†MI Introduction Information
†Daily MI Renewal Prayers
MI RENEWS
SAINT PIO MI VILLAGE
SAINT PIO MI VILLAGE
TOGETHER IN PRAYER EVERY 23RD OF THE MONTH
CATHOLIC MARIAN RENEWAL PRAYER GATHERING
SAINT PADRE PIO ONCE WROTE, "The Immaculate Conception is the first step in our salvation." A MI village is a Catholic prayer gathering with our Mother Immaculate through the spiritual renewal movement founded in 1917 by the Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe. The unique connection between St.Pio and St. Max is that they were both spiritual son of St. Francis of Assisi. They both understood the importance of entering the mystery of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And out of the hundreds of faithful souls Pope John Paul II canonized as saints in the Catholic Church, St. Pio and St. Max were the only two that he elevated their feast days to obligatory memorials on the Catholic calendar.
Taking this to heart it is our hope to share in the love and devotion that both these Franciscan saints had for the Immaculata. Through their example may we strive in humility to bring about an authentic renewal in the whole Catholic Church. We extend and invitation to all the faithful to join this Marian Renewal movement every 23rd of the month. And this can be experience where ever you find yourself through the world. The way this could happened is if you gather with a Immaculata statue/image or particularly the Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception and renewal your consecration to our Blessed Mother. You can also consider reciting the meditation prayer on Mary Immaculate composed by Padre Pio, which can be found in our store. If possible we encourage confession and Holy Mass on the 23rd or even nine days before or after.
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"From all eternity Almighty God took delight in what was to be the most perfect work of His hands....Even though I be clothed in misery, I revere the mystery of your Immaculate Conception, and I ardently wish that through it you may purify my heart so that I may love your God and my God." †St, Padre Pio, OFM Cap.
What makes an MI village unique to our times is the fact that the only important number is the Immaculate One. Unlike other modern groups claiming Catholic "renewal" and use numbers as a way to prove their own credibility, with the MI all that is required to make a village/prayer group is a soul interested in taking the time to gather with our Mother Immaculate. One can think this because it was our Lord who taught, "Where two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."(†St. Matthew 18:20) And since an MI village is all about gathering with our Blessed Mother, who is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, it only takes a single soul willing to draw close to the Immaculata in the spirit of love and prayer.
"The Immaculata is the Mediatrix of all graces, therefore the closer one comes to her, the more exuberant one's spiritual life will be."
†St. Maximilian M. Kolbe
Of course this doesn't not mean that you can't look to grown and increase your numbers, but it does mean you shall never be discouraged if it is just you and the Immaculata on any given night. Ideally every Catholic parish community should become an extension of a MI Villages, since the Holy Eucharistic is the Source and Summit of the faith and one can only find perpetual adoration within the Immaculate Heart of Mary. So It is through the increase of Marian Consecration that the Catholic Church will experience true renewal for individuals and society.
—1902, FRANCESCO FORGIONE RECEIVED THE FRANCISCAN CAPUCHIN HABIT AND
Who is Padre Pio of Pietrelcina?
given the name of Pio. From early on in his religious vocation as a friar, rumors if his sanctity was recognized and quickly spread. On August 10, 1910 he would be ordain a priest of the Catholic Church.
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Beside his priesthood there would come another spiritual event that would change his life forever. On September 20th, 1918, which he was praying alone choir in the chapel of his community's monastery, he would have an unusual experience that would remain with him for the next fifty years of his life. After giving out a loud cry his brothers would would search for Padre Pio only to find laying unconscious on the ground with blood marks on his hands, feet and side. These wounds are known by the Catholic Church the Holy Wounds of Jesus Christ, or the stigmata.
Many souls would travel to the small town to get a chance to see the mystery surrounding poor monk. Due to speculation and the concern that the wounds he possessed on his body were of divine origin and not something of his own doing or a possible trick of the devil, Padre Pio was forced to live without regular interaction with the public, including the pilgrims who were coming to see him. This life of seclusion wouldn't be easy for him, but still he humbly obey these restrictions for many years. He was only allowed to offer Holy Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation, with his Mass lasting hours of deep prayer and his time spent in the confessional lasted up to ten hours.
His greatest joy would come from building something special in San Giovanni Rotondo. Because of many letters with donations coming into the towns post office addressed to him, Padre Pio got the idea to use the money to build and staff a well equipped hospital in the desolate region next to his monastery. He
would call the new hospital the "House for the Relief of Suffering" which stands as monument of Padre Pio's love for humanity and is his lasting concern for the poor and sick in need of care.