Editorial: A Spirituality on the Rise
Father Roger Charest, SMM
A Spirituality on the Rise
In a previous Editorial, I asked the question: “Has Montfort’s Time Come?” referring to the influence of his manuscript on “True Devotion” on the American Church. I began to answer by way of a brief historical survey of the first signs of that influence shortly after the discovery, in 1842, of the Saint’s “True Devotion to Mary,” and how his writings had found their way into a great number of American Seminaries and Novitiates of men and women, here in the U.S.A.
In this issue, I would like to point out a few other important areas where De Montfort’s influence has been and continues to be felt.
At a previous Annual Convention of the Mariological Society of America, held in San Antonio, Texas, the members voted unanimously to petition the Holy See to declare St. Louis de Montfort a Marian Doctor of the Church. Here is how they worded it: “Because of the wide influence the writings of St. Louis Marie de Montfort have had and continue to have in the spiritual life and apostolate of countless Christians around the world, particularly since the discovery of his Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, we the members of the Mariological Society of America, wish to petition the Holy See to declare St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort a Marian Doctor of the Church.” (Marian Studies, Vol. 33, 1982, pp. 29-30).
Fr. Charest and Mother Angelica
Discussing Montfortian Spirituality.
two American Cardinals had likewise petitioned the Holy See to have St. Louis declared a Doctor of the Church.
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Petition to Declare Montfort a Doctor of the Church
In 1981, two American Cardinals had likewise petitioned the Holy See to have St. Louis declared a Doctor of the Church. Cardinal Archbishop, John J. Carberry of St. Louis, Mo., wrote: “May I add my own modest witness to the powerful influence of this saint. His works have strengthened me throughout my priestly life, especially in serving Holy Mother Church as Bishop, Archbishop and Cardinal . . . I have also witnessed many souls brought to such an intimate union with our Divine Savior through the writings of St. Louis de Montfort and I never hesitate to recommend his works to the faithful.”
Cardinal Archbishop John Cody of Chicago wrote: ‘What a magnificent teacher of the faith is Montfort today through his many inspired writings. His impact on the whole Church has been and continues to be considerable and invaluable, not only in the area of Christology and Mariology, but also in the sphere of spirituality and true devotion.”
Another medium that has helped to extend De Montfort’s influence on the Church, here, is the Television Apostolate of Mother Angelica’s Eternal Word Television Network, (EWTN), the first Catholic satellite cable T.V. network in the U.S.A. Since the early 1980’s, Mother Angelica has been promoting the writings and Marian Spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort by means of personal interviews, talk shows and even True Devotion Classes.
Many Groups Influenced By Montfortian Writings and Spirituality
Many …, for example, may have seen Father Frederick L. Miller’s series of six talks on True Devotion, entitled, “Why We Love Our Lady,” which was given on EWTN during the Marian Year. The series is now available on video tape at the Blue Army Center in Washington, N.J. 07882. Father Miller was the National Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima Center, in Washington, N.J., an apostolate which boasts of over one million members in this country alone.
Among the Religious Communities founded in the U.S.A. Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters of Victory Noll, Indiana, are among the first (in 1922) to have incorporated into their rule the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort. In 1958 Father James Flanagan founded the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity and likewise adopted De Montfort’s Christocentric Marian spirituality as the basis of their spiritual life and Apostolate.
And it is a known fact that Mother Teresa of Calcutta, foundress of the Missionaries of Charity whose Sisters work among the poorest of the poor here and around the world, is an ardent devotee of Our Lady and promoter of the Montfort Spirituality among the members of her Community.
In the forefront of the Apostolic lay organization, whose spirituality and Apostolate are totally Montfortian both in origin and in inspiration, we must point to the worldwide Legion of Mary. Established in the U.S.A., in the early 1930’s, it is now active in practically every diocese of this country. It is impossible to gauge the rich contribution the Legion has made towards making Montfort’s spirituality known in America.
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