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The Miraculous Medal – A Short Catechism

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“This is truly our heavenly weapon,” states St Maximilian Kolbe, describing the medal as “a bullet with which a faithful soldier hits the enemy, i.e. evil, and thus rescues souls.”

The great gift to the Church, the Miraculous Medal, is truly a heavenly weapon. It wasn’t fashioned by human interpretation, but rather by Our Lady herself. The Miraculous Medal is the Holy Insignia of Our Lady, truly Immaculate. As a soldier of Jesus through Mary, carrying a heavenly weapon is indeed like a bullet that will surely strike at the demons, crushing the ancient serpent, and ultimately rescuing the souls of those who faithfully wear this medal.

A short catechism about the Miraculous Medal. Read about it, wear the Miraculous Medal, understand why you are wearing it, encourage others to wear it, and always turn to Our Lady—who was conceived without sin—because she will obtain for you all the graces you need to overcome your enemies and experience miracles in your life.

What is the Miraculous Medal?
It is a sacramental such as the scapular and rosary that have been instituted or directly propagated by Our Blessed Mother. It uses words and images to increase our devotion to the Immaculate Queen of Heaven, and its symbols can explain the Church’s teachings on the Blessed Virgin.

What is a sacramental?
The catechism teaches us that sacramentals are “holy things or actions of which the church makes use to obtain for us from God, through her intercession, spiritual and temporal favours.” A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the church to excite good thoughts and to help devotion. (CCC1667, Baltimore Catechism  292. Q.)

Who is St. Catherine Labouré?
The humble daughter of Charity, was born in France May 2, 1806 and died December 31, 1876, her body was discovered to be in-corrupt after being exhumed in 1933. She was beatified by Pope Pius XI on May 28, 1933 and canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 27, 1947. The church honours St. Catherine Labouré on November 28 the day after the feast of the Miraculous Medal November 27.

How did the miraculous medal come about?
It came about by request of Mary in visions to Sister Catherine in 1830. Sister Catherine asked how she was to have the medal struck. Mary replied that she was to go to her confessor, a Father Jean Marie Aladel saying of this saintly priest: “He is my servant.” Father Aladel at first did not believe Catherine; however, after two years, he finally went to the archbishop. Pg 16-17

What were the visions?
There was the initial vision followed some months later by visions with regards to the medal details and a direct order by the Virgin: “Have a medal struck as I have shown you. All who wear it will receive great graces.”

Initial Apparition
At half past 11 o’clock on the night of July 18, 1830, she was awakened by the vision of a child who led her to the chapel where Our Lady spoke to her for more than two hours. She told Catherine that God wished to charge her with a mission.  Pg 53 – Pg 56

First Apparition concerning the Medal
Then in November of 1830, Sister Catherine communicates to M. Aladel (her confessor and spiritual director) a new vision received on 27th November;

“At half- past five in the evening, whilst the Sisters were in the chapel taking their meditation, the Blessed Virgin appeared to a young Sister as if in an oval picture; she was standing on a globe, only one-half of which was visible ; she was clothed in a white robe and a mantle of shining blue, having her hands covered, as it were, with diamonds, whence emanated luminous rays falling the earth, but more abundantly upon one portion of it.

 

“A voice seemed to say: These rays are symbolic of the graces Mary obtains for men, and the point upon which they fall most abundantly is France. Around the picture, written in golden letters, were these words: Mary! conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee! This prayer, traced in a semi-circle, began at the Blessed Virgins right hand, and, passing over her head, terminated at her left hand. The reverse of the picture bore the letter M surmounted by a cross, having a bar at its base, and beneath the monogram of Mary, were the hearts of Jesus and Mary, the first surrounded with a crown of thorns, the other trans pierced with a sword. Then she seemed to hear these words: A medal must be struck upon this model; those who wear it indulgenced, and repeat this prayer with devotion, will be, in an especial manner, under the protection of the Mother of God. At that instant, the vision disappeared.” Pg 57 & Pg 58

Second Apparition concerning the Medal

And, indeed, in the course of December, she was favoured with another vision, similar to that of November 27th, and occurring at the same time, during evening meditation. …….The Blessed Virgin appeared to be about forty years of age, according to the Sister s judgment. The apparition was, as it were, framed from, the hands in the invocation: “0 Mary! conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!” traced in golden letters. The reverse presented the monogram of the Blessed Virgin, surmounted by a cross, and beneath were the divine hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sister Laboure was again directed to have a medal struck upon this model. Pg 63 & Pg 64

She terminates her account in these words:

“To tell you what I understood at the moment the Blessed Virgin offered the globe to Our Lord, would be impossible, or what my feelings were whilst gazing on her! A voice in the depths of my heart said to me: ‘These rays are symbolic of the graces the Blessed Virgin obtains for those who ask for them.’ “

Third Apparition concerning the Medal
When Sister Laboure related the third apparition of the medal, M. Aladel asked her if she had seen anything written on the reverse. The Sister answered that she had not. “Ah!” said the Father, “ask the Blessed Virgin what to put there.” The young Sister obeyed; and after having prayed a long time, one day during meditation, she seemed to hear a voice saying:

“The M and the two hearts express enough.” Pg 64

When did the MM come into existence?
After two years, Father Aladel finally went to the archbishop who approved the medals to be struck. In 1832 in June, 30th of that month, two thousand medals were struck, and M. Aladel hastened to send some of them to the Archbishop of Paris Mgr. de Quelen, who approved to have them struck. Pg 67

How was the design of the medal determined?

When about to depict the details as related by the Sister, many difficulties presented themselves. In what attitude should the Blessed Virgin be represented, for in the apparition she had several? Should a globe be in her hands? Again, at one instant she was enveloped in waves of light, but this could not be gracefully reproduced in an engraving. After mature consideration, it was decided to adopt the already existing model of the Immaculate Virgin, which represents her with hands extended; to this were added the luminous rays escaping from the rings on her fingers, the terrestrial globe on which she stands, and the serpent she crushes under her feet. Around the oval were inscribed these words: “O Mary! conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!” The reverse bears the letter M, surmounted by a cross, and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary below the M, the first surrounded with a crown of thorns, the second pierced by a sword. Pg 67 & Pg 68

Why is it called the Miraculous Medal?

This medal was originally known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, “the medal, scarcely struck, is circulated by millions; it immediately becomes the instrument of so many cures and conversions, that it is universally styled the Miraculous Medal, a name which clung to it, and which is justified by the constant working of new miracles…” Pg 47

Was a juridical examination was requested, in order to confirm the origin of the medal?

Mgr. de Quelen ordered an investigation and it was begun February 16th, 1836, under the direction of M. Quentin, Vicar General, Promoter of the diocese; it was prolonged into the month of July, and had not less than nineteen sittings. Pg 74

What were the proofs admitted in the inquiry to establish the authenticity of the vision of the medal?

1st. The Sister s character she is a poor young country girl, uneducated and without talent of solid but simple piety, good judgment, and calm, sedate mind; we perceive at once that everything about her excludes all suspicion of deceit or illusion. The better to preserve her incognito, she will not allow her name to be mentioned, and she even refused to appear before the Promoter of the investigation. Pg 75

2nd. The wisdom of the Sister s Director, who took all possible precautions to guard against deception, and who yielded to his penitents reiterated entreaties, only from fear of displeasing the Blessed Virgin, and by the advice of his Superiors. Pg 75

3rd. The apparition in itself, contains nothing, either in its character or object, opposed to the teachings of the Church, but is, on the contrary, conducive to edification. Being several times renewed and always in the same manner, we may conclude, that the Sister s imagination had nothing whatever to do with it Pg 76

4th. The wonderful circulation of the medal, confirmed by the testimony of the first engraver, M. Vachette, and the extensive sales of copies of the notice, reaching 109,000 in sixteen months, as attested by the publisher, M. Bailly, must be regarded as a confirmation of its supernatural origin. Pg 76

5th. The extraordinary graces obtained through the instrumentality of the medal, cures and conversions, several of which are legally attested by the deposition of reliable witnesses, who appeared before the Promoter and signed the verbal process, give a last proof to the fact it was sought to establish, namely, that the Miraculous Medal must be of divine origin. Such is the formal conclusion, in the report addressed to the Archbishop by the Promoter, at the end of the inquiry. Pg 76

What was the outcome of the inquiry?

Unfortunately, the ecclesiastical authority did not pronounce judgment; we know not why the inquiry did not receive the sanction to which it apparently led. The death of Mgr. de Quelen, at the end of the year 1839, caused all proceedings to be abandoned. Everything remains still in the domain of private devotions, and the model of the Immaculate Virgin, with its symbolical attributes, is not yet authorized as an object of public veneration in the churches. Pg 76

What was one of the most famous conversions attributed to the extraordinary graces obtained through the instrumentality of the Miraculous Medal? 

The conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne who  belonged to a Jewish family of Strasbourg, distinguished in the world as much for its social position as the universal esteem in which it was held; …..His hatred of Catholicity was very far from suggesting a thought of his ever embracing it. It was M. De Bussiere, in one of his interactions with M Ratisbonne was impelled by a secret impulse of grace, thought of offering him the Miraculous Medal. M. De Bussiere united with his family prayed for for him. On January 20, 1842, in the Church of St. Andrew, delle Fratte, in Rome M Ratisbonne experienced his miraculous conversion. “She did not speak one word to me” said M Ratisbonne, “but I understood it all.” Pg 193  

Does The Miraculous Medal have a feast day?

Yes it does the Feast of the Miraculous Medal – November 27
On 23 July, 1894, Pope Leo XIII, after a careful examination of all the facts by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, instituted a feast, with a special Office and Mass, of the Manifestation of the Immaculate Virgin under the title of the Miraculous Medal, to be celebrated yearly on 27 November by the Priests of the Congregation of the Mission, under the rite of a double of the second class. For ordinaries and religious communities who may ask the privilege of celebrating the festival, its rank is to be that of a double major feast. A further decree, dated 7 September, 1894, permits any priest to say the Mass proper to the feast in any chapel attached to a house of the Sisters of Charity.
Source: Glass, J. (1911). Miraculous Medal. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved August 11, 2023 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10115a.htm

What is the meaning of the Symbols on the medal?

His Eminence, the Cardinal Archbishop of Rouen;

Does she not seem longing to give us knowledge, when she displays to us the abundance of her riches and the prodigies of her liberality, in those rays of grace she showers upon us like a deluge of love and mercy ? Does she not like wise unveil to us the mystery of her charity, in the image of her heart united to that of the divine Jesus? . . .The same fire consumes them, the same zeal devours them, thirst for our salvation. This union of love and sacrifice is very clearly represented by the august Mary’s initial joined to the sacred sign of the cross above the two hearts, as an authentic testimony, of the co-operation of the Mother of the Saviour in the salvation of the human race. Pg 88.

Is there a blessing specific to the Miraculous Medal?

Yes there is a unique blessing and investiture for the miraculous medal it can be found in the Roman Ritual, for online version here. For a PDF version which has the Latin and English versions see here Miraculous Medal Blessing and Enrollment prayers.

Who were the saints that were big promoters of the Miraculous Medal in the 20th Century?

St. Maximilian Kolbe can be considered the foremost advocate of the Miraculous Medal in the first half of the twentieth century, a good case could be made to designate Mother Teresa the foremost champion of the Medal in the second half of the twentieth century.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

In January 1917 young seminarian, Maximilian Kolbe, while studying in Rome heard a meditation given on the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne. For nine months he prayed and meditated on on the Miraculous Medal and Our Lady’s intercession for this non-believer. He desired fervently to bring all souls to the Truth and understood Our Lady’s paramount role in obtaining the graces necessary for conversion and sanctification. On October 16 of the same year he gathered six other Franciscan confers before a statue of the Immaculata to consecrate their lives totally and unconditionally to Her for their sanctification and the conversion of souls. This was the foundation of the Militia Immaculata (MI) Movement which today is spread throughout the world. This particular story also inspired Saint Maximilian Kolbe to adopt the Miraculous Medal for this new congregation he founded that was devoted to the Blessed Mother. The Altar at San Andrea della Frate where Alphonse Ratisbonne saw Our Lady; this was also the altar of the first Mass of St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died in 1941 and was beati­fied by Pope Paul VI in 1973, On October 10, 1982, Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian Kolbe as a “martyr of charity.” He performed great spiritual works using the medal. He has written:

“At various times and in vari­ous trials the most Blessed Virgin Mary has come to the aid of her children, giving them different ways of attaining salvation more easily, and freeing others from the yoke of Satan. Now in this epoch of the Immaculate Conception the most Blessed Virgin has given mankind the ‘Miraculous Medal.’ Its heavenly origin has been proved by count­less miracles of healing and par­ticularly conversion….

 

“On this medal there is inscribed the ejaculation: ‘O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.’ This is a prayer which the Immaculata herself places upon our lips, revealing it to us and recommending its recitation…. This is truly our heavenly weapon. . . .

 

A motto of St. Maximilian’s Order was: “And above all, the Miraculous Medal”

St. Teresa of Calcutta
She called it a “medal of charity” and declared that the medal was a “tangible sign that God loves each and every individual at each and every moment of our lives”.

“Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now!” That is the simple yet powerful prayer that St. Teresa taught people as she distributed the Miraculous Medal—thousands upon thousands of medals. Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., postulator of the cause of beatification and canonization for St. Teresa, told CNY in an interview that St. Teresa had “a great love of the Miraculous Medal and a real, personal love for Our Lady.” She gave the medals to Christians and non-Christians alike.

What is the Catholic Churches official teaching on the Miraculous Medal?
We find the answer in the section dealing with medals within the “DIRECTORY ON POPULAR PIETY AND THE LITURGY PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES”, Vatican City December 2001

Chapter V. VENERATION OF THE BLESSED MOTHER OF OUR LORD (183-207)
Medals

206. The faithful like to wear medals bearing effigies of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These are a witness of faith and a sign of veneration of the Holy Mother of God, as well as of trust in her maternal protection.

The Church blesses such objects of Marian devotion in the belief that “they help to remind the faithful of the love of God, and to increase trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary”(258). The Church also points out that devotion to the Mother of Christ also requires “a coherent witness of life”(259).

Among the various medals of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the most diffuse must be the “Miraculous Medal”. Its origins go back to the apparitions in 1830 of Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré, a humble novice of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. The medal was struck in accordance with the instructions given by Our Lady and has been described as a “Marian microcosm” because of its extraordinary symbolism. It recalls the mystery of Redemption, the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Sorrowful Heart of Mary. It signifies the mediatory role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mystery of the Church, the relationship between Heaven and earth, this life and eternal life.

St. Maximillian Kolbe (+ 1941) and the various movements associated with him, have been especially active in further popularizing the miraculous medal. In 1917 he adopted the miraculous medal as the badge of the “Pious Union of the Militia of the Immaculate Conception” which he founded in Rome while still a young religious of the Conventual Friars Minor.
Like all medals and objects of cult, the Miraculous Medal is never to be regarded as a talisman or lead to any form of blind credulity(260). The promise of Our Lady that “those who were the medal will receive great graces”, requires a humble and tenacious commitment to the Christian message, faithful and persevering prayer, and a good Christian life.
Source: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html#Chapter%20Five

What is the best resource to learn more about the origins and history of the Miraculous Medal?
The best resource would be St. Catherin’s confessors’ book, M. Alade’s edition of 1842 “Miraculous Medal its Origin, History, Circulation, Results. It was published in French. “Struck with this marvellous propagation, and the universal anxiety to learn the origin of the medal, Sister Catherine s pious Director published, in 1834, a short notice containing a brief narration of the apparition, and of the graces obtained by means of the medal. This book sold rapidly, and new editions had to be printed; when the eighth appeared in 1842, the number of copies sold amounted to a hundred and thirty thousand, and each successive edition was increased by well authenticated accounts of many new miraculous occurrences.”

What was the main reference used for this short Catechism on the Miraculous medal?
The book referenced was the English translation of M. Alade’s edition of 1842, is the 1880 translation from the French BY P. S., Graduate of St Joseph’s, Emmittsburg, Md. BALTIMORE: PUBLISHED BY JOHN B. PIET, No. 174 West Baltimore Street. 1880. The page numbers cited in the answers refer to the pages of this book where the answer was sourced from.

Our Lady and her Miraculous Medal are just as important today as they were back in 1830. They are the solution to all the difficulties we are facing in this faithless world. The world needs miracles. It needs to return to God. Now more than ever, we need our Blessed Mother’s comfort and protection. Now more than ever, we need to discover her Son Jesus. Now more than ever, we need to know that our Mother is with us and if we have recourse to her, she will obtain from God all the graces we need to persevere to the end and as faithful soldiers fight the good fight.

“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Global Men’s Rosary Crusade – Terrible as an Army in Battle Array

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Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army in battle array? (Song of Solomon 6:10)

Brothers in Christ

Who is she, that the Song of Songs is referring to? A lady, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, and terrible as an army in battle array. It is Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, as attested to by many saints and Pope’s. While we admire the immaculate beauty of our sweet Mother, who comes forth as the morning rising, let us not forget that the same text goes on to describe her as an army arrayed in battle.

This year, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (7th of October, 2023) falls on the first Saturday of the month which is the day of the Men’s Global Rosary Crusade. As we know, the first Saturday is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and part of this pious devotion is the faithful recitation and mediation on the rosary.

