In this third year of preparation, the sense of being on "journey to the Father" should
encourage everyone to undertake a "journey of authentic conversion." Pilgrimage is a symbol
of the Christian life: it involves going-out and leaving the familiar, joining with and advancing
together with others to an encounter with the Lord.
"The Pilgrimage of the Great
Jubilee"
"Christians travel with Mary along the roads of love and join Elizabeth, who typifies the sisters
and the brothers in the world with whom a bond of faith and praise is to be established. The
Magnificat then becomes the song par excellence, not only of Mary's pilgrimage (peregrinatio
Mariae) but also of our pilgrimage in hope. Christians travel with Mary along the roads of the
world to ascend right up to Calvary and be beside her like the beloved disciple, so that Christ
may hand her over to them as their Mother. Christians travel with Mary along the roads of faith
so as to reach the Cenacle and there, together with her, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit from
her risen Son."
--"The Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee," from the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of
Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
Pilgrim Hymn to Mary
With the feet of a pilgrim
We follow the Mother
Of Christ, our Redeemer,
Our Savior, our Friend.
We walk a pathway,
Sinners and saints,
Through fields white for the harvest
To God's reign without end.
(Refrain)
With the heart of a pilgrim
We share with God's Mother
The hopes of a people
Longing for peace.
We treasure the mystery
Trust in the promise:
Behold the New City
Where joys never cease.
Refrain:
Mary, Mother of the Church,
Clothed, as with a robe, in light,
Lead us all, God's pilgrim people,
To the grace your Son has promised:
Hope fulfilled in vision,
Faith transformed in sight.
Agnes Cunningham, SSCM
Liturgy and Devotion
Killian McDonnel, O.S.B., of St. John's Abbey writes of a visit of Msgr. Balthasar Fisher,
the head of the Liturgical Institute in Trier, Germany, and, by papal appointment, the secretary of
the post-Vatican II liturgical commission. In an informal reception, Msgr. Fisher spoke of his
admiration for a Forty-Hours Eucharistic devotion which he had recently attended. "It was
magnificent: the enthusiastic singing, the banks of candles, the silent contemplative prayer of the
congregation who lingered for private prayer. We theologians and liturgists have a lot to answer
to God for because we discouraged devotional life. The liturgy does not fulfill all the peoples'
needs. There are religious emotions that need devotional forms."
Fr. McDonnel continued: "The question of both Marian piety and eucharistic devotions
should be taken out of the tensions between conservatives and liberals. The issues are: 'What is
the central tradition?' and 'How are popular devotions normed?' This is not to suggest that we
return to the pre-Vatican II devotional Catholicism, where Catholic identity was largely
determined by novenas, scapulars, Benediction, the Sacred Heart and other popular devotions.
But we could remember that devotional Catholicism was quite successful in promoting family
life, family prayer and great numbers of vocations to the religious life, female and male, and to
the priesthood. Scripture and liturgy come first, but devotional life has its rightful place in any
authentic Catholic life. And it is not just for the unsophisticated."
"Letters," America, November 14, 1998.
Mary and Philosophy
The concluding section of Pope John Paul's recent encyclical, Faith and Reason, relates
Mary to the philosophical considerations in the document. "I turn now to the woman whom the
prayer of the Church invokes as Seat of Wisdom, and whose life itself is a true parable
illuminating the reflection contained in these pages. For between the vocation of the Blessed
Virgin and the vocation of true philosophy there is a deep harmony. Just as the Virgin was called
to offer herself entirely as human being and as woman so that God's word might take flesh and
come among us, so too philosophy is called to offer its rational and critical resources that
theology, as the understanding of faith, may be fruitful and creative. And just as in giving her
assent to Gabriel's word, Mary lost nothing of her humanity and freedom, so too when
philosophy heeds the summons of the Gospel's truth its autonomy is in no way impaired.
Indeed, it is then that philosophy sees all its enquiries rise to their highest expression. This
was a truth which the holy monks of Christian antiquity understood well when they called Mary
"the table at which faith sits in thought." In her they saw a lucid image of true philosophy, and
they were convinced of the need to philosophari in Maria.
May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, be a sure haven for all who devote their lives to the search for
wisdom. May their journey into wisdom, sure and final goal of all true knowing, be freed of
every hindrance by the intercession of the one who, in giving birh to the truth and treasuring it in
her heart, has shared it forever with all the world."
Fides et Ratio, #107.
