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 appreciate the Mary Page.  The Advent presentation and content is beautiful.  Whenever I do a presentation, the Mary Page is the first site I recommend.

Laetitia

Updates

Dr. Deyanira Flores, an IMRI Professor, will speak at the International Congress on Ecclessia in America which will take place in Vatican City from December 9-12, 2012.  Dr. Flores will speak on December 10 during the 3:30 pm session.  Click here to see the program for the conference in Spanish.

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Mary in Books, Films, and Music

Marian Music For Advent

Advent at Ephesus, a CD that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Traditional Classical Music Chart, is a journey with a group of cloistered nuns in Missouri precisely to the home of John and Mary, which tradition holds was in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey.

Click into an article from Zenit for more information, or here to order a copy from Amazon.

For related material, consider reading an article posted on The Mary Page, Mary's House in Ephesus.

Suggested A/V material

This Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent an agency that supports the Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem will launch an interactive calendar online that visitors can use throughout the season as they prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ....

Visit the calendar beginning Sunday, December 2, 2012 for: video features that will introduce visitors to the hospital, its staff, its mobile medical outreach, and the families that turn to the facility for medical care; reflections that will include Catholic clergy, religious, writers, and bloggers; and photos and graphics that will drive home the message of the hospital's status as the West Bank's true birthplace of hope for families in one of the world's most impoverished, war-torn areas.  New calendar content will be unlocked daily throughout Advent....

Click into an article from Zenit for more information.

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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, December 5, 2012, Francesca Franchina continues her talks with Father Tom Alkire, OC, from Los Angeles, CA, about Jesus' Queen Mother referencing quotes from St. Louis de Montfort and Venerable Mary of Agreda (Mystical City of God) concerning the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart based on the Second Coming of Christ which will be the Second Pentecost according to Father Gobbi of the Marian Movement of Priests.  Discover the meaning of Mary's titles in the Litany of Loreto: Tower of David; Ark of the Covenant; Tower of Ivory; House of Gold which pertain to Our Lady and the New Advent and how she assists and equips us to be prayer warriors in the light of devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe as well.

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 schedule of future programs planned to date.  Click here for the audio archive!

This week's programs:

Richard Lenar, Thursday, December 6, 2:30 PM on Mary and Ecumenism

Father Johann Roten, S.M., Friday, December 7, 2:30 PM on the Immaculate Conception

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From the Marian Treasure Chest

Advent: A Season of Anticipation by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

Brother John sent us the following article which was published in Messenger of Mary Immaculate (Limuru, Kenya), November-December 2012.

The season of Advent has a twofold character, a double meaning.  Advent prepares us for Christmas, the celebration of Christ's first coming to us.  And it also reminds us to direct our minds and hearts to be prepared for Christ's second coming at the end of time.

In Christian usage the word "advent" (adventus) has a special liturgical significance, but the origin of the word is pagan.

At the time of Jesus' birth the pagans observed a manifestation of their pagan divinity that came to dwell in its temple at a certain time each year.  This pagan feast was called advent, and it marked an anniversary of the return of their pagan god to the temple.  During this special time the temple was open.  Ordinarily the temple was closed.

In the days of the Roman emperor, advent also celebrated the coming of the emperor.

The word "advent" was suitable to describe the coming of the Son of God in the temple of his flesh.  Gradually the use of this word was limited to describe the coming of the Lord.  This advent, the coming of the Lord and the anniversary of his birth, replaced the advent and birth of the unvanquished sun of the winter solstice.  This use of the word "advent" gained prominence during the reign of the Emperor Constantine (306-337).  To grant tolerance to all religions and to allow the open practice of Christianity, he issued the Edict of Milan in 313.  As Christian feasts were adopted and celebrated, pagan festivals were soon replaced and forgotten.

The ancient idea of advent underlies the prayers of Advent that call forth the coming of the Lord, often with the same image of the temple.

Now Advent signals a time to prepare for Christmas, the celebration of the first coming of the Lord.  But the prayer texts and Scripture readings of the Sunday Masses and the Liturgy of the Hours give ample attention to the second coming of the Lord to which we look forward.

In reality the three distinct accents of the Liturgy of the Advent season are defined by the three comings of the Lord: yesterday, at Bethlehem, when the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary; today, in our world, where he is incarnate in the Church, in the sacraments, and in the faithful baptized into grace; tomorrow, when he returns in glory.

