MARIAN MOVEMENT OF PRIESTS PO BOX 636 CASTLE HILL NSW 1765 AUSTRALIA

AMDG February 2, 2020: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Dear Members of the Marian Movement of Priests, It’s a joy and privilege writing this New Year’s message as we begin this new decade, which will be of great importance as we move towards the definitive triumph of the . Our Lady will continue to give us the 20/20 spiritual vision needed to understand the urgency of Her Book and more importantly to live our three commitments as members of Her Movement and thus being faithful to her request to “multiply her cenacles”.

Every year, as we move closer to the end of the year, the world celebrates two very significant events with more emptiness, even though the origin of our Judeo-Christian heritage is deeply rooted in them. In the Blue Book, Our Blessed Mother frequently reminds us of the beauty and truths of these two events that should be a startlingly and obvious sign to the pagan world.

First is the birth of Our Divine Saviour, a birth that was so significant, the world eventually came to use it as a reference point for our dating system. The second event reinforces His birth as we move forward into a brand-new year, in fact, every reference to the date hinges upon His birth. Despite this truth, the Herods of this world, spreading the errors of Russia (155d), obstinately deny this truth: at Christmas with “unbridled materialism” (387j) and New Year’s Eve by conditioning us to party hard and thus be “intoxicated with emptiness” (32 & 441). Nevertheless, the light of Truth still burns brightly and can never be extinguished. Holy Mother Church faithfully continues to proclaim the inspired Word of God and She furthermore nourishes us in Holy Mass by our worthy reception of the One who promised to remain with us for all time (cf. Mt. 28:20). When will the time of the Great Tribulation cease? When will the New Era eventuate? Not even Fr Gobbi knew the exact answer to these questions despite the many revelations he received, and nor can we. Even so, Our Lady wants to gather us in Her Cenacles to live “in the hope and trembling expectation of the second Pentecost, now, close at hand” (546k).

As we begin this new decade, we can hope, this Era of the Eucharist Reign of Our Lord will begin in this decade. In the light of prayerful reflection and meditation on Our Lady’s words in Her Cenacles, we may be optimistic that the Great Jubilee of Our Redemption in 2033 may miraculously be celebrated by all nations. This will be a greater Jubilee than the Jubilee of Our Saviour’s birth, for as Scripture tells us, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17) also Fr Gobbi would quote the revelation given to Luisa Piccarreta that God renews the earth every 2000 years.

Between now and the New Era, the complete Second Pentecost will come! But let us be sober in our preparations, remembering that Satan, will do everything in his power to lead

1 us away from Holy Mother Church (406), so he can lead us from hope to despair (441g). Our Lady warns us of the subtleness of Satan in these days of the Great Apostasy and the Great Tribulation (23 & 25).

St Don Bosco’s prophetic vision of the two columns (the naval attack on the ), often quoted by Fr Gobbi, illustrates the transitioning between these two eras. His vision reminds us of the current attack on the Pope, through books; Our Lady expounds on this in Her Blue Book, as being the Mass Media controlled by Freemasonry (405d). Thus, She wants us to frequently renew our Act of Consecration to Her Immaculate Heart praying with love and devotion: “Mindful that atheism has caused shipwreck in the faith to a great number of the faithful, that desecration has entered into the holy temple of God…” In the vision, it is also very important to understand that the attack on Holy Mother Church comes from both the left and the right. Therefore, we must continually follow Our Blessed Mother’s example of humility in the first Cenacle (Pentecost) praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us and not allow the Evil One to seduce us with the current barrage of arrogant voices, especially on the internet, that think they know better than the Pope. As Fr Donal McIIraith reminded us on our annual retreat last August, “we can’t be more Catholic than the Pope”. This prideful attitude is diametrically opposed to the very essence of the Marian Movement of Priests.

Pope Francis recently warned his flock about the loss of the sense of sin; “it can come upon us gradually”, before we know it, we can slide off the Barque of Peter, falling into the murky waters of self-righteousness and slander. A good humble Confession, however, will rescue and revive us from drowning in the dark and putrid waters of apostasy (168s, 278, 434e & 442c). Therefore, as we begin this exciting new decade, let us with renewed conviction heed the Mother’s clarion call to remain humbly docile within Holy Mother Church with our Holy Father at the helm: “in order thus to set up a barrier to the growing confrontation directed against the Magisterium, that threatens the very foundation of the Church”.