Last year was the first world-wide call, for the Men’s Rosary Crusade. It saw over 30 countries participating with men in multiple cities attending in formation, with rosary beads in hand, reciting the rosary. We have seen images of hundreds of men world-wide, on their knees, with their rosary weapons in their hands, lined up in battle array. Yes! As faithful sons of Our Lady, Our warrior Queen, we her children, line up behind her in battle array, to wage war with the ancient enemy, Satan, and fight alongside her and her son, Jesus.

In this vein, St Louis de Montfort wrote:

“ [Mary] must shine forth in grace, in order to animate and sustain the valiant soldiers and faithful servants of Jesus Christ, who shall do battle for his interests. Mary must be terrible as an army ranged in battle, principally in these latter times. It is principally of these last and cruel persecutions of the devil, which shall go on increasing daily till the reign of the Antichrist, that we ought to understand that first and celebrated prediction and curse of God, pronounced in the terrestrial paradise against the serpent; ‘I will put enmities between you and the woman, and your seed and her seed.’” (True Devotion to Mary, 50).

Men. The battle is waging!! In our present age, we find ourselves in the middle of the battle that rages between the Woman and the serpent, as violence against Christians escalates throughout the world; as nations reject the natural law regarding marriage; as countless unborn children are “legally” murdered; as religious rights are being systematically denied and Christians are persecuted world-wide. From the times of St Dominic who was given the Rosary from Our Lady, as a weapon to destroy the Albigensian heresy, to the Battle of Lepanto where Our Lady of the Rosary gave the Holy League of Nations a victorious defeat from the invading enemy, Our Lady and her rosary will once again, obtain all the graces necessary from Jesus to obtain victory in our present day battle.

What is important is that we are on the correct side of this battle. Jesus once declared the “he who is not with me, is against me” (Mt 12:30). In the language of St. Louis de Montfort, we need to choose whether we want to be the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin, or the children and the instruments of Satan.

As stated at the outset, the text from the Canticle of Canticles (Song of Solomon), portrays Mary in military terms. Her strength is like that of an army in battle array. We are familiar with the fact that the Bible portrays Mary’s love, humility and serene contemplation as virtues often held up for imitation by the faithful. But her profound strength, equally evident in the Gospels, often remains unnoticed by commentators. Mary of Nazareth is a strong woman who faithfully and humbly serves the Lord in the most extreme situations, particularly when she accompanies her Son to His death. While it is difficult to imagine her as anything but prostrate on the ground in grief at the sight of her Son crucified, St. John explicitly states that Mary stood at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25). This poignant detail emphasizes her unwavering strength in uniting herself to His supreme sacrifice, accepting the will of the Father. At the foot of the Cross, she consummated her declaration of being “the handmaid of the Lord.” In this sense, Pope Pius XII extolled the strength of Mary:

“Mary is beautiful in herself as the moon, radiates her brilliance as the sun; but against “the enemy” she is formidable; terrible as an army arrayed for war. As we rejoice and exalt her today, God knows how we would like to forget the difficulties of the times in which we live….There is the “enemy” even at the very doors of the Church, threatening souls. And behold, another aspect of Mary: her power in combat….Mary, sinless, has crushed the head of the corrupting serpent. When Mary approaches, the demon flees – just as darkness dissipates when the sun rises. Where Mary is present, Satan is absent; where the sun shines, there is no darkness.” (Pope Pius XII, Talk given on December 8 1953)

It is not only in her being immaculately conceived that she is at enmity with the dragon. But it is also in her entire life being oriented to humble obedience that she contradicts the initial cry of mutiny from Lucifer and his minions: “I will not serve!” In exact opposition, Mary gives her Fiat and a perfect example of how the faithful can participate in her being as frightening as an army in battle array before the rebellious hosts of hell.

Bishop Robert Barron of Word on Fire, devoted two of his homilies to the image of the Virgin Mary as a Warrior Queen. He says:

“Mary is a warrior opposed by the dragon and she commands this impossibly powerful army of angels. That is very good news for us. She’s more powerful than the dragon…let’s join the struggle with her. We fight with love, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. We fight with the Rosary. The ‘Hail Mary’ calls upon the Warrior Queen, the Commander of the angels.”

Furthermore, Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, writes “Mary is an object of terror to the powers of hell. She is ‘terrible as an army set in battle array’ (Song 6:10), for, like a wise Commander, she well knows how to dispose her power, her mercy, and her prayers for the confusion of the enemy and for the benefit of her servants.”

While the language of armies and battle arrays and the portrayal of Mary as Army Commander, might seem a little intense for some, these ideas remind us of the great spiritual war in which the Church is engaged, and the disciplines and the grace needed, to be effective in this war of wars. Your holiness is needed! Your holy works are needed! And your devotion to Our Lady and your obedience to her command is needed!

Let us remind ourselves of the words of Pope Pius XI and St Maximillian Kolbe who have said:

“If our age in its pride laughs at and rejects Our Lady’s Rosary, a countless legion of the most saintly men of every age and of every condition have not only held it most dear and have most piously recited it but have also used it at all times as a most powerful weapon to overcome the devil, to preserve the purity of their lives, to acquire virtue more zealously, in a word, to promote peace among men.” – Pope Pius XI

and

“The Immaculate alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves entirely to her, that will become in her hands forceful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spread of God’s kingdom.” –St Maximilian Kolbe

We urge all men, of every parish in the world, to come out in force on the 7th of October. To line up under the banner of Our Lady of the Rosary. To line up with our rosaries in hand, on our knees, in battle array. To enter the public arena and join your brothers in arms. Nothing is more terrifying to Satan than the Rosary recited devoutly and nothing is stronger than thousands of men around the world coming together to do battle against the ancient serpent in this World Wide Rosary Crusade. In the words of the great Marian saint:

“Finally, when people say the Rosary together it is far more formidable to the devil than one said privately, because in this public prayer it is an army that is attacking him. He can often overcome the prayer of an individual, but if this prayer is joined to that of other Christians, the devil has much more trouble in getting the best of it.” — Saint Louis De Monfort

Let our confidence in the promises of Christ and the intercession of Our Lady be our consolation as she leads us into battle and victory. As Marist founder, St Marcellin Champagnat once wrote “Without Mary we are nothing and with Mary we have everything, because Mary always has her adorable Son within her arms or in her heart.”

Please Spread the word.

May our motto be: “All to Jesus through Mary, all to Mary for Jesus”.

Bog i Hrvati

First Croatian emigrant that was assassinated and the first one that found eternal rest after 47 years in his homeland

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On January 31, 1946, the patriot Dr. Ivo Protulipac was assassinated – the first victim of Tito’s evil UDBA abroad

The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright. Prov 29:10

This January we mark one of many sad Croatian anniversaries. Namely, on the 31st of January 1946 in Trieste, one of the most significant members of the Croatian Catholic Action – the president of the Croatian Eagle Alliance (CEA), and then The Great Crusader Brotherhood was assassinated by the criminal hand of Tito’s Yugoslav UDBA, Dr. Ivan Protulipac. We mark the 75th anniversary of this sad and tragic event and the anniversary of the first victim from the ranks of Croatian political emigration. Dr. Ivan Protulipac was the first of 76 killed (from 1946 to 1989), along with many successful and unsuccessful kidnappings and good number of missing whose faiths are unknown, although it is known that UDBA agents played a role in their demise. Unfortunately, we still don’t have full answers for the fates of many known and unknown Croatian victims! Who was this notable Croatian man, patriot, and martyr?

Ivan Protulipac was born in Hrnetići, Karlovac on 4th of July, 1899. St. Martin’s Parish in Hrnetići, where he was born, is the oldest one in the Karlovac area. According to the census of the oldest parishes of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, it was mentioned in 1334, and today’s parish church of St. Martin was built in the middle of the 18th century. The church contains a sacristy in which are entombed members of the famous noble family Patačić.

Protulipac finished high school in his hometown. He graduated from the Faculty of Law and obtained his doctorate in legal sciences in Zagreb in 1923. From 1923 to 1927, he was a trainee lawyer in Karlovac, Bjelovar, and Zagreb. He was a trainee lawyer from April 24, 1923, to November 2, 1927, at Doctor Ćiril Brajša in Karlovac; then at Doctor Vladimir and Veljko Prebeg in Zagreb; Doctor Dražen Kvaternik in Bjelovar and Doctor Aleksander Horvat in Zagreb. Since 1927, he has been an independent lawyer in Zagreb. Among others, he defended Marko Hranilović, along with several other members of the Croatian Rights Party youth (CRPY), which the royal court declared a terrorist organization. Unfortunately, Hranilović was sentenced to death and hanged in 1931. In 1933, he was an attorney for Doctor Vlatko Maček and other dissidents. He was the first president of the newly founded Croatian Eagle Association (CEA) from December 1923 to 1929 and the Great Crusader Brotherhood (GCB), (after King Aleksandar Karađorđević banned all political parties and associations during the “6th January Dictatorship” in 1929) from 1931 to 1938. The Crusaders were new, allowed, and renamed Eagle Alliance. In 1936, he became the president of the Catholic Action (CA) of the Zagreb Archdiocese. He is the author of numerous texts and the book Croatian Eaglehood (1926). In May Tito’s partisan killers came into power, and he emigrated, first to Austria, Klagenfurt, and then to Italy, Rome.

