This annual Labour Day Weekend ECYD High School Boys’ road trip includes an afternoon in NYC with mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral, a day at Legion of Christ seminary in Cheshire, a Yankees baseball game Sunday afternoon, and Mass in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.
Led by Marianne Gronotte, more than two hundred and fifty women across three states throughout the Ohio Valley region have become spiritual mothers to the priests in their dioceses, and the Legionary priests who serve the area. These women are committed to praying for their adopted priest-sons in a dedicated and maternal way, starting with a weekly Holy Hour.
This weekly hour of Eucharistic Adoration is just one of five simple commitments of the SMOP program, but it is the women’s promise to pray for their priest before the Blessed Sacrament that is the basis, not just of this program, but of all spiritual motherhood programs around the world.
Besides weekly adoration, the women commit to saying daily prayers for their priest-son throughout the day, and frequenting the sacrament of confession as often as they can.
Perhaps the most difficult commitment to keep is that of anonymity: the women are required to remain anonymous to their priest-son. In the spirit of humility, and with the example of Jesus’ own mother Mary, who “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart,” the women are discouraged from divulging to each other, and especially to their priest-sons, for whom they are praying. “There is something very sweet and hidden about praying for someone I’ve never met and will probably never meet,” describes one spiritual mother, “I like to think that even though I won’t know my spiritual son here on earth, we will recognize each other in Heaven.”
The fifth commitment requires the women to promise to pray for their priest-son for the rest of their lives. The women in the Spiritual Motherhood of Priests program enter into a permanent, life-long relationship that does not end even when their priest passes away; his spiritual mother will continue to pray for his soul as long as she lives.
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Regnum Christi and Lumen families and friends enjoyed an evening of hospitality and prayer at the Connecticut home of Lisa and Bob Rooney whose backyard was in near full bloom. Mary Smith and Luly Fernandez, Consecrated Women of RC from the DC community, graciously provided and handed each family a personalized votive candle. The candles were lit and held throughout the praying of the Rosary, providing a golden glow to the faces of the participants and illuminating Mary’s statue.
In the end, the candles were collected and taken back by Mary and Luly to be placed in the chapel in their home in DC. In the coming weeks, each one will burn in the sanctuary lamp for eight days, and the consecrated women will pray for the intentions of the family who held it. Everyone commented on how their hearts were touched and warmed by this gesture.
Fr. Eric Nielsen, Regnum Christi Chaplain, led us in praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. Lay women and men took turns announcing the mysteries, the accompanying scripture verses and meditations, and the closing prayers. The evening ended with a moving and inspirational reflection by Luly Fernandez. She reminded us of the incredible, even miraculous power of prayer, especially in the praying of the Rosary. As the guests departed, each received in place of their candle a fully bloomed white rose to remind us of Mary’s glories, and a package of seeds for a Marian flower, to begin their own Mary Garden.
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Mercy Missions Atlanta runs missions annually in Downtown Atlanta with components of formation, apostolate, team life, and prayer. Hundreds of high schoolers, college students, and young adults participate in missions every year across the Greater Atlanta Area. Constant partnership with schools, parishes, and nonprofit organizations is key to engaging young people and driving awareness of the mission. Teams consisting of missionaries and team leaders are formed to serve and take to the streets to encounter the people of Atlanta.
“Young people love a challenge, and a deeper purpose to their lives. The more we invite them into the great adventure of knowing and experiencing Christ in prayer, the more they will hunger for him. The more we help them uncover the richness, depth, and beauty of the faith by teaching it in a real and dynamic way, the more they will fall in love with it and desire to live it. And the more we challenge them to rise up and put their gifts and talents at the service of evangelizing, the more they will respond and come up with better and more creative apostolates than we could even imagine.”
Offering monthly street evangelization missions allows students to pray together, meet other college students, and learn to overcome their fear in sharing the faith.
Holy Week Missions 2024 in Calgary saw 60 youth registered and a total of 82 participants in the Youth Track. The youth participated in a week of activities, adoration, corporal works of mercy, street missions, liturgies and formative talks. At the end of the Easter Vigil there was a potluck dinner and dance to wind up an amazing week of coming closer to our Lord throughout his Passion. Several youth committed to deepening their relationship with Christ and to continuing monthly missions throughout the year.
In the family track, 14 families registered with a total of 60 participants. The families were commissioned on Palm Sunday and completed home activities throughout the week, finishing up with a full day Mission on Holy Saturday that included a Cross Walk and door to door missions along with games and crafts and a formative talk for the adults.
In the Young Adult Mission, 18 young adults participated in a one-day mission that included a formative talk, missionary training, street missions handing out hot chocolate and homemade cookies to those experiencing homelessness, a Cross Walk in which they collected prayer intentions, and an evening meal.
Read more about this initiative here.
Holy Week Missions Calgary Read More »
Angie Doxtader, a Pinecrest Academy mom and Challenge Club leader, shared with the Challenge girls about a very important ministry located in the heart of the city of Atlanta, called Out of Darkness. Out of Darkness is a chapter of the anti-trafficking ministry of Frontline Ministry, a Christian-based non-profit organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. This much-needed ministry seeks to assist victims of sex trafficking by providing outreach, rescue, and emergency safe housing, and to help to transition men, women, and children out of homelessness.
Angie, who volunteers for Out of Darkness, shared with the seventh and eighth grade Pinecrest Academy Challenge girls a short video about two of the women who have benefitted from the ministry, and how they discovered the love of God through others at the shelter. Immediately, the Challenge girls were interested in serving the women at the Transitional House, and decided to work together to make a meal to be delivered to the women in the home. After school one day, they shopped for all the supplies (with the help of their moms) to make a delicious lasagna meal, complete with salad and dessert. This meal was then dropped off at Angie’s home, who delivered it to the Transitional Home downtown. Since confidentiality is an essential part of the Out of Darkness ministry, the girls never visited the Transitional Home themselves, nor met the women staying there; they know only that it was delivered to the safe house in downtown Atlanta along with their messages of love and their prayers for them, and that the women who received it, women who had grown accustomed to being dehumanized, abused, and rejected, greatly appreciated this act of service, kindness, and love that was meant just for them.
Challenge Club Serves Victims of Human Trafficking Read More »
The Wonder of Eve helps high school-aged women understand how naturally amazing their bodies are and the impact their choices can have on their future health and fertility.
It is an age-appropriate, engaging presentation that helps young women understand the truth about how their bodies are developing and the power that they have by understanding it.
It includes a brief introduction to understanding and tracking cycles as a way to better understand their health. Girls are encouraged to take good care of themselves now and to understand how God designed their bodies to work so they can advocate for their healthcare.
Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.
In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.
Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.
From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.
Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!