Ecumenical Document on
Mary
In 1937, the Abbé Paul Couturier began yearly meetings of Catholics and
Protestants--ministers, priests, theologians--who were interested in promoting the unity among
the churches and overcoming the scandal of divisions. For over sixty years, this group -now
known as the Groupe de Dombes has met the during first week of September at the
Cistercian abbey of Les Dombes, northeast of Lyon, France In an atmosphere of prayer, study,
and friendship, they consider the many questions which divide the churches and present their
suggestions in documents offered to the churches. The group is not an an officially established
ecumenical dialogue, but it offers its work as stimulus and help for discussion and consideration
at all levels. .
The method of the Groupe de Dombes is to select a key issue leading to the
restoration of unity among the churches, to review the historical development of a topic, and to
identity the points of disagreement. The topic is then related to each church's identity as
expressed in its creeds and confessional document. Finally, the group proposes several
suggestions for convergence and issues a call to continual conversion, a feature of every
church's identity without which unity can never be realized.
For the past seven years (1991-1998), the Virgin Mary has been the topic for their
prayer
and study; recently, they have offered as a document for study Mary in the Plan of God and the
Communion of Saints. The method of the Groupe de Dombes is to select a key issue, review
the historical development, and identify the areas of agreement and disagreement. The topic is
then related to each church's identity as expressed in creeds and confessional documents. Finally,
suggestions for convergence are offered, and an appeal is made to each church for continual
conversion, a necessary prerequisite for attaining unity.
The Dombes publication is the first document of an ecumenical group to deal directly and
extensively with the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary has never been the major focus of any
international or national ecumenical dialogue. The topic, it was felt, was simply too wide-
ranging and, if truth be told, too divisive. Although she was never the cause of separation
between the churches, the Virgin Mary has unfortunately become the sign of separation, the
victim of the consequences of the separation. "The Virgin Mary," the document states, " is the
most-evident focus for all the underlying ecclesiastical positions related to soteriology,
anthropolgy, ecclesiology, and the interpretation of Scripture, for the development of doctrine."
This ecumenical document is a response to Pope John Paul's call, in the encyclical "That all May
be One," for a "fuller study" of the Virgin Mary "before a true consensus of faith can be
achieved" (#79).
The Dombes document is divided into two parts: I. A Review of History and
Scripture; and II. Controversies and Conversion. The first section begins with a
review of the Marian theology of the early centuries (Irenaeus, Augustine, the councils) which
was totally related to the person and mystery of Christ. "The virgin who would conceive and bear
Emmanuel," foretold by the prophet Isaiah, was the sign identifying the birth of Christ. The title
Theotokos (bearer or forthbringer of God) given to Mary served to strengthen the identity of
Christ as God. Mary's virginity is mirrored in the Church, which through the Holy Spirit confers
life on its members. "Out of respect for the Lord" (St. Augustine), sin was never imputed to
Mary. The early church affirmed the virginal conception of Christ (incarnatus est de Spiritu
Sancto ex Maria Virgine), the divine maternity (Theotokos), the perpetual virginity
of Mary (aieparthenos), and the holiness of Mary (panagia).
The Marian perspective of the early Church was transmitted to the middle ages. By the
end of the first millennium, however, three issues arose which would later be much debated both
by Catholics and Protestants. The first dealt with Mary's preservation from original sin. The
Council of Basle in 1437 affirmed Mary's freedom from original sin as a special grace, but the
issue continued to be discussed and debated for the next four centuries. The second issue dealt
with Mary's death and assumption. In contrast to the East, the West was slow to affirm the
bodily assumption of the Virgin Mary. The third issue was the language of intercession--perhaps
drawn from the courtly "queen-mother" tradition--applied to Mary. In what sense could Mary
intercede on behalf of those who had transgressed God's law?
In the sixteenth century, the tradition of the early Church was continued in the teachings
of the Reformers who affirmed the virginal conception, the divine maternity, and the virginity of
Mary. But they insisted that Mary be seen among the "great deeds" which God had accomplished
in the saving work of Christ. Luther spoke of Mary's humility which allowed God's plan to be
carried out through her. He defended the virginity of Mary as part of the mystery of Christ's
coming into the world, but he resisted extolling Mary's virginity alone. Similar to Mary, each
believer was to give birth to Christ in faith. Mary's life prefigures that of the Church, of which,
in her maternity, she is the mother while at the same time remaining a member. Luther, Calvin,
Zwingli all saw Mary as associated with the Church's mission to care for the poor and
rejected.
The silence of the Reformed churches on Mary stems not from the sixteenth century but
from the polemics of the post-Reformation period. The Virgin Mary became the sign of Catholic
orthodoxy; she was invoked as protectress of the Church against its enemies, as "Help of
Christians," "Our Lady of Victory," and "Conqueror of Heresy." During the same period,
changes within Protestantism, such as greater reliance on Scripture alone as the source of
doctrine, all but eliminated the Virgin Mary from the churches of the Reformation.
