Marian spirituality retreat to be offered in Spanish

Friday, Feb. 03, 2017

WEST HAVEN — A Marian spiritual retreat in Spanish is planned at Saint Mary Catholic Church in West Haven. The retreat, which is open to all who wish to participate, will culminate in a Marian consecration, based on St. Louis Montfort teachings, to take place on March 25.

In Montfort’s approach to Marian consecration, Jesus and Mary are inseparable, said Jesse Ricardez, who is one of the organizers and presenters of the retreat.

“This retreat is a jump start for people that desire to get consecrated,” Ricardez said.

St. Louis Montfort was a confessor, a Marian devotee and founder of the Sisters of Divine Wisdom. Born  Louis Marie Grignon in Montfort, France, in 1673, he was ordained  in 1700 and became a hospital chaplain in Poitiers, where his congregation, also called the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, started. After his work and sermons raised complaints, he went to Rome, where Pope Clement XI appointed him as a missionary apostolic. In 1715, he founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary. He was canonized in 1947.

St. Louis Montfort “was famous for fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the rosary,” Ricardez said.

Ricardez, Father Gustavo Vidal, pastor of Saint Mary; and Carmen Carmona, a St. Mary parishioner, will present talks based on St. Louis Montfort and the path to Marian consecration. 

At the retreat Ricardez will be presenting more information about the saint’s life and beliefs.

“We are all called to sainthood,” said Ricardez, adding that “this retreat is one of the many roads that we have to get to the sainthood of Jesus through Mary. … We want our brothers and sisters in Christ to get closer to God and a way of helping them is walking together to Mary.”

This is the first time that this type of retreat will be offered in Spanish at the parish.

“We are always trying ways of promoting our faith and we proposed this retreat based in the fact that Mary is our patron saint, and it was just right to do it here,” Ricardez said.

Carmona agreed, adding that “St. Louis Montfort is considered as one of the early writers in the field of Mariology; his true devotion to Mary is something that we wanted to share with everyone.”

WHAT: Marian Spiritual retreat in Spanish

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 17, 7-9 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

WHERE: St. Mary Parish, 4050 South 3900 West, West Haven

For information, contact Jesse Ricardez at 801-564-7356 or Carmen Coronado at 385-775-6842. Everyone is invited.