He was a great supporter of the Croatian Catholic Action and, along with Ivan Merz, an ideologist of the Eagles and Crusaders.

The “Eaglehood” as a Slavic youth movement has its beginnings in the Czech Republic and Slovenia. Before Eaglehood, there was already an organization called Falcon, which along with exercise promoted liberal ideas among its members. For the Catholic youth to preserve the Catholic faith and its moral values, in the Czech Republic and Slovenia, from 1896 the Catholic physical exercise and educational societies were founded, which have been called Eagle societies since 1909, and their members Eagles. The first to introduce the Eaglehood methodology in working with young people was the priest of the Senj diocese, dr. Dragutin Kniewald, and as a youth educator in Senj he founded, in 1919, the first Eagle Society. In 1920, after “the great landing of all eagles” in Maribor, the eagle movement entered Croatia in a big way. In 1921, the Yugoslav Eagle Association was founded in Ljubljana as an umbrella organization in which Eagle sub-associations were founded in Ljubljana and Zagreb. In 1923, a singular organization of Catholic youth was founded in Croatia, which will unite the Eagle Movement and the Croatian Catholic Youth Association. This was done on December 16, 1923, in Zagreb – under the name Croatian Eagle League. Dr. Ivan Protulipac was elected president and Dr. Ivan Merz was elected educational officer.

In the common denominator of eagles, we note: “The participation of ecclesiastical universalism connected to the apostolic Church; the Eagles should wear emblems of the Holy Church – they must be unique, holy, Catholic, apostolic; The Eagle is neither a gymnastic nor a political society, but rather a Catholic, educational, religious-social organization; the Eaglehood is the vanguard of the Catholic Action and has best understood its meaning and fundamental purpose – the consecration of souls for the sake of the Catholic social apostolate.

By the Manifesto of King Alexander I Karađorđević on January 6, 1929, the Vidovdan constitution was abolished, and the activity of all political parties and free associations, parties, and societies that were based on the so-called tribal and religious foundations. The names of the nations were abolished, and the names Yugoslav people and Yugoslavia were introduced, all except Jugosokol! In the conditions of the king’s dictatorship, the Domagoj discipleship continues to operate under the name Apostolate of St. Cyril and Methodius, and the Eagles under the name of the Crusader Brotherhood.

From 1930 Protulipac intensified the establishment of a crusading organization. Soon, the Belgrade regime arrested him on suspicion of restoring the abolished Eaglehood. In 1931, he was elected president of the Crusader organization, and he remained the president of the Eagle-Crusader organization for a full fifteen years, until 1938. Along with all his activity in these two organizations, he wrote numerous articles and the aforementioned book The Croatian Eaglehood. During his detention in 1930, his father visited him in prison, to whom he uttered prophetic words, “I have charted my path and I know why. No matter what happens, don’t let anyone grieve for me. God lives! In 1938, he was again brought before the District Court in Zagreb on charges of offenses under Art. 3. Of the State Protection Act. He was acquitted of the charges. In 1943, he married Nada Klemenčić, who in 1993, 47 years after parting, will meet his remains in the Homeland. During the war, he lived in seclusion and practiced his law practice. He was imprisoned twice for disagreeing with certain actions of the new authorities, but he was never convicted. Namely, he opposed the merging of the mass Catholic movement into the state movement, which would then be eminently political movement.

Worldview – Foundations of the Eaglehood and Crusaders

Ivan Protulipac and the blessed Ivan Merz are the key founders, organizers, and ideologists of the Croatian Eagle Alliance and the Crusaders, which replace the banned Eagle Alliance. In his last article from 1928, Merz wrote,

“The Catholic Church needs its attack force – associations in Croatia today. In the new pagan society of our homeland, we need associations full of idealism, high character, and courage, which will open the way for the Church and the priest to the indifferent or opposing masses. ” (Crusaders of the New Century, the Eagle’s Guard no. 5, 1928)

 

A year after that, Merz dies, and with him the Orlovstvo, but only in its external form. An even stronger organization for the youth was born from it – Crusading, the life’s work of Ivan Merz, in which his spirit and his ideas live today, as the best devotee of the Crusading organization, especially the works of Ivan Merz, Father Božidar Nagy, points out in his work Croatian Crusading. According to the provisions of the Statute from 1930, the Crusaders are a Roman Catholic, church, religious and educational association. They are established with the approval of the church authorities and belong to the Apostolate of Prayer. The purpose of the Crusaders is to gather and educate wholesome Catholic forces through the youth to work on their sanctification and the general religious and religious-educational renewal of national life according to the principles of the Gospel. Crusading is not a political organization. Its goal is not political and as such it doesn’t participate in any political ceremonies or events anywhere. It is primarily a youth organization. The credit for accepting the Crusader name for the new Catholic organization goes to Ivan Merz, who got acquainted with the French Eucharistic Crusaders during his studies in Paris and tried to spread its ideas. From them, he takes the slogan that he gives and the Crusade adopts: SACRIFICE – EUCHARIST – APOSTOLATE. GOD LIVES. Contrary to Nietzsche’s GOD IS DEAD. Sacrifice is a constant companion of human life and work. Not a single great work was created without sacrifices. Without the Eucharist, one cannot imagine a true spiritual life, let alone realize those ideas that permeate the spirit of the organization. The apostolate is our duty according to the sacrament of confirmation. Through that sacrament, we became soldiers of Christ and through it, we received the strength of the Holy Spirit. Crusading experienced its peak in 1938: 784 crusading fraternities with 26,689 crusaders and about 15,000 crusading women with 414 societies (sororities), so a total of about 40,000 members, and since 1923, about 100,000 members have passed through the eagle-crusading organization, with a solid Christian formation. It is important to mention the Crusader pilgrimage to Rome in 1933 to meet Pope Pius XI led by Sarajevo Archbishop Ivan Ev. Šarić and Assistant Bishop of Zagreb Salis Seewis. A former member of the Eagles, Zagreb Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac provided great help to the Crusaders. In the desire to arrange the Catholic Action in the Zagreb Archdiocese by the Church’s circumstances and needs at the time, archbishop coadjutor Stepinac with Archbishop Bauer issued the famous Christmas Epistle on the Catholic Action in 1934. The following year, Archbishop Stepinac appointed Dr. Ivan Protulipac, who remained at the head of the Crusader organization, as the president of the Catholic Action of the Zagreb Archdiocese.

The Serbian regime tried with all its might to destroy everything Croatian and Catholic, and especially the future of the nation – its youth. Among the first victims of persecution was Ivan Protulipac, after a programmatic article for the newly founded Crusade, entitled In the Sign of the Cross, who was accused by the Serbian-Yugoslav authorities of insulting the law on state security, and of having committed a criminal act, because it causes tribal strife and is directed against state security. Among other things, Protulipac stated the following in the article,

“The cross and the teaching of the Church must once again become the center of our people’s thoughts and views. (…) The cross will seek and do so that the bright heritage of our past, on which our entire national life is built, is known to current and future generations. The life of the Croats should be united to the full extent with the Catholic Church and the noble and beautiful characteristics of our people shall continue to develop on this basis. This kind of Catholic and national life should be achieved by the new generations who are coming and are already their debutantes in our society.”

Jesuit O. Josip Vrbanek, DI, spiritual leader and confessor to I. Merz in his biography of I.M. (Knight of Christ – Ivan Merz, Zagreb, 1943 claims that with the founding of the Crusades, the most ideal youth movement that the Croatian people ever had was preserved. Marica Stanković, president of the Great Crusade Sisterhood, in her book The Youth of Cheerfulness, from 1944, claims that “No one could break the idealism of our youth, God’s youth.” Furthermore, Marica Stanković writes “what I.M. meant for the Crusades, in the Crusade in her words, his life’s work was realized – it is the fruit of his work, the birth of his soul.”

Article I is extremely important. Protulipac’s From the First Days of the Crusades, published in the Crusader’s weekly magazine Sundays in 1936. In it, he warns,

“Not a step back! behind us is the abyss, ahead of us is only honesty and truth, even if it is covered with thorns.”

