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What does the Church teach regarding Consecration to Mary?

In the strictest sense, there is only one type of consecration, the one made by God himself. Only God can appropriate a human being and make him/her sacred. God communicates his holiness to us; he gives us participation in his holiness. He is our creator and wants us to be in his image. This transformation into his likeness is the foremost meaning of consecration.  Therefore, our consecration is a response to his call.

Can we consecrate ourselves to Mary?

We know that Mary is not the Creator, nor the Redeemer; but it was God's will that she had something to do with our Christian life, with our sanctification. It is a role assigned to her by God. In perfect union with her Son and subordinate to him, the Vatican II Council calls her "our mother in the order of grace." Mary was chosen to help us in our consecration through her intercession and by her maternal care.  She is the perfect example of the Church and the model of all faithful.

Consecration to Mary is a consecration to the "perfect means" (per St. Louis de Montfort) and heightens the depth and truth of our commitment to Christ.  It is in this consecration where one pledges to perform all actions "through Mary, in Mary, and for Mary" is in fact a pledge to perform them more perfectly through Jesus Christ, with him, in him, and for him.

Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

While there is a long history of consecration to Mary, the practice of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is closely linked to the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. During the third apparition, on July 13, 1917, Our Lady said to the three little shepherds: “God wishes to establish the devotion to her Immaculate Heart in the world in order to save souls from hell and bring about world peace, and also asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart.”

Pope Pius XII consecrated the Church and the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 31, 1942, as World War II continued to rage on.  John Paul II did the same on three occasions, his latest at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Holy Year of the Redemption on October 8, 2000.  Between them, Pius XII and John Paul II consecrated the Church and the entire world to Mary a total of eight times.

On October 13, 2013, Pope Francis renewed the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and dedicated his pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima.  And with the recent outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine, he is asking Catholics around the world to unite with him on March 25 as he renews the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Mary wishes to assist us, through her Immaculate Heart, in bringing the world back to God.


Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn