Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
Happy Feast of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom!
I’m writing today from Orlando, where the bishops of our country are gathering for their spring meeting. I’m excited that we will be coming together this Thursday afternoon to consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as we prepare for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The consecration will take place in conjunction with a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady, Queen of the Universe. What a great title for the Blessed Mother! It was a designation attributed to Mary in one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium 58), and it seems to be totally fitting for the Mother of Jesus, the King of the Universe. In the ancient world, the “Queen Mother” was always given great honor.
The many titles given to Mary can be confusing: I once overheard a child innocently asking his grandmother whether Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes were cousins! How wonderful that we can appeal to Mary under her various titles, depending on our needs. When I first arrived here and we were in the midst of what seemed to be our insurmountable legal challenges, I frequently turned to her as “Our Lady, Undoer of Knots.” In praying for the sick, I’ve sought her help as “Our Lady, Help of the Sick,” and for priestly vocations, “Our Lady, Queen of Priests.” I’m convinced that it was “Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom” who found us our new Archdiocesan superintendent of schools. (Welcome, Deacon Michael McGinty!)
I feel blessed that I was named a bishop on the feast of “Our Lady of the Rosary” (October 7th), named coadjutor archbishop of Newark on the feast of “Our Lady of Mercy” (Sept. 24), and installed as archbishop here on the feast of “Our Lady of Fatima” (May 13). Mary’s been with me at every step.
It seems, moreover, that every ethnic group in our archdiocese has a favorite title for, and image of, Our Lady as well. I’ve been given a beautiful image of Our Lady in traditional Hmong attire, another in Vietnamese garb, and a third in which she is depicted as “Our Lady of Palestine.” “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” moreover, has pride of place in our Mexican communities, “Our Lady of Knock” among the Irish, and “Our Lady of Czestochowa” in our parishes with large Polish populations.
When I first visited Sts. Cyril and Methodius parish in Northeast Minneapolis, I asked how it became our largest Ecuadorean parish and learned that an immigrant family trying to discern which parish they should join went from parish to parish with a statue of Our Lady of the Cloud, an image revered in Ecuador. When the then-pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius allowed them to display their statue in his church, they knew that they were meant to become members there. The rest is history.
Our Lady always leads us to her son, Jesus, and wants nothing more than for us to accept him in our heart. I’m confident that she will be thrilled by this week’s consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart.
I celebrated Mass this past Saturday at “The Little French Church,” St. Louis King of France, as the parish bade farewell to the Marist Fathers, the religious community that has served there for 140 years! There are many reasons to be grateful to the Marists, but I’ll always be particularly appreciative that they, true to their charism, have left a notable Marian imprint on this Archdiocese. Merci beaucoup!
If you’re looking for a summer challenge for your family, I invite you to make a Marian pilgrimage. If you’re adventurous, the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion (the only approved Marian apparition in our country) could be a good choice, as would the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse. Closer to home, I would strongly encourage you to visit the prayer garden at St. Nicholas in Carver—it is a peaceful spot with shrines to Our Lady from all over the world. I bet it will remind you that she is indeed “Queen of the Universe.”
Join more than 86,000 Catholics receiving monthly Together on the Journey videos from Archbishop Hebda. By signing up, you’ll also receive his Weekly Word newsletter.
