The Catholic Defender: The Tradition of Our Lady of Hope

Tradition holds that during the Franco-Prussian War, Mary appeared to six children on January 17, 1871, in the village of Pontmain, France. She told them to pray for protection as troops approached the village and assured them that the conflict would soon come to an end. After the children and villagers prayed with their priest at the site of her appearance, the Prussian troops left the village, and one week later, the war ended. All of the Pontmain citizens who fought in the war returned safely home.

This apparition of Mary came to be known as Our Lady of Hope (also called Our Lady of Pontmain). A basilica was built in her honor in 1900, which was entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. When they came to the United States, the Oblates founded a shrine for Our Lady of Hope in Lake Champlain, New York.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Hope at the Basilica is a gift of the late Bob and Dolores Hope, in memory of Avis Townes Hope, the mother of the famed entertainer. Bronze sculptures of Mary and two angels are surrounded by white Carrara marble and Fior de Pesco marble. Carved into the façade of the altar are the words of Our Lady of Hope, “Pray my children.” The chapel features the following prayer: Detail of Our Lady of Hope Chapel

O Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me. The knowledge of my weakness discourages me. I am beset by fear and temptation of every sort. Yet, I am so attached to the things of this world that instead of longing for Heaven, I am filled with dread at the thought of death. O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me in my distress. You are all-powerful with your Divine Son. He can refuse no request of your Immaculate Heart. Show yourself a true Mother to me by being my Advocate before His Throne. O Refuge of Sinners and Hope of Hopeless, to whom shall I turn if not you? Obtain for me, then, O Mother of Hope, the Grace of True Sorrow for my sins, the Gift of Perfect Resignation to God’s Holy Will, and the Courage to take up my Cross and follow Jesus. But above all I Pray, O Dearest Mother, that through your Most Powerful Intercession, my heart may be Filled with Holy Hope, so that in life’s darkest hour I may never fail to Trust in God my Saviour, but by walking in the way of His Commandments I may Merit to be United with Him, and with you in the Eternal Joys of Heaven. Amen.

A crowd gathered to pray as word quickly spread among the anxious villagers. Children saw the beautiful Lady, and gleefully pointed up to her. Adults, however, only saw three stars forming a triangle. As they prayed the Rosary, the children saw the garment’s stars multiply until it was almost entirely gold. Next, the children saw a banner unfurl beneath the Lady. Slowly, a message appeared: But pray, my children. God will hear you in time. My Son allows Himself to be touched. Upon hearing the message read aloud, the crowd spontaneously began the hymn “Mother of Hope”. As they sang, the Lady laughed and joined in the singing.

The children squealed with delight as her hands kept time with the music. When the crowd began “My Sweet Jesus,” her expression changed to profound sadness and a red Crucifix appeared in her hands, with the words “Jesus Christ” above it. Her eyes mournfully contemplated the crucifix during the hymn. As the people sang “Ave Maris Stella“, the Crucifix vanished and her smile returned, though with a touch of melancholy. Two small white crosses then appeared on her shoulders before the Lady disappeared behind a cloud. As the night’s prayers came to a close, the apparition ended. It was about nine o’clock; the phenomenon had lasted about three hours.

Joseph Barbadette, who later became a priest of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, recounted:

She was young and tall of stature, clad in a garment of deep blue, … Her dress was covered with brilliant gold stars. The sleeves were ample and long. She wore slippers of the same blue as the dress, ornamented with gold bows. On the head was a black veil half covering the forehead, concealing the hair and ears, and falling over the shoulders. Above this was a crown resembling a diadem, higher in front than elsewhere, and widening out at the sides. A red line encircled the crown at the middle. Her hands were small and extended toward us as in the ‘Miraculous Medal.’ Her face had the most exquisite delicacy and a smile of ineffable sweetness. The eyes, of unutterable tenderness, were fixed on us. Like a True Mother, she seemed happier in looking at us than we in contemplating.

That same evening, Prussian forces inexplicably abandoned their advance.[6] General von Schmidt of the Prussian Army, who was about to move on the city of Laval towards Pontmain, received orders from his commander not to take the city.

