Dear Friends and Members of Opus Angelorum,
Pope Pius XII once said to a group of American visitors in Rome, “We must unite with the holy angels; with them we must become one great strong family in view of the times that are approaching us!” God’s wise Providence holds each of us in His loving hands, and He governs this world through the ministry of the angels. While the saints intercede for us here on earth, the angels also directly intervene. As the instability and uncertainties of the world around us increase, we must all the more fix our eyes through the light of the holy angels on what really matters in this life: remaining faithful to God and growing daily in our union with Him. How much light and strength the angels could bring, if only more people would call upon them!
In January of 2009, Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to the General Chapter of the Order saying, “In the face of the challenges of our times and the tribulations which every individual experiences in his life, it is salutary to recall the powerful help and solicitous guidance of the holy angels who ‘work together for the benefit of us all’ (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 350). May they accompany the family of the Opus Angelorum, so that with prayer and apostolic zeal it may serve the unceasing sanctification of the entire People of God.” With confidence and trust in God’s mercy, while ever mindful of our own weaknesses and failings, we encourage you as members of the Opus Angelorum, therefore, to call upon the holy angels often during the day for the conversion and sanctification of the world around us:“may they inspire in the nations and in their leaders plans of peace” (Vespers, Feast of Guardian Angels). May God bless you all and grant you much joy and hope in the Lord’s service.
Fr. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC, Director
OA Pilgrimage
We just returned on May 15th from the Spiritual Pilgrimage to our OA Stations and Shrines of Europe. With 55 participants, it was a wonderfully grace-filled time which concluded with the visit of the Pope in Fatima.
In Germany we visited the Black Madonna of Altoetting, which Pope Benedict called the “heart of Bavaria and one of the hearts of Europe”. He once mentioned that he was very glad to have grown up in that vicinity and had the opportunity to visit Our Lady of Altoetting often.
In Fuessen, Germany we visited the birthplace of Blessed Francis Seelos, a Redemptorist priest who completed his priestly formation and was ordained here in the United States in the mid-1800’s. After working in several stations—including Baltimore, Pittsburgh (under St. John Neumann) and Detroit—he died of yellow fever in New Orleans in 1867. We had the privilege of celebrating Mass at the altar where he served as a young man, and where his father served as Sacristan. Afterwards we also toured the famous castle of King Louis II, “Neuschwanstein” also located in Fuessen.
In Austria at our Motherhouse, the castle St. Petersberg, 10 candidates made their consecration to the Holy Guardian Angel and became members of the Confraternity of the Holy Guardian Angels.
In this Year for Priests, we visited Ars and had a Holy Mass twice beneath the body of the Holy Curé. We prayed for all priests and offered thanks to God for the gift of the Priesthood to the Church.
After visiting various shrines of Our Lady and Saints, the trip concluded with a visit to Fatima on May 13th where we prayed the Rosary and participated in the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. Here we witnessed how burdened the Holy Father is from the current scandals in Europe and all the attacks from within and without of the Church. On his arrival in Fatima on May 12th, the Pope consecrated all of the world’s priests to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Addressing himself to the Virgin, and speaking on behalf of all the world’s 400,000 priests in this Year for Priests, the Holy Father said: “Help us, through your powerful intercession, never to fall short of this sublime vocation, nor to give way to our selfishness, to the allurements of the world and to the wiles of the Evil One.”
We want to pray and support our Holy Father in every way we can, and send the holy angels to strengthen, enlighten and protect him.
We pray that the pilgrimage bears much spiritual fruit, not only in the lives of the participants, but for the whole Church, especially for priests, for whom we prayed and sacrificed.
We just returned on May 15th from the Spiritual Pilgrimage to our OA Stations and Shrines of Europe. With 55 participants, it was a wonderfully grace-filled time which concluded with the visit of the Pope in Fatima.
In Austria at our Motherhouse, the castle St. Petersberg, 10 candidates made their consecration to the Holy Guardian Angel and became members of the Confraternity of the Holy Guardian Angels.
