An effort is under way to consecrate California to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and all California Catholics are invited to take part.
Many will gather in prayer from noon to 2 p.m. local time on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, at several parishes statewide. The schedule calls for Mass to be celebrated at noon, followed by a walk to a designated location where the rosary and special consecration prayers will be recited.
The organizers of this statewide effort are seeking Mary’s intercession to combat several moral evils they see as prevalent in the state.
The effort has a website, www.consecratecalifornia.com, which lists parishes that are signing on to participate in the campaign. Those unable to make it to a participating church are encouraged to recite the rosary and prayers provided on the website either on their own or as a group.
One of the prayers available on the website includes a request “to be spared the just punishment for our souls that our state deserves from killing our unborn, sick, elderly, unwanted, and for the violence, sex abuse, drugs, alcoholism and sex trafficking.”
The campaign to consecrate California is the brainchild of Angelo Libutti, a resident of Glendale and a veteran of the film industry. A story artist and writer of 33 feature films, Libutti came up with the idea late last year, while spending time in front of the Blessed Sacrament after a tense day at work. Earlier that day, he had been roundly criticised by co-workers after expressing his pro-life views.
Libutti, who had personally consecrated himself to Mary and experienced “radical changes in my life” as a result, felt that a statewide consecration was just the remedy to the immorality, secularism and hostility to traditional values in California.
Within a month and a half of having the idea, Libutti went on to stage the first statewide consecration of California last December. The forthcoming event will be the second.
As Libutti sees it, both this year’s and last year’s events are primarily expressions of the laity’s desire for their state to be consecrated to Mary and of their unity in this cause. Making it official will require California’s two metropolitan archbishops, Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, to support the effort and for one of them to personally consecrate the state.
Libutti has personally spoken with both archbishops. They like the idea of the consecration, he said, and he remains hopeful that their schedules will permit their participation this year.
Full story at The Catholic Herald.
Bravo!
In order to complete, however, the two “metropolitan archbishops, Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, to support the effort and for one of them to personally consecrte the state.”
Let’s see how much faith and devotion Gomez and Cordeleone have to make it happen.
So many technicalities. Is that really how God works?
I thought they already did this last year. Did the consecration not take? Does it expire after a year? Do they think people forgot? So much about this doesn’t make sense.
A real event such as this needs months to get the word out so people can plan their travel and schedule. If a bishop could not work his schedule than he should pack it up and have schedules no more.
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our lifeour sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
V- Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
R- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Great idea!!! It should be statewide. Let’s see if it is covered by the media.
AB Cordileone has ALREADY Consecreted the Archdiocese of San Francisco to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
And look at what good it has done!
Gabe, it might be wist to take a look at the Memorare:
“Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.”