Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wis., places his hand on a stained glass window of the Blessed Mother as the Immaculate Conception during a rededication of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Green Bay on Feb. 22, 2020. Bishops of the U.S. and Canada will consecrate their nations to Mary on May 1. (CNS photo/Sam Lucero, The Compass)
On May 1, the first day of the month of Mary, the bishops of the United States will join the bishops of Canada to reconsecrate the two countries to the care of the Blessed Mother as the world continues to face the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
The event is called a reconsecration or rededication because the U.S. bishops have dedicated the nation to the care of Mary at least three times before.
Hawaii Catholics are invited to join Archbishop Jose Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, by livestreaming video, 9 a.m. Hawaii-time, May 1, as he rededicates North America to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. (twitter.com/USCCB, facebook.com/usccb and instagram.com/usccb)
At 6 p.m. the same day here in Hawaii, Bishop Larry Silva will lead a livestreamed rosary to celebrate the rededication of North America to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to open the Marian month.
Following the rosary, at 6:30 p.m., the video channels of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace will replay Archbishop Gomez’ rededication of North America to the Blessed Virgin Mary. (facebook.com/HonoluluCathedralBasilica and hawaiicatholictv.com)
The final event of the day will be a private livestreamed Mass at 7:15 p.m. for the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, to pray for a restoration to work for all.
The May 1 reconsecration follows a similar action of the bishops’ conference of Latin America and the Caribbean who consecrated their nations to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Easter Sunday.
According to the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops website, The renewal of consecration “does not change the designation of Mary as the Patroness of the United States under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Rather, this prayer reaffirms and renews previous Marian entrustments.”