In the text, he is determined to resist the dictatorial intentions of the regime to abolish the new crusader organization, and especially the orders of the head of government, Pera Živković. He points to the brutal attacks of Freemasonry, especially through the press. Protulipac is imprisoned and completely isolated in a prison cell. After the criminal proceedings, against him and other leaders of the Crusader organization, for example, Avelin Ćepulić, they were convicted of a crime against the people and the state with the payment of a fine, or seven days in prison. According to Serbian Prime Minister P. Živković, “Tribal and religious organization is unnecessary!” It is interesting that the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Korošec, was against Crusaders, who already in 1935 issued unfavorable provisions on the rights of church societies.

In the Homeland, again, in 1993 – after 47 years

At the end of the war, on May 6, 1945, he left his homeland and went, first to Austria, and then to Rome, where he was in a safe place! However, after hearing about the difficult life of Croatian refugees in Trieste, who needed all kinds of help, he returned to Trieste. He was a victim of an assassination on January 31, 1946, as the first in a series of murdered Croatian martyrs. Already in July 1945, Archbishop Stepinac dissolved all organizations of the Catholic Action, in order to protect the members from persecution, imprisonment, trials, staged trials, murders… The UDBA confiscated about 50 boxes of documents from the Crusader organization. After the assassination of Protulipac in 1946, in the following 1947, the third president of Crusaders, Feliks Niedzielski, was sentenced to death and shot in Banja Luka. Numerous members perished at Bleiburg and at the Ways of the Cross throughout the country at the time.

Photo: krizari.hr

Dr. Ivan Protulipac was assassinated by the Yugoslav secret service. He was killed by a confidant of the UDBA, a certain Đino (Gino) Benčić, from the Rijeka area, who was arrested by the Italian authorities. However, his commanders soon arrested two English officers at the border, who allegedly crossed into Yugoslav territory. According to the good old pattern, there was an exchange of arrestees, so the murderer escaped the hand of justice. During his exile in Trieste, together with Rev. Stanislav Golik, he helped Croatian refugees. He even intended to found a transport company whose profits would finance the needs of Croatian political refugees.

During the former Tito’s Yugoslavia, the name Protulipac was strictly forbidden, and any mention of it entailed sanctions by the regime. Two examples: in 1972, the Society of St. Jerome published the Danica calendar in which, together with Marica Stanković, his short biography was published. The magazine was confiscated. In 1986, The Voice of Koncil published a small ad – a call to pray for the late Protulipac. This was followed by a wicked article in the Journal under the title: The Crusader’s Call from the Grave. Even before the definitive collapse, the communist authorities were still afraid of his mention. After the murder, Rev. Golik took care to find a suitable grave for Dr. Protulipac, where he will rest until his return to his Homeland.

On June 25, 1993, the body of Dr. I. Protulipac was transported from Trieste to his homeland. The body of the first assassinated Croatian emigrant and the first to find his eternal home in Croatia. He was buried with full honors on June 26, 1993, at Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb. The organization of the transfer of the remains was organized by the renewed Crusader organization. Namely, the exhumation at the cemetery of St. Anne in Trieste took place on Thursday, June 24, 1993. The body was well preserved. Two gunshot wounds were found on the skull – traces of Tito’s evil deeds. On the second day, June 25, in the Jesuit Church of the Heart of Jesus in Trieste, the funeral service of St. Mass, after which the coffin with the remains headed for the homeland. The exhumation and transfer were attended by Fr. Božidar Nagy.

Upon arrival in the homeland, the deceased was honored in the Basilica of the Heart of Jesus. The mass was led by Fr. B. Nagy, and the deceased was greeted by the fourth successor at the top of the organization, dr. Lav Znidarčić (1918 – 2001). With a welcome and greeting in the Basilica of the Heart of Jesus, the meeting of Protulipac with his associate Dr. Ivan Merz was arranged in that manner. Protulipac was laid in the same grave at Mirogoj cemetery where the body of Dr. Ivan Merz was laid previously as well, which was laid to rest in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1977. The funeral ceremony was led by Zagreb’s auxiliary bishop Msgr. Marko Culej, who among other things said, “Dr. Protulipac, a great man and martyr of the Croatian people, is not among us to multiply the graves with another fresh one (there are too many of them) but to show how the soul and the Motherland are united through sacrifice and the Eucharist. On behalf of The Great Crusader Brotherhood, Dr. L. Znidarčić and others said goodbye to the deceased men.

Post-war Crusaders and reconstruction

The post-war Crusaders have nothing to do with the former organization of the Crusaders – as part of the Croatian Catholic movement. They were mainly soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers of the defeated ISC military forces. They fought against communist authorities and Yugoslavia, communist repression, and for an independent and free Croatian state. They founded guerilla groups that mainly operated in rural areas. They were not a religious movement; religion was only a symbol under which they fought against Tito’s communist authorities. In the period of their activity from 1945 to 1950, there were between 3,500 and 4,000 members in total, and they performed and acted in groups of up to ten guerrillas. Caught guerrillas from the top of the organization were mostly sentenced to death or long prison terms. The official Catholic Church did not influence their activities. They greeted each other with a greeting or slogan: For Croatia and Christ – against the communists! For Christ against the communists!

The Crusaders were restored in Croatia on May 10, 1993, in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Zagreb under the hand of Zagreb Archbishop Franjo Kuharić. In 1994, the song of Fr. Petar Perica “Crusaders, forward!” composed by him, as a member of the Crusader organization, way back in 1933. It was determined to be the new anthem for the Crusader movement, which was acknowledged as his gift from Heaven to the renewed Crusader movement. Father Petar Perica was killed on the island of Daksa in October 1944 without trial by Tito’s yugo-communists, as well as two years later in Trieste, Dr. Protulipac.

Memories of Protulipac in his Hrnetići

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Ivan Protulipac, parishioners of Hrnetić parish, in Drežnik district, erected a memorial plaque in his honor on the elementary school building. They wrote, “In honor of a student of this school from 1906 to 1910 and a man who dedicated his whole life to work with Croatian Catholic youth, assassinated on January 31, 1946, on the streets of Trieste.”

In 2019, parishioners of Hrnetić and admirers of the works of Dr. Protulipac marked the 120th anniversary of his birth and the 73rd anniversary of his death. On that occasion, the parishioners were reminded of his words from 1938, which are relevant today and always,

„It is undoubtedly the right of every nation to be able to develop freely on its territory and decide its destiny. It belongs to the sovereign rights of every living nation to determine its internal and external policy and to take care of the best possible conditions for its progress. However, one must never forget that all theoretical rights of the people are valid in real life only to the extent that the people are strong and powerful in themselves, to bring their rights to reality and put them into practice.

Bog i Hrvati – “Bog Živi”

Source in Croatian

Another Croatian Article

PENTECOST NOVENA

Published on: by KOFPB

“The Pentecost Novena is the first of all novenas, nine days of prayer. After Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, He commanded His disciples to come together in the upper room to devote themselves to constant prayer (Acts 1:14). They prayed for nine days before receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.”

On May 9, 1897, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed: “We decree and command that throughout the whole Catholic Church, this year and in every subsequent year, a novena shall take place before Whit-Sunday (Pentecost), in all parish churches.” (Encyclical Pope Leo XIII On the Holy Spirit, DIVINUM ILLUD MUNUS )

NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

DAY THREE

DAY FOUR

DAY FIVE

DAY SIX

DAY SEVEN

DAY EIGHT

DAY NINE

 

A BROTHERHOOD BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER

Published on: by KOFPB

8th Anniversary of Croatian Men’s Breakfast

How great and good is our God! Who would have thought or believed that from mere humble beginnings such an abundance of good fruit would come from our monthly Croatian Men’s Group? What an honour it has been to watch this unfold, to meet amazing people, to see the hand of God working in people’s lives and to help others along the way.

It all began in early 2015 when the Knights decided to host monthly men’s breakfast’s aimed at bringing like-minded men together to develop friendships, grow in their Catholic faith and in turn create a positive impact in our families and society. This idea came to fruition in April of that same year, with the first meeting held in Zoki’s home. Subsequent meetings centred on a particular theme would then be held every last Sunday of each month. Starting off with breakfast together (the chef was really good back then) and prayer, we listened to inspirational talks and then held a group discussion. We had a collection every month where proceeds went to apostolic works and were distributed to those in dire need. After the meeting concluded with prayer, we would then leave to go to Sunday Holy Mass with our families in our own parishes.

1st Men’s Breakfast Flyer April 2015

The topic of that very first meeting was ‘Integrity’. At our second meeting, we raised $1,200 which went towards buying a cow for a very poor family in Croatia. This was one of the more memorable families that we have helped along the way. The theme of virtues then continued for almost another 3 years, well into 2018. We were averaging about 15 men per breakfast for those first fledgling years.