After the ravages of the French Revolution, Mary was prominent in nineteenth-century
Catholic restoration. The apparitions of 1830 and 1858 increased interest in the Immaculate
Conception, which was defined as a dogma of faith in 1854. La Salette and Lourdes restored
pilgrimage as part of Catholic life. This "Age of Mary" was accompanied by abundant popular
literature. Mariologists (the term first appeared in the seventeenth century) attempted to establish
parallels between the Christ and Mary. The churches of the Reform resisted what they saw as an
exaltation of a creature.
In the twentieth century, some Protestant churches experienced an awakening of interest in
Mary, derived from studies of the early church, the rediscovery of the Reformers, and the
influence of the liturgical movement. Marian references appeared in the Protestant hymnals
(most frequently, the Magnificat) and in catechetical materials. At the same time,
Vatican II considered Mary in relation to Christ and the Church, and encouraged the development
of Marian devotion which was biblical, liturgical, ecumenical, and anthropological. The image
of Mary-queen, prominent in the early part of the twentieth century, was balanced by that of
Mary-servant in the latter part of the century.
After the historical survey, the Dombes document considers Mary within the context of the
three principal divisions of the Nicene Creed, and the relevant Scriptural references are reviewed.
The Nicene Creed identifies Jesus as "conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate." Through the Holy Spirit and by her maternity, Mary is related to
Christ and, through him, to the Trinity and the truths professed in the Creed. Mary is related to
God the Father as part of creation, as woman, as daughter of Sion, the representative of the
people Israel. As woman, she is not an idealized type or sublimated image, but a real woman of
this world, both wife and mother. She was representative of the "poor of Israel", with whom
many of the world's poor sense a deep affinity.
In the creed's second article, Mary is mother of Jesus Christ, the Lord, the Son of God.
Matthew's genealogy of Jesus includes reference to four women who gave birth outside of the
normal patterns. Their presence in the genealogy prepares the reader for the extraordinary
circumstance--the virginal conception. In the infancy narratives, Mary is presented as mother,
virgin, servant; she also has a prophetic role in the New Testament.
The creed's third article considers Mary in relation to the Holy Spirit, the Church, the
Communion of Saints. The grand assembly of saints includes those officially canonized by the
Catholic Church but also the many exemplary servants of the Lord found in the Orthodox and
Protestant Churches. As described in a fifth-century liturgical text, among the saints she is
mentioned first, as "the glorious Mary, ever Virgin, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ."
Part II of the Dombes document is entitled Controversies and Conversion. Four
major points of controversy are studied: 1) Mary's cooperation with the saving work of Christ (a
frequently recurring theme in Catholic theology); 2) the two Marian dogmas defined in 1854
and 1950, the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption; 3) the perpetual virginity of Virgin
Mary; and 4) the invocation of Mary in liturgical and popular devotion. The study of these four
items of controversy are to be guided by two principles: 1) the doctrine of the justification of
faith in Christ Jesus the defining article of the Refomed churches, affirmed by the Catholic
Church at Trent and most recently in the international Lutheran-Catholic dialogue; 2) Vatican
II's principle of the "hierarchy of truths," in which certain truths are fundamental and central (for
example, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Redemption) and other truths are dependent on these
central truths.
1) Mary's Cooperation with Grace -- Protestants are sensitive to any word
beginning with "co-" (cum) in relation to Christ, for "co-" implies equality. Cooperation
in the redemption appears to deny that Christ alone is the redeemer. Vatican II retained the word
"cooperate" to describe Mary's relation to Christ's saving work, both because it was the
vocabulary of the early centuries (used by Augustine), and because this word, contrary to terms
like coredemption, could lessen the possibility of misunderstanding outside the Catholic Church.
The cooperation of Mary should be understood as a grace of God to allow Mary, as
representative of humanity, to respond to and accept the gift of redemption. God's gift calls for a
response. The Holy Spirit produced the obedient heart of Mary which made the response
possible. As mother of the Lord, Mary's cooperation is absolutely unique, but not structurally
different from that of any other person who receives the grace of God. Her response to the gift of
God's saving grace arises in the liberty of her person under the influence of grace.
2) The Perpetual Virginity of Mary -- Catholics and the Reformers of the sixteenth
century interpreted the texts referring to the "brothers" of Jesus as his cousins or relations.