No matter how “tempest tossed” our Church may get, She will never fall to the gates of Hell (cf. Mt. 16:18). In your Cenacles please pray with fervour for the Holy Father who is on the front line of the final battle with Satan, that is, the third 666, the attack from within (406g). The more we understand that Ecclesiastical Masonry is at work, the more we will not only pray for the Vicar of Christ but the more we will be at peace amidst this storm. And thus, prepare for the fast approaching Era of Peace when Satan will be detained in Hell (505i) and all nations will know the love of made visible in the Holy Eucharist (505j-l)!

Last year, I had the privilege of attending many Cenacles in Australia. It’s always a joy to introduce and pray the Cenacle with new people especially knowing this is the ammunition our Heavenly Mother needs to fight the battle and defeat the Father of lies. Furthermore, the Cenacles are the antidote to the attack on the family; they bring about true peace, conversion, Salvation, hope and consolation like nothing else can and they are “ridiculously simply” (# 358). Other highlights in 2019 were the joy of leading Cenacles while on a pilgrimage to and Medjugorje which I will do again this year and attending the

2 wonderful Oceania Retreat in the form of a continuous Cenacle, given by Fr Donal McIlraith (Responsible for Oceania) at our wonderful new venue at the Redemptorists Monastery at Galong, NSW. May I take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone’s response to “multiply the Cenacles” (427); especially to my brother Priests. I am again looking forward to our Annual Oceania Retreat, at Galong, NSW, with Fr Laurent Larroque (Former General Responsible of the MMP) and Fr Donal McIlraith SSC (Responsible for Oceania). Please see the enclosed application form. Book in early to avoid disappointment, we already have 50 booked in. I hope to see and pray with you at this retreat.

Yours in Jesus through His Holy Mother, Fr Andrew Grace, Responsible for Australia

Below is the annual international newsletter of the MMP.

MARIAN MOVEMENT OF PRIESTS Ave Maria 1 January 2020 - Mary Mother of God

Dear members of the Marian Movement of Priests,

You all know that I have left the general responsibility of the Marian Movement of Priests. I once again make clear to you that it was for me only in obedience to the will of Mary, expressed through a series of coincidences. I had asked the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy for help to be able to continue to carry on this sublime Mission. His reply ended thus: “I invite you then to obey your superior.” Now, the Message of the Book, in my daily reading, was that of 20 November 1982. I opened it just after reading the Cardinal’s letter. And those words of Our Lady landed before my eyes: “The virtue which I love most in my priest-sons is that of obedience.” And the following sentence spoke explicitly of obeying one’s superiors. For me it was a most clear indication from Our Lady. I have always let myself be guided by the Blue Book, and I will always do so. And, I hope, you likewise. I am obeying, then, my superior, who does not wish that I continue to be the General Responsible of the M.M.P. I am obeying Our Lady, my Mother and Queen. Anyhow, the Movement is Hers and She will carry it on, as she says repeatedly. Fr. Quartilio and Otavio had also happened upon this statement, opening the Book at random, just back from the final hospitalisation of Don Stefano, on 15 June 2011. This year I visited 68 cities in 7 countries, taking 27 flights, presiding at 96 cenacles, at which one Cardinal, 11 bishops, about 350 priests and about 7,400 faithful took part. Besides, I met with one Apostolic Nuncio, one cardinal, 8 bishops, about 400 priests and 600 seminarians, some female religious and thousands of faithful to present the movement to them. During 2020 I will go to Kenya, to some Italian regional Cenacles and to Oceania. Six bishops, 180 priests and some lay regional responsibles of the Movement took part in our International Retreat at Collevalenza, in the form of a continuous Cenacle. 34 nations were represented this year. During this retreat, faithfully following our Statute, we chose the new General Responsible, Fr Luca Pescatori, a diocesan priest of La Spezia (), who is the Regional Responsible for Liguria. We wish him a fruitful ministry in this sublime Mission to lead, on behalf of Our Lady, the M.M.P. at this time. Your little brother, Don Laurent Larroque

3

Dear members of the Marian Movement of Priests, I am Fr. Luca Pescatori, a diocesan priest of La Spezia in Italy, I write this circular letter to you aware that the gift and the responsibility that have fallen to me on June 27th last at Collevalenza are enormous. To be the Responsible, General Coordinator of this work of Our Lady is a thought that causes dizziness, but one must not think, one must be led and live in the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In Her Heart we are united and together we work and fight according to Her directives, in this so particular, difficult and painful Time. Our Mother accompanies us and offers us the true refuge of Her Immaculate Heart. As soon as the Spiritual Exercises in Collevalenza were over, in the very first days of this new responsibility, I took part in a pilgrimage with 12 priests to the house of Our Lady in Ephesus and to the cave of the Apocalypse in Patmos. With great joy we were able to live the cenacles in those holy places so significant for us and in those countries, Turkey and Greece, probably never reached by the message of the MMP. In recent months I have been able to contact several MMP members around the world and visit some cenacles in Italy and at Madrid in Spain. For 2020, the calendar of the Italian cenacles will be published on the website www.msm-mmp.org. I have not received permission to devote much time during the year to visit the cenacles across the world like Fr. Larroque (whom we must all thank for having been so giving for the work of Our Lady!): if the Lord and Our Lady so wish it, this time will increase, otherwise it will remain very limited. I therefore rely on the various responsibles to animate and look after the areas entrusted to them as much as they can, I know that there will be various priests available to visit them for me: this is the work of Our Lady and, above my joy to be able to visit you in person and the hope of truly managing to do it, people are secondary and the important thing is that everywhere we announce and live faithfully what Our Lady asks of us. I await the priests at the International Retreat in Collevalenza from 21 to 27 June 2020. I ask the lay people to invite their priests to take part and, if necessary, to help them in some way. I am very glad that in various parts of the world there will be other retreats of the MMP: may those who cannot participate in Collevalenza participate at least in the local retreats, do not let this grace of the continuous Cenacle pass by. Information for the Retreat at Collevalenza can be got from Fr. Florio Quercia, Via del Ronco 12 (Jesuit Fathers), 34133 Trieste, Italy; e-mail: [email protected]; Tel.: (39) 333.6322248. Looking further ahead, we are already beginning to organize the 2022 Retreat in Fatima, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the MMP: there will be both a Retreat for priests and a retreat for laity, approximately from June 26 to July 3, 2022. I ask you to pray that the Cause of Beatification of Fr. Nazareno Lanciotti, now nearing its conclusion, can conclude successfully in a short time: as for the Cause of Beatification of Don Stefano Gobbi, I renew the request already made by Fr. Larroque to send your own testimonies as soon as possible, to be ready for presentation. In the new assignment that has been entrusted to me, I propose a reflection that I hope will help you to live this Time in the sole light of Our Lady's messages, letting us be guided by Her words instead of by the many voices that confuse. 1 On May 13, 2010, Benedict XVI, in the homily of the Mass celebrated on the Esplanade of the Shrine of Fátima, said: "One would be deluded who thought that the prophetic mission of Fatima is over. [...] May these seven years that separate us from the