The year 2016 saw technology make its way into the group with the establishment of the first Whatsapp group to share information, prayers, good articles and inspirational stories. With a steady number of attendees, the time was ripe for making a change that would usher in the next step of growth for the group . After much prayer and discernment, it was decided to move the breakfast from “Zoki’s place” and bring it to the Croatian Church at Blacktown – “Fra Josip’s place”. The first meeting at the church was in Sept 2017. The number of attendees grew gradually over the next couple of years.

 

First Men’s Breakfast at Croatian Church Hall Blacktown – Sept 2017
Men’s Breakfast April 2018
Men’s Breakfast Aug 2018 – World Cup
Men’s Breakfast Christmas 2018

In the latter part of 2018, the Knights conceived another plan and brought their idea to the men attending the breakfast. The notion was put forward to the men that we hold a Croatian Men’s Conference, the first of its kind. The consensus was unanimous and the planning began for the first conference which was held in April 2019. This conference was clearly blessed by the Lord and each subsequent conference continues to be a source of much grace – we recently attended the fifth such conference – MC2023 “All in for Jesus”.

5th National Croatian Men’s Conference – Closing Mass

Since the advent of Croatian Men’s Conference, the number of people attending the breakfast has doubled. Men of all ages have been set on fire for the Lord and there was a lot of buzz going around about the gatherings. How great it was to have Our Lord in the centre of all our actions! The breakfast meeting room was getting too small so the group moved to the larger hall. Later that year we hosted special guests, notably General Glasnovic in October and some Vukovarski branitelji in November.

When the lock-downs hit, we did not allow them to stop us. We had to move three of our meetings to Zoom, which was somewhat unfortunate, but that quickly ended and we continued having our meetings in person. Before you knew it, it was 2020 and another great year was to be had. We launched the first Croatian Men’s EXODUS 90 initiative from 15 May 2020 – 13 Aug 2020, another blessing which has continued as a Lenten program each year since.

As a group, we consecrated ourselves to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in August 2020. We also launched the ‘Soldier of Christ Award’ and called for nominations for men who were living in Christ’s likeness. Svetko was our first recipient in 2020 for his gentleness and the inspirational manner in which he carries himself, followed in 2021 by father and son duo, Josip & Marko Furjanic, for their service to our Croatian Catholic Centre, and finally to Eddie Borovnjak in 2022, for always putting others first, especially in the final moments of his life on earth before he made his way towards Heaven. May he rest in eternal peace.

Into the Breach Program Jan 2021 – Jan 2022

In January 2021 we launched the ‘Into the Breach – Knights of Colombus’ program which concluded in January 2022. In the September meeting, a picture was shown of men in Poland praying the rosary on their knees in public. Many posed the question – why don’t we do something similar?

The picture of Polish Men praying Rosary in Public on their knees that inspired us.

The planning began and on Saturday 18th December 2021 the first Men’s Rosary Crusade was held outside of St Mary’s Cathedral. This prayer campaign has now continued to be held on the first Saturday of every month and the attendance numbers have been rising dramatically, with the largest one seeing approximately 400 men praying in formation on their knees. We had the joy of our Lord showering his blessings upon us with such great force that there was a torrential downpour that lasted the whole hour. The rain was so heavy at times that you could not hear the man next to you praying. The video of that day went viral around the world and inspired many more men to join us since.

2022 was a year of growth and further formation. The Rosary Crusade continued to flourish and the Men’s Breakfasts were seeing new members coming in, old and young alike. We had a memorable start with Charbel Raish as a guest speaker in Jan 2023 , and in Feb 2023 Father Damonn Sypher spoke on the theme ‘Carrying our Cross with Christ’. The funds raised from that day were to help a needy family in Croatia, Obitelj Krznarevic, and we managed to raise $2,105 at the breakfast. In addition, further donations were received after the breakfast, with the total raised AUD $4,025. This was sent directly to assist the family. At the time of writing this article, we humbly announce that we just received an anonymous donation in the amount of $10,000 which will also be sent to Obitelj Krznarevic and will assist them more than we could ever imagine.

This is the true meaning of what it means to be growing closer to Christ. It means nourishing ourselves with the Word of God, growing in our faith, being leaders in our communities, sharing with others what it means to be a man of God, and living this example in our daily lives. Helping others in whatever way we can, giving to the needy and poor, and providing spiritual guidance to all are also important elements of our witness as Catholic men. We do this not of ourselves, or for our own glory, but with the humility and docility that allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, for the love of God and the intention of both the material and spiritual good of our neighbour. Our Lord taught us that “where two or three are gathered together for my sake, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18: 20) – as a group with Christ at our centre, anything is possible and indeed, hope lives and miracles do happen. We just need to be open, trusting and willing. All we need is to say ‘yes’ when God calls us.

All praise and glory to God for our Men’s groups – see you at the next one!

Check out our Events Calendar to see details of the upcoming Men’s Events.

Bog i Hrvati

CROATIAN MEN’S CONFERENCE – ‘ALL IN FOR JESUS’

Published on: by KOFPB

Mieles Christi 2023

Like many men, I was reluctant to attend my first annual Croatian Men’s Conference. I’m a busy husband and father, with many conflicting priorities to juggle each weekend. Attending a 2.5 day weekend retreat with a group of Catholic men was very low on my list of priorities in life. After a lot of mental debate and discussion with my wife about managing the kids activities, I decided to make it work and attend. It was clearly the correct decision and 2023 marks my 4th annual attendance.

The Benedict XVI Retreat Centre is an awesome place to experience the tranquility of nature and a contrast to what our lives generally contain. Despite an extensive conference program on offer, spending time away from the pressures of our daily lives in a place where mobile reception is limited provides for a priceless recharge from the usual weekend.

This year’s theme was ‘All in for Jesus’. This sounds quite intimidating and is a statement that many of us struggle to get our heads around, with initial thoughts being ‘Isn’t that what the life of a priest is?’ Through the many different talks we had the privilege of listening to, it became apparent that being ‘All in for Jesus’ is something that all men are called to do. Being a men’s conference we learned that being “All in for Jesus” is a way of life that men cannot strive to achieve on their own – we need our fellow brothers to support us on our journey toward this end goal.

Check-in commenced at 17:00, and gave us an opportunity to catch up with old friends from previous conferences as well as to meet some new faces from outside our local parishes and groups. This year we were blessed with a group from Victoria, a man from Adelaide, as well as 5 men from outside the Croatian community.

Rob Zrilic again did a great job of MC’ing, and got the conference off to a fun start with an interesting ice breaker. Our first speaker for the conference was Dr Andrew Wood, who I think is the most intelligent man I’ve ever come across. He spoke to us on the topic ‘What a man is called to’, and went into depth about ‘what is God’s plan for me’. Dr Wood explained to us that we were made for eternal life, and provided us with a number of tools to include in our daily lives to help us achieve God’s plan for us. Dr Wood has a special way of articulating the Catholic faith, and one line in his presentation that had a deep impact on me and many other men was “life is a waste of time if we don’t get to heaven”. For me, this set the theme for the rest of the weekend, as I wanted to know more about ensuring my life is not a waste of time.

Day 2 started with a group rosary, prayer and Mass. This was followed by a great breakfast, which filled us all up for the big program ahead. If anyone is unsure about attending the conference due to not being fed physically you have nothing to be concerned about. We had an awesome menu across the weekend, and our stomachs were adequately filled to ensure we had energy for the days ahead.

Jakov Perisa presented the topic “You were made to hear his voice”. I always enjoy listening to Jakov who poses challenging questions to us men about how we live our lives. Jakov talked about how to hear God’s voice in our lives, and discerning between the different voices we hear in our heads. Jakov also gave us some important “governing principals” for living our lives as men of God.

The next speaker for the day was Marinko Crnjac, who gave a powerful testimony on the story of his life and his conversion to the faith. I won’t say much about his story, but it had a deep impact on many of the men in attendance. I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with Marinko at the end of the conference and it was a conversation I will never forget. The testimonies delivered at the conference each year are an important part of the program and show the importance of opening up and sharing our stories with one another as we strive together to build our fraternity of men in our community.

Next up was Mijo Ticinovic. Mijo has a unique style of presenting and his talks go straight to the heart. Like Jakov, Mijo poses many powerful questions to get us men to think about where we are at in our various relationships – with God, our families and our jobs. This year Mijo focused on distractions in our relationships, in particular our relationship with God. Mijo talked about how distractions are like idols, and that as men we fill our lives with these and we don’t know how to rest. Mijo also gave us a great acronym for BUSY – Be Under Satan’s Yoke, which is quite accurate when you break down what we busy ourselves with.

