The day was filled with much excitement and inspiration, beginning with talks from Dr. Bryan Thatcher, founder of the Eucharist Apostles of Divine Mercy and host of Mercy Unbound, and from Father Joaquim Fernandes, a priest from the religious congregation, The Heralds of the Gospel.  

Dr. Thatcher walked the participants through the seven sorrows of Mary and her Passion, drawing connections to Our Lady of Kibeho and her call to prayer, repentance, and conversion.  He explained the devotion of the Seven Sorrows Rosary, which focuses on seven profound moments of suffering experienced by the Blessed Mother, all closely united to the Passion of her Son.  The seven sorrows include the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of Jesus for three days, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the body taken down from the cross, and the burial of Jesus.

Father Fernandes reflected on how Mary glorified God through her humility, emphasizing that sincere humility has the power to resolve many situations and, in turn, bring glory to God just as Mary did. He encouraged participants not only to grow closer to the Blessed Mother but also to learn how to defend her. After all, what son or daughter would not seek to defend their mother?

The event also included Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, along with a display of relics from the Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, St. Catherine of Siena, St. John Vianney, St. Bartolo Longo, St. Dominic, St. Jacinta and Fracisco Marto, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis de Sales, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Bonaventure, St. Anthony of Padua, and the Church’s two newest saints, St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. 

The Congress concluded with a multilingual rosary prayed in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Tamil during a Marian procession led by a statue of Our Lady.  The faithful processed into the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle for the Vigil Mass of the Ascension of Our Lord, followed by a ceremonial crowning by Father Tom Morgan, rector of the Cathedral.

For more information about the Marian Congress, click here.

To view photos from the event, click the arrows below.