On the evening of 17 January 1871, the Commander of the Prussian forces, having taken up his quarters at the archiepiscopal palace of Le Mans, told Charles-Jean Fillion, bishop of that diocese: “By this time my troops are at Laval”. On the same evening, the Prussian troops in sight of Laval stopped at half-past five o’clock, about the time when the apparition first appeared above Pontmain, a few miles away. General Schmidt is reported to have said on the morning of the 18th: “We cannot go farther. Yonder, in the direction of Brittany, there is an invisible ‘Madonna‘ barring the way.”

The sudden stopping of the Prussian forces in sight of Laval, and their retirement the following morning, meant, together with the saving of Brittany, the turning back of the tide of conquering soldiery from that part of France. The war was practically at an end. On 23 January 1871, the long-hoped for armistice was signed. Soon, all thirty-eight conscripted men and boys returned home unscathed.

Pope Pius XI gave a final decision regarding the Mass and Office in honor of Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain. A final Papal Honour was given to Our Lady of Hope on 16 July 1932 by Cardinal Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, by passing a decree from the Chapter of St. Peter’s Basilica that the statue of the Blessed Lady, Mother of Hope, be solemnly honoured with the Crown of Gold. The Lady then was Crowned in the presence of bishops, priests, and the laity by Cardinal Verdier, Archbishop of Paris on 24 July 1934

During the devastation of the Franco-Prussian War, Mary appeared on a farm to students at the nearby convent school. Mary’s message was written on a banner that unfurled from her feet: “But pray my children. God will hear you in a short time. My Son allows Himself to be moved by compassion.”

In the darkest hours of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Mary appeared to two boys (Eugene and Joseph Barbedette) as a lady dressed in a dark blue robe, sprinkled with stars, a crown on her head over a dark blue veil, and in her hands a red cross. She was surrounded by a blue and oval mandorla.

Mary’s apparition to the children had a scroll that showed changing words, such as, “But pray, my children, God will soon grant your request”. -Our Lady was described as wearing a blue robe with many golden stars. She wore a black veil with a golden crown. She was thought to be about 18 years old.

Meditation for Advent

by Pope Benedict XVI – “Seeing the Salvation of God.”

Advent is not only a time of waiting for eternity—it is also in a very special sense a time of inner joy that cannot be driven out by suffering. This can perhaps be understood best if we look closely at the inner content and meaning of our Advent practices…. The people of God have, as it were, translated Scripture into a visible form. In Psalm 96, for example, we read: Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes. In our Advent liturgy, these words have been joined to words from other psalms and the whole has been extended until we have: Mountains and hills will sing praises before God and all the trees of the wood will clap their hands, for the Lord is coming, the ruler, to an eternal kingdom. Our decorated Christmas trees are really nothing but an attempt to make these words visible. The Lord is there. Our ancestors believed this and the trees of the wood had therefore to go to meet him, bend down before him, and be a song of praise to their Lord….

Even our Christmas fare has its roots in the Church’s Advent liturgy, which echoes the wonderful words of the Old Testament: On that day the mountains will drip sweetness and the rivers will bring down milk and honey. It was in words such as these that men in the past expressed their hopes in a redeemed world…. [God] as it were distributes honey and it must therefore be true that the earth flows with it. Where he is, there can, after all, be no bitterness. In his presence, heaven and earth are in harmony and God and man are at one. Honey and all the sweet things of Christmas are the sign of this peace, concord, and joy. Christmas became the feast of giving, and in this we imitate the God who gives himself and also gives us life [and] that one Love which cannot be threatened by death or unfaithfulness or deceit.

All these elements come together in our joy that God became a Child who encourages us to trust as children trust, to give ourselves, and to let ourselves receive. It is perhaps quite difficult for us to accept this joy when we are troubled by questions and when physical illness and spiritual problems attack us and make us rebel against the God we cannot understand. But this Child is a sign of hope, and that sign is made on those who are in any way distressed. We ought to celebrate Advent by allowing the signs of this special time to penetrate freely into our hearts…and then, full of trust, accept the immeasurable goodness of the Child who made the mountains and hills sing and transformed the trees of the wood into a song of praise.