This, then, is the rich meaning of Advent.  From the beginning of the liturgical year we celebrate the whole panorama of the mystery of salvation history.

The variety of this season is not only desirable, it is truly appropriate because Advent is oriented toward the one who has come once for all, who is coming, and who will come.

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Current Exhibit

At the Manger 2012

Click here for information, about Peace on Earth, the exhibit of nativity scenes being held in the Roesch Library Gallery and elsewhere through January 27, 2013.  Click here for more details.

From Nov. 19, 2012 through Jan. 31, 2013 the Marian Collection of Father Joseph J. Schuck, Mary - A Labor of Love will also be on display in the Marian Library Gallery.

Father Johann Roten, S.M., will discuss the Mirror of Hope at a lecture in Roesch Library on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 7 pm.  A book signing will follow his talk.  The Mirror of Hope book is $15 and will be sold in the Stable Store gift shop through the annual Nativity exhibit which will conclude on January 27, 2013.

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 concluded 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 Spring 2013.

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In keeping with the season, we suggest The Immaculate Conception [in PDF] and Advent Poetry.

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 posted information about our upcoming symposium on Our Faith and Mary.  We also updated Titles and Invocations and all the subsections.

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Pop Opera on Christmas in the Dayton Area

Title: Nativity

Date: December 13, 14, 15, 8 pm and December 15, 16 matinees at 2 pm

Location: Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene; 1850 North Fairfield Road; Dayton, Ohio

This magical, lighthearted pop opera commemorates the Nativity as seen through the eyes of the angels who were there! Nativity, the Pop Opera is a holiday classic that the whole family will enjoy.

Nativity, The Pop Opera and A Kid Again are co-hosting a first class entertainment opportunity for Dayton families to enjoy. The show delivers a high-energy and humorous stage production, but it also functions as a life changing BENEFIT for area youngsters.  Free-will donations from every performance will go to support A Kid Again.

For more information, visit their website or click into their Press Release [in PDF--requires Adobe Acrobat Reader] or into their promotional poster [in PDF--requires Adobe Acrobat Reader].

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Ecclesia in America--Fifteen Years On
Source: VIS (Vatican City) December 4, 2012

A press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office this morning to present the International Congress Ecclesia in America on the Church in the American continent, which will take place in Vatican City from December 9-12. The Congress is promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the Knights of Columbus in collaboration with the Institute for Guadalupan Studies. Participating in the conference will be Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Professor Guzman Carriquiry, secretary of the same Commission, and Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus....

Professor Guzman Carriquiry explained that the congress will be attended by over two-hundred participants linked to the American continent, including both clergy and lay persons.  It will open and conclude with two Eucharistic celebrations: the first on December 9 in St. Peter's Basilica, in which the Holy Father will greet the participants, and the second on December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina.

On the morning of December 10 in the Synod Hall, debates will be held on "the event in Guadalupe as the origin of evangelization in the New World," "The post-Synodal Exhortation: prophecy, teaching and commitment," and "The Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America with the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, star of the new evangelization and mother of the civilization of love."  Later there will be a discussion on fundamental issues regarding co-operation between Churches throughout the continent.  The day will conclude with the conference "The meaning of the Year of Faith," presented by Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J., secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

On December 11 participants will pray the rosary before the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Vatican Gardens, followed by a screening of a documentary on the image of the Patron of the Americas.  On December 12 participants will attend the Holy Father's general audience.  In the afternoon Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley O.F.M., archbishop of Boston, USA, will lead a conference on "Scenarios and proposals for communion and co-operation between the Churches of the Americas and for solidarity among their peoples."

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.

For the past four years, the University of Dayton has worked to display original nativity exhibits in Roesch Library for all members of the Dayton community to enjoy.  This year, around five-hundred people from the Dayton area came to enjoy the nativity sets and activities.

At the Manger: Peace on Earth held its grand opening Saturday, Nov. 24.  The grand opening included four new nativity exhibits and was filled with family-oriented activities for all ages.  The exhibit runs through Jan. 27, 2013....

Click here for the complete article.

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Marian Commemoration Days

To celebrate the month of December with Mary:

• Celebrating Advent with Mary (starts December 2)
• Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
• Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)

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 December.

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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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