Saturday afternoon saw us have a couple of hours of free time, in which men could look to Fr Davor for some spiritual guidance or further build the fraternity among the men through socialising. It’s a great opportunity to get to know the men we meet across the weekend. Being the Feast of the Annunciation, it gave the Exodus90 men an opportunity to break from their fasting and enjoy a small treat to celebrate the feast day.

In between the presentations we broke out into small groups to give the men an opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings on the topics that were presented. It’s an important part of the weekend, as different men form a different understanding of the talks and working through some of their challenges with other like-minded men in small groups is an important part of their spiritual growth and development. For me, it’s a highlight of the weekend, and these small groups can form strong bonds that are taken away from the weekend and can turn into lasting friendships.

Our late afternoon presentation was from Jakov again on the topic of ‘Are you in or out or sitting on the bench’. It was a fascinating talk about being an authentic Catholic man in the world. Jakov used many football analogies which made it easy for Croatian men to understand. My summary of the talk was that we cannot be lukewarm with our faith, and Jakov posed 7 challenges for us men as take-aways from the conference. These included ‘must carry his cross and face persecution’, ‘must make Jesus known to others’, ‘must spend time with Jesus’ and ‘must strive to live an authentic Catholic life’. It posed some good questions to me that I am working on implementing in my life.

Our next speaker was Fr Greg Morgan, who talked about what it means to be all in for Jesus as a man living today. Like the other speakers, Fr Greg posed some challenging points to us men in how we live our faith in the world – “let God’s work continue to be done through you – live your vocation” and “we fail in our vocation when we put other things in front of our vocation”. As a husband and father, I have seen how I struggle with this vocation when I put other things in front of what I am called to put first. Fr Greg has an amazing way of getting us to think about how we live our lives and how to live them better to fulfil our vocation. With the many distractions and mental storms in our lives, Fr Greg said that what God calls you to be will give you peace. Fr Greg finished with a fantastic Q and A, and there were many challenging questions posed during Q and A. A great session.

Saturday night is always a beautiful night where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and reconciliation is offered (and the take up on this opportunity is very big). It is the pinnacle and summit of the weekend. It is a night where men, some for the first time in years, have allowed themselves to hear the Lord speak to them and they are moved to a thorough reconciliation or a deep conversation with the Lord in adoration. I have heard many moving experiences over the years and it brings great joy to the whole group to see the change in some of the men from this experience.

The evening is also a great time for getting to know our brothers even better, and some great conversations were had and friendships formed. Even with the curfew we had a wonderful night of discussion and laughter.

Sunday morning is where the conference organisers wrap up what we have been through and give us some useful information to help us continue on our spiritual journey. Ivica Kovac gave us an overview of the wonderful work he is undertaking in the Men’s Ministry within the Archdiocese of Sydney and how we can “tap in” to the numerous resources available to continue on from what we have learned at the conference.

The penultimate highlight for weekend was the concluding Mass celebrated by Fr Davor. We started with a procession into the Church with incense, candles, the Croatian Men’s Cross, Banner of Christ the King and many other banners. Fr Davor gave us another great homily to wrap up the weekend, and the men’s Masses are always made special through the sound of a church full of men praying and singing together – something truly amazing.

Overall, the weekend was outstanding! I highly recommend this conference to any man who wants to grow in his faith and discern what God’s plan is for him. If you have concerns about anything I’m sure the event organisers or your mates can put them at ease. There are a large supply of ear plugs available (to block out the snorers), plenty of food, coffee and water throughout the weekend to keep you fed, hydrated and awake. Single rooms are also available if you don’t wish to share with anyone.

Bog i Hrvati
Steve F

Some Feedback from Men that Attended

Really enjoyed my first conference. The pace was outlined really well. The sessions were valuable and provided insight to areas that helped close out open end questions and have key take away’s from the event.

 

Helpful & beneficial, I firmly believe that all Croatian men, young and old should attend. My experience while I know people I was somewhat shy. Yet my group helped me open up and I loved it, great people & I’ve benefited. God Bless.

 

Thanks for a great weekend mate. I really enjoyed it. A great bunch of blokes all fighting their own battles in life but with the same eye on the one prize. God bless

 

Praise God for the beautiful weekend, all the talks were amazing. Father Greg’s talk is what hit home with me. I had a thought and it was to have all the talks recorded so we can have the opportunity to listen to again with our family/ wife’s at home. 

 

God bless you and the work you do. Thanks be to God for people like you in this world. I have enjoyed this weekend.

 

Keep it up. Speakers are awesome. Confession is awesome.

CONSECRATION to JESUS through MARY

Published on: by KOFPB

The Knights of the Precious Blood are inviting you to join us in making the Consecration to Jesus through Mary according to St. Louis de Montfort. This has been an annual tradition for us since our first Croatian Men’s conference back in 2019 where a good number of the men who participated, consecrated themselves at our first Men’s Mass “Feast of Our Lady of Fatima” on the 13th of May, 2019.

Total Consecration Group – First Men’s Mass May 2019

Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary has been recommended by saints to all the recent Popes. From his earliest years, our late, great Holy Father – Saint John Paul II – had consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary (thus his motto, “Totus Tuus”). This consecration is extremely powerful.

You are invited in these difficult times for our families, our country, and our world to heed the requests of Our Lady at Fatima, the Saints and recent Popes, and to join the Blessed Virgin Mary’s army to help crush the head of the serpent. You are asked to make the very powerful act of Total Consecration, and to live it out in your daily life. Consecration is simply making a gift of yourself entirely to God (to Jesus through Mary) in which you surrender to Them so that They can work in and through you. They will guide you in your daily life and give you the graces to carry out what They plan for you. Those of us already living the consecration can give witness to Their wonderful Hand in our daily affairs and it is wonderful to renew your commitment to Jesus through Our Lady every year.

The St. Louis de Montfort’s form of preparation for consecration is a beautiful way to do this seriously. The preparation is a simple series of spiritual exercises that goes for 33 consecutive days, each day representing one year in the life of Jesus. For us it will commence on the 10th of April ending on the 12th of May. Our next Men’s Mass will also be on Friday 12th of May which is also the feast of a great Croatian Saint – Saint Leopold Bogdan Mandic and just before the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday 13th May.

To access the daily readings and prayers for this powerful consecration in online digital format please use link below.

Daily readings and prayers

To download in PDF format see below.

Total Consecration

 

Bog i Hrvati

To Jesus through Mary

CROATIAN PILGRIMAGE CRUISE 2023

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A few months ago, the Knights of the Precious Blood gathered a few men in our catholic church along with our parish Priest, an idea was born to unite our community in a different way, to bring men and their families closer to Christ, closer to our church. And it did not take long for the idea to manifest into what was soon to become a huge success, an annual event that will continue to grow. 

Photo: Pilgrimage Cruise committee led by Parish priest Fra Davor from Croatian Catholic Centre at Summer Hill

The first annual Croatian Catholic Pilgrimage Cruise was held on Saturday 11th February 2023. In total over 120 cars and motorbikes were registered, with over 270 pilgrims in attendance. All funds raised on the day are going to a Catholic charity in Croatia ‘Kap Dobrote’ (Drop of Goodness) to assist in helping the most needy people in one of our homelands, Croatia. Whilst majority of the cars were exotic in nature, ‘muscle cars’ and Harley Davidsons, there were also people with the everyday family cars too. All age groups, some travelling on their own and others with their whole family, the youngest being 5 months old in a baby seat inside his parent’s muscle car.

Photo: One of many muscle cars that lined the streets (proudly owned by Tony & Ruza)

The cruise commenced at the Croatian Catholic Centre at Blacktown where the pilgrims were given a wonderful Blessing by two of our priests, Fra Davor and Fra Ivica. There was merchandise available to purchase and a coffee cart to satisfy the morning urge. A quick briefing followed and then we were off. A parade of cars and bikes rolled down the highway towards the first stop, the town of Wilton. We were welcomed by the locals and we had the opportunity to meet them, get a taste of their coffee and sandwiches and catch up with others in good conversation. It was also the meeting point for the pilgrims coming from Canberra who joined us from this point on wards.

Photo: A large display of cars and motorbikes awaiting the blessing from the Priests

After a good hour and half coffee rest break, we commenced the final leg to the Croatian Catholic Church at Figtree. The locals at this parish welcomed us with open arms. Mass was held in full attendance, filling the church to the brim. But what followed Mass was something extremely beautiful, never seen before, in my time anyway. In the hot sun, about 32 degrees at that point, a large procession began from within the church to the carpark outside where all the cars and bikes were parked. Every pilgrim stood next to their car/bike as the priest walked around blessing every single vehicle and person whilst the pilgrims prayed. It was an unbelievable experience, a true sight to behold. Some of these men have not been to Mass for a very long time and now felt a sense of belonging. As quoted by one of the men “I have met up with people I haven’t seen for over 30 years. I grew up with them and I really don’t know how it came, but I left the church. I have missed out on so much”. Others were quoted to have said ‘’The is the first time we have had our car blessed’’.