Pope Francis announced in a letter Friday that hope will be the central theme for the 2025 Jubilee Year, voicing his desire for the year to foster a greater sense of global brotherhood and solidarity with the poor, as well as care for the environment.

After two years marked by the coronavirus pandemic and the crisis left in its wake, “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision,” the pope said in his letter.

The Jubilee “can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire,” he said. “That is why I have chosen as the Motto of the Jubilee, ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’”

Dated Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the letter was addressed to Italian Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which is tasked with organizing the Jubilee.

The first-ever “Holy Year” was instituted by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 and was initially celebrated every 100 years. Then, following biblical tradition, it was marked every 50 years, and it was finally decided by Pope Paul II in 1490 to observe the jubilee year every 25 years, so that each person could experience one in his or her lifetime.

Jubilees, designed to be a time of conversion and increased emphasis on God’s mercy and forgiveness of sins, are marked by the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Holy Doors, present in each of the four papal basilicas in Rome, are destination points for pilgrims who travel to Rome during the Jubilee and who pass through seeking special graces and outpourings of God’s mercy.

The last Ordinary Jubilee was the Great Jubilee of 2000, celebrated by Pope John Paul II.

A new custom of calling “extraordinary” jubilees, meaning outside of the 25-year rotation, and which can last a few days to a few months, began in the 16th century. There have only been a handful of extraordinary jubilees since, the latest being the 2015-2016 Jubilee of Mercy called by Pope Francis.

The Holy Year of 2025 will be the 27th ordinary jubilee year of the Catholic Church.

“As the first twenty-five years of the new century draw to a close, we are called to enter into a season of preparation that can enable the Christian people to experience the Holy Year in all its pastoral richness,” Pope Francis said.

This will only happen, he said, “if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity,” especially migrants and refugees forced to flee their homes.

“May the voices of the poor be heard throughout this time of preparation for the Jubilee, which is meant to restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone,” the pope said.

“All of us are pilgrims on this earth,” he said, and urged faithful to make a special effort to care for creation during the Jubilee, saying, “may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home.”

“Growing numbers of men and women, including many young people and children, have come to realize that care for creation is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will,” he said.

Pope Francis urged Fisichella to coordinate with local churches in both the Latin and Eastern rites in a spirit of synodality in keeping with the current Synod of Bishops dedicated to the topic, and “in order to be ever more fully a sign and instrument of unity in harmonious diversity.”

He stressed the importance of the “responsible participation” from everyone, pointing to the four apostolic constitutions of the Second Vatican Council and the major papal documents of recent decades as resources.

These documents, he said, “will continue to provide direction and guidance to God’s holy people, so that it can press forward in its mission of bringing the joyful proclamation of the Gospel to everyone.”

Francis said a Bull of Indiction outlining the guidelines for the celebration of the Jubilee of 2025 will be issued “in due course.”

In the lead-up, the pope asked that the year 2024 be devoted to prayer, “above all else, to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him.”

With preparations for the 2025 Jubilee just getting underway, there are few details regarding the specifics of how the holy year will be observed. However, Pope Francis implemented several novelties for his extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy that could also be featured as part of the 2025 event.

Among other things, he allowed dioceses and shrines to designate holy doors that pilgrims could pass through without having to travel to Rome and allowed all priests to absolve the sin of abortion, which could previously only be absolved with permission from the local bishop.

Francis also allowed priests in the schismatic Society of Pope Pius X to validly hear confessions in the Catholic Church, and he widened indulgences – the full remission of the temporal consequences of a person’s sins after they have been absolved – available to the faithful during the holy year.

He also instituted the Missionaries of Mercy, a ministry in which the priests who assume the role are able to freely travel around hearing confessions, giving talks, and offering special guidance related to the topic of God’s mercy.

Thomas Lee Osborne into Eternity Our dear friend and brother in the Most Holy Divine Will, Thomas Lee Osborne, entered into Eternal Life on November 6, 2024. Tom, born in 1947, the year Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta entered into Heaven, was a humble man who worked tirelessly to make the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta known to the world, … bookofheaven.com

Tom, born in 1947, the year Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta entered into Heaven,

Luisa Piccarreta known to the world, working even shortly before his entrance into Eternity.

