Karen Barry Schwarz – Special to the Florida Catholic
Bishop Frank J. Dewane will join Pope Francis on Friday, March 25, 2022, in “a solemn Act of Consecration of humanity, and Russia and Ukraine in particular, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
The Consecration will take place at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice, beginning at noon with the Prayer of Consecration and followed by the Mass. All are invited to participate. The Consecration and Mass will also be livestreamed via Facebook.
At around the same time – 5 p.m. in Rome – Pope Francis will be reciting the Prayer of Consecration in St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis has invited all of the world’s bishops to join him in this important moment of prayer.
“It is asked that all the Faithful offer prayer at that time, or some time on March 25, to join in the Consecration,” said Bishop Dewane. (Please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/solemn-act-of-consecration-requested-by-pope-francis-to-occur-in-venice-march-25/ for the text for the Act of Consecration in English and Spanish.)
The practice of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is closely linked to the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. During the third apparition, on July 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary told three visionaries that God sought to establish the devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart in the world, stating that if this request was not granted, Russia would “spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church.” Pope Francis and previous popes have led various consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, including Pope St. John Paul II’s consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, 1984.
March 25 marks the Solemnity of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and bear “the Son of the Most High” through the power of the Holy Spirit.
To view the live streamed Mass that Bishop Dewane will celebrate at noon on Friday, March 25, please visit www.facebook.com/dioceseofvenice. In addition to prayer, should some want to offer financial assistance for humanitarian aid and recovery efforts in the Ukraine, please visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/giving.
