Priests' Meeting, Manila 23-28 Feb 2015

The meeting was a great success. Here is what Fr. Karl Stehlin, the District Superior, had to say in a follow-up letter to his priests:

Carissimi!

Allow me to thank you very much again for the excellent priests' meeting in Manila, for your generous participation, your zeal for the glory of God, the honor of Our Lady and the salvation of souls. We all are convinced about the decisive role of Her in these apocalyptic times and we want to entrust our priestly life, our communities and our apostolate entirely to Her.

This letter (and the following ones) will develop the practical apostolic and pastoral issues raised at our meeting: THE MILITIA IMMACULATAE IN ASIA; TRAINING PROGRAM OF THE "APOSTLES OF FATIMA”; ORGANISATION OF ACTIVITIES TO AWAKE AND FOSTER VOCATIONS (JUNIOR LEGION OF MARY CONGRESS, CATECHISM CAMPS), INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PREACH MONTFORTAN RETREATS and other important issues. 

In brief, Fr. Stehlin announced his fervent desire that the entire apostolate be imbued with the spirit of Marian devotion as promoted by the Militia Immaculata of St. Maximillian Kolbe. One of the goals of the apostolate, therefore, is to enrol every member of the faithful into the Militia Immaculatae. Another goal is to make the activities of the other pious groups (the Legion of Mary, Apostles of Mary, Knights of Our Lady, Children of Mary, Archconfraternity of St. Stephen etc) all work together to fulfil the goals of the Militia Immaculatae without detriment to achieving their own particular goals. Another goal is to prepare the faithful for the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady in Fatima.

A significant part of the meeting was given to study. Presentations were given by the most erudite of priests upon the following subjects:

• The Role of Our Lady in the Latter Times
• The fundamentals of the Dogma of the Divine Motherhood
• The Immaculate Conception – Ineffabilis Deus
• The Theology of the Assumption and Queenship of Mary
• Sanctifacatio Sacerdotum per Immaculatam
• Theology of the Most Holy Rosary (especially encyclicals of Leon XIII)
• Mary, Mediatrix and Corredemptrix
• The Relation of the BMV to the Holy Ghost (S. Grignion, Maximilian Kolbe etc.)
• The Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Spirituality of Fatima
• Apostolate - principles of confessing the faithful; effective preaching and catechism of children and adults; preparation of priests to preach retreats; spiritual direction of the faithful.
• The destruction of Mariology and Marian Devotion after Vatican II
• The BMV overcomes the Crisis in the Church (Fatima, La Salette, Quito etc.)
• The Expansion of Communism in the World
• The Militia Immaculatae (spirituality, theological foundation, fruits)
• Marian Movements in Tradition
• The great consecrations (Montfort, Maximilian Kolbe, Immaculate Heart)
• How to preach a Montfortan Retreat
• Schools
• Communications ad intra et ad extra

It was pretty intense, but the happiness and joy of all the priests being together made the five days pass all too quickly. Deo gratias.