The world knows Luisa better from his blessed efforts.

His love, patience, and humility touched the hearts of all who knew him,

and he will be greatly missed. Thank you, Tom, for your love and generosity in the Fiat!

Please keep Tom and his family in your prayers.

Requem Aeternam dona ei, Domine, et Lux Perpetua Luceat ei. Requiescat in Pace. Amen. Fiat!

Obituary: https://www.myersdurborawfh.com/obituaries/thomas-osborne

Livestream funeral:https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmAxK2VD5j8

https://www.youtube.com/@saintjosephcatholicchurche3988/streams

Letters of Luisa #1 – May the Divine Consoler, Jesus, Console you and put Balm on the deep wound opened in your hearts by the loss of dear M…  But no, you have not lost [her].  [She] has left for Heaven and you have acquired a peacemaker and protector before God, just as [she] was on earth.  [She] will continue to do, from there, the office of peacemaker; (…) Therefore, all we can do is to say “Deo gratias” for the fortunate M.., and “Fiat” for ourselves who have lost [her], and this “Fiat” will Remedy everything.  So, let us not get discouraged by sorrow and losses; they are always bearers of Graces, Light, and most Surprising Aids.  We have an Omnipotent Will with us; therefore there is nothing to fear… Blessed Jesus and our Celestial Mama will be together with you, to Guide you and Dispose all things according to their Adorable Will.

Your most devoted servant, Luisa Piccarreta – Corato, February 24, 1932

This is a gentle reminder that on a weekly basis a number of our Priests celebrate in private at 8pm on a Thursday worldwide, the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament and the Priesthood, just as Jesus did on Holy Thursday.

In parallel a number of us as Intercessor Prayer Warriors For our Priests are simultaneously also from our own homes and communities, in secret, uniting @ 8pm weekly on a Thursday in prayer with each of our Priests to pray this hour virtually in the Divine realm or any hour this week.

It is important to stress that there is great flexibility on when we can pray this hour of prayer. We fully acknowledge that this time @8 pm weekly on a Thursday may not suit everyone including our priests and their demanding schedules so we ask all to pray any hour within the week.

In this hour it is all our intention to unite with Jesus’s intentions at his First Mass.

United to Jesus and Our Blessed Mother Mary and to each other we each close our doors and talk to our Father in secret; and make sure that the world does not know who we are.

During this 8 pm hour some of us opt to attend mass.

St. Brendan’s Cathedral, Loughrea, Co. Galway is an on line option as they celebrate Mass on a Thursday @8 pm link below:

https://www.churchservices.tv/loughrea

In other countries and time zones other mass options will naturally be available locally and on line.

For those who feel called to silence and stillness for this hour, Adoration is also a beautiful option.

Perpetual Live Adoration 24/7 on this link:

https://virtualadoration.home.blog/

Please do not worry about what time zone our priests are operating within and/or our Intercessor Prayer Warriors, our recommendation is very simple pray:

•        within our local time zone @8 pm every Thursday for an hour when we can; or
•       any hour within this  week.

It is all being done within Divine Time anyway and as we understand it Divine Time covers all time zones and there are no limitations. 

 We know that regularly all Jesus needs us to do is take the first step and he does the rest. So maybe that first step is to put aside an hour once a week to pray the First Mass and the establishment of the Priesthood with Jesus and / or to share this email with our contacts who may wish to participate in this weekly Prayer for Priests Initiative or perhaps something completely different to support our beloved Priests.

Please feel free to share this Call to Prayer for our Priests with all our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

We ask you Blessed Mother as Mother of the Church to bless this weekly Holy Hour commencing weekly @8pm on Thursday for all our Priests past, present and future and all who participate in this Holy Hour as we pray for unity among all souls past present and future .

We ask Saint Annibale Maria  Di Francia to intercede on our behalf and grant us all the Graces we need daily to pray, do penance and intercede for our Priests as one eternal act in the Divine Will.

