Leticia Velasquez - A Special Mother is Born

A Blessed Epiphany

The Friars of the Immaculate at the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold have a wonderful Epiphany Party. After Mass and a potluck lunch, participants enter their names and those of their loved ones into a 'raffle'.
Fr Ignatius said a prayer invoking the Holy Spirit and pulled out a holy card for all the names which included four saints who would be special patrons of that person, a title of Our Lady, a virtue to focus on and a maxim. Here are mine.
Saints:  St Veronica Guiliani(Franciscan)
 Bl. Michelina of Pesaro (Franciscan),
Bl. Mary Mancini, OP.
 St Miguel Pro.
This is the second time St Miguel Pro has been mentioned to me in this short year. A Voice in the Crowd reminded me about his heroic sacrifice in his comments after my post here. I hope my year doesn't hold the challenges of his martyrdom, but I certainly need his courage.
Marian Title: Singular Vessel of Devotion
Virtue: Hyperdulia (the devotion given to Our Lady alone, above that of the saints, beneath the worship given only to God)
Maxim: "The Immaculate can turn even our weaknesses to greater good. This is my only consolation. "
St Maximilian Kolbe
:Learning about the saints and blesseds other than St Miguel Pro, with whose story I am already famliar, is a project I will share about here.
I am so pleased with the Marian Title  and how the virtue of devotion to Our Lady points me in her direction all year, to learn about how my weakness will be made into strength. St Maximillian is right, this is a tremendous consolation, considering I lost my mother this year. I will follow in the footsteps of Venerable John Paul II whose closeness to Our Lady when he was left motherless at nine years old, gave him his vocation.
Who knows what Our Lady could accomplish through my many weaknesses?
I can't wait to find out.

All Hallows Eve Celebrations

Its so crazy here, my girls are sick and we are wrapping up 40 Days for Life this week. We hardly have time to plan for All Hallows Eve.

Thankfully the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold, CT has a wonderful All Hallows Eve Mass on Saturday at 6PM which is followed by a festival complete with bonfire to keep the event holy with the right balance of holiness and spookiness.

Here's what I'll be bringing to the party, thanks to Totus Tuus Family Homeschool.

In loving memory of Thom and Marc Girard

Fr Angelos' post at Mary Victrix gives honor to the fallen knights. I only met them once at Mass as their last Encampment was ending. It has been my pleasure to get to know Jackie and Carol this year, a difficult one in many ways, yet it brought out their spiritual beauty.
You are all in my prayers.

Tour of Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse WI

This is the latest site for a Friary of the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

Palm Sunday Procession at the Friary

The solemn procession began witht the blessing of palms in St Joseph's chapel, wound round the grounds and into the main church where a beautiful Missa Cantata followed.

An auspicious beginning to a blessed week.

Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord: Candlemas

In All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed, Fr. Stefano Manelli quotes from Fr. Laurentin, who gives a precise explanation of the Presentation:

“The presentation of Jesus in the Temple is not a standard biblical scene. It was not at all customary to recount the presentation of a hero. The only precedent is in chapter one of the first book of Samuel, and Samuel’s presentation is quite different. It is not tied to a prescription of the law. The timing is different: in
I Sam. 1:22-24 it takes place after Samuel is weaned, while in Luke it takes place 40 days after Jesus’ birth. Samuel remains there forever (I Sam. 1:22), while Jesus returns to Nazareth (2:39). The significance of the act is quite different, for the presentation of Jesus, according to Luke, has an apocalyptic and theophanic character. He who bears the divine names of Holy, Lord, and Son of God, visits the temple as a poor child, but he is recognized by the witnesses as the 'Salvation' (lystrosis, 2:38) of Israel . The newness shines forth everywhere, and always in the same direction. Across the anecdotal diversity the great themes converge.”
(Academy of the Immaculate: 1995), 235
Source: Mary Vitamin

Christina on "The Face of Pro-life"

Click here to watch my interview about Christina and KIDS on "The Face of Pro-life"on http://www.airmaria.com/What a beautiful way to commemorate Sanctity of Life Sunday.

Tonight was my first TV appearance

Imagine the most grueling day possible; giving an ancient history test on the day before Christmas vacation to nineteen adolescents. Then imagine having to rush home towhisk a sick child to the pediatrician, while fighting a fever yourself. Rush to the drugstore, rush home all on snowy roads, and eat a quick supper. Then, make yourself presentable for your very first TV appearance. In English. (Last year at the March for Life, I was interviewed by Japanese TV. )
Got the picture? Now you have a vignette of my day. Actually the busyness was probably a blessing, keeping anxiety at bay. I called friends asking for prayers while nervously applying makeup, but once I got to the TV studio, only ten miles from home, and saw it full of my favorite Friars, who prayed the rosary while operating the cameras, I knew all would be well.
And it was.

I was on live TV on the Cable Access Show, "The Face of Pro-life". with host Corinne Dahm. She was very skilled at asking questions to keep a show moving, and dealt with callers as a consummate professional. Filming with Corinne was relatively easy, once I figured out which camera to face!
Talking first about the March for Life, on the live show, and then taping a show about my journey as the mother of a special needs daughter, was so easy that, when my time was up, I didn't want to leave. I spoke so enthusiastically that I almost made the show run overtime. Now Fra. Augustine will have to edit part of my comments out of the show. He had already taken some footage of Christina on the Friary playground, on the slide, playing tea party with him, and showing off for the camera. This footage was shown while we were talking, and I'm sure Christina stole the show from her mother. What a relief! I hated seeing myself on camera, it was a humbling experience.

I may have a face made for radio, and I feel more comfortable on it, but TV was easier than I thought. Thank you, Lord for providing the Friars, Corinne and Producer Darlene with the opportunity to use the expensive airtime and equipment to spread the Culture of Life.

Update on the Girard Exteme Home Makeover

From the look of these demolition photos they're going for a Medieval Knight Theme. This no doubt, was inspired by the Knights of Lepanto in which Thom and Marc were deeply involved.
Here is the blog for updates on the Girard Family.