Abbot Michael Brunner addresses School

This Friday, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis, in communion with the entire church, offered a special prayer of consecration for Ukraine and Russia. In his Letter to the all the Bishops, the Holy Father stated that this was to be “a solemn Act of Consecration of humanity, and Russia and Ukraine in particular.” “This Act of Consecration is meant to be a gesture of the universal Church, which in this dramatic moment lifts up to God, through his Mother and ours, the cry of pain of all those who suffer and implore an end to the violence, and to entrust the future of our human family to the Queen of Peace.” The Holy Father has spoken continuously and firmly on the events in Ukraine, asking that "humanitarian corridors really be ensured", and emphasizing that the authentic story of what is happening by told. He has called for respect for international law, as evidence of its violation is accumulating, particularly in the expanding and ever more destructive acts of aggression as the war progresses. Pope Francis has implored that “armed attacks cease” and addressed the terrible consequences impacting not only Europe, but the rest of the world: “death, suffering, divided families, millions of refugees.” One simply-stated and shocking statistic: “More than half of Ukraine’s children are no longer living in their homes.” (NYTimes, March 25, 2022). At last Sunday’s Angelus, Pope Francis lamented that, “Unfortunately, the violent aggression against Ukraine does not stop, a senseless massacre where every day there is a repetition of slaughter and atrocities. There is no justification for this! I plead with all those involved in the international community to truly commit to ending this abhorrent war.”

Br. Joseph Byron, Mrs. Paula Walter, Ms. Elizabeth Benestad, and Br. Sixtus Roslevich join in sanctuary

Portsmouth Abbey answered the call to also seek this consecration at noon on the Solemnity. The petitioning of the “Queen of Peace” speaks directly to the heart of this community, particularly through the patroness of Portsmouth, Our Lady, Queen of Peace. With this patronage designated for this community under Prior Gregory Borgstedt in the aftermath of the Second World War, the community’s prayers have been shaped substantially by the theme of peace. This past Friday, Abbot Michael Brunner invited the School to join in this prayer, and the day’s schedule was modified to incorporate a service in the Abbey Church. The monastic community and the School joined parishes throughout the Diocese of Providence in this global event. Most Rev. Robert C. Evans, Auxiliary Bishop of Providence, acted as the main celebrant and homilist at the diocesan service. Praying “in union with Pope Francis and all the Bishops of the world,” the Bishop Evans also offered prayers consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the 12 noon Mass in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence. 

Abbot Michael addressed the School prior to the prayer at an assembly, noting that the world was at an “inflection point in history.“ He compared current events to the Cuban Missile Crisis, noting that it was a critical moment for prayer. Later in the church, he developed this theme, encouraging the School community to realize that God does hear our prayers and that we have powerful allies in the saints, and in Our Lady, in particular. As the “Undoer of Knots“ and as the “Queen of Peace,“ she offers  us hope and a means of assistance in our troubled times. The entire School community knelt in prayer, led by members of the monastic community as well as the lay faculty, reciting together the words of the Act of Consecration. (Abbot Michael’s full remarks are available here)

 

 

Excerpts from the text of the Act of Consecration: 

Documents:

• Letter to Bishops (21 March 2022) 

• Text of the Act of Consecration 

• Booklet for the Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary