Renewing consecration to Jesus

SPARTA  On Sunday, March 4, more than 200 Legion of Mary members from 20 parishes in the Diocese gathered at Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) Church here with Bishop Serratelli to renew their consecration to Jesus through Mary.

This gathering of legionaries around the world, called the Acies, takes place each year as close as possible to March 25, the feast of the Annunciation. Legionaries, through the theology of St. Louis Marie De Montfort, renew their fealty to Our Lady, in order to bring Christ to the world anew.

The bilingual ceremony consisted of Eucharistic Adoration, recitation of the rosary, individual and group consecration, homily and Benediction. Bishop Serratelli blessed the group and exhorted them to continue in their important work of evangelization. Assisting the Bishop were Father Kevin Corcoran, diocesan vice chancellor and the Bishop’s priest-secretary; Father Wayne Varga, pastor of St. James the Greater Parish, Montague, and St. Thomas the Apostle, Sandyston; Father Marcin Bradtke, OLL’s parochial vicar; Father Dubernay Villamizar, parochial vicar at St. Anthony Parish, Passaic; and Deacon Krzysztof Slimak, transitional deacon at OLL.

After the ceremony, a multicultural feast took place at McKenna Hall with help from the Knights of Columbus, Marquette Council 588.

Begun in 1921, the Legion of Mary is fashioned after the Roman army legion. With more than 3 million legion members in 170 countries, it is the largest lay apostolate in the world.

[Information about joining the Legion of Mary, contact Jenny Murphy at [email protected].]