Photo: Procession from the church to the carpark to Bless all the people with the cars/motorbikes
Photo: Blessing led by Fra Davor and Fra Ivo from the Croatian Catholic communities of Sydney and Wollongong

In usual Croatian style, a feast was put on in the community hall which gave everyone an opportunity to refuel their bodies – the cars already used quite a bit of fuel along the way, and a good time to catch up with more people, meet some new folks and share our faith with each other. The Holy Spirit was truly there, and it could be seen on the faces of every pilgrim that attended. The feedback was phenomenal and the questions were soon flying in – when is the next one going to be held? God willing, this will now be held annually on the 2nd Saturday of February and we will envisage spreading the word around to other parishes. It will take us where the Holy Spirit desires to take us and to where God wills us.

Photo: Generous banquet lunch hosted by the Croatian Catholic Centre in Figtree

 

 

KNIGHTS OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD – SOLDIER OF CHRIST AWARD – 2022

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One of our annual Knights traditions is to present one of our members with our Soldier of Christ award at the end of the year. On Sunday 4th Dec 2022, at our last Men’s Breakfast for the year, Eddy Borovnjak was posthumously nominated as our Soldier of Christ for 2022.

Eddy was an exemplary witness of the Gospel, living every moment as a true Soldier of Christ. He really did suit himself up in the armour of God – speaking truth readily, maintaining the spirit of peace, and using the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (cp. Ephesians 6:10-18) to dispel the darkness in this world. He took a firm stand against the devil’s schemes by taking every effort to pray for souls, to seek those who were in danger, trying to lead them back to Christ by way of handing out miraculous medals and rosaries, and by evangelising in his own joyful, genuine manner. He welcomed everybody without judgement, recognising that our enemy is not each other but the spirit of evil that seeks to enslave us all, that makes men fall in their weakness. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. He used his words to uplift, to encourage, to evangelise.

More so than his words, the way Eddy lived his life spoke volumes about the love and abundant mercy of God, and this was never more evident than during the most difficult times in his sickness. Eddy lived a joyful life, even in adversity. He would never complain about anyone or anything and never displayed any anger or hatred. His face belied his discomfort or pain because he always smiled and sought to comfort and uplift those around him instead of focusing on himself. He was always in good spirits, positive and joyful. One always left his presence feeling humbled by the blessings of peace and joy he brought.
Eddy made every person he met feel ‘seen’ and valued. He listened with compassion to the pain others bore and did his best both materially and spiritually to help alleviate others’ burdens. He would give away his own blankets and would collect food and clothing to distribute to the poor in his area, who he would visit often with his mother or with the Legion of Mary chapter that he had joined, providing them with their physical needs but also with the love and company that many were starved of. He offered numerous Masses and prayers for a wide variety of souls he came across, many having no idea he had taken them under his wing spiritually.

Eddy’s trust in the Lord was inspiring and he was totally accepting of God’s will. We recall him saying that regardless if God wanted to heal him or to call him home, he was at peace with whatever the Lord decided. And the truth of his statement was confirmed by his demeanor and his voice – he truly was totally at peace in accepting God’s will, even if this meant being separated from the family he loved so dearly here on earth, particularly his three boys who really were the apples of his eye. He relished his times fishing with them, or spending times enjoying the outdoors with them and the joy they brought him was clear to all who knew him. In turn, it was clear the boys loved and respected their father and enjoyed their precious time together. Their relationship with one another was a vignette of unconditional love.

As with any good soldier, nothing stopped Eddy from continuing in his prayer and faith life. Eddy would come to the Men’s Rosary Crusades even whilst undergoing his cancer treatment. Not only would he participate, but he would take videos and compile some amazing promo videos for the Men’s Rosary Crusade. One of his other goals was to complete writing his book, only if God willed it of course. He was tireless in his efforts to complete this task, even in the hardest times. He credits this to a great devotion to Our Lady and to the Rosary.

The Soldier of Christ award was presented to Eddy’s mother on the feast day of the Holy Innocents on Wednesday 28th Dec 2022, at the shrine of the Holy Innocents Kellyville. The day and place of the presentation was providential as Eddy was a very active pro-life champion, and loved the Shrine of the Holy Innocents. He had a great compassion for the unborn and selflessly gave up one of his favourite things for many years (actually right up until his death) in reparation for the sins of abortion and for the ending of abortion. Eddy’s good friend, Brother Dominic Levak, was also present, having had the award blessed by a priest before it was presented to Eddy’s mother, Jelica, an amazing woman of faith in her own right.

Eddy’s mother was pleasantly surprised and deeply moved to receive this award in her son’s name – an award recognising that her son had not looked back, but had pressed on, keeping his eyes on the prize, Christ himself, and finished the only race that matters in this world (cp. Philippians 3:13-14).

Rest in peace, dear brother.

Bog i Hrvati.

Knights Fundraiser 2022 – Kap Dobrote

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On the 26th November, the annual Knight’s fundraiser was held to generate much needed funds for the Croatian Catholic organisation “Kap Dobrote”. This was the 9th annual fundraiser and by far exceeded all expectations set by previous years.

How to express it in just a few words? Absolutely priceless. Did we raise much needed funds? Yes. Did we all have a great time? Yes. So, what makes it different to every other fundraising initiative? Simple – it is a conglomerate of Croatian Catholic families and individuals, with God as the central focus of their lives, teaming up together to help the most vulnerable and needy in our homeland. It’s that simple, with God in the centre of our lives, all that we do will be Blessed and will please God. That, is what makes it a success. Yes, raising a lot of money is a way to measure success, however doing God’s work above all is more rewarding than we could ever imagine.

So, the night began as usual with mass held by Fra Ivica at the Croatian Catholic Centre in Blacktown. As guests started to gather outside the venue after mass, they were met with ‘domaća rakija’ and a selection of tasty bites whilst enjoying the wonderful sounds of Australia’s youngest Croatian upcoming band – ‘Sydney Svirači’. The atmosphere was building into what turned out to be one of the best fundraisers ever held.

The event was hosted by our very own emcee’s, Katarina Nazor and Adriana Bann, who invited Fra Ivica to do the opening Blessing and prayers. Sumptuous meza platters were on offer as the band, Mirko and Kemo welcomed all with some light background music. Greetings from around the world were played on the big screen, consisting of Croatian Bishops, charity group leaders and some Branitelji. A warm welcome to commence the festivities.

 

As is expected in any Croatian setting, a feast was put on for dinner catering for both young and old. During dinner, videos were played from the organisation Kap Dobrote, the works there are currently doing and what is needed for the vulnerable in Croatia to survive this winter. Hearts were touched and filled with empathy, and this was shown in the efforts of everybody throughout the night.

The ‘kolo’ came on and the dance floor was quickly filled, and even some of the men from the Knights group made an effort – albeit that one of our regular Italian guests, Sammy Gallačić, stepped on everyone’s toes trying to learn the kolo. The raffle was bigger than ever as we sold out of tickets and had to create our own to ensure everyone had an opportunity to win a prize or two. The auction once again did not disappoint with items that included a signed Luka Modrić Real Madrid jersey, signed Werner Illić jersey and several one-off artworks by the nuns overseas.

For me, the best part of the night, is watching everyone get together, have loads of conversations, some just catch ups, for others chats they haven’t had for years. Seeing people volunteer – some for hours leading up to the event, some on the night itself, and some even just offering their assistance even when there was enough support. We as Croatians always get together and unite as one. We as Croatian Catholics do more than just that – we offer hope and love beyond all worldly things, and with God we make the impossible possible.

On the night itself much needed funds were raised and donations continued to roll in for weeks after. In total the sum of $40,873 was raised and transferred to Kap Dobrote. A fantastic effort that will go a long way this winter for many that are suffering. But it does not end there. Every day God gives us opportunities to carry out his works. Let’s not rest all year and wait for the annual fundraiser to do good. Use every day to its fullest, visit someone who is lonely, call someone that needs help, pray for others. As Croatians, we are strong people. As Croatian Catholics, we are God’s warriors, Soldiers for Christ.

Thank you to all who volunteered and made this event such a memorable occasion. To those that helped set up and clean up the hall, to the home chefs that put on the feast and the kitchen helpers, to the emcees and band for entertaining us, to those that donated cakes and items for the raffle and auction, to the food servers, coffee makers and barmen, to the Knights who organised the whole event – and most importantly to all of you who attended and supported this initiative, a big massive THANK YOU – God bless you all!!!

Bog i Hrvati

For Kap Dobrote official thank you letter see here – zahvalnica za donaciju-Knights od Precious Blood