Exiit qui seminat
"Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!"
This past week on August 15th, we celebrated the feast of the Assumption. While it wasn't a holy day of obligation this year, it was important to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as Mother of God, but also as the first and greatest disciple of her Son. From very early on in my priesthood, I've been blessed to be a part of the Diocesan Marian Commission. The role of the commission is to plan and execute the Diocese of Camden's biannual pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Every two years, thousands of pilgrims for our diocese travel to the shrine for a day of prayer, honoring Our Lady and thanking her under her title of the Immaculate Conception for being the patroness of the Diocese of Camden. The basilica is the largest Catholic church in North America and really is a stunning tribute to our Blessed Mother. Side chapels line both the upstairs and the downstairs of the church, each one dedicated to a specific title of Mary. This year's pilgrimage is on Saturday, October 29, 2022. We'll be offering a bus along with Christ the Good Shepherd that will take you back and forth from Washington, DC so you don't even have to worry about the drive! If you've never been to the basilica, I really encourage you to plan now and make the sacrifice for Our Lady during the month dedicated to her. As Padre Pio wrote, "Give yourself up into the arms of your Heavenly Mother. She will take good care of your soul." Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Rob Sinatra