Thank you for answering the Call for Prayer for our Priests and may you and your Family and your Communities continue to be blessed in abundant Graces and Peace by Our Blessed Mother, Mother of the Church for all you do for our Priests and Church

Niamh

If anyone wishes to subscribe or unsubscribe from this email or WhatsApp contact list please send an email.

If you feel you have a deeper calling for our beloved priests and are interested in finding out more about adopting a Priest and become a Mystical Mother for a Priest in the Divine Will, please email Bernie ict@divinewillfamily.org and we will be happy to share more information on this beautiful ministry for our Priests. 

Due to the fact that this Ministry of Interceding for our Church is rapidly growing we are in the process of upgrading our IT Communications, so in the near future you will receive this email from ict@divinewillfamily.org,. Please can you save this new email address ict@divinewillfamily.org to your contacts list to avoid this email going into your spam account.

God bless 

Niamh 

Mystical Mothers for Priests in the Divine Will

Mass Celebrated by

Fr Mark Byrne SOLT

in person and online event

(with the approval of the Luisa Piccarreta Official Public Association Corato)

On: Saturday 14 September @ 10.30am

(Dublin, Ireland Time)

In: The Missionaries of Charity

Mother Teresa’s Order of Sisters

Address: 223 South Circular Road,

Dublin, D08 V8Y4 

Thank you from the Mystical Mothers for Priests in Divine Will Mission for responding to this call in the Divine Will. 

At this Mass Fr Mark will explain how to enroll for all who are ready to give their Fiat to consecrate their lives to being a Mystical Mother for Priests in Divine Will and spiritually agree to adopt a Priestly son in the Divine Will.

We do appreciate that some people are still in the discernment process. These people will also be attending on the day but not giving their Fiat just yet, which is perfect. 

Fr Mark has prepared a formal Adoption Certificate for this event.  Please see attached. Those who attend the Mass in person will receive an Adoption Certificate and those on line who have given their commitment and wish to receive a formal signed Adoption Certificate need to email Bernie ict@divinewillfamily.org confirming that you are consecrating on 14 September and are giving your Fiat. In due course you will be sent by post the original Adoption Certificate signed by Fr Mark Byrne, wherever you may be in the world.

Thank you, Lord. 

In advance of giving your Fiat to being a Mystical Mother for Priests we recommend that you check out all the information available on Mystical Mothers for Priests on www.divinewillfamily.org, under tab Intercession for the Church;  listen to Fr Mark’s two video recordings and most importantly pray to God for an answer to this calling. 

If you are based on the island of Ireland and are house bound or in a nursing home and wish to become a Mystical Mother for Priests in Divine Will, and would like a visit with Fr Mark, or know someone who wants to become a Mystical Mother for Priests in Divine Will, just email ict@divinewillfamily.org

The Official Association of Luisa Piccarreta are currently printing their Booklets for Mystical Mothers for Priests in Divine Will which once available we will send to you all.

Going forward Fr Mark will schedule monthly Masses for all Mystical Mothers for Priests in Divine Will who have signed up; or are in a discernment process or are New Mystical Mothers for Priests in Divine Will on a rolling monthly basis as an eternal act in the Divine Will.

9/14/2024 – https://www.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/gallery/from-the-archdiocese-of-los-angeles-to-corato/1340 

The fame of holiness of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta has now spread beyond the borders of our city of Corato, not only to other regions of Italy but also to many other nations of Europe and beyond…

A few days ago four auxiliary bishops from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles came to visit St. Mary the Greek Church to pray at Luisa’s tomb.

The following is a short message left by His Most Rev. Excellency Bishop Slawomir Szkredka, a Polish-born priest who has been auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California since 2023.

I was asked why I love the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta. How could I not love someone who embodies such profound love for Jesus, God’s will, and the Church? Luisa’s virtuous life—marked by her deep charity, humility, and obedience—and her teachings on the communion between the human and divine will are truly a great gift. She inspires me to echo Mary’s words: fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum—”Let it be done to me according to Your word.”

+Slawomir Szkredka

Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles 

https://www.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/news/fiat-mihi-secundum-verbum-tuum/1947#commentiNews