4 centenary of the Apparitions hasten the foretold triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the glory of the Holy Trinity." The Pope emphasized that the Church is still on its way to the foretold triumph and prayed that it might come as soon as possible. It seems like an echo of the Psalms' prayers "Lord, how long?" ... In this spiritual context we must read the request that Pope Francis made to the Patriarch of Lisbon shortly after his election, to consecrate to Our Lady of Fatima his pontificate, something that occurred on May 13, 2013. Our Lady, Mother of the Church, does not let the voice of the Church fall into thin air, and we are sure that she continues to intervene during this pontificate to realise what was promised in Fatima, and confirmed in detail through the Blue Book. We do not simply so hope like a comforting fairy tale, we are sure of it: the triumph of her Immaculate Heart will come, but only at the end of a period that she announces to be of "purification", a term that implies the greatest good along the road of trial and suffering. Our Lady called our time "the eleventh station" of the Way of the Cross (February 11, 1979)... The twelfth will come, and then the silence of the thirteenth and the fourteenth... where everything seems finished, ruined in an irreparable manner. Christ shows himself reigning only on Easter Day but he already reigned from the Cross, Christ reigned even during Holy Saturday, Christ reigns even when he does not seem to, even when he is abandoned and betrayed by all, even by those who should be closest to him. Only those who were with Our Lady did not abandon him. As already on Calvary, Christ also reigns in the history of the Church and guides it, even when its affairs are unforeseen or not easily understood. Our Mother tells us that we are on the Good Friday of the Church: there is a time, and this is it, in which the Church lives through her greatest difficulty under the greatest attempt by the evil one to destroy her, especially through deviations in the teaching of faith. He wants to bring into the Church a mentality that does not propose liberation and salvation from evil and sin to man, but happiness and peace outside of perfect fidelity to Christ, even accepting sin. This should not surprise us : it is the same method attempted with Jesus in the desert, and then shortly after with Peter who wanted to convince Jesus to reject the idea of the Cross, and with the apostles other times... He therefore wants to lead the Church to be the opposite of herself: conformed to the "world" thus believing that she is more like Jesus. "Error is being spread in a most dangerous way, namely, as a new and modern way of understanding the truth, and it ends by subverting the very truths which are the foundation of the Catholic faith. They are not denied openly, but they are accepted in such an equivocal way that doctrine is most seriously compromised by error in an unprecedented manner" (January 28, 1979). It is an alternative mentality to Christ, which goes in another direction, which outwardly respects him but does not deem it necessary, so it deems it useless, even a utopia: in a nutshell, an antichristic mentality. The evil one wants to bring the anti-christic mentality into the Church and lead it to apostasy. It is the true abandonment of Christ today, the true evil of the Church, its true Good Friday. It's an old problem, let's think about, for example, Modernism at the beginning of the 20th century, it has only "unleashed" itself in recent times. Yet the message of 13 March 1990 on this issue is clear. The dear Fr. Michael Gaughran in 2008 left us a beautiful meditation entitled "The clouds are gathering", ... the title was very significant. Nowadays one can already hear strong thunder, some lightning bolts and gusts of wind are already creating havoc and some

5 damage: the storm so foretold by Our Lady has begun. Yes, I am not afraid to say that the storm is going on today, the signs are there and cannot be overlooked. Just as the storms of nature frighten us, also in this "spiritual storm" we are tempted to panic, but the storm will lead to the purification and rebirth of faith in the Church. Let us never forget that this is the promised outcome. It's promised, so it's guaranteed and it's unstoppable. The Immaculate does not halt in front of the dark clouds, she dispels them with the light of God that flows powerfully from Her Immaculate Heart. Let us not be content then to watch the storm and not even to be merely alarmed, because she does not call us to be spectators but apostles, to act for the triumph of her Immaculate Heart. And for us it is a great gift to be called to collaborate! 2 In this storm of apostasy, many are also tempted to want to identify the precise culprits of confusion in the Church, merely making judgments and feeling at peace with their faith because "the culprit has been found". In the Church there are those who attribute responsibility to "those theologians", those who say, "those ecclesiastical groups", those who say, "those clerics" and those who say, "some in the Vatican". In the 1989 messages, Our Lady confirms that confusion is brought about from within the Church, including through some Pastors, some consciously and others less. She explains it without specifying the precise subjects, but only revealing to us the context in which they operate (13 June 1989). She knows who they were yesterday and who they are today, we are only given to see their work and therefore she asks us to act as her cohort, leaving her to overcome the head of this evil work. "She will crush your head" (Gn 3.15) (July 8, 1977; September 8, 1990). Our Lady, then, lives with us the Good Friday of the Church but she asks us not to get lost in discourses and judgments. She lived through Good Friday in the greatest pain but with an inner attitude profoundly different to ours "See if there is today any suffering greater than mine: my Son Jesus is outraged, despised; He is again abandoned and betrayed by his own... The Church, his Mystical Body, is again scourged by division and threatened by error. Those children who are faithful are called to bear great sufferings and to endure insult and outrage on the part of those who do not listen to me. ... How many there are who are lost each day, swept along by this widespread and dangerous confusion! Share in my motherly sorrow! Judge no one; condemn no one. Pray; love; carry the cross of this great suffering with me for the salvation of all." (June 30, 1982) She has learned from Jesus himself how to live Good Friday and what is the way to Easter. "Never judge. Condemn no one. Your duty is only that of saving, with the supernatural force of your prayer, of your suffering and of your immolation. The miracle of the merciful love of Jesus is about to be accomplished in your time." (October 27, 1988) - Here I want to teach you to suffer. My Son Jesus ... suffers without complaint; as gentle as a little lamb, He is nailed to the Cross. Behold the path along which I am calling you today: that of Calvary which you must tread with docility ... - Here I want to teach you to be silent. The word of my Son is silent in these final moments. Now He speaks with his life. ... Learn today especially to be silent. Create a silence within yourself in order to hear only his divine word. Create a silence about yourself. Do not reply to the criticisms and the calumnies ... to the sneers and the offenses of him who persecutes you. Judge no one. In the moments that await you, you will be called upon more and more to

