted the Marian Library Newsletter for Autumn 2012 [in PDF--requires Adobe Acrobat Reader].  We have also revised Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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Late Raphael

Title: Exposition Raphaël, les dernières années

Date: October 11, 2012 - January 14, 2013, 9 am - 6 pm

Location: Napoleon Hall at the Louvre in Paris, France

This unprecedented exhibition, organized by the Louvre in partnership with the Prado Museum, brings together the works produced by Raphael in Rome during the last years of his short life.  It includes many well-known images of the Madonna.  Click here for details in English or in French.

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Official Summary of the Final Message of the Synod of Bishops
Source: Zenit (Vatican City) October 26, 2012

Here is the translation [Original text: Italian] of the summary released by the Holy See Press Office of the Final Message For the People of God of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.  ZENIT will publish the full Message once it is available in English by the Press Office.

At the beginning of the document, the bishops recalled the evangelical passage from John which tells about the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well.  This is the image of contemporary man with an empty vessel, who is thirsting and is nostalgic for God, and to whom the Church must turn to make the Lord present to him.  And just like the Samaritan woman, who encounters Jesus, he can but become a witness of the proclamation of salvation and hope of the Gospel....

In the last part, the Message looks at the Church in the various regions of the world and addresses a word of encouragement for the proclamation of the Gospel to each of them: to the Eastern Churches wishing to be able to practice faith in conditions of peace and religious freedom; to the African Church asking to develop evangelization in the encounter of ancient and new cultures, calling then upon the governments to cease the conflicts and violence.  The Christians of North America, who live in a culture with many expressions distant from the Gospel, must look towards conversion, to being open to welcoming immigrants and refugees.  Latin America is invited to live the permanent mission to face today's challenges such as poverty, violence, even the new conditions of religious pluralism.  The Church in Asia, even while being a small minority, often placed at the edges of society and persecuted, is encouraged and exhorted to the steadfastness of faith.  Europe, marked by an even aggressive secularization and wounded by past regimes, has nevertheless created a humanistic culture capable of giving a face to the dignity of man and to the building of the common good.  Today's difficulties therefore must not dishearten the European Christians, but must be perceived as a challenge.  Oceania is asked to feel once again the involvement of preaching the Gospel.  Finally, the Message closes with trust in Mary, the Star of New Evangelization.

Click here for the complete article.

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The director and editors of The Mary Page under the auspices of the International Marian Research Institute do not necessarily endorse or agree with the events and ideas expressed in this feature.  Our sole purpose is to report on items about Mary gleaned from a myriad of papers representing the secular press.

Made famous by the devastating 2012 hurricane "Sandy," this statue of the Virgin Mary [at right] stands amongst the desolation of the community of Breezy Point, Queens, NY.  The photo apparently first surfaced in a Wall Street Journal article and the "Virgin of Breezy Point" was mentioned on several main-stream-media news broadcasts.  The statue is a classical representation of Our Lady made unique by tragic circumstances....

Click here for the complete article which includes two additional photos.

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Marian Commemoration Days

To celebrate the month of November with Mary:

• Presentation of Mary (November 21)

The Mary Page offers a variety of resources inviting study, reflection and meditation.  We also list important Marian dates for each month of the year.  Please see Marian Commemoration Days for the month of November.

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You are invited to help us pray for our Prayer Corner intentions.  Please take a look!  This site has been updated and enhanced and now allows users to submit prayer requests directly or to volunteer as a prayer partner for these intentions!

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The Mary Page website is updated frequently. Please stop in again and see what's in the news.

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