Contemporary exegesis gives little support for this interpretation. Some parts of the Reformed
churches are hesitant to affirm the perpetual virginity of Mary because it is not warranted and, in
the mind of some, even contradicted by the biblical testimony. The question arises of how, in the
hierarchy of truths, the perpetual virginity is related to the central truths. The ecumenical
dialogue should study whether inability to affirm this doctrine would be an obstacle to unity.
3) The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. The doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception was defined in 1854 after centuries of theological controversy, debate,
and reflection. Similarly, the Assumption was defined in 1950 after a long process of
maturation. Before both definitions, a consultation of the Catholic hierarchy of the world was
conducted; in both cases, the hiercharchy was favorable to the proposed definitions. The two
doctrines can be seen as an extension of the holiness of the Mary, affirmed by the early
Church.
Protestants have difficulty relating Mary's freedom from original sin to the Incarnation, and
Orthodox view the teaching as a denial of the full humanity of Mary. Exploration of the
implications of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption could shed light on other facets of
Christian existence. As grace made Mary's fiat possible, so the grace given in the first moment of
her conception prepared the way for her total response to the initiative of God. The Assumption
sheds light on the "resurrection of the body" and the nature of heavenly existence. The Catholic
Church would do well to publish a popular catechism on these two doctrines indicating how they
relate to Scripture, the notion of Tradition, and the place they hold in the hierarchy of truths.
4) Invocation of Mary and the Saints -- Although there are great cultural and
confessional differences in popular Christianity, the centrality of Christ should be evident in
Marian devotions. The biblical, liturgical, ecumenical, and anthropological dimensions of
Marian devotion must be considered. Many misunderstandings in popular devotion arise when it
appears that Mary is spoken of in isolation, separate from the mystery of Christ and the
Communion of Saints.
The Virgin Mary has occupied an extraordinary place in popular Christianity and in
evangelization. In popular Christianity, Mary has a threefold role: 1) Closeness, Proximity-- she
is the mother attentive to her children; 2) Cultural Identity--she has been integrated into
and celebrated as part of the culture; 3) Protector and Healer-- she liberates from
oppression and is a source of healing.
The Council of Nicaea II, 787, spoke of adoration (latria) directed to God alone,
and veneration (dulia) to the saints. Although all prayer is ultimately directed to God,
the Christian tradition, even at the early period, developed "prayer to Mary and the saints" (for
example, the Sub tuum praesidium). This prayer can be considered a praise and
recognition to God for the grace given Mary and the saints. The Reformers rejected any notion of
prayer which presented Mary as an efficacious instrument of salvation. All prayer must be seen
within the context of the Communion of Saints in heaven and on earth and in the mutual
assistance and support which members provide each other.
The last part summarizes some of the prospects for agreement on the controversial topics.
Since a definition of Mary's cooperation has not been formulated, exploration of the notion
offers some possibility of agreement. But the case is different for the doctrines of the
Immaculate Conception and Assumption. These two doctrines were defined after centuries of
debate and a prologned reflection on the Catholic conscience of the faith--a process in which the
Reformed Churches did not participate. For that reason, the Group de Dombes asks whether
complete acceptance of these two dogmas must be a preliminary condition for communion
between the Churches. All agree that the content of these doctrines be respected, that they not be
judged as contrary to the Scripture--rather as developed from the Scripture, that they illumine
other facets of Christian existence. Could some time be allowed for the maturation of these
doctrines within the Reformed churches? (Hope for such an arrangement is drawn from the
1994 Common Christological Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church
of the East which allows for some differences in doctrinal formulations even when dealing with
conciliar definitions.)
As matter for "conversion" of the churches, Protestants should examine whether their
silence regarding the Virgin Mary is consistent with the position of the sixteenth-century
Reformers, and whether this silence has enhanced or diminished their representation of Christ
and his saving work. Karl Barth, who was so critical of some aspects of Catholic positions
toward Mary, would not have the Virgin Mary relegated to obscurity. "In her, there is someone
greater than Abraham, than Moses, than David, than John the Baptist, than Paul, and the whole
Christian Church. Here we have the mother of the Lord, the Mother of Him who is God. She is
an altogether unique creature."
The Mariological Society of America
– 49th Annual Meeting (1998) "The Virgin Mary in Art"
The forty-ninth annual meeting of the Mariological Society of America took place at the
International Schoenstatt Center , Waukesha, Wisconsin, May 27-29, 1998. The meeting's topic
was "The Virgin Mary in Art." During the meeting, the various pieces of Marian art submitted
as part of the Mariological Society's "Call for Marian Art" were displayed. Over seventy pieces--
icons, paintings, and sculptures-- were featured. This exhibit of Marian art will travel to Dayton,
Ohio, and other cities; in 1999, it will be in Washington, DC, as part of the Mariological
Society's fiftieth anniversary meeting.
The 1998 program was innovative in many ways. The Mariological Society has sponsored
many programs on Mary in the Sacred Scriptures and in doctrine. But this was the first program
devoted to artists' representations of Mary. Religious art has a specific purpose: it is not "art for
art's sake." It reminds and instructs us of God's presence, and it directs our gaze to the divine
beauty present within creation. Because religious art speaks the "language of beauty" (Pope John
Paul II, Duodecimum Saeculum), it is capable of reaching hearts and conveying a
message which the spoken word alone cannot communicate. Because it contains "a certain
resemblance to the truth" (Catechism of the Catholic Church), religious art can affirm
the truth that God has appeared to us in a human form, in the person of Jesus Christ, born of the
Virgin Mary.
The program focused on nineteenth- and twentieth-century representations of Marian art.
For many, religious art is limited to the Renaissance and Baroque periods which have furnished
innumerable images of Mary. In addition, our own period has many religious artists who,
fascinated by the divine presence in the Virgin Mary, attempt to present her in a way suitable to
contemporary audiences, sometimes in new and striking ways. In 1973, at the inauguration of
the permanent collection of modern religious art housed in sixty rooms in the Vatican Museum,
Paul VI reflected on the possibilities of modern religious art. "The Church" he said,
"has been known as the lover and teacher of the arts." Should museums of religious art be seen
as "magnificent cemeteries" offering only the work of the past? Modern art, the pope admitted,
is much more subjective than classical art, but for that reason it can be perceived as more human.
The pope observed that modern art has a "prodigious capacity for expressing the religious, the
divine, the Christian" to the secularized world"(The Pope Speaks 18,2 [1973]: 141-144).
In the presidential address, Fr. George Kirwin, O.M.I., spoke of the challenge which Pope
Paul VI presented to the Mariological Congress in Rome in 1975. "In what new and suitable
way," he asked, "can the Virgin Mary be presented to the attention of the Christian people so that
they will be stirred to a new zeal in their devotion to Mary?" This question, he said, was
important for both pastoral and catechetical activities. His reply was the "way of beauty" (via
pulchritudinis). Beauty is perceived in the pleasing and harmonious forms presented through
works of art. Art cannot be fully explained; it can only be experienced. "Aesthetics summons
language into an articulation of what cannot be articulated." Both art and spirituality try to
convey some experience of that which the "eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard."
Because they point to this real but invisible reality, religious artists are "messengers of hope."
Fr. Johann Roten, S.M. (Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute, Dayton)
developed the theme "Mary and the Way of Beauty." In the 1975 address in which Pope Paul VI
challenged Mariologists to cultivate the way of beauty as a way of presenting the Marian
mystery, the pope spoke of Mary's relation to the Holy Spirit. The source of Mary's beauty was
the Holy Spirit operative within her. In Mary, the Holy Spirit produced the one who is all-
beautiful. Spirit-centered Mariology is found in The Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Mary is the "masterpiece of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. . .the
dwelling place for the Son and the Spirit." In the liturgy, Mary is acclaimed as "Seat of
Wisdom." In her, the "wonders of God" that the Spirit was to fulfill in Christ and the Church
were manifested.(CCC 721). From the moment of her Immaculate Conception, Mary is the one
who most perfectly reflects the divine beauty (Vita Consecrata).
Fr. Michael T. Morris, O.P. (Domincan School of Theology, Berkeley, California), spoke
of various representations of Mary from the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. In
nineteenth-century England, the pre-Raphaelites wished to return to a more medieval and
"catholic" concept of art. Their works included many representations of the Virgin Mary.
Among those influenced by this movement were John Ruskin, Holman Hunt, Henry Tanner, and
Eric Gill. In France, Maurice Denys, Pere Couturier, Georges Rouault and Henri Matisse
initiated a more abstract style. Perhaps the most well-known example of modern Marian art
coming from France is Rosary Chapel at Vence.
Fr. Terence Dempsey, S.J., curator of the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (St.
Louis University) presented images of Mary from artists of the last half century. Frequently,
these artists are representatives and contributors to some artistic tradition. Among the artists
whose Marian works were reviewed were Henry Moore, Jacques Lipchitz, James Rosen, and
Fred Brown. In all these representations, the Virgin Mary is a symbol of comfort, hope, and
protection, and an assurance of the divine presence.
Fr. Nicholas Glisson (St. Vincent's Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL) spoke of the images of
Mary as found in the apparitions of the last century and a half: the Miraculous Medal, LaSalette,
Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorge. With time, the representations change, the human attributes
diminish, and a more stylized figure is presented.
Paul Rhetts and Barbe Awalt (Los Ranchos, New Mexico), founders and publishers of the
Tradici&0acute;n Rivista (a periodical devoted to the religious art of New Mexico),
spoke on "Traditional and Contemporary Images of Nuestra Se¤ora in New Mexico." Their
presentation focused on a specific type of art called santos, which were simple wood carvings
originally brought to the New Mexico region by the Spanish Franciscans in the 1500s. This art is
rooted in the medieval tradition and never experienced the more elaborate Renaissance style. The
santos are simple and two-dimensional figures which represent a distinctive iconographic
tradition. Most of the surviving santos date from the period 1776-1800. Among the most
popular Marian representations are Our Lady of Sorrows (los Dolores), Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel (Carmen), Mary at the cross (Soledad), and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
After 1880, the santos were replaced by other types of art.
A concluding open forum brought artists and theologians together to discuss a wide range
of topics--from the relation between spirituality and art, to the economics of the art world.
Religious art has many different functions: to console and confirm, but also to stimulate and
challenge. Religious art attempts to open its viewers to new levels of sacred reality, but the
viewer may need some assistance to understand the work. "I know what I like," usually means "I
like what I know."
The members of the forum emphasized that there are different types and functions of
religious art: liturgical art is intended for churches, and its focus is to point to the sacred
mysteries being celebrated; devotional or private art has a different nature and purpose. What is
appropriate in one setting may be out-of-place in another. Finally, the artists reminded
theologians that if not all the insights of Marian theology are represented in religious art, it may
that the market for such art has not yet developed. Most artists must make their living from their
work.
A special feature of this meeting was an evening of Marian poetry and song. Ann Astell,
member of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, read her Marian
Sonnets which were illustrated through slides, music and dance. A hymn-- "Faithful Mary"-
- one of the winners of the Mariological Society's Hymn Contest (1995-96) by Sister Marie
LecClerc, SSND was presented in a musical setting provided by Sister Ancele, SSND. The
meeting concluded with the annual report of Fr. Eamon R. Carroll's, O.Carm., on the significant
Marian literature which appeared in the past year.
The year 1999 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Mariological Society of America.
Many national Mariological societies were founded from the 1930s to 1950s, but only three
national societies have met continuously every year, without any disruptions--the French,
Spanish, and the American Mariological societies. The fiftieth anniversary meeting will be in
Washington, DC, May 25-28, 1999 (the same site as the first meeting in 1949), and its sessions
will be held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
The conferences given at the meeting in Waukesha (WI) will be available in Marian
Studies 1998 (available March, 1999--$12.00 prepaid). Marian Studies 1997, "The
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Icon of the Church, Intercessor: Ecumenical Perspectives," is
currently available. Marian Studies 1997 contains the following articles: "Conversion
and Ecumenism," by George F. Kirwin, O.M.I.; "Toward the Great Jubilee 2000: Mary and the
Search for Christian Unity," by Msgr. John Radano; "Mary: Intercessor on Our Behalf, One with
in the Communion of Saints, and Witness to What We May Become in Christ," by Ross
Mackenzie; "The Virgin Mary and the Baroque Image," by George H. Tarvard; "An Ecumenical
Portrait of Mary at End-of-the-Century America," by Donald Boccardi, S.M.; "Ecumenical
Perspectives on 'Ut Unum Sint,'" Pt. 3" by Larry Bethune, Marc Chapman, Frederick M. Jelly,
O.P.; and "A Survey of Recent Mariology, 1997," (Eamon R. Carroll, O.Carm.). Address all
inquiries to the MSA Secretariat; The Marian Library; University of Dayton; Dayton, OH 45469-
1390 (phone 937 229-4294).
Notes on the Liturgical
Calendar
In 1997, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments issued
"Notes on the Liturgical Calendar and on Liturgical Commemorations" (Notitiae 372-
374, vol. 35 [1997]) dealing especially with the insertion into the calendar of the memorials and
feasts for the many who have been recently canonized or beatified, and with requests for
liturgical commemorations for new titles of the Lord and the Virgin Mary. Some of the
suggestions are relevant to the use of the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
1) The Congregation suggests integrating the titles of the Lord and the Virgin Mary with
great local significance into one of the already established feasts. It is not necessary to create a
liturgical commemoration for every title. "A good practice, in regard to the liturgical celebration
of traditional devotional titles of the Lord Jesus Christ or of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is to tie
them to one of the feasts or solemnities of the Lord or the Virgin Mary that is found in the
General Calendar. . . . In the case of the Blessed Mother, it is also customary to associate them
with the feast of September 12th, which was previously the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary
in the Roman Calendar. At the same time, in the same spirit of integration and clarification, it
would be advisable to avoid the creation of new titles or devotional feasts for the Lord or the
Blessed Mother, limiting these to the ones already in use in the liturgical books, unless they
respond to a devotional feeling widely diffused among the Christian faithful and have received a
prior or careful examination from a doctrinal point of view."
2) A second suggestion is a reminder and slight modification of the conditions when,
during Advent, Christmas, and Easter season, some choice in the text for the Mass is permitted.
This clarification is useful for determining when Masses from the Collection of the Masses
of the Blessed Virgin may be used on Saturday or at other times during those seasons.
The 1969 Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar wished to promote a greater
consciousness of the weekdays of the liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.
For that reason, votive Masses during those seasons were prohibited. The optional memorial of
the Blessed Virgin on Saturdays was indicated for Ordinary Time only. Following the 1969
Norms, the diocesan calendars indicated the possibility of the Saturday commemoration of the
Virgin Mary only during Ordinary Time. The Roman Missal (1974) did however allow for some
"choice in Mass" on the weekdays of the Advent, Christmas, and Easter season, provided there
was "genuine need and pastoral advantage," (Roman Missal 333).
So, since 1969, the possibility of the Saturday commemoration of the Blessed Virgin
throughout the liturgical year in ecclesial communities outside of the shrines appeared
eliminated. The Roman Missal, since Trent up to the 1962 edition, had included formularies for
the Saturday commemoration the various seasons of the liturgical year. The elimination of the
possibility of the Saturday commemoration during Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter appear
particularly puzzling after the publication of the Collection of Masses of Blessed Virgin
Mary, which contained original votive Masses for those seasons. Although the Masses in the
Collection for those seasons were intended primarily for Marian shrines, many ecclesial
communities wished to have the possibility of using them occasionally on Saturday or days when
there was obligatory commemoration.
Those who wish to use theCollection outside of Ordinary Time should consider the
distinction made in Table of Liturgical Days and the Roman Missal (316 b and
316c) between the "high points" of the liturgical seasons and the ordinary weekdays of the
season. December 17-24, Christmas and its octave, and Easter and its octave, are distinguished
from the rest of the Advent,Christmas and Easter season. During those periods, a Mass other
than that of the day is not permitted (although the opening prayer may be for a memorial listed in
the General Calendar for that day).
However, the weekdays of Advent before December 17, and those of the Christmas season
(January 2 to Saturday after Epiphany), and during the Easter season (beginning the Monday after
Easter week) have a lower rank in the Table of Liturgical Days than the "high points" of the
season. During those weekdays of "lower rank," the 1974 Roman Missal (316b) had stated that
"any Mass inscribed in the calendar for that day may be used." The 1998 Norms appear
to enlarge that possibility: during the "low times" of the Advent, Christmas, and Easter seasons:
during those times, "it is perfectly legitimate to celebrate a saint inscribed neither in the
General or nor in the diocesan calendar for that day" (1997 Notes, #33).
In places where the Mass of the Blessed Virgin is regularly celebrated on Saturday, its
judicious use during the Advent, Christmas, and Easter seasons (outside of the "high periods of
the seasons) is warranted. The Scriptural readings of the day could be retained with the
euchological texts in the Collection. The Collection's arrangement is based on
Mary's association with Christ celebrated in liturgy throughout the year. The Masses from the
Collection for the Advent, Christmas, and Easter season do not detract from but enhance the
liturgical season. In all cases, however, the principal from the Introduction of the
Collection should be kept in mind : ". . .genuine Marian devotion does not demand the
multiplication of Masses of the Blessed Virgin, but that in the celebration everything--readings,
songs, homily, general intercessions, the offering of the sacrifice--be done with propriety, care,
and a vital liturgical spirit" (Int. #37).
News
A recent custom at Rome is the annual meeting of the pope and pontifical academies and
theological faculties of the city. The topic for this year's meeting, on November 7, 1998, was
"The Virgin Mary, Icon and Model of Humanity Redeemed by Christ." The annual meeting is
also the occasion for recognizing some of the outstanding academic dissertations from these
academies. After his address, the pope presented the first award, which included a grant of about
$35,000, to Deyanira Flores Gonzalez for her dissertation, presented at the Marianum, "The
Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross in Rupert of Deutz." (Dr. Flores taught in the IMRI program
this past summer.)
The pontifical medal was awarded to Marielle Lamy for her dissertation, "The Marian Cult
between Doctrine and Devotion: Stages and Challenges in the Controversy over the Immaculate
Conception in the 12th-15th Centuries" (presented at Nanterre University). The other recipient
was the Austrian Johannes Schneider, O.F.M., for his thesis, "Virgo Ecclesia Facta: the Presence
of Mary on the San Damiano Crucifix and in the Officium Passionis of St. Francis of Assisi,"
presented by the Antonianum Pontifical Athenaeum of Rome.
Book Notes
Mary is for Everyone: Essays on Mary and Ecumenism contains the papers given at
recent International Congresses of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 24
papers, written Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Melkite, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, and
Lutheran scholars deal with Mary in the Scriptures, systematic theology, literature, and
spirituality. Attention is devoted to the Malines Conversations, whose 40th anniversary
celebration in 1967 led to the establishment of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Edited by William McLoughlin and Jill Pinnock (available in the USA from Morehouse
Publishing, PO Box 1321, Harrisburg, PA 17105.)
"Maria ispiratrice di letteratura," by Ferdinando Castelli, S.J., in Civilta Cattolica,
1-15 (Agosto, 1998): 213-226. Since the fifth century, the Virgin Mary has been part of the
poetry, narrative, and drama of every Christian culture. The bibliography refers to a work of more
than 700 pages of references to Mary in literature. The literature of Bernados, Rilke, Sartre,
Verlaine contains many Marian references.
"Father Bede's Breakthrough," The Tablet, 12 September 1998. Bede Griffiths was
an English Benedictine who, during a lifetime in India, explored the relation between Christianity
and Eastern religion. In a recent book, Beyond the Darkness, Shirley du Boulay, tells of his
discovery of the "other half" of his soul by his "surrender to the Mother." The religious
experience of the feminine led to a profound inner transformation and "a new appreciation of
Mary. He found himself, though it had not been his normal custom, praying the Hail Mary
constantly, finding in the Mother of God the channel through which the Holy Spirit comes into
the world."
The Holy Family in Art and Devotion is a book of essays in conjunction
with an art exhibit, "The Holy Family as Protype of the Civilization of Love: Images from
Viceregal Americas." The book was edited by Joseph F. Chorpenning, O.S.F.S., and contains
contributions by Barbara von Barghahn, Joseph F. Chorpenning, O.S.F.S., Roland Gauthier,
C.S.C. D. Stephen Long, Thomas M. Lucas, S.J., Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. John Saward, Most
Reverend Carlos A. Sevilla, S.J., Christopher C. Wilson, Wendy M. Wright (Philadelphia: St.
Joseph's University Press, 1998). "These papers seek to offer a substantial analysis of key
moments in the evolution of devotion to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph from the
late Middle Ages to the eve of the third Christian millennium."
"Mary's Faith: The Supreme, Abiding Gift of the Holy Spirit," by Agnes Cunningham,
S.S.C.M., in Communio: International Catholic Review, (Summer, 1998). The many-
splendored riches of the mystery of Mary's faith are the supreme, abiding gift of the Holy Spirit.
Mary's wholehearted faith has biblical, ecclesial, and eschatological dimensions.
Articles in the Rosary continue to appear. Anne Winston-Allen, "The Remaking of the
Rosary: The Beads Adapt Themselves to Every Generation that Prays Them Loving," New
Covenant (October, 1998). Thomas A. Thompson, S.M. "The Rosary Encyclicals," The Priest,
(October, 1998). The Healing Rosary: Rosary Meditations for Those in Recovery from
Alcoholism and Addiction. By Mike D. Resurrection Press.
Finally, not to be missed, is the "Hidden Treasures of the Church: Art by Catholic Nuns," in
Christianity and the Arts (Fall, 1998). The entire issue is devoted to religious Sisters who
were artists. Pictured are the works of Margaret Beaudette, S.C., Mary Jean Dorcy, O.P., M.
Thomasita Fessler, O.S.F., Rita Keshock, O.S.B.M., Paul Turnbull, S.N.J.M., and many others.
Requests to religious houses for this issue brought over 1,000 responses. "largest single category
of submissions dealt concerned the Virgin Mary and female saints." For the issue, call 312-642-
8606.
The Marian Library Newsletter appears twice yearly and sent to those
interested in the Marian Library and the International Marian Research Institute. Donations to
cover printing and postage costs--and to support the activities of the library and the institute--are
gratefully accepted.
Editor: Fr. Thomas A. Thompson, S.M.
Marian Library/IMRI: 937 229-4214
FAX 937 229-4258
Mariological Society of America: 937 229-4294
roten@data.lib.udayton.edu
thompson@data.lib.udayton.edu
Mary Page: http://www.udayton.edu/mary
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