6 keep silent. You will speak by your life. And for you too, from this life of yours on the Cross, will come forth the word of love for all men and of complete abandonment to the Will of the Father." (April 8, 1977) Today people tend to talk a lot, to make judgments and to pray little or badly. Confusion causes deep sorrow for the Church, but pain for the Church is not enough as an answer, it is fruitful only in fidelity to Christ in exactly the way our Mother teaches us. A prayer full of judgment, and perhaps even resentment, is useless. Our Heavenly Mother asks us, then, to fight this spiritual storm with spiritual weapons: consecration to Her Immaculate Heart, prayer (the Cenacles), fidelity to the gospel, testimony, offering, reparation, trust. She was this on Good Friday, and this teaches us how to be. After the death of Jesus and all Holy Saturday, in the great silence of Her pain and Her Immaculate Faith, She will be the strong presence that will pray to make good the rejection experienced by Her Son, and to repair the betrayal of the apostles. She is the only one who prays for them and the future Church, generated by Her Son and of which She was constituted Mother by Him. She is the hidden force of the nascent Church. She herself tells us: "allow yourselves to be led by my light, which will shine out more and more, because these are my times." (May 23, 1987) /// "Hasten to the sure refuge of my Immaculate Heart, because we must live together through the hour of the greatest trial, which has now come for you, for the Church, and for all humanity." (September 15, 1992) /// "Because in the safe refuge of my Immaculate Heart, which the Most Holy Trinity is offering to you as an ark of salvation in these last times, you will await, in confidence and prayer, the return in glory of Jesus, who will bring his Kingdom into the world and make all things new." (January 1, 1996) Don Stefano kept telling us that consecration must be done and lived. Let us carefully meditate on our Act of Consecration, it is a true school of life. Our Lady calls us to be strong soldiers of Her spiritual weapons, to Her directives, of Her who calls herself our Leader. It is not possible to be collaborators in this work of Hers outside of what She asks of us. If we believe that the Marian Movement of Priests is truly the work of Our Lady, we cannot "correct" her directions or live them "our way": they may be good ways, for sure, but something other than what She asks of us as the Marian Movement of Priests. The Marian Movement of Priests is not a Marian devotion, it is a life, a commitment, we could say a dedication to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: following what Our Lady tells us in the Blue Book, living the consecration to the Immaculate Heart, we can no longer face life any other way. "If you live what I have shown you and travel the road which I have traced out for you, you will walk securely along the way of the consecration which you have made to me, and you will bring to fulfilment the great plan of the triumph of my Immaculate Heart. Otherwise you will be halted by doubts, discouragement, difficulties, and the opposition which you will encounter. You will come to a halt and you will not be ready to accomplish what I have arranged for you and which today is so necessary for the salvation of the world and the renewal of the Church, whose Mother I am." (November 9, 1984) /// "Only in this way can you fight along with me for the assured victory; otherwise, you are already marching toward defeat." (August 22, 1976) Only living the consecration can we be faithful fighters as She wants for Her army, an army that will have the strength of trust in Her as little children have in their mother. This is

