On the eve of May 8th, the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word was pleased to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary under her special title of Our Lady of Luján. In addition to serving as patroness of Argentina, Our Lady of Luján is also the official Patroness of the Institute. Since 2012, the feast of Our Lady has been celebrated with special solemnity, due to the fact that she is the official Patroness of the Institute by decree of the Holy See.

In this province – as if the Solemnity of Our Lady of Luján was not enough reason to celebrate – the Religious Family rejoiced to see the perpetual profession of five men during a Mass celebrated by Fr. Daniel Mentesana, the provincial superior, at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Br. Brendan O’Rourke of Ireland, Br. Manuel Palma of Guatemala, Br. Mariano Ruiz of Argentina, Br. Wilian Valle of El Salvador, and Br. Michael Zhang of Hong Kong professed their perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and Marian slavery of love. We pray that, by the grace of God, their lives may be ever more conformed to the life of Jesus Christ – poor, chaste, obedient, and ever devoted to Mary – as they prepare themselves for ordination to the diaconate later this month.

In addition to the permanent profession of vows, novice brothers of the Institute as well as novice sisters of the SSVM also made their Marian Consecration according to the method of St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort. May Our Lady of Luján bless and protect these men and women as they begin the journey of consecrated life in the Church; may she also continue to grant us the gift of many holy missionary vocations.