HAPPY 150TH BIRTHDAY TO BLESSED MARIA DROSTE zu VISCHERING Happy 150th Birthday to Blessed Maria Droste zu Vischering!!! Birthdays are to celebrate the anniversary of your birth and they usually stop when a person dies. That is not the case with Maria Droste zu Vischering. The impact that she has had on the World in her short lived life deserves an ongoing celebration and remembrance. On September 08, 1863 at the Erbdrostenhof Palace in Munster, Germany Countess Helen von Galen, wife of Count Clemens Droste zu Vischering, gave birth to twins, Max and Maria. Little did they know at that time what an impact their daughter Maria would have on the World. Maria Droste zu Vischering grew up in an aristocratic privileged family. She developed a strong devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at a early age. She was known to pray in the family chapel to Jesus in devotion to his Sacred Heart. Maria’s love of Jesus led her to her calling to join the Covent. She left behind her life of privilege and she joined the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shephard order when she was 25 years old and took the name of Sr. Mary of the Divine Heart. At the age of 28 she was transferred from Germany to a Convent in Oporto, Portugal where she remained until she died. During her 10 years at the Convent in Oporto, she ran an orphanage, dedicated her life to bringing dissolute women to repentance, and brought the Convent from financial ruin to an efficiently run organization. During this time she reported to her Superior mystical visions of Christ. She reported that Christ had personally appeared to her and requested that the entire world be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, not just Catholics and Christians but everyone. Jesus wanted everyone to know the love and light of His Sacred Heart. Sr. Maria’s wrote several letters to Pope Leo XIII making this request known. Sr. Maria’s influence on Pope Leo XIII resulted in the Annum Sacrum, wherein Pope Leo XIII decreed that the consecration of the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus would take place on June 11, 1899 and that it would be renewed each year. Pope Leo XIII called this consecration “the greatest act of my pontificate”. On June 08, 1899, two days before the first celebration dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sr. Maria died at the age of 35 years old. Her mission on this earth was complete. Her influence and impact continues to thrive 114 years after her death. Sr. Maria has been recognized by the Catholic Church. In 1964, Sr. Maria was declared Venerable and on November 1, 1975 she was declared Blessed by the Catholic Church. The cause for her canonization is currently pending. Thank you Blessed Sr. Maria for your intercession with the Pope to bring about the consecration of the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus so that all could know the love of His heart. Happy earthly 150th birthday dear Blessed Sr. Maria! Let us celebrate the 150th anniversary of her birth by our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I invite all to pray for the recognition of Blessed Sr. Maria and the successful resolution of her cause for canonization.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 03:31:41 +0000
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