7 the only way to understand the words of 18 October 1975 "Be joyful", which Don Stefano recommended to us before leaving for Heaven. 3 Finally, we might ask ourselves "why, Lord, do you allow your Church to be subjected to this trial?" ... Unfortunately, it emerges that a certain part of the Church, laity, religious, pastors, seem to be following, to value what arises from these deviations of doctrine, from this Confusion, and to prefer another teaching to the Magisterium; in some cases they push for the Magisterium to change... In the Confusion, Division grows (11 Feb. 1979)... But then one understands that, apart from our sins, as long as this situation is present in the Church, the triumph of the Immaculate Heart cannot be accomplished. Here, the Lord is allowing that in the Church may emerge doctrinal problems, the hidden or dormant "spiritual diseases", the masks, the plans to change the Church, to change the life of the commandments, of the sacraments, of virtues, so that through purification she may again shine with the light of holiness that the Immaculate restores to her, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. It is a process of healing the Church, a purification that is necessary. Our answer must be clear: to live with the love of a fighter. So: faithfulness to the Gospel and to the Magisterium, faithful witness with life and – when necessary – with words giving reason for faith, prayer to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit over the whole Church, beginning with the Pope, who must be its first listener and echo. “Beloved sons, be faithful and powerful proclaimers of the Gospel. See how the truth contained in the Gospel is obscured by rationalism and torn by the errors that are more and more widely spread about. Thus many are moving away from the true faith. Live to the letter the Gospel of my Son Jesus. Proclaim to the letter the Gospel that you are living. Do not stop spreading the light of the truth in the world, pervaded by the darkness of error and apostasy. Be the apostles of the new evangelisation in a world that has become pagan, after almost two thousand years since the first proclamation of the Gospel.” (24 June 1997) We don't have to fret. The Gospel is everything for us, and the Magisterium teaches its implementation. If even someone should question it, do different things, want to try new ways... Let us remain faithful to the Gospel and the Magisterium! The more this confusion seems to us to increase, the more may our prayers and acts of reparation increase. 4 In the Act of Consecration, Our Lady asks us to pray a lot for the Pope and to form a barrier against challenges to the Magisterium. We are in 2020, a centenary of the death of little St. Jacinta Marto, who so offered her sufferings for sinners and for the Holy Father. Whenever someone asked her to pray for something, she used always add "... and for the Holy Father! (and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary)." We must ask ourselves: why does Our Lady always insist on the Pope? Why did She say at the end of the second secret that, among other things, that if her demands were not listened to "the Holy Father will suffer much..."? Let us try not to look at this suffering only from a human point of view, e.g. persecutions etc., but from a spiritual point of view... Recalling the vision that only St. Jacinta had at the well of Lucia's house (Third Memory, 6: the Holy Father kneeling in a house surrounded by people who swore and threw stones), I allow myself to share a reflection. This insistent call to pray for the Pope and to form a barrier to defend the Magisterium can be seen as if we, as Church (and even more so we as MMP), are the ones who strengthen this house that defends from the evil one the ministry of the Pope and the Magisterium, and if our prayer and our offering fail (if we of the MMP do not live well our consecration to the Immaculate Heart), if the barrier is

8 weakened that defends the ministry of the Pope and the Magisterium, which are reached by an increasing number of stones and blows (that is by works of the evil one) and then are wounded... blocked... to some extent annihilated... It is up to us to fight with the weapons that Our Lady has given us so that the Magisterium and the ministry entrusted to the Pope, of confirming the brothers in the faith, be protected from evil and supported and defended as She expects of us. Our Lady insists a great deal on this, so as to ask it of us as a second commitment in our Consecration to Her Immaculate Heart. The messages asking for it are countless. To be united with the Pope does not mean to applaud him and that’s all, to be always glad, it means first of all to defend his Petrine ministry from the action of the evil one with our prayer and the spiritual means that we have at our disposal. No one in the Church can feel themselves exempted from this, because everyone in the Church has a share of responsibility in supporting that ministry which, since Peter's time, has been the most subjected to the snares of the evil one. In the Church we cannot behave as is done in political parties, "I like" – "I don't like", "I'm pleased" – "I'm not pleased", "I pray" – "I don't pray"; people who do not feel the duty to spiritually defend the Pope weaken him, this is not part of the spiritual tradition of the Church… Our Lady, right from the first years, says that she expects a different attitude from us: "there will even be a time at which, like Jesus on the way to Calvary, he will be as though abandoned by everyone. Then these sons of mine will be his comfort and his defense, and together with they will be victorious in the greatest battle of the Church" (September 23, 1973). She will then go so far as to say, "Where are they now, those Priests who are close to this first Priest? Let it be you, O Priests consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, who are closest to the heart of the Pope. Pray for Him, suffer with him, be always with him" (November 9, 1975). Close with fidelity to the Gospel, and close in spiritual support and defence.

In this Time of Confusion, particularly, we must pray that the Holy Spirit inspire him how to lead the Church and how to defend the faith, and that he be a true instrument of the Most Holy Trinity for its purification. Our Lady asks us always and only this and then the Lord guides all for the good of the Church, whether we like the paths that He allows or not. But we know that we are in His merciful hands, and from His hands He offers us Mary... Then we really ought to trust Her, because she has told us everything about this "Time".

The triumph of Her Immaculate Heart is beginning already with our combat, especially in the way we fight, and is all the greater the more it resembles Hers. If we trust, I repeat that there is no place for panic, for arguments, for human methods to resolve with the "din" of discourses, newspaper articles, internet messages etc...

Thus, as a fruit of the refuge of her Immaculate Heart, she gives us peace. "The sign of my motherly triumph is peace, which even now I want to bring into the hearts of all my children: of those who listen to me, follow me, and consecrate themselves to my Immaculate Heart." (July 5, 1985)// "In the deep darkness of this, your time, if you live with me, you can already glimpse the glimmer of the new times which are awaiting you." (January 1, 1991) Then we will live our cenacles even better. The cenacles are our power of intercession. Let us consider this Time of purification as the Time of Mary, as "a long and continuous Marian year", and let us embrace these words of 1987: "During this year I am calling all the children of the Church to gather together with me in cenacles of unceasing

9 prayer. Most of all I desire that the holy Rosary be recited often, particularly by the little ones, by the sick, by the poor and by sinners. Surround the world with the chain of the Rosary in order to obtain grace and mercy for all. Multiply your cenacles of prayer." (June 10, 1987) I stress Our Lady's request: “multiply your Cenacles of prayer." Don't settle for what you've done so far, try to see how to do more... ask this grace of Our Lady, ask and try. She says two are enough to form a cenacle. Be sure that it is well done: the invocation to the Holy Spirit, Rosary, prayers for the Pope, a message from the Blue Book and consecration to the Immaculate Heart. No other messages, no other text during the cenacle. If you can, pray before an image of Our Lady of Fatima, to remind you that she in person began this work in 1917 and from 1972 onwards she called Don Stefano and us into it. I suggest that we all find ourselves - spiritually united all over the world, even if each in their own cenacles - on 20 February 2020, the centenary of the death of St. Jacinta, especially with the intention of our second commitment. Let us calmly reread the messages of 18 October 1975 and 31 December 1997. Let us pray together and ask for the grace to fulfil her expectations, to live confidently in Her Immaculate Heart, to be Her apostles as she wants of us. I thank you very much for your prayers, they are a great comfort to me, I guarantee you mine each day. I'm always glad to get news from your cenacles all over the world. "With the strength of the little ones..." (8 Sep 1996) Let us walk together in the light and grace emanating for us from the Immaculate Heart of Mary. don Luca Pescatori (Father Luca Pescatori – Responsible Director General of the MMP) ------Visit to Oceania by Fr Laurent Larroque in August 2020.

In August Fr Larroque will be visiting OCEANIA to conduct Cenacles in the Pacific region and, along with Fr Donal McIlraith SSC, to lead the annual MMP Retreat at Galong in August. Frs Larroque and McIlraith will visit Noumea (Aug 5-8) Wallis (Aug 8-10) Vanuatu (Aug 12-14). Fr Larroque will also visit Fiji from Aug 14-16 (Nadi and Ba) and Aug 22-30 (Taveuni, Rabi, Savusavu, Labasa and Suva).

MMP Website The MMP website (www.mmp-oceania.net) contains up to date information on upcoming MMP events when we know about them. For example it contains details of the annual national MMP retreat (this year at Galong, NSW), details of an upcoming visit to some of the south pacific islands by Fr Larroque and Fr McIlraith, details of the First Saturday Devotions at Flemington NSW and details of the New Year's Eve Prayer Vigil at Flemington NSW each year. If you are holding these types of events on a significant scale (for example retreats or First Saturday Devotions at a fixed location like Maitland, or ACT or in other States) then we encourage you to send details to [email protected] and we will put them on the website so people know what’s going on.

Victorian MMP Cenacles Victoria holds a series of regional MMP cenacles in October/November each year, thanks to the efforts of Fr Hugh Thomas, and Victorian MMP co-ordinators Dale Gordon-Stewart and Carol Kelly. We hope to include full details of these cenacles on our website in future, so keep an eye out for these and other events.

10

ANNUAL MMP RETREAT (OCEANIA) WITH FATHER LAURENT LARROQUE

The Marian Movement of Priests (MMP) is pleased to advise that our Annual Retreat for Oceania in 2020 will be held at the St Clement’s (Redemptorist) Retreat Centre at GALONG NSW (near Yass) from Monday 17th August 2020 to Friday 21st August 2020 inclusive.

The Retreat will be led by Father Laurent Larroque (the Director General of the MMP from 2011-2019). He will be assisted by Fr Donal McIlraith, who will act as interpreter. The retreat is open to all Priests, Religious, Lay Associates and friends. The retreat commences with lunch at 1.30 pm on Monday 17th August 2020, and concludes after lunch on Friday 21 August 2020. All necessary information will be provided to participants prior to the Retreat; the full daily program will be provided to participants on arrival at the retreat.

A range of room-types are available. Some rooms have single beds; others have twin single beds, or double or queen sized beds. All rooms have desks, and some form of heating. Some rooms access shared bathroom facilities, while others have their own ensuites. There are also a small number of flats available (flats include double beds, a desk and a sofa for relaxation). The cost of the retreat (including accommodation, linen, and all meals) varies with room-type (see overleaf). Note that there is a $150 pp discount for Priests.

Transport to the Retreat Centre can be undertaken either: - by CAR (1.5 hr from Canberra; 2.5 hr from Albury, Orange or Griffith; 3.5 hr from Sydney; 6 hr from Melbourne); or - by TRAIN (the nearest railway station is Harden, 23 km from the Retreat Centre – train travelers will be met at the station); or - by BUS (the MMP will arrange a coach from Sydney if sufficient people are interested).

Inquiries can be made by email ([email protected]) or post (PO 636 Castle Hill NSW 1765).

Registration must be made on the form overleaf. Completed registration forms can be posted (PO Box 636 Castle Hill NSW 1765) OR scanned & emailed ([email protected]).

The $250 per person deposit is payable at the time of registration, and can be paid either: (i) by cheque made payable to the MMP & posted to PO Box 636 Castle Hill NSW 1765; OR (ii) by bank transfer to our St George Bank account (Account name: MMP; BSB: 112879; A/C: 041489990). If paying by bank transfer, please identify yourself in the reference section of the bank transfer notice, OR forward a copy of the bank transfer receipt to [email protected], so we know who has paid.

As the number of rooms with ensuites is strictly limited, you are encouraged to register for the retreat as soon as you can.

Note that anyone cancelling their registration after 1 August 2020 may lose 50% of their deposit, and anyone cancelling within a week of the retreat commencing may lose 100% of their deposit.

11

REGISTRATION FORM FOR MMP RETREAT (17-21 August 2020 inclusive)

Surname: ……….…………………… First Name: …………………. Male / Female (please circle)

Address: ……………………………………………………………………………………………..………………..…

Telephone (mobile preferred): ……………….……... Email: …………………………………….……..

Room type* Bathroom type Cost Available Room choice Single Shared $650 pp 33 Twin singles (2 people) Shared $600 pp 6 Double or Queen (2 people) Shared $650 pp 7 Twin singles (2 people) Ensuite $750 pp 12 Double/Queen (2 people) Ensuite $750 pp 7 Flat (double+sofa) (2 people) Ensuite $800 pp 4 * Note:- Priests receive a discount of $150pp

If all rooms with ensuites are not booked by 1 August, then a few single rooms with ensuite may be made available (for an additional $100 pp). Would you like to be on a waiting list for such a room? …. YES/NO (please circle)

If you have chosen a ‘twin singles’ room, whom do you want to share with? .…….…………...

Want to stay Sunday BEFORE Retreat (for extra cost)? …………. If so, arriving when? ……… Want to stay Friday AFTER Retreat (for extra cost)?………….….. If so, arriving when? ………

Transport - how do you intend to travel - by CAR / by TRAIN / by BUS (please circle)?

Would you like us to reserve a place for you on a dedicated MMP BUS departing from Strathfield Railway Station (return cost $75 pp)? …… YES / NO (please circle)

Do you have any special dietary requirements? ……………….……………………………………………

Do you have any mobility issues (e.g. problems with stairs)? ……………………………...………..

Emergency contact (Name): ..………………….………….…………..……… (Phone): …………...………

PAYMENT of Deposit ($250 pp) by:- Cheque / cash / bank transfer (please circle)

Amount paid …………………………......

______END______

Office use: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

You may copy this form & invite Priests & friends

12