In May of last year, I consecrated the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. It was a deeply moving experience to see the Cathedral church filled to capacity. Many people and priests from parishes throughout the Diocese came to be a part of this spiritual moment.

St. John Paul II reminds us that, “The Immaculate Virgin invites us not to fix our eyes on her but to pass beyond, and as much as possible, to enter into the mystery in which she was conceived: the mystery of God who is One and Three, full of grace and fidelity. As the moon shines with the light of the sun, so the immaculate splendor of Mary is totally relative to that of the Redeemer. The Mother leads us to her Son; passing through her, we reach Christ.” We need Mary’s maternal love and intercession to bring us back from sin into the merciful love of God.

This year I invite you to be a part of our First Annual Marian Eucharistic Congress and Renewal of the Consecration of the Diocese of St. Petersburg to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle.

The theme for this year will be to take Mary into our hearts and homes, and entrust ourselves to her care, through the renewal of our Consecration to her Immaculate Heart. The day will begin at 9:00 a.m. with three Conferences as well as Eucharistic Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction. At 4:00 p.m., the Mass to renew our Consecration to the Blessed Mother will begin. I have invited Bishop William Amove Avenya, of the Diocese of Gboko, Nigeria to be the Main Celebrant of the Mass.

I pray that the Lord’s abundant blessings be upon you as you prepare for our Marian Eucharistic Congress, and your own personal consecration to Mary.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes