USCCB Release: Renewing the Consecration of the United States to the Care of Our Blessed Mother
As the world continues to face the ongoing effects of the global pandemic of the coronavirus, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the USCCB has announced that the U.S. bishops will join the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on May 1 in renewing the consecrations of the two nations to the care of our Blessed Mother.
Through a collective dedication or entrustment of a nation to Mary, an act of consecration is meant to be a reminder to the faithful of the Blessed Mother’s witness to the Gospel and to ask for her effective intercession before her Son on behalf of those in need.
The consecration on May 1. . . follows a similar action of the bishops’ conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) who consecrated their nations to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Easter Sunday. This prayer reaffirms and renews previous Marian entrustments, and it unites us in solidarity with our Holy Father, who recently established the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, as a source of protection and strength.
Archbishop Gomez will lead a brief liturgy with the prayer of re-consecration on Friday, May 1 at 3:00 pm EDT and has invited the bishops to join in from their respective dioceses and asked them to extend the invitation to the faithful in their dioceses for their participation. A liturgy guide will be available to assist the faithful who may join in by tuning into the USCCB’s social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. . . .
Through a collective dedication or entrustment of a nation to Mary, an act of consecration is meant to be a reminder to the faithful of the Blessed Mother’s witness to the Gospel and to ask for her effective intercession before her Son on behalf of those in need.
The consecration on May 1. . . follows a similar action of the bishops’ conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) who consecrated their nations to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Easter Sunday. This prayer reaffirms and renews previous Marian entrustments, and it unites us in solidarity with our Holy Father, who recently established the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, as a source of protection and strength.
Archbishop Gomez will lead a brief liturgy with the prayer of re-consecration on Friday, May 1 at 3:00 pm EDT and has invited the bishops to join in from their respective dioceses and asked them to extend the invitation to the faithful in their dioceses for their participation. A liturgy guide will be available to assist the faithful who may join in by tuning into the USCCB’s social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. . . .
Worship Aid in English Click here to launch the PDF document
http://usccb.org/about/communications/upload/consecration-usa-mary-mother-of-church.pdf
Click here to launch the full screen PDF Worship Aid in Spanish
FULL TEXT PRAYERS OF CONSECRATION:
Renewal of the Consecration of the
United States of
America to the
Blessed Virgin Mary
May 1, 2020
This prayer of consecration will be offered on behalf of the entire country
by the Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles
and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The prayer of consecration incorporates language used in consecrations
of Popes Pius XII, John Paul II, and Francis,
and also from prayers from Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Use this text to pray along with Archbishop Gomez.
Making the appropriate adaptations, other bishops can use it to renew the
consecration of their dioceses,
pastors their parishes, and families or individuals their own households.
When prayed in common, a leader might say the parts in bold,
and others might read the Scripture passage and lead the decade of the Rosary.
The prayer of consecration could be proclaimed by the leader alone or prayed together.
—2—
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.
INTRODUCTION
When our Risen Lord appeared to his disciples on Easter Sunday he said: “Peace
be with you.” We can be confident that he desires this same peace for all the
members of his body, the Church, and for the people of the entire world.
In this difficult time we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
and Queen of Peace, to ask that she intercede with her Son for all those who
are affected in any way by this pandemic. As we renew the consecration of our
country and of ourselves to the Mother of the God, we implore her maternal care
for her children.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray.
O God, Father of mercies,
whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross,
chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother,
to be our Mother also,
grant, we pray, that with her loving help
your Church may be more fruitful day by day
and, exulting in the holiness of her children,
may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING John 19:25-27
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the
wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple
there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he
said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took
her into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord. R. Thanks be to God.
—3—
[REFLECTION]
DECADE OF THE ROSARY
Recalling Jesus’ words as he hung on the cross – “Behold, your mother” – we
meditate on the fifth sorrowful mystery of the Rosary, The Crucifixion and Death
of Our Lord.
Our Father
10 Hail Marys
Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell,
and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
PRAYER OF RENEWAL OF OUR
CONSECRATION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Let us now entrust our country and ourselves once again to the
Virgin Mary’s care:
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church,
you are the fairest fruit of God’s redeeming love;
you sing of the Father’s mercy
and accompany us with a mother’s love.
In this time of pandemic we come to you,
our sign of sure hope and comfort.
Today we renew the act of consecration and entrustment carried out by those who
have gone before us.
Archbishop Gomez:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace our nation which we entrust and consecrate once again to you,
together with ourselves and our families.
A Bishop for his diocese:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace this diocese which we entrust and consecrate once again to you,
together with ourselves and our families.
—4—
A Pastor for his parish:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace this parish which we entrust and consecrate once again to you,
together with ourselves and our families.
Families, groups, or individuals:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace us as we renew our consecration to you,
together with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In a special way we commend to you
those particularly in need of your maternal care.
Mary, Health of the Sick,
sign of health, of healing, and of divine hope for the sick,
we entrust to you all who are infected with the coronavirus.
Mary, Mother of Consolation,
who console with a mother’s love all who turn to you,
we entrust to you all those who have lost loved ones in the pandemic.
Mary, Help of Christians,
who come to our rescue in every trial,
we entrust to your loving protection all caregivers.
Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy,
who embrace all those who call upon your help in their distress,
we entrust to you all who are suffering in any way from the pandemic.
Mary, Seat of Wisdom,
who were so wonderfully filled with the light of truth,
we entrust to you all who are working to find a cure to this pandemic.
Mary, Mother of Good Counsel,
who gave yourself wholeheartedly to God’s plan for the renewing of all things in Christ,
we entrust to you all leaders and policymakers.
Accept with the benevolence of a Mother
the act of consecration that we make today with confidence,
and help us to be your Son’s instruments
for the healing and salvation of our country and the world.
—5—
Mary, Mother of the Church,
you are enthroned as queen at your Son’s right hand:
we ask your intercession for the needs of our country,
that every desire for good may be blessed and strengthened,
that faith may be revived and nourished,
hope sustained and enlightened,
charity awakened and animated;
guide us, we pray, along the path of holiness.
Mary our Mother,
bring everyone under your protection
and entrust everyone to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
As we conclude this consecration, we ask the blessing of Almighty God:
Let us pray.
Bestow the grace of your kindness
upon your supplicant people, O Lord,
that, formed by you, their creator,
and restored by you, their sustainer,
through your constant action they may be saved.
R. Amen.
[Bishop or priest:
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever. R. Amen.]
[Others:
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life. R. Amen.]
—6—
REGINA CAELI
As is customary, we conclude our prayer with a Marian hymn:
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
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