Maria! Happy 100 years to you and all of the members of the MI, founded in 1917 by our beloved St. Maximilian!
I hope that you will have local public celebrations of this event, or attend one of the
three MI Centenary Celebrations scheduled around the country. We are also sponsoring
an MI pilgrimage to Rome in October 2017to visit special Kolbean sites and to attend the International MI Conference. Consider being part of this once-in-a-lifetime event!
There are several important developments in recent months to report…
In keeping with the MI General Statutes governing our international Public Association of the Faithful as approved by the Holy See, a new National Council was elected in June 2016. You may have read about that in the newsletter that was mailed to every MI member last summer.
Shortly after, I received a phone call from Marytown’s Rector informing me that the National Center of the MI–USA was to leave Marytown premises by December 31. While this sudden decision was a shock and would not have been our choice, we accepted it with trust in the Immaculata’s guidance for the future.
Thanks to her intercession and the kindness of many MIs (painting, furnishing, equipping and more), the National Center is now at an excellent temporary location at Santa Maria del Popolo parish, Mundelein, Illinois. On February 11, we had an open house and blessing of our temporary office. The facilities are humble but adequate, and will do fine until Our Lady provides a more permanent location (approx. 1,500 sq. ft. space). If you have a facility or know of someone who may be willing to donate a building for Our Lady’s work, please contact us.
As I see it, Our Lady wants us to soar with wings outspread!
A small but very dedicated group of volunteers helps with the daily work, and all the Council members are contributing wholeheartedly in various ways to serve the MI movement. EWTN has been giving the MI marvelous publicity, inviting us to be interviewed for future broadcast of
The Church Universal.
In January, the National Council met for three days of prayer, discussion and planning, with the privilege of having Fr. Raffaele Di Muro, OFM Conv., the MI International President, present and participating. Father encouraged us to entrust all to the Immaculata, certain that she will use everything as a springboard for an incredible spiritual and apostolic growth of the MI.
I am most happy to announce that the MI in the United States is committed to re-launch its Youth & Young Adults program. Under the guidance of the MI Youth and Young Adults National Director, Roy Samson, we have been discerning the specific direction needed to reach out to Catholic youth and invite them to be totally consecrated to the Immaculata as instruments in her hands.
Please keep this special intention in your prayers and if you wish to be involved reach out to Roy ([email protected]).
The MI National Center sends out a begging letter just twice a year. Not a solicitation letter, but simply begging—St. Francis did it, St. Maximilian did it, and now John Galten humbly does it.
I beg two things of you.
First, that each of our estimated 30,000 members could sacrificially give $10 or more. This would result in approximately $300,000 to launch the rebirth and spread of the MI throughout the United States; to permit continued formation of MIs; and develop new resources and materials for promoting total consecration.
There are no dues in the MI, only the generous, voluntary, charitable offerings of members.
I will tell you quite directly that the National Office has just about $90,000 in the bank at the present time. At first that seems like a lot of money, but it is definitely not enough to pay the rent for our temporary office, to print thousands of copies of new brochures, or to hire a National Youth & Young Adults Coordinator, or to sponsor retreats and events for members around the country. And so, I beseech you:
• make the most generous donation that your means permit now—consider a gift of $10 or more;
• commit to a monthly or recurring gift as an “MI Associate”—your credit card can be charged or we will send envelopes;
• make a gift of appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual funds (the market is very high right now);
• include the MI movement in your will or estate plan (our legal name is Militia
Immaculatae, Inc.);
• make sure the MI National Office has your email to receive
The Mission of the Immaculata monthly e-newsletter and other notices;
• pray and contribute for the success of the relaunching of the MI Youth and Young Adults program.
Second, as a Centenary gift to our most Immaculate Mother, I beg that each member recruit at least one new member by December 2017. This would double our numbers, a beautiful gift to Our Lady—30,000 more hearts to love her that she might lead them to Jesus. St. Maximilian Kolbe asked this very same thing at a certain point in his life. So, let’s do as St. Maximilian did!
At Fatima, Our Lady asked for the consecration of the entire world to her Immaculate Heart. The MI was founded just three days after the last apparition at Fatima. Every MI, therefore, is Our Lady’s instrument for carrying out the message of Fatima. In this Centenary year of Fatima and the MI, I urge you to be bold!
Distribute Miraculous Medals—St. Maximilian’s “spiritual bullets.” Introduce others to MissionImmaculata.com and MIYouth.org. And—always—pray.
Well, dear Knights—let us allow ourselves no rest from prayer, the penance of our daily duties, our promotion of the MI, our trust in the Immaculata, the joy of the Gospel, and the celebration of our 100th year!
Arise, let us be on our way!
John W. Galten
MI National President
P.S. Please donate as generously as you can—promote total consecration to the Immaculata—and send us your email addresses, please!
P.P.S. As a special gift to you during this Centennial, a
Rosary Meditations leaflet has been compiled from the writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe. May you draw inspiration from this as you ponder the mysteries of the Holy Rosary during this Centenary Year of the MI and Fatima.