(Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)
ASHTON — “Jesus, we now want to imitate you and entrust ourselves to your mother. Mary, Mother of Mercy, we entrust to you all the faithful in Wisconsin, especially those in the Diocese of Madison.”
With those words, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison consecrated the Diocese of Madison to Jesus, through the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Fatima.
The entrustment came the day before the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady to the three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal, on May 13, 1917.
During a Mass at St. Peter Church in Ashton on May 12, Bishop Morlino prayed the same prayer of entrustment that he prayed back in October of 2016, along with all the bishops in Wisconsin, for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Celebrating Our Lady and the Eucharist
As Mass began, and congregants sang the opening hymn, “Immaculate Mary” second graders from St. Peter School processed into church, along with Bishop Morlino and St. Peter Pastor Fr. Tait Schroeder.
The girls were in their First Communion dresses and the boys were in First Communion suits, to celebrate their recent welcoming into that Sacrament of Initiation.
They also each presented a rose near the altar, which would be given to Our Lady at a May Crowning during the Mass.
As Mass began, Father Schroeder thanked Bishop Morlino for coming to celebrate with the parish and school and also acknowledged the mothers and grandmothers in attendance — two days before Mother’s Day — and thanked them for all the support they give.
During his homily, Bishop Morlino reflected on God as “the gardener of the most beautiful garden that could ever be imagined.”
The bishop continued saying the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the Church Fathers, is the “gardener of the gardener of the Garden of Life” — with the Garden of Life being heaven.
“As Jesus raises this beautiful garden, according to the flesh, Mary raised the beautiful garden of Jesus himself.”
May Crowning and consecration
Following the homily, Bishop Morlino blessed a crown that would be placed on a statue of Mary in the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in the back of the church.
Following the blessing, the bishop and Father Schroeder, along with the recent First Communicants, processed to the grotto for the May Crowning.
Those gathered in church sang “On This Day O Beautiful Mother”.
Later during the consecration to Mary, Bishop Morlino concluded the entrustment praying, “Mary, may our daily lives reflect your Fiat to the Heavenly Father’s Divine Will. Mary, we love you and we entrust ourselves totally to your loving and merciful care at this moment and always . . . Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.”