November 20

Cardinal Spellman Consecrates the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. (1959))

Our Lady of America

The National Shrine and the Re-Consecration of the United States

 In 1792, the Most Reverend John Carroll of Baltimore, America's first Roman Catholic Bishop, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Patroness of the United States and consecrated the newly-created nation under her protection.

On May 13, 1846, the Bishops of the United States unanimously chose Mary, under the title of The Immaculate Conception, as the Patroness of our land. In 1847, Pope Pius IX ratified the Bishops’ action. Our Lady of America identified herself to Sister Mildred and said, “I am the Immaculate One, Patroness of your land.”

All of this was reaffirmed in 1959 when the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was dedicated in Washington D.C. and the Bishops of the United States consecrated the country to her.



Shrine

 The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the shrine dedicated to our Patroness. Construction on the shrine began in 1920 but was delayed by the Great Depresion and World War II. After the war, in 1953, American Bishops under the leadership of John Noll, Archbishop of Fort Wayne and Patrick O'Boyle, Archbishop of Washington, renewed the construction which was finally completed in 1959. On November 20, 1959, thousands of Catholics gathered with their Bishops for the dedication of the shrine.

 They prayed an Act of Consecration to Our Blessed Mother at the end of Mass in the Upper Church and in parishes throughout the United States, according to a directive of the Episcopal Committee for the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The following is the Act of Consecration:

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.


Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our president and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners—on all who are in need.


Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from all harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God.


During the years of the renewed construction of the shrine, Our Lady of America gave messages expressing her pleasure for the shrine and her desire to have a statue of her displayed there. On September 26, 1956, she emphasized her desire that the shrine be made a place of special pilgrimage.


On October 13, 1956, Our Lady of America appeared to Sister Mildred and held with both hands a small replica of the finished Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. She said, “This is my shrine, my daughter. I am very pleased with it. Tell my children I thank them. Let them finish it quickly and make it a place of pilgrimage. It will be a place of wonders. I promise this, I will bless all those who, either by prayers, labor, or material aid, help to erect this shrine.”


On November 15, 1956, Our Lady asked Sister to draw a picture of her first appearance and requested that a statue be made according to this likeness and that it be placed in the shrine after being solemnly carried in procession. She wishes to be honored there in a special way as “Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin”.



Our Lady promised that the placement of her statue in the National Shrine would be a safeguard for our country, and the placement of her image or statue in the home would be a safeguard for the family.


On November 13, 2006, a new statue of Our Lady of America was publicly displayed for the first time at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in their Concelebrated Mass Room in Baltimore, Maryland.


Archbishop Raymond Burke requested the display of this statue at this conference for the benefit of all of the Bishops. On November 15th, 2006, Archbishop Burke blessed this new statue. This blessing occurred precisely on the 50th anniversary of the request that Our Lady of America made on November 15, 1956, to be placed and honored in the National Shrine.


Bishop Richard Garcia of California said, “To have the enthronement of Our Lady of America statue is a timely testimony and reminder to us all of the blessing Our Lady is for all of us who live in the United States of America. Our Lady guides and protects us in this critical time of our history when we need to value even more closely what she as a mother has taught us: to hold Christ in the center of our lives; to value the family and its unity; to do the will of the Father and to evangelize by pointing others to Christ.”



Later, Bishop Garcia said:

 Our Lady of Guadalupe is important for all the Americas but to have Our Lady of America and the Immaculate Conception as a special patroness for our nation will bring about the peace we so yearn for (and) a resolution to many social issues, including euthanasia and abortion.


The Blessed Mother is so important to all of us Roman Catholics, and Christian people in particular, and, specifically for our country, for peace within our land; and the intercession of our Blessed Mother is so important on many issues that affect us morally and socially.


Marian devotions, including those to Our Lady of America, also can lead the faithful to really listen to Christ's message that all must be bearers of the Gospel and bring about Christ's love.

 Let us pray that the Bishops honor Our Lady of America’s request soon and place her statue in the National Shrine as a safeguard for our country. Because she gave a grave warning for us if we don’t heed her requests.



Warning and Grace for the USA


In April of 1957, Our Lady said, “Unless my children reform their lives, they will suffer great persecution. If man himself will not take upon himself the penance necessary to atone for his sins and those of others, God in His justice will have to send upon him the punishment necessary to atone for his transgressions.”


On November 22, 1980, Our Lady told Sister Mildred:


Beloved daughter, the United States is a small one among nations, yet has it not been said that ‘a little child shall lead them’? It is the United States that is to lead the world to peace, the peace of Christ, the peace that He brought with Him from heaven in His birth as man in the little town of Bethlehem. Dear child, unless the United States accepts and carries out faithfully the mandate given to it by heaven to lead the world to peace, there will come upon it and all nations a great havoc of war and incredible suffering. If, however, the United States is faithful to this mandate from heaven and yet fails in the pursuit of peace because the rest of the world will not accept or co-operate, then the United States will not be burdened with the punishment about to fall.


Today, with wars, international terrorism, nuclear threats and natural disasters, Our Lady of America’s messages for purity, peace and prayer are more urgent than ever.


On November 11, 2006, the United States Bishops’ re-consecrated the country to the Immaculate Conception at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This is their re-consecration prayer:


Re- Consecration of the United States of America to the Immaculate Conception


Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother, in union with Mary we adore your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.


Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our president and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners--on all who are in need.

 Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart.

 O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon save us from degeneration disaster and war. Protect us from all harm.

 O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your Son in the depths of your heart be our Advocate. Pray for us, that acting according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.  - ola

Ave Maria!